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Opinion

It’s no space-age fantasy: today’s doctors and other medical professionals know they’re living in exciting times. Anxious times, too.

When we asked some of the area’s foremost medical experts for their thoughts on what the next 15 or so years will bring to the health care landscape, they had no shortage of ideas.

They spoke about the promise of stem cells, and the possibility that scientists might hone their potential to replace tissue and even grow new organs for patients in need — an idea that would have seemed like science fiction not too long ago.

They talked about how robotics, laparoscopy, and other surgical advances are helping doctors operate with a minimum of trauma or scarring, and turning what used to be week-long hospital stays into outpatient visits.

The breakthroughs keep piling up — research on gene therapy to reverse the effects of heart disease and prevent it from recurring. Imaging technology that is giving doctors quicker, more accurate pictures of health problems. Computer advances that are starting to help doctors diagnose and treat homebound patients remotely.

The list goes on, and it speaks not only to the boundless ingenuity of medicine and science, but also to the impressive quality of health care in Western Mass., where many of the latest technologies are being put into practice every day.

So, there’s clearly no shortage of optimism when it comes to innovation. But there’s also a nagging worry that’s beginning to loom ever-larger for those who are paying attention.

It’s simply this: how are we going to pay for it all?

Let’s face it — Americans are accustomed to expecting the best, and our attitude toward health care is no exception. If there’s a breakthough in treatment, people want to partake of it, and they want it now. That’s our culture.

But doctors and policy experts are starting to ask some sobering questions. With health care already costing about $2 trillion per year, with each new high-tech medical solution arriving with a hefty price tag, and with the plentiful Baby Boomers expected to live longer — often managing serious, chronic health issues — than past generations, many are starting to wonder whether our current health care infrastructure is even sustainable.

In some cases, they’re flatly saying that it’s not.

Although debate will rage over the details, many expect that some sort of universal health care in the U.S. is inevitable, which will strain the system further. Long waits for non-essential treatment might become commonplace. Federal regulators might have to decide which products make it to market and which are deemed, well, not cost-effective.

Some would gasp at the very thought. But, again, we’re Americans, and we’re used to having options. The idea of our health care choices being severely reduced is a scary thought — but it’s one that many are openly talking about.

There’s a clear dichotomy in play; science is performing miracles on a daily basis, but will we reach a point where even those efforts must be slowed due to financial restraints?

“We’re developing all this great stuff,” Dr. Jeffrey Leppo told us when he was interviewed for the “Vision 2025” story (see page 34). “We can maybe cure diseases, but we’re still decades away in some cases, and in the meantime we’re pouring tons of money into it without any control.”

It’s not clear right now that anyone has the answer for a cost problem that, by the direst estimates, could crash the system within 10 years. Efforts to streamline health care through electronic record-keeping and other efficiencies play around the edges, but don’t tackle the core of the problem, which is simply a growing lack of money to pay for everything we want.

And we want everything. Which, in the end, may turn out to be the biggest fantasy of all.

Features
Agawam Wants to Balance Commercial Growth with Rural Charm
Deborah Dachos (left, with Mayor Susan Dawson)

Deborah Dachos (left, with Mayor Susan Dawson) says the time has come for residents to re-evalute the Tennis Road property.

Agawam is the first colonial settlement in the Pioneer Valley and, from its early beginnings in 1635, has always had a rich agricultural history.

What makes this community of 30,000 residents different from many others in the region is this link to the farms of yesteryear, yet with a suburban presence at the other side of a bridge from the city of Springfield. Like other bedroom communities in the Valley, more than 75% of the town’s population commutes out of town.

Mayor Susan Dawson recently told BusinessWest that it is just that balance of the rural and suburban which initially drew her to the town. “When I moved here, I came from outside Philadelphia,” she said, “and I was looking for a suburban community. But I also wasn’t really looking for ‘big,’ because at college in Lancaster County, Pa., I really enjoyed that agricultural side of things.”

While many other communities struggle with foreclosures and tax defaults, Dawson said that because Agawam is solidly in the middle of the economic spectrum, her town hasn’t been affected to the extent that one reads elsewhere. The median family income hovers around $59,000, and the median sale price of homes from the most recent statistics comes in at just under $200,000.

While Agawam prides itself on that small-town charm, it is also home to one of the region’s largest tourist draws: Six Flags New England. Despite a history with that entertainment giant, the town has struggled in recent years for an appropriate balance of its residential and commercial areas, and town officials and residents say the time has come to address this situation again, learning from past divisive issues.

Tennis, Anyone?

Deborah Dachos is the town planner for Agawam, and she likes to look on the bright side of the current economic climate. “One thing we’ve noticed is that the number of applications for new development has significantly decreased over the last year,” she said. “But that gives me the opportunity to do things I might not normally have the time to do.”

What Dachos was specifically referring to is a townwide, comprehensive economic-development survey to address what she, others in Town Hall, and many residents feel is an important, if not the most important, issue: commercial development in Agawam. Sent out to residents via mail, E-mail, and a local newspaper, the survey seeks answers to a variety of questions about retail preferences in the 01001 zip code.

But more importantly, the survey addresses the concerns that townspeople might have with what is known in town as ‘the Tennis Road property,’ one of the most valuable pieces of undeveloped land bordering Route 57.

Three years ago, an out-of-state developer petitioned to change the zoning on the property to enable commercial, retail construction. A binding referendum question was defeated by a margin of 3 to 1. The prevailing thought from that vote was that Agawam residents do not want a big-box retailer in town, especially one that would negatively impact the smaller residential roads leading to the site and also the high school across the highway.

Dachos said the time has come to re-evaluate that property. “We put that question into the survey to revisit Tennis Road,” she said. “It appeared that, from anecdotal information, people were opposed to someone from the outside. The fear was that some New Yorker was going to come in and circumvent local and state laws, and build something that would be too big for the town.

“At the time,” she continued, “the perception from the referendum vote was that residents said we definitely don’t want commercial development on that property. But the survey results aren’t suggesting that right now. People want new retail development there, but they want very specific things.”

Ed Borgatti is the owner of E.B.’s, a popular Agawam restaurant, and is also the former president of the Agawam Chamber of Commerce. Remembering that referendum, and the developer whose plans were cut short, he believes it wasn’t the right time, nor the right way, to proceed with such a proposal.

“The developer who wanted to build out the Tennis Road property a few years back made some serious missteps,” he told BusinessWest. “He wasn’t a bad person; he just went about it the wrong way for Agawam. He was from out of the area, he used PR people and lawyers from Springfield, and basically people in Agawam are not thrilled to feel like the big city is trying to muscle them into decisions.

“He should have gotten a consultant from town,” Borgatti continued, “and he should have hired an Agawam lawyer … but as it happened, the town politicians sat down at the meeting, and in come all these guys from Springfield, and that was just the wrong thing to do.”

Dachos said that now is the time for the voices of Agawam to decide what they would like for Tennis Road. “The residents and the community need to speak up,” she said. “For the first time, it’s not a developer from outside the community saying, ‘this is what we’re going to give you,’ or ‘this is what you’re going to get.’ It is us saying, ‘OK, do you want something there, and if so, what do you want?’ So we, as a town, can say to a potential developer that this is what the community says it want, and what it will support.”

She noted that there is a developer interested in the property right now, but the administration wants to promote what the community has an interest in.

Big, but Not Too Big

Dave Ratner is the owner of Dave’s Soda and Pet Food City, one of the stalwarts in the town’s local business establishment. After 34 years of successful operations in the community, Ratner knows a thing or two about how things work, and he still finds Agawam a good fit.

“Well, one of the things about Agawam that makes it good for a home-grown business,” he said, “is that when real-estate brokers from chain stores come to town looking to establish a presence, we’re not on a major highway, so they say, ‘there can’t be any kind of marketplace here,’ and they stay away. And these days, trust me, when you’re an independent business owner, that’s very good for you.”

But Ratner admits that such lack of competition can be too much of a good thing. “The flip side to that is, there’s more traffic when you do have major, national tenants.”

Elaborating on this conundrum, Ratner said that it might not be a bad idea for a few of the bigger players on the national retail scene coming to town wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. “I think if we got one or two major tenants in Agawam, the whole stock of the town would go up.”

Ratner gives a great deal of credit to the town leaders in their efforts to bring successful tenants to the other building abutting his store, formerly housing the now defunct Steve & Barry’s. “The officials in the town are wonderful to work with. Anything that I’ve ever needed, they’ve helped with.

“It was amazing how much coaxing the town had to do to get Steve & Barry’s to come to this plaza,” he continued. “The brokers came from New York; they drove by here and said, ‘well, this is a terrible location.’ It’s not on Route 5, so they didn’t want to open up. But as it turns out, this was one of the best stores for that chain in the region. In little ol’ Agawam.”

Even though much of the town’s focus is on the new dirt that could be developed on Tennis Road, many members of the community wonder if such development could revitalize the sagging fortunes of the Agawam Towne Plaza, as reported in these pages recently after the bankruptcy of Steve & Barry’s shut down the one anchor store in an otherwise nearly empty plaza.

Both Dawson and Dachos mentioned the lengths to which the town strived to get that retailer into the plaza, hoping that, with such a strong presence, the vacancy signs in the windows would be replaced with new business opportunities. But what makes Tennis Road such a desirable commercial property also makes the Towne Center a more difficult sell. “There is a large, vocal group that really wants to see something happen in that plaza,” Dachos said. “People just can’t understand that the buildings are old, the street visibility is not great, and it lacks the highway location.”

Roller-coaster Ride

Even though the big-box stores have had a rough road in breaking ground in Agawam, the Six Flags complex has successfully co-existed with the town. Dachos gives that company a gold star for its efforts to be a good neighbor.

“They’ve invested a tremendous amount of revenue, several million dollars, in parking lots, pedestrian bridges, and road improvements, to reduce gridlock,” she explained. “Six Flags has been, from my perspective, a very good neighbor here in town. And it supports a lot of social and civic organizations. The taxes and the jobs are great. We don’t hear the complaints that we did when it became a Six Flags facility, where people couldn’t get out of their driveway for hours and hours.”

Dawson agreed. “Someone might think that a giant presence like Six Flags would be an issue for small-town Agawam would be such a giant presence like Six Flags. But that hasn’t been the case.”

Responding to the recent news of hard times and possible bankruptcy for the nationwide chain, Dawson said that despite the grumblings of impending doom, the company’s local operation should be riding the roller coaster A-OK. “According to the information I’ve gotten from them, they are looking at reorganizing, which simply means that they are going to reorganize their debt. But the services they provide will still be the same. As long as the public doesn’t stop going to their entertainment areas, the company will stay sound.”

Borgatti, meanwhile, sees the future of his hometown as looking bright. And the word he used to describe this optimism was vision.

“We’ve always lacked vision in business development in this town,” he said. “But we are going in a positive direction now.”

“I think people are afraid that development immediately means that we are going to lose our small-town charm,” he continued. “But they can live in harmony. There’s always that fear some big developer from out of the area is going to come in and take over for their own benefit. But there are people who grew up here who have a good idea of how to develop and still keep the town spirit intact.”

Dachos agreed. “Primarily this development interest we’re seeing right now is home-grown, and the developers who are proposing the subdivisions are local guys who have confidence that things are going to improve, and they want to get ahead of the curve and get their projects approved so that they are ready to go. New restaurants are opening up by local residents who have had dreams for years, and who are now just plowing ahead and doing it.”

Dawson weighed in with her final thoughts on the controversial issue of Tennis Road and its future. “What Agawam is going to have to do is make some tough decisions about development,” she said, “because we can have development — which means new tax growth, new revenue — and it can be clustered so that it doesn’t negatively affect our residential areas.

“My goal is for affordable senior housing as well as commercial development that people want. It’s going to be a win for everyone in town. We’ll see what happens.”

Features
Springfield’s Hoop Hall Will Host BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty Gala
The Basketball Hall of Fame will be the site of this year’s 40 Under Forty gala.

The Basketball Hall of Fame will be the site of this year’s 40 Under Forty gala.

Mark the date: June 18.

That’s when BusinessWest will celebrate its third class of 40 Under Forty winners at a gala to be staged at the Basketball Hall of Fame on Springfield’s revitalized riverfront.

Kate Campiti, associate publisher and advertising director for BusinessWest, said the magazine wanted to bring the event to the Hall of Fame in 2009 to showcase some of the exciting developments there and be a part of that revitalization process.

“We’re spotlighting some of the bright, young talent in this region at our festive celebration, which has become a not-to-be-missed event,” she explained. “But we also wanted to turn the spotlight on Springfield, its riverfront, and the Hall of Fame complex. We’re excited to be bringing our event to this great venue.”

The Hall’s Center Court will be the site for the gala, which will honor a diverse class of under-40 leaders, as chosen by a panel of five judges. The scores were tabulated early in March, and the winners were notified a few weeks ago. They will be presented to BusinessWest’s readers in the magazine’s April 27 issue.

To maintain a level of suspense, we’ll reveal only that this group of winners represents sectors ranging from manufacturing to technology; from law to financial services; from retail to construction. Overall, it is a very entrepreneurial group, with many business owners, as well as others who bring a spirit of entrepreneurship to their company or nonprofit agency.

While not all the details of the June 18 event have been hammered out, many things are known, starting with corporate sponsorship of the event. Several companies have agreed to take a lead role in presenting the gala, including Bay Path College, Comcast, Fathers & Sons, Hampden Bank, and Moriarty & Primack.

Tickets to the event, which will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, lavish food stations, and entertainment, will be $50 each and may be obtained by calling (413) 781-8600, ext. 10, or via E-mail at[email protected].

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Enhanced Protection Available for Those Needing Guardianship

A new law will take effect in Massachusetts on July 1 relative to guardianships. This issue has been debated and discussed for more than 20 years, and this law is intended to create uniformity among all states across the country; 13 states enacted the law in 2008.

Until now, in Massachusetts, most issues regarding the administration and legal requirements of guardianships were decided on a case-by-case basis. The new law is more than 100 pages long, and one article applies primarily to the protection of disabled people and their property.

Most provisions of the Uniform Probate Code relating to the settlement of deceased people’s estates do not become effective until July 1, 2011. In Massachusetts, however, over the past year, changes have been made to both the ‘petition for guardianship of a person’ and the medical certificate required to be filed with the court for a finding of incapacitation. These forms were implemented in order to reflect society’s changing view of incapacitated individuals and preserve those people’s rights.

The court has redefined the requirements to determine that a person is incapacitated when they are unable to attend to their own affairs and are in need of a guardian. In addition, some of the terminology that was utilized for many years is now going to be changed. As an example, in the past, a person who was determined by the court to be incapacitated was referred to as a ‘ward.’ This term is now reserved solely for the guardianship of a minor. Any other person who needs a guardian is determined as an ‘incapacitated person,’ a ‘person in need of services,’ or a ‘protective person.’ Court personnel, attorneys, and the public will have to learn the new terminology as well as, potentially, new forms, procedures, and standards.

Here are some of the highlights of the measure:

  • Any petition over a protective person must be served on that person, and that individual has a right to appear at a hearing. In addition, if that person so requests, they may, but do not have to be given, a right to a closed hearing. It is uncertain how this will be conducted, but presumably, the courtroom will be closed to all parties not having an interest in that particular proceeding.
  • A person has a right to counsel. This was not always the rule in the courts regarding a civil proceeding. This right to counsel has been expanded to apply to the person in need of protection. In addition, the statute also provides that consideration should be given to that person if he or she is 14 or more years of age as to the selection of a guardian.
  • To the extent that the person has assets, then their counsel should be compensated from those until the court determines otherwise. If the person to be protected is indigent, then their counsel may be paid by the Commonwealth, but it is uncertain as to where that money will come from and at what rate or by what standard their counsel should be compensated.
  • At the current time, a person may always select their counsel, but in some cases, a person who is not competent, but thought they were, may or may not have the right to select counsel of their own choosing. As a further safeguard for the person, in the event that the court finds it necessary or beneficial, the court may appoint a guardian ad-litem who may be a lawyer, public social worker, or charitable agency to investigate the condition of the person, their affairs, living arrangements, etc., and report to the court to allow the court to make a better decision. Note that a guardian ad-litem does not advocate for the incapacitated person, but reports to the court as the ‘eyes and ears’ of an independent investigator that provides additional information.
  • A new provision provides that there is a prohibition against a person being appointed as a guardian when that person is being investigated or has charges pending for committing an assault and battery that resulted in a serious bodily injury to a minor or incapacitated person. There will presumably be a CORI investigation done to determine each petitioner’s status and ensure that they are not a prohibited party.
  • The terminology of ‘guardians’ and ‘conservators’ has been relatively interchanged for years in the probate courts. Under the new law, a guardian is charged with making decisions regarding the incapacitated person’s support, care, education, health, and welfare. A person’s financial matters are to be managed by a person who is now going to be called a conservator. Therefore, if a person is seeking to be designated as responsible for a protected person’s personal care and financial matters, this person will have to request that the court appoint them as both a guardian and conservator. Of course, these matters may be consolidated into one, but separate documentation may be required by the court.
  • While each competent person has always been encouraged to establish a health care proxy and durable power of attorney during their lifetime, it is increasingly more important to do so. The health care proxy will attend to one’s medical decisions in the event of incapacitation, while the durable power of attorney will attend to financial decisions, and thus allow either the same or different people to make decisions relative to the principal’s affairs.
  • With proper execution while competent, these two very important documents allow a person to make decisions for himself or herself and avoid the need for guardianship. Naturally, if there is disagreement within the family over decisions made by the agent under the health proxy or power of attorney, the family would be able to bring a petition with the probate court and seek to either have the agent removed or have a guardian or conservator appointed.

    However, information in prior documents must be disclosed on the petition for guardianship filed with the court so the judge will have information as to whom the protected person nominated while he was still competent.

    Under the new act, the guardian may have to request specific authority to have a protected person institutionalized in a long-term care facility. Hopefully, this special request can be made within the original petition for guardianship. If not, then after a guardianship is allowed, the guardian may need to file a separate or supplemental petition for additional authority to require the permanent institutionalization of the protected person. Naturally, this will cause additional emotion, time, publicity, and cost.

    Within the framework of the new law, there is additional language that encourages the courts to review guardianships and possibly allow one on a limited basis, rather than making a full determination that the person is incapacitated and has no rights to make any decisions regarding his or her own care and finances.

    In the past, it was the duty of a guardian to file an account with the probate court. As a condition of their bond, the new law mandates that the guardian/conservator report all assets that may be coming under their control within 60 days following their appointment and file an account on an annual basis. With the advent of new, sophisticated software, it is likely that the court will be proactive in requiring fiduciaries to file accounts.

    In the event that the guardian/conservator does not provide an account in a timely fashion, or in the event that the judge is not satisfied with the decisions that the guardian/conservator is making, then the fiduciary could be removed and a successor fiduciary be appointed by the court.

    All in all, these changes are intended to further protect the rights of anyone needing guardianship. Hopefully, the provisions of the new law will be carried out as intended and enacted.

    Attorney Hyman G. Darling is chairman of Bacon Wilson, P.C.’s Estate Planning and Elder Law departments. His areas of expertise include all areas of estate-planning, probate, and elder law. Darling hosts an estate-planning blog atbwlaw.blogs.com/estate_planning_bits; (413) 781-0560;[email protected]

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    Biannual Law Seminar Renamed to Honor Late Attorney John Sikorski
    John Sikorski

    The late John Sikorski is being honored in a way that reflects his love of learning and his dual skills in employment and trial law, colleagues say.

    Before John Sikorski died last year, at the much-too-young age of 55, he built a reputation in the legal world not just as a skilled lawyer, but someone who never felt he was skilled enough to stop learning.

    “John was a voracious legal reader. He’d drive back and forth to Boston listening to legal tapes,” said Jeff McCormick, managing partner of Robinson Donovan, P.C., the Springfield-based law firm where Sikorski had worked for 18 years in employment law.

    “And he was an idea man,” McCormick continued. “All the time, I’d come into the office in the morning, and on my desk would be a three-page memo with an idea John had about how we could improve one of the areas of practice in the office, or how we could help somebody become better at their job.

    “He was one of those guys who — I wouldn’t say he goaded you — but he’d challenge you all the time to become better. He was always helping us improve. He was a real champion of our office.”

    The question, then, for McCormick and his colleagues became, how best to honor Sikorski and keep his memory alive in an appropriate way?

    “Every one of us, to a person, said that we have to do something that honors him by continuing the thing that were important to him,” he said. “He was a real champion of continuing legal education, so someone decided to contact MCLE.”

    That’s Boston-based Mass. Continuing Legal Education Inc., which presents skills and education programs year-round. “We started talking to them about whether there might be some way we could endow one of their educational programs,” McCormick said, “to fund a program to help pay for people who want to go to an employment law-related seminar but couldn’t pay for it.”

    In the end, the firm decided to endow what will now be called ‘Employment Law Trial Skills: The John C. Sikorski MasterClass,’ a workshop held every two years that provides Massachusetts lawyers with advanced education in trying employment cases.

    The program will include lectures by experienced trial lawyers, guided discussions, participatory exercises, and advice from judicial panels. Participants will acquire advanced skills for shaping trials, making effective opening statements and closing arguments, conducting direct and cross examination of human-resources professionals, and establishing damages. They will also learn techniques to help them become more effective at assessing both evidence and expert witnesses.

    Sikorski would have appreciated being involved in any program that helped employment lawyers bolster their courtroom skills, McCormick said. “John was a really good trial lawyer,” he noted. “There are a lot of employment lawyers who aren’t great trial lawyers, but he had that mix.”

    Employment Law Trial Skills takes place every other year at MCLE headquarters in Boston; this year is an off-year, so Sikorski’s name will grace the program starting in March 2010, and then biannually thereafter.

    “Because it’s held only every other year, it’s one that historically has been very well-attended,” McCormick said, “so we felt, what could be more fitting than to name it after John? So Robinson Donovan, as a firm, has endowed that program at MCLE in perpetuity.”

    McCormick, who served as president of the Mass. Bar Assoc. from 1998 to 2000, recalled that Sikorski had been chair of the MBA Labor and Employment Section, a much-sought-after post in which Sikorski excelled. One reason might have been his constant desire to learn more and pass on what he learned.

    “John was a great partner,” he said. “He became known not only in the area but also statewide as someone in the employment-law field who was committed to excellence and always striving to be a better lawyer.”

    He was also a multi-faceted individual, McCormick said, noting as one example Sikorski’s passion for flowers and the impressive garden he and his wife built in their backyard. Hopefully, the seminar now offered in his name will have an impact that proves to be just as perennial.

    “If you went to his funeral, you would not have imagined that so many people knew John,” McCormick said. “People came from Boston, and a custodian in our building was there, too. John touched so many people’s lives, professionally and personally. He was a great friend, and it was a true loss.”

