Standing on Her Shoulders Award Seeks Nominations
EASTHAMPTON — As part of the 15th anniversary celebrations for the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, the group’s Standing on Her Shoulders Award will celebrate 15 risk takers and innovators in the region who, through their determination and leadership, have increased opportunities and blazed trails. “They are the women whose stories have not been told or are not known beyond their immediate circles,” said Carla Oleska, CEO of the Women’s Fund. The Women’s Fund has chosen to honor elder women because their accomplishments are often overlooked in society, according to Oleska. Criteria for the award includes creativity and risk taking on behalf of women, courage and leadership in achieving social change, a willingness to go beyond the norm in their fields, risk taking to pursue goals despite the views of others, and following a vision before her time. “Women have made great strides in the last 100 years in this country,” said Oleska. “While we have so much more to do, we know that we owe so much to the women trailblazers who have opened doors for us. Our award seeks to shine a spotlight on bold and inspiring lives marked by significant accomplishments — efforts that not only benefited diverse women and girls, but also played a critical role in bringing about broader social change.” The Women’s Fund is seeking nominations of women in 15 fields, including arts, athletics/sports, business, civil rights, education, environment, health/medicine, law, media/communications, military service, nonprofit leadership, politics/public policy, philanthropy/volunteerism, science/technology, and theology/religion. Nomination forms can be found at www.womensfund.net. The deadline to submit a nomination is May 18. An award-selection committee will choose the 15 award recipients. Nominees must be 70 or older, must be willing to be photographed and interviewed on videotape for the public exhibit on March 14, 2013, and must be a resident of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden or Hampshire county. The Women’s Fund advances social change to create economic and social equality for women and girls in Western Mass. through grant making and strategic initiatives, added Oleska.
Massachusetts Home Sales
Rise 20% in March
BOSTON — Sales of single-family homes and condominiums in Massachusetts rose by double-digit percentages in March, marking the strongest first quarter since 2007, according to a new report by the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman. Single-family home sales increased nearly 20% to 3,205 in March, up from 2,688 in March 2011. Home sales in the first quarter are up 17% to 7,964 from 6,802 in last year’s first quarter. This is the third consecutive quarterly increase in Bay State home sales, and the strongest March since 2007, when there were 3,853 sales. “Starting the year with a strong first quarter is a good indicator of things to come,” said Timothy Warren Jr., CEO of the Warren Group. “After such a depressed year of sales in 2011, we’re likely to see more positive year-over-year comparisons in the months to come. The market has a good head of steam built up right now.” The median price for single-family homes sold in March slipped 3.3% to $260,000 from $268,750 a year earlier. It was the sixth consecutive month that monthly home prices have dropped year-over-year. The first-quarter median selling price was $255,000, a 3.7% decrease from $264,700 in the first quarter of 2011. “In studying patterns of previous housing slumps and recoveries, I’m not surprised median prices are continuing to drop,” Warren said. “Housing sales will continue to rise, but it will take several more months for median prices to follow.” Condominium sales statewide in March rose for the second straight month. Condo sales increased 11.4% to 1,189 from 1,067 in March 2011. A total of 2,983 condo sales transactions were recorded in the first three months of the year, a nearly 8% increase from 2,766 a year earlier. The median price for condos sold in March was $265,000, up more than 15% from $230,000 in March 2011. The first-quarter median condo price was also up 6.7% to $250,750 from $235,000 during the prior year’s first quarter.
State Labor Markets See Drop in Unemployment
BOSTON — The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development recently reported that the March 2012 seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates were down in all 22 labor areas. The labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs estimates, for Massachusetts and every other state, are based on statistical methodologies specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Statewide, the March seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 6.4%, down from 7.5% in February. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.4 percentage points from the March 2011 unadjusted rate of 7.8%. All 22 labor-area rates were down over the year. In March, over-the-month job gains occurred in all 12 areas for which estimates are published. The largest gains occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Worcester, Springfield, Barnstable, and Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton areas.
