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Political journalist Howard Fineman addresses the overflow crowd in attendance for Outlook 2006, the Affiliated Chambers’ annual start-of-the-year lunch staged Feb. 10 at Chez Josef. In addition to Finemans’ humorous and insightful keynote, attendees heard outlook addresses from Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey and Northampton Mayor Mary Claire Higgins.


After 5
The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce staged its February After 5 networking event at Tower Square. At left, visitors crowd the booth of Silver Sponsor Springfield Teachers Credit Union.


Above, are Donna Fink, marketing coordinator, Mary Orr, media coordinator, and Brad Dakers, annual campaign coordinator of Mercy Medical Center, a member of the Sisters of Providence Health System and Catholic Health East, and the After 5 Presenting Sponsor.


Class Act
From left, LynnHuong Ly, UMass Amherst senior assistant director for Undergraduate Admissions, advises STCC graduate Danae L. Thomas and STCC student Katharine Collins about transfer opportunities. UMass and STCC have announced a new outreach partnership aimed at providing STCC students who wish to continue their degree studies with easier access to the Commonwealth’s flagship state university at Amherst.

 

Opinion
Ten years ago, the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School was still very much a dream for its founders. But now, its student body, as well as its reputation for excellence and creativity, is growing. The school, in a new home in South Hadley, is embarking on a capital campaign designed to make the PVPA’s next act as exciting as the first.

Upon an initial walk-though, the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School looks much like any other high school. Students are hunched over books in classrooms and study halls, listening to iPods in the halls or pausing at the vending machines to talk to their friends.

Soon, though, subtle differences are noticeable. A Spanish class is held in a new theater, adjacent to the stage. A math class is one room over from a course in costume design, where the beginnings of Technicolor creations are fed into sewing machines.

A student on her way to class suddenly, randomly twirls, books in hand – a dancer’s spin to pass the time, or maybe some extra practice for an upcoming quiz.

From his new office on the first floor, Bob Brick, the school’s administrative director, observes all of this with a look of satisfaction. Only one semester into its 10th year and celebrating a new home in South Hadley, where the school recently relocated from Hadley, PVPA, a public charter school, has grown incrementally from its beginnings in 1996.

“Many people still don’t know we exist,” he said.

But the school is the culmination of a long-held dream for Brick. And the combination of PVPA’s move to South Hadley, the occasion of the school’s 10th anniversary, and its consistent success academically is beginning to move the school to center stage in Western Mass., and that’s a move that Brick hopes will help underscore PVPA’s unique mission.

Act One

Brick has been involved since PVPA was just a kernel of an idea – he founded the school along with educational director Ljuba Marsh. Previously, both had long careers in human services, but also in educational innovation – a fact they realized after knowing each other for years.

Brick was a founding member of the Project Ten experimental college at UMass Amherst in 1968, an attempt at revolutionizing the college experience. Similarly, Marsh has been involved with educational reform for more than 40 years, working with a number of institutions with a focus on academic and artistic integration.

“It had always been my dream to found a school that valued the performing arts, and it turned out it had always been a dream of Ljuba’s as well,” Brick said. “We never knew that about each other. But once we did, the process began to move very quickly.”

Coinciding with the Mass. Educational Reform movement, that process began with a call to the State Department of Education, initial approval, and that first class of freshmen in 1996, which included Brick’s daughter, now enrolled in medical school.

The PVPA now boasts a student body of about 400 in both middle school and high school, 40 full-time faculty members, and an additional 60 or so part-time faculty members and administrative staff. And Brick said he doesn’t want to see the school’s enrollment numbers grow too much more – that would affect the personal attention and small classes that are central to the school’s mission. But this year, the school received applications from more than four times the students it can accommodate – 300, with only 70 open slots available.

No auditions are necessary for admittance to the school – students are accepted based on a lottery system — but Brick says the large number of applications adds to the credibility of PVPA, and further bunks any notion that performing arts-based schools are heavy on creativity, but soft on academics.

In actuality, PVPA’s curriculum is one of the most stringent in the state, requiring students to attend classes for eight hours a day. Five of those hours are reserved for traditional, academic courses, and the remainder of the day is devoted to a variety of courses in performing arts, ranging from dance, theatre, and music to costume or set design.

“Everyone has to do eight credit hours per semester, four years of language, three years of lab sciences, and three consecutive years of a foreign language,” Brick explained. “In addition to performing arts requirements in their chosen concentration, students must also complete an internship and hours of community service. That’s not to mention the commute many of our students have.”

High school and middle school students from across the state are welcome to apply to PVPA, although Brick said special priority is given to those living in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. Still, even across Western Mass., the school’s reach is extensive – the current student body hails from 60 cities and towns from east of Worcester to the Berkshires. Many commute to school an hour each way.

“They want to be here,” Brick said. “They’re a happy group of students, and many are in the beginnings of very strong careers in the performing arts.”

And the academic model at PVPA, which puts emphasis on creative, critical thinking is working, he noted.

“We value the individual needs of every student,” said Brick, “both academically and creatively. We work toward goals with the understanding that without the arts, most people aren’t complete … and our kids get into great colleges, and study both the performing arts as well as more traditional subjects. Our MCAS scores are some of the highest in the state.

“High school can be a very negative experience for people who are different,” he continued, shifting his focus from the academic success of the PVPA to the social aspects of high school life. “At some public schools, for instance, male dancers get shoved in lockers. Here, they’re gods. And everyone has something that makes them special, and that is appreciated.”

Set Design

Over the past decade, the school has existed at varying levels in terms of both its physical and academic presence in Western Mass. Brick explained that the school once offered only the ninth grade, sending students to different public or private schools for the remainder of their education. PVPA soon expanded, however, to include a full four-year curriculum in 2000 (the seventh and eighth grades were added in 2004) and to hold classes within several historic buildings on Route 9 in Hadley.

But Brick said the school was quickly outgrowing its facilities, and plans have been in motion for some time to relocate the school to a larger, more-consolidated location.

“Students had to walk 15 minutes sometimes to get to classes,” he explained of PVPA’s former digs. “They were rushing from building to building, crossing Route 9 … it could be awful, especially in the winter.”

Brick said the PVPA actually made five different attempts to relocate, conducting feasibility studies at three potential sites and actually purchasing 20 acres of land in Hadley with the hope of developing it at a later date – that land is still owned by PVPA, and Brick said the school is now planning to sell it.

None of the first four locations were suitable for a school, but a fifth option in South Hadley, situated on a hill on Mulligan Drive adjacent to the Ledges Golf Club, proved to be more promising. The property in which the school now operates had been vacant for years, having once served as a research and development facility for a chemical engineering firm, Intelicoat Technologies (formerly Rexham Graphics).

“It had been sitting around for five years, empty,” said Brick. “I don’t know exactly why … I can only surmise that the building hadn’t been right for a new business because it’s quirky – it’s only suited for certain uses, it’s big, and it’s sort of hidden up here.

“But for a charter school with students from all over the region, it’s perfect,” he added. “We’re four miles from I-91, there’s plenty of space that can be converted for specialty uses, parking, and plenty of land surrounding us. We saw very early on that this could work.”

The building and the land it occupies were purchased from Joe Marois, president of Marois Construction, in 2005. After examining the building and its potential for housing a performing arts school, Brick said PVPA soon began the process of purchasing the site from Marois and hiring his firm to renovate it – a $4.5 million endeavor.

“We used funds from some long-term fundraising we had been involved with, and a tax-exempt loan from MassDevelopment,” said Brick, adding that the renovation of the building was extensive. “In the end, we renovated about 98% of this building – we gutted it, added a third floor, installed new electric and plumbing systems, and an elevator.”

In actuality, the school’s new home encompasses less area than the former location in Hadley – about 50,000 square feet. But Brick said the space is better suited for academic use, and the students are, for the first time, under one roof.

“There is much more usable space,” he said. “We have three dance studios with sprung floors, a theatre, two sound studios, insulated rooms for music classes, a set design and costume shop, and a chemistry lab, all brand new and all in one building. It’s a huge improvement.”

And Brick said they’re not done, either. The school is currently in the middle of a capital campaign, raising money for a new, 450-seat theater at the school. Brick said he hopes to break ground on the project within the next two years, with the help of continued support from area organizations, businesses, and individuals.

He said the school has benefited from the financial help of what he terms “a few angels,” but added that there is still a need to increase the school’s visibility within the region’s business community, in order to continue to develop both the school itself and its unique curriculum.

He explained that the PVPA model is so different from most, it can cause some confusion – many people don’t realize that the school is a six-year, academic middle and high school that is open to any student with an interest in the performing arts. Fewer realize that the school has an exceedingly young alumni base that is, for the most part, still unprepared to give back substantially to their alma mater, unlike more-established specialty schools, public or private. After only 10 years in existence and only six including graduating classes, most PVPA alumni are still in college or starting their first jobs.

It has become part of Brick’s general duties to market the school as well as its needs, speaking to professional organizations such as rotary clubs regularly.

“It’s one of the most difficult needs we have to translate – that of the need for private support, even though we are a public school,” said Brick. “It’s similar to the challenges that all public schools face – yes, we receive support from the government. But it doesn’t cover everything, especially with the extended curriculum. We can use that support.”

Fame Seekers…

As the bell rings at PVPA and students begin to filter into the halls, Brick pauses to listen to the voices in the hall.

There’s the usual chatter, but it’s punctuated by bits of song, excited gossip about upcoming auditions, and the swinging whoosh of the theater door … little bursts of creativity, further cementing Brick’s dream in reality.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

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There is considerable excitement in Springfield about the industrial park planned for an 86-acre parcel next to Smith & Wesson — and with good reason. It has been quite some time since a large tract of land was primed for development in the City of Homes, and there are great expectations about job creation, tax revenue generation, and a much-needed dose of good news.

But as city leaders and Mass-Development, the quasi-public agency hired to act as project manager for the initiative move forward, they must do so with both caution and patience. Memorial II could become a key component in the city’s broad economic development strategy, but only if that precious land is put toward uses that will bring significant long-term benefits, not short-term gains.

Springfield needs both jobs and tax dollars, but what it really needs are new jobs — not positions merely shuttled from one side of the city to the other or even from another Pioneer Valley community — and those proverbial good jobs at good wages; many of the jobs created in Springfield in recent have been in the tourism and service sectors, which are generally not high-paying.

And this is where the patience and caution come in.

MassDevelopment and Springfield’s leaders could probably fill Memorial II very quickly — the shortage of developable land in this region, especially parcels with easy access to major highways is nearing the critical stage. But, as we said, this is not a job to be done swiftly; it’s one to be done properly.

And it may take some time to do that, because attracting new jobs to a region is much more difficult than moving existing ones across town.

For evidence of this, one needs only look at the Chicopee River Industrial Park, a facility that straddles the Chicopee-Springfield line and is currently being earmarked for companies from outside the Pioneer Valley, and preferably those in technology-related sectors. At present, there is but one tenant, Convergent Prima, which has been alone in the park for nearly three years.

There are many possible reasons why the Chicopee River park has been slow to fill up — everything from the decline of the tech sector in recent years to the highly publicized fiscal and social problems facing Springfield. Whatever the reason, the Economic Development Council of West-ern Mass. is sticking to its guns and preserving those parcels for what can truly be described as new jobs.

Long term, this seems to be a sound strategy.

Doing the same with Memorial II will not be easy. Already there is talk that the site could become the next home of Performance Food Group (PFG), the giant food distribution company currently located on Taylor Street. Moving PFG a few miles down Route 291 would solve that company’s needs for larger quarters, but would it bring long-term benefits for Springfield and the region?

Probably not, especially since these are not those ‘good jobs’ that everyone wants Memorial II to generate. However, if Springfield faces losing PFG, its jobs, and tax revenue (taxes are paid on all those trucks that run in and out of the plant) if the company cannot expand elsewhere in the city, then one could make a case for allowing the company to move there.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, because there are other, better uses for that property.

These include light industrial operations, research and development facilities, and companies in emerging technologies such as the biosciences and medical device manufacturing.

Waiting for such opportunities will be difficult; there is enormous competition regionally and nationally for such jobs, and Springfield is at somewhat of a disadvantage due to its current fiscal and public relations problems. And it is these very same problems that will put enormous pressure on City Hall and MassDevelopment to fill Memorial II and fill it quickly.

We believe that this would be a mistake, because the tract is essentially Springfield’s last large piece of zoned, developable real estate. It is an enormous asset and it should used prudently, and not for any perceived quick fixes.

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Pedro Caceres says today’s businesses are — or should be — in a constant state of transformation.

“There is no time to rest,” said Caceres, vice president of Operations for East Longmeadow-based Hasbro Games. “That’s because the competition doesn’t just come from the company across town, but from companies around the world.”

This state of heightened competition, and the need for companies to respond to it, provided ample motivation for Caceres to step forward and assume a lead role with what is being called the Division of Business Excellence within the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield.

The DOBE, as it’s also called, is a mostly volunteer-led agency and the successor group to a membership-based organization known as the Springfield Area Council for Excellence. SPACE, as it was called, operated for more than a dozen years before ceasing operations last spring in favor of the new model for a business excellence division.

The ensuing months have been spent putting together a product and an operating strategy, said DOBE Executive Director and ACCGS Vice President Deb Boronski, who told BusinessWest that the group will roll out its ambitious plans at the chamber’s annual spring trade show on April 5 at the MassMutual Center.