    Joseph Bednar can be reached at

    [email protected]

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    The Space Is Ready for a Biotech Facility, but the Funding Is in Limbo
    Dr. Paul Friedmann

    Dr. Paul Friedmann says Mass Life Sciences is dealing with several projects across the state with less money on hand than it had expected.

    Except for some HVAC ducting and a few pieces of stranded equipment on carts, Dr. Paul Friedmann is standing in a big, empty space on the top floor of the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute building in Springfield.

    ‘Empty’ is the key word here.

    The 12,500 square-foot area is the much-anticipated home of the region’s first biotech incubator, which has the potential of luring entrepreneurs and the seeds of new business to the area.

    The plans are laid. The space has been chosen. Everything is ready to go, but until the Mass Life Sciences Center frees up the $5.5 million in funds, which the state earmarked for the build-out of the incubator, that space remains empty. It was hoped that the money would come through last year, but so far it has not.

    Mass Life Sciences Center is the entity in charge of distributing the $1 billion in funds generated when Gov. Patrick signed the Life Sciences Bill in June 2008. The bill is part of a 10-year strategy to lure more life-sciences business into the state. A $5.5 million chunk of it was to go toward creating an incubator in the Pioneer Valley.

    “We’re working with Mass Life Sciences right now,” said Friedmann, who is the executive director of the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute. “It’s an ongoing process. They are trying to support us, but they didn’t get all the funds they asked for, and they have other projects in the state they are trying to help.”

    Early-stage companies often don’t have the means to commit to a long-term commercial office lease. They need a place to survive until they can garner enough interest to attract another level of venture funding. If the life-sciences industry is to bring the next wave of economic growth to the state, an incubator could play a vital role in helping new companies get a foothold in the region.

    “The state has supported the concept of life sciences as one of its major goals with the idea that it’s going to be a major source of activity and job creation in the state,” said Friedmann. “If we want to do that, we have to have an incubator, because young companies are not going to come here if there is no place to go. And to attract an established company here is very hard to do.”

    With a biotech incubator, the real benefit is lab space, Friedmann said. “Businesses have been known to start in garages, but it’s much harder to start a laboratory. You just can’t do it in any place except an incubator.”

    The incubator space at Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute has room for about a dozen wet labs, so called because water and specialized utilities are piped in for use in biological and chemical experiments. According to Friedmann, ideally, entrepreneurs will rent a space for three to five years until they reach a point where they are ready to implant somewhere else, which is why there’s also talk of building a biotech park in the area.

    “If a young company is successful, the idea is they will leave the incubator, and because of the infrastructure and support systems they have been built, they will be more than likely to stay in the area,” explained Friedmann. “And if they stay in the area, they need a place to go.”

    The end result of all this is more jobs. According to the National Business Incubation Assoc. Web site, in 2006, incubators in North America assisted more than 27,000 start-up companies that provided full-time employment for more than 100,000 workers and generated annual revenue of more than $17 billion.

    Western Mass. has a history of entrepreneurial activity in some sectors, but not biotechnology. It’s away from Boston and major sources of venture funding, but if the region is to attract young biotech ventures at all, it needs a place for them to start.

    Hopefully, that place is coming soon.

    “We should get at least some of the money this year,” Friedmann said. “We’ve had some discussions with a couple of potential tenants. But until we build it out, nobody is gong to make a commitment to go into the space. We’re still waiting.”

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    Grant Program Helps Entry-level Workers Transition into Patient Care
    Sylkia Paine

    Sylkia Paine, now a former unit secretary at Mercy Medical Center and seen here in the SIMS Medical Center, has taken the first big step toward becoming a nurse.

    Dan Boze was already quite familiar with the orthopedic unit on the sixth floor at Baystate Medical Center when he started his first overnight shift there as a patient-care technician, or PCT, as they’re called, on March 14.

    That’s because he used to push a broom down its hallways.

    Indeed, only a few months ago, Boze was working as a custodian at Baystate, a job he says he took to get his foot in the door and maybe someday make a career shift into patient care. His work in custodial services covered three floors in the Daly Building, 4-6, and when he graduated a few weeks ago from a program designed to put more patient-care workers in the pipeline, Boze had the opportunity to choose either the orthopedics unit or the pediatrics wing on Daly 4, another place where he used to clean restrooms.

    Making the transition from janitor to a PCT, where he is checking patients’ vitals, inserting catheters, checking blood sugar, and assisting nurses in myriad other ways, and on floors he used to clean, has been “a little weird,” said Boze. He noted quickly, however, that such feelings have been supplanted by thoughts about how his familiarity with those units is to his advantage, and also focus on the mental and physical challenges of transitioning from the day shift and five eight-hour days to the night shift and three 12-hour days.

    These days, Boze is more than a proud PCT with thoughts already turning to the next stage of his career in health care — probably as a nurse or surgical technician; he’s also the perfect spokesperson for the workforce-development program, which is designed to help entry-level workers get the training they need to transition into patient care.

    “This is a like a dream come true,” he told BusinessWest. “I always wanted to work with people, and this program gave me the push I needed to pursue my goals and my dreams.”

    There are nine other individuals, all saying the same kinds of things, if perhaps not as eloquently, now working as PCTs, or certified nursing assistants, as they’re also called. These 10 — seven from Baystate and three from Mercy Medical Center — are the first to ‘graduate’ from the program, which is funded by the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund. The next stage in this initiative is to take 45 external candidates — those who are unemployed or underemployed — and enroll them in the same training regimen, said Dan Bates, a human-resources generalist at Mercy and one of those administering the grant.

    Training these external candidates to be PCTs is step one, said Bates, adding that the ultimate goal is for these workers to make their way up the career ladder to positions ranging from registered nurse to physical therapist to laboratory technician. In so doing, they will help alleviate projected shortages that will stem from increased demand for health care services due to an aging population and the retirement of the Baby Boomers now dominating the workforce.

    Climbing more rungs will take education and perseverance, he continued, adding that the program is designed to build confidence and show individuals that they have what it takes to advance their careers.

    “This is just the starting point,” he said, noting that participants from Mercy are already thinking about the next steps.

    Sylkia Paine is one of them. A now-former secretary in the Med-Surg unit at Mercy, she, too started work as a PCT in mid-March, and is already eyeing enrollment in Elms College’s Nursing program in the fall of 2010.

    “This program is going to make it easier for me to get accepted,” said Paine, who spoke to BusinessWest while wrapping up her PCT training with work on simulators at the SIMS Medical Center at Springfield Technical Community College. “I’m now getting hands-on work with patients that is invaluable.”

    Registering Results

    Ashley Lapointe has a story similar, in many ways, to Boze’s.

    Only a few months ago, she was toiling in the gift shop at Baystate Medical Center. It wasn’t bad work, especially given the economic conditions, whereby any job is a good job, but it certainly was not what Lapointe wanted to be doing for a living.

    Instead, she preferred to be on or much nearer to the front lines in patient care. But she lacked most all of the requisite experience when she applied for such jobs several months ago (one college course in Phlebotomy to that point) so when Baystate offered her a job behind the counter at the gift shop, she took it.

    But last Sunday, she probably walked past that facility on the way to her new job as a PCT on the Neurology Unit on what’s known as Wesson 4.

    There were many similar scenarios being played out over the third weekend in March, as the chosen 10 moved on and up to new positions in health care. Their former assignments varied — from dietary aide to grill cook; from secretary to patient registration representative; from counter person at Friendly’s to orderly. The common denominators, from a career perspective, were a desire to be working with patients, challenges from everyday life with regard to finding the time and resources to get the training required for such a career leap, and the need for a push, as Boze described.

    Employees at Baystate and Mercy had to apply for the right to be chosen to take part in the first stage of the program, and as part of that process, they had to write a quick essay explaining their desires and motivations.

    Amy Rist, project coordinator at Baystate and one of those administering the grant program, provided BusinessWest with some of those essays, while keeping the writers’ names confidential. They speak directly to what the ambitious program is all about.

    “I feel that this is an important opportunity to gain a higher level of a health care experience,” wrote one of those eventually chosen, “and a chance for better income. Becoming a patient-care technician plants me firmly on the path to my career goals and provides an excellent opportunity to help those in need.”

    Wrote another of the chosen seven: “I would like to participate in this program because it would give me the satisfaction of being able to change the quality of life of different people. I know this is a great opportunity for me to better myself as a person and be able to render my services to those people less fortunate. I have always been a people person, and this would allow me to continue helping and making people’s lives better.”

    And there was this from a third chosen to participate: “I would like to participate in this program because I’m a married, separated mom with two older children. I was interested in getting into the medical field when I was younger, but I had my children and had to attend to them, so my thoughts were put on hold. Now, my children are older … and this program came along, and I figured it was an opportunity to do something I was interested in doing.”

    Rist said these offerings and others like them explain why the grant was sought and what it will do.

    “It’s often difficult for entry-level workers to get the training they need because of family responsibilities or working a second job,” she explained. “Overcoming this barrier is one of the goals of the program — to make training easily accessible.”

    Bates agreed. He said many of those chosen for the program have thought about making the transition to patient care but have not been able to until now because of life constraints and challenges.

    The program enables participants to effectively take leaves from their jobs, with their employers continuing to pay them their salaries, and the grant paying for their tuition and other expenses such as day care. Those chosen attended classes for 10 weeks at either Holyoke Community College or the Mass. Career Development Institute, with acute-care training at the SIMS Medical Center capping the experience.

    Employment as PCTs gives program participants a significant increase in wages (10% to 20% by most estimates), but also, and perhaps more importantly, a real boost in confidence, said Rist, adding that it will also provide exposure to patient-care work and the kind of hands-on experience that can propel people into other careers in health care.

    Paine, now working the second shift in Mercy’s so-called Ortho-Neural unit, agreed.

    “I had made up my mind to be a nurse long before this opportunity came about,” she explained, adding that the workforce program should accelerate the process of reaching that goal. “But this program will definitely help by giving me hands-on experience and the ability to interact with patients. I’ll be able to experience direct patient-care work, rather than being in the back seat like I was, just looking around and not having anything to do with care delivery.”

    Lapointe also has ambitions to become a nurse, and told BusinessWest that work as a PCT will help her determine if this is really what she wants to do — while also bettering her chances to win a seat in a Nursing program, if that’s the route she opts to take.

    And she probably wouldn’t have been able to take the first step in the process without some help.

    “I could have done this on my own, if I had wanted to pay for it, but it would have been more difficult,” she said, “because I would have had to work and go to school at the same time. This program made it a lot easier — it was a great opportunity for me to get ahead.”

    Mop-up Work

    As he talked with BusinessWest, Boze had just wrapped up his first three-day workweek as a PCT. He was tired, but didn’t have to go back to work on Daly 6 for three days, so he had some time to talk.

    He said the leap from custodian to patient-care provider is one he probably wouldn’t have made without a push, and he’s happy to have been provided with one. And, as program administrators would hope, he’s already thinking about that next rung.

    “From here, I’d like to get into nursing or maybe work as a surg tech,” he explained. “I know I want to work with people and in patient care; I just need to decide which way I want to go.”

    He’s already made one big decision, and it’s led to some sweeping changes in his life — literally and figuratively — with more apparently to come.

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

    Departments

    Purchasing Undeveloped Land

    By JOHN PRENOSIL

    1. Are wetlands, vernal pools, or streams located on or adjacent to the property? That stream or small depression filled with water may limit or completely inhibit your proposed development.
    2. Is the property located wholly or partially within an active flood plain? If so, the exact extent of the flood plain may need to be determined for insurance purposes. Most flood-plain development requires permitting.
    3. Is the property located within rare-species habitat? Development within rare-species habitat may require permitting and is often time-consuming.
    4. Are there zoning regulations that may inhibit development? Is the site zoned properly for your proposed development? Will variances be required?
    5. Are there legal considerations including liens and/or other encumbrances?
    6. Is there any potential for hazardous waste contamination on the property or adjacent properties? To limit your liability, a site investigation focused on previous ownership and past land usage may be required even though the property is currently undeveloped.
    7. Are electric utilities available nearby? Sewer and water? If sewer is not available, site soils should be tested to ensure that a septic system can be designed for the property.
    8. Is the land suited to your development needs? As a general rule, it is easier to develop a property based on its constraints than to fit a pre-designed project onto a property.
    9. Are there other potential site constraints to consider? Steep slopes, ledge, site access, and high ground water are common issues.
    10. If you are unsure about any of these issues, consider hiring a professional to evaluate your property. An experienced land-development consultant can identify potential development constraints before they become issues.

    John M. Prenosil is a principal with Ware-based JMP Environmental Consulting Inc. and has been involved with land development since 1996; (413) 967-5601.

    Departments

    Insurance Industry Symposium

    March 31: A panel of financial experts will examine how the economic crisis is affecting the insurance industry during a symposium at the University of Hartford, beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Wilde Auditorium, Harry Jack Gray Center, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford, Conn. The symposium, titled “Financial Turmoil — Impact on the Insurance Industry,” will explore how the financial crisis is impacting the insurance industry’s investments, capital adequacy, and risk appetite. The registration fee is $40. For more information about the event, contact Ann Costello, director of the R.C. Knox Center for Insurance and Risk Management Studies, at [email protected].

    ‘Marketing Basics’

    April 1: The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network will sponsor a workshop from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., on the basic disciplines of marketing, beginning with research — secondary, primary, qualitative, and quantitative. The core focus will be on developing and keeping a customer. Topics will include public relations, advertising, understanding marketing, and developing a marketing plan. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712.

    Flights of Fantasy Concert

    April 4: Star Trek’s Mr. Sulu, George Takei, will narrate a portion of the 8 p.m. Springfield Symphony Pops program titled “Flights of Fantasy” in Symphony Hall. The concert features the music of one of the most famous Hollywood composers, Academy Award winner John Williams, who wrote the Star Wars and Harry Potter themes. Concertgoers will also be treated to the Star Trek television show theme and two compositions from the Star Trek movies. The audience is invited to meet Takei and the musicians in the Mahogany Room for a reception and autograph session following the concert. For tickets and more informationabout the event, call (413) 733-2291 or visit www.springfieldsymphony.org.

    Events for Kids

    April 6-10, 11, 17, 21-24: What’s Cooking, Kids? will host several events throughout April for children, ranging from candy-making sessions and Easter egg decorating to a Food Network Camp and an American Idol for Kids evening. For complete details on all events, call (413) 224-1208 or visit www.whatscookingkids.com. What’s Cooking, Kids? is located at 41 Maple St., East Longmeadow.

    Small-business Workshop

    April 7: The Western New England College Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship will offer a workshop titled “Understanding and Evaluating the Risks and the Liabilities of a Consulting Practice” from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Laurie Breitner, principal with Breitner & Associates, will present the free workshop, which is open to the public. Seating is limited. For more information, call (413) 796-2030 or visit www.law.wnec.edu/lawandbusiness.

    YMCA Breakfast

    April 8: Tim Wakefield, righthanded knuckleball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, will be the keynote speaker for the 4th annual YMCA of Greater Springfield Campaign Breakfast at the Healthful Living Center at Western New England College in Springfield. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., and the program begins at 8. A minimum donation of $150 is requested. For more information about the program, contact Andrea M. Luppi, director of Development, YMCA of Greater Springfield, at (413) 739-6951.

    Home Builders Course

    April 15: The Home Builders Assoc. of Western Mass. will sponsor a six-session course beginning on April 15 to help individuals prepare for the Massachusetts Construction Supervisor’s Licensing Exam. Sessions will be conducted at the Home Builders Assoc. headquarters, 240 Cadwell Dr., Springfield, for six Wednesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The license exam is authorized by the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards and administered by Thomson Prometric. Registration forms to enroll for the state exam will be distributed at the first session of the program. The course fee is $250 for a member of the Home Builders Assoc. of Western Mass. and $350 for non-members. Participants must bring the 7th Edition One & Two Family Dwelling Building Code book and the 7th Edition Basic Building Code book to each class and to the open-book examination. There is an additional charge to order the code books through the Home Builders Assoc. For more information or to register, contact Sandra Doucette at (413) 733-3126. Enrollment is limited.

    Rock ‘n’ Roll and Management Styles

    April 15: “Everything I Learned About Management, I Learned From Rock ‘n’ Roll” will be presented by James M. Wilson III, Ph.D., assistant professor of Business at Bay Path College, and Gregory Jones, director of Cannes Associates Production Management. Wilson and Jones have been conducting research for three years on the production of live concerts featuring Metallica, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson, among others, with a focus on how event management contributes to organizational theory. The free lecture at 7 p.m. will take place in Breck Suite in Wright Hall at Bay Path College in Longmeadow. The event is part of the Kaleidoscope lecture series. For more information, call (413) 565-1066 or visit www.baypath.edu.

    Health Care Reform Law Discussion

    April 16: Sandra Reynolds of Associated Industries of Mass. will lead an interactive discussion on the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Discussion will focus on the individual mandate — what it means and how it works, and the impact on employers of every size. The workshop is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712.

    Cryotherapy Lecture

    April 22: Dr. Mohammad Mostafavi of the Urology Group of Western New England, P.C. will lead a lecture on the latest treatment options for prostate and kidney cancer using cryotherapy at 6 p.m. at 3640 Main St., Suite 103, Springfield. Cryotherapy provides a minimally invasive method of destroying cancer. While the lecture is free and open to the public, seating is limited. To pre-register, call (413) 748-9749. For more information on the Urology Group of Western New England, visit www.ugwne.com.

    ‘Your First Business Plan’

    April 23: The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network, in conjunction with the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, will offer a workshop titled “Your First Business Plan” from 9 to 11 a.m. at the chamber office, 395 Main St., Greenfield. The workshop will focus on management fundamentals from start-up considerations through business plan development. Topics will include financing, marketing, and business planning. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712.

    World Affairs Council

    April 27: Marco Werman, senior producer and anchor of The World, a daily news radio program produced by the BBC, Public Radio International, and WGBH-Boston, will discuss “Tintin and Movietone Made Me Do It” as part of a World Affairs Council of Western Mass. gathering at Western New England College. Werman’s talk is planned at 7 p.m. in Sleith Hall, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield. The event is free and open to the public. Springfield public high-school teams who participated in the council’s fourth annual Academic WorldQuest competition in January will also be recognized at the event. For more information, call the World Affairs Council office at (413) 733-0110.

    Iron Chef Competition

    April 27: What’s Cooking, Kids? in East Longmeadow will host its first Iron Chef Competition from 7 to 10 p.m. featuring chefs Jonathan Reeser from The Federal and Byron White from PAZZO Ristorante. Each chef will present three courses using ‘secret’ ingredients, and guests will vote on the six courses, rating taste, presentation, and creativity. Several seating options are available. Tickets range from $50-$75. For more information, call (413) 224-1208 or visit www.whatscookingkids.com.

    Women’s Professional Development Conference

    April 30: Bay Path College in Longmeadow will host the 14th annual Women’s Professional Development Conference from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. For more information, call (413) 565-1293 or visit www.baypath.edu.

    Walk of Champions

    May 3: Baystate Mary Lane Hospital will host its fourth annual Walk of Champions at Quabbin Reservoir to benefit its Baystate Regional Cancer Program. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., and the program opens at 9:30. Walkers will step off at 10 from the Quabbin Reservoir tower parking area and will proceed along the Windsor Dam. Both two-mile and five-mile routes will be available. Refreshments will be provided along the routes, and the event will conclude with more food and entertainment at the Quabbin Reservoir tower. For more information, call Deb Gagnon at (413) 967-2458.

    Departments

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

    Arnold, Marie J.
    1 Wildflower Dr.
    Ware, MA 01082
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Arroyo, Johnny
    2141 Main St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Artisan’s Cafe LLC
    Agudelo, Luis Enrique
    142 Westfield Road
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Askew, David J.
    a/k/a Askew, Shari L.
    20 Cheney St.
    Orange, MA 01364
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Babineau, David A.
    Babineau, Hope E.
    130 East Houastonic St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Banas, David A.
    71 Leonard St.
    Leeds, MA 01053
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Barnaby, Timothy P.
    0 Wabasso St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/20/09

    Billington, Charles J.
    PO Box 610
    Sturbridge, MA 01566
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Brassard, Michael
    Brassard, Beverly A.
    10 Whitford Place
    Wilbraham, MA 01095-1778
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Brito, Luis M.
    82 Somerset St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/09/09

    Caposella, Racquel
    5 Hadley St., Apt. C-1
    South Hadley, MA 01075
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/10/09

    Collette, Daniel L.
    Collette, Stacy A.
    83 Beaver Lake Road
    Ware, MA 01082
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Colon, Nellie
    a/k/a Villanueva, Nellie
    13 Vernon St.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Coppa, Toni Jo
    a/k/a Schulze, Toni Jo
    10 Powder Mill Road
    Southwick, MA 01077
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Cyganiewicz, Kris Joseph
    Cyganiewicz, Robin Ann
    110 Schoolhouse Road
    Phillipston, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    D’Amato, Eric R.
    24 Paxton Road
    Spencer, MA 01562
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Davis, Dorothy J.
    21 Dearborn St.
    East Longmeadow, MA 01028
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    DeChristopher-Hamade, Naomi A.
    1476 Westfield St.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/09/09

    Demarey, John P.
    4 Franklin St.
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Depeau, Patricia A.
    17 Sherbrooke St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Di Cocco, Dana L.
    23 Cleveland St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/17/09

    Doel, Russell John
    Doel, Lori Lee
    a/k/a Richards, Lori L.
    2 Alice St.
    Turners Falls, MA 01376
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Dudley, Giselle Linette
    197 Westford Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Ferguson, John P.
    Ferguson, Marjorie M.
    502 South Main St.
    Orange, MA 01364
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Fernandez, Raul
    582 Pleasant St., #2-D
    Hoyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/09/09

    Flebotte, Warren W.
    87 Medford St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Fountaine, Gary E.
    9 Lacona St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Gonzalez, Manuela
    a/k/a Gonzalez-Burgos, Manuela
    PO Box 6604
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Greenwood, Richard J.
    200 College St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Hernandez, Marisol
    26 Vinton St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Hess, Christopher Michael
    5 Sadie Lane
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/17/09

    Kelly, Amani Malik
    35 Webster St.
    Everett, MA 02149
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Kum, Roger Olston
    128 Benton St.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/17/09

    Langlois, Kirk D.
    34 Dunbar St.
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    LeClair, Eric S.
    1 Shumakowski Dr.
    Southampton, MA 01073
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/10/09

    Lewis, Delmore
    47 Richmond Lane
    Chicopee, MA 01021
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Lopez, Teodoro
    Dunn, Sheila M.
    259 South Main St.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 02/10/09

     

    Lukasik, Steven John
    Lukasik, Nancy Ann
    20 Sunnymeade Ave.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Mac Innes, Carl F.
    Mac Innes, Lisa A.
    68 School St., 1st Fl.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/10/09

