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From left, Mary Yung, Erika Zekos, and Mayor David Narkewicz

From left, Mary Yung, Erika Zekos, and Mayor David Narkewicz say Click Workspace’s new downtown location will allow them to offer professional development and cultural events, as well as shared workspace.

Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz says the scope of new construction and renovation projects that were recently completed, are underway, or are in the planning stages total $36 million, and attest to the city’s strong financial position and vibrant downtown.

“We’ve seen high levels of residential and commercial construction over the past few years, and Standard & Poor’s recently upgraded our bond rating to AAA,” he said, adding that only 65 out of 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth have attained that status.

Meanwhile, downtown Northampton has long been the envy of nearby cities as a center for arts and culture, renowned for live music, and has a plethora of restaurants in every price range.

It is also home to many retail shops, and Thornes Marketplace on 150 Main St. is fully rented for the first time in 40 years.

However, reports surfaced in January that the city’s downtown was suffering a setback, with 14 of its 251 storefronts vacant.

Narkewicz doesn’t discount the concerns and discussion that occurred when the information was publicized, but says people have been writing the city’s obituary for the past decade, and the majority of closings can be attributed to cyclical turnovers that occur whenever long-term owners retire, which is the case for many businesses that closed their doors.

The vacant storefronts are filling back up, and the city has taken a proactive stance to ensure that the public gets accurate information. To that end, data has been collected that provides an accurate analysis of existing properties. It has been published in a new ‘Downtown Indicator’ on the city’s website that will be updated in July.

Architect Mary Yung is a well-known resident who is enthusiastic about the city’s downtown. She lives in the neighborhood, and created Market9.5 LLC 18 months ago so she could purchase and develop a 9,000-square-foot building at 9 1/2 Market St. It was chosen with the intention of using it to expand Click Workspace, which offers shared space to entrepreneurs, techies, and professionals who work remotely.

“After I was contacted by Click and asked to help them grow, I made it my mission to find a space within walking distance of the restaurants and shops that could also offer cultural events and professional development,” said the manager, member, and president of the Click Workspace board, adding that she had another client looking for a downtown location whose search also proved successful.

Click offers memberships on a variety of levels, and reflects the growing popularity of shared workspace among young professionals, who find that the concept promotes collaboration and networking. And since its Market Street location opened, it has grown from 27 to 41 members.

“The neighborhood is thriving, and a new Edward Jones office and juice bar also opened on the street,” said manager and member Erika Zekos.

The mayor added that new bike racks have been installed in the area because some Click members want to bike to work, which aligns nicely with the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan and Complete Streets ordinance.

In addition to the $1.6 million conversion of the Market Street building occupied by Click Workspace, two other projects are taking place in the eastern section of downtown, and another four are underway that will allow more people to live in the neighborhood and increase foot traffic for existing businesses and potential new ones, making the city even more of a destination.

Major Investments

Housing options are increasing, and Christopher Heights of Northampton opened earlier this year at Village Hill on the grounds of the former Northampton State Hospital. The 126-acre, mixed-use, assisted living complex is within walking distance of downtown, and its 83 units, half of which are affordable, are slowly being occupied.

“Christopher Heights increases people’s options because they can enter at the market-rate price and transition to the affordable rate as they deplete their resources,” Narkewicz said, noting many people find Northampton an attractive place to retire due to its walkability.

The new development is one of three assisted-living projects in the city, including Linda Manor and Violette’s Crossing at Rockridge, which is under construction and expected to open late this summer. It will offer 25 one- and two-bedroom apartments for seniors with annual incomes of less than $40,000 and assets of less than $200,000.

New England Urban Senior Living is another important project focused on an $18 million re-conversion of the historic former St. John’s Cantius Church into a three story, 61-unit independent-living facility with a restaurant that faces Hawley Street. The property was purchased from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. and the project is in the permitting stage.

The third project in the eastern section of downtown was initiated by Northampton Arts Trust. It purchased 33 Hawley St., across from the church, and plans a $5 million to $6 million renovation that will transform the building into a multi-dimensional, energy-efficient arts, cultural, and education center with a black-box theater.

The Mass. Cultural Council awarded the trust a $300,000 grant, but the rest of the money for the project will be raised through private donations and by leveraging state art grants.

“This is really, really important in terms of sustaining this part of our economy,” Narkewicz said, explaining that Northampton’s reputation as a center for the arts makes it difficult for new artists to find affordable exhibit space, and this project is aimed at filling that need.

The city is also in the middle of a $3.4 million renovation and expansion of the one-acre Pulaski Park, located between the Academy of Music and Memorial Hall. Phase 1 of the project is coming to an end, and the renovated, improved park is scheduled to open later this summer. It will feature a vibrant plaza, a performance stage, a sloping green lawn, new nature play area for children, and a garden watered by stormwater channeled from Main Street.

Phase 2, which will begin sometime in the near future, will expand the park by providing a better connection with the Roundhouse parking lot below, which is now accessible only via steps that lead to South Street behind the Academy of Music.

Construction is also taking place on Pleasant Street, which is an area the city hopes will become an extension of downtown. In addition to the city’s Union (Amtrak) Station, Valley Community Development Corp. plans to transform the former Northampton Lumber Co. Inc. property at 256 Pleasant St. into housing, retail, and office space.

Narkewicz told BusinessWest that these investments are being supported by infrastructure improvements. “The city is working to increase economic activity and extend sidewalks and bike lanes throughout the Pleasant Street area, and the state is redesigning the intersection at Conz and Pleasant streets,” he said, explaining that a roundabout is being created that will provide a beautiful gateway to that section of downtown.

Change is also occurring on the campus of the Clarke School for Hearing and Speech, which sold two former dormitories to a group led by developer Peter Picknelly.

A $10 million luxury apartment complex is being created in Hubbard Hall and Rogers Hall, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offer stunning views of mountains and the city’s eclectic downtown, which is a 10-minute walk away.

Narkewicz said everything possible has been done to preserve the historic character of the buildings, and some apartments feature relics such as old classroom chalkboards.

The property is significant because the century-old structures were once home to Calvin Coolidge, the nation’s 30th president, and before that, the governor of Massachusetts, and before that, the mayor of Paradise City.

Economic Development Director Terence Masterson said Gawith Hall on the Clarke School campus is also being repurposed by CheckWriters HQ, a regional human-resources service firm in Holyoke. “Fifty employees will be moved to the building when the $1.8 million renovation is complete,” he noted.

Positive Outlook

Two years ago, when the city’s business-improvement district was declared null and void due to a lawsuit that involved a technicality, Narkewicz convened a stakeholders meeting of business and property owners. It resulted in the creation of a new entity called the Downtown Northampton Assoc., better known as the DNA, that launched in April and recently hired a new director.

“We took a proactive role in the DNA’s creation and are supporting it because we view it as an important investment in the future health and growth of downtown and the entire city. It represents a new chapter,” the mayor said, explaining that the city and chamber of commerce are key partners in the DNA, and the city created a new position for a maintenance staff person whose job will involve cleaning and beautification efforts downtown.

A number of other projects are also underway or have been recently completed. Last October, Smith College finished a $1.5 million project. Major renovations were made to the historic Grecourt Gates as well as to the front entrance of the campus that enters the downtown area.

In addition, Narcewicz said, the state recently approved a major funding award to HAP Inc. to help it raze Northampton Lodging on Pleasant Street and build a new facility that will contain a office space and both market-rate and affordable housing.

Development is also continuing at Village Hill, and VCA Inc., which was one of the first business tenants on the property, is purchasing an adjoining parcel of land from MassDevelopment.

“They’re planning a $1 million, 13,000-square-foot addition that will include a 3,000-square-foot metal shop,” Masterson said. “VCA currently has 30 employees, and they plan to add six new positions when the expansion is complete.”

Efforts are also underway to convert the long-dormant Male Attendants Building on the Village Hill campus into upscale condominiums, and plans have been approved for Transformations Inc. to build Summit Oaks at Village Hill, a net-zero-energy housing complex on 35 acres that will include duplex town houses, single-family homes, and co-housing. Another project that has been completed is the new $6 million Fairfield Inn, which opened last fall. It’s a short distance from downtown and is expected to lodge at least 20,000 people each year.

The combination of new construction and redevelopment bodes well for the city, and Narkewicz says the outlook is positive.

“I’m bullish on the city,” he said, “and we consistently see people interested in moving their businesses here.”

 

Northampton at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1884
Population: 28,592 (2012)
Area: 35.8 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $16.16
Commercial Tax Rate: $16.16
Median Household Income: $61,745 (2013)
Family Household Income: $87,315 (2013)
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest employers: Cooley Dickinson Hospital, ServiceNet, Smith College, City of Northampton
* Latest information available

Opinion

Editorial 2

When the president of the Oklahoma-based ad agency hired to help the region better promote itself introduced himself and his latest assignment last month, he said this exercise was not just about coming up with a new logo and slogan.

We hope he meant that, because these days, it seems to be all about the slogan and the logo, and far less about the message, which is what this region should be focused on.

That’s because it has a good one — this is an attractive, very affordable area in which to live, work, play, start a business, stage a convention or business meeting. The problem is, not enough people know that.

It is recognition of this fact that might have prompted the Western Mass. Economic Development Council to go about hiring a firm to help market (or rebrand) the area. However, we believe that, unfortunately, this initiative has more to do with the fact that no one really likes the current slogan — ‘Arrive Curious, Leave Inspired’ — (and for good reason) and/or they think it’s time to retire the phrase ‘Pioneer Valley’ (words to that effect were actually in the request for proposals).

This is somewhat flawed thinking because, while the region certainly needs to do a better job of promoting itself, a logo is really only a small part of this equation. And while we’re on the subject, this region can’t retire ‘Pioneer Valley,’ simply because it’s part of the landscape now, and there are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of businesses and agencies that have that phrase in their name.

But let’s get back to the slogan part of this discussion. The prevailing opinion these days is that a state or a region has to have a catchy tagline. This attitude persists, even though just about everyone who couldn’t recite this region’s catchphrase (and that’s probably the vast majority) also couldn’t tell you what the magic marketing words (not the nicknames) are for Boston, Providence, Worcester, Hartford, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio, or San Francisco.

If slogans are so important, why don’t we know what they are?

They’re perceived to be important because everyone does know New York’s — ‘I Love New York’ — and the one commonly used by Las Vegas — ‘What Happens Here, Stays Here.’ So everyone thinks they need one.

The problem here is that hardly anyone visits Gotham or Sin City because of its branding slogan; they go because there’s plenty to do there. Those cities, and many of the others listed above, like San Antonio and San Francisco, don’t need marketing taglines, although you could make the case that they certainly don’t hurt.

Only, they can.

Indeed, cities, regions, and states are still determined to come up with slogans, searching for the next ‘I Love New York,’ but usually they wind up spending a lot of money and coming out with something that leaves people scratching their heads, for one reason — or many.

Such was the case with Rhode Island’s latest attempt, conceived, ironically, in partnership with Milton Glaser, the celebrated designer of the ‘I Love New York’ logo and tagline. A video used in conjunction with the new slogan — ‘Rhode Island: Cooler & Warmer’ — featured images from Reykjavik, Iceland and the Boston area (later called “editing mistakes” by the marketing firm), causing widespread controversy and negative, often cynical national news coverage that eventually forced the chief marketing officer of Rhode Island Commerce to resign, and the ad agency hired to do the work to return money to the state.

Meanwhile, no one really gets, or likes, ‘Cooler & Warmer,’ which is maybe the bigger reason why the Ocean State’s $4.5 million campaign has been called an unqualified disaster by many state officials.

This region can avoid a similar calamity if it focuses first on getting the message right, and then on spending the capital necessary to make sure that message is heard by all those who should be hearing it, rather than coming up with a cool new logo and slogan.

Doing that alone isn’t going to get the job done.

Cover Story Sections Women in Businesss

Body of Work

Dani Klein-Williams

Dani Klein-Williams says her soon-to-be released book (inset) will bring more exposure for her company and its unique niche.

When Dani Klein-Williams started her own photo studio, she had only enough confidence to seek a month-to-month lease. Fast-forward nearly 20 years, and she’s occupying 1,300 square feet on the second floor of Thornes Marketplace in Northampton. This sea change has come about through an abundance of confidence forged through a blend of sound business practices, cutting-edge work in the field, and development of intriguing niches, such as the genre known as boudoir.

Dani Klein-Williams was only half-kidding when she joked that photographers don’t even like to look back at work they did a few months or even a few days earlier because of how much they feel their talents have grown since and how they could have done things better.

And that explains why she offered a wry smile and gazed skyward as she thought back to the time she took what would be considered her first boudoir photograph.

That was roughly 12 years ago, she recalled, noting that it came about because a client, a soon-to-be bride, wanted a different kind of wedding present for her fiancé — “beautiful, tasteful, but sexy” photographs.

“She felt that she had been working out harder than at any time in her life, she looked the best she ever had, she’d been getting facials … she felt really beautiful, and said, ‘30 years from now or 50 years from now, I want to have these pictures,’” said Klein-Williams, adding that those last few sentiments comprise a form of common denominator for those who hire her for such work.

Looking back, she said the subject of that first boudoir photo shoot was in some ways more comfortable with what was going on than she was, and that she was certainly learning by doing.

“Photographers don’t even like the work they did the day before,” she said while explaining that sentiment noted above. “Usually, you’re critical, and you improve … thinking about a boudoir session I shot 10 years ago is, well, kind of scary.”

Fast-forward to today, and Klein-Williams has certainly retired ‘scary’ while fashioning boudoir photography into one of the cornerstones of a business she has taken from the ground up.

boudoir photography

Dani Klein-Williams says boudoir photography, misunderstood by many, is now a huge part of her business.

Indeed, her large studio in Northampton’s Thornes Marketplace is outfitted with, yes, a queen-sized bed, among other things, for such photographs. Only it doesn’t get used as much as it used to, because she’s doing much more of this work on location, as they say in this business — at clients’ homes, in hotels in various cities, and even on a farm just outside Boston.

Klein-Williams now shoots several hundred such photos a year, and that number is perhaps not the most surprising thing about this niche. She points out that the average age of the subjects is roughly 45 by her estimate (one of them was 69), and many, if not most, would fit that diplomatic description ‘plus-sized.’

Klein-Williams has become so adept at this art that she’s written the book on it — quite literally. It’s called Real. Sexy. Photography: The Art and Business of Boudoir. This is, as she described it, a cross between a coffee-table book and how-to manual (there are specific instructions on how to replicate each shot). It will be out in August, and she expects it will sell reasonably well, but also, and perhaps more importantly, raise awareness of her business and the niche she has developed.

Just as a recent article about her career in the online version of Forbes has. It came out about a month ago and has already generated some business, as well as a new way to reference her venture.

“It has really helped us secure some jobs,” she said of that exposure. “We had sent a proposal for a big job — shooting 40 attorneys for a Manhattan law firm — and hadn’t heard back. I forwarded them a link and said, ‘you want to go with the Forbes photographer, right?’ And they said ‘yes’ — they called back and booked.”

Between the book, the Forbes piece, and a growing portfolio of clients and assignments, Klein-Williams, who started this business just a year out of high school, feels she’s ready to take the next step (if she hasn’t already taken it) and move into high-end, even very high-end, wedding, corporate, and boudoir photography.

And she feels ready not simply as a photographer, but as a business person, because she works equally hard at both facets of this enterprise.

“I feel like I’m a business owner, and I’m in the business of photography,” she said while noting that most in this profession don’t have quite the same take. “I love photography; it’s a passion of mine. But I’m a business person first and a photographer a close second.”

For this issue and its focus (that’s an industry term) on women in business, we zoom in (there’s another one) on an intriguing business and its body, or bodies, of work.

Learning Curves

As mentioned earlier, Klein-Williams put her name on a business card when she was 19, when most of her peers were deciding which college courses to add or drop or trying to land a summer job.

So one might assume she’s always possessed an abundance of confidence — and assume incorrectly.

“When I rented my first space in the Eastworks building [in Easthampton], I went month-to month,” she said in an effort to make a point. “I said, ‘I think I can make the rent … I’m pretty sure. But I don’t really want to sign anything because I don’t know for real.’”

Dani Klein-Williams

Dani Klein-Williams says one of the goals in her business plan is to add more high-end destination weddings to the portfolio.

But like expertise in boudoir photography, confidence has come with experience, and today, Klein-Williams doesn’t lack for either, especially confidence.

Indeed, consider this comment when she was asked about the competition for boudoir work — she doesn’t believe there is much — and the other types of work she does.

“I think the biggest mistake you can make is caring what someone else does,” she explained, adding that she believes this applies to not only her business, but all others as well. “I think that it’s a waste of energy; if you spend any time thinking about what the competition’s doing, you’re not focused on what you’re doing.

“And I always think that I want to be one step ahead of everyone else, doing the latest, greatest thing,” she went on. “And I want to be constantly reinventing myself and constantly honing my craft. The second I stopped caring about what anyone else was doing … that’s when my business improved.”

Reaching this state hasn’t come easily, though, and it’s been achieved though large amounts of perseverance, entrepreneurial guile, and, yes, some luck, as we’ll see.

Our story begins, more or less, with her decision (made just before the semester was to begin) not to go to college, but instead attend the Hallmark School of Photography in Turners Falls.

That decision didn’t exactly sit well with her parents, but it did with her; she had been intrigued by photography since her youth, and, despite her parents’ reservations, she decided to follow her passion.

The 10-month program offered a quality education, she recalled, adding that it provided her with technical skills and the requisite amount of confidence needed to pursue photography as a career.

She started out working with and for two different — and much older — photographers, one of whom was in his early ’70s and essentially easing his way into retirement. And here’s some of that luck that was mentioned earlier.

“He was just feeling really done, ready to retire,” she recalled. “And he offered me an opportunity. He said, ‘I don’t really feel like being in my studio; do you want to sit here and answer phones? Anyone who calls, and I’m not here, you can take the work.’

“And he went one better — he said I could use his studio,” she went on, adding that she took full advantage of this opportunity to essentially launch her own business. “It was the best-case scenario; I had nothing to lose, I was still working for him photographing weddings, and he would let me take any spillover.”

Eventually, Klein-Williams had enough of her own clients to start her own studio, and set up shop in Eastworks in 2001 — paying month to month, as she noted, while also holding down a few retail jobs and handling jobs for other photographers.

“There was a lot of luck involved, as well as hard work and some really generous people,” she said of her start in business, adding that, in 2003, she and her husband, Keith, got engaged and together decided to devote all their energies to making the photography business work.

“We lived off his salary for a while, and I threw every dollar I made back into the business,” she explained. “It didn’t take long, and once I went full-time, I said, ‘why didn’t I do this years ago?’ Soon after, I hired my first employee and just went for it.”

As with all entrepreneurs, she had to take her talent and meld it with business acumen, something that happened over time and through the requisite trial and error.

“I tried everything, and when it worked, I stuck with it, and when it didn’t work, I moved on, and it worked out,” she said, adding that one of her forays that fell into that first category was boudoir.

Developing Interest

But as she thought back on her first session in that genre, Klein-Williams noted there was really nothing about it that even hinted of everything that was to come over the ensuing dozen years.

“I started to do this this very quietly,” she noted, putting heavy emphasis on the adjective in that sentence. “I was strictly a wedding photographer, a portrait photographer, and here and there I would do a boudoir session or two.”

Things changed, though, when the subject of one of those shoots invited Klein-Williams — or almost dared her — to put one of the shots out in her studio as a way to perhaps intrigue other brides and prompt them to pose.

She did — and, to make a long story short, many brides did as well, and a lucrative niche was born.

“I put out one or two pictures sort of in the background, not the forefront of the studio,” she explained. “People started to notice and ask about it; things started off slowly, to be sure.

“Then, we had a client come in who said, ‘if you’re using her pictures, I want you to use my pictures — you can put them on your website,’” she went on. “Then Facebook came out, and people started to say, ‘put my photos there if you want — I feel good about them, I feel beautiful, I feel powerful.’”

represent more than a third of her annual workload

Dani Klein-Williams says boudoir photographs, like this one, now represent more than a third of her annual workload — and revenues.

It got to the point where some women would call and ask why one of their photos wasn’t displayed on the website.

And those sentiments, not to mention that desire among many women to put their photos out where the public, not merely their fiancé, can see them, helps explain why this niche has grown so much over the years, said Klein-Williams, from 30 sittings a year to more than 300. The women are proud of what the camera has captured, and, in some ways, they find the experience empowering.

As she talked about her niche, Klein-Williams said this is serious business, one many people don’t fully understand, or want to.

“I think people have misconceptions about what boudoir is,” she told BusinessWest. “It’s very beautiful, very tasteful — people are generally more covered than you would see at the beach. Also, many think this is just for the size-2 supermodel, and it’s not.”

While many don’t understand this photograph genre, it’s clear that a growing number do, she went on, adding that, while she still markets herself and this specific niche at trade shows and other venues, many of those whose pictures wind up on her website and her walls find her. Many of them are from well outside the 413 area code, and, in another surprising statistic, some are repeat customers.

“When we started doing this, we thought these would be one-and-dones; we’re not going to do repeat business for boudoir,” she explained. “But people have so much fun that they end up coming back, sometimes by themselves, but often with their sister or their best friend to keep them company, so we see a lot of clients repeatedly.”

But boudoir photography, as healthy and intriguing a niche as it is, is just one component of Klein-Williams’ growing portfolio — and business.

Indeed, she now has eight employees and several photographers on her staff and, as mentioned earlier, appears poised to take that leap to the next level in terms of prominence, the size and price tag of assignments, and sales revenue (she’s looking to crash through the $1 million mark this year).

Weddings comprise a large portion of the business, and Klein-Williams is devoting much of her time and energy to building this segment of the portfolio. Much goes into this, and the actual photos that wind up in an album or on one’s walls are only part of the equation.

Indeed, there is a huge amount of customer service involved with this work, she explained, adding that it involves getting to know the bride and groom (but especially the former), what’s important to them, and what they want captured not only on their wedding day, but the day or two before, in many cases.

“People hire me because they trust I’ll do right by them,” she explained. “I will create beautiful images that will bring back the emotions of their day. It’s not just a recording of what they did — now they cut the cake, now they do the first dance.

“I really get to know my clients; I meet with them a lot,” she went on. “When they choose a florist or someone like that, this vendor is not going to be with them all day. But I’m with them throughout the day, for all their important moments. So when they make the decision to hire us, that has to be something that they’ve really thought through and that they’re comfortable with.”

These sentiments reflect what she said earlier about competition and how she doesn’t dwell on it.

“I don’t think of other photographers as competition at all,” she explained. “I feel that what I offer is unique and what they offer is unique, and when you’re hiring someone for boudoir, a wedding, or anything else, you’re hiring them based on making sure that you have the same artistic vision, but even more than that, that you have the same personality.

“You’re hiring someone for your wedding day that you really get along with and that has the same vision that you do,” she went on. “And it’s the same for boudoir.”

A Shooting Star

As she talked about her soon-to-be released book (one can pre-order it on Amazon), Klein-Williams acknowledged that this how-to could, in some ways, create competition for her down the road within that boudoir niche.