Offering a preview, Boronski, Caceres, DOBE’s chairman, and other members of the group’s advisory board, said the new business excellence division will endeavor to fill the large void left by the demise of SPACE and, in so doing, help companies effectively compete in an increasingly global marketplace.

“There is a definite need for an organization that will promote business excellence and provide resources for area companies,” said Jeff Glaze, president of Westfield-based Decorated Products, who will lead the DOBE’s Business Process Improvement Team. “That’s why we came together … to address that need.”

John Maybury, president of East Longmeadow-based Maybury Material Handling and leader of DOBE’s Business Transformation team, agreed. He told BusinessWest that SPACE was created to help area businesses — and the region as a whole — remain competitive. It carried out that assignment through roundtables, assistance with implementation of specific excellence programs such as Kaizen, Six Sigma, and others, and creation of the Business Excellence Award, which provided a platform from which to promote excellence and show how area companies were achieving it.

The DOBE wants to do all that, said Maybury, but in a different format, one designed to reach a much broader audience.

Indeed, while SPACE tended mostly to its members — which numbered over 100 at its height — the DOBE will provide services and referrals for every company in the region, he said.

“We need to figure out how the Pioneer Valley and the Northeast as a region can stay competitive as we face wage issues, insurance issues, energy issues, and pressure from competition around the world,” he said. “We can do that by collaborating and working together to solve common problems.”

BusinessWest looks this issue at how the DOBE will carry out that challenging assignment.

Business Plan

Caceres told BusinessWest that after he attended an early meeting staged to outline what the new business excellence division would do and how it would do it, he came away impressed with the chamber’s intentions and desire to continue the work carried out by SPACE.

But he thought the DOBE lacked needed structure, and he set out to provide some. He was joined by Maybury and Glaze, also long-term SPACE members, and, working with Boronski, they have spent the past several months setting a tone and an agenda for the division.

The first step was creation of an advisory board, which includes several area business leaders. That group then went about generating a portfolio of events and activities that would enable the DOBE to meet its primary goal — becoming an effective resource for business owners who recognize the need for continuous improvement and need help to achieve it.

The DOBE will provide that help on a number of levels, said Maybury. First, it will conduct informational programs on specific issues and products in the broad realm of continuous improvement. It will also work to create an environment in which companies can share knowledge and experience in ways that make the region as a whole more competitive. The excellence division will also link business owners with consultants who will provide assistance on a fee-for-service basis.

Prospective consultants were being interviewed by the advisory board earlier this month, said Boronski, noting that a list of “excellence associates,” as they will be called, will soon be finalized. These individuals will provide direct support for implementation of a number of business excellence strategies, including lean manufacturing, Kaizen, the Japanese continuous improvement model, Six Sigma, various customer-satisfaction-improvement efforts, and others.

Lastly, the group will work to reintroduce and reinvigorate the Pioneer Valley Business Excellence Award, which was last awarded in 2004. Maybury, whose company won in the manufacturing category in 2002, described the process of applying for the award as a valuable learning experience.

“It helped make us a better company because we learned a lot about ourselves,” he said, referring to the review process carried out by a team of judges. “It was an awesome experience for everyone involved. We want more companies to benefit as we did.”

Entries for the award had dwindled in recent years, perhaps because of the time-consuming nature of the process, said Boronski, adding that organizers will seek to simplify it in an effort to prompt greater participation.

Re-establishing the PVBEA will be one of the duties assigned to the DOBE’s Business Transformation unit. That branch will have a number of sub-teams, including ones focused on small businesses, research, development, and innovation, and strategic sales and marketing. The Business Improvement Unit, meanwhile, will have teams focusing on lean enterprise, quality systems, “people development,” and top management.

The broad mission for all the teams is to promote the sharing of resources, said Glaze, noting that this is a key ingredient in efforts to enable the region to remain competitive.

“Sharing experiences and collective knowledge is important — that’s how all of us can get better at what we do, whether we’re in manufacturing or the service industry,” he explained. “The whole, in this case our combined knowledge, is truly greater than the sum of the parts.”

A long-time SPACE member, Glaze said that group was instrumental in helping his company, which produces nameplates, decals, and other promotional products, to incorporate continuous improvement programs and thus more effectively compete with competitors in China and elsewhere. But he said the membership fees charged by the group often served as a barrier, especially for small companies.

“What we’re doing is removing that barrier,’ he said, “and, in the process, creating opportunities to make programs available to all chamber members.”

Getting in Gear

Reflecting on the work performed by SPACE, Caceres said it was invaluable in helping companies operate in that state of continuous transformation he described.

“SPACE may be gone, but the need is still there and it’s real,” he said, explaining his commitment to the DOBE. “Comp-anies are in permanent need to re-examine how to improve, and it’s our mission to help them do it.”

For information on the Division of Business Excellence, contact Boronski at (413) 755-1309, or[email protected]

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

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The holidays have come and gone, and many times with that go our generous spirit and feelings of goodwill. Kind words or gestures and attitudes of gratitude are few and far between.

Believe it or not, the lack of positive sentiment can affect many aspects of a business, including safety, morale, employee retention, productivity, customer satisfaction/loyalty — and the bottom-line.

A recent survey conducted by Gallup of some 4 million workers on the topics of recognition and praise delivered startling results. According to the poll, the number-one reason people leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. In fact, almost two thirds of those polled said they received no praise or recognition for their good work, with an estimated 22 million workers presently disengaged or extremely negative in their workplace.

The cost to organizations from negativity and lost productivity is staggering. Between $250 billion and $300 billion per year is lost, and these figures do not account for absence, illness, and other problems that cause workers to be disengaged from their work and their companies. According to another study, negative employees can scare off every customer they speak with — for good — not to mention the negativity they spread to other employees. The contagious effects of disengagement and negativity are realistically costing the U.S. economy trillions of dollars.

While professional athletes know that ongoing acknowledgement and celebration improves ‘on-the-job’ performance and momentum, most workplaces do not foster opportunities for recognition. Unfortun-ately in today’s fast-paced and measured business world, we focus on how much still needs to be accomplished today, this week, this quarter, etc. and don’t take the time to recognize how much has already been accomplished. Businesses tend to operate from a deficiency mentality which can be draining to its workforce.

The late Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., considered the grandfather of positive psychology and the father of strengths psychology by the American Psychological Associa-tion, believed that everyone has a proverbial bucket of emotions and a dipper which they can use to either fill or empty others’ buckets. Through his research, by filling the buckets around you, your own bucket benefits and your overall outlook is improved. It creates a ripple effect. Even the mere observation of a good deed can have a positive impact on bystanders.

By one study’s count, each of us experiences approximately 20,000 individual moments every day; some negative and some positive. The key is to increase the ratio of positive interactions to negative. Clifton believed the magic ratio is five positive interactions for every one negative interaction. While some individuals have a genetic predisposition to being negative, several studies suggest that positive emotion can improve and optimism can be learned, regardless of an individual’s innate starting point.

To prevent ‘bucket dipping,’ start by increasing your own awareness of how often your comments are negative. Keep track and modify as necessary. Investing in a coach can help create this sometimes difficult behavioral shift. However, toomuch of a good thing can also be detrimental. It has been found that 13 positive interactions for every one negative interaction could actually decrease productivity.

In order for appreciation to be truly meaningful, it needs to be genuine, timely, and specific. Therefore, managers should beware of randomly throwing around generic phrases such as ‘good job’ or ‘well done.’ Generic phrases are meaningless and may actually have a counter effect to their original intention. The receiver may wonder why this time they received the praise when they did nothing different than any other time. What about the job or task was good? How did their attitude, behavior, skill or talent improve the situation?

Identify the specific action or behavior and provide the feedback in a timely manner; otherwise, it may lose its impact. Fans don’t wait until the end of the game to acknowledge a good play; neither should managers. Don’t force recognition — make sure it is genuine and deserved.

Focus on what employees or peers do right rather than where they need improvement. Our culture tends to be weakness- and negative-focused. Make a point of catching people doing well and discover the power of reinforcing these good behaviors. Provide opportunities for employees to excel and play to their strengths. Adhere to the Platinum Rule – “do unto others as they would have you do unto them.”

Individualization is the key when it comes to filling others’ buckets. While some people may enjoy being praised in front of a group, others may cringe at the thought of being publicly recognized. Customize the method of praise to the individual. What type of recognition or praise is preferred; public, private, verbal, written, or other? What form of recognition is motivating; a note, E-mail, title, gift certificate, etc.?

Gifts are almost always welcome. A recent poll showed that the vast majority of people prefer gifts that are unexpected. Again, personalization works best. When you take the time to provide an employee with a gift that reflects their interests, they feel valued and cared about. If you are not sure, ask them. Gain an understanding of the individual; their style, preferences, interests, strengths, talents, etc. and make note. A little effort goes a long way.

Besides creating a positive work environment with better business results, positive emotions can improve your overall health, increasing your life span by 10 years as well as increasing your productivity, fueling your resilience, and broadening your thinking. Be conscious of your interactions with others and look for opportunities to turn negative interactions into positive. You’ll be amazed as your personal and business ‘buckets’ runneth over.

Lynn Turner is an executive coach and owner of Ironweed Business Alliance, a coaching and consulting firm specializing in leadership development, team building and work/life balance strategies. She is also the host and producer of a local radio talk show/Web site Business Link Radio; (413) 283-7091.

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Steve Sobel says it’s much easier to give advice than take it. Fortunately, he took some of his own.

He was working as director of special education in the Hadley school system in the mid ’80s when he started moonlighting as a motivational speaker. His talks would vary with the audience and the specific goals for an event, but there were general themes, or messages, left with those in attendance.

One, in particular, was the thought that, no matter what one’s age might be, time is always relatively short, and thus one should make the most of it. Another is to develop a passion for what you do — or find something else.

“If you love what you do and you believe in what you do, whether you’re a company or an individual,” said Sobel, “that greatly enhances your chances of becoming successful.”

And it was with that mindset that he quit his full-time job, with its good salary and benefits, and went about making motivational speaking his career — and his passion.

It hasn’t always been easy, but he has no regrets. And the same could be said for most of the hundreds of thousands of people who have heard him over the years. This is a diverse population, and includes everything from patients at the Holyoke Soldiers Home to sales executives at MassMutual; professional athletes to area chamber of commerce members.

The shelves in Sobel’s cramped, window-less basement office in the Converse Business Park in Longmeadow tell part of the story. They are full of the small tokens of appreciation from client audiences— mugs, pens, a sleeve of golf balls, a clock, hats, shirts, you name it. But there are other, more significant gestures as well, including one of Sobel’s favorites.

It’s a mini-basketball signed by former Longmeadow High School and University of Connecticut hoop star Kevin Freeman with a note: “Thanks for the strength.”

Sobel provides strength through a number of messages about life and work. He tells audiences to enjoy their journey, whatever it may be, to treat people as they would want to be treated, and to be careful about which molehills they make into mountains.

And he always reminds people never to take themselves too seriously.

That’s one of the many points made during a presentation he calls Laugh More and Live Longer. It’s a talk on the power of lightheartedness, said Sobel, who urges audience members not to die from “terminal seriousness.”

No Laughing Matter

Sobel remembers the call from the coach of the 1998-99 Harvard men’s hockey team.

The squad was 0-8 and morale was as low as the team’s place in the standings. The coach was hoping Sobel could speak to the players and somehow motivate them to achieve more of their potential.

He agreed to try, and started by watching a few hours of practice.

“When I met with them, I told them they were skating as if they believed that life owed them success,” Sobel told BusinessWest. “I told them they weren’t skating with passion and playing as if they didn’t need to do much to win — and that’s why they were losing.

“I looked at the seniors, and said ‘this is your last dance,’” he continued. “I said, ‘shame on you, because a cancer survivor would put his arm around you and tell you the clock is ticking.’”

He then turned up the heat a little more with some rehearsed anger.

“I kicked a chair and said ‘I’m disgusted, I’m leaving and going home,’” he continued, adding that his words and actions must have inspired them because the team turned its season around and wound up in the playoffs. “I told them they had to play hard — every game and every minute. I later turned that message into something I used for a customer-service seminar, where I told them they had to treat each and every customer the same way — as if they were the most important customer.”

The Harvard assignment is like many Sobel has had over the years, in ways that range from his often-philanthropic compensation rates — NCAA rules forbid the school from paying him directly, but he received perks ranging from tickets to game to a chance for his son to skate with the team at practice — to his habit of taking messages sent to one group and borrowing from them for the next audience.

Sobel has been honing his motivational speeches and building his reputation nationally for more than 20 years now.

It started small, with talks mostly to school groups and sports teams — a shooting guard in college, Sobel has coached a number of basketball squads over the years and remains active in youth athletics. In time, he was discovered by the business community, for which he crafted talks on everything from the importance of teamwork to reducing stress in the workplace.

“Eventually, I ran out of sick days, mental health days, and personal days,” he said when describing his transition from part-time to full-time motivational speaker, a second career that was forged in many ways by his work in education.

Sobel spent four years as principal of Springfield’s Kathleen Thornton School, which takes what Sobel describes as “seriously disturbed” youngsters ages 5 to 13 from public schools across the state.

“That was a platform from which I learned a lot about behavior, life, and what it meant to have a staff full of morale,” he told BusinessWest, “because we were working with some very difficult clients — they were our customers.”

From Kathleen Thornton, Sobel went to the Hadley School System, where he served as special education director from 1983 to 1986 at the same time as he was gaining a reputation as an effective motivational speaker.