    MacArthur, Aaron J.
    25 Pine St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Mail Masters
    EuroKlasse Plus, LLC,
    Vdovichenko, Vladimir Vitalievich
    Vdovichenko, Lidiya Leonidovna
    c/o L. Jed Berliner, Esquire
    95 State St., Ste. 101
    Springfield, MA 01103
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Mann, Coleen Marie
    5 Valley View Heights
    Monson, MA 01057
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Marrin, James J.
    61 Laurence St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Melvin, Troy L.
    101 O’Neill Road
    Warren, MA 01083
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/10/09

    Moriarty, Kathleen
    21 Warren Road
    Wilbraham, MA 01095
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Nelson, Karen A.
    a/k/a LeBlanc, Karen A.
    14 Oak St.
    Southwick, MA 01077
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    New England Woodworking
    18 Ledgewood Dr.
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/09/09

    Normoyle, Carrie A.
    72 Hope Farms Dr.
    Feeding Hills, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Nunez, Andres
    Rodriguez, Celia I.
    147 Beech St.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Oates, Judith A.
    P.O. Box 811
    Great Barrington, MA 01230
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Oliver, Karen F
    310 Stafford St., Apt. 412
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Pentz, William M.
    Pentz, Lisa A.
    a/k/a Parker, Lisa A.
    a/k/a Mason-Fredette, Lisa A
    33 Gold St.
    Springfield, MA 01107
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/17/09

    Perez, Yolanda Ivette
    138 Packard Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Powell, Derek M.
    Powell, Pamela Ann
    595 Tyler St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Price, Bethany A.
    5 Jaynes Road
    Lenox, MA 01240
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Ramos, Rosa E.
    31 Laurel St.
    Springfield, MA 01107
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Reed, Richard R.
    Reed, Carol J.
    151 Franklin St.
    Feeding Hills, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Rhodes, Anthony M.
    a/k/a Rhodes, Tony M.
    205 Vining Hill Road
    Southwick, MA 01077
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Rodriguez, Felicita
    173 South St.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Santiago, Nelly
    178 Chapman St., 2nd Fl.
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/10/09

    Santos, Ana
    142 Farnum Dr.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/11/09

    Serafino-Marrin, Nicolle B.
    112 Harrow Road
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Shelton, Michael S.
    P.O. Box 364
    Orange, MA 01364
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Skiathitis, Christopher James
    Skiathitis, Bridget Marie
    396 Log Plain Road
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Skorput, Anna L.
    a/k/a Skorput, Anna Ambrose
    P.O. Box 493
    West Stockbridge, MA 01266
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Smith, Lekera S.
    85 David St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Sowell, Mark R.
    140 Newton St.
    South Hadley, MA 01075
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Thompson, Woodrow W.
    64 Ellsworth Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 02/18/09

    Tolliver, Brian Scott
    Tolliver, Debra Johnson
    1833 Roosevelt Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/10/09

    Venn, William P.
    Venn, Lori A.
    3 Converse Circle
    East Longmeadow, MA 01028
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Weibel, Shirley A.
    340 Amostown Road
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/12/09

    Williams, Darryl J.
    Williams, Kandis J.
    57 Chapin Ter.
    Springfield, MA 01107
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/19/09

    Wynne, Leslie Ann
    15 Pond St.
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 02/13/09

    Departments

    HG&E Purchases Land For Conservation, Renewable Energy

    HOLYOKE — Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E) recently signed an agreement to purchase 270 acres on the Mt. Tom ridge for conservation and future exploration of a small portion of the land for renewable-energy use. HG&E plans to purchase the land from Springfield Towers, LLC, and the vast majority of the property will be preserved as permanent conservation land, according to HG&E Manager James Lavelle. A small part of the land will be considered for a wind project to provide a clean, renewable source of energy, as well as telecommunications equipment. Lavelle added that HG&E has entered into an agreement with the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) to ensure that the majority of the land is held for conservation and to explore the possible use for wind energy and telecommunications. According to that agreement, if HG&E does not develop a wind project within three years, the land will be made available to the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust at MTC, or its designee, for the development of wind power. The 270 acres will be immediately protected through a restrictive covenant that will be applied to the property through the agreement with the state. That covenant limits any development to renewable energy and telecommunications, such as the cell tower and telecommunications facilities currently on the site. No development plans have yet been formalized, added Lavelle. HG&E is a municipally owned utility company providing electricity, natural gas, district steam, and fiber-optic Internet services to more than 18,000 customers.

    Springfield Eligible For $2M in Loans

    SPRINGFIELD — MassDevelopment recently announced four municipally owned properties have been selected for low-cost loans of up to $2 million under the agency’s Brownfields Priority Project Program (P-cubed). The sites are located in Springfield, Boston, Chelmsford, and New Bedford. The P-cubed program designates high-impact parcels to attract developer interest in reuse that would be viable but for environmental contamination. The agency will release the remediation funds after a developer has been identified by the municipality. In Springfield, the city owned, half-acre Indian Motorcycle ‘B’/Mason Square Fire Station site on State Street contains two vacant buildings that once housed a motorcycle-manufacturing plant and a neighborhood fire station. The property is one of seven priority development projects identified by the State Street Alliance, an affiliation of 60 stakeholders located on and around State Street, which could spur near-term market opportunities and new investments if redeveloped. The city previously secured a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to fund initial assessment work at the site. The city plans to solicit developers this year and convey the site to the selected group in 2010.

    Crane & Co. Eliminates 70 Jobs

    NORTH ADAMS — Crane & Co., now in its seventh generation of making paper for U.S. currency, recently cut 70 positions in its personalized stationery division due to a drop in demand. Additionally, approximately 200 remaining employees in that division will be taking a 9% pay cut. Fifty employees were employed in the personal-design-services facility in North Adams, and 20 worked in the Dalton factory.

    Northeast Consumer Price Index Rises

    WASHINGTON — Retail prices in the Northeast region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, rose 0.6% in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Labor. Denis McSweeney, the bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that while increases in transportation and apparel led the way, six of the eight major categories had higher prices in February; only the food and beverages and the education and communication indexes recorded declines since January. The February level of 226.754 (1982-84 = 100) was 0.7% higher than in February 2008. Over the same period, the core inflation rate, as measured by all items less food and energy index, rose 2.2%. Due almost entirely to higher gasoline prices, the transportation index rose 1.7% in February. Following three straight monthly declines totaling 8.9%, apparel prices rose 5.4% in February. Over the year, apparel prices advanced 2.7%. The housing index rose 0.3% since January, dominated by a 0.6% increase in shelter prices. The shelter index, which includes rent of primary residence, lodging away from home, owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence, and tenants’ and household insurance, rose 1.8% over the year. Nationally, consumer prices rose in February by the largest amount in seven months as gasoline prices surged again and clothing costs jumped the most in nearly two decades.

    Unemployment Claims Hit New High

    NEW YORK — In the week ending March 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 646,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 658,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The four-week moving average was 654,750, an increase of 3,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 651,000. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.1% for the week ending March 7, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week’s revised rate of 3.9%. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 7 was 5,473,000, an increase of 185,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 5,288,000. The four-week moving average was 5,251,250, an increase of 118,750 from the preceding week’s revised average of 5,132,500. The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 4.577 million. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 594,121 in the week ending March 14, a decrease of 58,515 from the previous week. There were 335,917 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008. Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin during the week ending Feb. 28.

    Departments

    The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2009.

    AGAWAM

    Lambert & Pryor LLC
    847 Springfield St.
    $100,000 — Interior alteration and partial vestibule addition

    Light Tower — SBA
    850 South Westfield St.
    $12,000 — Add three antennas to existing cell tower

    Six Flags New England
    1623 Main St.
    $15,000 — Form and pour concrete columns for two new flame cannons at the Superman ride

    Six Flags New England
    1623 Main St.
    $15,000 — Form and pour concrete pads on existing slab for new Slingshot ride

    Westfield Bank
    241 South Westfield St.
    $340,000 — Interior fit-out for bank

    AMHERST

    Hills House LLC
    20 Gray St.
    $175,000 — Total renovation

    Slobody Development Corp.
    101 University Dr.
    $163,000 — Build-out of office space for Mass. Dept. of Agriculture

    CHICOPEE

    Prospects Enterprises, LLC
    1600 Memorial Dr.
    $409,000 — Install membrane roofing

    EASTHAMPTON

    City of Easthampton
    Pleasant St.
    $96,000 — Construct new band shell structure at Lower Mill Pond Park

    John Moriarty
    67-75 Main St.
    $36,000 — Repair rear fire escape and construct egress balconies to connect to new egress stairs

    JPS Acquisition Elastomerics Company
    412 Main St.
    $69,500 — Install two new interior columns

    EAST LONGMEADOW

    Girl Scouts of America
    40 Harkness Ave.
    $9,100 — Interior alterations

    GREENFIELD

    Franklin Medical Center
    48 Sanderson St.
    $107,500 — New roof

    Greenfield Health Camp Inc.
    Leyden Road
    $31,000 — Construct a 60’x 34’ accessory structure for performing arts

    J. Terry LLC
    30-44 Federal St.
    $22,000 — Construction of new bar in dining area

    Stephen Haggerty
    332 Main St.
    $150,000 — Install an internal elevator for three floors

    Timothy F. Washburn
    19 Congress St.
    $5,900 — Installation of a fire alarm system

    HOLYOKE

    Awkal Oussama
    395 Maple St.
    $10,000 — New roof

    Bell Real Estate Company, LLC
    15 Samosett St.
    $646,000 — Erect 9,600-square-foot steel and masonry addition

     

    LONGMEADOW

    Pocket Wireless
    73 Pondside Road
    $12,000 — Add three antennas to existing cell tower

    LUDLOW

    Crown Atlantic Corporation
    145 Carmelinas Circle
    $12,000 — Antennas for cell towers

    Manuel Palatino
    319 East St.
    $30,000 — Commercial alterations

    NORTHAMPTON

    Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
    30 Locust St.
    $448,000 — Emergency room renovation

    ES Realty Corporation
    34 Bridge St.
    $50,000 — Renovation of Liberty Mutual Insurance – Unit 2

    Lesser, Newan, Nassar, LLC
    33 Main St.
    $49,000 — New roof

    Nonotuck Mills LLC
    296 Nonotuck St.
    $41,000 – Create space for personal fitness trainer

    PALMER

    Allen Block LLC
    1003 Church St.
    $300,000 – Construction of two new apartments and up to four commercial spaces

    American Tower
    400 Peterson Road
    $29,000 – Add 6 antennas on existing tower

    SPRINGFIELD

    Biskit LLC
    189 Brookdale Dr.
    $3,500 – Remove two walls and add partitions

    Carlo Rovelli
    1 Allen St.
    $16,000 – Construct two new accessible toilet rooms

    Pearson-Cooley Development
    1334 Liberty St.
    $34,000 – Interior renovations

    Ralph A. Bruno, Jr.
    58 Wilkes St.
    $658,000 – Construction of a single story church

    Subway
    3640 Main St.
    $51,000 – Build-out of Subway restaurant

    WEST SPRINGFIELD

    Paul Shields
    1305 Riverdale St.
    $6,500 – Replace commercial kitchen exhaust hood

    Richard & Randy Rindels
    20C River St.
    $2,500 – Reoccupy existing space as a convenience store

    WESTFIELD

    City of Westfield
    177 Montgomery Road
    $10,000 – Change computer room into classroom at WHS

    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

    Arnold’s Meats v. The Amherst Chicago Pizzaria
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,951.57
    Filed: 2/27/09

    FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

    Jaroslav & Patricia Roth v. Machinery Solutions, Inc. et al
    Allegation: Breach of warranty and product liability causing serious injury and blindness: $2,263,000.00
    Filed: 3/5/09

    Walter S. Pratt & Sons Inc. v. Pioneer Drilling
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $182,189.03
    Filed: 3/12/09

    GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

    Country Oil Inc. v. H-Copy Hallowell’s Printing Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment of heating oil services and furnace repair: $4,097.37
    Filed: 2/19/09

    Emotion Kayak Inc. v. Trails
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $4,600.29
    Filed: 2/17/09

    Hazel Fuller v. MHC Inc.
    Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property, causing trip and fall: $18,378.19
    Filed: 3/3/09

    Hudson Valley Paper Company v. H-Copy and Hallowell’s Printing Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $4,708.41
    Filed: 2/17/09

    WT Land, LLC v. Pioneer Supply Corp.
    Allegation: Non-payment of rent: $15,222.50
    Filed: 2/26/09

    HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

    Champagne Drywall Inc. v. GFI Longbrook, LLC
    Allegation: Non-payment for services rendered and breach of contract: $49,000
    Filed: 2/27/09

    Dawn Cardinal, admin. for the estate of Daniel Cardinal v. Lorenver Po, M.D. Holyoke Associates in Internal Medicine Inc.
    Allegation: Wrongful death from overdose of pain medication: $4,000,000
    Filed: 2/27/09

    Francis & Lorraine Sabourin v. Alfred Hutt, M.D.
    Allegation: Medical malpractice: $175,000.00
    Filed: 3/16/09

    Hendel & Collins, P.C. v. Veritech Corporation and Patient EDU, LLC
    Allegation: Non-payment of legal services rendered: $36,498.87
    Filed: 3/2/09

    Melissa Young v. The Home Depot Inc.
    Allegation: Employment discrimination and wrongful termination: $30,000
    Filed: 2/27/09

    HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

    April-Lynn Forest v. Village Park Apartments
    Allegation: Employment discrimination and retaliation causing termination: $56,000
    Filed: 2/26/09

    Elliott Co. v. Cooley Dickinson Hospital
    Allegation: Breach of contract for the purchase of special-order equipment: $173,151
    Filed: 2/26/09

    HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

    Mark P. Cutting v. RCR Enterprises Inc.
    Allegation: Breach of contract in a car sale and title forgery: $5,000
    Filed: 12/2/09

    NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

    Falcetti & Clark Electrical Supply Inc. v. Rosazza Electrical Contractors
    Allegation: Non-payment of electrical supplies: $14,427.16
    Filed: 2/23/09

    PALMER DISTRICT COURT

    American Buildings & Contractors Supply Company Inc. v. Baxter Property Management
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $2,705.40
    Filed: 2/19/09

    A & W Freight Brokers of Maine v. Quaboag Transfer Inc. & United Bank
    Allegation: Breach of contract by failure to perform duties stated: $24,150
    Filed: 2/19/09

    Shaws Industries Inc. v. Superior Floor Covering
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,445.58
    Filed: 2/23/09

    SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

    All Metals Industries Inc. v. HoodTech Inc. and Paul Saletnik
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,280
    Filed: 3/13/09

    Bradco Supply Corporation v. CRK Contracting and TD Banknorth
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,859.39
    Filed: 3/4/09

    WEZE & WROL v. El Shaddai Dental Associates, P.C.
    Allegation: Non-payment of promissory note: $16,296.84
    Filed: 3/4/09

    WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

    Capital One Bank, N.A. v. Signature Resumes
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered and charged on a Capital One credit card: $17,066
    Filed: 2/23/09

    Jelly Belly’s Pools & Spas Inc. v. Peabody Properties Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment for services rendered: $9,244.01
    Filed: 3/9/09

    Stephen Burrell & Sophia Zanzarella v. Windy Hills Stables Inc. and Jennifer Garulenski
    Allegation: Breach of contract, fraud, deceit, and negligent misrepresentation in sale of horse: $9,000
    Filed: 3/6/09

    Departments

    The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of March 2009.

    AGAWAM

    A Bounce House Express
    77 Cecile St.
    Brian Regnier

    Chris Hamel Productions
    70 Federal Ave.
    Christopher Hamel

    Corner Deli and Variety
    644 Main St.
    John Kilpatrick

    Development Associates
    630 Silver St.
    Kenneth Vincunas

    Horniak Photography
    55 Alhambra Circle
    Nick Horniak

    M and M’s Restaurant
    1409 Suffield St.
    Mary Donhue

    Mahoney Property Services Inc.
    13 Kathy Terr.
    Paul Mahoney

    Mark’s Delivery Service
    9 Alfred Circle
    Mark Kuralt

    Personal Computer Solutions
    64 Memory Lane
    Kenneth Athas

    Salon Tres Chic & Day Spa LLC
    339 Walnut St.
    Mary A. Zicolella

    Sun Valley Fire Equipment
    700 Springfield St.
    William Kusher

    AMHERST

    Delightful Events
    30 Overlook Dr.
    Melanie Turner

    Hawkins Home Improvement
    165 Summer St.
    Jonathan Hawkins

    Otolo
    6 University Dr.
    Red Plum Technology LLC

    CHICOPEE

    07th Web Design
    283D Fuller Road
    Kevin C. Pirnie

    Andy Remodeling
    200 Lambert Ter.
    Andrzey Organ

    Christopher Chouinard Electrical
    1 Springfield St.
    Christopher Chouinard

    Pioneer Fence Co.
    705 Britton St.
    Jeremy Lempke

    Unbound Uplink
    24 Hummingbird Dr.
    Christopher Patten

    EASTHAMPTON

    Dead White Guy Productions
    16 Ballard St.
    Devon Hicks

    Hanke Digital
    1 Hunter Lane
    Robert V. Hanke

    Mockingbird Farm
    15 Torrey St.
    Peter Solio

    Wing Travel Bureau
    28-30 Northampton St.
    Mai Stoddard

    Yourway Gourmet
    116 Pleasant St.
    James A. Sands

    GREENFIELD

    J.A.Z.Z.
    42 Pickett Lane
    Adam N. Zaykoski

    The Red Door
    4 Ames St.
    Stephen W. Oates

    Sales Solutions Inc.
    195 Chapman St.
    Richard Clark

    Your Mother’s Oven
    38 Bank Road
    Shelly Phillips

    HADLEY

    Hadley Getty
    13 Russell St.
    Ashish Desai

    Language Learning Innovations
    2 Oloha Dr.
    J. Scott Payne

    HOLYOKE

    Manny’s Auto Sales
    740 High St.
    Justiliano Cuevas

    Max Orient
    50 Holyoke St.
    Harry C. Chen

    Phantom Security Service
    15 Main St.
    Samuel R. Lafleche

    Shirin Jewelers
    50 Holyoke St.
    Yousef Al-Ryati

    Quiltworks
    37 Clark St.
    Martha J. May

    LONGMEADOW

    Longmeadow Security Group
    128 Hazardville Road
    Richard Marchese

    Malmsey’s Mysticals
    359 Converse St.
    Elizabeth J. Herbert

    MassTree
    785 Williams St.
    Jonathan David

    NORTHAMPTON

    Anderson Hardwood Floors
    477 Burts Pit Road
    David. R. Anderson

    Campus Home Exchange
    226 Crescent St.
    Janet Bennett

    Credit Market Intelligence
    109 High St.
    Sunergix, Inc.

    Mother Herb Draper Service
    14 Northern Ave.
    Angela Gregory

    Northampton Transmission
    245 N. King St.
    John Hunter

    Onyxx Design
    73 Barrett St.
    Jesse Wood

    Pioneer Valley Imports
    221 Pine St.
    Erich Husemoller

    Precision Industries Inc.
    45 Industrial Dr.
    Christopher Circo

    PALMER

    Al Jr.’s Cycle Shop
    3008 Center St.
    Albert H. Laviolette Jr.

     

    RS Landscaping
    1034 School St.
    Robert Smigiel

    SOUTH HADLEY

    Compassionate Pet Services
    12 Canal St.
    Danielle Robertson

    Haydocy’s Service
    72 Lamb St.
    Karl J. Haydocy

    Pioneer Valley Roofing Associates LLC
    29 Wood Ave.
    Edward Pietrzykowski

    Liberty Transportations
    103 Main St.
    Saven Ward

    Universal Trucking Service
    315 Hadley St.
    Waldemar Binczyk

    White Wing Service
    568 Newton St.
    Frank J. Strzempko

    SOUTHWICK

    Fork Media
    12 Feeding Hills Road
    Ryan Macrae

    SPRINGFIELD

    3 NG Bakery
    37 Howard St.
    Jacob Abbas Saleh

    Advantage Restaurant & Deli
    2895 Main St.
    Yoselin A. Almonte

    Allen House of Magic
    224 Talmadge Dr.
    Angel M Mojica

    Awesome Cleaning & Janitor
    6 Alsace St.
    Augustine Osahon

    Byron Keenan Funeral Home
    1858 Allen St.
    Foratiere Family

    Café Du Jour
    1365 Main St.
    Ziad Debian

    Cama Staffing
    394 Page Blvd.
    Sothy Si Son

    Cardoso Remodeling Service
    33 Parkwood St.
    Luis Felipe Cardoso

    Chinese Qi Gong Tui Na
    1655 Boston Road
    Shao Hao Chen

    Choice Merchant Solutions
    1655 Main St.
    Hai Xavier Nguyen

    D Kiwi Boutique
    195A Worthington St.
    Feidel Bautista

    Dads Variety Store
    1081 State St.
    Earl Watson

    Desmond Landscape
    15 Cloran St.
    Desmond White

    East Coast Overhead Garage
    4 Ivan St.
    John T. Nadeau

    Frontier Restoration
    77 Ontario St.
    Daniel Vincent

    Golden Hawk of MA, LLC
    809 Boston Road
    Golden Hawk of MA

    Haraka Transportation
    95 Sumner Ave.
    Emma Kasilo

    Hometown Landscaping
    53 Abbott St.
    Michael R. Solin

    Hong Tinh Duong Martial Arts
    663 Dikcinson Ave.
    Hieu Nguyen

    Imperio Musical
    2460 Main St.
    Jose Miguel Rijo

    James Woodcrafts
    86 Breckwood Blvd.
    James Edward Ezell

    WESTFIELD

    Baron’s Mall
    23 Tannery Road
    Ronald J. Baron

    Children Learning World
    228 Old County Road
    Cheryl Thivierge

    Coating Services
    5 1/2 Bush Street
    John McMordie

    Dion Tree and Landscaping
    6 King Ave
    David M. Dion

    Michael’s Towing Inc.
    14 Clifton St.
    Michael’s Towing Inc.

    Polish Deli
    15 Straitfield Ave.
    Malgorzata Gawron

    RKG Engineering
    85 Hillcrest Circle
    Richard K. Gendreau

    Thrifty Car Sales
    90 Southwood Dr.
    David Dicienzo

    WEST SPRINGFIELD

    Bertera Subaru Inc.
    499 Riverdale St.
    Aldo M. Bertera

    Bill Stachowicz Electric
    163 Queen Ave.
    William Stachowicz

    M & H Automotive Inc.
    697 Union St.
    Antoine Y. Matta

    Men’s Wearhouse & Tux
    1321 Riverdale St.
    Claudia Puritt

    Red Carpet Inn
    560 Riverdale St.
    Nealkamth Inc.

    Shattered Apparel
    400 Rogers Ave.
    Santolo Odierna

    Silver K Studios
    2003 Riverdale St.
    Samuel E. Hayes

    Super Petro Inc.
    230 Day St.
    David J. Vickers Jr.