But she shrugged off that potential threat in a manner that shows how far she’s come since those days of not making sure she could make the rent.

“Before we release our secrets, we’re always on to the next thing,” she said. “That’s what a successful business person does; I’m not worried about competition.”

Such confidence shows why she’s moved to the top of the profession locally, and why this business she started when she was only 19 continues to develop and gain an ever sharper focus on growth.

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

Sections Women in Businesss

Network News

Kim Miles

Kim Miles says women often fail to network effectively and ask for what they want.

Kim Miles says many women fail to network effectively, and for various reasons.

They lack the confidence to promote themselves, their accomplishments, and their products and services, she said while summing them up, and don’t get results because they are uncomfortable asking for what they want or need.

“If you pressed the ‘pause’ button and put your career on hold to raise a family, you should talk about it with delight,” Miles, founder of Miles in Heels Productions, told the audience during a talk at a recent conference titled “Entrepreneurial Adventure,” staged by Bay Path University. “There should be no change when you speak about any transition. But many women network in a passive manner and have a hard time promoting themselves. They do it somewhat apologetically, which is something men never do.”

These were some of the words of wisdom shared at the conference, which was designed with a purpose, said Caron Hobin, Bay Path’s vice president for strategic alliances.

“More and more women are becoming entrepreneurs — taking control of their destiny and capitalizing on a great idea,” she told BusinessWest. “Our goal with this workshop was to provide a springboard for women who just want to get started or need guidance. We want to encourage and empower women to start their own businesses by providing the tools, knowledge, and networking skills they need to succeed.”

Other speakers included Holly Hurd, an author, serial entrepreneur, and owner of  VentureMom; and Bay Path Professor Stephen Brand, who facilitated an engaging, skills-building game where participants worked in teams to design new businesses.

Hurd and Miles are passionate about helping women fulfill their dreams and encouraged participants to swallow their fears, take risks, and believe in themselves.

“Whether you are a heavy hitter or new to the workforce, you should be able to walk up to the leaders in a room, extend your hand, make eye contact, and introduce yourself with confidence,” Miles said, explaining that women tend to lower their eyes, brush off praise, or share credit when they tell their story or receive a compliment.

“Entrepreneurs have to sell themselves, but it does not come naturally to women, and they are not persistent enough. If they try to get in touch with someone and don’t get an immediate response, they don’t follow through.”

But polite persistence is an art form, she continued, adding that people might not respond quickly because they are on vacation, are swamped with work, or accidentally deleted the e-mail.

Hurd shared stories from her book, Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks, about women who created something a family member needed, then found it filled a need in the marketplace and built it into a business — or discovered a skill they took for granted could be turned into a service-oriented business as it was something other people were willing to pay for.

“The key is to find your passion and build a business around it,” she said.

Building Strategic Skills

Miles worked as a financial advisor for years and discovered that adopting the right tone and attitude was essential in a male-dominated industry. After she became aware that women network very differently than men, she shared her findings during a chamber of commerce presentation that quickly sold out.

Seven hundred women attended, and two years ago, she started a production company called “Miles in Heels.” Her mantra is, “you don’t have to get it perfect; you just have to get it going,” and during her talk she outlined ten ‘golden rules’ to help women cultivate lasting business relationships through networking.

Holly Hurd

Holly Hurd’s book contains stories about mothers who are successful entrepreneurs.

“You have 10 seconds to make a great first impression,” she said, adding that appearance matters, and this includes how you dress, how firm your handshake is, and whether you make eye contact.

She advises women to try to find out who will be at a networking event or conference, then introduce themselves to influential people who can help them.

“If you want to be a rock star at networking, you need to remember that 90% of the time you should be listening so you can discern whether the person is someone you want to cultivate a relationship with,” she noted, adding that offering to introduce a person you have targeted to another person who shares their interests is a good way to make a lasting impression.

“People love to talk about themselves, and if you connect with someone on a personal level and bond over the fact that you are both dog lovers, it is much more comfortable to transition to a business conversation at the appropriate time,” she continued.

It’s also important to extract yourself from conversations with people who can’t help you, which can be done by going to the ladies’ room. And when women meet someone they do want to know better, they should send a handwritten note, e-mail, connect with the person on social media, or call them afterward and say they enjoyed the conversation.

Miles said entrepreneurs also need to ask for what they want. Although it may not be prudent to do so immediately after meeting someone, females often make other excuses.

“They say, “I don’t want to impose on them, take advantage of them, look needy or greedy, or be perceived as aggressive,’” Miles said. “Timing is critical, but you need to have confidence.”

Digging Deep

Hurd was no stranger to the business world before she started VentureMom. Her father taught her to trade commodities and futures when she was in her teens, she started her first investment company in her 20s, and when she was 25, she was featured in  Futures, USA Today, and Fortune’s “People to Watch” column for her exceptional work managing her own futures fund. In the ’80s and ’90s, she ran an investment firm with a partner, and in 2002 they sold an algorithm they developed.

After her son was born, she became a real-estate broker and “fell” into her new business during a car ride to the family’s ski house when she decided to write a motivational book.

She didn’t have a publisher or following, but believed her ideas could help others, and started her VentureMom blog because it was free.

“I stumbled into my business venture like many other moms,” she said, adding that there are 10 million women-owned businesses today generating more than $1.4 trillion in gross income, and women are involved in 80% to 85% of buying decisions made today.

Her book is based on 250 interviews she conducted with entrepreneurial mothers.

“Everyone is scared, but you have to do things anyway,” she said, adding that it took her weeks to hit the ‘send’ button after she wrote her first blog post because she felt she lacked credibility and didn’t think anyone would be interested in what she had to say.

Instead, she received a flood of e-mails from people who wanted her to continue writing, and today her website contains an e-commerce site where mothers can sell their services and goods.

One story from her book focuses on a woman whose children played field hockey and lacrosse. She asked her husband to build something that would allow them to store their playing sticks behind a door, and her friends loved it and wanted similar racks, so the woman found a manufacturer who made her a four-piece collapsible model in a variety of colors that she called “Stick Storage.”

She began selling them at lacrosse tournaments, and slowly built a business with products sold today in 250 stores.

Another mother launched a business after she solved a personal problem. “Her son had nightmares and kept waking up, so she made a pillow with a pocket and had him write down what he wanted to dream about each night and put it in the pocket,” Hurd told the audience.

It worked well, and mothers in her son’s playgroup told her they wanted pillows for their own children. She learned that her neighbor’s husband was in the pillow-making business, so she had him make some pillows, called the product “Tucker” (which was her son’s name), and began selling them at farmer’s markets.

When a friend’s child was hospitalized, he wrote down his dreams of being healthy and put them in the pillow she gave him, and today, the hospital purchases the pillows for sick children.

“The 250 women I interviewed built businesses around something they were already doing or stumbled onto,” Hurd said. “You may be really good at putting together photo books, or cooking garlic chicken, and don’t realize it’s difficult for other people and something they will pay you to do.”

The women in her book have three things in common: they never wrote a business plan, their businesses were self-funded, and they used friends and family members to spread the word about what they were doing.

Taking the Risk

Hurd sells a ‘venture hour’ on her website that includes a two-page questionnaire, followed by an hour-long phone consultation.

She asks women what kind of business they would start if they won $500 million in the lottery and had access to anything they needed or wanted. After asking other questions, such as what they would talk about if they were invited to appear on the  show, she tells them to turn their answer into a business.

“You can change people’s lives and start any business you want,” she said. “There are a lot of young moms who accidentally solved a problem that grew into a business, like the one selling the Tucker pillow.”

It’s a product designed to prevent bad dreams, but the story behind it and the advice that conference participants received can help them turn their own dreams into reality.

Autos Sections

More for the Money

CrossoversDPartLayersSport utility vehicles have long staked out significant market share in the auto-sales world, as Americans appreciate their roominess and flexibility. But their price tag has been a little high for sedan owners who might otherwise consider a larger vehicle. Enter crossovers, or compact utility vehicles, which are small SUVs that handle like cars — and typically boast a price point in the sedan range. For these reasons and others, they’ve soared in popularity in recent years, and are a main reason why SUVs now outsell sedans in the U.S.

A look at any parking lot might suggest America is the land of SUVs, but the past two years have seen hard statistics back up that perception.

Indeed, as recently as 2013, sedans accounted for half of all new-vehicle sales in the U.S. Last year, they accounted for just over 40%.

Ken Cernak, president of Cernak Buick in Easthampton, has seen the trend play out locally. “This is the second year SUV penetration been greater than sedans — last year and this year,” he told BusinessWest. “Before that, it was equal, but the last two years, it has changed, and people are buying more SUVs than passenger cars.”

At the heart of this trend is the continued dominance of perhaps the past decade’s most significant auto-sales trend: CUVs, or compact utility vehicles, also known as crossovers.

It’s easy to see why. While traditional, large SUVs are built on a truck platform, CUVs are built on a car platform and handle more like a car. But they offer much of the roominess of SUVs at often lower gas mileage and a sticker price more in line with midsize sedans.

“It’s not that people don’t still like to buy cars,” Cernak said, “but more people coming into the market are looking for SUVs of all kinds, both new and used.” And CUVs — Buick’s version is called the Encore — are driving the shift.

Though SUVs have long been popular with American motorists, the capability, passenger room, and storage space of most sedans is adequate for the needs of most families; to those who didn’t need the extra space (for camping and other hobbies, or toting multiple pets around, for example), SUVs were a luxury the price difference didn’t justify.

But CUVs, which compete with sedans at a very similar price point, are making converts. It partly explans why even hugely popular car models like the Toyota Camry and Prius fell last year to sales lows not seen since 2011, while the BMW 5 Series and Ford Focus and Fusion saw drops of up to 20%, according to Carbuzz.

“This isn’t a bad thing for automakers because crossover and SUV sales remain strong enough to keep the trend of total vehicle sales going up,” the publication notes. “Companies that have strong SUV lineups are seeing the greatest benefits from this shift in power.”

Like Balise Auto Group, which specializes in close to a dozen nameplates. Bill Peffer, the company’s president and chief operating officer, said CUVs are just one more step in America’s ever-evolving shift in driving tastes.

“If you go back through the decades, it was the sedan in the ’60s, the station wagon in the ’70s, minivans in the ’80s, sport-utility vehicles in the ’90s and 2000s,” he said. “But the traditional SUV, which was on a truck platform, has moved to a car platform and created a new segment of CUVs, or crossovers, if you will. CUVs offer the utility and some of the capacity of a truck, but still retain the comfort and drive and fuel economy of a car. It’s the best of both worlds.”

He said the crossover — popular models include the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V, the Ford Edge, the Mazda CX5, and the Nissan Rogue — appeals to any number of groups, from empty nesters to newlyweds looking for weekend adventure; from hobbyists to growing families.

“They’re a lot more comfortable overall, and the footprint is a lot smaller than the Expedition, Tahoe, or Explorer,” said Peffer. “And with so many choices in the $25,000 to $35,000 range, many with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, it’s a pretty compelling proposition. If you have any type of utility needs or a big family, it’s hard not to go the way of the CUV, and manufacturers are picking up on that; their products are reflecting more and more of that.”

Price and Performance

Michael Oleksak, general manager at Burke Chevrolet in Northampton, has done well in recent years with Chevrolet’s crossover, the Equinox, which offers front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, depending on the buyer’s preference.

“They’re very popular,” he said. “There’s the price-point part of it, but another part is the way the vehicles are built. You’re not getting up into it, and you’re not getting down into it; it’s almost level. So, if you’re an average-height person, they’re very easy to get in and out of.”

Bill Peffer

Bill Peffer says manufacturers have picked up on the growing popularity of crossovers and are busy introducing more to the market.

The utility aspects aren’t dissimilar from a larger SUV, he added. “The back is very functional because the rear seat actually moves forward and back just like the front seats, so you can get a little extra cargo room. Or, if you have a larger person sitting in the back, they have the extra room.”

In addition, Oleksak said, the low base price of most CUVs gives buyers an opportunity to add amenities, from leather seats to a moonroof, and remain below a large SUV’s price tag. “You can get something very well-equipped, very top of the line, or something very basic, or in between. The way it’s built, it’s very versatile with regard to budget.”

Cernak agreed that crossovers are easier than SUVs to enter and exit, which is especially helpful for elderly people. “It’s easier to step up and step down; in a car you drag yourself up and out. So the Encore is very popular with both young and elderly women; their size isn’t too small and isn’t too big. It’s easy to park and drives and handles well. Also, a lot of our women customers like the idea of sitting up a little higher, for better vision.”

Ken Cernak

Ken Cernak says his dealership, reflecting a national trend, now sells more SUVs than cars, and crossovers are driving the shift.

On an aesthetic level, the appeal of CUVs has become so well-understood that they adhere to a certain formula, Gregory Lang, corporate strategic planning manager for Toyota in California, told the Atlantic last year. “Frankly, if you lined up a Ford Escape, a Honda CRV, and a Toyota RAV4, and you were looking at them 50 yards away and you were an average customer, I don’t think you could tell the difference. Somebody in the industry could, but the crossovers have collapsed on a certain formula that seems to be very in vogue — some sleekness but a strong dose of utility.”

They also tend to be quieter inside than most cars, Cernak noted, which is another selling point.

However, their main appeal remains their sheer utility, Peffer said. “You can load furniture, load people, whatever your heart desires. Americans are fairly nomadic, and they’re also adventuresome, and SUVs fit that lifestyle. And because we have different sizes [with CUVs], the affordability aspect brings access to more people.”

Fueling Sales

Another element in the surging popularity of crossovers — especially for buyers who would traditionally purchase a sedan — is the currently low gas prices.

“They do make a difference,” Oleksak said, noting that the Traverse, Chevrolet’s next size up — larger than the Equinox but smaller than bigger SUVs — is also reaping the benefits of savings at the pump, and is a solid choice for, say, larger families who want a third seat.

Peffer agreed that the fuel-cost situation has been good for sales of larger vehicles, from crossovers to larger SUVs to trucks, which are selling well.

Whatever the reasons, automakers have begun to adjust to a landscape where sedans are currently being pushed to the side by SUVs and crossovers. For example, this past January and February, The Truth About Cars reported that a dozen premium brands produced 150,000 SUV and crossover sales, up 17% from the same period one year ago. Even luxury names reflected the shift; in February, Lexus was down 1,883 new-car sales from a year earlier but added 1,978 SUV and CUV sales.

Meanwhile, Automotive News reported that Hyundai’s new-car sales slipped 5.8% just last month, while its crossover sales nearly doubled.

Cernak isn’t surprised by such trends. “It’s been going in that direction for a long time,” he said, noting that Buick will soon unveil the Envision, which, like Chevy’s Traverse, bridges the size gap between the Encore and the brand’s large SUV, the Enclave. In other words, more choices for a buying public that’s increasingly ditching sedans.

As for crossovers, “when we get them, we sell them,” Peffer said. “That’s pretty much across all brands, from Lexus to Kia and everything in between. That’s where all the news is. That’s what’s selling.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Autos Sections

Revving Up for Success

Ray Smith

Ray Smith does a brisk business selling motorcycle accessories because most owners upgrade and customize parts on their bikes.

Ray Smith left his career as a homebuilder 14 years ago to live his dream.

“Motorcycles are my passion,” he told BusinessWest, as he recalled how he opened Cycle Stop, an independent motorcycle shop in South Hadley.

In 2104, he put on a 13,000-square-foot addition because he needed more room to display the pre-owned, low-mileage motorcycles, accessories, clothing, and parts that he sells and also needed to expand his thriving service department.

Smith has seen small and large motorcycle shops and franchises close their doors over the past decade, but his business has done well, and he predicts this year will be a good one not only locally, but for the industry as a whole.

Other dealers agree and say growth has been on a slow but steady trajectory for the past few years, and they expect the trend to continue.

“We sell fun and are on the road to success,” said Glenn Morin, sales and finance manager at Valley Motorsports in Northampton, adding that the company’s inventory includes cruisers, touring bikes, sport bikes, and adventure bikes, which have become very popular because they have both on- and off-road capabilities.

Sales at Valley Motorsports have risen 9% to 10% each year since the recession ended, and the goal for 2016 is to do at least slightly better than that. The company expects to reach it, because it has seven makes under their roof, the economy is rebounding, and manufacturers are introducing new, exciting models.

Owner Jerry Randall, who opened the business in 1973, said Valley Motorsports provides financing and does its best to make a purchase seamless, which helps boost its numbers. But although it carries models that include cruisers, touring bikes, sport bikes, and adventure bikes, he doesn’t think sales will ever return to the levels seen before the recession: in one year spanning 2004 and 2005, nearly 1.1 million motorcycles were reported sold in the U.S., compared to last year, when the Motorcycle Industry Council reported that 500,678 street bikes, dual-sport, and off-road motorcycles were sold.

“Things have been inching up over the past few years, but it has been a long, uphill struggle, and I don’t think sales will ever be as good as they were; motorcycles are still a luxury,” said Randall, noting that, in today’s economy, people think very carefully about assuming debt and how they spend their money, and motorcycle owners are keeping their bikes longer, which is a trend mirrored in auto sales, where the average trade-in is 10 years old.

But interest in racing and other forms of off-road cycling is picking up (more about that later), which adds to the fun, desirability, and, therefore, the motivation to buy a bike.

Indeed, spring is the season to take to the road. “People have been pent up all winter and are anxious to get out on their bikes,” Smith said, noting that most of his sales occur between March and June.

Jerry Randall, left, and Glenn Morin

Jerry Randall, left, and Glenn Morin say Valley Motorsports sells Ducati motorcycles, which are popular, but can be difficult to find because few dealers carry the Italian bikes.

Aaron Patrick, who owns Harley-Davidson of Southampton, projects a 20% increase in sales over last year, when the company sold more than 400 motorcycles.

“We expect to sell 476 new or used models this year; sales are always dependent on weather, but if we have the June that we are expecting, we will be about halfway to our goal,” he said, adding that, although they stay open all year, the bulk of their sales take place during an eight-month period.

The company’s worst year was 2012, when it sold 375 bikes, and during its best year, that number reached 600. “We hold our own,” he told BusinessWest, noting that Harley-Davidson is careful to keep the number of new bikes manufactured in line with supply and demand, and also has a number of marketing campaigns.

He promotes sales in a different manner that focuses on local riders, and sponsors the Pioneer Valley Harley Owners Group, which has more than 100 members who take part in charity rides and other events to help the community.

Catering to Customers

Harley-Davidson offers a mixture of traditional motorcycles and trikes, which are bikes with three wheels. Prices for new units start at $7,000 and reach above $40,000.

Patrick said the Southampton dealership spends a lot of time fitting its customers to the right bike, and the number of available models make it possible for people of any shape, size, or ability to enjoy riding.

“Comfort and fit are a big thing, so we have people sit on a lot of bikes, and if they have a motorcycle license, we allow them to take models on test drives,” he said.

The dealership boasts $15 million in annual revenue and holds special events that cater to the growing number of female riders. They include Ladies Nights and a Ladies of Harley group within the Pioneer Valley group that has about 15 members.

Sales Manager Rob Thompson says Harley has five families of motorcycles to choose from. Baby Boomers tend to like touring models, which can come equipped with saddle bags, storage space beneath the seat, a backrest for the passenger, and a windshield, and which appeal to people who ride up to 20,000 miles a year.

Boomers make up a large percentage of the client base, but manufacturers’ marketing efforts are geared toward raising awareness and demand for the brand among younger generations, and include buyer promotions and special financing deals, along with two new entry-level street bikes.

One has a liquid-cooled engine that makes riding in the summer cooler, and although Harley diehards don’t like the idea, Thompson said it appeals to many people, including first-time buyers of all ages.

“A Harley is no longer just a retirement gift,” said Patrick. “It can be a birthday or graduation gift, and younger people are getting more involved with them because of their comfort and ride quality.

“Harley-Davidson is a lifestyle, and more affordable than most people think,” he went on, adding quickly that new owners typically begin customizing their bike at the time of purchase or shortly after they get it home, which can add to the price.

Aaron Patrick, left, and Rob Thompson

Aaron Patrick, left, and Rob Thompson say that, although Baby Boomers are a major part of the customer base at Harley-Davidson of Southampton, their popularity is growing with younger people.

Indeed, selling accessories plays a vital role in annual revenue for many dealers, especially since styles wax and wane in popularity. For example, over the past five years, many Harley owners have chosen matte finishes on their wheels and exhaust systems instead of chrome, which requires considerable maintenance, and some models are built with the finishes.

Smith carries a large number of parts and accessories, and said the rise in sales over the last two years, coupled with solid jobs reports recently and an uptick in the economy, led him to project a 10% increase this year.

The service department at Cycle Stop is on track to meet that number, but so far sales are at a 4% to 5% increase, so he has throttled back his expectations in that arena.

But he also does a brisk business selling accessories and says it’s not uncommon for people to spend $500 to $600 on a new seat and $1,800 on an upgraded exhaust system with a computer and air- flow cleaner.

“Some customers want custom paint, and others want fancy wheels, seats, and handlebars,” he said. “We do Massachusetts state inspections, and I had a guy today whose headlights passed, but were dim. When I pointed it out, he immediately purchased a $500 LED upgrade because he saw the benefits in terms of safety and added value. And another customer purchased an $18,000 bike earlier this spring and immediately spent another $8,000 to customize it.”

Gearing Up

Valley Motorsports specializes in European and Asian manufacturers, including the Italian Ducati (its flagship brand, which Morin called their “bread and butter”), the Austrian KTM, and Japanese bikes manufactured by Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha.

Sales are higher this year than at the same time last year, and Morin says Ducati has introduced new models such as the Scrambler G2, which ranges in price from $8,000 to $32,000 for a fully equipped, race-ready model which can be ridden on the street and at the racetrack.

Indeed, race bikes that don’t have mirrors, lights, or blinkers are gaining in popularity and appeal to riders of all ages who want to race.

“They’re becoming very popular and have helped increase our sports-bike sales; people like to take their motorcycles on the racetrack because they can ride as fast as they want without having to worry about other vehicles or the speed limit,” Morin said, adding that some bikes can reach speeds of 186 mph. Valley Motorsports is sponsoring two race events this summer at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway in Connecticut.

Adventure bikes with touring capability on paved and unpaved roads are also gaining in popularity, and Randall says dirt bikes account for one-third of the overall business at Valley Motorsports. Although they appeal to a broad age range, most owners are in their 20s and 30s and enjoy taking part in competitive events held on a weekly basis.

“The evolution of technological advances over the past 10 years has given people the opportunity to use these motorcycles in a safe, controlled environment where they can enjoy their performance no matter what kind of bike they’re on,” Randall said.

A recently issued consumer report says the motorcycle industry is facing a number of challenges: motorcycles are rarely an individual’s primary vehicle, there is an aging core group of owners, and efforts to draw women into the market have been less effective than manufacturers hoped for.

But the influx of new racing bikes and the thrill of taking to the open road are certainly fueling optimism within the industry.