He said it was difficult in some ways to leave the steady paychecks and benefits that come with work as a school administrator, but, ultimately, he applied the messages from his speeches to his own life and career and made what he considered an obvious choice,

The list of organizations, associations, and corporations that Sobel has addressed gives an indication of how he has evolved from local fixture to national resource, and how his business has grown steadily in the process.

The roster of corporate clients includes Western Mass. companies such as MassMutual, Milton Bradley, Mercy Med-ical Center, and Lenox American Saw. But it also includes national giants such as AT&T, Anheuser–Busch, HBO, Pfizer, Xerox, GE, and even Readers Digest.

The list of associations meanwhile, includes everything from the Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Assoc. to the Alabama Society for Radiologic Technologists; the North Carolina Society for Respiratory Care to the Florida Health Information Management Assoc.

Sobel customizes talks for each audience, but has several themed, often highly interactive, presentations. They include:

• Yes You Can — How to Live Your Greatest Dreams and Get What You Want of Life, which he describes as an uplifting presentation that provides inspiration and direction to “go beyond what you think you are capable of”;

• Dancing with Wolves — How to Deal Superbly and Creatively with Difficult People. Audiences can learn about the most effective strategies for dealing with wolves, as Sobel, calls them, you can make life miserable for people at home and work;

• Relax! —Otherwise You Might Die All Tensed Up, which provides lessons in stress reduction that Sobel describes as “life and career savers.”

• Confidently Navigating and Riding the Winds of Change. Popular with many business owners, the presentation offers strategies on embracing change and using it positively.

There are other talks, including Team Power, Visionary Leadership — Only the Bold Need Apply, and Customer First, that are appropriate for many different types of audiences, said Sobel, who told BusinessWest that he averages about three speaking engagements a week, a number that provides a decent income and time to balance work and life.

“I don’t like all the travel … it does get tiring,” he said. “But I like everything else about it. It’s a fun job to go do every day.”

Indeed, there are rewards well beyond the financial compensation, he said, adding that he is continually fueled by comments about how his words have helped people — in their careers and in life.

“That’s the best part of this,” he said, “knowing that you made a difference in someone’s life.”

The Punch Line

Indeed, when asked to describe his work, Sobel said that’s a difficult assignment.
“I touch lives … I guess that’s the best way to put it,” he said. “I help people feel good about themselves, their lives, and their work. I tell them to never underestimate the difference they make in someone’s life.”

In the course of doing so, Sobel provides some laughs, as well as that strength that Kevin Freeman referred to.

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

Uncategorized

Chuck Swider is a Chicopee native who has seen the city go through many ups and downs.

He’s hoping to give the community a shot in the arm with a new development project, slated to begin this spring, that could bring some new jobs to the city while bolstering efforts to spark improvement of Chicopee Center.

Construction is slated to begin on a two-story, 12,000-square-foot commercial building by April or May, on the corner of West and Center streets, adjacent to the route 391 on- and off-ramps. A specific end-use for the building has yet to be determined, but Swider is focused on exploring options in health care, and is now working to recruit tenants in a variety of medical fields, ranging from primary care to physical therapy offices, and everything in between.

Swider began acquiring the property – the site is actually eight separate parcels that have been combined into one – about six years ago. Now, the slightly sloping hill includes a farmhouse and a small, rickety barn that will be leveled, but also a billboard advertising for tenants in the proposed building.

Swider has received approval on site plans for the new building from both the city and the state (Center Street is a state-owned roadway), and is now in the process of securing the necessary building permits, with the goal of beginning construction in a matter of weeks.

He hopes to complete construction on the building by fall of this year, and secure occupants by spring, 2007.

“There have already been some inquiries,” Swider said, “and we have the support of the mayor (Michael Bissonnette) in this. I don’t foresee any major problems at this point. The mayor’s office understands the importance of developing Chicopee center to the entire city, and has made it a top priority.”

Preliminary plans for the building include the incorporation of medical offices as well as retail space, and plans have also been mulled for a possible café-style restaurant on the premises.

Health and Wealth

Swider said he’s most interested in securing tenants in the health care sector in order to capitalize on what he considers the region’s strongest business sector.

“This location is phenomenal, because it serves as one of the primary gateways to the city,” said Swider, who lives, works, and owns property in Chicopee, in addition to currently serving his second term on the Board of Aldermen. “There is an ongoing effort to continue to update the center of Chicopee and to blend new buildings and businesses with the old. Reaching out to the larger medical community in Chicopee, Springfield, Holyoke, and West Springfield is a great place to start. It’s my hope that we can reach out to that community and even become an outreach post for a larger organization.”

That idea has already drawn some interest; last year, plans were drafted for a new suite of offices operating under the auspices of Holyoke Medical Center, which mulled using 6,000 square feet on the second floor at the property. HMC later chose a different location on Front Street in Chicopee, which included more square footage. Swider said that, while his own project was not chosen by HMC, he was not entirely disappointed by the end result.

“They chose to stay in Chicopee in a location that ultimately worked better for what they want to do,” he said, “and that’s still great for the city.”

But he added that the plan itself was indicative of exactly the type of use he’d like to see on the West and Center street corner. With the top floor occupied by medical offices, the ground floor would be open for any use, including the proposed café, a plan that Swider said he still hopes will materialize.

“We would have a built-in lunch crowd from the staff upstairs,” he said, “and I also think the center could absolutely support more specialty eateries. Chicopee center needs more diversity in general, and new restaurants might help to achieve that.”

Healthy Alternatives

Swider noted that while he is targeting health care related businesses, he won’t rule out other potential uses for the building.

“We went into this with the hope that the majority of our tenants would represent the medical field,” he said. “But we will absolutely consider anyone who is interested in relocating to our city.”

The law field, for instance, is one that might be tapped as construction moves forward, Swider said.

“A law office at this location would have easy access to several courts,” he explained, listing facilities in Springfield, West Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee. “That would be attractive to several tenants, and it remains very much a possibility.”

That pliability is part of Swider’s larger effort to be part of an overall revitalization of the city, he said, adding that he hopes the development will be a part of Bissonnette’s ‘Bosch to the Bridge’ development focus.

The mayor has pledged that economic development outside of the Memorial Drive strip will represent a major portion of his work during the first year in office. That plan includes a long-range endeavor to spur development in abandoned mills including the American Bosch plant, and through the corridor that connects the Bosch to the former Uniroyal property adjacent to the throughway once known as ‘the singing bridge.’

Promoting Wellness

“The mayor would like to see some of the business now strong in Springfield’s North End, and that includes the medical businesses, extend further across the Chicopee line,” Swider explained, adding that some Chicopee business owners and residents are beginning to refer to that expansion as ‘the New North End.’ “A big part of that initiative is going to be adding a diverse set of businesses to Chicopee center.”

Swider added that he supports the mayor’s focus on bringing development to Chicopee, as well.

“He is dead-set on positive development projects, and that will only help building developments like my own,” he said. “It’s imperative that the city is on board with these types of projects, because it only helps to underscore one major fact: Chicopee is alive.”

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Uncategorized

After more than 30 years in business, the commercial real estate development firm of Development Associates has a keen understanding of the Western Mass. market, the emerging business sectors, and challenges facing area business owners. Armed with that knowledge, DA is forging ahead with a number of projects, many speculative in nature, designed to give new and evolving businesses the space to grow.

Fanning a stack of four-color postcards like a hand in a poker game, Ken Vincunas, general manager of Development Associates, said the cards are a small representation of DA’s growing presence in the region; they announce newly completed building projects and new space for lease across Western Mass.

“We have so many things going on right now that it can be hard to see what, if any, areas we’re missing,” he said.

Indeed, the company has its fingers spread across a large portion of the local landscape, and is continually expanding an already broad portfolio that includes the construction, renovation, brokerage, leasing, and management of properties from Connecticut to the Berkshires and beyond.

Based in Agawam, DA operates as a commercial and industrial real estate, construction, and development firm. Vincunas represents the second-generation management of a company started by his father and partner Edward J. O’Leary.

For the past 15 years, Development Associates has developed a strong foothold in the development of build-to-suit and multi-tenant lease facilities across the region. The company currently owns and manages several properties in Western Mass. and more than 1.1 million square feet of leased space in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

Today, business is brisk at DA. Several projects are in various stages of development across the region, ranging from new construction of office and industrial facilities — such as two projects underway in Agawam and Chicopee — to renovations to the leasing and management of existing properties.

The company’s diversity, both in terms of the types of work it handles and the wide array of business sectors it serves, has yielded keen insight into the state of the local economy, current trends and challenges, and prospects for future growth and economic development.

Overall, Vincunas sees strong organic growth in a number of sectors, especially health care, retail, and education, but also recent struggles in efforts by area economic development leaders to bring new employers to the area.

BusinessWest looks this issue at DA’s strong track record in property development and management, and how it is responding to recent trends and growth opportunities with confidence, in for the form of spec building that many developers shy from, and imagination.

Strong Suit

Vincunas doesn’t take the old Field of Dreams outlook — ‘If you build it, they will come.’ But he does believe that if he builds the right facility in the right location, then business owners will come, look, and often lease several thousand square feet of space.

This is what the company is currently doing in two area industrial parks in Agawam and Chicopee, and what it has done through much of history.

“We have space of all kinds for all people in all areas,” he said. “We have a commitment to the area and its businesses, and we’ve been able to serve those businesses well … many tenants in our buildings will work with us when they’re ready to expand, and relocate into other buildings that we own or have recently constructed.”

And that’s an area that is also strong for DA – the construction and renovation of buildings at some new, key locations. One will be located at Silver and Suffield streets in Agawam, near the Agawam Regional Industrial Park, and will include 25,000 square feet for lease. The project, dubbed the Agawam Crossing Professional Center, is expected to commence in June, with space available for professional offices and specialty retail.

Also under construction in Agawam is a 20,000-square-foot industrial flex building on Gold Street that Vincunas has targeted for light industrial, manufacturing, service, R&D, or distribution uses.

In addition, DA is building a 42,500-square-foot facility in Westover Airpark North on Griffith Road in Chicopee, which is geared toward office and light industrial uses, and has development sites available on about 25 acres of land on Route 10 and 202 in Westfield near Barnes Municipal Airport.

A Finger on the Pulse

All of the buildings are expected to house several tenants across a wide spectrum of industries, but as the health care sector strengthens in Western Mass., so do the numbers of businesses moving into larger office spaces. The Agawam Crossing site, for instance, is expected to house several medical offices – either physicians, dentists, and other health care professionals or satellite businesses such as legal services, medical equipment firms, or staffing firms.

“The interior can be finished to suit, and we hope to attract medical businesses because Agawam is in need of a purely professional building,” explained Vincunas, adding that other sites are also seeing strong interest from the medical community, including the Griffith Road site in Chicopee, which is slated to become the new home for Hudson Home Health Care, currently located in Agawam.

On a larger scale, New England Medical Practice Management (NEMPM) recently signed a three-year lease at the Greenfield Corporate Center earlier this month; 2,550 square feet will be used as office space where NEMPM provides medical practice billing services. A veteran’s outpatient medical clinic, as well as the Visiting Nurse Association have also located in the 145,000 square foot Greenfield Corporate Center, and some office space remains for lease.

In the future, Vincunas said he hopes to beckon more health care and medical businesses to Western Mass., by providing them with appropriate space for their needs — be it getting started or taking a venture to the next level.

In South Deerfield, for instance, an industrial center adjacent to route 116 has ‘high technology’ space available, appropriate for office, lab assembly, clean manufacturing, or medical production.

“We hope to bring some of the biotech industry to the area with properties like the one in South Deerfield,” he said, referring to a sector that many economic and regional planning groups, including the Regional Employment Board (REB), MassDevelopment, and the Economic Development Council (EDC), have targeted as possible areas for new growth in Western Mass.

Overall, Vincunas said most of the growth in the region has been organic, a trend area development leaders would like to change.

“One trend we see is that people aren’t generally coming to Western Mass. from other places looking for industrial space,” said Vincunas. “We’re just not attracting people from other areas right now.”

What’s more, the cost of doing business – from fuel costs to engineering expenses – is rising, and that’s putting a crunch on the entire commercial real estate industry.

“High commercial tax rates are also having an impact in many communities,” he said, noting that this has spurred a trend toward development in outlying suburbs, such as Greenfield, East Longmeadow, and Southwick, where tax rates and the cost of real estate is often lower.

A Hand in the Future

“We have to keep our eye on potential new uses and new creative ways to fill and manage our properties,” said Vincunas, noting that this helps DA-owned and managed properties remain viable and relevant in various economic climates and to many industries. “A lot of factors might keep people from coming here, but with good buildings in good locations, there is always at least some healthy turnover within those buildings regardless of the economic climate.

“We have many resources for many industrial opportunities,” he continued, “so a primary focus for us now is to continue to serve and invest in the area by providing quality space and bucking the negative trends.”

Fanning that set of announcement cards on the table in front of him, Vincunas said DA’s hand looks good … but as far as its role in the region goes, they’ll continue to aim for a full house.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Uncategorized
Ten years ago, the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School was still very much a dream for its founders. But now, its student body, as well as its reputation for excellence and creativity, is growing. The school, in a new home in South Hadley, is embarking on a capital campaign designed to make the PVPA’s next act as exciting as the first.

Upon an initial walk-though, the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School looks much like any other high school. Students are hunched over books in classrooms and study halls, listening to iPods in the halls or pausing at the vending machines to talk to their friends.