    Tip Top Nails
    239 Memorial Ave.
    Hoa Chi Thach

    Western Mass Welding
    190 Day St.
    Michael A. Bourbeau

    Westfield Bank
    206 Park St.
    Gerald P. Ciejka

    Departments

    Anthony P. Simone has been named AVP-Wealth Management Advisor at The Bank of Western Massachusetts in Springfield.

    •••••

    Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services Co. in Holyoke reported that Stewart Creelman, a Certified Financial Planner, recently marked his 50th anniversary with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual). Charter Oak is one of the largest MassMutual agencies in the country.

    •••••

    The Board of Directors of Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America, based in Pittsfield, announced the following:
    • Brian J. Cunningham has been elected Director, Claims. In his new role, he oversees the company’s delivery of high-quality claims services to its policyholders. He also lends claims risk-management perspective to Berkshire Life’s product-development efforts and contributes to ongoing agent/broker and client-education efforts.
    • Donna N. Lagarce has been elected FLMI, Director, Project-management Office. Lagarce is charged with building out enterprise-wide project-management methodologies, reporting tools, and policies.
    • Tara M. Tereso has been elected Director, Marketing Services. Tereso’s principal responsibilities are to collaborate with business area clients to create strategic marketing campaigns in support of the company’s business plan.

    •••••

    The Polish National Credit Union in Southampton announced the following:
    • Carol A. Desrosiers has been named Branch Manager;
    • Heather Huot has been named Assistant Manager; and
    • Sarah Harrington has been named Head Teller.

    •••••

    PeoplesBank announced the following:
    • Karen J. Buell has been promoted to Internet Branch Officer.
    • Xiaolei Hua has been promoted to Project Management Officer.

    •••••

    Bacon Wilson P.C. in Springfield has announced that Partner Michael Katz has received the prestigious Sadowsky Visionary Award from the Jimmy Fund. The award is given to “someone who demonstrates extraordinary commitment to the Jimmy Fund and the mission of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute by conceiving, leading, or dedicating themselves to an event or activity that delivers annual financial support and/or long-term volunteer commitment.” Katz is co-chairman of the firm’s Bankruptcy Department. He is also a past president and current member of the board of directors of the Jimmy Fund Council of Western Mass., and serves on the Jimmy Fund Advisory Committee for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

    •••••

    Tastefully Simple announced the following:
    • Carleen Mullin has received the Top Sales Achiever in Location Award.
    • Katrina Deragon has received the Top Team Sales in Region Award.
    • Marva Walting has received the Top Team Sales in Location Award.
    All awards were presented during Tastefully Simple’s On Tour event in Boston, which unveiled the company’s spring-summer product line.

    •••••

    Morrison Mahoney LLP has appointed Attorney Jennifer A. Hylemon as a Partner of the firm and a member of the Medical Professional Practice Group in Springfield. Hylemon’s practice is concentrated in the areas of medical malpractice, professional liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation litigation.

    •••••

    Joanne St-Germain was among the top Avon representatives who recently attended a weekend at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Hollywood, Calif., for division and district managers. Representatives were chosen based on their fourth-quarter sales performance compared to the prior year.

    •••••
    Joanne Lusignan, with Home & Garden Party, recently attended the company’s leadership convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, that featured guest speakers and training workshops from Feb. 26-28. Home & Garden Party announced the acquisition of Home Interiors during the convention, as well as its new name, Celebrating Home.

    •••••

    Adrian L. Rawn has joined TD Banknorth as a Business Banking Officer in Springfield. He provides a range of services, including loans, deposits, commercial real-estate financing, and lines of credit, to businesses throughout Hampden and Hampshire counties.

    •••••

    Comcast has promoted Andy McCarthy to Vice President of Engineering and Technical Operations for western New England. McCarthy will oversee the engineering planning, development, and deployment of new products throughout the region while also working to ensure the reliability and resiliency of Comcast’s converged fiber-optic network.

    •••••

    Jewish Geriatric Services announced the following:
    • Danielle M. Withroder has been named Development Coordinator;
    • Celina Conway has joined the Ruth’s House staff as Director of Community Relations;
    • Christine M. Cronin has been named Wellness Nurse at Ruth’s House; and
    • Jennifer A. Haber has accepted a Social Worker position at the Julian J. Leavitt Family Jewish Nursing Home.

    •••••

    Dr. Michael Caban has joined the orthodontic practice of Dr. Robert Leff.

    •••••

    Chicopee Savings Bank announced the following:
    • Russell J. Omer has been promoted to Executive Vice President;
    • Wayne L. Webster has joined the bank as Vice President of Commercial Lending;
    • Elizabeth A. Wilk has been promoted to Vice President;
    • Elizabeth M. Maroney has been promoted to Assistant Vice President;
    • Guida R. Sajdak has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending;
    • Luke D. Kettles has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending;
    • Kathi L. Donahue has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending, and
    • Darlene M. Libiszewski has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Information Technology.

    •••••

    Anthony F. Roda has joined TD Banknorth as the Store Manager at 243 Triangle St., Amherst. He is responsible for managing day-to-day operations at the location and developing and overseeing small business loans, deposit accounts, consumer lending, and investment and insurance services.

    •••••

    Attorney Carol Cioe Klyman, a Shareholder of Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., of Springfield, recently participated in the panel discussion “Practicing Outside the Box: Atypical Practice Areas for Attorneys of Color,” at the annual regional convention of the National Black Law Students Assoc. at the Springfield Marriott. Klyman discussed the rewards of assisting elders, disabled individuals, and their families in special needs, long-term care, and estate planning, and acting as advocates for these clients in areas such as consumer protection claims and trust and estate litigation.

    •••••

    Attorney L. Alex Hogan, with Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. in Springfield, recently spoke to a group of South Hadley High School students on personal finance as part of the M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program offered at the school. Hogan practices in the areas of business law, business litigation, and bankruptcy.

    •••••

    Laurie Long has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations at D.J. St. Germain Investment Management Co. As a certified Microsoft professional, Long provides expertise in the areas of programming, user training, software applications, and systems analysis.

    Departments

    Getting Down to Business

    Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno recently announced that Royal & Munnings, LLC is the recipient of a city of Springfield contract providing certain services to minority- and women-owned businesses. The services to businesses under the contract includes technical and legal assistance in obtaining state and federal certification as a minority- or woman-owned business, in responding to procurement opportunities and in obtaining financing and bonding to support these businesses in their participation in construction and supply projects. From left: Maria Lopez-Santiago, chief procurement officer for the city of Springfield; Aimee Griffin Munnings, partner with the law firm of Royal & Munnings, LLC; Sarno; and Amy B. Royal, Partner with Royal & Munnings, LLC.


    Parting Thoughts

    Paul Digrigoli, founder and president of Digrigoli Salons, was the keynote speaker at the recent national conference for NACCE (the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship) in Anaheim, Calif. Here, he makes his point to an audience of educators looking to develop or enhance programs for teaching entrepreneurship.


    Model Operation

    Balise Lexus recently hosted a launch reception to introduce the all-new 2010 RX at its dealership on Riverdale Street. The all-new RX is touted as the “reinvention of the vehicle that invented it all,” according to Mike Balise, left, vice president of Balise Motor Sales, seen here with Brant Baird, district sales manager for Lexus. The event drew several hundred visitiors, and was highlighted by an auction of the first few RXs delivered to the West Springfield showroom.


    Forging Partnerships

    Fagor-Automation Corp. in Chicago recently donated the installation of its new Innova 40i ‘True Vision’ digital readout system in the Machine Tool Technology Program at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield. The new computer controls will assist Putnam students to blend their pre-existing Windows computer skills with most of the manual metal-working machines at the school. In preparation for a hands-on open house at Putnam this spring, precision-machining companies that are interested in viewing this new equipment, which will be debuted at EASTEC 2009 on May 19-21, should contact Fred Carrier at Putnam ([email protected]). Coordination of these donated services to Putnam was lead by Buck Upson, president of Pioneer Tool Supply Co. Inc. of West Springfield, the Putnam Program Advisory Board, and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. Installation of the controls was provided by Danny Steidi and Joel Kasnick from Fagor-Automation Corp.


    Hometown Heroes

    The American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter recently honored several Western Mass. residents at its annual ‘Hometown Heroes’ breakfast. Above, Tony Filipe (left), president of the Home Builders Assoc. of Western Mass., with honoree Joseph Lesniak of Indian Orchard. At right, Sheila Doiron (left), director of Communications and Community Relations for Bay State Gas, with honoree Bobi Steingart of Longmeadow.

    Opinion

    A recent study conducted by the Center for Labor Studies at Northeastern made official what most experts have suspected for some time — that more people are working past what would traditionally be considered retirement age.

    The study revealed that, since 2000, the employment rate nationally among those ages 55 to 64 has increased 4.4%, and, for those over 65, it has increased 3.6%. Conversely, though, for those ages 20-24, the rate is down 5.5%, and for those ages 16-19, the drop is a whopping 12.6%. The numbers are very similar for the Bay State.

    Quick translation — there are far fewer jobs for young people these days, and it appears that things are going to get worse, maybe much worse, in this regard before they get any better. Indeed, with the country in the midst of perhaps the worst recession in 70 years, there are simply fewer jobs to be had. And with people living longer and needing to work longer — with retirement accounts getting hammered and traditional pensions a thing of the past — there is now more competition for what jobs there are.

    And one can’t blame people in their late 60s, 70s, and even early 80s for being part of that competition. Many want to work to feel vibrant and stay active and sharp, and, as we just mentioned, many need to work just to make ends meet. But if this trend continues and accelerates, which it probably will, young people are going to find it ever more difficult to find gainful employment.

    Which is quite problematic for regions like the Pioneer Valley, because first, second, and third jobs are important — for a number of reasons. First, from a practical standpoint, jobs provide young people with the resources to help pay for college and, in many cases, just to support themselves. Also, they provide key lessons in how the world of work operates, thus better preparing them for that proverbial first ‘real’ job. And, in both urban and suburban areas, jobs help keep young people from getting bored and getting into trouble.

    And so, while the nation and this region grapple with the immediate and considerable challenge of creating and retaining jobs for people of all ages, there is apparent need to pay special attention to somehow sparking more openings for young people.

    We say ‘somehow,’ because at a time when most companies are struggling to stay afloat, avoid layoffs, or minimize reductions in workforce, creating jobs for teens and college students would fall into the realm of the extraordinary. Meanwhile, when employers face the choice of hiring someone in high school, who doesn’t have much work experience, or someone in their 60s, who has plenty of experience and (probably) better work habits, they will usually choose the latter.

    On top of all this, technology has made it possible for business owners across many sectors to simply make do with fewer people. Add all this up, and it doesn’t bode well for young adults trying to join the workforce.

    What may be needed are special incentives, probably in the form of tax credits, awarded to employers who can imaginatively add new jobs and award them to young people — as opposed to simply choosing teens over 70-year-olds who either want or need to work.

    Generations of area residents remember first or second jobs stocking shelves at Rocky’s, making Fribbles at Friendly’s, taking tickets at Showcase Cinemas, or operating rides at Riverside Park (now Six Flags). Today, jobs such as these are fewer in number, and more of them are going to people who probably had such a job 35 or 40 years ago.

    There are consequences to such a trend — ranging from a few more people not having the resources to attend college to many more people not gaining the valuable experience, confidence, and knowledge of work that comes with a job.

    Area economic-development leaders and employers need to collaborate to find ways to get more young people into the workforce.-

    Opinion
    2009 Agenda Links Economic Stimulus and Health Care Reform

    With the nation and the world watching, President Barack Obama and the 111th Congress have an incredible opportunity, and a formidable challenge: to enact comprehensive health care reform. While the economy will unquestionably dominate the early days of the 111th Congress, a compelling case is being made that health care is a key economic issue.

    Late in 2008, the presidential transition team worked to craft an economic stimulus package. Last month, Congress passed — and Obama signed into law — the $787 billion bill, which dedicates some money to help states with growing and underfunded Medicaid programs, and also funds to help physicians purchase health information technology.

    In late December, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a cost-benefit analysis of 15 health care reform options. While the general finding was that most of the options would place significant cost burdens on the government, the CBO predicted that fostering the use of health information technology (including electronic medical records) would save the federal government $7 billion over the first 5 years and nearly $35 billion over 10 years, primarily through reductions in medical errors, lower health insurance premiums, and avoiding unnecessary tests and procedures.

    Another health-reform option predicted to positively impact the budget if enacted is a requirement (similar to that in the Massachusetts Health Reform Law) that all but the smallest employers who fail to provide health insurance to their employees pay a fee. The CBO estimates that this would result in $47 billion in new revenues.

    The Massachusetts law continues to serve as a possible framework for national health care reform.

    Both the Senate Finance Committee’s proposal and President Obama’s stated health care positions support an ‘incremental universalism’ approach that includes Massachusetts-style elements such as ‘play or pay’ provisions for employers, expansions of Medicaid eligibility and other public programs, and some form of ‘connector’ to help people purchase more affordable health insurance.

    U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy continues to lead efforts in the Senate to develop a comprehensive proposal that would work at the national level. Kennedy recognizes that, while the principles of the Massachusetts plan are applicable nationally, there are significant differences between the state and national markets.

    This year considerable attention will also focus on efforts to change the Medicare physician payment formula. While a solution is far from clear, there is no question that Congress wants to move away from using volume as a basis for physician payment and toward a still-undefined measurement of value and cost- effectiveness. The Mass. Medical Society continues to work with the Massachusetts congressional delegation and the American Medical Society to forge meaningful national health care reform.-

    Alex. Calcagno is director of Federal Relations for the Mass. Medical Society. She is responsible for advocating the MMS positions before the Massachusetts congressional delegation, federal agencies, and the executive office. Calcagno has over 20 years experience lobbying in Washington, D.C. Before coming to Massachusetts she was assistant director of the Washington office for a national medical association and worked on Capitol Hill for a member of Congress.

    Features
    The Latest ‘40’ Have Been Chosen

    The scores have been tabulated, and the members of the 40 Under Forty Class of 2009 are now known — at least to the editors at BusinessWest.

    The winners will be notified this week, and the Class of ’09 will be presented to the region later this spring in a special edition of BusinessWest. It’s a very diverse class, with many industry groups and personality profiles represented.

    Overall, the judges for this year’s class said they were quite impressed with the nearly 100 nominations, and thought the depth and diversity of the field spoke well about the region and its prospects for the future.

    “It was a very interesting group of people, and there was a lot of variety,” said Lauren Way, director of the Entrepreneurial Program at Bay Path College, member of the Class of 2008, and one of two former winners asked to judge this year’s nominees. “We had chefs, lawyers, investment professionals … nearly every field was represented.”

    An entrepreneur herself — she partnered in a number of business ventures before transitioning into academia — Way said she often found herself giving slightly higher scores (when appropriate) to those who were in business for themselves.

    “That’s because I know the risks involved and just how hard it is to be an entrepreneur,” she explained. “There’s no one there to tell you what to do or how to do it … you’re really on your own.”

    Kevin Vann, a principal with the Springfield-based Vann Group and a serial entrepreneur in his own right, said he also found himself drawn to the stories of business owners — and perhaps awarding them a slight edge. But he was also partial to a few other constituencies, if one can call them that.

    “I tend to pull for the underdog,” he explained, adding that he was impressed by the stories of those who may not have had the educational or societal advantages of some of the others. “And that showed up in my scoring.”

    So did something else — a tendency to favor what he called “solid role models.”

    “In some ways, I changed my scoring philosophy as I got deeper into this,” he said. “When I started, I was looking at the business accomplishments and the community work … but then, I shifted the thinking toward, ‘is this person a good role model for others?’ That’s because that’s what we need today — more people who can lead by example.”

    Carol Campbell, owner of Chicopee Industrial Contractors in Chicopee, spoke for all the judges when she said the process was rewarding and enlightening, but also somewhat frustrating, due in large part to vague or incomplete nomination forms for some of the candidates.

    “There were a lot of instances where I wanted to know more about an individual, but there wasn’t any more,” she said, adding that she hopes those doing the nominating keep this in mind for next year. “Overall, though, I was impressed; it’s an intriguing group of young leaders. There’s a lot of talented people out there.”

    Next up for the chosen 40 will be photo sessions and interviews with BusinessWest writers. This year’s class will be introduced in late April, with the annual 40 Under Forty Gala to be staged early this summer.

    Watch future editions of BusinessWest for details.

    — George O’Brien

    Features
    Two Members of the Class of ’07 Have a Pressing Engagement
    Cathy West and Bob Lowry

    Cathy West and Bob Lowry, members of the Class of 2007, have scheduled their wedding for this October.

    Catherine West remembers having “only about a five-second conversation” with Bob Lowry that night at the Log Cabin almost two years ago when BusinessWest honored those two and 38 other members of the first 40 Under Forty class.

    “It was just too crowded … we barely said hello to each other,” West recalled as she recounted the sequence of events that led to Lowry asking for her hand in marriage last Christmas. (She said ‘yes.’)

    Actually, the story began roughly a year earlier, when Lowry, a restaurateur and serial entrepreneur (he has several Mexican eateries), gave a quick talk to the 500 or so students taking West’s ‘Introduction to Accounting’ class at UMass Amherst as part of a program to promote entrepreneurship. That was also a very quick encounter, an introduction, really, with Lowry’s only real recollection being the thought that West, also a part-time tax manager with Meyers Brothers Kalicka, was “young, about my age, and cute … but probably married.”

    In truth, West was thinking pretty much the same things about him, she later confided. “He handed out burrito coupons … he seemed like a really cool guy.” She noted, however, that neither had an opportunity — not that they were really trying — to find out anything more that evening at the Log Cabin.

    But while that event didn’t exactly trigger this ‘small-world’ romance, the 40 Under Forty program nonetheless played a key role in sparking the union scheduled for this Oct. 11.

    It seems that Lowry was scheduled to speak to another of West’s classes a few months after the gala. He told BusinessWest that he called her to discuss the matter, and, sensing what he interpreted as “over-friendliness and a desire to talk to me some more” on her part (something West quickly denied; “that was all in his head”), he searched for a way to keep her on the phone.

    He found one in West’s 40 Under Forty profile story, parts of which — specifically her many travels to the African nation of Ghana — he managed to retain. “I cooked up some kind of question from her profile,” he said. “Then we started E-mailing each other.”

    Then, Lowry managed to enlist her help to solve some accounting problems for one of his entrepreneurial charges — an encounter that clearly had several motivations.

    “And we’ve been pretty much inseparable since then,” said West, fast-forwarding things significantly, but slowing down enough to say that the two first got together on Nov. 1, 2007 at the Esselon Café in Hadley — and hit it off. Obviously.

    Actually, those 40 Under Forty profiles did more than provide Lowry with some talking points during that phone call, the two told BusinessWest. They helped pique interest in one another and create some shared ground.

    “She had done some fascinating things,” said Lowry, referring to, among other things, West’s participation in efforts to build a business and learning center in the Ghanian city of Secondi. Meanwhile, West, who said she glanced at most of the 39 other profiles, was intrigued by Lowry’s — “his kind of stuck out” — and especially mention of his work in the community, which includes donations of time and energy to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hampshire Health Connect, and other groups.

    “When you read those 40 Under Forty profiles, you think about what the people do and how similar they are to you,” she explained. “And they can appreciate the same things that you do.

    “One of the things I admire about Bob is that he really loves to help people,” she continued. “That’s how I feel, too, and it’s really nice not to have to explain yourself to someone — they just understand.”

    As for the Christmas Day proposal, West said that, while the two had talked about the subject, she was nonetheless surprised he popped the question at that time. “I wasn’t really expecting it, but it was a wonderful surprise.”

    — George O’Brien

    Sections Supplements
    Bay Path Professional Development Conference Is Designed to Inspire

    When neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor woke up one morning 12 years ago with a sharp pain behind her eye, little did she realize that she was about to become the subject of her own research.

    The 37-year-old was having a stroke, which she experienced in full consciousness and now recalls in moment-by-moment detail. The stroke, which took eight years to recover from, did not destroy her. On the contrary, it gave her a new outlook on life. Damage to her left brain took away the critical, judgmental voice inside her head, enabling the creative and intuitive functions of her right brain to blossom.

    Today she soars above it all by living in the moment and grabbing life by the horns. She sings, plays guitar, creates works of art, and shares her story about the beauty and resilience of the brain with others.

    Taylor, who also wrote a book — My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey — is a keynote at the 14th Annual Women’s Professional Development Conference (WPDC) on April 30 at Springfield’s MassMutual Center, sponsored by Bay Path College. Taylor’s story embodies this year’s theme: Soaring.

    “I think everyone is tired of the doom and gloom and pessimism portrayed in the news,” said Caron Hobin, vice president of planning and student development at Bay Path, and one of the architects of the conference. “We picked soaring as a theme to inspire people.”

    Resilience and hope is a message also captured by the conference’s two other keynote speakers:

    • C. Vivian Stringer, head coach of Rutgers University women’s basketball team. Stringer is known for how she responded with grace and dignity to radio host Don Imus’s racially charged remarks concerning her team. She is also author of Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph, a book on the personal challenges she has faced in her own life.

    • Anita Renfroe, the comedian and YouTube favorite made famous by her “Momsense” song sung to the tune of “The William Tell Overture.” A stay-at-home mom, Renfroe has made a name for herself by making others laugh. She is a favorite performer on Good Morning America.
    • Sharpening Professional Skills

      While the keynotes deliver messages of optimism, the breakout sessions at the conference will focus on skill building. Attendees can choose from two of the four led by notable women professionals:

      • Dr. Nanette Gartrell, psychiatrist and author, takes a look at why even the most powerful and successful women have a hard time saying ‘no.’ She teaches an approach to setting limits without jeopardizing important relationships.
      • Carol Frohlinger is an attorney, corporate consultant, and co-author of the book Her Place at the Table: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success. She demonstrates how women can negotiate their way to the boardroom table.
      • Dee Leed, a certified financial planner, offers money advice from getting out of debt to retirement planning and savings. She is a regular contributor to CNBC Morning Call, CNN, and ABC World News.
      • Prill Boyle, author of Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late Blooming Women, takes women on an exploration of their inner longings and demonstrates that life changes can be made at any age.
      • A Full Day of Inspiration

        The WPDC conference will kick off with a continental breakfast, after which Stringer will deliver her morning keynote about personal challenges she faced in surviving breast cancer, losing a husband at a young age, and dealing with a child who required 24/7 care.

        Attendees will then go to the breakout session of their choice. After lunch, Taylor will discuss what it is like to experience a stroke first-hand and how to use one’s right brain to live life more fully. The breakout sessions will repeat, and the day will conclude on a cheerful note with Renfroe’s lively singing and comedic performance.

        In between keynotes, attendees will have a chance to visit exhibitor booths, several of which are nonprofit organizations in search of volunteers willing to offer their time and talents to a worthy cause.