“It’s great to be able to feel the wind in your face,” said Smith. “You can clear your thoughts when you ride, and if you go to a place like the Quabbin Reservoir, you become aware of flowers, birds, hawks, and other things people don’t pay attention to when they are driving a car.”

Randall agreed. “Everyone here is a motorcycle enthusiast, and it’s fun for all of us,” he told BusinessWest, as he spoke about the fact that some bikes get good gas mileage and insurance is reasonable.

“You can cloak the reasons to buy a bike in the economy, but it’s really about having a good time and enjoying the wide, open road.”

Law Sections

Left to Their Own Devices

Whether or not a company explicitly allows it, employees in all fields are increasingly using their own laptops, tablets, and smartphones as part of their jobs. This practice, known as ‘bring your own device,’ or BYOD, certainly has its benefits, from flexibility to employee satisfaction to decreased IT costs. But it also brings risks — data security is a major one — and potentially thorny legal questions concerning company information being stored on private equipment. There may be no one right answer for all businesses, but well-written, clearly communicated policies are a good start.Whether or not a company explicitly allows it, employees in all fields are increasingly using their own laptops, tablets, and smartphones as part of their jobs. This practice, known as ‘bring your own device,’ or BYOD, certainly has its benefits, from flexibility to employee satisfaction to decreased IT costs. But it also brings risks — data security is a major one — and potentially thorny legal questions concerning company information being stored on private equipment. There may be no one right answer for all businesses, but well-written, clearly communicated policies are a good start.

Jeffrey Trapani understands the appeal of personal devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

“Everyone’s grown accustomed to having these devices; it’s sort of an expectation,” said the partner with the the Springfield-based law firm Robinson Donovan, while pointing to his own phone. “I find myself sometimes looking at that instead of the giant screen next to me.”

In fact, in an ever-more mobile society, the lines defining the workspace are blurring, and more Americans find themselves using their personal devices, rather than — or in addition to — company-owned equipment, so they can access their work no matter where they are.

All good, right? Well, yes and no.

Certainly, the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement offers real benefits, from increased employee satisfaction — they can work more flexibly and tend to be more comfortable and productive on their own devices — to cost savings for employers, who don’t have to spend as much money on hardware, software, and maintenance.

“There are two competing schools of thought whether this would be a good practice,” said Amy Royal, founding partner of employment-law firm Royal, P.C. “Proponents point to the ease and comfort of using your own personal device. And I understand the convenience. If I have employees who are comfortable with their own device, smartphone, laptop, or tablet, they’re more productive, it’s easier for them to navigate their device, and it creates more employee satisfaction.

Amy Royal

Amy Royal says it may be wise for a company to require personal devices used for work to be checked by IT staff periodically.

“Plus, it’s kind of annoying if I have duplicative devices — a work phone and a personal phone — and there’s cost savings to the company if they’re not responsible for furnishing those devices. Those are good things,” she went on.

However, the concerns the BYOD trend raises for employers are serious ones, she told BusinessWest. “You want to delve into the different considerations. Opponents would say it creates potential legal and security risks, and confidentiality and security issues.”

The key issue is not necessarily employees using their personal devices at work, said John Gannon, an associate attorney with employment-law firm Skoler, Abbott and Presser — it’s allowing employees to access the company’s secure network and sensitive data with those devices.

“It’s a broad area of concern,” he noted. “If employees want to do it, an employer will want to have specific policies geared toward people’s personal devices and accessing the employer’s network from those personal device, whether it’s a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop.”

The reason the BYOD question is so pervasive, said those who spoke with BusinessWest, is that even companies that forbid the use of personal devices for work purposes often find employees are doing it anyway. By establishing and clearly communicating policies surrounding personal devices, employers have a better chance of avoiding disputes, legal trouble, and security issues down the line.

Safe and Secure

It wasn’t difficult for Royal to quickly tick off a number of pitfalls made possible by transferring workplace data to a laptop or tablet.

“It poses significant risks to confidentiality when we have somebody using a personal device to access work on the company network and store information — proprietary information — on that personal device,” she said. “What if there’s a data breach? Or the employee could lose it, and the device could end up in someone else’s hands. Or, they could share their device with family members, and that could be a problem.”

Furthermore, she suggested, what happens when an employee leaves the company, which doesn’t always happen on the happiest of terms? They’re obligated to leave company-owned equipment at work, but what is the terminated employee’s responsibility when it comes to client or customer data left on their own device?


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One solution is crafting policies — agreed to as a term of employment — that either forbid the storage of proprietary information on a personal device, or allow the company access to the device to wipe it clean, Trapani said, courses of action that touch on sensitive issues of balancing data security and employee privacy.

“The concern with these personal devices is what kind of data winds up on these things, and are you enabling the employee, if they’re leaving, to take it with them,” Gannon added. “Another big concern is if they lose the device. So, if you’re going to allow employees access to the network through their personal devices, you should have some way to log into those devices and wipe them clean if they’re lost or not returned after employment.”

With all the concern around what employees can take off the company network, perhaps equally important is what they can put on it.

“If you have a personal device you’re connecting to the company network, there’s a risk with that. It might not be supported with updated malware protection,” Royal said, noting that businesses backed by a strong IT department typically don’t have to worry about that on company-owned equipment.

“It’s important to iron out these considerations before allowing people to use their devices in the course of the job,” she added. “You want to develop a clear policy. Maybe personal devices need to go to IT periodically. You can set some kind of timetable in that regard, as well as who can access the device.”

John Gannon

John Gannon says storing sensitive company data on personal devices can be cause for concern — especially if they lose the device or leave the firm.

Gannon agreed. “The primary concern is data security, and personal computers that are in the office, that don’t go anywhere, typically have antivirus software that’s regularly updated by either internal IT people or IT management companies that come in and remotely monitor what’s going on the computers.

“If someone has their own device, they could be using it at home, where they may not have the same level of antivirus protection that networked computers have, and they may install something unknowingly, some virus or malware,” he went on. “Malware is a big one — something inadvertently downloaded to your computer that stays dormant, then, say, when you access a banking website, tries to steal your login credentials. It’s pretty dangerous stuff, and if you install that on your laptop, bring that to work, and connect to the network, there’s a chance of infecting the systems on the network.”

Where Does the Time Go?

Security issues are only one piece of the BYOD puzzle, however. Another piece involves wage-and-hour issues, particularly for non-exempt employees getting paid by the hour. Say an employer e-mails workers after hours, Trapani suggested, and an hourly employee responds to that e-mail at home, rather than opening it the following morning.

“Is there an expectation that’s something you have to compensate them for? You can lock yourself into a claim if you don’t.”

Gannon agreed, recalling a study claiming the average American checks their phone 150 times a day, and many of those checks come after work hours, but could involve work issues.

“If you do have non-exempt employees, you have to pay them for all their working time. And if they’re going home and accessing the network to check e-mails or take phone calls, technically that is working time,” he explained. “If that’s a couple e-mails a day over the course of a week, we’re talking about potentially a half-hour, 45 minutes of work. Over a year, that could cause problems. Employers find it difficult to track that time, so it’s a significant challenge for employers who want to give employees freedom to do things from home.”

Gannon said companies can address this challenge in one of several ways: Not allowing non-exempt employees to connect to the network remotely, or allowing only exempt employees to use their personal devices for work purposes, or allowing employees to work from home, but clearly delineating in the company handbook how to accurately report that time, or allowing overtime only with prior approval from a supervisor.

“It gives the employer some protection if the employee leaves, then claims to have worked all these hours, and you didn’t know about it. If you have a policy that requires them to seek approval beforehand, you may not have to pay for that time.”

Then there’s the question of reimbursing employees who use their own device — and, if companies choose to go this route, what legal ramifications it raises, Trapani said. For instance, is the business liable if an employee gets into a motor-vehicle accident while texting? Or, if a company is involved in a lawsuit, what is the employee’s obligation to surrender data on their phone or laptop in the discovery phase?

“Sometimes employers can get dragged into a lawsuit and want to see information on various devices,” Gannon noted. “You’ll want to have some kind of language in your bring-your-own-device policy that the information on that device could belong to the employer.”

In that circumstance, it would actually benefit an employer to reimburse the employee, or pay for a device that can be used for work and personal time, he went on. “If the employer pays for and provides these devices to the employee, it’s less of a privacy issue. If employees are using their own device, mostly for personal use, but for some work use, getting that information can be more challenging.”

Finally, Trapani said, there’s the age-old concern — updated for this high-tech era — of employees killing time while on the clock, and whether using their personal devices at work makes it easier. “There are performance issues. If you have a handheld device in front of you instead of a giant screen, are you looking at Facebook, or doing what you should be doing?”

Clear Communication

In the end, Royal told BusinessWest, the BYOD trend has been a net positive at many companies, but there’s risk in allowing it — risk that nonetheless can be managed with well-constructed, clearly communicated guidelines.

“It’s a collaborative effort involving a number of people, like IT, HR, your legal team, and also accountants — are you reimbursing your employees a certain amount for using personal devices, and what are the tax implications of that? You want to have a team looking at this practice before you roll it out.”

Trapani agreed. “Communication is important, not only so employees know what’s expected of them, but also so the people in charge understand the implications of new technology.

That said, Gannon noted, it’s difficult to craft a general BYOD policy, as a lot of it depends on the industry. For example, medical businesses bound by HIPAA from disseminating health information need to be more vigilant than some other industries about which employees can access sensitive data, and on what devices. But there are some universal recommendations.

“Certainly, you want to have a policy that sets out authorized and unauthorized use. And sometimes, the policy lets employees use their own device only if the IT people install software updates and an antivirus program, and gives them remote access if they need to clean out the device.”

A strong BYOD policy, at the very least, puts all employees on the same page, knowing exactly how their devices can be used and what happens when they leave the firm.

“Even if you don’t want to replace company devices by allowing the use of personal devices, you still want to tackle these kinds of issues,” she said. “Employees are probably using their personal laptop or smartphone for some business. That’s the reality.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Law Sections

Work to Do

By Susan G. Fentin, Esq.

SUSAN G. FENTIN

Susan G. Fentin

On May 18, the Department of Labor (DOL) finally released its highly anticipated revisions to regulations governing the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Under the FLSA, employees who are considered exempt under one of the so-called ‘white-collar’ exemptions are not entitled to be paid overtime if they work more than 40 hours in a workweek.

The threshold salary level for exempt status is currently $455 per week, which is equivalent to an annual salary of $23,660. However, under the revised regulations, on Dec. 1, the new minimum salary threshold will go up to $913 per week, annualized at $47,476. Any employee who is not making the minimum salary threshold will automatically lose their exempt status and be entitled to overtime pay. It’s estimated that 86,000 Massachusetts workers would then become entitled to overtime pay.

Fortunately, employers have time to decide how to handle this huge change. The first step is to conduct a wage/hour audit by identifying those employees whose minimum salary level falls below the new threshold. Employers should ask those employees to begin tracking their hours of work. Decisions about how to handle these workers will depend, in part, on whether the employee currently works more than 40 hours in a workweek and, if so, how many hours the employee generally works.

At the same time, companies should be reviewing their exempt employees’ job responsibilities to determine whether the job descriptions for these workers truly qualify them for exempt status.

In a recent case, Marzuq v. Cadete Enterprises, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled that store managers’ claims for unpaid overtime could proceed to trial. In that case, one of the store managers, Gassan Marzuq, earned $825 per week, or $42,900 per year, in 2012, only slightly less than the new minimum salary level. So in Marzuq’s case, Dunkin’ Donuts might have sought to preserve his exempt status by raising his salary to the new minimum threshold.

But even if the manager’s salary meets the new minimum, that does not mean that he will pass the test for exempt status. Dunkin’ Donuts store managers spend a substantial amount of time substituting for crew members who miss their scheduled shifts, serving customers, and cleaning, in addition their other responsibilities, which include calibrating equipment, handling cash, training and supervising employees, and substantial paperwork. In his lawsuit, Marzuq claimed he had been misclassified as exempt and was therefore entitled to overtime pay whenever he worked more than 40 hours in a workweek.

Under the DOL regulations, a manager can be considered exempt even if he is serving customers at the same time that he is supervising employees. The issue is whether the manager’s exempt duties are his primary duty. Marzuq claimed that he spent most of the time, perhaps as much as 90%, performing non-exempt work. Courts reviewing exempt status will look at a number of factors, including the amount of time spent performing exempt work. Time alone, however, is not the determinative test; it is the ‘overall character’ of the employee’s position that determines whether exempt or non-exempt work is the employee’s primary duty.

The court found that, since the managers spent a large portion of their days performing manual labor normally assigned to a non-exempt worker, it was questionable how much time was actually spent in management roles.  The court concluded that a jury should decide whether the managers’ work was truly exempt. It noted that, in addition to their work in non-exempt roles, administrative tasks were a relatively small portion of the workweek, store managers’ authority to problem solve or terminate an employee was apparently limited, and taking into consideration the number of hours worked by each manager each week and the fact that the non-exempt employees could receive tips, the non-exempt staff might actually make more per hour than their managers.

Looking at the overall character of the managers’ primary duty, the First Circuit determined that a jury should decide how many hours the managers regularly worked, how much time they spent in non-exempt work, and the portion of that non-exempt time in which they were performing both exempt and non-exempt duties. In addition, the court found there might be a jury question as to whether the managers had a substantial role in decisions affecting their crew members.

The bottom line here is that, even for those employees whose salaries are close to the new minimum, raising their wages to meet the new threshold won’t solve the problem if their job duties do not qualify for the exemption. So the court’s analysis here is significant for all exempt workers, even for those whose salary level may not need to change after the DOL’s final regulations are issued.

As a result, the time is ripe for employers to re-evaluate their exempt/non-exempt classifications. If you are concerned that some of your exempt workers may be misclassified, the new regulations will give you a reason to revise the classification without necessarily creating liability for past wages. Consult experienced labor and employment counsel if you need guidance on how to properly classify your exempt workers.

Attorney Susan G. Fentin has been a partner at Skoler, Abbott & Presser since 2004. Her practice concentrates on labor and employment counseling, advising large and small employers on their responsibilities and obligations under state and federal employment laws, and representing employers before state and federal agencies and in court. She speaks frequently to employer groups, conducts training on avoiding problems in employment law, and teaches master classes on both the FMLA and ADA; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]

Sections Technology

Hard Data

BankingITdpLayersARTYoung people studying information technology in college, or IT professionals seeking a career change, don’t always think about the opportunities afforded by the banking industry. But perhaps they should — banks are increasingly clamoring for top IT talent to support their digital platforms, maintain network servers, and tackle thorny cybersecurity threats. The challenge is wooing these individuals to a career path they may never have considered.

Steven Lowell occasionally visits high-school career days and speaks with students, so he knows how young people perceive banking jobs.

Steven Lowell

Steven Lowell

“Everyone thinks of the bank as either the teller or the loan officer,” said Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank. Which is why students with an aptitude for information technology (IT) typically don’t think of the financial world as a viable career choice.

But they should, he said.

“Technology has come to the forefront and is a huge part of banking,” he told BusinessWest. “There’s definitely a lot of potential there for people who might be interested in a career.”

Indeed, opportunities have risen for IT talent in the era of online and mobile platforms — both to build and grow those platforms and in the broad realm of cybersecurity and data protection, for starters.

“From a cybersecurity perspective, there’s really a big push right now to make sure we have that talent on staff. It’s critical,” said Joseph Zazzaro, senior vice president and chief information officer at PeoplesBank. “People want their banking data as safe as possible. That’s what we strive to do. We all want that convenience, but it comes with a challenge from a security perspective. We’re always concerned with how to make things safer, always monitoring things, and you need the right people on staff to do it.”

The question, then, is how to attract those ‘right people’ to a field that doesn’t necessarily have cachet with young IT talent.

Joseph Zazzaro

Joseph Zazzaro says bank mergers often pose opportunities to hire another bank’s IT talent if their role is being phased out.

“If you have a technical hotshot and there is an option of going to a more traditional financial services bank or to Google, that’s a pretty hard sell for a financial-services company,” Judy Pennington, director of human capital in the financial-services industry for Deloitte Consulting LLP, told Payment Source.

Meanwhile, Bruce Livesay, chief information officer at First Horizon National Corp., told American Banker that “the banking industry has gotten so much negative publicity through the past several years, it has made it more difficult to recruit people. We’re seeing fewer people feeling motivated to get into banking.”

Financial IT leaders offer plenty of reasons why they should change that way of thinking, however, starting with the fact that banks don’t start and end with the teller and loan officer.

Multiple Paths

Gary Urkevich, executive vice president, Information Technology & Project Management and Berkshire Bank, ticked off a number of areas where banks need strong IT talent, with those roles including project managers, business analysts, program managers, systems analysts, developers, report writers, infrastructure engineers, help-desk support technicians, desktop support technicians, and information-security analysts.

Gary Urkevich

Gary Urkevich

Business analysts are a good case study, he said, in the way some finance professionals span the IT and business worlds.

“Typically, BAs are fairly technical, but, more importantly, they have a keen understanding of the line of business that they support,” he explained. “So a BA that supports mortgage lending would be expected to be well-versed in mortgage lending originations, operations, and compliance. This would be similar for BAs supporting insurance, finance, or deposit operations. Many successful BAs have transitioned to IT from long careers on the banking-operations side.”

Meanwhile, Urkevich went on, program managers own the IT oversight of a particular line of business, such as retail lending. Infrastructure engineers ensure that the e-mail, network servers, circuits, and phone systems are properly sized and working properly. Help-desk support technicians handle calls from users who have questions or issues accessing the banking systems. And information-security analysts work to ensure that the bank’s network, customer data, and company data are protected from malicious intrusion.

In short, that’s a long list of roles with widely varied responsibilities, but they all require some level of IT expertise at a time when computer technology is more critical to the industry than ever before.

To hear Lowell tell it, the recent technological evolution in banking is a direct response to what customers crave: convenience.

“Everyone wants to their bank to be more convenient, and the way to do that is through technology,” he said. “We’ve got people accessing us through all kinds of devices and through all kinds of different networks. We need to be able to serve all those needs.”


 Click HERE for a chart of Computer Network IT Services in Western Mass.


Banks access IT talent to develop applications that are easy to use, and also to offer live support to customers who have issues accessing them, he noted. On the commercial side, they help businesses interact with the bank’s systems efficiently.

Of course, the more robust the digital platform, the greater the need for security, Lowell noted. “That has become such a huge issue. You cannot afford to have a breach in your financial system, so that’s getting a lot of emphasis right now. We’re constantly testing out the network to make sure we don’t have any openings, so people can’t get in and steal information. Cybersecurity issues are huge now.”

Urkevich agreed. “Cybersecurity has become a critical area of focus across many industries, including banking,” he told BusinessWest. “We are routinely investing in staff and systems to ensure that our network is protected.

Zazzaro said one key to attracting and retaining customers is offering competitive, easy-to-use products, and to maintain those products, IT staff are critical.

“We need to have the right personnel in place, supporting the infrastructure for customers on many channels, from digital channels to voice service, the call center. People want convenience, but they want to be able to talk to someone.”

At a time when digital channels are only expanding, though, banks often struggle to make their case to career seekers with a techie bent. One factor is that people see banks constantly merging and fear their career won’t be a secure one. Millennials are also known for seeking employers they believe in on a philosophical level, and banks don’t tend to occupy that ground in their psyche.

Which is why banks often wind up drawing talent from other banks.

“Most of us network to an unbelievable degree, so there’s a great opportunity for us when a merger occurs,” Zazzaro said. “I network with people all over New England, and I’ve seen employment positions filled by a person who lost their job, or their position changed, or they were able to find another great opportunity in the banking arena.”

Lowell agreed. “It’s difficult to find good people. We have a very experienced IT person who worked at another bank, and we were able to hire him because he lives in Monson, and it was a great move for him.”

In most cases, he added, strong tech skills are more important in a potential hire than financial experience, because banks are willing to provide plenty of internal training in their specific processes. “It’s very specific, so we know they’re not always going to come in with that knowledge, but it is something they can learn, and we provide opportunities to do that.”

By All Accounts

Considering the opportunities for skilled IT talent in banks, and the fact that continuous training is a given, Zazzaro asked simply, why not seek a job in banking?

“It’s cutting-edge,” he said. “A lot of things go on with banking, whether in house to support greater efficiencies or what’s happening in the back office; whether it’s customer-facing, bricks and mortar, or on the mobile side. All these things are extremely critical. If a young person is coming out of school, a bank can be a great opportunity to further their career and gain additional training — not just for greater efficiency for the bank, but to help build their careers, too.

In the end, Lowell said, IT talent ranks right up there with regulatory-compliance experts as critical 21st-century needs for financial institutions of all sizes.

“If someone was looking at a career,” he concluded, “I think they’d be well-advised to consider a bank.” u

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2016.