Soon, though, subtle differences are noticeable. A Spanish class is held in a new theater, adjacent to the stage. A math class is one room over from a course in costume design, where the beginnings of Technicolor creations are fed into sewing machines.

A student on her way to class suddenly, randomly twirls, books in hand – a dancer’s spin to pass the time, or maybe some extra practice for an upcoming quiz.

From his new office on the first floor, Bob Brick, the school’s administrative director, observes all of this with a look of satisfaction. Only one semester into its 10th year and celebrating a new home in South Hadley, where the school recently relocated from Hadley, PVPA, a public charter school, has grown incrementally from its beginnings in 1996.

“Many people still don’t know we exist,” he said.

But the school is the culmination of a long-held dream for Brick. And the combination of PVPA’s move to South Hadley, the occasion of the school’s 10th anniversary, and its consistent success academically is beginning to move the school to center stage in Western Mass., and that’s a move that Brick hopes will help underscore PVPA’s unique mission.

Act One

Brick has been involved since PVPA was just a kernel of an idea – he founded the school along with educational director Ljuba Marsh. Previously, both had long careers in human services, but also in educational innovation – a fact they realized after knowing each other for years.

Brick was a founding member of the Project Ten experimental college at UMass Amherst in 1968, an attempt at revolutionizing the college experience. Similarly, Marsh has been involved with educational reform for more than 40 years, working with a number of institutions with a focus on academic and artistic integration.

“It had always been my dream to found a school that valued the performing arts, and it turned out it had always been a dream of Ljuba’s as well,” Brick said. “We never knew that about each other. But once we did, the process began to move very quickly.”

Coinciding with the Mass. Educational Reform movement, that process began with a call to the State Department of Education, initial approval, and that first class of freshmen in 1996, which included Brick’s daughter, now enrolled in medical school.

The PVPA now boasts a student body of about 400 in both middle school and high school, 40 full-time faculty members, and an additional 60 or so part-time faculty members and administrative staff. And Brick said he doesn’t want to see the school’s enrollment numbers grow too much more – that would affect the personal attention and small classes that are central to the school’s mission. But this year, the school received applications from more than four times the students it can accommodate – 300, with only 70 open slots available.

No auditions are necessary for admittance to the school – students are accepted based on a lottery system — but Brick says the large number of applications adds to the credibility of PVPA, and further bunks any notion that performing arts-based schools are heavy on creativity, but soft on academics.

In actuality, PVPA’s curriculum is one of the most stringent in the state, requiring students to attend classes for eight hours a day. Five of those hours are reserved for traditional, academic courses, and the remainder of the day is devoted to a variety of courses in performing arts, ranging from dance, theatre, and music to costume or set design.

“Everyone has to do eight credit hours per semester, four years of language, three years of lab sciences, and three consecutive years of a foreign language,” Brick explained. “In addition to performing arts requirements in their chosen concentration, students must also complete an internship and hours of community service. That’s not to mention the commute many of our students have.”

High school and middle school students from across the state are welcome to apply to PVPA, although Brick said special priority is given to those living in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. Still, even across Western Mass., the school’s reach is extensive – the current student body hails from 60 cities and towns from east of Worcester to the Berkshires. Many commute to school an hour each way.

“They want to be here,” Brick said. “They’re a happy group of students, and many are in the beginnings of very strong careers in the performing arts.”

And the academic model at PVPA, which puts emphasis on creative, critical thinking is working, he noted.

“We value the individual needs of every student,” said Brick, “both academically and creatively. We work toward goals with the understanding that without the arts, most people aren’t complete … and our kids get into great colleges, and study both the performing arts as well as more traditional subjects. Our MCAS scores are some of the highest in the state.

“High school can be a very negative experience for people who are different,” he continued, shifting his focus from the academic success of the PVPA to the social aspects of high school life. “At some public schools, for instance, male dancers get shoved in lockers. Here, they’re gods. And everyone has something that makes them special, and that is appreciated.”

Set Design

Over the past decade, the school has existed at varying levels in terms of both its physical and academic presence in Western Mass. Brick explained that the school once offered only the ninth grade, sending students to different public or private schools for the remainder of their education. PVPA soon expanded, however, to include a full four-year curriculum in 2000 (the seventh and eighth grades were added in 2004) and to hold classes within several historic buildings on Route 9 in Hadley.

But Brick said the school was quickly outgrowing its facilities, and plans have been in motion for some time to relocate the school to a larger, more-consolidated location.

“Students had to walk 15 minutes sometimes to get to classes,” he explained of PVPA’s former digs. “They were rushing from building to building, crossing Route 9 … it could be awful, especially in the winter.”

Brick said the PVPA actually made five different attempts to relocate, conducting feasibility studies at three potential sites and actually purchasing 20 acres of land in Hadley with the hope of developing it at a later date – that land is still owned by PVPA, and Brick said the school is now planning to sell it.

None of the first four locations were suitable for a school, but a fifth option in South Hadley, situated on a hill on Mulligan Drive adjacent to the Ledges Golf Club, proved to be more promising. The property in which the school now operates had been vacant for years, having once served as a research and development facility for a chemical engineering firm, Intelicoat Technologies (formerly Rexham Graphics).

“It had been sitting around for five years, empty,” said Brick. “I don’t know exactly why … I can only surmise that the building hadn’t been right for a new business because it’s quirky – it’s only suited for certain uses, it’s big, and it’s sort of hidden up here.

“But for a charter school with students from all over the region, it’s perfect,” he added. “We’re four miles from I-91, there’s plenty of space that can be converted for specialty uses, parking, and plenty of land surrounding us. We saw very early on that this could work.”

The building and the land it occupies were purchased from Joe Marois, president of Marois Construction, in 2005. After examining the building and its potential for housing a performing arts school, Brick said PVPA soon began the process of purchasing the site from Marois and hiring his firm to renovate it – a $4.5 million endeavor.

“We used funds from some long-term fundraising we had been involved with, and a tax-exempt loan from MassDevelopment,” said Brick, adding that the renovation of the building was extensive. “In the end, we renovated about 98% of this building – we gutted it, added a third floor, installed new electric and plumbing systems, and an elevator.”

In actuality, the school’s new home encompasses less area than the former location in Hadley – about 50,000 square feet. But Brick said the space is better suited for academic use, and the students are, for the first time, under one roof.

“There is much more usable space,” he said. “We have three dance studios with sprung floors, a theatre, two sound studios, insulated rooms for music classes, a set design and costume shop, and a chemistry lab, all brand new and all in one building. It’s a huge improvement.”

And Brick said they’re not done, either. The school is currently in the middle of a capital campaign, raising money for a new, 450-seat theater at the school. Brick said he hopes to break ground on the project within the next two years, with the help of continued support from area organizations, businesses, and individuals.

He said the school has benefited from the financial help of what he terms “a few angels,” but added that there is still a need to increase the school’s visibility within the region’s business community, in order to continue to develop both the school itself and its unique curriculum.

He explained that the PVPA model is so different from most, it can cause some confusion – many people don’t realize that the school is a six-year, academic middle and high school that is open to any student with an interest in the performing arts. Fewer realize that the school has an exceedingly young alumni base that is, for the most part, still unprepared to give back substantially to their alma mater, unlike more-established specialty schools, public or private. After only 10 years in existence and only six including graduating classes, most PVPA alumni are still in college or starting their first jobs.

It has become part of Brick’s general duties to market the school as well as its needs, speaking to professional organizations such as rotary clubs regularly.

“It’s one of the most difficult needs we have to translate – that of the need for private support, even though we are a public school,” said Brick. “It’s similar to the challenges that all public schools face – yes, we receive support from the government. But it doesn’t cover everything, especially with the extended curriculum. We can use that support.”

Fame Seekers…

As the bell rings at PVPA and students begin to filter into the halls, Brick pauses to listen to the voices in the hall.

There’s the usual chatter, but it’s punctuated by bits of song, excited gossip about upcoming auditions, and the swinging whoosh of the theater door … little bursts of creativity, further cementing Brick’s dream in reality.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Departments

Business Confidence Continued to Erode in January
BOSTON — The Associated Industries of Mass. (A.I.M.) Business Confidence Index lost 1.9 points in January to 54.7, a third consecutive loss that has left the monthly index at its lowest point since November 2003. There are rising concerns among employers about economic conditions in the state, especially as national growth appears to be weakening, according to Raymond G. Torto, co-chair of A.I.M.’s Board of Economic Advisors and Principal, CBRE Torto Wheaton. Torto added that employers surveyed were somewhat more positive about the situations of their own operations in the face of the slowdown. Confidence was off in January among both manufacturers and other employers. Manufacturers were on balance negative in their assessment of current and prospective conditions within the state, and expect national conditions to deteriorate as well. Readings were somewhat weaker outside Greater Boston, where confidence has declined in five of the last six months. Large employers were more positive than others on most questions. Rising energy costs, interest rates, and health insurance premiums erode both consumer and business confidence. The monthly survey of A.I.M. member companies across the state asks questions about current and prospective business conditions in the state and nation, as well as for their respective organizations. Readings above 50 on the 100-point scale indicate that the state’s employer community is generally optimistic, while a reading below 50 reflects a negative assessment of business conditions.

Five-Year Watershed Action Plan Underway
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), in partnership with the Westfield River Watershed Association and ESS Group Inc., has been awarded a contract under the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to develop a five-year watershed action plan for the Westfield River. Created by watershed partners, the action plan will outline various issues and priority areas over a five-year period, charting a course of action for state agencies, watershed communities, and other decision makers within or related to the watershed. A steering committee is currently being formed to guide development of the action plan. Current members include The Nature Conservancy, the Westfield River Wild and Scenic Advisory Committee, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources, UMass Amherst and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. In addition, each of the 28 communities in the watershed has been asked to appoint a representative to the steering committee. A series of three public forums will be conducted this spring to solicit public comment and feedback on the plan. For more information, contact PVPC Senior Planner Anne Capra at [email protected] or (413) 781-6045.

Public Input Needed Online for Update-Use Plan on Land-Use Plan
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission invites public input via an online survey in the development of Valley Vision 2, the update of the region’s land use plan. Valley Vision 2 maps out a vision for smart growth in the Pioneer Valley based on more compact forms of development in and around existing community centers and preserved open space in outlying greenbelts. Public opinion is vital to developing this update, and PVPC relies on participation by citizens throughout the region in shaping the future vision of its landscape. To read the draft plan and take the survey, visit www.pvpc.org. For more information, contact Chris Curtis at the PVPC, (413) 781-6045,
or [email protected].

Mass. Hospitals Voluntarily Post Staffing Plans
BURLINGTON — Massachusetts hospitals delivered on the “Patients First” pledge beginning Jan. 27 to voluntarily post their staffing plans for public viewing. Through a Web site, www.patientsfirst ma.org, and notices in hospitals, consumers can now find the number and type of caregivers assigned 24/7 throughout each hospital in the state. A special consumer brochure, “It Takes A Team,” is also available at every hospital and explains the many professionals involved in patient care. The staffing plans that are posted on-site in each hospital and on the web will provide an overview of the staff available in each hospital unit, including RN’s and allied health professionals. In addition to the staffing plans, hospitals will document the quality of their care using a common set of nationally recognized measures. A pilot test of some of those quality measures is now underway, under the supervision of a team of leading patient care experts. The quality reports on all hospitals should be available by the end of this year.

Survey: Most Downsized Execs Anticipated News
HOLYOKE — The majority of recently downsized executives polled weren’t surprised to find themselves in career transition, according to a survey of 1,202 outplaced managers by Lee Hecht Harrison. Nearly 80% of executives anticipated their organization’s downsizing, and 57% weren’t surprised to learn they were among those to be laid off. Additionally, 35% of respondents said they had been downsized before and 65% had survived a previous downsizing with their most recent or prior employer. The good news for outplaced employees is that a significant number have become savvy about the changing world of work and have taken steps to ensure their future employability. For example, within the two years prior to their downsizing, 57% of respondents had updated their resumes, half pursued some form of career or skill development, 46% actively maintained their networks, and 44% explored other employment options. Lastly, one reason respondents had generally positive impressions of how their former employers handled their downsizings could be that they had received outplacement services.

Ashe: Housing Market Will Remain Strong in 2006
SPRINGFIELD — Residential real estate once again was the backbone of the U.S. economy last year, and in Hampden County, 2005 was statistically similar to the record-breaking year of 2004, according to Donald E. Ashe, Hampden County Register of Deeds. The number of deeds recorded in 2005 was only 0.7% less than the previous year. The total amount of money collected in 2005 did, however, increase by 3.6% over the prior year. The total number of documents recorded during 2005 was 122,837 and the amount collected from fees was $22.2 million. The most noteworthy change from 2004 to 2005 was the substantial decrease in attachments and foreclosures, according to Ashe. He predicts that the area housing market is in the process of “changing from record sales and double-digit price increases to a more stable condition.” Overall, Ashe said that the fundamental conditions in the housing market are strong and real estate activity will remain healthy in 2006. In other news, Ashe reported that the satellite office in Westfield completed its first full year of operation and collected more than $1.2 million in revenue and recorded more than 10,000 documents.

Departments

United Bank Reports Growth in Earnings
WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Financial Bancorp Inc. recently announced a 23% increase in earnings in the fourth quarter of 2005. The company is the parent of United Bank, which has 11 branches across the region. Bank officials noted that earnings would have been up 19% without the effect of a charge resulting from a newly formed $3.6 million charitable donation for its new United Charitable Foundation. For the full year, net income stood at $4.4 million, compared with $5.5 million in 2004. Also, bank officials noted that total assets increased 17.4% to $906.5 million on Dec. 31, compared with $772.0 million in 2004, and deposits were $653.6 million at year’s end, when compared with $613.7 million a year earlier.