        During his state of the union address, Obama discussed the importance of giving back to the community, said Hobin, and Bay Path takes that message to heart.

        “Our vendor showcase this year gives people an opportunity to investigate a cause they are passionate about,” she explained. “We want our attendees to soar. We also want to give them the opportunity to help others in achieving their goals as well.”

        Sections Supplements

        Karen Mills has some thoughts on growing regional economies. For the past several years, she’s advocated for the economic benefit of regional industry and innovation clusters.

        Mills helped get a $15 million U.S. Department of Labor WIRED grant for the Maine boat-building industry and worked with Maine’s Gov. John Baldacci to implement recommendations from an economic-development study (“Charting Maine’s Future”) related to industry clusters — geographically concentrated groups of interconnected companies, universities, and related institutions that arise out of linkages or externalities across industries.

        While in Maine, she co-authored in April 2008 a Brookings report titled “Clusters and Competitiveness: A New Federal Role for Stimulating Regional Economies.” Mills also worked with an SBA-sponsored fund I manage (CEI Community Ventures) to develop a cluster event designed to catalyze a specialty food industry in Maine.

        In December, President Obama nominated Mills as director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, a position some (including Maine’s U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe) would like added to the cabinet. So, given Mills’s background and what she’s been up to in Maine, what might have we to look forward to in a Mills SBA should her nomination be confirmed?

        New Strategy

        As backdrop, the stimulus package and the government’s economic policy involve a renewed focus on urban markets, industry, and innovation clusters — and underserved people like women and minorities. And with the Obama administration clearly listening to the folks at Washington D.C.’s Brooking Institute, we may see a federal economic-development plan like that outlined by Brookings’s Metropolitan Policy Director Bruce Katz and Harvard Business School’s Michael Porter, who has written extensively on competitive strategy and cluster development.

        That strategy would likely be implemented across agencies and would stress financing and resources that support growth in select urban and rural regions and in select sectors. Katz and Porter assert that, as urban economies go, so goes the nation. They say, in fact, that 75% of our GDP comes from urban city markets, or “the engine of our prosperity,” as Katz calls it.

        Mills seems likely to focus on urban markets and industry clusters, too. Urban markets — which would include cities like Springfield — enable the administration to meet its stated objectives with respect to underserved people located in underserved regions. Through SBA (and other agencies), urban markets might see greater access to capital (whether loans, equity, or grants) and business resources like education and consulting. According to Mills’s own research, clusters should be funded by grants and supported by information centers. These activities ought to be coordinated across agencies, according to Mills and others, so government can implement policy in a unified manner.

        Prior to Mills’s arrival, SBA’s toolkit has been a mix of financing (loans and equity) and business resources (such as its Small Business Development Centers and Service Core of Retired Executives. During the past eight years, SBA’s budget has been dramatically reduced. Given the challenges of creating new programs during the recession, it seems Mills should look to simply reinstate SBA’s program funding with a strategic urban and cluster emphasis. SBA-sponsored equity funds might be reinstituted with a focus on urban-market funds and growth clusters.

        Indeed, the SBA has a rich history supporting specialty funds such as the New Markets Venture Capital program I’ve been managing for the past five years. SBA grant funds might support industry associations, cluster events, and educational endeavors. Cluster information centers would be the repository of all things cluster — i.e. research and reports, company databases, cluster maps, and economic development research.

        Why It’s Important

        Why should this matter to those interested in venture capital and small business growth issues? Here are a few reasons:

        Equity: The early-stage venture ‘capital gap’ has not gotten any better over the past two quarters. If Mills can revive SBA’s equity programs, new liquidity can support growth ventures. For my part, I’m game to pursue — as part of Clear Venture Partners, my new fund-in-formation — such funds if the SBA is game to provide the capital and program. That could mean additional capital and resources for growth companies located in underserved regions like Western Mass.

        Grants: Technical and operational assistance funds are low-cost or free services to small-growth business and to the entities (for-profit, non-profit, and government) that serve them. In short, if you’re in a target cluster or region, you’re likely to see resources headed your way if Mills is confirmed.

        Cluster and sector support: If you’re starting a business or are in a business that is one of a given region’s target clusters, you’ll not only find local but likely federal resources (equity, grants, and tax credits) to help you on your way.

        Focus on growth sectors, and you’re likely to maximize your success in the current and future economy.

        Michael Gurau is managing general partner of Clear Venture Partners in Portland, Maine;[email protected]

        Features
        The Recession Poses Challenges to Commercial Lenders, but Also Opportunities
        Allen Miles

        Allen Miles says the recent troubles of many large lenders have opened the door to community banks to meet business-loan needs.

        The banking industry isn’t exactly coming off a banner year, but the bad news nationally might be creating some opportunities locally.

        “The big banks have given the community banks an opportunity to deal with some customers and companies in the area that we wouldn’t have had the chance to deal with in the past,” said Allen Miles, executive vice president and senior lender at Westfield Bank.

        By that, he was referring to a general seizing-up of credit at many large institutions that are awash in toxic debt — a situation that has not been the case at regionally based banks in the Pioneer Valley.

        “The large banks are having liquidity issues and are in the process of deleveraging themselves,” said Miles. “They’re pushing on borrowers, and that tends to push them out of the bank. We’ve become a good alternative to them — and we’re actually seeing an increase in loans as well as deposits.”

        That’s no fortunate accident, but rather the result of planning ahead, said Alice Babcock, vice president at Westfield Bank.

        “We continued to call on these companies over the past five years, so we’re a known entity to them,” she explained. “And even though we didn’t get a piece of their business at the time, that helped position us as the alternative choice for them today.”

        Kenneth Boutin, senior vice president in charge of lending at PeoplesBank, has seen a similar phenomenon.

        “Not only are the local banks healthy,” he said, “but when it comes to deals with good cash flow and strong secondary sources of repayment, this continues to be one of the most competitive areas in the whole country.

        “All the local banks have money to lend,” Boutin continued. “The biggest question is, are the borrowers qualified? Again, having a good history of payments, adequate cash flow to service the loan they’re requesting, and a secondary source of repayment are the primary factors driving whether they get approved. If they have those elements and a good business plan, multiple banks will be chasing their business.”

        That’s not hyperbole; Boutin cited one area company that recently interviewed five banks — all of which were interested — and took the best deal. “The money is out there,” he said.

        At the same time, however, the recession is taking its toll on business owners’ willingness to invest in their companies and their ability to pursue commercial loans. It adds up to both challenge and opportunity for lenders, if some anxiety as well.

        Closer Look

        What has changed over the past year or so, said Boutin, is bank scrutiny of marginal borrowers — but responsible lenders should be looking carefully at the strength of a customer’s qualifications anyway, and Western Mass.-based banks have developed a reputation for prudence.

        “They understand the marketplace and the type of borrowers we see in Western Mass.,” he said. “They underwrite based on experience and responsible lending, and that hasn’t changed here.”

        That said, Boutin added, banks are looking more closely at certain projects deemed risky right now, such as retail properties, hotels, and housing.

        “There’s plenty of available housing stock, so that would probably be a riskier situation now, and maybe you’re going to be more conservative,” he said. “And there have been a lot of hotels built up in the past seven to 10 years. If someone comes in with a hotel project, he might find that banks are being more cautious. It’s industry by industry, but that’s just prudent lending, which is what bankers here have always done.”

        Timothy Crimmins, president of the Bank of Western Mass., said he noticed a slowdown in activity starting last fall, before ticking off a litany of issues all-too-common to bankers today.

        “There has been an increase in troubled loans, and asset quality has declined a little bit from where it was last year,” he said. “I’m very concerned about the economy and the effect it’s having on customers.”

        That includes retail woes — which directly impact the owners of strip malls and similar properties — order cancellations for manufacturers, and alarming jobless rates across the board, he said, adding that two especially hard-hit industries in the current downturn, housing and automotive, together impact a large swath of the overall economy.

        “As far as we and other local banks are concerned, none of us have a liquidity crisis, and we have plenty to lend,” he noted. “But as things get worse and worse, we have to take a more conservative look at how we’ll extend credit.

        “The economy has far-reaching ramifications for the financial sector, primarily initiated by the housing crisis, but it crosses all industries, from retail to aircraft to suppliers of the medical industry,” Crimmins added.

        Part of the problem has been a tectonic shift in the economic factors underpinning existing loans, he explained. “Loans for shopping centers were based on strong, national tenants signing leases. But look what has happened to the retail sector.”

        One example involves the franchising industry, in which defaults on loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration increased by 52% from 2007 to 2008, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, which also noted that the figures could give pause to banks with money to lend.

        SBA-guaranteed loans are made through commercial banks and other lenders, and provide capital to small businesses that are often unable to qualify for conventional credit. The SBA insures a significant part of the loan to encourage both lending and small-business entrepreneurship, and the recently passed federal stimulus package raises that guarantee amount from 75% to 90%.

        Wide-ranging Effects

        No one expects that stimulus to work wonders on the economy overnight, and that causes concern in every bank, said Miles.

        “It hits everyone now,” he noted. “The past recessions we’ve had, 1992 and 2003, were isolated to particular industries, but this one is far-reaching, hitting every sector.”

        And the business world has seen it coming for some time, he added, noting that area manufacturers were pulling back on or delaying capital investments last summer and fall. He doesn’t see a quick end to the pain, either, due to the region’s tendency to lag behind national economic trends. “We won’t feel the full effects until later this year, and maybe well into 2010.”

        Crimmins has talked about how, when his bank was in its relative infancy during the recession of the early 1990s, it never closed its lending window to customers. He doesn’t expect to do so this time either, but it might be a tougher slog.

        “I don’t see taking action to get out of certain industries, because this recession crosses all industries,” he said. “But I think these circumstances are more severe than the ’90s. I think this will be longer-lasting than it was then.”

        It helps, he said, that the Western Mass. economy traditionally hues to a more even keel than other regions, avoiding extreme highs and lows. But the recession has already cut severely into individuals’ and businesses’ purchasing power and confidence, which is understandable at a time when so much wealth has suddenly disappeared.

        “It’s going to take time,” said Crimmins. “We didn’t get in this situation overnight, and we won’t get out of it overnight.”

        Joseph Bednar can be reached at

        [email protected]

        Sections Supplements

        We have all seen the Olympic gymnasts, American Idol contestants, or other competitors anxiously wait for the scores from the judges. We watch our parents’ faces when we stand on elementary school stages or at recitals. We look for information returned from customer satisfaction surveys.

        Feedback — we watch for it, we want it. Whether it is good or bad, we always want information about how we are doing. We use this information to determine how to respond or what to do next. Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a manager has to influence performance.

        Employees now have a greater role in developing strong customer relationships that inspire loyalty and performance. Therefore, employees need to have the best skills, use sound judgment, and feel competent in their job.

        To do this, they must always be learning, thinking, and improving. They need information about the quality of their decision, and to know if they are making good decisions.

        That means managers must be watching to catch employees doing great things and then provide positive feedback to sustain the performance. They also must watch to catch problems as they occur, to use the teachable moment to help the employee improve and develop stronger skills in order to respond better next time. Feedback is the way to guide, coach, and educate employees to improve or sustain performance.

        Effective performance feedback has rules to ensure its effectiveness because, done poorly, it can do damage to the manager/employee relationship.

        Employees don’t want to be told what to do or to be scolded. They want meaningful information to help them improve. Following the feedback process below guarantees all feedback (for both great and problem events) will focus on behaviors and performance. Review the following five steps:

        Step 1:Start with a ‘cookie’ (a positive comment). No one likes to hear about something that needs improving with a strong statement. Feedback is about people, behaviors, and emotions. So start each performance feedback with a positive comment, something that shows respect and understanding of who the person is and brings the employee into the discussion.

        Step 2:Describe the current behaviors and situations (give great details). Describe what is currently happening, the behavior that you want to reinforce or redirect, and the specific situations where you observed the behavior needing feedback. Be specific, brief, and direct. Remember, the goal is to change behavior that needs changing or encourage good behavior to continue.

        Step 3:Describe impact and consequences (find the ‘hook’ or attention-getter for the feedback recipient). Describe the impact and consequences of the current behavior, noting the effect the behavior had on results, customers, or employees. Be specific, and quantify details. The more detailed and accurate the information, the more meaningful the feedback will be. Realize that no adult changes his behavior unless he sees a personal reason to change. The impact in this case should not only deal with the organization, but should also be a personal hook for the employee (or feedback recipient).

        Step 4:Create a plan to continue great behaviors or change negative behaviors (let them have a voice in the response). Work with the employee to suggest options that would improve a negative event or keep a good event going. Be sure that the employee has a voice in the process; the more the employee invents their responses, the more they own the results.

        Step 5:End with a cookie (another positive comment). Regardless of the nature of the performance feedback (positive or negative), employees will process the message better when the performance feedback event both starts and ends on a positive and personal tone. Be sure to reassure the employee of the value of the discussion in the feedback. It sets the stage for an open and honest relationship and dialogue about performance.

        The best way to see the impact of this process is to use an example. Let’s say your employee, Jean, was not very helpful to a customer on the phone. You heard the event and now must provide feedback for Jean to improve her understanding, confidence, and performance:

        Step 1:Cookie. “Jean, you have some of the best customer-service skills in the industry. Our customers are always very impressed with our service levels when they deal with you.”

        Step 2:Describe the current behaviors and situations. “Jean, I heard you on the phone with Stanton Company. You were short with them, told them to call back when they knew the numbers they wanted and hung up without saying thank you. Did I hear this correctly?” (Give Jean an opportunity to respond.)

        Step 3:Describe the impact and consequences. “Jean, Stanton is one of our largest and best customers. They continually send other customers to us, and if we do not treat them with our best and most supportive service, they will not refer others to us. They were critical in helping us achieve our profit targets, which resulted in bonuses for everyone on the team — including yours. Our relationship with them is critical to our success.”

        Step 4:Identify alternative behaviors. “Jean, what do you think you should do with Stanton right now?” (Allow Jean to offer ideas and to own the solution). “Great, Jean, I like that idea. Please get right on it. Mostly remember how important the relationship is with each of our customers. They call us because we know what we are doing and we treat them better than anyone else … it’s how we do business.”

        Step 5:Cookie. “Jean, you are an important part of the great service this team gives our customers. Thanks for making the difference that you do; please keep doing your best to help us be the best in the industry. Thanks.”

        Feedback is not a process for the manager to vent. Feedback is a learning event that focuses on particular behaviors that need to be sustained or improved. Though this approach is more ‘human,’ it does not coddle employees. It defines expectations and holds employees accountable. This process insures that the employee is treated fairly, learns, and is responsible for his or her actions.

        Feedback is one of the most significant tools that managers have to help guide, coach, and instruct employees to continually grow, make extra effort, and improve performance. Managers catch employees doing great things and applaud them. Managers catch employee performance problems and use them to improve performance and win employees back.

        Employees want feedback; be sure to provide the right kind of feedback that builds their skills, confidence, and commitment to perform at their best.

        Jay Forte is a speaker, consultant, and nationally ranked thought leader; (401) 338-3505.

        Sections Supplements
        This Entrepreneurial Venture Has Provided Many Valuable Lessons
        Deborah Alli says her venture represents a way for her to give back to the community — and scratch an entrepreneurial itch.

        Deborah Alli says her venture represents a way for her to give back to the community — and scratch an entrepreneurial itch.

        Deborah Alli thought she was ready to start her own business a few years ago.

        But her boss at Computer Science Corp. (CSC) called and presented her with another long-term consulting assignment — this one much closer to home than most of her others, which have taken her to Tokyo, New Delhi, and Texas, among other places — and she took it. And by the time it was over (actually, long before it ended), she was really ready.

        And thus she commenced a lengthy search for the right way to scratch her entrepreneurial itch, and found one in a franchise of the Huntington Learning Center, which she opened late last year in the Five Town Plaza in Springfield.

        But the center, which provides a host of individual testing and tutoring services, does more than satisfy Alli’s thirst to be a business owner. It also fulfills her desire to give something back to her hometown of Springfield — a facility that may help achieve progress with some of the issues confronting the city, especially high drop-out rates, a skills gap involving many sectors of the economy, and poverty.

        “One of the major issues in Springfield today is education,” she told BusinessWest. “A learning center like this one is something the city needs. I knew that I wanted to do something in the community that was helping, or giving back, in some way.”

        Just a few months into her new career, Alli says that all her extensive research has paid off. She finds the learning center to be as rewarding a venture as she thought it would be, and, from a business standpoint, she believes she’s in the right place at the right time — despite an economic downturn that has touched virtually every business sector.

        And she believes President Obama gets much of the credit for that.

        “He’s given a great sense of hope to a lot of people who otherwise would not have considered what kind of job they might be able to obtain or what their children can do,” she explained. “They may have set some really low bars, and Barack Obama’s presidency has raised the bar for a lot of people.

        “I sensed this that night,” she said, referring to his Election Day remarks. “And I hope I’m right. I hope he inspires a lot of people to realize what can be achieved.”

        In this issue, BusinessWest explores Alli’s desire to reach higher, and how she found what she considers the perfect outlet for giving back to the community she grew up in and fueling her entrepreneurial drive.

        Learning Curves

        Alli did two tours of duty, if one can call them that, in Tokyo, working for CSC Japan as what was known as a ‘business process architect and senior consulting principal.’ First, she consulted for the Nicos Life Insurance Co., specifically on a nearly three-year-long project to convert databases into a new computer system. Similar work came two years later for Manulife Japan.

        She has many colorful anecdotes about working in that nation and in that culture, and some interesting observations. For example, she said that, while the language barrier presented some stern challenges, being a woman was a far bigger problem, apparently. “There isn’t a glass ceiling there,” she explained. “It’s made of titanium — you just can’t get through it.”

        She started thinking about launching her own business even before her first stint in Japan in 1997, but put those plans on the back burner because she thought the assignment overseas would help her career-wise and confidence-wise. And as it turned out, she was right.

        “When I went to Japan, I put my life on hold,” she explained. “But I thought to myself, ‘I need to do this — this is something totally different, it’s a new challenge. And I’m certainly glad I went. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.”

        Overall, though, she said, a “conformist mentality” prevails in Japan, and after several months, she was starting to conform — and not liking it.

        “I was becoming one of those numbers,” she explained. “If it was going to rain, I carried my umbrella; I got to the subway station at exactly the same time every day. I was becoming part of the crowd … I saw the same people standing in line for the train every day. And I knew I needed more.”

        Elaborating, she said that, from a career-development standpoint, she again needed a new and different challenge, one that would meet many personal and professional needs. “I knew that something was missing for me — I needed to feel more satisfied about what I was doing.”

        It would be several more years before she would find what she was looking for, but Alli told BusinessWest that the wait — not to mention the hard work and planning — would be well-worth it.

        Backing up a little, and dating herself somewhat, Alli said she grew up in Winchester Square, which has long been known as Mason Square, and saw the struggles of many people from that neighborhood to acquire the skills and the ambition needed to succeed in business and in life.

        “I wanted to get involved and do something about the issues that are facing Springfield,” she said, adding that this mindset was with her as she was considering a number of options for a business venture to call her own. She said she looked at restaurants and several franchising possibilities in that realm, but ultimately decided she wanted something that contributed more to the community and its overall well-being.

        A Stern Test

        She looked at several learning center chains, including Sylvan, Club Z, Princeton Review, and others, but eventually opted for Huntington after research into its products and philosophy.

        “The Huntington model wraps itself around the student,” she said. “It’s very family-oriented, and it’s about more than teaching people skills — it’s also about teaching life strategies.”

        The center, which has one full-time and eight part-time teachers and serves clients from across the region, provides a number of individual testing and tutoring services, she noted, involving reading, study skills, writing, phonics, math, spelling, and SAT/ACT preparation work. Most clients are children, but there are programs for adults as well.

        And the client list is quite diverse, she continued, noting that many of the young people who come to the center have difficulties with learning, and there are also some who are doing well, but their parents want them to do better and gain needed confidence.

        As for her own transition, from employee to employer, Alli says she’s handled the learning curve fairly well, and credited her previous work experiences, which were, in many ways, entrepreneurial in nature.

        “For starters, I’m used to working long hours … in Japan, everyone works 11 or 12 hours a day,” she joked. “But beyond that, I was managing different parts of projects and always managing some type of team. I had a lot of autonomy — I only spoke to my manager once a month if I was lucky — so I was gaining good experience for this.”

        Alli says she’s been helped, from a competitive standpoint, by the closing of a Sylvan Learning Center facility in East Longmeadow several months ago, but the bigger boost, business-wise, may come from the recently sworn-in president and his ability to inspire people to set higher bars for themselves.

        “It’s only been a few weeks, but I can already sense that he’s having an impact on people,” she explained. “Because of him, I think people will want to reach higher than maybe they thought was possible.”

        Meanwhile, the current economic conditions, while not outwardly good for business, may also inspire more people to seek help for themselves or their children.

        “I think parents are looking around and realizing that their children are going to have to someday take care of themselves,” she told BusinessWest. “To do that, they’re going to need skills, and they’re going to need confidence.”

        Learning Experience

        Returning to her past life in the corporate world, Alli said there was much about it that unnerved her, particularly a “dog-eat-dog mentality” that she saw in Tokyo, Houston, and even Springfield and Hartford.

        “It was all about getting ahead,” she explained. “With these management styles coming out now, people are pitted against one another and have become very aggressive toward each other, and there’s no concern for the repercussions of your actions toward others. What people are being taught is that this is how you get ahead in the world.”

        Teaching people that there may be other ways to get where one wants to go is just one of the lessons Alli wants to impart at Huntington, a business venture that doubles as a way for its owner to contibute to the city she grew up in.

        “When you’re working with people, you should be looking for ways to lift each other up, not keep them down,” she continued. “That’s one of things I want to do here — show people that they can succeed without crushing someone else; we should be working to help each other — always.”

        If she can succeed with that assignment, then she really will be giving back to the community.

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

        Cover Story
        River’s Landing Partners Take Their Vision to the Bank
        Cover

        Cover

        A year after opening the doors to their River’s Landing concept at the site of the old Basketball Hall of Fame, partners Peter Pappas and Mike Spagnoli are pleased with the results, but certainly not content. They’re looking to expand their project — and make a broader impact on Springfield’s turnaround efforts.

        Mike Spagnoli was working the room at the Onyx Fusion Bar & Restaurant a few weeks ago when one of the patrons got up from his dinner to have a word with him.

        He wanted to pass along some compliments about the establishment and his experience that night, and, to help get the job done, let Spagnoli in on something that fellow members of the Springfield Riverfront Development Corp. (SRDC) probably wouldn’t want him to know. Or maybe they would.

        “He said that after Peter and I made our original presentation to the board and left the room, members of the committee started laughing out loud — they all had a big laugh,” said Spagnoli, referring to plans, laid out more than three years ago now by himself and partner Peter Pappas, for an entertainment- and fitness-focused complex at the old Basketball Hall of Fame. “One of people on the board announced after we left, ‘what a couple of dreamers.’”