AMHERST

Cyrano Properties, LLC
18 Kellogg Ave.
$7,500 — Add half bath to existing room on second floor of building

Mary Ellen Barden
76 North Pleasant St.
$74,000 — Interior remodel of existing CVS

Paul Shumway
316 College St.
$11,650 — Interior renovations in a nail salon

PCJ Riverside Partners, LLC
19 Montague Road
$15,000 — Interior renovations in pharmacy

NORTHAMPTON

Atwood Drive, LLC
8 Atwood Dr.
$28,000 — Renovate three rooms

Community Enterprises Inc.
441 Pleasant St.
$25,500 — Interior renovations

Northampton Arts Trust
33 Hawley St.
$750,000 — Install roof mounted solar array

Northampton Historical Society
46 Bridge St.
$30,000 — Strip and reshingle roof

Northampton Housing Authority
49 Old South St.
$246,000 — Furnish and install new roof

Pioneer Valley authority
54 Industrial Dr.
$601,650 — Install new roof

PALMER

Camp Ramah
39 Bennett St.
$125,000 — Foundation for new building

Michael’s Party Plus
1221 South Main St.
$20,000 — Interior renovations

SOUTH HADLEY

Mount Holyoke College
1 Silver St.
$786,000 — Re-roof

Mount Holyoke College
1 College St.
$45,000 — Renovations and alterations

Mount Holyoke College
33 Woodbridge St.
$53,000 — Construct a new accessory building

SPRINGFIELD

AIC
1000 State St.
$301,000 — Construct new stairs and vestibule

Bi-lingual Outreach Centers of Massachusetts
281 Franklin St.
$100,250 — Exterior renovations

Colebrook Partners South, LLC
511 East Columbus Ave.
$20,000 — Renovations for three new offices

Lorilee I, LLC
30 Belmont Ave.
$96,000 — Construct a temporary roof

MBC Properties, LLC
925 Carew St.
$17,000 — Build new addition on top of existing first floor

Mercy Medical Center
175 Carey St.
$130,000 — Renovations of suites 120 and 140

Mill Street Iconic, LLC
149 Mill St.
$975,000 — Reconfigure and repairs to existing building

Open Atelier
665 Boston Post Road
$210,000 — Remodel interior only for laundromat facility

Springfield College
40 Sheffield St.
$6,000 — Add interior office space

The City Church
51-57 Taylor St.
$30,000 – Construct new bathrooms on second floor

WESTFIELD

City of Westfield
Franklin Street
$598,000 — Bullens Field renovation

Joseph & Marie Flahive
10 Arnold St.
$3,400,000 — Construct a 2,697-square-foot bus terminal

Rosow Westfield, LLC
66 S. Broad St.
$7,500 — Interior renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Chris Cejack
1053 Riverdale St.
$25,000 — Repair existing skylights

C’Jack Realty
1053 Riverdale St.
$30,000 — Cosmetic changes to interior

C’Jack Realty
1123 Riverdale St.
$657,000 — Rework existing Verizon Wireless

Salamon Realty, LLC
84 Myron St.
$72,000 — Renovate 3,067-square feet of office space

Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

218 Eden Trail
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Eden Pond Farm LLC
Seller: Dyer, Caryl A., (Estate)
Date: 05/04/16

BUCKLAND

5 Bray Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Mindy K. Goodin
Seller: Garry J. Underwood
Date: 05/09/16

85 North St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: D&S Village Rentals LLC
Seller: Joseph Kearney
Date: 05/12/16

CHARLEMONT

184 Warner Hill Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Scott Randall
Seller: Beaman, Donald G., (Estate)
Date: 05/03/16

COLRAIN

34 Adamsville Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Robert L. Slowinski
Seller: Marlene B. Brothers
Date: 05/05/16

5 Griswoldville St.
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $129,500
Buyer: Stephen A. Herzig
Seller: C. Leigh Morrell
Date: 05/12/16

CONWAY

180 Ashfield Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $228,500
Buyer: Vickie L. Lovering
Seller: John F. Page
Date: 05/13/16

655 Reeds Bridge Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Brendan C. O’Connell
Seller: Edouard Beauvais
Date: 05/06/16

GREENFIELD

39 Brookside Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Charles A. Dart
Seller: Alma M. Garcia
Date: 05/09/16

714 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: James A. Santos
Seller: Renee L. Wetterwald
Date: 05/11/16

733 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Gheorghe Seremet
Seller: Ann B. Volpe IRT
Date: 05/02/16

233 Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $129,608
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Sue E. Sojka
Date: 05/03/16

130 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Matthew Brown
Seller: Kenneth A. Ward
Date: 05/02/16

86 Meridian St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $236,653
Buyer: FNMA
Date: 05/02/16

10 Parkway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Lobsang Dorjee
Seller: Doris C. Cowdrey
Date: 05/13/16

6 Pine St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Abbe R. Bresciano
Seller: Ventura R. Perez
Date: 05/02/16

95 Wildwood Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Gregg S. Diefendorf
Seller: Derick Campbell
Date: 05/13/16

HAWLEY

54 East Hawley Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Timothy J. Clark
Seller: William M. Rice
Date: 05/09/16

MONTAGUE

75 Dell St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Nicole J. Johanneck
Seller: Nancy L. Krug-Springer
Date: 05/06/16

16 Greenfield Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $169,070
Buyer: Caitlyn J. Moore
Seller: Troy M. Santerre
Date: 05/12/16

18 High St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Ventura R. Perez
Seller: Gregory R. Haas
Date: 05/02/16

70 Turnpike Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jacob Stafford
Seller: Alice Cecile Cloutier TR
Date: 05/05/16

ORANGE

27 Eagleville Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Michael A. Dupont
Seller: Timothy E. Matthews
Date: 05/04/16

290 Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Randy A. Coffin
Seller: Lois M. Coffin
Date: 05/13/16

233 Walnut Hill Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Alexander S. Jess
Seller: Citimortgage Inc.
Date: 05/10/16

SHUTESBURY

499 Montague Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Salacup
Seller: Germann, Linda S., (Estate)
Date: 05/03/16

SUNDERLAND

84 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Bruce A. Bennett
Seller: Daniel J. Radowicz
Date: 05/11/16

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

11 Albert St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Eric D. Jalbert
Seller: Callie A. Rapa
Date: 05/06/16

83 Alfred Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $214,500
Buyer: Scott M. Weller
Seller: Keith Poirier
Date: 05/03/16

187 Country Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: John J. Shea
Seller: Rosemarie P. Costa
Date: 05/02/16

30 Elmar Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Mark D. Carlson
Seller: Thanh Kieu
Date: 05/02/16

102 Farmington Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Frank J. Montagna
Seller: Hillside Development Corp.
Date: 05/13/16

33 High St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $147,971
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Jonathan D. Towle
Date: 05/05/16

27 Joseph St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $299,500
Buyer: Angel Quinones
Seller: John H. Eisenbeiser
Date: 05/11/16

1125 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $249,050
Seller: Robert J. Willey
Date: 05/12/16

359 Walnut St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Rob Realty LLC
Seller: Ronald L. Degray
Date: 05/10/16

BLANDFORD

15 Woronoco Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $131,483
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Eric S. Kusnick
Date: 05/12/16

BRIMFIELD

1012 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Leeanna Babineau
Seller: William R. Starmer
Date: 05/03/16

148 Warren Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jakub Szymura
Seller: FHLM
Date: 05/13/16

CHICOPEE

57 Arthur St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Mainville
Seller: Stephanie M. Potter
Date: 05/02/16

54 Beverly St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Darnell Jones
Seller: Andrew D. Fredette
Date: 05/02/16

92 Fair St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Mary Baker
Seller: Gail C. Cunliffe
Date: 05/12/16

565 Lafleur Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Sergey N Dikan
Seller: Ronald E. Desroches
Date: 05/10/16

36 Mary St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Onexis Iturrino
Seller: Susan Moritz
Date: 05/10/16

840 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $1,150,000
Buyer: Amerco Real Estate Co.
Seller: Frank D. Delmonte
Date: 05/02/16

409 Montcalm St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: William Simmons
Seller: Christopher R. Nadeau
Date: 05/03/16

N/A
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $132,659
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Kimberle P. Schneewind
Date: 05/02/16

11 Ohio Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $122,507
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Enrique Texidor
Date: 05/04/16

40 Simonich St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Alex Parnicky
Seller: Patricia F. Kamansky
Date: 05/13/16

35 Villa Lane
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: John P. Whiting
Seller: Linda J. Stewart
Date: 05/05/16

EAST LONGMEADOW

140 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Nicole Padilla
Seller: Michael J. Bagge
Date: 05/02/16

30 Clareside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Stephanie F. Weibel
Seller: Donna H. Feathler
Date: 05/04/16

15 Cooley Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jose A. Ruiz
Seller: Calabrese, Cipriano F., (Estate)
Date: 05/06/16

111 Day Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Langan
Seller: James Goodwin
Date: 05/02/16

49 Devonshire Terrace
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $520,000
Buyer: Mark A. Keroack
Seller: Albert V. Lupenski
Date: 05/13/16

114 Evergreen Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Robert J. Hensinger
Seller: Joshua J. Hastings
Date: 05/04/16

142 Gates Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Brendan McNeish
Seller: Caitlin B. Phelps
Date: 05/10/16

25 Granby St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $177,500
Buyer: John Occhialini
Seller: Linda M. Levesque
Date: 05/04/16

182 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $258,634
Buyer: 182 North Main Street LLC
Seller: Dennis Madden
Date: 05/02/16

513 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Jose M. Gomes
Seller: Dorothy Fiske
Date: 05/13/16

16 Peachtree Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $483,000
Buyer: John B. Cadigan
Seller: Cabot Real Estate LLC
Date: 05/06/16

HAMPDEN

182 Ames Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Caitlin Phelps
Seller: Pauly, Margaret B., (Estate)
Date: 05/10/16

45 Erica Circle
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Joshua J. Hastings
Seller: Richard C. Bewsee
Date: 05/05/16

311 Wilbraham Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Jason Walbridge
Date: 05/13/16

HOLLAND

5 Collette Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: David D. Charbonneau
Seller: Margaret Mangiafico
Date: 05/05/16

6 Pine Tree Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Donald E. Burrows
Seller: William G. Davidson
Date: 05/02/16

83 Sturbridge Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $204,500
Buyer: Jennifer J. Lombardi
Seller: Patricia J. Scungio
Date: 05/02/16

76 Vinton Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Holly L. Brodeur
Seller: Richard A. Galli
Date: 05/06/16

HOLYOKE

529 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Dany Guzman
Seller: Milagros Rodriguez
Date: 05/02/16

73 Brookline Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Xelina L. Hernandez
Seller: Lindsey G. Brynjolfsson
Date: 05/09/16

43 Davis St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $126,500
Buyer: Marcos Reyes
Seller: Epifanio Velez
Date: 05/06/16

66 Ely St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $266,153
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Beatriz Rodriguez
Date: 05/05/16

67 Fairfield Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Toshia L. Caravita
Seller: James M. Sweeney
Date: 05/03/16

10 Gilman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Patenaude
Seller: Jennifer Flanzbaum
Date: 05/12/16

195 Huron Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Lacey
Seller: Brian W. Anderson
Date: 05/12/16

27 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Drewnowski
Seller: Frances A. Lyle
Date: 05/02/16

40 Mackintosh Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Paul B. Eggleston
Seller: Daniel C. Ross
Date: 05/05/16

33 Mayer Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Bruno Taborelli
Seller: Anne Marini
Date: 05/10/16

215 Mountain View Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Darrell M. Johnston
Seller: Catina Galanes-Grass
Date: 05/02/16

134 Sycamore St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: William J. Edwards
Seller: Kevin Slate
Date: 05/05/16

304 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: April B. Nicotera
Seller: Michael J. McMullan
Date: 05/03/16

LONGMEADOW

171 Bel Air Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: William Magarian
Seller: Marie W. Hobdell
Date: 05/06/16

86 Blueberry Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Shiraz Mardirossian
Seller: Virginia A. Hyde
Date: 05/12/16

78 Branch St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Kevin D. Mattia
Seller: Christopher A. Bazos
Date: 05/11/16

19 Chatham Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Melvin P. French
Seller: Glenn R. Markenson
Date: 05/06/16

122 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Robert A. Walsh
Seller: Anne L. Miller
Date: 05/04/16

273 Deepwoods Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Matthew Chelli
Seller: Rachael P. Kramer
Date: 05/12/16

75 Dover Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Michael Smith
Seller: Richard M. Reeves
Date: 05/06/16

111 Ferncroft St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $332,500
Buyer: Jessica A. Prokop
Seller: Judith C. Fraser
Date: 05/05/16

123 Green Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Carmelo A. Palumbo
Seller: Muhammad Isa
Date: 05/12/16

822 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Mark S. Bean
Seller: Low, Patricia H., (Estate)
Date: 05/13/16

961 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Francis D. Murray
Seller: Mollie R. Plotkin
Date: 05/02/16

41 Pendleton Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $1,037,500
Buyer: Saher Isa
Seller: Debra G. Polep
Date: 05/12/16

69 Tecumseh Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Mary M. Cahillane
Seller: Stanley J. McCright
Date: 05/02/16

409 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: William M. Collins
Seller: Arnold Cusano
Date: 05/13/16

LUDLOW

27 Brookhaven Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Darren M. Strempek
Seller: Linda A. Finch
Date: 05/06/16

18 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $299,999
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass Inc.
Seller: Marco M. Vieira
Date: 05/11/16

114 Coolidge Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $149,900
Seller: Raymond K. Williams
Date: 05/10/16

66 Edison Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: William Dupre
Seller: Jeffrey A. Laing
Date: 05/05/16

36 Elm St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Benjamin J. McPherson
Seller: Oleg Kovalev
Date: 05/06/16

21 Fern St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kenneth I. Topham
Seller: Rebecca S. Alves
Date: 05/06/16

17 King St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Geoffrey K. Gordon
Seller: Kimberly M. Conrad
Date: 05/13/16

40 Mineral Spring Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $353,500
Buyer: Southern New England Conference
Seller: Norman Fuller
Date: 05/09/16

171 Wedgewood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $324,500
Buyer: Benjamin J. Pickrell
Seller: Michelle K. Mongeau
Date: 05/13/16

MONSON

10 Beebe Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Sean M. Comerford
Seller: Robert F. Terbush
Date: 05/13/16

48 Silver St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: Kenneth Bernard
Seller: Sandra M. Choquette
Date: 05/12/16

19 Wilbraham Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $194,750
Buyer: Sarah E. Bernat
Seller: Kenneth M. Bernard
Date: 05/12/16

PALMER

3080 Hillside Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Tyler F. Allen
Seller: David E. Burns
Date: 05/03/16

6 Memory Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Jeromy R. Roldan
Seller: Arthur W. Boutin
Date: 05/03/16

1036 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Jared Adams
Seller: Michael P. Barclay
Date: 05/13/16

39 Stimson St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $159,200
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Robert Pafumi
Date: 05/05/16

SOUTHWICK

8 Gargon Terrace
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Darold A. Lepak
Date: 05/04/16

119 North Lake Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Marshall S. Harris
Seller: Gail Carneiro
Date: 05/06/16

15 Sterrett Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Casey C. Berube
Seller: James P. Cool
Date: 05/02/16

SPRINGFIELD

109 Abbe Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $132,956
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Ana L. Davila
Date: 05/12/16

35-37 Allison Lane
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jorge L. Alvarez
Seller: Ruth K. Monge-Costa
Date: 05/03/16

16 Andover Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $160,500
Buyer: Tricia Twining
Seller: Martha F. Mitchell
Date: 05/09/16

115 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Marvel N Dixon
Seller: Raymond S. Hand
Date: 05/12/16

106 Berard Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Gerard J. Grondin
Seller: Michael J. Tarantino
Date: 05/10/16

507 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Jose L. Santini
Seller: Flor Fuentes
Date: 05/10/16

85 Castle St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Elba M. Mendez
Seller: Carlton J. Banks
Date: 05/13/16

11-13 Chilson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Winsome F. Morrison
Seller: Xiao T. Dong
Date: 05/10/16

261 Connecticut Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Patrick O’Neil
Seller: Zakhariy Tsikhotskiy
Date: 05/12/16

381 Cooley St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $4,670,000
Buyer: Jefferson Investors LLC
Seller: G&S Cooley Street LLC
Date: 05/13/16

62 Corey Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Francisco J. Aviles
Seller: Aleksandr Naumov
Date: 05/06/16

134 Derryfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Lismarie Galarza
Seller: Rachel M. Welsh
Date: 05/12/16

29 East Hill Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Christine R. Kiser
Date: 05/05/16

33 Eckington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $146,826
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Louis E. Jones
Date: 05/05/16

44 Gail St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Francis Milord
Seller: Michael Gesin
Date: 05/09/16

29 Glen Albyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $117,570
Buyer: Marisol W. Cotto
Seller: Sean L. Calkins
Date: 05/10/16

116 Glenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Debra M. Thornton
Seller: Nancy L. Hebert
Date: 05/13/16

77 Granger St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Martha C. McLaughlin LLC
Seller: TJM Properties LLC
Date: 05/04/16

55 Groton St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $115,950
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Michael A. Riley
Date: 05/03/16

255 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $154,460
Buyer: John E. Pike
Seller: James A. Ryan
Date: 05/13/16

5 Hickox St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Lolita M. Hanley-Edmeade
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 05/09/16

79 Jeffrey Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Ingrid Rohmund
Seller: Jeromy R. Roldan
Date: 05/03/16

45 Jonquil Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Stephen W. Wyszynski
Seller: Rebecca L. Taylor
Date: 05/06/16

89 Judson St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Andrew C. Robbins
Seller: Silver Hammer Properties
Date: 05/09/16

418 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Peter Rodriguez
Seller: Legacy Realty Associates
Date: 05/09/16

41 Louis Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $120,619
Buyer: Juan B. Quintana
Seller: Marilyn J. Spaman
Date: 05/11/16

466 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Aastha Bansri LLC
Seller: Richard Zaranek
Date: 05/06/16

2137 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $862,000
Buyer: Semper Fi Properties LLC
Seller: Patton Realty Co. Inc.
Date: 05/10/16

48-50 Maryland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Jose A. Marquez
Seller: Mario E. Mata
Date: 05/04/16

143 Methuen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $136,900
Buyer: Daven Wilson
Seller: Richard W. Polastry
Date: 05/04/16

N/A
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Stephen P. Crafsic
Seller: Victoria A. Rondeau
Date: 05/05/16

54 Oak Hollow Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $175,480
Buyer: Luso FCU
Seller: Stephen E. Johnson
Date: 05/03/16

219 Pheland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Ana I. Molina
Seller: Luis A. Velazquez
Date: 05/06/16

173 Russell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Miciel Mariano
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 05/02/16

593 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Home Equity Assets Realty
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 05/05/16

501 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Veden LLC
Seller: Beans Realty Inc.
Date: 05/06/16

55-57 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $124,633
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Rafael Garcia
Date: 05/04/16

362 Stapleton Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Brenda Davis
Seller: Nelida Macias
Date: 05/13/16

980 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Huan V. Huynh
Seller: Dieu H. Pham
Date: 05/13/16

152 Thompson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Caroll Cohen
Seller: Ingersoll Grove LLC
Date: 05/04/16

65 Timber Lane
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Joshua L. Aliengena
Seller: Michael P. Zanarini
Date: 05/06/16

15 Van Horn Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Carmen L. Santiago
Date: 05/13/16

373 Water St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $160,500
Buyer: Victor Luzhanskiy
Seller: US Bank
Date: 05/13/16

Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $143,167
Buyer: Greater Springfield Habit for Humanity
Seller: Jose Justiniano
Date: 05/04/16

172 Whittum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Solmilarie Hernandez
Seller: Angela Cosenzi
Date: 05/03/16

870 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $240,106
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Frank M. Nagy
Date: 05/12/16

2222 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Rosemary M. Wamaitha
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 05/09/16

TOLLAND

14 Lakeview Lane
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: John D. Gigante
Seller: Charles W. Salkewicz
Date: 05/05/16

WEST SPRINGFIELD

888 Birnie Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Mikhail Sosnin
Seller: Paul P. Prokop
Date: 05/05/16

61-63 Bridge St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Harry N Allen
Date: 05/05/16

46 Calvin Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Timothy T. Lemonde
Seller: Alfred L. Mutti
Date: 05/11/16

970 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $144,500
Buyer: Antonio Romero
Seller: Mohammed Sheikh
Date: 05/13/16

65 Herrman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Suk Tamang
Seller: Daniel J. Stuck
Date: 05/13/16

147 Laurel Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Steven M. Klimczak
Seller: Mary Downey-Costello
Date: 05/13/16

105 Meadowbrook Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Megan Burke
Seller: Gary D. Hagar
Date: 05/09/16

874 Memorial Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Rindels Realty LLC
Seller: Lynn S. Chan
Date: 05/06/16

101 Poplar Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Stuck
Seller: Suzanne M. Krug
Date: 05/13/16

38 Ridgeview Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $155,400
Buyer: Elena Gurskaia
Seller: Kelly A. Salvador-Macadam
Date: 05/05/16

31 Thomas Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Ali M. Ahmed-Sameem
Seller: Andrii Zhyhaniuk
Date: 05/12/16

139 Virginia Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Paul Weinberg
Seller: John F. Collins
Date: 05/05/16

134 Westwood Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Matthew B. Gray
Seller: Mary E. McGuire
Date: 05/13/16

WESTFIELD

20 Chestnut St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Robert W. Gardner
Date: 05/13/16

55 Church St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Daniel E. Roy
Seller: William M. Geer
Date: 05/04/16

14 Hillside Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Dana Kiendzior
Seller: Gregory S. Reed
Date: 05/04/16

30 Jefferson St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $149,700
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Donald C. Nelson
Date: 05/04/16

28 Knollwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Keating
Seller: Casey C. Berube
Date: 05/02/16

Medeiros Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Western Mass Demolition
Seller: A. J. Virgilio Construction
Date: 05/06/16

98 Old Stage Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Robert A. Greenleaf
Seller: William F. Barry
Date: 05/02/16

127 Pineridge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $338,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Strycharz
Seller: Daniel Bain
Date: 05/02/16

4 Rachael Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $419,900
Buyer: Christian A. Potter
Seller: Peter R. Plourde
Date: 05/02/16

54 Rachael Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $424,900
Buyer: Ryan D. Mahoney
Seller: Bruce L. Bradley
Date: 05/02/16

85 Root Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Antoni Grimaldi
Seller: Robert A. Greenleaf
Date: 05/02/16

109 Sackett Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Bruce L. Bradley
Seller: Renee D. Gonnello
Date: 05/02/16

Violet Circle #5E
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Yuriy Pavlyuk
Seller: Susan A. Hoey
Date: 05/13/16

50 Willow Brook Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $383,000
Buyer: Brett A. Stevens
Seller: Toni J. Halbach
Date: 05/06/16

WILBRAHAM

285 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Buyer: Gilmar Realty LLC
Seller: Mark J. Palatino
Date: 05/09/16

39 Brooklawn Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Anthony M. Sibilia
Seller: Richard A. Sibilia
Date: 05/13/16

19 Carla Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $387,125
Buyer: Michael J. Tarantino
Seller: AC Homebuilding LLC
Date: 05/10/16

80 Chilson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Leo P. Dube
Seller: Francis J. Feeney
Date: 05/10/16

2 Crane Park Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Monson SB
Seller: CBA Realty Group 2 Corp.
Date: 05/03/16

684 Ridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Monson SB
Seller: CBA Realty Group 2 Corp,
Date: 05/03/16

7 Ridgewood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $172,292
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Lois B. Skala
Date: 05/09/16

420 Soule Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Krista L. Ouimette
Seller: Andrew Jennings
Date: 05/13/16

6 Squire Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Allana R. Lee
Seller: Daniel Wittmer
Date: 05/02/16

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

39 Northampton Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: David Robertson
Seller: Noemi R. Schwarz
Date: 05/02/16

30 Orchard St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Buyer: Hallie C. Hughes
Seller: Richard D. Fink
Date: 05/02/16

121 Pondview Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Kimbel Harwood-Melbourne
Seller: Fanny B. Dontoh
Date: 05/04/16

BELCHERTOWN

9 Carol Ann Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Casey E. Nadeau
Seller: Daniel J. Giroux
Date: 05/03/16

14 Deer Run
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Shannon E. Hard
Seller: Christine Munro
Date: 05/09/16

800 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Nicholas C. Aquadro
Seller: Daniel J. Akey
Date: 05/02/16

1 Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Monson Savings Bank
Seller: CBA Realty Group 2 Corp.
Date: 05/02/16

51 Metacomet St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Spencer W. Shumway
Seller: Peter O. Zierlein
Date: 05/02/16

22 Poole Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Maria Gallo
Seller: Helen L. Barrington
Date: 05/10/16

88 Rural Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $374,000
Buyer: Robert W. Chapin
Seller: Francis S. Mercier
Date: 05/06/16

67 Shaw St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $284,900
Buyer: Xavier Cody
Seller: Robert K. Dubois
Date: 05/05/16

700 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Kenneth L. Maryea
Seller: Jennifer C. Sunderland
Date: 05/11/16

356 South St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Eugene M. Ptaszkiewicz
Seller: Robert J. Cote
Date: 05/13/16

CHESTERFIELD

182 East St.
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: UMassfive College FCU
Seller: Susan Steenburgh
Date: 05/12/16

CUMMINGTON

12 Bush Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $175,079
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Scott W. Wichowski
Date: 05/13/16

EASTHAMPTON

10 Chapman Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $255,500
Buyer: Rachel Keenan-Roberts
Seller: Bernhard W. Kober
Date: 05/12/16