Berkshire Bank Reports Core EPS Growth
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. recently reported $2.11 in core earnings per diluted share for the year 2005, a 10% increase compared to $1.92 for 2004. Core earnings totaled $15.8 million in 2005, increasing by 44% primarily due to the acquisition of Woronoco Bancorp Inc. on June 1. Core earnings per share growth was less than core earnings growth, primarily due to the issuance of shares for the acquisition. Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the holding company for Berkshire Bank. The company also reported that a quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share will be payable on Feb. 21 to stockholders of record at the close of business on Feb. 6. Total assets were $2.0 billion at Dec. 31, 2005, up from $1.3 billion at year-end 2004. Also, loans totaled $1.42 billion at Dec. 31, increasing by $588 million or 71% from year-end 2004.

Easthampton Savings Posts Strong Fourth Quarter
EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Savings Bank reported exceptional growth in assets, deposits, loans, and capital in the fourth quarter, according to William S. Hogan, Jr., president. Hogan also touted the success of its Fuel Line of Credit program which was developed to help the community deal with the rising cost of heating fuels. The program features special payment terms for those who prepay fuel expenses, as well as a special interest rate for low-to moderate-income families. For the record, the bank’s total assets increased $33 million over last year, up 5%, while total loans increased 6%, a total of $27 million. Total loans now stand at more than $495 million. Also, the bank’s deposit growth was $17 million for the year, an increase of 3%, according to Hogan. Total deposits now stand at $514 million.

Wingate Introduces Pavilion Suites
SOUTH HADLEY — Wingate Healthcare recently conducted a grand opening of the Pavilion Suites at its Wingate at South Hadley location. Pavilion Suites offer area residents an attractive alternative to short-term rehabilitation services. The state-of-the-art rooms offer care in private and semi-private suites. Also, the suites feature half baths, new furnishings, including built-in dressers, closets, nightstands, and flat screen televisions with cable and DVD player, wireless Internet access, and a private entrance. Wingate at South Hadley is a 132-bed skilled nursing facility that provides individualized long- and short-term rehabilitation services.

Thales Joins RTC As Corporate Sponsor
SPRINGFIELD — Thales Broadcast & Multimedia Inc. recently joined the Regional Technology Corporation (RTC) as a corporate sponsor. Thales, based in Southwick, designs, manufactures, sells and supports inductive output tube-based transmitters for UHF analog and digital television worldwide. In addition, the company re-sells and services a full line of solid state VHF and UHF analog and digital television transmitters. Thales can now benefit from RTC initiatives which include coordinating and managing the region’s technology economic development strategy as it relates to business development, attraction and creation. For more information on RTC, visit www.rtccentral.com or call (413) 755-1314.

Monson Savings Introduces e-Statements
MONSON — Monson Savings Bank customers now have access to their bank statements on-line with e-Statements. The e-Statements are similar to the bank statements that customers receive in the mail – only now are in an electronic format. Customers who sign up for e-Statements receive an E-mail each month alerting them when the statements are posted online. For more information, visit www.monsonsavings.com.

ReStore Offers Solution to Wood Disposal Ban
SPRINGFIELD — The nonprofit ReStore Home Improvement Center of Springfield recently announced plans to create a dimensional lumber and plywood recovery service to help contractors, waste haulers, and others comply with the new ban on disposal of clean wood that goes into effect July 1. The ReStore will charge a fee to accept clean, reusable dimensional lumber that is not treated, painted or stained, and is longer than six feet and separated from all other construction waste. Nails and/or splintered ends will be acceptable. The ReStore is also seeking a free or low-cost property to house the operation, as well as potential partners for providing the service to the public. For more information on the program, visit www.restoreonline.org or call (413) 788-6900.

AIC Dedicates Registrar’s Office To Local Woman
SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) recently honored a living legacy during a dedication ceremony for its Registrar’s office when it was renamed the Esther Frary Hansen Registrar’s Office in honor of Agawam resident Esther Frary Hansen. She was honored for her more than 40 years of service to AIC, first as its women’s athletic director, later as dean of admissions and registrar. She graduated from the former Classical High School in Springfield, and received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from AIC in 1938. She was named director of athletics for women in 1938, and in 1946, was appointed director of admissions. Three years later, Hansen became the registrar too. During the dedication ceremony, AIC President Vince Maniaci acknowledged that Hansen has been a large part of AIC’s history and he was pleased she was given her proper recognition for her dedication to the college.

“Star Wars” Toys Propels Hasbro Profits
EAST LONGMEADOW — Star Wars-themed toys helped push up revenues and profits for Hasbro Inc. in the fourth quarter, while the game division reported declining revenue tied to its trading card games and plug-and-play electronic games. Hasbro announced net income of $94 million in the fourth quarter, compared to $81.9 million in the same quarter of 2004. For the full year, Hasbro had profits of $212 million on sales of $3.1 billion. Games sales across the country were $236 million in the fourth quarter, down 13% from 2004.

Rifle Is Latest Smith & Wesson Product
SPRINGFIELD — Smith & Wesson recently unveiled its new military style rifle – the M&P15 tactical rifle – which is now available for sale in states that do not have restricted sales of assault weapons. The semiautomatic rifle is being marketed to the military and law enforcement agencies, as well as to hunters and target shooters in states where it is legal to sell them. The basic version, with a price tag of $1,200, features an adjustable stock, removable carry handle and adjustable sights. For $1,700, the rifle will feature folding sights and a rail system to add laser aiming devices and lights. The M&P15 is the first long gun being sold by the company in almost 20 years, according to company officials.

Westbank Earnings Up
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Westbank Corp. saw an 11% earnings gain in the fourth quarter of 2005, with net income of $1.2 million, compared with $1.1 million in the same quarter of 2004. For the year, Westbank had earnings of $5.1 million, compared to $4.6 million in 2004. Also, deposits increased by 2%, or $9.3 million, to total $599.4 million at year’s end. Total assets increased to $808.7 million which was up 7% over the previous year. Westbank Corp. is the parent company of Westbank, with 17 offices in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Aucella & Associates Garners Award
WESTFIELD — Aucella & Associates, a full service advertising agency, has received an American Graphic Design Award, presented by Graphic Design USA, a leading publication in the commercial arts industry. The award cited excellence in “communication and graphic design” and honored a presentation folder created by Aucella & Associates for Thales Broadcast & Multimedia. An international broadcast products and systems supplier serving radio, television, and wireless systems, MPEG-2 digital video processing, and multimedia distribution systems. Thales, Broadcast & Multimedia are located in Southwick. A nationwide panel of judges selected the project, which Aucella & Associates completed this year, to win the prestigious award. Graphic Design USA is in its 43rd year of publication; Aucella & Associates is in its 22nd year offering a wide range of advertising, graphic design, and Internet communications needs.

WGGB-TV Channel 40 Features High Definition
SPRINGFIELD — At year’s end, WGGB-TV Channel 40, the local ABC affiliate, began broadcasting some of its programming in high definition. Company officials said the move to high definition was based in part on the increased sale of flat-screen plasma and LCD television sets that needed the high-definition signal. High-definition broadcasts can be found on adjacent channels to the traditional analog signals.

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.

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Industrial Residential Security Co. v.
Guardian Systems Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract —
Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $10,990
Date Filed: Jan. 18

Quality Care Nurse Staffing Agency v.
Northampton Nursing & Rehab
Allegation: Breach of contract —
Failure to pay for services: $7,044.26
Date Filed: Jan. 20

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Anixter Inc. v.
Regenerated Resources MA f/k/a
Associated Professional Engineering Consultants Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract —
Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $7,885
Date Filed: Jan. 17

The Street Lumber Co. v.
A.J. Virgilio Construction Inc. a/k/a Virgilio Construction
Allegation: Breach of contract —
Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $6,354.94
Date Filed: Jan. 11

J.R. Kakley & Sons Inc. v.
CS & K Inc. f/k/a Coll, Sacchetti & Karpells Inc., Christopher C. Karpells a/k/a Christopher Karpells
Allegation: Breach of contract —
Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $12,426.14
Date Filed: Jan. 11

Custom Packaging Inc. v.
TDB Inc. d/b/a Taxi’s Dog Bakery
Allegation: Breach of contract —
Failure to pay for goods and services: $38,497.05
Date Filed: Jan. 12

Old Dominion Freight Line v.
Dorchester Industries Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract —
Failure to pay for freight services: $3,260.77
Date Filed: Jan. 13

Granite Creations Inc. v.
Mountainview Builders Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract —
Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $6,956.83
Date Filed: Jan. 13

 

Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of February 2006.

AGAWAM

Auto Sport Distributors
396 Main St.
Walter A. Messner Jr.

Belmorie Consulting
101 Sylvan Lane
Jeffrey Hastings

China Star
382 Main St.
Hung Ye Zhao

James Hansmann
54 Colonial Ave.
James Hansmann

Santo C. DeSpirt
2 South Bridge Dr.
Santo DeSpirt

AMHERST

Baystate Tax Service
409 Main St.
Alison and Richard Holbrook III

George Parks Drum Major Academy
98 Wildflower Dr.
George Parks

Strongbridge Associates LLC
19 Amity Place
T.R. Rosenbury

CHICOPEE

The Grattan St. Grind
591 Grattan St.
Valerie Patrick

Jenco Property Maintenance Services
5 Newall St.
Marco Jenco

EAST LONGMEADOW

Dances with Stoves
134 Old Farm Road
Lisa Goldberg

The Energy Store
42 Harkness Ave.
Felina McIntosh

HADLEY

Fancy Nails
367 Russell St.
Bau Diep

HOLYOKE

J.B. Renovations
128 Westfield Road
Johnny Boucher

Liberty Tax Service
331 High St.
Robert Leekowski

LIDS
50 Holyoke St.
Hat World Inc.

LONGMEADOW

Family Wireless
749 Maple Road
Adam Kasperek

Lexington Development LLC
31 Hawthorn St.
Vincenzo Tirone, Laura Stevens

TLS Systems
29 Englewood Road
Jason Aronson

NORTHAMPTON

Leeper Business Services
92 Main St.
Kari Leeper

Pioneer Valley Dietetics
5 Fruit St.
Polly Obremski

SOUTH HADLEY

The Global Group
17 College St.
Christopher P. Asselin, Paul Tirone

Transformational Healing
23 College St.
Todd LePine, MD, Teresa Hubkova, MD

SPRINGFIELD

Bronto and Amrah’s Inc.
51 Macbeth St.
Ryan Edwards, Raoul Harvey

Cumberland Farms #6717
70 Parker St.
C.F. Inc.

Diyha Animation Production Studios
33 Littleton St.
Barrington Dyer

East Coast Swappers
20 Warehouse St.
Paul Scott, Jr., Matthew Seyller,
James White

El Fogan Market
526 Chestnut St.
Maria Ayala

HIBA Food Mart
471 Cooley St.
HIBA LLC

His Praise Worship Sound
42 Suffolk St.
Ronnie Berrios, Juan Leon

Jem Offices
191 Trafton Road
Leonard Jemiolo

Kevin Conway Auto Sales
200 Orange St.
William McCarthy

Lillian’s
1480 Page Blvd.
Perez Florists Inc.

Mini Mart
298 Hancock St.
Rolando Rijo

Netwerks 31 Brunswick St.
Michael Giovaninni

O-Mi Oriental Grocery
1096 Main St.
Kyung Won Kim

Pick Quick Paper
372 Pasco Road
Pick Quick Papers LLC

Ronald R. DeSellier Electric
97 Goodwin St.
Ronald DeSellier

Santiago’s Tree & Landscaping Service
2048 Page Blvd.
Harry Santiago

Stepping Stones Daycare
307 Commonwealth Ave.
Keri Keane

Torrel Jr. LLC
53 Wilbraham Road
Torrel Harris

Wayne’s Delivery Service
48 Campechi St.
Wayne Poyser

X-Diman/Export
44 Massachusetts Ave.
Ronald Brown

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Bel-Air Inn
387 Riverdale St.
Richard Harty

Complete Pest Control Service
528 Main St.
John Boudreau

Electrology Associates
1111 Elm St.
Doreen Prouty

Fred Astaire Dance Studio
54 Wayside Ave.
R.K.R. Dance Studio Inc.

Hoodtech Inc.
20 Connecticut Ave.
Paul Saletnik

L.A. Nails
634 Kings Hwy.
Ninh Luu

Maaco Auto Painting & Bodyworks
78 Sylvan St.
H & T Enterprises Corp.

O’Donnell Landscaping
1612 Riverdale St.
John O’Donnell

Phycho Hobb’s Entertainment
17 Exposition Ter.
Tim Balestri

WestSide Customs/Cap and Hitch of New England
2001 Riverdale St.
Shane Duffy

WESTFIELD

Carlson Carpentry
12 Dewey St.
David Carlson

Frost Notification Solutions
32 Overlook Dr.
Philip Frost

In & Out PC
77 Main St.
Shawn Maxfield

Westfield Cleaners
423 East Main St.
Gary and Kathy Mirek

Departments

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

AMHERST

Consumer Exports Group Inc.,
495 Old Farm Road, Amherst 01002.
Michael Aronson, same. International and domestic sales.

P.H.E. Inc.,
55 University Dr., Amherst 01002.
Patrick Daly, 369 South Gulf Road, Belchertown 01007.
To operate a restaurant.