        From the tone of these comments, Spagnoli told BusinessWest, he interpreted them to mean that, at least according to this individual, those laughing naysayers on the board were wrong about the two partners and their plans, and that the gleaming complex, which also includes an LA Fitness and ProEX Physical Therapy center, is a dream that has become a successful reality.

        Others have said or implied the same thing, said Pappas, who, like Spagnoli, takes enormous pride in hearing such remarks, because they are heard amid a still-vibrant chorus of negativism, doubts, and even rumors of impending closure of one or more of those aforementioned businesses.

        “The more people tell us we can’t do something, the more that makes me want to succeed,” Pappas remarked on the first anniversary of the opening of what is called River’s Landing, a $14 million, privately financed project.

        Still, both partners know that even if they — and apparently others — are pleased with the performance to date at River’s Landing (despite the recession), there is considerable work to be done if they are to turn more of those naysayers into believers. Indeed, while the partners market themselves extensively, and their complex can be seen by the nearly 200,000 cars that pass by each day on I-91, there remains a lack of awareness on the part of some as to just what has become of the old Hall.

        As evidence, Papas referenced a quick tour of the complex he had just given, one that momentarily delayed his conversation with BusinessWest.

        “Those two women own a salon in East Longmeadow,” he said as they left for the parking lot. “They said they’d heard some things about us but didn’t really know what we were all about. Now they know, and they say they’ll be back.”

        Both partners have given many similar tours over the past several months. They have been part and parcel to a first year in business marked by promising numbers that have met or exceeded projections in the business plan, but also some frustration that doubts persist about this venture and that some, like those salon owners, don’t really know what’s happening across the parking lot from the new Hall of Fame.

        “Every day, we’re winning over people,” said Pappas. “But we still have a ways to go; it’s going to take two years before people really believe in us.”

        As they mark their first-year anniversary, Spagnoli and Pappas say they’re waging fights on several fronts simultaneously. Building awareness of Onyx is just one of them. Others include hard work to ensure the success of LA Fitness, which is crucial to efforts to convince other national chains that the region (not Springfield by itself) has the requisite demographics for such ventures to thrive.

        Meanwhile, the two are exploring any and all options to create more parking in the complex — a clear need — while also working with the other restaurants at the site to promote the riverfront as a destination. And they’re also trying to expand their footprint as well, with development of the neighboring, and vacant, former visitors center into another fitness-related facility — perhaps a racquetball center or a climbing wall.

        For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with the two partners about the state of their vision and the prospects for the future. In doing so, they offered candid remarks on everything from the enormous growth potential of the riverfront to the frustration they’re feeling as they attempt to broaden their impact on the City of Homes and the surrounding region.

        Back to the Future

        Pappas will sometimes refer to his partner and childhood friend as ‘Dr. Spagnoli.’

        That’s a nod to what was, until River’s Landing, the top line on his professional resume.

        It seems that in Calabasas, Calif., near Malibu, where he lives and works, Spagnoli, a chiropractic physician, is known to some as the ‘chiropractor to the stars.’ Indeed, his list of clients includes Joe Pesci, Bruce Willis, Hilary Swank, and Priscilla Presley, whom, he says, he helped get ready physically for her stint on Dancing with the Stars.

        Spagnoli has done some acting himself; he had a small role in The Last Don, appeared in both Casper movies, and even had a bit part in some 24 episodes that aired two years ago.

        But today, most of his attention and his energies are focused on the health of River’s Landing and on helping it play a lead role in the fortunes of Springfield and its riverfront. “This is my primary focus,” he explained. “I put so much time in here I had to hire two full-time doctors to cover me — this is a hell of a commitment.”

        Pappas used different and much stronger words to describe his level of investment in this endeavor: “If this didn’t work, they’d take my kids away from me,” he said, referring to the financial limb he’s on. “That’s what I mean when I say I’m 100% committed to this; some say they’re 99% committed … there’s a big difference between 99% and 100%.”

        And yet, for all their confidence and commitment to their concept, Spagnoli and Pappas say they can almost understand why there was so much doubt concerning it — almost. The vision was certainly unique for this region, they acknowledged, and the backgrounds the partners brought to the table gave little indication that they could handle a venture of this magnitude.

        In the end, said Pappas, the SRDC chose their project because there were no other options. “They picked us because they essentially had nothing else, and I mean nothing else,” he explained, referring to a limited list of alternatives topped by a public-market concept based loosely on a model in Portland, Me. “If they had anything else, they would have taken it; that’s how little faith people really had in this.”

        Spagnoli had faith in the vision almost from the moment Pappas told him about his idea for the old Hall soon after he mpotored by it about 3 1/2 years ago.

        “I was in my car drinking a coffee when I called Mike in LA,” Pappas explained. “I said, ‘I just drove by the old Hall of Fame, it’s been vacant for a while. I don’t know what they’re doing with it, but wouldn’t that make a great sports and entertainment complex?’”

        Said Spagnoli, “I’m in my car and I close my eyes for a quick second and pictured it. I’ve had three sports medicine clinics within LA Fitness facilities in California, and I knew that LA Fitness was looking to expand, so I immediately felt it. I said, ‘Peter that’s an unbelievably great idea — let’s do it.’”

        But it would take a long time for the two to take the concept even one step beyond their collective imaginations. In fact, it took almost a year just to get before the SRDC, tell the members about their idea, and, as they found out later, get laughed at.

        As the two recounted for BusinessWest, there was little support among area elected officials, some of whom seemed bent on seeing a publicly funded project in the old Hall of Fame.

        “There was not one politician who wanted us to do this, because there was nothing in it for them because it was a private business,” said Pappas, who quickly amended that statement, noting support from former state Sen. Brian Lees, former Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan, and, to a lesser extent, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.

        And while trying to sell their concept to elected leaders, the two were also pitching it to LA Fitness, and it wasn’t an easy sell, said Pappas. That’s because this was a new model for the chain, which usually has stand-alone facilities in retail centers, and also because Springfield’s demographics usually frighten off national chains.

        “The demographics for Springfield are horrible — the average household income in the city is $30,000, and the national average is $42,000 — that’s how bad it is,” he told BusinessWest. “So what we had to do was sell them on the demographics for the region, which are much better. We convinced them that this location is easy to get to from Agawam, from the West Side, from East Longmeadow, from Longmeadow. Still, this was a leap of faith for them.”

        As for the SRDC, at least from the partners’ perspective, it seemed the only hope for the site, but still a laughing matter.

        “They never thought we could do it,” said Spagnoli. “To this day, I don’t think they ever thought we were for real.”

        More Food for Thought

        Spagnoli told BusinessWest that he brought some props with him to that climactic SRDC meeting during which the board was going to choose a development team.

        One was a pie plate on a stick, which he held in the air to signify ‘pie in the sky,’ or his take on the public-market proposal, which, at one point, Pappas referred to as “an expensive tomato stand.” The other was a rock, chosen to indicate the partners’ belief that their concept was rock-solid.

        Whether the board actually had no real choice as to which project to award the nod, as Pappas suggests, remains a matter of speculation. But even after River’s Landing was chosen, and a year after it opened, the two partners still find themselves having to prove that this complex is, indeed, worthy of that rock.

        They say the numbers from Onyx’ first year in business, half of which comprised a recognized recession that some say is the worst in 70 years, are, in fact, solid. Spagnoli said there were 350 people in the restaurant that night when he was pulled aside by the SRDC member, and there have been many evenings like that, despite the pronounced downturn.

        “These are not great times for anyone, and that includes the restaurant business,” Pappas told BusinessWest. “But we’re doing very well considering the times we’re in.”

        They attribute this to a combination of factors — from the fusion menu to the uniqueness of the facility — that give the restaurant a decidedly different look and feel. “One compliment we hear all the time,” said Pappas, “is people saying, ‘we don’t feel like we’re in Western Mass. when we’re here — we feel like we’re in Boston or New York or LA”

        The partners said they created Onyx, which wasn’t really part of the original plan, because they simply couldn’t find the right chain for the site, although there were a few offers. “Remember, chains don’t believe in Springfield,” said Pappas, adding that, as a result, he and Spagnoli blueprinted a different kind of facility, one that blends fine dining with entertainment and a club-like atmosphere.

        Pappas and Spagnoli acknowledge that times are tough, but they have no regrets about what would seem to most to be poor timing for a complex with businesses dependent on discretionary spending.

        “I wouldn’t change our timing at all, even if I could,” said Pappas. “The nice thing about being in lean times is that it helps you to operate lean. It also pushes us to provide more value to people, because that’s what they’re looking for; they’ll still go out and spend that $50 or $100 for dinner for two, but they want value for it.”

        To accentuate that emphasis on value, the two partners have created a special promotion, called the “Onyx experience” — dinner for two and a bottle of wine for $50 — which Spagnoli calls “affordable elegance.”

        As for the other components of River’s Landing, Pappas and Spagnoli said both tenants are off to good starts. The two stressed repeatedly that LA Fitness does not disclose numbers, so they used words instead.

        “They’re doing extremely well here,” said Spagnoli. “They’ve become believers in Springfield and this region, and that faith is being rewarded.”

        Court of Opinion

        But while they’re generally pleased with the first-year results, the partners are in no way content. There are several initiatives, in various stages of advancement, they are pursuing to bolster the River’s Landing venture, the riverfront as a whole, the Columbus Avenue corridor, and Springfield’s downtown.

        They are taking a lead role, for example, in the creation of the Riverfront Restaurant Assoc., which will work to market the five eateries in the Hall of Fame complex — Onyx, Max’s Tavern, Pazzo’s, Pizzeria Uno, and Samuel’s sports bar — as a destination, and otherwise work to improve the competitive position of that cluster.

        The theory, said Spagnoli, is that restaurants grouped in one tight area can grow the pie for the individual players, not create competitive disadvantages — and there is ample evidence (Northampton is the best example in this market, he says) that the theory is valid.

        “In California, the most-successful places I’ve been to, and this is up and down the coast, have projects very similar to this one, with a theme,” he explained. “And there are at least four to seven great restaurants in close proximity to one another.”

        Pappas nodded his head in agreement, and said the region can easily support such a cluster of residents, with some aggressive marketing and maybe a little help from the economy.

        “There are 600,000 people living within a 10- or 15-mile radius of this point,” he said. “And there are 180,000 cars going by every day on I-91; this is not a small market.”

        This is a point that both partners make to retail-chain executives and investors with whom they’ve discussed Springfield in general, the old York Street Jail site, and properties on both sides of Columbus Avenue. Such discussions are just one indication that Pappas and Spagnoli don’t want to stop with River’s Landing.

        Indeed, the two responded to a request for qualifications concerning the Court Square property, which has been vacant for several years. They submitted a plan for either a boutique hotel or market-rate apartments — something they say is needed to spark some life in the central business district — and were disappointed not to be among those development teams chosen to move on to the next stage in the process.

        “I didn’t even get a call to discuss the RFQ — apparently they wanted bigger names,” said Pappas. “That was nearly two years ago, and the building is still sitting empty; it’s very frustrating.”

        He used that same word to describe what’s happening (or not happening) with the visitors center.

        “We would like to expand in there and we’re ready to go,” he said, referring to two stated options — racquetball courts or a climbing wall that was part of the original vision for River’s Landing and the only piece that didn’t become reality. “It’s really frustrating how slowly things are moving, but hopefully we can get something done.”

        As they talked about the present and the future, both partners recalled something Ryan s
        id to them at the groundbreaking for River’s Landing.

        “He hugged me, and Peter said, ‘continue to help us take this city back block by block,’” said Spagnoli. “That’s where it begins, with one block, or one building. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

        Dream Weavers

        Hanging on a wall in the front lobby at Onyx is a framed copy of a page from the May 9, 2007 edition of the New York Times. The headline reads “Glimmers of Hope in Springfield, Massachusetts.”

        There are two photos accompanying the story relating progress in the City of Homes — one depicting construction of the new home for Performance Food Group in the industrial park created on land adjacent to Smith & Wesson, and the other showing the transformation of the old Hall of Fame, roughly eight months away from completion.

        The partners said they placed the story there to display their pride in being part of a turnaround they say is still very much a work in progress, and an effort they want to play a bigger role in.

        Time will tell if River’s Landing becomes all that its creators hope it will, and if they can expand upon that venture with other initiatives on the riverfront and perhaps well beyond it.

        But one thing is for sure. No one is laughing at these two dreamers anymore.

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

        Sections Supplements
        Easthampton Savings Has Aggressive Plans for Expansion and Growth
        ESB President Bill Hogan

        ESB President Bill Hogan

        Easthampton Savings Bank turns 140 this year. It does so with some ambitious plans for continued expansion — physically and with products and services — that its longtime president, Bill Hogan, believes will effectively position it to thrive in this region for years to come.

        Bill Hogan says there a definite, yet informal strategy in place when Easthampton Savings Bank expands into a new community with a branch.

        “Even though we’re the new kid on the block, we want to make it look and feel as though we’ve always been there,” he said as he described this mission and noted that it’s been accomplished in several cities and towns, with Westfield being the latest and Agawam next in line.

        How?

        In several ways, actually, said Hogan, the bank’s long-time president and unofficial dean of the Western Mass. banking community, listing everything from the designs incorporated into the branches — often carved out of existing and historic structures — to involvement in the community in question, to a newsletter the bank started publishing recently. “We call it immersing ourselves in the community,” Hogan explained. “Reputation will only get you so far, and then you have to deliver on the promises.”

        Easthampton Savings, or ESB, as it’s called, has been getting considerable practice with this ‘looking like it’s always been there’ assignment in recent years. Indeed, the bank, which this year turns 140, has moved well beyond its roots on Main Street in this city over the past 15 to 20 years, with the footprint now stretching from Belchertown to Hadley. With this expansion has come growth in assets; the bank is approaching the $800 million mark, and had $242 million on its 125th birthday.

        And there is likely to be more expansion on the way.

        That’s because, as Hogan, who took the reigns at ESB in 1992, and other banking leaders in this region have noted time and again, this is a low- or no-growth region, meaning that, to grow, banks must take a greater piece of the existing pie. And while banks like ESB have traditionally done well in communities where they have not had a physical presence, they fare much better when they do.

        Meanwhile, there are other factors at play, said Hogan, who noted that, in the current economic climate, many customers, commercial and residential, are casting a wary eye on some of the large regional banks that are part of the local financial-services landscape, and some are finding more peace of mind with community banks. At the same, there is agreement among many observers that there will be further consolidation within the local market and, perhaps sometime soon, fewer of those community banks.

        Thus, the long-term strategic plan for ESB is to effectively position itself for the opportunities that will arise from all these factors.

        As at most banks these days, said Hogan, ESB must confront immediate challenges posed by the severe downturn — everything from balancing some sharp rises in deposits with greater loan volume to writedowns from the meltdown of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to simply, and repeatedly, conveying the message that the institution is on solid ground — while also looking and thinking long-term.

        In this issue, BusinessWest looks at how ESB is approaching both assignments, and why this venerable institution — one of the region’s oldest banks — is generating some interest, both literally and figuratively.

        Geography Lessons

        As he talked about long-term planning, Hogan said that phrase, while always subjective by definition, is now even more so.

        Indeed, the five-year plan is essentially obsolete, he explained, adding that things are changing so quickly — in terms of technology, the competitive landscape, the process of opening a new branch (as in Westfield, where it took much longer than originally planned), and, yes, the economic conditions — that even a three-year plan is probably inappropriate.

        “As much as we plan for where we think the bank wants to be and needs to be, a lot of what happens to us happens to us,” he explained, referring to current economic conditions and their impact. “We may be proactive in a lot of ways, but the market and the competition have a lot of influence on how that all plays out. So for us, sometimes the best-laid plans don’t come to fruition.”

        But while it’s harder to plan these days, banks must, in broad terms, have a plan, said Hogan, who said ESB’s can be described as aggressive-but-smart growth — putting the bank’s name on signs and buildings in more communities, and then using a broad array of products, as well as that ‘always been there’ approach, to gain greater market share today and position the bank for a changing landscape in the future.

        This was the approach taken in Westfield, he told BusinessWest, and the results roughly one year after the branch on Broad Street opened its doors have far exceeded expectations, said Tom Brown, ESB’s senior vice president of Retail Banking. “We did in one year what we originally projected to do in five,” he explained, noting that there were several factors contributing to this strong performance. “Taking 3% market share in a year … that’s quite an accomplishment when you consider there are $800 million in deposits there.”

        The bank is hoping for something similar in Agawam.

        ESB officials put plans on the table last fall for a new branch — what will be the ESB’s eighth full-service facility — on Main Street, in the city’s National Register Historic District. The branch will be built on three parcels adjacent to the fire station, said Hogan, noting that preliminary plans drafted by the Springfield architectural firm Dietz & Co. call for a facility modeled on the Hastings Store, a general store that operated on the site more than a century ago. Later, the Agawam Public Market operated on the site.

        While the historic district is considered by some to be Agawam’s downtown, it is essentially a residential neighborhood, said Hogan, adding that ESB’s philosophy in recent years — including the moves into Belchertown in 2004 and Westfield in 2007 — has been to locate in, and be part of, neighborhoods.

        And the goal — more like a mission, as he said — is to present a look and feel that says the bank has been there for a century, not a decade or a year or two.

        In Westfield, for example, rather than demolish the 1858 structure that sat at 85 Broad St., the bank and Dietz & Co. worked to renovate the Italianate home and design an addition that complemented the existing structure. The same approach is planned for Agawam.

        While Hogan couldn’t, or wouldn’t, say with any degree of certainty where ESB might be expanding next, he said the plan obviously calls for common-sense moves, connecting dots where it is appropriate, from both geographic and competitive standpoints, and go where a bank with ‘Easthampton’ in its name would be able to affectively compete.

        “Agawam isn’t near Easthampton, but it is near Westfield, so this move makes sense for us,” he said, noting that similar progressions, from Easthampton into Northampton, and from Hadley into South Hadley, have been successful, and that after Agawam, West Springfield may be a suitable landing point.

        Overall, the bank will likely avoid some of those communities generally considered to be ‘overbanked,’ said Hogan, putting East Longmeadow, Ludlow, and Amherst in that category, and he would certainly not rule anything out.

        Brown said the bank has done well in many communities, including Amherst, where it does not have a physical presence, and thus a new building is in some ways a crap shoot. “It comes down to how much more business you think you acquire with a branch, and whether it’s worth that expenditure.”

        Interest Bearing

        While positioning itself for what many believe will be an altered banking landscape years down the road, with perhaps fewer community banks and more regionals, ESB, like other institutions in Western Mass., is living in the moment, which is an assignment loaded with challenges and opportunities.

        The news stories nationally have concerned everything from banks failing — several dozen have already done so in 2008 — to whether the federal government should allow big institutions to fail, to plummeting stock prices (Citibank was trading for about $1 a share at press time).

        “Every time people pick up the paper they read that banks are in trouble, and we often get painted with that same brush,” said Brown, adding that ESB, like others in the market, have had to explain, and in various ways, that what people are reading isn’t a reflection of what’s happening locally. “We didn’t change — the world did; for us, it’s still business as usual.”

        Having been around since 1969, when it was founded by Edmund Sawyer and Samuel Williston, ESB has survived a number of recessions, including the one in the early ’90s that claimed many local institutions, as well as the Great Depression. “So we’re not in unfamiliar territory, although it’s certainly different for all of us,” said Hogan, adding that the formula for today is the same as it was for those other downturns — focusing on customer service, controlling expenses, and, in general, making smart business decisions.

        Overall, he said the outlook for 2009 is for a good year, he continued, but with likely slower growth.

        “There will be some opportunities for us, and for other banks as well,” said Hogan. “We have to make the most of them, and to do that, we have to convince our customers that there are opportunities for them as well.”

        Kenneth Bordewieck, ESB’s senior vice president and senior operating officer, described what he called a “barbell effect” that should work to the advantage of banks of ESB’s size and competitive situation.

        “The largest banks — Bank of America, Sovereign, Citizens, and others — have all reported drastic earnings and drastic situations, and they’re simply not lending as much as they have in the past,” he explained, adding that, conversely, smaller banks, with $250 million in assets and lower, do not have the wherewithal to cope with the heavy regulatory restrictions placed on them. “They don’t have the ability to adapt and bring new product to the market.

        “There’s a niche, somewhere between $250 million and $1.5 billion,” he continued. “Banks of that size are a little more nimble, are more capable of expansion, have the name recognition, and can grow; they have opportunities in front of them. We fit in there nicely.”

        In the current economic climate, many smaller banks are seeing surges in deposits, said Richard Kozak, ESB’s senior vice president and treasurer, who listed several reasons for this. These include a desire among some investors to put more money in the bank and less into the stock market, and also a penchant to flee the large, regional banks, or the type people are reading about in the newspapers. Kozak groups both actions in the category of “flight to safety.”

        But while this is good for customers, the challenge for banks is to balance the interest they must pay on those deposits (albeit at very low rates) with growth in loan volume on both the residential and commercial sides of the ledger. And this can be a big challenge, said Hogan, when the bank was projecting roughly $12 million in deposit growth for ’08, but saw nearly $40 million instead.

        Fortunately, there is a considerable amount in the loan pipeline, said Denise Laizer, ESB’s senior vice president and chief lending officer, noting that, with most new-branch scenarios, deposit growth comes first, with loan activity following.

        Laizer said there has been considerable activity on the residential side of the ledger, a great deal of it (perhaps 80%) in refinancing transactions. And with mortgage rates at or near historic lows — and expected to remain at such levels for the rest of this year — there is promise for the year ahead, if consumer confidence picks up.

        “We went from having $12 million in the pipleline late last fall,” she said, “to having $60 million to $65 million now — that’s what low rates will do. And there’s little reason to think they’ll be going down any time soon.”

        Meanwhile, the bank is continuing to diversify its products and services to attract new business and provide a larger bundle to existing customers. Examples include everything from wealth-management products, provided through ESB Financial Services, to an increasingly popular online banking service called ESBOnline.

        Looking at the big picture, Hogan said 2009 will certainly be a challenging year, and he is both realistic and optimistic.

        As for the long-term perspective, he said ESB continues to effectively position itself for that day when the competitive picture changes, as most expect it will.

        “I think we’re in a good place,” he said, referring to both the present and future tenses. “When you look at the competitive situation for the future, it’s not how many competitors you have; I’d much rather compete against a large regional bank than a community bank that looks like us, because it’s easier to differentiate ourselves. And that’s what we’re going to see down the road.”

        By All Accounts

        ESB’s main branch has moved a few times, but it has been on Main Street since 1869. For all intents and purposes, it has always been there.

        The bank is a relative newcomer in most of the other communities where it has a sign over a door, and it certainly can’t trace its presence back to when Ulysses S. Grant was in the White House. But it can, and has been, presenting a feel of ‘being around forever.’