19 East Green St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $126,900
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Darlene Orvieto
Date: 05/03/16

28 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $228,500
Buyer: Matthew Palmieri
Seller: Benjamin C. Snyder
Date: 05/04/16

8 Mayher St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Sarah C. Hunter
Seller: Arthur E. Press
Date: 05/06/16

37 Morin Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Megan M. Mason
Seller: Jesse C. Montgomery
Date: 05/13/16

8 Robin Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Colby E. Quinn
Seller: Odonnell, Suzanne F., (Estate)
Date: 05/13/16

GRANBY

7 Lanebrook Circle
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Loay Hemeedi
Seller: Robert F. Flynn
Date: 05/13/16

111 New Ludlow Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Megan E. Swain
Seller: Pamela Outhuse
Date: 05/05/16

19 North St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Steven R. Pelletier
Seller: Louis A. Santos
Date: 05/04/16

Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Ryan Hedges
Seller: Mountain Stream Inc.
Date: 05/06/16

HADLEY

4 Bristol Lane
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $188,500
Buyer: Maureen M. Shea
Seller: Paula I. Chadis
Date: 05/12/16

27 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $284,900
Seller: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Date: 05/12/16

HATFIELD

15 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $479,000
Buyer: Phoebe D. Sheldon
Seller: Stephen J. Cirillo
Date: 05/09/16

HUNTINGTON

25 Old Chester Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Joshua A. Mason
Seller: Nicholas P. Semenyck
Date: 05/03/16

NORTHAMPTON

89 Autumn Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Edward J. Gallivan
Seller: Gary E. Mongeon
Date: 05/06/16

200 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Paul E. Bertram
Seller: M. K. Lawrence-Riddell
Date: 05/03/16

41 Chestnut Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Nira Harper-Elkins
Seller: Nira Harper-Elkins
Date: 05/12/16

301 Coles Meadow Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $169,700
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Gregory J. Laporte
Date: 05/02/16

137 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $695,000
Buyer: Justin Smith
Seller: Homeshire Properties LLC
Date: 05/12/16

132 Hawley St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Justin T. Stone
Seller: Jean A. Fater
Date: 05/05/16

71 Ice Pond Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $225,700
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Norrene A. Renkowic
Date: 05/02/16

41 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Scott M. Braidman
Seller: Julia Flum-Stockwell
Date: 05/06/16

111 North Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Dylan Curtis & James LLC
Seller: Peter C. Zygmont
Date: 05/05/16

156 Overlook Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Michael Lawrence-Riddel
Seller: A. Denise Wood
Date: 05/03/16

179 South St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $324,500
Buyer: Gregory R. Graves
Seller: Steven Berlin-Chavez
Date: 05/09/16

47 Summer St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $660,000
Buyer: Caltess LLC
Seller: Hutchins Family Partnership
Date: 05/02/16

PLAINFIELD

98 North St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $186,900
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Robin M. Burt
Date: 05/10/16

SOUTH HADLEY

85 Camden St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $117,500
Buyer: Daniel J. Giroux
Seller: Sarah J. Meyer
Date: 05/12/16

420 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: Michael D. Robertson
Seller: Valerie A. McQuillan
Date: 05/11/16

24 Grandview St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Michael Nicholson
Seller: Gordon N McClaflin
Date: 05/13/16

47 Laurie Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Sarah A. Lapierre
Seller: MTGLQ Investors LP
Date: 05/12/16

501 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $2,415,000
Buyer: South Hadley Plaza LLC
Seller: JPMCC 2004 C3 501 Newton
Date: 05/06/16

9 Oakwood Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Corey J. Harris
Seller: Jeanne B. Swindell
Date: 05/06/16

36 Roosevelt Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Michael A. McNicholas
Seller: Thomas E. Cleland
Date: 05/02/16

44 Woodlawn St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Michael E. McMahon
Seller: Jennifer L. Allard
Date: 05/06/16

WARE

92 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Patrick M. Hughes
Seller: Harrison P. Quirk
Date: 05/05/16

17 Mountainview Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Megan R. Neffinger
Seller: Vision Investment Properties
Date: 05/02/16

19 Shoreline Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $175,500
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Lorraine M. Chapman
Date: 05/02/16

WILLIAMSBURG

21 Goshen Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Charles W. Odowd
Seller: Joseph S. Barker
Date: 05/09/16

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Atamaniuk, Shane P.
31 Coolidge Ave.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Atmaca, Mehmet Cenk
Atmaca, Mustafa Cem
591 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/16

Auger, Kristina L.
25 Highland Village, Apt. A
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/16

Ayala, Felix M.
Perez, Anabel
154 Oak St., Apt. 2
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/16

Balicki, Ramona Marie
21 Hillcrest Park
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/16

Bayer, Cindy L.
346 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/16

Bellavance-Grace, Beth L.
a/k/a Grace, Beth
53 Clark Ave. #7
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/16

Beltrandi, Michael R.
516 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/09/16

Berman, Adam D.
504 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/16

Bianchi, Tina M.
626 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Bongiorni, Elizabeth A.
84 Fenway Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/16

Boutin, Laura A.
330 Main St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Bryant, Andrea L.
37 Harrison Ave.
Williamstown, MA 01267
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/12/16

Burnett, Stacie L.
a/k/a Poper, Stacie L.
a/k/a Morse, Stacie L.
a/k/a Ellis, Stacie
170 Orchard St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/16

Carroll, Larry J.
5 Pontoosic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Champagne, Steven M.
1246 Granby Road, Lot 46
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/16

Connaughton, Eleanor M.
53 Partridge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Dec, David Paul
21 Hillcrest Park
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/16

DiSanti, Anthony John
14 Kennedy Dr.
Huntington, MA 01050
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/16

Durgin, Michael L.
49 Bessemer St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Faxon, James F.
Faxon, Holli R.
2052 Main St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Foley, Timothy J.
P.O. Box 1522
Northampton, MA 01061
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Franciosi, Douglas A.
Franciosi, Deborah E.
49 Bardwell St., Apt. 2
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Gerhardson, Jennifer M.
116 Mandalay Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Gosselin, Kristi L.
a/k/a McLeod, Kristi L.
26 Pebble Mill Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/09/16

Hernandez, Sergio Luis
62 Groton St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/16

Herrmann, Pauline A.
73 Velma Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/16

Jimenez, Pedro A.
67 Stonina Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Jones, Beverly A.
188 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Kamansky, Dina J.
1020 Park Hill Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/11/16

Kavanaugh, Charles E.
17 Gardner Ave.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Lassalle, Graciela
a/k/a Figueroa, Graciela
279 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Lepine, Amber Lise
44 Governor Dr.
Westfied, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/06/16

Lightworks Photography
Carpenter, Richard Alan
24 Prospect St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/16

Lindsey, Edward R.
173 Jason St., Apt 9
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/16

Lozada, John E.
10 Washington St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/16

Malossini, Lee D.
Malossini, Rosann D.
53 Claredon St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/16

Martinez, Rafael
a/k/a Gomez, Rafael
a/k/a Martinez-Gomez, Rafael
30 Jardine St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/16

Masso, Jose Gilberto
Masso, Kristina Marie
a/k/a Hollender, Kristina
56 Orange St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/16

Mastey, Richard S.
24 Keller Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/16

McDonnell, Kevin J.
McDonnell, Melissa A.
PO Box 4931
Holyoke, MA 01041
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/16

Mena, Carmen
691 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/13/16

Mieltowski, John S.
P.O. Box 686
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/02/16

Moran, Caryn L.
25 First St.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/16

Nguyen, Dung
55 Perkins St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/12/16

O’Neill, John
9 Sycamore St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/16

Perez, Juan
402 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/16

Phelps, Carole A.
99 Monastery Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Polk, Maura A.
289 Morton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/09/16

Poteat, Patricia D.
6 Lincoln St., #2
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/16

Powell, David F.
P.O. Box 86
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Quackenbush, Brad E.
71 Wachusett St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/16

Razaq, Choudhry A.
P.O. Box 347
Springfield, MA 01537
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/11/16

Richards, Lori S.
67 Gardens Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/16

Rose, Gregory A.
Rose, Lisa C.
210 Holmes Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/16

Shawn Roberts Woodworking
Roberts, Shawn W.
Roberts, Ann-Marie
366 North Brookfield Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Simonelli, Pamela
a/k/a Simonelli-Robbins, Pamela
8 Laurel Hill Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/16

Smith, Frederick E.
26 Cheapside St., 2nd Fl.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/16

Sullivan, Becky Ann
8 Wright St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/04/16

Tyminski, Jeanette M.
120 Old field Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/16

Windy Hill Farm
Shea, Raymond Edward
126 Haynes Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/10/16

DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2016.

AGAWAM

Jump Start Preschool
605 Springfield St.
Rachelle Hannoush

Mosh Electric
52 Peros Dr.
Viktor Moshkovskiy

Nails Shine & Spa
1325 Springfield St.
Giang Thai

S & M Landscaping
27 Kirkland St.
Steve Clay

Sweet Serendipity
16 Lealand Ave.
Angela Jordan

The Social
827 Springfield St.
John Liquori

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Pizza
213 South St.
Evren Turan

Holyoke Puzzles
304 Hillside Ave.
Barbara Bitgood

Paper City Clothing
358 Dwight St.
Carlos Pena

VK Restoration
92 Race St.
Vitek Kruta

LUDLOW

Da Vinci Inc.
115 Sewall St.
Patricia Cheria

Lafayette Woodworking
798 West St.
Joanne Lafayette

Turkish American Social Club
973 East St.
Lokman Yanbol

NORTHAMPTON

Casa Del Sol
207 Main St.
Edmundo Bedach

Eastside Grill
19 Strong Ave.
Debra Flynn

Hallow Inc.
196 Main St.
Robert Burdick

Karuma Center for Yoga
25 Main St.
Eileen Muir

Lia Northampton Inc.
293 King St.
William Lia

On Call Urgent Care, LLC
6 Hatfield St.
Kate Sorenson

Signomi
123 Hawley St.
Elena Zachary

PALMER

Flanders & Son
38 French St.
Shawn Flanders

Fordable Used Cars
1317 Main St.
Ivan Vlasyuk

SPRINGFIELD

Deb’s Fashions
188 Thompson St.
Deborah A. Burke

E & M Construction
19 Eddy St.
Egidio Robinson

Eldred Enterprises
205 Norfolk St.
Eric C. Eldred

Emily Alger Company
112 Dorset St.
Stephanie Lynn

Event Network
1000 West Columbus Ave.
Brandy Quick

Fan Yin Li
907 Carew St.
Fan Li

Fantastico Wraps
1500 Main St.
Nazario Settembre

Frank’s Flowers
838 Main St.
Irma’s Flowers

Free II Grow
8 Campus Place
John A. Dyer

Honey Bee Public Relations
11 Balboa Dr.
Azell Cavaan

Imperial Super Grocery
1072 State St.
Ronald Behnk

La Casa Del Reggaeton
72 Locust St.
Mercedes Tejada

Lularoe Pam McCray
87 Lakevilla Ave.
Pamela McCray

Mayar Market
1196 Saint James Ave.
Ibrahim Mustafa

Melissa’s Place
1555 Wilbraham Road
Melissa Chesbro

Near Photography
747 South Branch Pkwy.
Eli M. Schwartz

No Names Entertainment
27 Salem St.
Moyah Smith

Northeast Distribution
467 Cottage St.
Carrier Enterprise

Reef Dimensions
97 Somerset St.
Richard Steven

Salima Boutique
19 Ellery St.
Fatou Diaby

WESTFIELD

B-Clean Home & Office Cleaning
50 Pequot Place
Carol Iwanski

Esoteric Empire
929 Shaker Road
Christopher Harman

Longevity Massage & Skincare Therapies
59 Pochassic St.
Oleysa Lebedinskaya

McCabe & Son Home Improvement
15 May St.
Edward J. McCabe

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Janna Juice Bar
751 Union St.
Ibrahim Babetti

LSS Trucking
534 Union St.
Sergei Mineev

M.C.L. Mechanical Services
26 Kelso Ave.
Paul Lichwan

Real Clean Solutions
900 Riverdale St.
Shaun Texeira

Sewer Drain & Cleaning
60 Colony Road
Svad Disdarivec

The Last Call
126 Highmeadow Dr.
Eric Laizer

Throwbacks
450 Main St.
Sharroya Charles

Vasquez Construction
249 Westfield St.
Robinson Vasquez

WRB Auto Sales
194 Baldwin St.
William Bayton

Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Survivor Journeys Inc., 2 South Bridge Dr., Agawam, MA 01001. Dr. Ajay Burton, 396 Inverness Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Survivor Journeys is to provide social and emotional support services to cancer survivors, their families, and caregivers. Our services are built on collaboration with local providers and cancer survivors, along with regional and nationally recognized cancer organizations. We believe no patient, caregiver, or loved one should travel this journey alone. 

AMHERST

Tedx Amherst, 47 Fearing St., Amherst, MA 01002. Stephen Chan, 430 Essex St., #4, Salem, MA 01970. Provides free multimedia education, introduces new discussions and ideas to build community, event, and conference planning.

BELCHERTOWN

TDS Social Inc., 841 Federal St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Teresa Dooley-Smith, same. Provides materials and training to professionals.

CHICOPEE

Torres Soto Consulting Corp., 257 Hampden St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Daniel Torres, 20 Lafayette St., Springfield, MA 01109. Business consulting services.

CONWAY

Public Emily Inc., 1101 South Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341. Emily Lichter, same.  Artist management services.
 
CUMMINGTON

Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast Inc., 17 Packard Road, Cummington, MA 01026. Kathryn Eiseman, same. To educate the public about fossil-fuel infrastructure and the alternatives; to protect the environment, the climate, health, safety and consumer interests from proposed and existing fossil fuel infrastructure; to study and promote efficiency measures, expansion of programs that manage “peak use” and other, lower impact energy solutions; to engage in legal and regulatory advocacy in connection with fossil fuel infrastructure and alternatives; and to promote, coordinate and assist the activities of other organizations and groups whose purposes are similar.

LONGMEADOW

Pro-Life of Pioneer Valley Inc., 180 Kenmore Dr. Longmeadow, MA 01106.  Charles F. Glidden, 278 Whitney Ave, Holyoke, MA 01040. Organization set to educate and promote respect for life from conception to natural death and to defend the right to life for all human beings.

NORTHAMPTON

Sem Jewelry Corp., One Chapin Way, Apt. 7302, Northampton, MA 01063. Susan Mishiye, same.  Online jewelry sales.
 
PALMER

Sousa Fine Floors Inc., 64 East Palmer Park Dr., Palmer, MA 01069. Steven Sousa, same. Installation, sales and maintenance of flooring.

PITTSFIELD

Ragam Inc., 120 Ontario St., Pittsfield, MA 012001. Varghese Athimoottil, 2 Vics Ct., Albany, NY 12205. Restaurant.

RTS95 Inc., 27 East Housatonic St., Pittsfield, MA 01201-6401. Akiva Talmi, same. Corporation service company.

Taconic Transport Inc., 1644 East St., Pittsfield, MA 01201.  Jeffrey Eaton, 500 W. Main St., Johnstown, NY 12095. Business of trucking, transportation, and truck repair, in all aspects.

SPRINGFIELD

Springfield Community Land Trust Inc., 467 State St., Springfield, MA 01105. Thomas Taafee, 17 Walnut St., Northampton, MA 0060. Charitable purposes of: (1) to aid in the acquisition, improvement (through rehabilitation, new construction or otherwise) and making available (through ownership, acquisition, development or otherwise) at the lowest possible cost to persons and families of low income of every race, religion and nationality, of decent, safe and sanitary housing in the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan area (the “area”) and to stimulate, by example or otherwise, the construction, renovation or improvement of properties in the area and generally promote neighborhood improvement for the benefit of persons of limited means who desire to live and raise their families and to enjoy safe, sanitary and attractive homes in the area; it is the purpose of the corporation thereby to provide services to relieve the poor, distressed, underprivileged and indigent of every race, religion and nationality by enabling them to secure the basic human rights to a decent living environment and secure opportunity and thus to lessen the burdens of government. (2) promoting the social welfare by providing such housing through construction of new facilities in the place of blighted vacant, substandard or decadent sites, including those programs, projects, collaborations, and activities that address local needs, improve quality of life, or generate equitable economic development.

Springfield Family Support Programs Inc.,18 Gaucher St., Room 1-B, Springfield, MA 01109. Sharon Ann Jewell, 328 East Main St., Chicopee, MA 01020.

University of Thought Inc., 17 Windsor St., Springfield, MA 01105. Lawrence Kirkland, same. Sales of t-shirts, clothing, and apparel.

Waterdog Technologies Inc., 1391 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. Delcie D. Bean IV, 112 Russell St., South Hadley, MA 01035. Buying, selling, marketing, and distributing software.

Briefcase Departments

FutureCity 2026 Presents Development Strategy

SPRINGFIELD — An executive summary of the FutureCity 2026 economic-development strategy was presented to about 120 business and community leaders and stakeholders at CityStage last week. FutureCity is a joint initiative by DevelopSpringfield, the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the city of Springfield’s Office of Planning and Economic Development. Its purpose is to build on the strategies identified in earlier studies such at the Urban Land Institute study of 2006 and the Rebuild Springfield Plan of 2012 — both of which identified tangible goals that continue to be the focus of public and private economic-development strategy in Springfield. Both plans recommended the importance of developing a long-term strategy for economic growth in the city that would ultimately benefit the entire region. “The goal of this project was to pinpoint and leverage the city’s attributes, including geographic location, infrastructure, workforce, and industries, and align these existing characteristics, assets, and conditions with pillars of realistic current and prospective market opportunities,” said Jeff Fialky, an attorney with Bacon Wilson and co-chair of the FutureCity initiative. “The objective was to develop an approach based upon realistic market opportunities that is obtainable rather than merely aspirational.” The FutureCity strategy was prepared by the nationally recognized real-estate and economic-development consulting firm Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, guided by a steering committee representing a broad spectrum of businesses and organizations over the course of a nine-month period. The consultants were charged with an ambitious scope of work which took place over nine months to include the following: assess existing conditions, analyze target industries, assess logistics and supply-chain capabilities, assess talent-development strategies, develop a list of recruitment opportunities for target industries, and identify strategic initiatives and an implementation plan with measurable deliverables. Newmark conducted over 100 interviews, which included city and state leaders, economic-development agencies, large employers, young professionals, elected officials, nonprofits, workforce-development organizations, real-estate and creative-economy experts, and more, in addition to deep dives into relevant data, peer-city comparisons, and several site visits to Springfield. Major themes emerging from the study include site and space readiness, centralization of small-business resources, development of a multi-generational workforce plan, development of a unified marketing and messaging plan, fostering collaboration and connectivity, strategically unifying economic-development efforts, collaboration, and a focus on Springfield’s unique strengths. “This was a very pragmatic exercise that shows there are many more pros than cons as we continue to market Springfield,” said Mayor Domenic Sarno. “As we have done with the Urban Land Institute and our Rebuild Springfield plans, we will follow through with this one, too. Now is our time. We will continue to capitalize on the synergy of our public and private collaborations and keep the momentum going as the ‘can-do city.’” Added Jay Minkarah, DevelopSpringfield president and CEO and co-chair of the FutureCity initiative, “the FutureCity economic-development strategy is designed to be a guide to action, not simply a plan to sit on a shelf. The plan includes over 170 specific recommendations along with metrics for measuring success, estimated costs, potential impact, and priorities, and identifies the parties responsible for implementation.” Funding was provided by the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the U.S. Economic Development Agency, the Springfield Regional Chamber, Smith and Wesson, and DevelopSpringfield. A link to the presentation can be found at www.developspringfield.com. Over the next few weeks, an executive summary and detailed report will be made available through DevelopSpringfield, the Springfield Regional Chamber, and the city of Springfield’s Office of Planning and Economic Development.

Springfield, Pittsfield Each Given $475,000 in Working Cities Challenge

BOSTON — The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston announced that Springfield, Pittsfield, Haverhill, Lowell, and Worcester will each receive $475,000 in the second round of the Working Cities Challenge, a competition for smaller cities in New England focused on building collaborative leadership, which is shown to be a critical element in economic growth for struggling post-industrial cities. The five communities put forward initiatives focused on neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, and improving access to economic opportunity. The cities will work on these initiatives over a three-year period, accompanied by technical assistance and a learning community for best-practice sharing. “I want to congratulate the winners of the Working Cities Challenge. Collaborative leadership is at the heart of this competition, and these five cities demonstrated significant capacity to reach across sectors and advance efforts on behalf of low-income residents in their communities,” said Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren. “I look forward to following the progress in the communities in the coming months and years.” Added Gov. Charlie Baker, “together with our partners in the private, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors, we are proud to leverage greater resources to support and prepare communities for success. The Working Cities Challenge elevates local leadership, amplifying solutions from the community level to increase cross-sector collaboration and improve economic outcomes for low-income residents.” Last fall, 10 Massachusetts communities were each awarded $15,000 design grants through the Working Cities Challenge to strengthen their bids to the competition. The five winning cities were selected after a six-month design-grant period, which saw the cities refining proposals and adding partners from across their community. The Springfield Works Initiative will advance the city’s economy by enhancing and strengthening the connectivity between employers who need qualified workers and low- income Springfield residents who need meaningful employment. It aims to achieve this goal through an innovative collaboration between employers, educational institutions, service providers, community leaders, community-based organizations, government, and residents. The Springfield Works Initiative core team includes the Western Mass. Economic Development Council, the Springfield Office of Planning and Economic Development, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, MGM Springfield, Partners for Community Action, HAPHousing, Springfield Technical Community College, Western MA National Machine and Tooling Assoc., the Community Foundation of Western Mass., Tech Foundry, United Personnel Services, United Way of Pioneer Valley, and DevelopSpringfield. The Pittsfield Bridges: Transformative Movement (PBTM) initiative will support the journey from poverty to sustainability by collaboratively building community resources and removing barriers. The effort’s vision is for all people in Pittsfield to experience a just, thriving, and safe community. The PBTM’s goal is to improve individual, institutional, and social fairness and respect in the community and thus support individuals moving out of poverty. The PBTM’s core team includes Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, the city of Pittsfield, the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Berkshire Community College, BerkshireWorks Career Center, Berkshire United Way, Goodwill Industries, Berkshire Children and Families, Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Community Action Council, Downtown Pittsfield Inc., Pittsfield public schools, the local NAACP chapter, Pittsfield Community Connection, West Side Neighborhood Initiative, First United Methodist Church, Heart 2 Heart Ministry, Manos Unidas, Brien Center for Mental Health, Multi-Cultural Bridge, and Girls Inc. For more information on the Working Cities Challenge, visit www.bostonfed.org/workingcities.