RJVM NR Inc.,
24 North East St., Apt. 6,
Amherst 01002. Nicholas Renzette, same.
Food service business.

Take5 Inc.,
61 Main St., Amherst 01002.
Huai Chin Chu, 94 Rambling Road, Amherst 01002.
Restaurant.

CHICOPEE

Bento Management Inc.,
1981 Memorial Dr., Suite 172,
Chicopee 01020. Arthur Paulino,
24 Westerly Circle, Ludlow 01056.
To deal in real estate.

New England Retirement Communities Inc.,
c/o Atlantic Capital Investors, 7 Coburn St.,
Chicopee 01013. Benjamin A. Surner Jr.,
55 Baker St., Amherst 01002.
Real estate development.

EASTHAMPTON

Salon O Inc.,
163A Northampton St., Suite RT 10,
Easthampton 01027.
A hairstyling salon including sale of hair care products.

FLORENCE

Hospitalist Management Solutions,
P.C., 860 Florence Road, Florence 01062.
Bipinchandra Mistry, M.D.,
90 Whittier St., Florence 01062.
To practice the profession of medicine.

HADLEY

Valley Vintage Cars Inc.,
81 River Dr., Hadley 01035.
Michael DiCola, 11 Crestview Dr., Hadley 01035.
Restoration of vehicles.

Valley ComputerWorks Inc.,
84 Russell St., Hadley 01035.
Delcie D. Bean, IV, same, president and treasurer;
Peter A. Gelinas, same, secretary.
Computer sales, consultation, service and repair.

HAMPDEN

All Propery Services Inc.,
42 North Monson Road, Hampden 01036.
Chris Lomascolo, same.
To clean and restore commercial, industrial and/or residential properties.

HATFIELD

Willflo Corp.,
122 Bridge St., Hatfield 01038.
Charles J. Florio, 3 Straits Road, Hatfield 01038.
To deal in real estate.

HAYDENVILLE

Natural Siding Associates Inc.,
206 Main St., Haydenville 01039.
Jennica L. Huff, 1 King Ave., Florence 01062.
To install fiber cement siding, exterior construction, etc.

HOLYOKE

E.C.M. Electronics Inc.,
6 Appleton St., Holyoke 01040.
Raymond M. Welch, 649 South Summer St.,
Holyoke 01040.
Repairing and upgrading industrial equipment.

LONGMEADOW

Ace Fire & Water Restoration Inc.,
95 Meadow Road, Longmeadow 01106.
Gary W. Brunelle, 125 Crest Lane, Granville 01034.
Fire and water restoration.

LUDLOW

Kara Evans-Scott Memorial Fund Inc.,
714 Fuller St., Ludlow 01056. Sandra Evans, same.
(Nonprofit) To establish an endowment fund to provide educational scholarships and the development of literacy programs.

Ultimate Motor Cars Inc.,
7 Spring St., Ludlow 01056. Bruno Fernandes,
190 Lakeview Ave., Ludlow 01056.
Sales and service of new and used motor and recreational vehicles, motorcycles, boats, etc.

MIDDLEFIELD

Happy Wednesday Inc.,
86 Chester Road, Middlefield 01243.
Joan L. Winberg, 2 Pickens St., Lakeville, 02347.
(Nonprofit) To build homes for deserving mothers through Habitat for Humanity’s women build program, etc.

MONTGOMERY

Pearl Property Management Services Inc.,
292 Main Road, Montgomery 01085.
David R. Champiney, same.
Real property management and services.

NORTHAMPTON

Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways Inc.,
341 Prospect St., Northampton 01060.
Nicholas Jon Horton, same. (Nonprofit)
To promote the proper use, development and care of the ongoing trail and greenway development, etc.

Northampton Cal Ripken Basebell Inc.,
351 Pleasant St., Suite B-PMB 189,
Northampton 01060. Robert K. Ostberg,
48 Greenleaf Dr., Florence 01060. (Nonprofit)
To provide all children interested in baseball a safe place to dream and succeed, etc.

Peri Hall & Associates Inc.,
16 Armory St., Suite 8, Northampton 01060.
Peri H. Hall, same.
A strategic consulting firm specializing in content rich media design and web development, etc.

PALMER

Accurate Auto Glass Inc.,
320 Wilbraham St., Palmer 01069.
Robert Corliss, 178 Bourne St., Three Rivers 01080.
Auto glass replacement and repair.

Akcess BioMetrics Corp.,
21 Wilbraham St., Palmer 01069.
Katrina Champagne, same.
(Foreign corp; NV) Manufacturing security equipment.

RUSSELL

Massachusetts Association of Professional Foresters Inc.,
260 Upper Moss Hill Road, Russell 01070.
Robert E.W. Collins, 109 Carson Ave., Dalton 01226. (Nonprofit)
To improve the conditions and grade of products of agricultural personnel.

SOUTHAMPTON

Law Offices of Michael Sacco, P.C.,
The, 116 Brickyard Road, Southampton 01073.
Michael Sacco, same.
The professional practice of law.

SOUTHWICK

Sunrise Mortgage Co. Inc.,
9 Bonnieview Road, Southwick 01077.
Georgios Karathanasoulos, same.
To operate a mortgage company, etc.

SPRINGFIELD

Ascher Zimmerman Funeral Home Inc.,
44 Summer Ave., Springfield 02208.
Robert P. Zimmerman, 97 Fillmore St.,
Chicopee 01020.
To operate a funeral home and related services.

J & M Partners Inc.,
1123 Main St., Springfield 01103.
Marc W. Sparks, One Pearl Brook Road,
Southwick 01077.
To own and operate bars, taverns, restaurants, etc.

Jagat Guru Inc.,
114 Lakeside St., Springfield 01109.
Jihan Ali, same. (Nonprofit)
To collect, analyze, and distribute information on third-world countries, etc.

Tavern Restaurant Springfield Inc.,
25 Mill St., Springfield 01108. John Bonavita,
26 Autumn Ridge Road, East Longmeadow 01028.
To own and operate a restaurant.

The Raging Red Rooster Co.,
64 Bronson Terrace, Springfield 01108.
Mark Alan Russett, same.
Production and sale of food items.

Ushirika Sacco Cooperative Inc.,
45 Copley Terrace, Springfield 01107.
John Wachira, same.
To engage in cooperative trade.

WESTFIELD

Galreal Inc.,
18 Whispering Wind Road,
Westfield 01085. Gail Ann Butler, same.
Real estate sales, brokerage and leasing.

Magic Printing Inc.,
14 Lisa Lane, Westfield 01085.
Richard B. Wechter, same.
Vinyl printing.

WILBRAHAM

Pioneer Valley Funding Inc.,
3 Foxhill Dr., Wilbraham 01095.
Anabela Basile, same.
Commercial lending for real estate.

Departments

Paul Petell

Chase, Clarke, Stewart & Fontana Insurance Agency Inc. in Springfield announced that Paul P. Petell II, formerly of the Paul Petell & Teece Insurance Agencies Inc., has joined its staff.

•••••

Benefits Consulting Group, LLC in Holyoke announced the following:
• Susan R. Retchin has completed the certification process through the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries to earn her designation of Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA), and
• Steve C. Vernale has completed the certification process through the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries to earn his designation of Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA).

•••••

James A. Russell, Chief Executive of American Exterminating Co. of Springfield, will receive the Barlett W. Eldridge Award from the New England Pest Management Association. Russell’s grandfather, Abraham Russell, started the company in 1913. His father, Mathew Russell, also operated the business and now his son, Robert Russell, is active in the daily operations.

•••••

Sue Rheaume of Landmark Realtors in Hampden has earned the designation of Graduate Realtor Institute by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

•••••

Matthew B. Hedenberg has been named Informational Technology Manager for OFS in Sturbridge.

•••••

Maryanne Rooney

Maryanne Rooney recently has been named Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Elms College in Chicopee. An Elms graduate, Rooney had been working at St. Mary’s High School in Lynn as Director of Development and Alumni Relations.

•••••

Byron S. Bullock has been named Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life at UMass Amherst. Bullock, who is currently Dean of Enrollment Services at St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, N.C., will assume his new post on April 2. He will oversee the new Center for Student Development (CSD), which coordinates programs and services aimed at promoting community and multiculturalism across campus. The CSD works closely with academic affairs units to develop students’ social, scholarly and leadership skills and improve student retention and success.

•••••

Glenn O. Steiger, a California utility executive with more than 35 years of experience in all facets of the electric power industry, has been named General Manager of the Mass. Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) in Ludlow. The MMWEC is a nonprofit, joint-action agency for public power in the state. Steiger will be responsible for the daily operations of the MMWEC, including management of administrative and plant operations in Ludlow, implementation of board policies, and interaction with the organization’s member and project participant utilities.

•••••

David J. Cameron, PWS, Senior Environmental Scientist, of Tighe & Bond Inc. in Westfield, recently became the company’s first Certified Wildlife Biologist (CWB). The CWB designation is granted by the Wildlife Society, a nonprofit scientific and educational organization representing wildlife professionals in conservation and resource management. Cameron has 13 years of wetlands, waterways, and rare species regulatory experience, and provides project review services for many of the town conservation commissions in Massachusetts.

•••••

 

 

R. Patricia Grenier

R. Patricia Grenier, CFP, CSA with BRP/Grenier Financial Services of Springfield, has achieved the designation of Certified Financial Planner (CFP). The designation is awarded by the CFP Board of Standards Inc. to individuals who meet educational, examination, experience, and ethics requirements.

•••••

Girl Scouts of Pioneer Valley recently announced the winners of the 2006 Women of Distinction award as follows:
• Vera Baker, Director of Visual and Performing Arts, Springfield Public Schools;
• Dr. Mary Anne Herron, Director, The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation;
• Sr. Mary T. Quinn, President, Sisters of Saint Joseph;
• Marilyn Spedding, Educator, Springfield Public Schools, and
• Nancy Urbschat, President, TSM Design.
The women were chosen for their commitment, outstanding leadership and inspiration, and as exceptional role models for girls and young women.

•••••

Linda S. Rotti, a Real Estate Sales Manager at Jones-Town & Country Realty in Amherst, has been named President of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley for a one-year term. Rotti will be responsible for implementing the Association’s new strategic plan with includes an emphasis on education and government affairs.

•••••

Wallace W. Altes has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Berkshire Bank. He becomes the first Albany (N.Y.) Capital Region resident to serve as a Director of the Pittsfield-based financial institution. He is currently Executive-in-Residence at the Graduate College of Union University in Schenectady, N.Y.

•••••

Sales Agent Joyce L. Korona has joined Carlson GMAC Real Estate in its Westfield office.

•••••

St. Germain Investment Management announced the following:
• Paul J. Valickus has obtained the Certified Financial Planner designation from the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards, and
• Brendon C. Hutchins has obtained the Certified Financial Planner designation from the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards.

•••••

Berkshire Bank in Pittsfield announced the following:
• Valerie Brosseau has joined the bank as Manager of the Chicopee branch at 1339 Memorial Dr.;
• Terrie A. Lucaroni has joined the bank as Senior Probability Analyst, and
• Lisa A. Lemon has been promoted to Account Executive for Insurance Sales in the bank’s affiliate Berkshire Life Insurance Group Inc.

•••••

Srisubha Gadey has joined the accounting firm of Kostin, Ruffkess, Themistos & Dane LLC in Springfield.

•••••

Fuss & O’Neill’s West Springfield office announced these promotions:
• Eric Bernardin has been named an Associate and promoted to Project Director in the Civil Engineering unit;
• Kurt Mailman has been named Senior Project Manager in the Environmental Planning and Infrastructure unit;
• Gregory Russell has been named Engineer II in the Civil Engineering unit;
• Kyle Spear has been named Engineer II in the Facility and EHS unit, and
• Rebecca Budaj has been named Hydrogeologist II in the Environmental Assessment and Remediation unit.

•••••

Big Y Foods Inc. in Springfield announced the following:
• Thomas Morin has been appointed Food Safety Auditor;
• Theresa Jasmin has been appointed Senior Accountant;
• James Billingsley has been appointed Staff Accountant;
• Marybeth McNamara has been appointed Assistant Food Service Sales Manager, and
• Jennifer Eichorn has been appointed Store Merchandising Assistant, Eastern Zone.

Departments

Top, DiGrigoli Salons owner Paul DiGrigoli speaks to his staff at the company’s annual staff appreciation night, dubbed ‘The DiGrigoli Grammys.’ The chain on the podium was made and signed by DiGrigoli staff from all three of salon locations in West Springfield, Easthampton, and Lee.


Above, DiGrigoli poses with the staff from DiGrigoli Berkshires in Lee, which earned the Salon of the Year award.


The Longmeadow Rotary Club recently welcomed four new members. Pictured here are Jay Leib, president of the club, and new members James Nittoli, Mark Sirulnik, Jean Deresienska, and Michael McCarty.


Pat Hassett, president of Sales Now! based in Springfield, speaks to a crowd on behalf of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce at First American Insurance’s 20th anniversary celebration last month.


Members of the management team break ground on a new Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital in South Deerfield. The land was purchased from the Yankee Candle Corporation and is located next to their corporate headquarters. From left, Steve Upton; hospital co-owners Dr. Erika Mueller, Dr. Kirstin Losert and Brenda Salyer; Florence Savings Bank Vice President Mark Grumoli; and Kelly Bowman, Upton Enterprises, Inc. (Yankee Candle Corp. distribution center and headquarters appear in the background).