        This ability, as well as the many competitive forces mentioned by the administrators we spoke with, should put ESB in the right place (or places) at the right time.

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

        Sections Supplements
        WSC Wants Its Students, or ‘Permanent Tourists,’ to Help Revive Downtown Westfield

        Evan Dobelle, the recently installed president of Westfield State College, is no stranger to comprehensive town-gown initiatives, or what he calls “partnerships in urban America.” He’s helped orchestrate them in places ranging from Lowell, Mass. to Honolulu, Hawaii. His latest project is in the so-called Whip City, where he intends to create more student housing downtown, thus providing a boost to an underachieving central business district.

        Confidence.

        That’s the word Evan Dobelle uses when describing the first stages of a plan for Westfield State College’s student housing expansions into the frayed downtown of its host city.

        “We all have certain degrees of expertise,” the 19th president of the college told BusinessWest. “Mine has always been about partnerships in urban America. I really think that’s the reality of the future. We can’t proceed in business as silos.”

        Since he first came to the helm of the college in December 2007, Dobelle has been active in an ambitious, yet extremely popular and very realistic plan to integrate the college and the city’s downtown.

        Westfield Mayor Michael Boulanger told BusinessWest recently that he has lived in the city for 32 years, and, “frankly, it seems that for 31 of those years, Westfield State College might as well have been an island 1,000 miles away, because it had no involvement with the community whatsoever.”

        But since the first meeting between the mayor and the new president in January 2008, just after Boulanger took office, that large gap has been closing, figuratively if not yet literally.

        “It really started with my thoughts on moving a used bookstore downtown,” said Boulanger, “and finding reasons to bring students downtown, maybe earmarking some properties for student apartments. And he came back that it was his desire to fully build student housing in the downtown.”

        What is underway currently is the first wave of a plan for WSC to utilize downtown buildings for student housing, with that development the catalyst for urban renewal, as well as for further college facilities to integrate into the city center.

        Whipping Up Some Momentum

        Dobelle is no stranger to bridging colleges and their communities. Prior to his appointment at WSC, and as president of four other colleges, he coordinated expanding relationships between the schools and their host municipalities from as far afield as Lowell to Honolulu.

        Acknowledging Westfield’s current downtown, Dobelle said that it is not realistic to think that one can simply build or expand service-sector businesses there without a population to access them. “In Westfield,” he said, “I see the students’ role as ‘permanent tourists.’ They have the disposable income to attract those restaurants, movie theaters, and coffee houses as opposed to trying to attract those businesses first, when there is no base.”

        Boulanger agrees completely.

        “The city has for many years tried to stimulate or revitalize downtown by getting businesses down there,” he said, “thinking that that is what would attract people. But it really doesn’t work that way. In reality, the way it works is that a consistent population of people with money to spend will attract the businesses.”

        Initially, the plan is to develop student housing in existing apartment buildings downtown, with the potential for new service-sector businesses at street level. Such a primary, and realistic, goal speaks to giving confidence to the community that such a project can exist on Main Street, rather than a drafting table.

        “When you see something happening,” said Dobelle, “when you see a crane in the air, you see a business open, or a ribbon cut, it’s a big deal. When that happens, I think that begins the flow to Westfield, which is a town of growth, and a town of relative affluence. It’s all doable, but it’s all predicated on that first contract we sign for student housing. If we even have a contract which says that in one year’s time we’re going to have 100 students living downtown, you’ll see it all happen. It will be a gold rush.”

        And if all goes according to plan, it won’t be long before one sees construction workers on city streets. Boulanger said that the college funded an architect to conceptualize designs for various possibilities downtown, employing the services of William Rawn Associates of Boston, which has had great success at both Williams College and Northeastern University, among other prestigious clients.

        According to Boulanger, an RFP (request for proposal) has been issued to developers, and the response numbers remain private and with the Division of Capital Asset Management, the governing body for construction of public works projects for the Commonwealth. But the mayor says that “it is my understanding that the response has been very positive, and that the numbers are favorable.”

        What makes this initial project a winning situation for just about everyone involved begins with the developers themselves, said the mayor. From their perspective, there is a guaranteed full occupancy of residential property, with promised 10-year leases from the college. Further, by privately owning these structures, the property continues to exist as taxable real estate for the city.

        Dobelle called this an excellent opportunity to make state funds work in the revitalization of the city. “This is the ability to leverage tax dollars, going to a state school, in a public and private partnership that further leverages future development of other taxpaying industries, to broaden the tax base for the city.”

        The president cited the long and laborious process to build new dormitories on campus as a motivating factor for casting his eye on the city center. “We can get students downtown in dormitory housing in less than a year, whereas a new dormitory to be built on campus would take us four,” he said.

        Initially, Dobelle strives for housing approximately 100-200 students, but, he said, “I’d like to see that number over the next three to five years grow to more than 1,000.”

        And of course, for the city, there are those ‘permanent tourists’ — students with all the needs for the services and facilities necessary to stimulate strong business opportunities.

        But Wait, There’s More

        Dobelle is optimistic that, with the student housing going forward, future interest in the city isn’t far behind. He mentioned an associate of William Rawn’s, Gideon Lester, the artistic director of the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass., who is very positive about an arts rebirth in the city.

        “His vision,” said Dobelle, “is that Westfield, at the entrance to the Berkshires, is an ideal place for creative people of all backgrounds — be it music, voice, dance, playwrights — who are simply outpriced in downtown New York or Boston.

        “We are equidistant from both of those cities, and thus can become a community of artists, with performing space and practice space that’s affordable, in a place that could eventually become a ‘hot’ city.”

        “It doesn’t take much to transform that downtown into a hip place,” he continued, “with coffeehouses, black-box theaters, and perhaps, eventually, if we can make the numbers pencil out, a performing-arts center. Not of huge scale, but a few hundred seats.”

        Dobelle acknowledged that, with a successful pipeline into the city, the likelihood of a performing-arts center for the school would be far greater. With the economy in its current condition, he said, the reality is that it would be close to 10 years at the earliest before the campus could see construction of a new theater space.

        In City Hall, Boulanger agreed that housing is just the first step. Thinking back on those first few meetings with Dobelle, the mayor remembered a lunch he and the president attended.

        “He asked me what I thought about the potential for the performing-arts branch of his college downtown, and I think all I said was ‘absolutely,’” said Boulanger.

        There are numerous existing venues downtown which, with little effort, could be working performance spaces, Boulanger said. He cited the First Congregational Church and the Westfield Women’s Club as two spots for performance, but also added, “that’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of other vacant facilities that would accommodate other arts, galleries, or arts classrooms.”

        With a larger student population downtown, Boulanger sees this as the perfect time for a project he has long wanted to see in his city — a multimodal transportation center. While this would better service the needs of the college students away from campus, the mayor sees this as another step in the ongoing revitalization and reassessment of the city’s downtown infrastructure. He mentioned that, in a recent meeting with Mass. Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi, the administrator also agreed.

        What Boulanger sees as another potential benefit to the city is a new look at reorganizing the traffic plans for downtown. “There’s basically a four-lane highway going through the center of the city,” he said. “And there’s not much there to slow it down. I think that reconfiguring parking and traffic on Elm Street could go a long way toward making the streets safe for both cars and pedestrians.”

        Course of Action

        Ultimately, both men feel confident in each other’s role in what has been a meeting of like minds. Dobelle said that, so far, he is excited by the progress in the first stage of the student housing initiative in the city. “If Westfield becomes that vibrant place we expect it to be, then it’s only going to benefit us.”

        And in City Hall, Boulanger is happy to see his city turn into one of those college towns he traveled to during the preparation for his mayoral campaign.

        “Look at Keene, N.H.,” he said. “In the last 15 years, a collaboration between the college and that city created a great deal of vitality, with stores, restaurants, all walks of citizenry. It’s a great place to visit.”

        He expects the same for Westfield, thanks, in large part, to those ‘permanent tourists.’

        Sections Supplements
        Hard Times Force Businesses to Scale Back Raises
        Meredith Wise

        Meredith Wise called the current economic conditions a ‘perfect storm’ that is creating anxiety and uncertainty in employers.

        According to a survey by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, most area companies planned as late as last summer to give healthy raises to their workers for the upcoming year. A recent followup survey, however, delivered much different news. It seems the deepening recession has employers feeling skittish about increasing salaries, and has forced workers to adjust their expectations from anticipating a heftier paycheck to feeling relieved that they still have a job.

        Looking forward to that raise in your paycheck? Right now, the odds say … don’t count on it.

        Reflecting both national and statewide trends, Western Mass. employers are largely holding off on giving raises this year — even though a solid majority planned to increase salaries just eight months ago.

        The startling turnaround is documented in a survey conducted by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE), and it reflects what appears to be widespread skittishness among employers as to how deep and long-lasting the current economic downturn will be.

        “It’s not unexpected, but I’m a little bit surprised that it happened as quickly as it did,” said Meredith Wise, executive director of the EANE.

        “When I think back, the most recent downturn before this was after 9/11,” she recalled. “People were not busy; orders were drying up, but we found that, for the most part, companies took it in stride for another 12 to 14 months before they started saying, ‘OK, we can’t ride this out,’ and started looking at cutting out increases, cutting back, doing some of those things.”

        This time is different; employer behavior has changed much more rapidly, as the EANE report clearly demonstrates. The survey basically asks four main questions: were you planning in July to give increases to employees, and if so, how much? And are you planning now to give raises, and again, if so, how much? The results are broken into five categories of employees:

        Union production, maintenance, and service workers. In July, 19 of 21 respondents in this category were planning to give raises, with an average increase of 2.61%. Now, only 3 of 23 plan to boost salaries — at an average hike of 0.67%.

        Non-union production, maintenance, and service workers. Last summer, 87 of 105 companies planned raises, at an average of 3.18%. Now, it’s just 32 of 105, at an average increase of 1.03%.

        Non-exempt clerical and technical workers. In July, 114 of 136 companies planned to fatten paychecks, by an average of 3.14%. Now, it’s 41 of 135, at an average of 0.99%.

        Exempt supervisory, managerial, and professional workers. Out of 137 companies, 112 planned raises last summer, with an average hike of 3.17%. Now, it’s down to 41 of 134, with an average increase of 1.03%.

        Finally, executives. They fare a little better, with 40 of 126 companies planning raises for their top dogs at an average of 1.21%. But that’s still way down from July, when execs at 98 of 128 companies could expect average raises of 3.38%.

        Quick on the Draw

        Clearly, unlike the post-9/11 slowdown in the economy, employers aren’t waiting to take sometimes-painful action.

        “A lot of this started hitting in the summer and fall, so it was a pretty quick reaction,” said Wise. “We’re seeing layoffs, companies not doing increases … the bottom dropped quicker here than in the most recent downturn.”

        The regional trend mirrors statewide reports.

        Sandra Reynolds, executive vice president of Associated Industries of Mass., said a new employer survey conducted by AIM — crossing all major sectors and companies of all sizes — reports that 55% of employers say they’ve cut out raises for 2009, while others are delaying them by three to six months or more.

        Furthermore, 47% of respondents say their company’s performance will be “significantly weaker” due to the downturn, and 38% say it will be “slightly weaker.” Meanwhile, 13% say they don’t expect much change from last year, and only 2% project a stronger year — hard evidence of the anxiety that has contributed to the widespread raise freezes.

        “I think it’s surprising that so many have decided not to give an increase at all,” said Reynolds, noting that employers seem to be responding to the economic downturn in the same way that consumers are in delaying purchases: with a lack of confidence.

        According to the AIM survey, 46% of employers have either laid off workers recently or are planning a layoff. In addition, 23% have a freeze on new hires, and another 23% will hire only to fill vacated positions. Only 14% of companies said the current conditions have not impacted their staffing plans at all.

        “It seems that everyone’s reaction, employers as well as individuals, is to stop spending, which is part of the problem,” Reynolds argued. “I think this reaction is more intense than what we’ve seen in past recessions, and it’s happening more quickly.”

        It’s a story being told nationwide, too. According to a survey conducted by human-resources consulting firm Hewitt Associates, a full 50% of U.S. employers are cutting salary increases for 2009. In addition, 35% are laying off workers, and 39% have instituted hiring freezes.

        However, Massachusetts seems to lag behind the national average when it comes to the amount of the raise when one is offered. According to a December survey by the nonprofit human-resources organization WorldatWork, employers who are giving raises this year are increasing salaries an average of 3.1% nationwide.

        Still, that’s below the 3.8% they anticipated for 2009 when surveyed by WorldatWork last April, and many companies’ plans might have changed further as the recession has deepened in recent weeks. In addition, 17% of executives polled in the survey said they would not grant themselves a raise in 2009.

        Why Pay More?

        Many companies that do offer raises, even in a recession, say they need to keep their people happy, as well as attract top talent.

        “There are a few reasons to give raises,” said Paula Dennison, vice president of Human Resources for Baystate Health, the region’s largest employer, which will be giving pay increases for 2009. “First, we want to acknowledge our employee contributions and recognize our talent, and obviously we want to be able to secure and retain our people. On top of that, we have to remain market-competitive.”

        Those are not just empty words in health care, an industry that has struggled with shortages in certain fields — from nursing to radiology to pharmacy — for some time, both locally and nationally.

        “We still have openings for sure, and we have a lot of projected labor shortages,” Dennison said. “There are some significant projections around the nursing shortage, and nurses play a key role for us, so we have to be sure we’re competitive with our salary.”

        She noted, however, that this year’s raises are, on average, a bit lower than recent years in terms of the overall budget, while still based on performance. “The market has dropped a little bit for some of our positions, so that’s why they’re slightly lower.”

        Workers in other industries would no doubt be happy with even a modest raise right about now, said Wise. “But most of the manufacturers are not giving increases. They’ve actually cut pay,” she said.

        “The health care organizations are giving increases to their people because they’re still doing pretty well,” she added. “They’re still bringing people in and making money. Financial institutions are also still giving increases. But in manufacturing, they’re seeing their increases drying up.”

        Part of the problem, said Wise, is that many business owners recognize the current economic crisis as the result of several systemic failures, which will take time to repair, as opposed to a quirk of history, as the post-9/11 downturn was.

        “They’re seeing it as based on more long-term problems, so it’s not something that’s going to pick up right away,” she said. “They know changes need to be made, and there’s not going to be a quick fix.

        “But this is also coming on the heels of the gas prices soaring as much as they did last year, which hurt companies with shipping and transportation costs, and businesses with people on the road a lot. That increase really hit their budgets, as well as employee morale when they were paying so much for gas,” she noted. “So it has really been a perfect storm of things happening, and the reaction was a lot faster than in the past.”

        That adds up to some short-term pain — hopefully, anyway — for employees around the Pioneer Valley. But with unemployment creeping up each month as well, just holding onto a steady paycheck might be job satisfaction enough.

        Joseph Bednar can be reached at

        [email protected]

        Departments

        Ten Misconceptions about : Bankruptcy By JUSTIN DION

        1. Bankruptcy is a process mainly used by people who are reckless and overspend on luxury items. Reality: the majority of those who file are honest, hardworking people who have fallen on hard times due to no fault of their own.

        2. I can only get rid of credit-card debt in a bankruptcy. Reality: Most debts can be discharged, including credit cards, medical bills, utility bills, personal loans, foreclosures, repossessions, and family debts.
        3. If I file bankruptcy, I will have to pay a large tax penalty for the debt I discharge. Reality: You will not be taxed on the debt discharged in a bankruptcy.
        4. Once I file bankruptcy, I will carry a stigma around forever. Reality: There is no longer a bankruptcy stigma; people can continue to live their lives essentially in the same manner they had before bankruptcy.

        5. I will have to go to court if I file bankruptcy. Reality: A vast majority of bankruptcy cases conclude without the debtor ever going to court. 

        6. Bankruptcy is a long proceeding that takes years. Reality: Most bankruptcy cases conclude in a mere few months.  
        7. Income taxes can never be discharged in a bankruptcy. Reality: Many income-tax debts that have been properly filed and are at least three years old can in fact be discharged in bankruptcy.
        8. I will lose my house, car, and assets if I file bankruptcy. Reality: Most people keep all of their assets, including their house, car, bank accounts, retirement accounts, clothing, jewelry, furniture, and household appliances.
        9. Bankruptcy laws changed a few years ago, and now everyone must repay their debts. Reality: Almost everyone who qualified for bankruptcy a few years ago still qualifies today and can still discharge their debts without repayment. 

        10. I will never be able to get credit again. Reality: If responsible debt repayment is evidenced after filing bankruptcy, most people are able to get some unsecured credit immediately, and secured credit for significant purchases within a year or two.

        Justin H. Dion is an associate at Bacon Wilson, P.C., where he concentrates on business and personal bankruptcy, real estate, and general business matters; (413) 781-0560; [email protected]

        Departments

        ‘Riding Out the Perfect Storm’

        March 19: A panel of experts from various business segments will share their ideas and expertise on how to cope in a challenging business environment from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St. in Springfield. The workshop is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network and the Regional Technology Corp. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712.

        Rock ‘n’ Roll and Management Styles

        April 15: “Everything I Learned About Management, I Learned From Rock ‘n’ Roll” will be presented by James M. Wilson, III, Ph.D., assistant professor of Business at Bay Path College; and Gregory Jones, director of Cannes Associates Production Management. Wilson and Jones have been conducting research for three years on the production of live concerts featuring Metallica, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson, among others, with a focus on how event management contributes to organizational theory. The free lecture at 7 p.m. will take place in Breck Suite in Wright Hall at Bay Path College in Longmeadow. The event is part of the Kaleidoscope lecture series. For more information, call (413) 565-1066 or visit www.baypath.edu.

        Marketing Basics

        April 1: The Mass. Small Business Development Center Network will sponsor a workshop from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., on the basic disciplines of marketing, beginning with research — secondary, primary, qualitative, and quantitative. The core focus will be on developing and keeping a customer. Topics will include public relations, advertising, understanding concepts in marketing, and developing a marketing plan. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712.

        Health Care Reform Law Discussion

        April 16: Sandra Reynolds of Associated Industries of Mass. will lead an interactive discussion on the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Discussion will focus on the individual mandate — what it means, how it works, and the impact on employers of every size. The workshop is sponsored by the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712.

        ‘Your First Business Plan’

        April 23: The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network, in conjunction with the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, will offer a workshop titled ‘Your First Business Plan’ from 9 to 11 a.m. at the chamber office, 395 Main St., Greenfield. The workshop will focus on management fundamentals from start-up considerations through business-plan development. Topics will include financing, marketing, and business planning. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712.

        World Affairs Council

        April 27: Marco Werman, senior producer and anchor of The World, a daily news radio program produced by the BBC, Public Radio International, and WGBH/Boston, will discuss “Tintin and Movietone Made Me Do It” as part of a World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts gathering at Western New England College. Werman’s talk is planned at 7 p.m. in Sleith Hall, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield. The event is free and open to the public. Springfield public high-school teams who participated in the council’s fourth annual Academic WorldQuest competition in January will also be recognized at the event. For more information, call the World Affairs Council office at (413) 733-0110.

        Women’s Professional Development Conference

        April 30: Bay Path College in Longmeadow will host the 14th annual Women’s Professional Development Conference from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. For more information, call (413) 565-1293 or visit www.baypath.edu.

        Departments

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

        Beando, Anthony J.
        528 Wauwinet Road
        PO Box 906
        Barre, MA 01005
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/30/09

        Broderick, Jeanne M.
        a/k/a McKenna, Jeanne M.
        601 Main St.
        Hampden, MA 01036
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/30/09

        Brucknak, Frank L.
        Brucknak, Sharon M.
        22 Putnam Dr.
        Westfield, MA 01085
        Chapter: 13
        Filing Date: 01/31/09

        Buxton, Judith A.
        135 Arcade St.
        Chicopee, MA 01020
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/28/09

        Canadian Cozies,
        Laramee, Marie D.
        c/o Canadian Cozies
        Agawam, MA 01001
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/31/09

        Carmona, Cesar A.
        9 Wellfleet Dr.
        Wilbraham, MA 01095
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/30/09

        Casale, Debra I.
        25 South Longyard Road
        Southwick, MA 01077
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/31/09

        Chaloux, Ronald
        Chaloux, Mary
        60 West St.
        Easthampton, MA 01027
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/29/09

        Clapp, Carey J.
        113 Line St.
        Feeding Hills, MA 01030-2319
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/30/09

        Cooper, Donna L.
        P.O. Box 85
        Chicopee, MA 01014
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/08/09

        Cortinhas, Carlos M.
        34 Jestina Circle
        Ludlow, MA 01056
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/02/09

        Couture, Mario P.
        19 East St. Ave.
        Chicopee, MA 01020
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/28/09

        Crawford, Cathleen E.
        32 Burt St.
        Adams, MA 01220
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/29/09

        Curcio, Neil S.
        50 Farnsworth Ter.
        Pittsfield, MA 01201
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/06/09

        Dickinson, Betsy A.
        23 1/2 The Knolls Road
        South Hadley, MA 01075
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/02/09

        D’Ortona, Robert Joseph
        44 Lisa Ave.
        Plymouth, MA 02360
        Chapter: 13
        Filing Date: 02/03/09

        Ellsworth, Beverley A.
        58 Wahconah Heights
        Pittsfield, MA 01201
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/02/09

        Filamonte, Jeffrey Richard Matt
        26 Dayton St.
        Chicopee, MA 01013
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/29/09

        Gonzalez, Edwin
        385 Newbury St.
        Springfield, MA 01104
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/03/09

        Goodrow, Marilyn J.
        24 Myrtle St., 1st Fl.
        Chicopee, MA 01013
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/02/09

        Hamelin, Michelle L.
        a/k/a Fritz, Michelle L.
        919 Southampton Road, Apt. #T-3
        Westfield, MA 01085
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/27/09

        Holbrook, Adam R.
        8 Stoneypoint Dr., Apt. C
        Ware, MA 01082
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/06/09

        Hutchinson, Richard R.
        Hutchinson, Christine H.
        11 Baird Trace
        Springfield, MA 01118
        Chapter: 13
        Filing Date: 01/31/09


         

        Juzba, Thomas J.
        110 Gardens Dr.
        Springfield, MA 01119
        Chapter: 13
        Filing Date: 02/03/09

        Korytko, Maureen R.
        293 Hampden St.
        Chicopee, MA 01013
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/30/09

        Ladue, Nick Tran
        Tran, Nhut Thanh
        40 Elm Circle
        South Deerfield, MA 01373
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/29/09

        LaRose, William L.
        909 Main St., Apt. 5A
        Great Barrington, MA 01230
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/02/09

        Lesak, Alice Elaine
        64 Gauthier Road
        Barre, MA 01005
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/04/09

        Lopez, Emilio
        31 Dubois St
        Indian Orchard, MA 01151
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/05/09

