Museums10 Receives Two-Year Grant

AMHERST — Museums10, a partnership of 10 museums in the upper Pioneer Valley which is facilitated by Five Colleges Inc., has been awarded a two-year matching grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s John and Abigail Adams Arts Program for 2007-08. This year’s award of $75,000 will be used to promote both the Museums10 brand and the upcoming “BookMarks” exhibition slated for September 2007-January 2008. The amount of the award for the second year will be announced later this year. The mission of the three-year-old partnership is to build a bigger engine for cultural tourism in the region through marketing and cross-promotion of the museums in cooperation with cultural partners and area chambers of commerce. There is no cost for businesses and cultural institutions to participate in the project. For more information, contact Tony Maroulis, Museums10 project coordinator, at amaroulis@fivecolleges.edu.

Employers Association Teams Up With Connecticut Industrial Council

AGAWAM — The Conn. Industrial Council has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Employers Association of the NorthEast (EANE). The merger offers current and prospective council members access to all the benefits presently afforded EANE members and is a reflection of the commitment on the part of both organizations to develop programs and services focused on manufacturing issues. The Connecticut Industrial Council is located in Watertown and will maintain its headquarters through midyear after which EANE and the Council will strategically position the office to better serve all its members.

State Home Sales Slip in February

BOSTON — Sales of single-family homes in Massachusetts declined in February compared to year-before numbers, but healthy sales in January helped year-to-date sales increase compared to 2006, according to a recent report by The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman. Single-family home sales fell 1.4% in February, when 2,983 were sold, compared with 3,024 in February 2006. Year-to-date sales, however, rose 2.24%, with 6,306 homes sold during the first two months of the year, compared with 6,168 during the same time period last year. The median price for single-family homes fell 4.6% in February, dropping to $300,000 from $314,500 in February 2006. Condominium sales and prices also fell in February. Sales dropped 3.2%, from 1,774 in February 2006 to 1,717 this February.

Health Insurance Law Reprieve Granted

BOSTON — The insurance products recently endorsed by the Commonwealth Health Connector Authority board of directors will offer a wide assortment of affordable products for individuals and small businesses to choose from through the Connector beginning May 1. The plans offer a choice of deductibles ranging from zero to $2,000 with prescription drug coverage. The insurance carriers whose products earned the Connector Seal of Approval are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, ConnectiCare, Fallon Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, New England Health, Neighborhood Health Plan and Tufts Health Plan. At press time, the board delayed key elements of the plan by 18 months to provide residents and businesses an opportunity to increase their health care coverage to meet more stringent requirements. Residents will still need some kind of health care coverage by July 1 or face tax penalties next year.

State Petitions to Foreclose Nearly Double in February

BOSTON — Delinquent mortgage payments in Massachusetts continued to plague the industry in February as the number of petitions to foreclose rose 92.1% compared to the number filed in February 2006. Advertisements for foreclosure auctions also increased 199% compared with February 2006, according to The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman. Mortgage lenders filed 2,242 petitions to foreclosure in Massachusetts Land Court in February, compared with 1,167 in February 2006 and 1,021 in February 2005. Petitions to foreclose are the first step in the foreclosure process, and do not always end in actual foreclosure. Some homeowners eventually sell their homes or refinance.

Housing Starts Rebound in February

WASHINGTON — Housing starts rebounded 9.0% in February following a 14.3% drop the month before, according to figures recently released by the Commerce Department. The pace of construction increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.525 million units for the month, but was down 28.5% from a year earlier. Construction of new single-family homes was up 10.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.220 million units in February. The increase followed an 11.2% drop in January. Permits, a less volatile measure of housing construction activity, were issued at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1.532 million units, down 2.5% for the month and off 28.6% from a year earlier.

Springfield Neighborhoods, Downtown Scrutinized

SPRINGFIELD — The Boston District Council of the Urban Land Institute is in the process of creating panels of experts to study the challenges facing both the city’s neighborhoods and the downtown district. The free assistance is a follow-up to a $120,000 study done by the Urban Land Institute that made recommendations and strategies for addressing the city’s economic development and needs of the neighborhoods. The panels will include experts in the fields of real estate development, housing, retail, parking, commercial, preservation, design and financial services.

PVTA CFO Resigns

SPRINGFIELD — Keith C. Henry, chief financial officer for 13 years at the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA), recently resigned amid criticism of an audit of the agency’s finances. Misuse of $1.2 million in state funds for operating expenses, substantial accounting errors, and a potential $4 million debt to the federal government were uncovered during the audit which was conducted by a private firm hired by the PVTA. The PVTA’s new director, Mary L. MacInnes, announced that the search for a new chief financial officer will begin soon, and will be the last step in the rebuilding of the agency’s management team. Several top officials have resigned or were terminated at the PVTA since a federal corruption probe was launched in December 2005.

Ardolino Convicted of Conspiracy, Fraud

SPRINGFIELD — Former mayoral aide Anthony M. Ardolino pleaded guilty March 19 to conspiracy and tax fraud charges, ending a six-year legal standoff with the federal government. Ardolino served as former Mayor Michael J. Albano’s chief of staff. During court proceedings, Ardolino admitted to five felony counts stemming from hidden ownerships in the Civic Pub and the Pour House, both located in the downtown district. Sentencing is set for June 18 at 2 p.m. Ardolino could face between 24 and 30 months in prison under the plea deal.

A.I.M. Applauds DiMasi On Tax Plan Stance

BOSTON — Associated Industries of Massachusetts was among the organizations that applauded House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi recently for his remarks relative to the state’s business climate. DiMasi recently told members of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce that the Legislature seeks to improve the climate through job training, economic stimulus, health insurance reform, and permit streamlining. DiMasi also noted that the House Ways and Means version of the state budget for next fiscal year will be released April 11 and will not rely on revenue from business tax code changes proposed by Governor Deval L. Patrick. In addition, DiMasi has proposed the creation of a tax code task force to review the state’s entire tax code and to make recommendations for rebalancing the code to make it more simple, fair and predictable. DiMasi said he informed Patrick of his opposition to the governor’s plan to raise $295 million in added revenue in 2008 and $500 million in 2009 from closing “tax loopholes.”

U-Haul Ranks Top Growth Cities

PHOENIX, AZ — U-Haul recently released results of its annual U-Haul National Migration Trend Report that reflects the nation’s top growth areas for families who moved during 2006. The 2006 Top Growth Cities Report indicates that for cities with more than 10,000 families moving, Austin, Texas, has the highest percentage of growth for the second year in a row, with 8.15% more families moving into the area than out. For cities with 5,000-10,000 families moving, Des Moines, Iowa, had the highest percentage of growth, with 14.17%. The report was compiled from more than 1.62 million U-Haul transactions between January 1 and Dec. 31. 2006. Cities also listed in the top 10 included Indianapolis, Ind., New Orleans, La., New York City, N.Y., Fredericksburg, Va., San Francisco, Calif., Kansas City, Mo., Raleigh, N.C., Miami, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C.