Departments

Paul A. Tierney

United Bank announced the following:
• Paul A. Tierney has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking. He specializes in commercial real estate lending;

Doug Bourbeau

• Doug Bourbeau has been promoted to Vice President, Commercial Banking. He is responsible for generating new commercial loans and specializes in equipment financing;

• Dena M. Hall has been promoted to Vice President, Marketing and Communication Relations. She has overall responsibility for the bank’s marketing and community relations efforts and manages the Investor Relations program for United Financial Bancorp, a publicly owned corporation and the holding company for United Bank, which is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol UBNK. She also serves as Vice President of the United Charitable Foundation.

Joanne Sheedy

• Joanne Sheedy has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Credit Department. She manages the credit department and ensures the bank’s high standards for credit quality are met and maintained.

Steve Piubeni

• Steve Piubeni has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Management Information Systems (MIS). He has overall responsibility for the Information Systems Department, designing and maintaining the bank’s computer networks and plays a key role in the implementation of the bank’s technology plan.

Kim Merritt

• Kim Merritt has been promoted to assistant vice president, Operations. She is responsible for managing the operations staff including loan and deposit operations and the bank’s call center.

Kim Merritt

A. Rima Dael has been named the Administrative Director for the Woronoco Savings Charitable Foundation, based in Westfield. She will be responsible for administering the grants program of the Foundation. The Foundation supports education and youth development, health and human services, cultural activities, humanities, and public and civic projects.

•••••

Lynn F. Boscher, owner of the Travel Bureau in Westfield for more than 30 years, was recently appointed Executive Director/Affiliate Coordinator for the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce. He is responsible for managing the Chamber, and supporting and enhancing the economic health of the Westfield business community. A resident of Westfield since 1967, Boscher is a former city councilor, and served as president of the Westfield Rotary Club, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield, and St. Mary’s PTO. He has also played an active role with the Westfield Area Drug Council, Westfield Community Development Corporation, and City of Westfield’s Planning Board.

•••••

Michael P. D’Amour has been named Fresh Foods Director for Big Y Foods, Inc. in Springfield. The position was created to further the company’s emphasis on high quality fresh products. D’Amour will be responsible for sales and marketing for the produce, floral, deli, bakery, food service, seafood and meat departments. In addition to developing a long-term fresh food strategy for the company, he will be responsible for all aspects related to these departments including financials, training and development, merchandising and advertising.

•••••

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. of Holyoke and Greenfield announced the following:
• Kelly A. Druzisky has completed the requirements to obtain her Certified Public Accountants (CPA) license. She has also been promoted to Senior Associate;
• Deb Kaylor, CPA, has been promoted to Senior Manager;
• Yong No, CPA, has been promoted to Senior Manager;
• Kristi Reale, CPA, has been promoted to Manager;
• Catherine West, CPA, has been promoted to Manager;
• Jamie Naughton has been promoted to Senior Associate;
• Maureen M. Hogarty has joined the firm as an Associate;
• Emily S. Bassett has begun a 10-week internship at the firm, and
• Karen Cheng has begun a 10-week internship at the firm.

•••••

Sue Rheaume of Landmark Realtors in Hampden has earned the designation of Graduate Realtor Institute by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

•••••

Matthew B. Hedenberg has been named Informational Technology Manager for OFS in Sturbridge.

•••••

Benefits Consulting Group, LLC in Holyoke announced the following:
• Susan R. Retchin has completed the certification process through the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries to earn her designation of Qualified 401(K) Administrator (QKA), and
• Steve C. Vernale has completed the certification process through the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries to earn his designation of Qualified 401(K) Administrator (QKA).

•••••

James A. Russell, Chief Executive of American Exterminating Co. of Springfield, will receive the Barlett W. Eldridge Award from the New England Pest Management Association. Russell’s grandfather, Abraham Russell, started the company in 1913. His father, Mathew Russell, also operated the business and now his son, Robert Russell, is active in the daily operations.

Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or
renewed during the month of January 2006.

AGAWAM

Almac Industrial Flooring
63 Silverlake Dr. Joseph
Aldrich

Candies Dent Master’s
116 Anthony St. Joseph Hebert

Home Comfort Windows & Exteriors
240 Pineview Circle
Joel Hayden

P & E Vending
55 Royal Lane Edward Filkoski

Silva Real Estate
92 Cricket Road Jose Silva

AMHERST

Amherst Bulletin
55 University Dr. H.S. Gere & Sons Inc.

Daily Hampshire Gazette
55 University Dr. H.S. Gere & Sons Inc.

Mind Body Systems
109 Pelham Road
Michael Ruscio, Johnathon Sieruto

CHICOPEE

Digital Vision
54 Trudo St.
Adam Warzybok

J & M Siding & Replacement
Windows 34 Arlington St.
Julio Gonzalez

Mike Darsch Home Improvements
30 Coolidge Road
Michael Darsch

EAST LONGMEADOW

Affordable Home Improvement
42 Greenacre Lane
Robert Moriarty

E.L.S.
65 Ridge Road
Jean Grayiani

Triad Therapeutic Massage
4 Crane Ave.
Beth Morin

HOLYOKE

Herrera Auto Sales
395 Maple St.
Jose Herrera

LCR Distributors
107 High St.
Eddie Rivera

LONGMEADOW

ABC Home Day Care
361 Wolf Swamp Road
Cheryl Cocchi

Gunta Ringa-Jekabsone Wholesale
295 Ellington Road
Gunta Ringa-Jekabsone

NORTHAMPTON

Audible/Visible
323 Coles Meadow Road
Richard Rothenburg

Paper Gems
81 Prospect St.
Mary Wiseman

Wonderment Images
12B Randolph Road
Andrew Farkas

SOUTH HADLEY

Chaffee Logging
63 Woodbridge St.
Scott Chaffee

Natural Races
10 Hildreth Ave.
Thomas P. Smith

SPRINGFIELD

Bermudez Transportation
96 Calhoun St.
Victor Bermudez

Corey’s Landscaping Service
157 Cherokee Dr.
Corey Palm

Debra’s Beauty Solutions
64 Boston Road
Debra Watson

EZ Services
463 State St.
Ricardo DelValle

El Bohio Rest #2
248 Dickinson St.
Miguel Martinez

First Class Shuttle
1500 Main #270
Jamie Gasperini

His Praise Worship Sound
42 Suffolk St.
Ronnie Berrios, Juan Leon

J x 2 Productions LLC
1 Federal St.
Andrew Jensen

Jessie’s Roofing & Siding
83 Prospect St.
Efrain Vazquez Jr.

Kim’s Nails
1003 St. James Ave.
Insook Kim

Millennium Nails
1055 Boston Road
Mai Hoang

MultiLingual Communications
1655 Main St.
Vadim Romanov

New England Janitorial Services
15-17 Sycamore St.
Waverly Rhone II, Joan Rhone

Payson & Williams
46 Clearbrook Dr.
Scott Williams

Pinnock Transport
1662 South Branch Pkwy.
Kurt Pinnock

Samuel’s Communications
34 Wayne St.
Evenad Samuels Jr.

She Has Everything
42 Cliftwood St.
Emma Perkins

Springfield Diocesan Cemeteries Inc.
421 Tinkham Road
Diocesan Cemetaries of the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Springfield

V.I.P. Cuts
445 Main St.
Antonio Melendez

Western MA Medical Billing
93 Woodrow St.
Joanna Gonzales

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Accent Interior Redesign
12 North Boulevard
Phyllis Boucher

Boston Cullinary Group Inc.
1305 Memorial Ave.
Joseph Armstrong

David Camp Sales & Furniture Restoration
23 Bonnie Brae Dr.
David Camp

Fathers & Sons Inc.
434 Memorial Ave.
Damon Cartelli

Geraldine’s Lounge
1519 Elm St.
Ares Inc.

“Huny Do List”
66 Larchwood St.
John Leary

Larry’s Painting
79 Lathrop St.
Lawrence Kelly

New England Van & Truck Equipment
104 Memorial Ave.
Gary Stubblefield

Oreck Vacuum Stores/Oreck Home Care
223 Memorial Ave.
P.A.E. Enterprises

R.B.C.
92 Garden St.
Richard Buteau Sr.

WESTFIELD

BP Courier
1 Oak St.
Bernadette Parker

The Country Store
518 Southampton Road
Talat Khawaja

Fuller Enterprise
295 Springdale Road
Brenden Fuller

The Red Case Co.
70 Wood Road
Bryan Dean

Sections Supplements
Higher education is to Massachusetts what the citrus industry is to Florida.

It is simultaneously our greatest natural resource and one of our leading industries. Maintaining and strengthening the public and private higher-education institutions and their students is critical to maintaining the state’s economic competitiveness.

In recent years, Massachusetts has fallen dangerously behind competitor states in its funding of grant aid for needy students. From 1989 to 2004, Massachusetts joined, Alabama, North Dakota, and Hawaii as one of only four states to allow a decline in its state appropriations for student financial aid.

In our case, it dropped by 13.5%.

Massachusetts is the only state in the nation where more students are enrolled in independent colleges than in public institutions. About 40% of these students are Massachusetts residents. Moreover, those who come from out of state to attend college here contribute to a brain gain for the Commonwealth. Many out-of-staters choose to remain in Massachusetts after graduation at least for their first jobs.

The public benefits of our private higher-education sector are vast, but undervalued. The independent sector educates nearly 80% of the minority students attending four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

The independent sector also graduates a disproportionate share of students majoring in math, science, and other disciplines critically important to the Massachusetts economy. These graduates are well prepared to move into key industries, such as health care, biotechnology, nonotechnology, and telecommunications — industries the independent higher-education sector has helped spawn through research and development and entrepreneurial activity.

The bottom line: The independent sector simultaneously attracts billions of research dollars to the state, invests billions in payroll, construction, and other purchases, and annually saves billions of dollars in public expenditures. Massachusetts, unlike many competitor states, has had the luxury of not needing to allocate double-digit percentages of its annual state budget to higher education, precisely because of the breadth, depth, and quality of our higher education sector. That is not to say, however, that we are spending adequately on education.

Per-student spending on higher education in Massachusetts has been among the lowest in the nation. Massachusetts invests less than 4% of its budget on higher education. In comparison, North Carolina invests more than 14%. This decline in state funding has forced students to take out more loans or not enroll at all. This can only result in a brain drain and weakening of the Massachusetts economy. Last year, the independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts contributed $275 million from their own institutional resources to fund financial aid for Massachusetts residents. For many, this represents a significant portion of their operating budget.

The Legislature and the Romney administration should appropriate funding of operations, capital, and student financial aid for our higher education sector.

This year’s commitment to our public higher education system is an important step in the right direction. A significant investment in state appropriations for student financial aid for Massachusetts residents attending both our public and private independent colleges and universities is warranted and desperately needed. The governor and the Legislature should move ahead with the Board of Education’s cost-effective proposal released last month to increase the Commonwealth’s investment in higher education, including a $20 million increase in student financial aid for residents seeking to attend the college of their choice in Massachusetts.

Just as Florida invests millions of dollars each year to promote its signature citrus industry, so, too, must we invest in our signature industry — higher education and the students we educate to become productive citizens and lifelong contributors to our economy.

Richard Doherty is president of the Association of Independent Colleges & Universities in Massachusetts.

Sections Supplements
Those grappling with Springfield’s many fiscal and social issues often wonder where to start in the process of fixing a system that is clearly broken.

We have a suggestion, and it is one that would seem less obvious to many. And that is with a strong commitment to early childhood education, especially among the region’s underprivileged populations.

Making investments in young people will pay many dividends down the road — in the region’s schools, neighborhoods, and businesses. Statistics show that when young people are stimulated and prompted to learn early, communities will eventually see reductions in drop-out rates, crime, teenage pregnancy, and welfare dependency.

Meanwhile, businesses will see a higher-quality-workforce and greater productivity from those they hire. In other words, investing in disadvantaged youths is good for business and good for the economy.

The problem is that benefits do not materialize until years after the investments are made, prompting some — usually those who lack vision — to focus on steps that may yield results more quickly, with the emphasis on may.

The importance of early childhood education and the need for government funded programs to ensure universal access to such education was the general message delivered at a recent conference in New York called Building the Economic Case for Investments in Preschool. Sponsored by the Committee for Economic Development, a group of business executives, university presidents, and other groups, the conference was attended by several local business and civic leaders, including Affiliated Chambers of Commerce President Russell Denver and Control Board Director Phillip Puccia.

They heard a host of speakers qualify and quantify the need to invest in young children. James J. Heckman, a Nobel Prize-winning economics professor from the University of Chicago discussed his findings, which show that investments in early education programs for disadvantaged children bring far greater ROI than investments later in life such as job-training, reduced pupil-teacher ratios, tuition subsidies, and convict rehabilitation. And Isabel Sawhill, director of Economic Studies at the Brookings Institute, a nonprofit policy organization, estimated that investment in universal preschool would increase the gross domestic product by nearly $1 trillion within 60 years.

It is our hope that conference attendees from the Pioneer Valley and elsewhere use what they’ve learned to inspire continued progress in the creation and expansion of early childhood education programs. While there has been some progress — 14 states increased their preschool funding by $300 million in 2004 and last year, there were increases in 26 states totaling $600 million — the U.S. continues to lag behind — often way behind — other countries.