        MacLellan, Norman Leigh
        P.O. Box 2607
        Pittsfield, MA 01202
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/06/09

        Marstall, Robert Thomas
        221 Pine St., Studio 2
        Florence, MA 01062
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/06/09

        McCulloch-Schmidt, Sandra L.
        4C Pomeroy Lane
        Sunderland, MA 01375
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/31/09

        Nentwig, Jeffrey E.
        28 Wells Ave.
        Chicopee, MA 01020
        Chapter: 13
        Filing Date: 01/30/09

        Pantojas, Marilyn
        31 Dubois St.
        Indian Orchard, MA 01151
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/05/09

        Parker, Michelle R.
        82 Jourdan Road
        Montgomery, MA 01085
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/28/09

        Pearlman, Craig P.
        Pearlman, Crystal L.
        a/k/a Ryan, Crystal L.
        PO Box 14
        Wales, MA 01081
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/30/09

        Robbins, Kelly L.
        61 East Palmer Park Dr.
        Palmer, MA 01069
        Chapter: 13
        Filing Date: 02/05/09

        Rose, Bonnie P.
        65-6 South St.
        Northampton, MA 01060
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/29/09

        Shea, Thomas P.
        Shea, Karen E.
        61 Homestead Ave.
        West Springfield, MA 01089-1702
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/30/09

        Sniegowski, Joanne R.
        53 Claire St.
        Chicopee, MA 01020
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/06/09

        Souza, Mary Ann
        20 Parker St.
        Ware, MA 01082
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 01/31/09

        Tokarz, Megan L.
        300 Wheelwright Road
        Barre, MA 01005
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/06/09

        Trombley, Melissa A.
        a/k/a Dominguez, Melissa A.
        P.O. Box 6630
        Holyoke, MA 01041
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/04/09

        Tynan, Roberta M.
        54 Bryant St.
        Pittsfield, MA 01201
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/05/09

        Ward, Leroy
        Ward, Annmarie T.
        237 Edendale St.
        Springfield, MA 01104
        Chapter: 7
        Filing Date: 02/03/09

        Departments

        State Unemployment Rate Rises to 7.4%

        BOSTON — The state unemployment rate increased from 6.4% in December 2008 to 7.4% in January 2009, according to the latest data from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The December unemployment rate, originally reported at 6.9%, was revised downward by 0.5 percentage point. In addition, job losses for the month of January totaled 4,900 as the national recession continues to negatively impact the Massachusetts economy. The national unemployment rate increased from 7.6% in January to 8.2% in February. One year ago in January, Massachusetts recorded a 4.6% rate while the U.S. rate stood at 4.9%. The state’s final annual average unemployment rate for 2008 was 5.3%, up from the 4.5% rate for 2007. The U.S. annual average rose from 4.6% in 2007 to 5.8% in 2008. Four sectors added jobs, with leisure and hospitality showing the largest increase. Professional, scientific, and business services recorded the largest over-the-month decline. A revision to the preliminary December 2008 jobs estimate resulted in a December job loss of 26,100 compared to the preliminary reported job loss of 16,800. At 3,225,300, jobs are down 72,600 or 2.2% from one year ago, with 61,300 losses since last September. Education and health services, Massachusetts’ largest sector, added 1,600 jobs in January. With job losses mounting across the industry spectrum, education and health services still managed to trend upward during the last half of 2008. In January, 3,174,100 state residents were employed, 38,800 fewer than in December, and 252,400 residents were unemployed, 32,700 more than the previous month, which resulted in a labor force of 3,426,500. The labor force is up 9,600 from January 2008, as 86,700 fewer residents were employed and 96,300 more were unemployed. Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi

        Supply Rates for Business Customers Decrease

        SPRINGFIELD — Western Mass. Electric Co.’s (WMECO) medium and large commercial and industrial (C&I) customers who choose ‘basic service’ will see lower electric-supply rates beginning in April as a result of the latest round of competitive bidding. Medium and large C&I customers will see a fixed rate of 7.679 cents per kilowatt hour from April 1 through June 30, a decrease of nearly 25% over the current fixed rate of 10.205 cents. Peter Clarke, WMECO’s president and COO, noted that businesses can also learn how to maximize the efficiency of their energy use through WMECO’s energy-efficiency programs. For more information about energy-saving measures and programs, visit www.wmeco.com. WMECO, part of the Northeast Utilities System, serves approximately 200,000 customers in 59 communities throughout Western Mass.

        Business Award Nominations Sought

        SPRINGFIELD — The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield is seeking nominations for its 2009 Business Awards. Categories include: Small Business of the Year, Emerging Business of the Year, Small Nonprofit Organization of the Year, and Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year. The award recipients will be recognized at the chamber’s annual meeting on June 11. The nomination deadline is April 10. For more information and nomination forms, visit www.myonlinechamber.com

        Consumer Confidence Nosedives in State

        BOSTON — The Massachusetts Consumer Confidence Index has plummeted 20 points since October, the largest one-quarter drop in seven years, according to the Mass Insight Corp. As a result, consumer confidence is at its lowest point since October 1992. Many national and regional economists believe that the U.S. economy is in recession, due largely to the credit crisis and sagging home values. Additional polling data by Mass Insight shows significant public support for policies that would promote cost stability and economic competitiveness for Massachusetts employers. Specifically, the survey found that 88% of residents believed that controlling business costs was “very important” (66%) or “somewhat important” (22%), outpacing public support for reducing personal income taxes. The drop in consumer confidence is mostly a result of increased negative evaluations of current economic conditions, which fell 27 points, but the Future Expectations Index is also down 15 points. The poll showed significant support for controlling employer costs, including corporate taxes and unemployment insurance costs. Massachusetts still has the highest unemployment insurance costs in the nation, according to Mass Insight. The Massachusetts Consumer Confidence Index is published quarterly by Mass Insight, a Boston-based firm that organizes public-private initiatives on competitive issues. The index is modeled on the national Conference Board Index.

        AIM’s Index Falls Further in February

        BOSTON — The Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index fell to a new historic low in February, shedding 3.4 points to 33.3 — three points below December’s previous record. For the first time in its almost 18 years, the overall index and its sub-indices are all below 40, according to Raymond G. Torto, global chief economist at CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. and chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors. Torto notes there is a faint indication that the economic decline will bottom out within six months, which may draw further strength from the enactment of the federal stimulus act and other interventions. The Index, based on a 100-point scale on which 50 is neutral, was down 16.9 points from February 2008, and about 25 points from two, three, and four years before. The past three months have produced the three worst readings since the Index was initiated in July 1991. February confidence levels were somewhat higher in Greater Boston (34.6) than elsewhere in the state (31.6), and lower for manufacturers (31.7) than for other employers (35.7). The monthly index is based on a survey of AIM member-companies across Massachusetts, asking questions about current and prospective business conditions in the state and nation, as well as about respondents’ own operations.

        Berkshire Leadership Program Seeks Applications

        PITTSFIELD — Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 Berkshire Leadership Program (BLP). Now in its 12th year, the BLP seeks, prepares, involves, and sustains leaders from diverse backgrounds who are committed and competent to address community challenges and improve the quality of life in the Berkshires. The BLP kicks off with a two-day retreat which includes training in all aspects of leadership, problem-solving techniques, and networking. The retreat is followed by nine weekly, four-hour evening sessions on specific topics including government, energy, economic development, tourism and the creative economy, education, health care, and leadership. Each year up to 30 candidates are selected to participate in the program. Selection is based on a written application and written references. The cost to participate is $595 and includes all meals and overnight accommodations at Jiminy Peak during the retreat. Limited financial assistance is available. Applications are available at www.berkshirechamber.com and must be received by June 1, 2009. For more information, contact Christina Barrett, program coordinator, at (413) 499-4000, ext. 15. More than 300 individuals have graduated from the program since its inception in 1997.

        Employer Outreach Breakfast Planned

        SPRINGFIELD — The Regional Employment Board (REB) of Hampden County will host its second annual employer outreach breakfast on March 27 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Big Y Foods, Inc., 2145 Roosevelt Ave. REB representatives will detail how employers can help young people find summer jobs in the coming months. For more information and to register for the breakfast, contact Kathryn Kirby at [email protected] or call (413) 755-1359.

        Federal Reserve Predicts More Recession

        WASHINGTON — From factories to high-tech firms across the country, business owners are pessimistic about economic conditions in the coming months. Their pessimism was evident in the Federal Reserve’s current business activity report recently released. The Fed notes sharp cutbacks in both blue-collar jobs and those for white-collar professionals. Business people rated the prospects for near-term improvement in economic conditions as poor, with a significant pickup not expected before late 2009 or early 2010, according to the Fed.

        Departments

        The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2009.

        AMHERST

        Norwottuck Fish & Game Association
        1348 West St.
        $22,000 — Add antenna to existing tower

        CHICOPEE

        1066 Granby Road, LLC
        12 Dallaire St.
        $167,000 — Interior renovations for dental office

        Crossing at Ridgewood Village
        124 Outer Dr.
        $1,100,000 — Strip and re-roof

        GREENFIELD

        Franklin Medical Center
        164 High St.
        $4,000 — To remediate two-hour fire separation lab

        Town of Greenfield
        141 Davis St.
        $20,000 — To reinforce roof rafters and cap roof

        Western Mass. Theatre Inc.
        361 Main St.
        $55,000 — Interior renovations

        HADLEY

        Justin Thatcher
        206 Russell St.
        $9,000 — Replace siding and roofing

        HOLYOKE

        H.I.F., LLC
        206 Maple St.
        $943,000 — Abatement and demolition of existing non-structural areas

        LUDLOW

        Cumberland Farms
        105 West St.
        $29,000 — Re-roof

        NORTHAMPTON

        Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
        30 Locust St.
        $36,000 — Interior renovations

         

        Smith College Office of the Treasurer
        10 Green St.
        $22,000 — Install handicap accessible toilets

        The Brush Works, LLC
        221 Pine St.
        $150,000 — Install replacement windows

        SOUTH HADLEY

        Property One, LLC
        35 North Main St.
        $14,000 — Renovations

        South Hadley Housing Authority
        25 Abbey Lane
        $22,500 — Repairs

        SPRINGFIELD

        Joseph A. Boudreau, Sr.
        359 Page Blvd.
        $42,000 — Building 40’ x 60’ warehouse

        Mercy Medical Center
        299 Carew St.
        $95,000 — 2,020 square feet of interior office renovations

        Orthodox Alliance of Springfield
        2 Eunice Dr.
        $90,000 — Interior renovations of chapel, library, and kitchen

        Shriners Hospital
        516 Carew St.
        $1,586,000 — Interior renovations

        WESTFIELD

        Bob Hoernig
        57 Meadow St.
        $20,500 — Commercial repair

        WEST SPRINGFIELD

        Elm Auto School
        262 Elm St.
        $3,000 — Remodel bathroom

        Coda Realty, LLC
        135 Memorial Ave.
        $400,000 — Renovation of 24,609 square feet of retail space

        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

        Richard J. Harvey v. Windsor Court
        Allegation: Negligence in failure to maintain premises, causing injury: $4,388.10
        Filed: 1/29/09

        FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

        Dawn E. Bruno v. Austin Trucking Co. and Lawrence R. Bassett
        Allegation: Motor-vehicle negligence causing personal injury: $18,258.21
        Filed: 2/12/09

        HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

        Alton E. Gleason Company Inc. v. Crestview Construction & Trucking Inc. & HDC Four, LLC
        Allegation: Non-payment of services and materials provided: $59,269.86
        Filed: 2/11/09

        Shawn P. Coakley v. Town of West Springfield and West Springfield Public Schools
        Allegation: Employee discrimination based on disability: $50,000+
        Filed: 2/13/09

        Thomas F. Fortier v. Alcobaca Inc. d/b/a The Meadows
        Allegation: Failure to keep premises safe, allowing for plaintiff to be assaulted by another patron while on premises: $65,057.26
        Filed: 2/10/09

        HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

        Kathleen Treska v. Big E’s Foodland Inc.
        Allegation: Plaintiff struck by object that was knocked off a shelf by an employee: $121,560
        Filed: 2/10/09

        Nail Communications Inc. v. Berkshire Blanket Inc.
        Allegation: Breach of marketing contract and non-payment of services rendered: $28,000
        Filed: 2/12/09

        NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

        Farm Family Insurance Co. v. Bioshelters Inc.
        Allegation: Non-payment on insurance policies: $6,784.61
        Filed: 1/15/09

        First Equity Card Corp. v. The Pirate’s Den Restaurant
        Allegation: Monies owed for credit advanced: $11,277.61
        Filed: 1/26/09

        SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

        Gekay Sales & Service Co. Inc. v. Queen City Equipment Inc.
        Allegation: Failure to pay court-ordered judgment: $6,000.73
        Filed: 1/20/09

        Ormsby Insurance Co. Inc. v. Canta Napoli Pizzeria and Restaurant Inc.
        Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay monies owed: $16,554.57
        Filed: 1/20/09

        York Modern Corp. v. Dalton Tractor & Equipment Co. and TD Banknorth, N.A.
        Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,019.13
        Filed: 2/11/09

        WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

        F.W. Webb Co. v. Bushee Enterprises, LLC
        Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,171.74
        Filed: 1/12/09

        Russell P. Jones v. EDS Development
        Allegation: Unpaid balance on promissory note: $46,300
        Filed: 1/30/09

        Departments

        Nell Elizabeth (Beth) Lorenz, President and Treasurer of Lorenz Honda in Greenfield, was recently honored for her nomination for the 2009 Time magazine Dealer of the Year Award. Lorenz was one of a select group of dealers from across the country recently feted at the 92nd annual National Automobile Dealers Assoc. Convention & Exposition in New Orleans. The Time magazine Dealer of the Year Award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted awards for new car dealers. Recipients are among the nation’s most successful auto dealers, but they must also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to effective community service. Lorenz was chosen to represent the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Assoc. in the national competition — one of only 49 dealers to share such an honor from more than 19,500 nationwide.

        •••••

        James E. Majka, CRPC, has joined Bancnorth Investment Group Inc. as a Financial Advisor based in the TD Banknorth branch in Westfield. Majka provides individualized retirement and financial planning, including individual retirement accounts, investment and managed-money programs, portfolio review, annuities, mutual funds, life insurance, long-term care insurance, wealth accumulation, and retirement plans for individuals, families, and small businesses.

        •••••

        Douglas E. Fish has been promoted to Associate Vice President for Financial Services at American International College in Springfield. Both the Financial Aid Office and the Office of Student Accounts report to Fish.

        •••••

        Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., with offices in Springfield and Northampton, announced the following:
        • Attorney Lina Alexandra Hogan has joined the firm as an Associate. Hogan concentrates her practice in the areas of business law, business litigation, and bankruptcy law.
        • Attorney David K. Webber has joined the firm as an Associate. Webber practices in the areas of business transactions, estate and succession planning, taxation, and nonprofits.

        •••••

        Kara Arsenault has been promoted from Advisor to Unit Manager for lia sophia, a fashion jewelry company. Arsenault, based in Wilbraham, has met or exceeded her personal sales and recruiting goals to achieve this level of leadership.

        •••••

        Avada Hearing Care Centers announced the following:
        • Carla Bartolucci, representing Avada of Chicopee, Avada of East Longmeadow, Avada of Easthampton, Avada of West Springfield, Avada of Westfield, and Avada of Wilbraham, recently completed a two-day, advanced-business-level workshop for key managers in Louisville, Ky. Managers participated in a forum where they exchanged ideas on management techniques in their respective regions. The exchange allowed managers to discuss their successes and challenges, and how to use those experiences to continuously improve attention to detail and the experiences of their patients.

        •••••

        Top Avon representatives including Linda Kershaw of Granby recently joined the A-list in Hollywood to celebrate their success. Division and district managers, along with top-performing representatives, enjoyed a weekend at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Highlighting the weekend was a gala dinner with actor Patrick Dempsey, known as Dr. Derek Shepherd on the ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy. Dempsey spent time with the Avon achievers, posed for photos, and thanked them for contributing to the successful launch of Unscripted, his signature scent with the company. Since it launched last November, Unscripted has become one of Avon’s top-selling men’s fragrances. Winners were chosen based on their fourth-quarter sales performance compared to the prior year. In addition, leadership representatives who helped recruits advance during that period were also selected for the honor.

        •••••

        David Stanley Anton recently achieved membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), the premier association of financial professionals. Anton is a one-year MDRT member. Attaining membership requires professionals to adhere to a strict code of ethics, focusing on providing top-notch client service, and continuing to grow professionally through involvement in at least one other industry association. Attaining membership in MDRT is a career milestone achieved by fewer than 1% of the world’s life insurance and financial services professionals.

        •••••

        Innovative Business Systems Inc. announced the following:
        • Mike Ross, Technician, has earned the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designation, a multi-exam process that tests the candidates’ ability to design and implement an infrastructure solution that is based on Microsoft Windows Server software.
        • Jeremy Redmond, Network Engineer, has earned the Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) designation on XenServer 5.0. The CCA certification validates the skills necessary to implement a specific Citrix product.

        •••••

        Environmental Compliance Services announced the following:
        • Alexandra Riddle has passed the state-licensed site professional exam. Riddle is a Principal and Senior Project Manager who has been with the firm since 1989.
        • John Niedzielski has passed the state-licensed site professional exam. Niedzielski, also a Principal, is the Agawam branch manager. He joined the firm in 1998.

        •••••

        Cyndi Driscoll Downs has joined the East Longmeadow office of Landmark Realtors as a Real Estate Agent.

        •••••

        Crocker Communications announced the following:
        • Carole Sweet has joined the firm as a Client Support Manager. She will oversee client support operations in Springfield and Greenfield.
        • Jack Cominoli has been named Infrastructure Operations Director. He is in charge of inventory, purchasing, facilities, and Crocker Networking Systems.

        •••••

        The Pioneer Valley USO announced the following:
        • David Jubinville, Co-owner of the Jubinville Insurance Agency in South Hadley, has been named President of the Board of Directors.
        • Richard Lavallee, Director of Building Operations for Appleton Corp. of Holyoke, has been named First Vice President of the Board of Directors.
        • Bruce Marshall, Co-owner of WARE Radio in Palmer, has been named Second Vice President of the Board of Directors.
        • Martha Mangini, Administrative Assistant at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department in Ludlow, has been named Secretary of the Board of Directors.
        • Rene Faivre, Specialty Production Manager of Loose Leaf Inc. in Holyoke, has been named Treasurer of the Board of Directors.
        • Alan Tracy, Owner of Tracy Brothers, a roofing company in South Hadley, has been named Executive Director.

        •••••

        Debra Call has been promoted to the new position of Clinical Director at the Children’s Study Home. She directs community-based therapeutic services through a new partnership with the Community Services Institute of Springfield. Call has worked with the Children’s Study Home for 10 years, most recently as Program Manager in family services.

        •••••

        Brenda Flower has joined Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England as a Sales Associate. She will provide residential real-estate services in Longmeadow.

        •••••

        The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts announced the following Board of Directors members:
        • Attorney Susan. G. Fentin has been named President.
        • Kelly DeRose has been named Vice President.
        • Nancy Sherman has been named Vice President.
        • Richard Burkhart has been named Treasurer.
        • Jeffrey Ciuffreda has been named Clerk.

        •••••

        Stacey M. Earnest has been named Director of Sales and Marketing of the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton, Conn.

        •••••

        United Bank, based in West Springfield, announced the following:
        • Anthony R. Franco has joined the bank as Assistant Vice President of Commercial Banking.
        • Donna M. Easton-Vicalvi has joined the bank as Assistant Vice President of Government Banking.

        •••••

        The Lower Pioneer Valley Regional Educational Collaborative in West Springfield announced the following:
        • Anna Bishop, Finance Director, has been recognized by the Govcrnment Finance Officers Assoc. with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award and certificate of recognition for budget presentation.
        • Anne McKenzie, Executive Director, has been recognized by the Government Finance Officers Assoc. with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award and certificate of recognition for budget presentation.

        Departments

        Third Thursday

        The Young Professionals Society of Greater Springfield staged its most recent Third Thursday event at Champions in Springfield. Featured guests included Springfield mayor Domenic Sarno and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray. Below (from left), YPS members Demare Flynn and Lauren Mendoza, Sarno, YPS members Jen Vaschak and Peter Zurlino, and Thomas Walsh, communications director for the city of Springfield. At right (from left) YPS members Dan Bessette and Nawana Holloway, Murray, and YPS members Amanda Huston, Michelle Sade, and Sarah Tsitso.


        LEEF of Faith

        The Hampden Bank Charitable Foundation recently donated $10,000 to the Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF), a private, volunteer, nonprofit organization established in 2001 to enrich, enhance, and support the quality of education in the Longmeadow public schools. The funds from this grant will go towards the Destiny Library Online Access system. This system will support the school district’s technology capability by providing staff and students at all of the Longmeadow schools with online access to the entire school system’s library card catalog. Here, Christine Halista, President of LEEF, accepts a check from the Hampden Bank Charitable Foundation at the recent grand opening of Hampden Bank’s newest office on Shaker Road in Longmeadow. From left are Thomas R. Burton, president of Hampden Bank; Halista; Maureen Wilson, assistant superintendent of Longmeadow Schools; Moira Murphy, clerk of the LEEF executive board; and Joe Aberdale, LEEF board member and director of Public Relations.


        Hackman World Tour

        Lee “Hackman” Breton is heading out on a world tour to show off the extreme cutting ability of the new LENOX T2 reciprocating saw blade. The tour kicked off last week at the LENOX plant in East Longmeadow, where Hackman, seen here, cut a police car in half in just over two minutes.


        Children’s Miracle Network

        The 94.7 FM WMAS Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon was broadcast live from the CMN Playdeck at Baystate Children’s Hospital on March 5-7 to benefit Baystate Children’s Hospital. The on-air personalities from WMAS, including Rob Anthony and members of the Kellogg Krew, asked listeners to pledge their support by calling in donations to the phone banks at the Baystate Medical Center’s Chestnut Conference Center. Regular radio programming was intertwined with live and taped interviews of patients and their families. When the Radiothon ended on Saturday afternoon, $175,000 had been raised, with additional pledges expected to increase the total in the coming weeks. From left are Rob Anthony, program director, WMAS Radio; Jill MacDonald of Springfield; Michelle Graci, manager of Special Events Fundraising for the Baystate Health Foundation; patient Jillianne MacDonald; and Kellogg Krew member Dina McMahon. Seven-year-old Jillianne was born premature, weighing a little over one pound and measuring 10 inches long at birth. She was dependent on medical technology for the first few years of her life. She was in and out of the hospital and was treated by almost every clinician at Baystate Children’s Hospital. ‘Jilly’ is homeschooled and still limited in what she can do outside. She goes to dance class every Saturday, and her mother says that she hates to miss a class. The physicians at Baystate Children’s Hospital say that the progress Jilly has made over the years is remarkable.