Celia Grace Wins $50,000 at VVM Accelerator Awards

SPRINGFIELD — Twelve area startups won a total of $252,000 at the Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) Accelerator Awards on May 26, led by Celia Grace, whose founder, Marcelia Muehlke, calls her company a fair-trade, ethical wedding-dress seller that gives back and empowers women around the world. Muehlke, who won $50,000 at the ceremony at the MassMutual Center, launched the company several years ago after searching, fruitlessly, for a maker of fair-trade wedding dresses. Sensing both a need and an opportunity, she set about creating such a company. She traveled to Asia and set up a supply chain that could create high-quality garments that she and her clients could feel good about. She then began working with a group of women in a sewing group in Cambodia, contracted with a designer in New York, and got her business — and her dream — up and running. Today, Celia Grace sells dresses across the country and in Europe. The VVM award is just one in a long line of accolades, including a Grinspoon Entrepreneurial Success Spirit Award in 2011, a finish in the money at the UMass Pitch Competition in 2012, and a second-place finish at Valley Venture Mentors’ pitch contest during the Western Mass. Business Expo in 2012. About 500 people attended the May 26 ceremony. The other 11 winners of VVM Accelerator Awards, and their prize money, include:
• Homebody Holistics ($45,000), a maker of all-natural, hand-crafted, herbal cleaning solutions using no harsh chemicals or additives;
• Scout Curated Wears ($32,000), a designer, curator, and producer of thoughtful women’s accessories;
• DaVinci Arms ($21,000), a designer and manufacturer of firearms suppressors and accessories for mission-critical applications;
• Treaty ($21,000), a nanotechnology company whose flagship product is FogKicker, a biodegradable anti-fog solution made from nanocellulose;
• Prophit Insight ($19,000), a software company that helps healthcare providers identify and acquire unique sources of physician referrals;
• Livingua ($18,000), an app that connects travelers to locals who know the language and culture wherever and whenever they want;
• Name Net Worth ($15,000), a connective platform that leverages trusted relationships to measure and strengthen a user’s personal and professional networks;
• iRollie ($9,000), a niche-market phone-case manufacturer and online retailer featuring the rolling tray phone case;
• Need/Done Inc. ($9,000), instant help for kids at home from people their parents trust;
• Sumu ($7,000), which works with property managers and landlords to post fee-free apartments to help users find their next home; and
• AnyCafé ($6,000), a developer of hot beverage solutions for the future, including the Travel Brewer.

Legislation Filed to Cap Sick-time Accrual

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito recently introduced “An Act to Reform Sick Time,” aimed at limiting sick-time accruals that have led to exorbitant payouts upon retirement from state government. The legislation would cap accrual of sick time for state employees in the Executive Department at no more than 1,000 hours, equivalent to six months of work. The bill grandfathers in approximately 5,800 current state employees who already have more than 1,000 hours accrued. Those employees would be capped at their current earned amount as of the date of enactment. Once the legislation is passed, the policy will take effect immediately. “Sick leave is a benefit designed to offer employees a way to deal with health and family issues, not a retirement bonus,” Baker said. “Bringing the Commonwealth’s sick-leave-accrual policy in line with other private- and public-sector employers just makes sense and is the fiscally responsible thing to do.” Added Polito, “this legislation ensures the use of sick time remains consistent with its intended purpose. Benefits for Executive Department employees will remain competitive while we implement an accrual policy that is fair to Massachusetts taxpayers.” Under current law, employees can accrue a maximum of 15 sick days per year, and those employees who retire are permitted to cash out 20% of unused sick time. In FY 2015, 378 employees had an accrual of more than 1,000 hours upon retirement. While this represents only about one-third the number of retiring employees, the cashouts for these employees accounted for nearly 80% of the total cashout cost. Based on the last three fiscal years, if fully implemented, a 1,000-hour cap on accruals would have saved an average of $3.5 million in cashouts per year. “Sick days serve an important purpose, but they must be used in an appropriate and accountable way for our compensation system to have the integrity and transparency taxpayers deserve,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr. Added House Minority Leader Bradley Jones Jr., “recent media reports highlighting excessive sick-leave payouts in the public higher-education system clearly demonstrate the need to crack down on these types of abuses. The reforms proposed by the Baker-Polito administration will help to provide greater transparency and accountability to the state’s taxpayers.”

Habitat for Humanity Partners with Faith Organizations

SPRINGFIELD — Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) announced an upcoming Circle of Faith build on 479 Allen St. in Springfield. This project is a partnership between GSHFH and 11 local faith communities who have come together to raise the funds for a Habitat home, and who will also contribute volunteers, in-kind materials, and amenities for the project. As an intentionally interfaith project, this build incorporates Christian, Islamic, and Jewish communities. These 11 faith communities include First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, Sinai Temple in Springfield, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in East Longmeadow, St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Longmeadow, the Islamic Society of Western Mass. in West Springfield, Christ the King Lutheran Church in Wilbraham, East Longmeadow United Methodist Church, Mercy Medical Center and the Sisters of Providence Health System in Springfield, St. Cecilia’s Parish in Wilbraham, and Foster Memorial Church in Springfield. Ellen Tougias, the point person for First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, says her church is “proud to be a part of the Circle of Faith Build for Habitat. We have committed to this project as part of our 30th-year celebration. It is one way that we have chosen to give back to our community in honor of this special year.” Mohammad Bajwa of the Islamic Society of Western Mass. referenced a piece of Scripture in relation to the project: “cooperate with one another, for doing good deeds and righteousness … surely God’s mercy is upon the good doers.” To kick off this partnership, the Circle of Faith communities and GSHFH hosted a “House Wrapped in Love” event at the Islamic Society of Western Mass. on June 1. The family-friendly event invited kids to paint what home, family, and love means to them on sheets of plywood that will then be used to build the walls of the new habitat house at 479 Allen St. Following this event will be several days of building on the job site, where the exterior walls of the home will start to take shape.

Unemployment Drops Across State in April

BOSTON — Local unemployment rates dropped in all labor market areas in the state during the month of April, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported. All 15 areas added jobs over the month, with the largest gains in the Springfield, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Barnstable, Worcester, and Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford areas. From April 2015 to April 2016, 14 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, and Barnstable areas. In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for April is 3.9%, down 0.7% from the March rate. Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% for the month of April. The unemployment rate is down 0.8% over the year. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 13,900-job gain in April and an over-the-year gain of 73,500 jobs. The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates. The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodology specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Leadership Pioneer Valley, Women’s Fund Partner on Alumni Discount

SPRINGFIELD — Effective immediately, Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) and the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts will begin offering alumni of their programs a mutual 20% discount — just one part of a new effort between these organizations to strengthen and coordinate learning opportunities for emerging leaders in the region. Both LPV’s core program and the Women’s Fund’s Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI) program seek to empower up-and-coming leaders and, ultimately, strengthen the region as a whole. However, each program has unique content and perspectives that, if taken subsequently, provide a comprehensive leadership experience. Graduates of the LPV program can apply for LIPPI at womensfund.net; graduates of LIPPI can apply for LPV at leadershippv.org. “The Women’s Fund is thrilled to participate in this collaborative effort with Leadership Pioneer Valley,” said Elizabeth Barajas-Román, CEO of the Women’s Fund. “We think this is a natural partnership for our organizations, as we both invest in creating strong communities through leadership development. Together, our participants will become the civic and business leaders of tomorrow who will help the region thrive.” Added Lora Wondolowski, executive director of Leadership Pioneer Valley, “this partnership makes so much sense as we feel our curriculums are complementary. Together, we are building a cadre of leaders who are making a difference in their careers and communities.” LPV is a nonprofit that works to identify, develop, and connect diverse leaders to strengthen the region. LPV’s core program challenges and engages emerging leaders from all sectors of the community from throughout the region. The curriculum consists of both classroom and hands-on, experiential learning that builds leadership skills, enhances regional understanding, and creates broader networks. The Women’s Fund is a public foundation that connects donors with the lives of local women and girls through strategic grant making and leadership development. Its signature, non-partisan program, LIPPI, is designed to address the need to provide women with the tools, mentors, and confidence they need to become powerful and effective civic leaders and elected officials. Further information on each program can be found at leadershippv.org and womensfund.net.

Local Farmers Receive Awards Totaling $117,500

AGAWAM — Recognizing that farming is essential to the region, the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation and Big Y awarded 47 local farmers from the Berkshires to the Pioneer Valley $2,500 each to make physical infrastructure improvements to their farms. Along with the support of sponsors Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and MGM Springfield, farmers have already put to use the awards for farm-improvement projects. This represents a 42% increase in awards from the 2015 inaugural year. With the collaboration of local agriculture advocacy organizations Berkshire Grown and CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture), the applications selected for the Local Farmer Awards were announced in December. More than 120 farmers submitted applications describing their improvement projects. The award recipients are diverse: 32% have been farming for more than 20 years, and 23% for five years or fewer; and more than 40% of the farms have sales of more than $100,000, while another 30% recorded sales of less than $49,000. A winner from 2015 and 2016, Julia Coffey of Mycoterra Farm in Westhampton said, “we are thrilled to be a Local Farmer Award recipient. The projects that these awards have helped fund are making our farm more viable.” This year, Coffey is purchasing equipment required for outfitting a commercial kitchen that will allow the farm to begin manufacturing value-added food products with unsold fresh mushrooms. Jennifer Salinetti, owner of Woven Roots Farm in Tyringham, will install a permanent vegetable wash station which will directly impact the farm’s productivity. Gideon Porth of Atlas Farm in Deerfield will install a pump system for a new well to increase the supply of potable water for the farm’s packing house and greenhouses, which will double its current watering abilities. Harold Grinspoon, founder of the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, who launched the Local Farmer Awards in 2015, noted that “farmers don’t typically ask for help. They are genuinely appreciative of these awards and use the money in creative ways for projects to help their businesses.” Charlie D’Amour, president & COO of Big Y, added, “through our partnership with the Grinspoon Foundation, we are providing one more way to help local growers thrive in our community.” The goal of the Local Farmer Awards is to strengthen farmers’ ability to compete in the marketplace so the region benefits from the environmental, health, and economic advantages of local farming. A farmer appreciation event is held yearly for all applicants and awardees to honor and recognize farmers and promote the importance of local farming.

Company Notebook Departments

Steel Partners Recognizes OMG Inc. for Excellence

AGAWAM — Three kaizen teams from OMG Inc. have been recognized as 2016 Steel Partners Business System Hall of Fame winners. The announcement was made by Jeff Svoboda, president and CEO of Handy & Harman, a Steel Partners subsidiary. The Steel Partners Business System uses lean principles and tools, including kaizens, to increase sales, improve business processes, and reduce and eliminate waste and variation. Kaizen is a strategic activity where employees at every level of a company get together to work on a targeted improvement project. In manufacturing in particular, kaizens often demonstrate that big changes come from many small changes made over time. Kaizens are focused three- to five-day events that generally include defining a problem or goal, documenting the current state, brainstorming and developing a future state, implementing change, developing a follow-up plan and measurement metrics, presenting results, and celebrating success. “We complete over 40 kaizens a year, each involving on average a team of five, so for these three teams to be recognized by our parent companies is certainly a high honor for which we are very proud,” said Hubert McGovern, president and CEO of OMG Inc. A total of 19 employees participated in the three winning kaizens. Two of the kaizens were held at OMG’s headquarters location in Agawam, and one was held in the company’s Asheville, N.C. facility. “OMG is committed to lean manufacturing, and kaizens are just one of the tools we use to drive significant improvement to our overall effectiveness as a company,” said McGovern. “As a result of our lean initiatives, we’ve seen great progress throughout the company, including gains in reducing waste, improving product quality, and bringing value to our customers.” Some of the more significant results for these winning kaizens include a 66% increase in drain-assembly output; a 250% reduction in the need for overtime; a $10,000-per-day increase in sellable units assembled by a packaging team and a related $36,000 annual labor savings; and a $100,000 annual cost reduction related to quality improvement. Headquartered in Agawam, OMG Inc. is North America’s largest supplier of specialty fasteners and products for commercial and residential construction applications. The company operates two business units: OMG Roofing Products (www.omgroofing.com) and FastenMaster (www.fastenmaster.com). OMG is a subsidiary of Handy & Harman Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Handy & Harman Ltd.

Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center to Expand

HOLYOKE — The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) announced a $1.6 million expansion of its state-of-the-art facility on June 1. The center is located in downtown Holyoke, at 100 Bigelow St. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse; Rick McCullough, vice provost for Research at Harvard University; and MGHPCC Executive Director John Goodhue will be on hand. The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center provides state-of-the-art infrastructure for computationally intensive research in the increasingly sensor- and data-rich environments of modern science and engineering. Computers at the MGHPCC run millions of virtual experiments every month, supporting thousands of researchers in Massachusetts and around the world. The MGHPCC was developed through an unprecedented collaboration among the state’s most research-intensive universities, including Boston University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and UMass; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and private industry (Cisco and EMC). The member universities fund the ongoing operation of the data center, which is open for use by any research organization. For more information, visit www.mghpcc.org.

The Creative Opens Office in Thornes Marketplace

NORTHAMPTON — The Creative, a collaboration of three local businesswomen, has opened an office in Thornes Office Suites. The collaboration, which launched in April 2013, is made up of Janice Beetle, principal of Beetle Press; Ruth Griggs, principal of RC Communications; and Maureen Scanlon, principal of Murre Creative. Together, they provide strategic marketing, messaging, and design services. The trio provide flexible services to clients, combining forces to match clients’ needs and offering a full complement of agency services where necessary. The Creative provides its clients with the opportunity for comprehensive marketing and communications services, including assistance with advertising campaigns, branding, public relations, print collateral, strategic marketing planning, and fund-raising campaigns. For more information, call (413) 727-3354 or visit thecreativemarketing.net.

Country Bank Awards Scholarships to Students

WARE — Officials at Country Bank announced the presentation of 15 scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each to area high-school seniors. The newly formed Country Bank for Higher Education Scholarship was offered to graduating students within the region. The recipients needed to demonstrate a commitment to their communities through volunteerism and leadership by submitting an essay outlining their experiences. “We are so pleased with the response we received for our new scholarship format,” said Shelley Regin, senior vice president, marketing at Country Bank. “Each applicant had a unique perspective on their involvement in helping others, from taking the lead on building a playground to feeding the homeless on Christmas Eve and developing a summer STEM program for underprivileged kids. We were so inspired by the great work these students are doing in their communities and how they are making a difference in the lives of others.” The recipients include Lily White, Auburn High School; Patrick O’Brien, Queen of Heaven Academy; Dong Liang Dzindolet, Leicester High School; Caleb Carr, MA Academy of Math & Science; Sarah Springer, Minnechaug Regional High School; Alexander Reed, Olivia Murray, and Serena Sandoval, Palmer High School; Alexis Nason and Riley Mucha, Quaboag Regional High School; Brittany Como, Emily Rusack, and Olivia Kiritsis, Shepherd Hill Regional High School; Kyle Hill and Sadie Simons, Ware High School.

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• June 16-19: Taste of Amherst, on the Amherst Common, Thursday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, noon-10 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-4 p.m. This is a wonderful way to showcase your restaurant or business. Come join in the fun with more than 20,000 attendees throughout the weekend.
 For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 253-0700 or [email protected].

• July 18: 13th annual Golf Tournament, at Hickory Ridge Golf Course, Pomeroy Lane, Amherst. Schedule: 10 a.m.: full-swing pro clinic; 10:30 a.m.: registration, putting contest, light lunch; noon: shotgun start, scramble format; 5 p.m.: social hour, cash bar; 6 p.m.: dinner, awards ceremony, live auction. Hole-in-one, longest drive, closest-to-pin contests. Cost: $135 per player, $540 per foursome.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• June 16: Mornings with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., at the Arbors at Chicopee, 929 Memorial Dr. Free for all members.

• June 18: 5K Road Race and 2-Mile Walk, 9:30 a.m., starting at the Portuguese Club. Cost: $25, which includes race fee, T-shirt, and lunch at Munich Haus Biergarten after the race.

• June 22: Three-chamber Networking Event, 5-7 p.m., at Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley. The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, and South Hadley & Granby Chamber of Commerce will host “A Networking Night in the Tropics,” featuring island/beach music by Rum & Steel. Taste the food of the islands. Cost: $15 for members, $20 cash for non-members. For more information, call the chamber at (413) 594-2101.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• June 17: Second annual Speaker Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., at Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Place, Easthampton. The keynote speaker is U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. How are your local business concerns being discussed at the federal level? Register online at easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414

• July 14: Networking By Night, 5-7 p.m., at the Oxbow Marina Sports Center, Old Springfield Road, Northampton. Register online at easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 572-9414.

• July 29: 32nd annual Golf Tournament at Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway. Shotgun start at 9 a.m. Sign up early and save. Register online at easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

holyokechamber.com
(413) 534-3376

• June 15: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at the Renaissance Manor on Cabot, 279 Cabot St., Holyoke. Mix and mingle with your friends and colleagues at this casual networking event. Refreshments and 50/50 raffle. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members and walk-ins. Sign up at holyokechamber.com.

• July 13: Chamber Coffee Buzz Morning Networking, 7:30-8:30 a.m., at Ruwac Inc., 54 Winter St., Holyoke. Jump-start the day with this opportunity to meet business and community leaders while enjoying coffee and a light breakfast at this respected world leader in industrial vacuum systems. This event is free to members of the business community and is sponsored by Lyon & Fitzpatrick LLP.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• July 13: July Arrive@5, 5-7 p.m., at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Joint event with Northampton Area Young Professionals. Sponsors: Brain Analysis & Neurodevelopment Center, Highview of Northampton, the Healing ZONE Therapeutic Massage.

 GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• June 13: “Wage & Hour Law Compliance” workshop, at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Registration/networking, 8:30 a.m.; workshop, 9-10 a.m. Presented by Karina Schrengohst, attorney with Royal, P.C. Refreshments will be served. Cost: free to chamber members, $30 for non-members. To register, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• June 17: June Chamber Breakfast, at the the Ranch Golf Club, 100 Ranch Club Road, Southwick. Registration, 7 a.m.; breakfast, 7:20, a.m.; program begins, 7:50 a.m. Keynote Speaker: Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Guilluni. Platinum sponsor: Mestek Inc.; gold sponsor: Berkshire Bank; silver sponsor: First Niagara Bank; coffee bar sponsor: Spherion Staffing. Golf Special: chamber members who are registered for the breakfast can golf for $45 with a cart following the breakfast. Call the golf shop to reserve your spot and mention that you are a chamber member. 50/50 raffle to support two Citizen’s Scholarships. Tickets: $25 for members, $30 in advance for non-members. To register, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• June 22: Three-chamber Networking Event, 5-7
p.m., at Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley. The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, and South Hadley & Granby Chamber of Commerce will host “A Networking Night in the Tropics,” featuring island/beach music by Rum & Steel. Taste the food of the islands. Cost: $15 for members, $20 cash for non-members. To register, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

shgchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

• June 22: Three-chamber Networking Event, 5-7 p.m., at Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley. The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, and South Hadley & Granby Chamber of Commerce will host “A Networking Night in the Tropics,” featuring island/beach music by Rum & Steel. Taste the food of the islands. Cost: $15 for members, $20 cash for non-members. For more information, call the chamber at (413) 532-6451.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• June 28: Springfield Regional Chamber Lunch ‘n’ Learn, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Lattitude, 1388 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. “The New Overtime Rule — What Is It, and How Will It Impact Me?” Guest Speaker: Timothy Murphy, attorney with Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• July 28: Chamber Golf Tournament, at the Ranch Golf Club, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. Registration/course-side lunch: 11 a.m. to noon; shotgun start: 12:30 p.m.; dinner immediately following. Sponsored by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, Florence Bank, Chicopee Savings Bank, and the MassMutual Center. Cost: $600 per foursome, $160 per individual golfer. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• June 23: Annual Meeting, 7-9 a.m., at Chez Josef, Agawam. The event will kick off with the welcoming of new chairman Brian Houle and the incoming WRC board of directors. Guest speaker: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Cost: $35 for chamber members, $40 for non-members. For more information and for tickets, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

Departments People on the Move
John Hunt

John Hunt

John Hunt has been named chief executive officer of Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts in Ludlow. A speech-language pathologist by trade, he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UMass Amherst. Hunt’s career in rehabilitation has spanned almost 30 years as a clinician, director, administrator, private practicioner, consultant, and educator, both regionally and nationally. He has served as a guest speaker and lecturer on the topics of motor speech and swallowing disorders in the neurologically impaired population. His focus has been the improvement of patient care and superior clinical outcomes in the post-acute continuum.

•••••

Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced the following:

Timothy Czerniejewski

Timothy Czerniejewski

Timothy Czerniejewski, has joined the bank as Assistant Vice President and Credit Analyst. He served as a credit analyst for the last seven years at TD Bank, where he had been working since 2007. He is also a self-employed tax preparer and financial advisor with his mother under the name H&T Tax Services in Westfield. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Western New England University. He is a Six Sigma White Belt, a certified tax preparer, and a Springfield Leadership Institute graduate, as well as a program committee member for the Springfield Boys and Girls Club, a volunteer at the Westfield YMCA, and a volunteer with Revitalize Springfield;

Lori Ingraham

Lori Ingraham

Lori Ingraham has been promoted to Vice President and Controller. She joined the bank as a teller/encoder in 1988 and was promoted to operations assistant in 1989. She became operations/audit assistant in 1991 and compliance/CRA manager in 1997. She was promoted to auditor in 1998, to assistant treasurer in 2006, and to assistant vice president controller in 2013. Ingraham graduated from Holyoke Community College and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University. She is a member of the Easthampton School Committee, Easthampton Dollars for Scholars, and the Easthampton Parent Council. She is the management committee chairperson and vice president of Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals. She is also on the Westhampton Congregational UCC property committee and Christian education committee; and

Meagan Barrett

Meagan Barrett

Meagan Barrett has been promoted to Human Resources Officer. She joined bankESB in 2008 as a human resources assistant. She obtained her professional in human resources (PHR) certification in 2012 and was promoted to benefits specialist. Prior to working at the bank, she was a human resources generalist for Clarity Imaging and worked at CompUSA for 10 years, including as a human resources and operation manager. In her new role, she is responsible for employee relations, benefits, wellness, employee event coordination, and recruiting. Barrett has an associate’s degree from Holyoke Community College and was working towards a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rhode Island College. She is involved with the Easter Seals 5K planning committee and Easthampton’s All-4-Kids event.

•••••

Greenfield Cooperative Bank (GCB) recently announced six promotions. The new assignments are:

Mary Rawls

Mary Rawls

Mary Rawls, Vice President, Compliance. Rawls has more than 22 years of experience in banking, and is responsible for ensuring bank compliance with the numerous banking and consumer laws and regulations. She also coordinates various regulatory and compliance examinations for the bank;

Adam Baker

Adam Baker

Adam Baker, Commercial Loan Officer. Baker has more than eight years of experience in banking, primarily in commercial lending. He is based in the King Street, Northampton Cooperative division of the bank, and is responsible for developing new commercial-loan business in the bank’s market area, with a focus in Hampshire County;

Chelsea Depault

Chelsea Depault

Chelsea Depault, Commercial Loan Officer. Depault is based at the 62 Federal St. location of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, and is responsible for developing new commercial business in the bank’s market area, with a focus in Franklin County. She has more than seven years banking experience with GCB, most recently as a senior credit analyst;

Christine Gagnon

Christine Gagnon

Christine Gagnon, Residential Mortgage Originator for the Hampshire County marketplace. Gagnon’s new duties will complement in her current position of assistant vice president at the Northampton Cooperative division of GSB. She will be responsible for assisting consumers looking to buy or refinance their home and to develop mortgage business through ongoing relationships with local realtors. She has more than 18 years of experience in banking with Northampton Cooperative Bank;

Janet Rosenkranz

Janet Rosenkranz

Janet Rosenkranz, Loan Analyst. Rosenkranz has been in banking for the past 20 years, starting with Vanguard Bank and the former Springfield Institution for Savings. She will be based in the King Street, Northampton office and is responsible for monitoring commercial credits and will assist in managing the overall bank-loan portfolio; and

Kari Welch

Kari Welch

Kari Welch, branch Manager at the 67 King St. location of the bank’s Northampton Cooperative division. Welch has been with the bank for more than five years. She will be responsible for overall management of the King Street branch and its staff and operations.

•••••

 

F. Adam Yanulis

F. Adam Yanulis

Following the firm’s recent stockholder’s meeting, Tighe & Bond announced the promotion of F. Adam Yanulis to Vice President of Business Development. Since joining the firm two and a half years ago, he has strengthened the delivery of the firm’s engineering services throughout New England. With more than 30 years providing leadership to the public-sector engineering community, many in the region know Yanulis well. Over the years, he has worked closely with numerous municipalities to facilitate engineering and environmental solutions for water-resource, stormwater, environmental, and other infrastructure challenges. Although he works primarily out of Tighe & Bond’s Westwood office, his involvement is region-wide. Yanulis serves as a commissioner for the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, and sits on the board of directors of the Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill and the New England Water Works Assoc. He also is on the New England Water Innovation Network’s advisory committee, and a member of the Massachusetts Water Infrastructure Finance Commission steering committee. In addition, he is finishing his term on the board of directors of the American Water Works Assoc.

•••••

Tyler Leahy

Tyler Leahy

van Schouwen Associates, LLC (vSA) announced the addition of Tyler Leahy to its business-to-business marketing team. In his new role as strategic communications manager, Leahy’s work will involve account management, writing, social media and content development, public relations, and business development. Leahy arrives at vSA with unique experience as a communications professional in the Pioneer Valley, working in the media as well as the nonprofit sector. He most recently served as staff writer for two local newspapers, the Chicopee Register and the Ludlow Register. “Tyler has a knack for tailoring communications to the demands of individual projects. His strategic and tactical marketing aptitude will be invaluable to our clients,” said Michelle van Schouwen, vSA president. Leahy graduated from Springfield College with a bachelor’s degree in 2015, majoring in communications and English.

•••••
Bay Path University announced that Melissa Morriss-Olson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, is one of 23 senior-level administrators in higher education nationwide selected by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) to participate in the 2016-17 Executive Leadership Academy. Morriss-Olson will participate in two seminars in Washington, D.C. on July 11-13, 2016 and June 19-21, 2017. She will also engage in readings, webinars, and a mentoring program. In addition, she will develop a professional experiential learning plan focused on specific areas of presidential responsibility. The academy is intended to help prepare provosts and vice presidents to serve as effective college presidents. Morriss-Olson joined Bay Path University in 2006 as a faculty member and founding director of the graduate programs in Nonprofit Management and Strategic Fundraising. In 2009, she became the university’s first Graduate School dean, during which time she was integral in establishing the Center for Distributed Learning and several new graduate degrees, and strengthening the graduate student-support infrastructure. She obtained a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University of Chicago in 1995. Developing the talents of women and girls is a personal passion of hers, and she volunteers on behalf of a number of organizations that share this concern. “Melissa Morriss-Olson has taken Bay Path to new heights,” University President Carol Leary said. “As provost, she has spearheaded initiatives that have increased undergraduate enrollment and overseen the development of the university’s thumbprint — Bay Path’s distinguishing educational aspirations — and our Women Empowered as Learners and Leaders (WELL) program. She is an effective and natural leader, and her participation in the CIC Executive Leadership Academy will be an incredible milestone both for her and for Bay Path.”

Agenda Departments

‘Leverage Technology to Do More with Less’

June 15: Comcast Business will present “How to Leverage Technology to Do More With Less,” part of the BusinessWest/HCN Lecture Series, at the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, 21 Edward St., Springfield. Registration will begin at 7:15 a.m., followed by breakfast and a panel discussion from 7:30 to 9 a.m. The panelists — influential minds in the IT field — will discuss issues that every business IT department is being forced to deal with, including rising demands to make changes to existing systems, increasing efficiency and improving security, and how budget restrictions impact IT. Panelists include Michael Feld, CEO, VertitechIT, and interim CTO, Baystate Health and Lancaster General Hospital; Frank Vincentelli, chief technology officer, Integrated IT Solutions; and Patrick Streck, director, IT Services, Baystate Health / Information & Technology. Admission is free. To register, visit HERE  or call (413) 781-8600 for more information.

Summertime Pops Concert

June 15: Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield will welcome the Old Post Road Orchestra for a free summertime pops performance on the hospital lawn from 7 to 9 p.m. The Old Post Road Orchestra (OPRO) is enjoying its 30th concert season as a volunteer community orchestra based in Wilbraham. OPRO’s mission is to provide quality symphonic music at convenient locations in and around Western Mass., and to offer people of all ages the opportunity to play their instruments in a friendly, community-based orchestra. This summertime pops performance will feature a guest vocalist, Anita Anderson Cooper. Trained at Westminster College and Boston University, she has worked as a professional musician, conductor, and teacher. Career highlights include solo performances at Carnegie Hall; leading roles with various opera, Broadway, and regional theater companies, and solo appearances through the Hampshire Choral Society. Recent conducting roles were with the Green Mountain District in Vermont and the Quabbin Valley Music Festival. Cooper has been a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant and studied Mozart’s music in Vienna, Austria. She currently teaches three choirs, music theory, and jazz at Amherst Regional High School; conducts the New Valley Singers in Holyoke; and is the soprano soloist for South Church, Springfield. Her Chorale recently won the WGBY television series Together in Song, and WGBY produced a special about the group. Light refreshments will be available at the concert. Lawn chairs are permitted, but alcohol, smoking, and pets are not. For more information, contact Lee Roberts at (413) 755-2307 or [email protected]. For more information about OPRO, visit www.opro.org/content/about-us.

Estate-planning Conference

June 16: Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that attorney Michele Feinstein will lead a full-day Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) symposium at the Hotel Northampton. With game-changing case decisions and new emerging regional trends, this day-long conference will provide attorneys with an in-depth update on Massachusetts estate planning. The event, running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will explore how the governor’s budget has potential to influence elder-law planning in conjunction with Medicaid. MCLE is a nonprofit corporation that provides hands-on educational programs and reference materials for attorneys. This continuing-education program arranges more than 250 presentations annually in a variety of in-person and online formats. Feinstein concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning and administration, elder law, probate litigation, health law, and corporate and business planning, including all aspects of planning for the succession of business interests, representation of closely held businesses and their owners, and representation of physicians in their individual and group practices. She is a cum laude graduate of the Western New England University School of Law, and earned her bachelor’s degree and master of laws in taxation at Boston University. To register for the conference, visit mcle.org/store/cart. MCLE will offer a new-lawyers discount for attorneys who were admitted after 2013 and law students.

40 Under Forty

June 16: The 10th annual 40 Under Forty award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, honoring 40 of the region’s rising stars under 40 years old. An independent panel of judges chose the winners, and their stories were told in the pages of the April 18 issue. The event is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual and Paragus Strategic IT (presenting sponsors), EMA Dental, Health New England, Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Moriarty & Primack, United Bank, and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield. This event is sold out.

Oral Health Drive

June 18: The Women’s Way, a program of United Way of Franklin County, is holding a community Oral Health Drive from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Greenfield Town Common. The Women’s Way volunteer group will be collecting items related to oral health, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, and travel-size mouthwash, to help address the lack of access to oral-health screenings and services. Collection of items will also be accepted at various local businesses and at the United Way office, 51 Davis St., Suite 2, Greenfield, from June 1 to June 20. Some 48 million children and adults in the U.S. live in areas without enough dentists to provide routine oral healthcare. Millions more can get to a dentist but cannot afford to pay for dental care. Children without access to dental care use emergency-room services more often and face worsened job prospects as adults compared to their peers who do receive care. In Franklin County, access is even more limited for those who are low-income and receiving MassHealth dental benefits. Many dentists in the area do not accept MassHealth, and the dental benefits have been recently cut back. Just as the mouth is part of the body, oral health is a part of overall health. People cannot be healthy unless they have access to the dental services they need. Utilizing United Way’s Day of Action, the Women’s Way, working with the Health Care for All Oral Health Advocacy Task Force, is expecting to make a bigger impact in 2017 with an Oral Health Fair, in collaboration with service providers, providing services to area residents for free. “We’re very excited to be working with Health Care for All, Women’s Way, and area providers in anticipation of next year’s Day of Service. It is important to our mission and the community to ensure people have adequate access to basic dental services,” said Sandy Sayers, executive director of the United Way of Franklin County. “This year’s Oral Health Drive by the Women’s Way is just the beginning of addressing the community’s need and access to quality oral health care, as well as building awareness for next year’s Dental Fair.”

Sunbeam Social Club

June 20: Sunshine Village is introducing its Sunbeam Social Club, designed for people with memory loss and their family members. Sunshine Village has a long history of providing innovative programming for people with cognitive disabilities. Sunbeam Social Club will provide a safe, supportive, and engaging environment for people who often have fewer opportunities for socializing and fun. The debut of Sunbeam Social Club coincides with Alzheimer’s Awareness Day on Monday, June 20, the longest day of the year. The day is designed to shine a light on the millions of people living with memory disorders. The gathering will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Community Room at the Emily Partyka Central Library at 449 Front St. in Chicopee. Group and individualized activities are planned, and refreshments will be served. Volunteers from Sunshine Village’s Community Based Day Program will be on hand, as well as local professional resources. “We are thrilled to introduce the Sunbeam Social Club,” said Sunshine Village Executive Director Gina Kos. “This program is intended to provide joy to both people with memory disorders and their care partners. People with vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other memory disorders are all invited to attend with their family members.” For more information or to register for the June gathering of the Sunbeam Social Club, call Sunshine Village at (413) 592-6142.

Frankel-Kinsler Classic Golf Tournament

June 20: JGS Lifecare will host its 36th annual fund-raising golf tournament, the Frankel-Kinsler Classic, at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow to raise money for the purchase of a new wheelchair-accessible van and to fund employee scholarships. The Frankel-Kinsler Classic is named in memory of the late Michael Frankel, former chairman of the JGS Lifecare board of directors, and the families of Raymond and Herman Kinsler, longtime leaders and supporters, for their exemplary commitment to those served by JGS Lifecare. The Frankel-Kinsler Classic will include a barbeque luncheon at 11 a.m.; an 18-hole bramble; a pickle ball tournament; bridge, canasta or mah jongg tournaments; poolside fun; and an awards dinner ceremony. The pickle ball tournament, held at the Enfield Tennis Club, begins at 10 a.m.; poolside fun begins at noon; the shotgun start tee-off is at 12:30 p.m.; and the bridge, canasta, or mah jongg begins at 1 p.m. A cocktail reception begins at 5:45 p.m. with awards and dinner following at 6:30 p.m., with music provided by the Blood Brothers. Event sponsors include Harry Grodsky and Co. Inc., Astro Chemicals Inc., Berkshire Bank, Bolduc’s Apparel, Chicopee Savings Bank, Daniel Goodman, D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc., Epstein Financial, Kaste Industrial Machine Sales Inc., Meyers Brothers Kalicka P.C., Michael and Martha Kinsler and family and Sue Ann (Kinsler) and David Spahr and family (in honor of Richard Kinsler), NEFCO, Simione Consultants LLC, and TD Bank. Additional sponsorships and raffle opportunities are still available. Members of the community are also invited to attend dinner at $60 per guest. For more information on the Frankel-Kinsler Classic, call Kimberley Grandfield at (413) 567-3949, ext. 1610, or e-mail [email protected].

‘Building Your Exit’

June 22, 23: The Vann Group will present “Building Your Exit: The Owner Succession Planning Process Defined,” part of the BusinessWest/HCN Lecture Series, on Wednesday, June 22 at the Student Prince/the Fort in Springfield, and Thursday, June 23 at Hadley Farms Meeting House in Hadley. Registration both days will begin at 7:15 a.m., followed by breakfast and a panel discussion from 7:30 to 9 a.m. One of the largest challenges facing business owners today is the question of how to get out of their business. These seminars will present a step-by-step breakdown of the succession-planning process and what to expect along the way, including the many benefits to transitioning business ownership. Panelists include Kevin Vann and Michael Vann of the Vann Group and Charlie Epstein of Epstein Financial Services and Epstein Financial Group. Admission is free, but RSVP is requested by June 14 for the first seminar and by June 15 for the second. To register, go HERE or call (413) 781-8600 for more information.

Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Vincent Cole v. Wilson’s Paving & Construction Inc.
Allegation: Negligence in paving and installation of driveway: $5,800
Filed 5/4/16

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Alan Zaleski v. Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling of Western Massachusetts
Allegation: Fraudulent practices and negligent repairs causing property damages and personal injury: $418,000
Filed: 4/13/16

John Lemke v. Corey Colonial Atrium Property Services Inc.
Allegation: Sewer system failure causing backup into plaintiff’s condominium: $188,000
Filed: 4/29/16

Luis Rodriquez v. Fountain Plating Inc.
Allegation: Plaintiff was not paid for time worked: $300,000
Filed: 4/28/16

Shaw Industries Inc. v. AMS Floors, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $45,170.65
Filed: 4/26/16

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Ondrick Materials and Recycling v. O’Leary Group Inc., American River Nutrition Inc., TwoThree27, LLC
Allegation: Breach of construction contract: $53,133
Filed: 5/3/16

Valley Home Improvement Inc. v.  Sun-Edison, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $37,771.69
Filed: 4/18/16

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Pioneer Landscapes Inc. v. O’Leary Group Inc. and American River Nutrition Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay for services rendered: $34,408.62
Filed: 5/2/16

Time Payment Corp. v. Topitz, LLC
Allegation: Suit on previous judgment: $9,035.27
Filed: 4/7/16

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Country Homes Construction v. Joe Roth Contracting
Allegation: Non-payment of supplies and services rendered: $5,154.50

Rosette Garcia v. Orchard Imports
Allegation: Cost for repair of vehicle: $1,250
Filed: 4/28/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Perkins Paper Inc. v. The First Chandler Corp. d/b/a/ Betsy’s Diner
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $27,102.98
Filed: 5/16/16

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Will Spath v. Van Pelt Precision Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of loan: $31,207.90
Filed: 4/8/16

Marian Duggan-Markos v. The Bon Ton Stores Inc.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing severe injury when dressing room door came off hinges and fell on plaintiff: $6,028.18
Filed: 4/4/16

John Liptak, CPA v. Michael’s Towing Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of accounting services rendered: $4,492.44
Filed: 5/4/16

Rebecca Davidson and Arthur Thomason v. Quabbin Valley Pool & Patio
Allegation: Breach of contract for installation of pool liner: $7,150
Filed: 5/11/16

Departments Picture This

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

Accelerating the Process

Valley Venture Mentors staged its second annual Accelerator Awards banquet on May 26 at the MassMutual Center. The event, which celebrates entrepreneurship across the region, spotlighted companies that took part in the second accelerator program, and presented checks (as determined by a panel of judges) to this year’s finalists to help them advance their venture. A total of $252,000 was awarded to 12 finalists. From top to bottom: Devin (left) and Kevin Murray, the father-son team behind better.bike, stand beside one of their prototypes; Scott Foster, co-founder of VVM, addresses the audience of more than 500 people; the team at Any Café, which is trying to market a product that will allow the user to brew a cup of coffee any time, anywhere, poses with its concept; Lora Fischer-DeWitt, founder of Scout Curated Wears, a maker of jewelry, proudly displays her check for $32,000; Raymond Berry, founder of White Lion Brewery and a finalist in the first accelerator cohort, addresses the audience. With him is the company’s mascot. The top prize winner, Marcelia Muehlke, founder of fair-trade wedding-dress maker Celia Grace, talks about her company and what she plans do with the capital she won in a story HERE

BetterBike-VVM
SpeakerVVM
whiteLionSpeakerVVM
AnyCafe-VVM
ScoutCuratedWearsVVM

Giving Back

Robinson Donovan, a law practice based in Springfield and Northampton, is celebrating its 150th anniversary. The firm’s founder, an important political figure and instrumental businessman for the town of Chicopee, was a true public servant. As such, the firm will be donating to a nonprofit each month this year. The first few recipients have been chosen, including Providence Ministries Service Network, Friends of the Homeless Inc., the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and Bay Path University.

From left, James Martin, partner at Robinson Donovan; Kathleen Bourque, vice president at Bay Path University; and Michael Giampietro, CFO at Bay Path University

From left, James Martin, partner at Robinson Donovan; Kathleen Bourque, vice president at Bay Path University; and Michael Giampietro, CFO at Bay Path University


Shawna Cobb, accounts payable/receivable at Robinson Donovan; Kathleen Lamoureux, legal secretary at Robinson Donovan; Andrew Morehouse, executive director at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts; and Michael Simolo, partner at Robinson Donovan

Shawna Cobb, accounts payable/receivable at Robinson Donovan; Kathleen Lamoureux, legal secretary at Robinson Donovan; Andrew Morehouse, executive director at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts; and Michael Simolo, partner at Robinson Donovan


Karen Blanchard, left, executive director at Providence Ministries Service Network, and Carla Newton, partner at Robinson Donovan.

Karen Blanchard, left, executive director at Providence Ministries Service Network, and Carla Newton, partner at Robinson Donovan.

Donut Day Doings

National Donut Day was June 3. The Salvation Army uses that day to bring attention to its programs and encourage contributions to help it carry out its mission. Among the local offices visited by donut-bearing representatives of the Salvation Army was BusinessWest, represented here by senior writer and donut enthusiast Joe Bednar (far right). Representing the Salvation Army are, from left, Laura Stopa, Market Mentors; Elaine Massery, Salvation Army board member; Keith Barrow, Salvation Army staffer, and Amanda Moyer, Market Mentors and Salvation Army board member.

National Donut Day was June 3. The Salvation Army uses that day to bring attention to its programs and encourage contributions to help it carry out its mission. Among the local offices visited by donut-bearing representatives of the Salvation Army was BusinessWest, represented here by senior writer and donut enthusiast Joe Bednar (far right). Representing the Salvation Army are, from left, Laura Stopa, Market Mentors; Elaine Massery, Salvation Army board member; Keith Barrow, Salvation Army staffer, and Amanda Moyer, Market Mentors and Salvation Army board member.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Vann Group and Epstein Financial Services will present “Building Your Exit: The Owner Succession Planning Process Defined,” part of the BusinessWest/HCN Lecture Series, on Wednesday, June 22 at the Student Prince/the Fort in Springfield, and Thursday, June 23 at Hadley Farms Meeting House in Hadley.

Registration both days will begin at 7:15 a.m., followed by breakfast and a panel discussion from 7:30 to 9 a.m.

One of the largest challenges facing business owners today is the question of how to get out of their business. These seminars will present a step-by-step breakdown of the succession-planning process and what to expect along the way, including the many benefits to transitioning business ownership.

Panelists include Kevin Vann and Michael Vann of the Vann Group and Charlie Epstein of Epstein Financial Services and Epstein Financial Group.

Admission is free, but RSVP is requested for both seminars. Register online here, or call (413) 781-8600 for more information.

Daily News

GREAT BARRINGTON — GoodWorks Insurance is booming while giving half of its growing profits to charities in Connecticut and Massachusetts, according to a profile in the May issue of Independent Agent, the national magazine for independent insurance agents.

When Chad Yonker, a former minority investor, took over GoodWorks as CEO in 2011, it was struggling financially despite growing sales. He recapitalized the firm. “Since then, the agency has more than tripled in size,” the magazine notes.

Based in Glastonbury, Conn., GoodWorks Insurance is an independent agency with additional Connecticut offices in Avon, Columbia, and New Milford, and Massachusetts offices in Great Barrington and Worcester. It’s marking its 10th anniversary this year.

GoodWorks’ corporate charter requires that a minimum of 50% of operating earnings be distributed to nonprofits. Its community grants support local nonprofits that work in education, healthcare, public safety, and community development. They include medical clinics, fuel-assistance programs, visiting-nurse associations, special education, the YMCA, and more.

GoodWorks’ 2015 sales were about $6 million, and the agency expects up to 50% growth for 2016. Yonker and the other agency owners decline compensation in order to boost the profit pool available for giving, according to the magazine. Its commitment to nonprofits has resulted in many growth opportunities.

Besides insuring families and small businesses in general, GoodWorks has special expertise in nonprofits, fuel dealers, aerospace, manufacturers, and surety bonds.

“We’re large enough to provide expertise and market access on par or even in excess of the large national brokers in our key areas of focus,” Yonker said. “We’re also small enough to provide the local, personalized service our customers expect.”

Besides the charitable mission, joint ventures and strategic partnerships with other service providers have spurred GoodWorks’ growth. “We also have won endorsements and endorsement expansions by trade associations in key areas of expertise,” Yonker said.

The most recent GoodWorks Insurance acquisition, Metayer Bonding Associates in Avon, is the largest surety-bond-only agency in the Northeast.

“It adds another critical tool to our specialized growth arsenal,” said GoodWorks Chief Operating Officer Paul Brian. “We’re making a big push to expand our contractor business in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and nearby states.”

The full article can be read online at tinyurl.com/j9hua44. The agency’s website is www.goodworksinsurance.com.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums will host events tied to the launch of the Sisters’ Centennial Motorcycle Ride, a commemorative cross-country trip to honor the epic journey made by Adeline and Augusta Van Buren 100 years ago this summer.

In 1916, the Van Buren Sisters were the first women to cross the continental U.S., each on her own Indian Powerplus motorcycle built in Springfield. During their historic trip, they became the first women to reach the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak, and reached San Francisco after 60 days of riding. In 2002, the Sisters were inducted into the American Motorcyclist Assoc. Hall of Fame, and in 2003 they were inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.

Just as Adeline and Augusta did in 1916, Centennial Ride participants will begin their ride west in Springfield. The roughly 100 motorcyclists will gather on Monday, July 4 for dinner, music, and a viewing of fireworks from La Quinta Hotel in downtown Springfield. The next day, Tuesday, July 5, riders will attend an opening ceremony at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History at the Springfield Museums. The Wood Museum features the famous Indian Motocycle Collection, an expansive exhibit of vintage bikes, photographs, and memorabilia detailing the Springfield-based company’s proud history from its inception in 1902. Ride participants will also hear remarks from ride organizer Alisa Clickenger, Robert Pandya of Indian Motorcycle, and Wood Museum Director Guy McLain. That portion of the program will take place at 10 a.m. in SIS Hall at the Wood Museum, and is open to the public with paid museum admission.

Following those opening comments, riders will be able to tour the Indian collection and enjoy a new exhibit created in honor of Adeline and Augusta. “Crossing the Country to Cross Barriers: The Van Buren Sisters Ride into History” will feature a range of photographs taken on the trip and a variety of rare memorabilia items on loan from the Van Buren family. The exhibit runs from June 28, 2016 to July 30, 2017. Adeline and Augusta will also be the honorees at this year’s Indian Day Celebration at the Springfield Museums, which is scheduled for Sunday, July 24.

“We are thrilled that we’ve played a part in connecting the Van Buren family with the Springfield Museums and providing the inspiration for this new exhibit,” Clickenger said. “What a terrific way to formally start our event, by being able to bring our riders to the Springfield Museums to experience how and where our fabulous story began.”

Added McLain, “the Springfield Museums are honored to be the host location for this Centennial Ride launch event. The Van Buren sisters serve as important role models to women even to this day, and their story fits perfectly with our exhibits about Indian Motocycles and other women trailblazers, like aviator Maude Tait.”

Information about the Sisters’ Centennial Motorcycle Ride on July 5-23, as well as background on the Van Buren Sisters, adventure tours for women, and additional ride routes, can all be found on the event website, www.sistersmotorcycleride.com.

Daily News

CHICOPEE — In today’s competitive market, startups and small businesses need all the help they can get. The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Elms College will hold a Lean LaunchPad weekend to help startups identify the specific problems their products or services can solve for customers. The weekend-long workshop, titled “Creating Customers and Value,” will help businesses fail less, save money, and discover target customers and ideal business models.

The Lean LaunchPad weekend course combines hands-on experience, customer interaction, and business fundamentals to entrepreneurship. Participants will dive deep into the ‘value-proposition canvas’ to understand product market fit; they will also learn how to turn ideas into statements that convince customers to buy.

The events will begin with a 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. session on Friday, July 29, and run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31. The workshop will include an “Idea Jam,” a look at business pitch concepts, team formation, networking, in-depth exploration of the value-proposition canvas, hands-on development of customer-value creation, an overview of market size and customer segments, and a business-pitch competition.

The facilitators for the Startup Lean Weekend will be Jeremy Casey and Rick Plaut.

Casey started Name Net Worth, a software startup company, in Springfield in 2014. His background as a serial networker, commercial lender, and communicator was the springboard to his transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship. He was president of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS), which was in its infancy when he joined. Over five years, he grew the board of directors and the membership, and has helped make YPS the top membership organization for young professionals in the region. He has conducted workshops with many high schools and colleges in the Northeast, and has mentored many startup organizations through Valley Venture Mentors, helping them get their businesses started and providing ongoing feedback as they grow.

Plaut became an entrepreneur in 2009 after 30 years as a corporate ‘intrapreneur,’ developing new products, customers, markets, and businesses. Currently founding his third enterprise, he is a partner in InCommN and was a partner at Universal Quality Machine. He and his partners at InCommN teach the principles of Lean LaunchPad to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and businesses with a need for quick growth in new markets. He also shares the tools of Lean LaunchPad and the Business Model Canvas with students at a number of local colleges, including Smith, Elms, and UMass. He is also a mentor and facilitator for early-stage startups at Valley Venture Mentors, and is a board member and mentor for a variety of early-stage enterprises.

All events will take place on the Elms College campus. The cost is $250 per person or $150 for Elms alumni.

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SPRINGFIELD — Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor released its much-anticipated rule regarding overtime exempt status which raises the salary threshold and could extend overtime pay to more than 4 million workers who are currently ineligible.

The rule doubles the salary level at which full-time salaried workers are eligible for overtime and increases the salary level for ‘highly compensated employees,’ which could impact more than 83,000 workers in Massachusetts alone.

Attorney Timothy Murphy, partner with Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. and member and former chair of the Springfield Regional Chamber’s legislative steering committee, will explore the impact of the rule at the Springfield Regional Chamber Lunch ‘n’ Learn on Tuesday, June 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lattitude, 1388 Memorial Ave., West Springfield.

Murphy will break down the new rule, explain the impact on the region’s employers, provide guidance for nonprofits and higher-education institutions, outline what area businesses need to know to be compliant, and discuss strategies to lessen the impact to the bottom line.

Murphy joined Skoler, Abbott & Presser in 2001 after serving as general counsel to an area labor union. He represents and advises both union and non-union employers in a wide range of labor and employment matters. He regularly represents employers in matters before state and administrative agencies and courts. His work includes assisting employers to remain union-free, defending unfair labor practices, negotiating collective bargaining agreements, and handling grievance arbitrations.

Murphy is a graduate of Western New England Law School, where he has subsequently taught courses in employment law. He is a frequent contributor to business and human-resource publications and a contributing author to the Massachusetts Employment Law Letter. He is a past Super Lawyers Rising Star and was named to Best Lawyers in America.

Reservations for the June Lunch ‘n’ Learn cost $25 for Springfield Regional Chamber members and $35 for general admission. Registration includes lunch and one-on-one discussions with Murphy. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

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SPRINGFIELD — Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that attorney Michael Simolo will co-chair and present at the Cutting Edge Issues in Western Massachusetts Estate Planning Conference held at the Hotel Northampton on Thursday, June 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“This conference is a great forum to learn about the latest in estate-planning trends, especially at the local level,” Simolo said. “I am honored to be part of an event where our region’s most experienced practitioners come together to discuss how these developments can help us better serve our clients.”

The event will have an in-depth focus on Western Massachusetts estate planning and topics that have a large impact on the advice lawyers provide to clients. The full-day conference also will offer various panel discussions, dialogue about major case decisions, full question-and-answer sessions, and support and take-away materials. Registration can be found at mcle.org or at the door the day of the event.

Simolo’s background in estate planning ensures smooth framework and organized transfer of wealth from his clients to their beneficiaries in order to minimize taxes and other expenses. He is a graduate of Hobart College and Cornell Law, and a member of the Pioneer Valley Estate Planning Council, the Hampden County Estate Planning Council, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. In addition, he won the Super Lawyers Rising Star award in 2011-12 and 2014-15.

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EASTHAMPTON — The White House Council on Women and Girls invited Elizabeth Barajas-Román, CEO of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM), to participate in the United State of Women Summit, the first-ever large-scale effort to bring together advocates of gender equality to highlight what they’ve achieved, identify the challenges that remain, and chart the course ahead.

On Tuesday, June 14, Barajas-Román will join national partners during the main-stage lunch plenary, which will be streamed live across the globe at www.theunitedstateofwomen.org. Expected speakers and presenters include President Obama, Kerry Washington, and Oprah Winfrey. A full list can be found at www.theunitedstateofwomen.org/summit-details. The summit is a collaboration of the White House Council on Women and girls, the Department of State, Department of Labor, the Aspen Institute, and Civic Nation.

“We are eager to bring the voices of Western Massachusetts to the global conversation on women and girls and the problems we can fix together, in our lifetimes,” Barajas-Román said. “Our Women’s Fund was founded after another historic gathering, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, almost 20 years ago. Being at the table when history was made had a profound impact on local women and their families then, and we expect to return from the upcoming summit with equally game-changing innovations, connections, and a framework for change.”

The WFWM is a public foundation that connects donors with women and girls through strategic grant making and leadership development. Its signature, non-partisan program, the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI), is designed to provide women with the tools, mentors, and confidence they need to become powerful and effective civic leaders and elected officials.

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HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College’s (HCC) Gateway to College program, which in 2014 was ranked number one among all the Gateway programs in the U.S., is the recipient of the first-ever Gateway Program Excellence Award.

The inaugural award from the Gateway to College National Network recognizes HCC’s program for exceeding all four of the network’s benchmarks for success in 2014-15: GPA, one-year persistence, two-year persistence, and graduation rate.

“Recognitions like this make us feel more important and shiny,” said coordinator Vivian Ostrowski said at Gateway’s June 1 graduation ceremony in the Leslie Phillips Theater, “but we know, we so know, that these numbers really mean that some kids with complicated and messy lives decided time and time again to show up and do their work.”

Gateway to College is a dual-enrollment program for students who have either left high school or are at risk for dropping out. Gateway students take classes at HCC, collecting transferable college credits while also earning their high-school diplomas.

Since 2008, 204 Gateway students at HCC have graduated from high school, and more than half have continued on to college. Twenty-nine were enrolled at HCC this spring and HCC’s Gateway graduates have so far earned 19 associate degrees and three bachelor’s degrees.

Twenty students from six school districts earned their high-school diplomas through HCC’s Gateway program his spring: from Springfield, Korcan Atmaca, Amena Cooke, Melinda Diaz, Deikwon Duke, Ciara Garcia, Jamilee Gomez, Denisse Rivera, Mercedes Robare, Elmer Rodriguez and Jonte Toro; from Belchertown, Casey Beaudry, Christopher Chaffee, Shauna Driscoll, and Summer McLauglin; from Westfield, Emma Cowhey and Jacob Hartley; from Holyoke, Alexander Escalante; from Palmer, Bailey McDowell and Dylan Tallman; and from Agawam, Sarah Wyckoff.

Gateway to College was founded in Portland, Ore. in 2000. There are now 41 Gateway programs in 21 states. The spring 2014 report from the national Gateway network listed HCC’s Gateway program number one in both persistence, or fall-to-fall retention (87% compared to a network average of 53%); and graduation rate (80% compared to a 27% network average).

“Holyoke’s program is poised to build on its successes and can serve as an example for the rest of our network,” Emily Froimson, president of the Gateway national network, wrote in a congratulatory letter to Ostrowski. “You have not simply made a difference for students in Holyoke, Massachusetts; the work that your school district and college partnership has accomplished is a model for how we solve these persistent problems as a nation.”

Ostrowski will collect the award on behalf of HCC at the Gateway to College National Network Peer Learning Conference in Minneapolis on June 28.

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PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) announced it received a prestigious $45,000 grant from the New York-based Shubert Foundation, which provides grant support to theatres throughout the country.

“We’re deeply thankful to the Shubert Foundation for its grant to BTG,” said Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire. “The special aspect of support from the Shubert Foundation is that their grants go directly to helping underwrite the work we produce on our stages. As leaders in the national theatre scene, they recognize the fundamental economics of the theatre business. We will put the Shubert Foundation grant to good use as we prepare to launch our 2016 summer season.”

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HADLEY — Four members of Cultivate and Nest, a co-office space that also provides a child-care component, were collectively presented with a total of $97,000 at Valley Venture Mentors’ recent Accelerator Awards.

Marcelia Muehlke, owner of Celia Grace, a fair-trade wedding-dress company, took home the grand prize of $50,000. Amy Love, owner of Homebody Holistics, was awarded the second prize of $45,000. Terra Missildine, Cultivate and Nest founder and owner, and Roxy Laurel, owner of Simple Diaper, each won $1,000. The awards were given to members of the Valley Venture Mentors mentorship program, meant to kick-start growing businesses. A total of $252,000 was awarded to 12 finalists.

In addition to providing an office space, Cultivate and Nest provides child care to its members, with the intention of supporting parents in entrepreneurship. Missildine said this component is what allows members to achieve at a level high enough to be competitive in an arena such as the accelerator program.

“We are creating a community and network of support so these parents feel like they can pursue and achieve great things,” said Missildine. “The goal of Cultivate is to empower parents to take their lives and businesses to the next level without compromising their family values.”

Cultivate and Nest is the first membership-based co-office space in the Valley to incorporate a child-care component. Located on the first floor in the Hadley Crossing business park, it offers roughly 3,400 square feet of office space that can be used by parents operating their own businesses. Missildine calls these business people ‘parentpreneurs.’

Members of Cultivate and Nest pay in cost tiers that range from $100 to $600 per month, depending on amenities and level of office access. Event and workshop space is also available for members and the community at large to host family-friendly events.

“We couldn’t be more proud or impressed by what we see happening around us in this community,” said Missildine. “I personally feel so very honored to be even a tiny part of these families’ successes and happiness.”

To learn more about Cultivate and Nest, visit cultivateandnest.com or call Missildine at (413) 345-2400.

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EASTHAMPTON — The Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI), a non-partisan initiative of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, is designed to provide women in this region with the training and support needed to become powerful and effective civic leaders. Now, LIPPI is calling for new applicants.

Applications may be found at www.womensfund.net/advocacy/apply.htm and must be completed and submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 17. Class size is limited. Leadership grants and childcare reimbursements are available. Applicants will receive notification by Aug. 31. To learn more about LIPPI, visit www.womensfund.net/advocacy/about.htm.

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SPRINGFIELD — The 2016 Western Massachusetts Developers Conference, slated for Thursday, June 23 at the MassMutual Center, aims to demonstrate why Western Mass. is a good place to invest.

Given the recent national and international companies choosing to call Western Mass. home, the conference, which was first presented in 2014, connects business leaders, entrepreneurs, developers, real-estate professionals, site selectors, economic-development professionals, and public officials from Western Mass. and across the Northeast.

This year’s luncheon keynote speaker is Gov. Charlie Baker. Since taking office in January 2015, Baker’s goal has been to make Massachusetts a better place to live, work, start a business, and raise a family.

The day will also feature a CEO panel where attendees can hear first-hand from some of the area’s top leaders about how the region supports growth; lightning-style presentations featuring a fast-paced format packed with information about innovative initiatives, workforce developments, and entrepreneurship; and an “Incentives in Action” workshop where a panel of regional experts will explain details of the various incentives that have enabled development projects throughout the region, with an opportunity for questions from the audience.

The day-long event —which includes a light breakfast, lunch, municipality and resource vendors, plus an interactive map featuring priority development opportunities — is being coordinated by key area organizations, including the Western Mass. Economic Development Council (EDC), Economic Development Partners, MassDevelopment, and MassEcon.

“We are thrilled to be a part organizing this event,” said Ann Burke, EDC vice president. “This is an incredibly exciting time for the region, with many investment opportunities, plus there are countless resources available to developers and businesses considering Western Mass., and we are excited to share them.”

Event sponsors include MassMutual Financial Group, WinnDevelopment, Westfield Bank, CRRC, Comcast, Westmass Area Development Corp., UMass Amherst, and MassDevelopment, among others.

The event is free for attendees, but space is limited, and registration is required no later than Friday, June 17. For more information and to register, visit www.westernmassedc.com.

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EAST LONGMEADOW — HUB International New England, a global insurance-brokerage, risk-advisory, and employee-benefits firm, announced it will host a free seminar on “ACA Compliance and Why Pharmacy Costs are Rising” on Thursday, June 16 at Mario’s Café Ambiance, 60 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow.

This seminar will feature Russell Denver and Marc Criscitelli, HUB employee-benefits specialists whose backgrounds give them a keen understanding of everything compliance and ACA-related. They will review reform regulations in order to help clients better understand the guidelines businesses face.

Also presenting at the seminar is MayLisa Hazelwood, pharmacist at Blue Cross Blue Shield. Her specialties include pharmacy operations and performing coverage determinations for the commercial and Medicare markets.

“HUB International is committed to educating our clients and prospects on key trending topics that currently may impact their insurance and risk-management needs,” said Timm Marini, president of HUB International New England, formerly FieldEddy Insurance. “This seminar will provide attendees with additional knowledge on ACA compliance, allowing them to have a better understanding of how to best prepare for such guidelines and to help [make] what can sometimes be an overwhelming process easier to understand and manage.”

This event is open to the public; however, prior registration is required on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, click here, visit www.hubinternational.com/upcoming-events,
or e-mail [email protected].

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WARE — Calling it a great day for Ware and a great day for the region, business leaders, elected officials, and representatives from Holyoke Community College recently celebrated the opening of a new education and workforce-training center in downtown Ware.

The center, called E2E, short for Education to Employment: Quaboag Region Workforce Training and Community College Center, is a collaboration between HCC and the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp.

“We are so thrilled to welcome Holyoke Community College to our community,” said Sheila Cuddy, executive director of the Quaboag CDC. “As a CDC, we are here with a focus on business development and to better our economic community. What better way to make that happen than to focus on giving the folks who live here the skills they need to become good employees for our local businesses?”

More than 60 people attended the grand opening, ribbon-cutting and reception.

HCC president Bill Messner told the crowd he was impressed by the persistence with which representatives from Ware courted the college to establish a presence there.

“We’re delighted,” Messner said. “We’re Holyoke Community College, and we take the community very seriously, and you are part of our community, so we’re here. We’re here because of the efforts of a lot of people in this room.”

Also speaking at the opening were John Carroll, chairman of the Ware Board of Selectmen; state Sen. Anne Gobi; state Rep. Todd Smola of Warren, a 2005 graduate of HCC; Vincent McCaughey, board chairman of the Quaboag Valley CDC; Paul Scully, president of Country Bank, who donated the space for the E2E center; Tracy Opalinksi of the Ware Business and Civic Assoc.; and Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank.

The roughly 3,000-square-foot center located at 79 Main St. includes two classrooms, as well as private study areas and office space. Ten computer workstations will be available for community members interested in enrolling in credit classes at HCC as online students.

The center is already offering non-credit classes in hospitality and culinary arts. The expectation is that course offerings will expand to include manufacturing and health careers. For some courses, classroom education will be supplemented by hands-on training at Pathfinder Vocational High School in Palmer. HCC will also offer academic-advising and career-counseling services.

“This is a great day for Ware and a great day for our region, which has been lacking in sources of education beyond high school for so long,” Cuddy said, “so we could not be more pleased that HCC has shown the willingness to be our partner in this endeavor and to move the project forward.”

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BOSTON — A committee of the state Board of Higher Education voted Tuesday to amend the leave policies for non-unit professionals (NUPs) at the state’s 15 community colleges and nine state universities in an effort to better align such policies with those governing UMass employees, public higher-education systems in other New England states, and Massachusetts state employees.

The vote is subject to a final vote by the full Board of Higher Education on June 14. If approved, the changes would impact approximately 1650 employees.

The board’s Fiscal Affairs and Administrative Policy (FAAP) Committee voted to eliminate the current policy allowing employees to convert unused vacation days into sick time. Going forward under the new policy, any vacation days that remain over a 64-day balance would be forfeited by the employee if not used. The 64-day vacation balance would be reduced over the next two and a half years to a maximum of 50 days that can be ‘carried’ by an employee.

Additionally, the committee voted to reduce the number of vacation days allotted to higher-education employees to a maximum of 25, a reduction from a previous allocation of 30 days per year for the longest-serving employees; and to standardize the number of personal days allotted to employees across all three segments of the higher-education system. All non-unit professionals employed at the state’s community colleges and state universities will receive a total of five annual personal days, effective Jan. 1, 2017.

“These changes will bring our employment policies for non-unit professionals at community colleges and state universities into alignment with those in place at the University of Massachusetts, at public colleges and universities across New England, and for state employees,” said Higher Education Commissioner Carlos Santiago, who ordered an expedited review of the policies in March. “They will allow us to remain competitive with other institutions in our bid to attract top talent, while also making good on our commitment to be effective stewards of state resources.”

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BOSTON — The University of Massachusetts was responsible for $6.2 billion in economic activity in Massachusetts last year — a record high — and helped to support more than 43,000 jobs statewide, President Marty Meehan announced Tuesday.

“UMass educates more students than any college or university in the Commonwealth and is one of the state’s three largest research universities, but it also has a profound impact on the Massachusetts economy based on the scope and reach of its operations,” Meehan said. “UMass is a vital economic engine for the Commonwealth, and its impact is felt in every community and by virtually every family across Massachusetts.”

Victor Woolridge, chairman of the UMass board of trustees, said the report illustrates that “UMass truly is here for a reason, and that reason is to serve the entire Commonwealth. The importance of generating an economic impact on the scale that we do — and having it distributed in every corner of the state — cannot be overstated.”

The economic impact generated by the five-campus UMass system translates to a 10-to-1 return on investment for state government when total state funding for the university is considered, according to a FY 2015 analysis performed by the UMass Donahue Institute, which conducts economic and public-policy research.

The major drivers of economic impact are student, faculty, and staff spending; construction projects; and the university’s purchasing the goods and services required for its activities. The study measured that spending and its ripple effect in determining the $6.2 billion impact estimate.

According to the Donahue Institute report, each of the five university campuses generated a substantial economic impact for its region and the state. By campus or unit, the figures were: Amherst, $2.069 billion; Boston, $1.085 billion; Dartmouth, $466.1 million; Lowell, $921.9 million; Medical School, $1.584 billion; and Central Administration, $198.4 million.

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BOSTON — Confidence among Massachusetts employers rose to a 10-month high during May as the state approached full employment and the national economy continued to throw off mixed signals.

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index rose 1.5 points during May to 57.7, the highest level since July 2015. The reading was slightly higher than the 57.3 level posted a year ago and comfortably above the 50 mark that denotes an overall positive economic outlook.

The brightening outlook came amid growing evidence that the U.S. economy is regaining its footing after posting a 0.8% growth rate during the first quarter. Recent reports on retail sales, housing starts, and industrial production paint an upbeat picture of the economy in the second quarter.

At the same time, the government reported that the U.S. economy created just 38,000 jobs during May, the slowest pace since 2010.

“Massachusetts employers appear to have shaken off the uncertainty of the fall and winter and are now feeling optimistic about the remainder of 2016,” said Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s board of economic advisors and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “The most encouraging news is that every constituent measure contained in the Business Confidence Index rose during May, and most were higher than they were a year ago.”

The AIM Index, based on a survey of Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. It has remained above 50 since October 2013.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Vann Group and Epstein Financial Services will present “Building Your Exit: The Owner Succession Planning Process Defined,” part of the BusinessWest/HCN Lecture Series, on Wednesday, June 22 at the Student Prince/the Fort in Springfield, and Thursday, June 23 at Hadley Farms Meeting House in Hadley.

Registration both days will begin at 7:15 a.m., followed by breakfast and a panel discussion from 7:30 to 9 a.m.

One of the largest challenges facing business owners today is the question of how to get out of their business. These seminars will present a step-by-step breakdown of the succession-planning process and what to expect along the way, including the many benefits to transitioning business ownership.

Panelists include Kevin Vann and Michael Vann of the Vann Group and Charlie Epstein of Epstein Financial Services and Epstein Financial Group.

Admission is free, but RSVP is requested by June 14 for the first seminar and by June 15 for the second. Register online here, or call (413) 781-8600 for more information.

Daily News

HAMPDEN — The East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce (ERC5) board of directors announced it will hold its annual meeting at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Friday, June 17 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Tickets for the event are $55 per person, and both members and non-members are invited to attend. Lunch will be served. Keynote speaker Seth Stratton, MGM Springfield’s vice president and general counsel, will discuss the rich opportunities within business sectors of the ERC5. Master of ceremonies and government-relations consultant Anthony Cignoli will provide insight as the ERC5 showcases its services to the business and service sectors of East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Ludlow, and Wilbraham. Upon conclusion of the program, tours of the facility will be provided.

“We are thrilled to be invited to GreatHorse and welcome them to our organization as a new business, community partner, and board member of the ERC5,” said Dennis Lopata, ERC5 board president.

Tickets and sponsorships are still available. Contact Nancy Connor, ERC5 executive director, at (413) 575-7230 or [email protected].