Locally, the Cherish Every Child initiative has started a number of programs to enhance early education. These include QUEST — Quality Enhancement for Springfield Teachers — a professional development effort to increase the number of early education and care providers in the city who attend and complete a higher education degree.

Meanwhile, there are other efforts, such as the Get Off On the Right Foot program, a campaign launched by Charlie Epstein, president of the Epstein Financial Group, and Springfield Day Nursery, to encourage area businesses and individuals to contgribute scholarships that will enable children to attend SDN for year.

We encourage area businesses to support these initiatives and lend support to those groups blueprinting new concepts and programs to inspire young children to embrace learning.

Looking at the big picture in Springfield today — and at the prospects for the future — at least two problems are apparent. The first is a poverty rate that impacts everything from crime in the streets to the continuing decline of retail in the city’s downtown. The second is a workforce — or lack thereof — that is hindering development of new industry groups, such as the biosciences, and will continue to do so.

Investing in early childhood education, and giving underprivileged children a better chance to break the cycle of poverty, is a step that can address both issues and help provide Springfield with a brighter future.

Opinion
Higher education is to Massachusetts what the citrus industry is to Florida.

It is simultaneously our greatest natural resource and one of our leading industries. Maintaining and strengthening the public and private higher-education institutions and their students is critical to maintaining the state’s economic competitiveness.

In recent years, Massachusetts has fallen dangerously behind competitor states in its funding of grant aid for needy students. From 1989 to 2004, Massachusetts joined, Alabama, North Dakota, and Hawaii as one of only four states to allow a decline in its state appropriations for student financial aid.

In our case, it dropped by 13.5%.

Massachusetts is the only state in the nation where more students are enrolled in independent colleges than in public institutions. About 40% of these students are Massachusetts residents. Moreover, those who come from out of state to attend college here contribute to a brain gain for the Commonwealth. Many out-of-staters choose to remain in Massachusetts after graduation at least for their first jobs.

The public benefits of our private higher-education sector are vast, but undervalued. The independent sector educates nearly 80% of the minority students attending four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

The independent sector also graduates a disproportionate share of students majoring in math, science, and other disciplines critically important to the Massachusetts economy. These graduates are well prepared to move into key industries, such as health care, biotechnology, nonotechnology, and telecommunications — industries the independent higher-education sector has helped spawn through research and development and entrepreneurial activity.

The bottom line: The independent sector simultaneously attracts billions of research dollars to the state, invests billions in payroll, construction, and other purchases, and annually saves billions of dollars in public expenditures. Massachusetts, unlike many competitor states, has had the luxury of not needing to allocate double-digit percentages of its annual state budget to higher education, precisely because of the breadth, depth, and quality of our higher education sector. That is not to say, however, that we are spending adequately on education.

Per-student spending on higher education in Massachusetts has been among the lowest in the nation. Massachusetts invests less than 4% of its budget on higher education. In comparison, North Carolina invests more than 14%. This decline in state funding has forced students to take out more loans or not enroll at all. This can only result in a brain drain and weakening of the Massachusetts economy. Last year, the independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts contributed $275 million from their own institutional resources to fund financial aid for Massachusetts residents. For many, this represents a significant portion of their operating budget.

The Legislature and the Romney administration should appropriate funding of operations, capital, and student financial aid for our higher education sector.

This year’s commitment to our public higher education system is an important step in the right direction. A significant investment in state appropriations for student financial aid for Massachusetts residents attending both our public and private independent colleges and universities is warranted and desperately needed. The governor and the Legislature should move ahead with the Board of Education’s cost-effective proposal released last month to increase the Commonwealth’s investment in higher education, including a $20 million increase in student financial aid for residents seeking to attend the college of their choice in Massachusetts.

Just as Florida invests millions of dollars each year to promote its signature citrus industry, so, too, must we invest in our signature industry — higher education and the students we educate to become productive citizens and lifelong contributors to our economy.

Richard Doherty is president of the Association of Independent Colleges & Universities in Massachusetts.

Features
Those grappling with Springfield’s many fiscal and social issues often wonder where to start in the process of fixing a system that is clearly broken.

We have a suggestion, and it is one that would seem less obvious to many. And that is with a strong commitment to early childhood education, especially among the region’s underprivileged populations.

Making investments in young people will pay many dividends down the road — in the region’s schools, neighborhoods, and businesses. Statistics show that when young people are stimulated and prompted to learn early, communities will eventually see reductions in drop-out rates, crime, teenage pregnancy, and welfare dependency.

Meanwhile, businesses will see a higher-quality-workforce and greater productivity from those they hire. In other words, investing in disadvantaged youths is good for business and good for the economy.

The problem is that benefits do not materialize until years after the investments are made, prompting some — usually those who lack vision — to focus on steps that may yield results more quickly, with the emphasis on may.

The importance of early childhood education and the need for government funded programs to ensure universal access to such education was the general message delivered at a recent conference in New York called Building the Economic Case for Investments in Preschool. Sponsored by the Committee for Economic Development, a group of business executives, university presidents, and other groups, the conference was attended by several local business and civic leaders, including Affiliated Chambers of Commerce President Russell Denver and Control Board Director Phillip Puccia.

They heard a host of speakers qualify and quantify the need to invest in young children. James J. Heckman, a Nobel Prize-winning economics professor from the University of Chicago discussed his findings, which show that investments in early education programs for disadvantaged children bring far greater ROI than investments later in life such as job-training, reduced pupil-teacher ratios, tuition subsidies, and convict rehabilitation. And Isabel Sawhill, director of Economic Studies at the Brookings Institute, a nonprofit policy organization, estimated that investment in universal preschool would increase the gross domestic product by nearly $1 trillion within 60 years.

It is our hope that conference attendees from the Pioneer Valley and elsewhere use what they’ve learned to inspire continued progress in the creation and expansion of early childhood education programs. While there has been some progress — 14 states increased their preschool funding by $300 million in 2004 and last year, there were increases in 26 states totaling $600 million — the U.S. continues to lag behind — often way behind — other countries.

Locally, the Cherish Every Child initiative has started a number of programs to enhance early education. These include QUEST — Quality Enhancement for Springfield Teachers — a professional development effort to increase the number of early education and care providers in the city who attend and complete a higher education degree.

Meanwhile, there are other efforts, such as the Get Off On the Right Foot program, a campaign launched by Charlie Epstein, president of the Epstein Financial Group, and Springfield Day Nursery, to encourage area businesses and individuals to contgribute scholarships that will enable children to attend SDN for year.

We encourage area businesses to support these initiatives and lend support to those groups blueprinting new concepts and programs to inspire young children to embrace learning.

Looking at the big picture in Springfield today — and at the prospects for the future — at least two problems are apparent. The first is a poverty rate that impacts everything from crime in the streets to the continuing decline of retail in the city’s downtown. The second is a workforce — or lack thereof — that is hindering development of new industry groups, such as the biosciences, and will continue to do so.

Investing in early childhood education, and giving underprivileged children a better chance to break the cycle of poverty, is a step that can address both issues and help provide Springfield with a brighter future.

Features
Museums 10 picked a unique subject for its first endeavor as a formal organization – Dutch culture. More notable than the topic from which the museums and several other groups and businesses will derive inspiration, however, is the increasingly expansive nature of the Go Dutch! program, which is spanning the region and attempting to break down invisible barriers between the counties of the Pioneer Valley.

Unpack your tulip vase and dust off your wooden shoes … it’s time to Go Dutch.

In less than a month, a multi-organization, cultural exhibit will kick off in the Pioneer Valley, offering art, music, literature, floral, and other programs to the public, all centered on the theme of Dutch culture and both the modern life and historical relevance of The Netherlands.

What makes this project different from other cultural exhibits, however, is that it involves several non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses, serves as the first major program spearheaded by a new partnership between 10 Hampshire and Franklin county museums, and will run for several months, drawing in visitors from both the local area and surrounding cities and states.

And it is expected to break through the ‘Tofu Curtain.’

That’s what some people call the invisible line that separates Hampden from Hampshire and Franklin counties, and often stalls cultural partnerships between them. A joke referring to Hampshire and Franklin counties’ reputation as the more liberal and artsy portion of the Pioneer Valley, and to Hampden County’s more industrial identity, the Tofu Curtain gives some levity to a very real issue in the Pioneer Valley — the disconnect between many cities and towns in terms of the cultural tourism initiatives of the region.

Nora Maroulis, director of Development and Marketing for the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and a member of the marketing team of Museums 10, a cultural partnership launched last year, said the primary goal of the organization’s first major project, Go Dutch!, will be to promote the cultural gems of the Pioneer Valley as a whole, not separated by town lines.

“This project is completely unprecedented,” she said. “Chambers of commerce in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties are all sitting at the same table, along with the GSCVB (Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau), several organizations, and businesses across the region. And we’re all talking about one thing: tourism.”

The Power of 10

Museums 10 was officially launched last year, following many years of successful partnerships on a less formal level among the museums’ directors.

The organization now consists of seven college museums, all located on the ‘Five College’ campuses in Amherst, Northampton, and South Hadley: The University Gallery at UMass, Amherst; the Mead Art Museum, Emily Dickinson Museum and Homestead, and Museum of Natural History at Amherst College; the Hampshire College Art Gallery; the Smith College Museum of Art, and the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum.

Two independent Amherst museums – the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the National Yiddish Book Center – and Historic Deerfield complete the group, and a suite of materials promoting the museums as one set of attractions was also created last year.

Maroulis explained that the marketing professionals of each museum were asked by the museums’ directors to begin meeting on a regular basis, as the directors had with some success.

“You put a group of marketing directors in the same room, and it’s inevitable that some major brainstorming is going to happen,” she said.

The first byproduct of such brainstorming is Go Dutch!, a region-wide exhibition of Dutch art and culture that will be anchored by a traveling art exhibit slated to appear at the Eric Carle Museum from March through July, titled Dutch Treats: Contemporary Illustration from the Netherlands. The other museums in the organization will also hold exhibits, performances, and other events in keeping with the same Dutch theme.

However, as Maroulis was quick to note, not only Museums 10 galleries will be participating in Go Dutch! – museums, businesses, and other venues across the Pioneer Valley have pledged their support and participation, creating a partnership that is a first in the area.

In addition to Museums 10, more than 25 businesses and organizations across the valley are slated to offer some type of exhibit or event in keeping with the Go Dutch! theme, including the Springfield Museums, Chandler’s Tavern and Yankee Candle in South Deerfield, the Springfield Armory, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the UMass School of Architecture and Regional Planning, the Log Cabin, the Paradise City Arts Festival, and several others.

Rediscover the Spring and Summer

Maroulis said the number of participants continues to grow as the start date for Go Dutch! nears, and added that in addition to the growing numbers of participants across the valley, other aspects of the project are expected to factor into its overall success, including the ever-important issue of economics.

“We didn’t want the museums to create new programs for Go Dutch!, because creating programs costs money,” she explained. “Instead, we asked them to look inward at their existing collections for art work or potential performances and events that would fit the theme of Dutch culture or the Netherlands.”

To that end, several museums, including the Mead Art Museum and the Springfield Museums, will showcase paintings or sculpture by some of the Dutch masters, including Rembrandt and Vermeer, and the botanical gardens of Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges, for example, will use their existing stores to create Dutch-inspired flower and plant shows. But all of the planned programs are unique in their subject matter, and include a wide-range of topics, for instance:

  • From March to May, the Emily Dickinson Museum will allow visitors to explore unexpected connections between the Dickinsons and cultural influences of the Low Countries, and throughout the spring, the museum grounds will be peppered with tulips and other bulb-grown flowers;

  • Showcasing tulips and other spring flowers on a grander scale will be the Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden Spring Flower Show, dubbed On the Dutch Waterways, from March 4 to 19;
  • The Smith College bulb show, also opening March 4;
  • The Arcadia Players, a baroque ensemble based in Northampton, will perform a Dutch Baroque organ music program at First Church in Amherst on March 4;
  • From March to June, the Smith College Museum of Art will exhibit Dutch prints and drawings from its collection. The selected prints represent the art of 17th century Holland, often called the Golden Age of Dutch art;
  • Similarly, the Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle will also exhibit prints and drawings from the Golden Age during the same time;
  • A Family Day is planned for March 11, offering a preview of Go Dutch! From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at no cost, on the Mount Holyoke College campus. Families are invited to enjoy a variety of activities, including a scavenger hunt focusing on the museum’s collection of Dutch art;
  • From March 31 to May 19, the University Gallery of UMass Amherst will exhibit of works by contemporary Dutch artist Avery Preesman, whose abstract paintings and wall reliefs are gaining notoriety;
  • Beginning April 1 and running until late December, Historic Deerfield will offer At Home in Holland: Dutch Decorative arts from the Historic Deerfield collection to all visitors. Colonial-era objects created in or inspired by Holland will be on display at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life;
  • The Yiddish Book Center, which already stages several programs a year to promote Yiddish culture and literature, has scheduled 10 individual programs throughout the spring and summer as well as two art exhibitions as part of Go Dutch!, which will include a concert titled Music from the Time of Anne Frank on April 23, and on view in the Gerson Gallery, a series of etchings created by illustrator Joseph Goldyne, depicting scenes inspired by the diary of Anne Frank; and
  • From May 5 to 7, the Mass. International Festival of the Arts (MIFA) will stage a theater production of Van Gogh’s Ear, a new musical theater work based on the painter’s letters, at the Rooke Theater, Mount Holyoke College.

A Blooming Economy?

Some funding for the various programs as well as advertising for the Go Dutch! project was made possible by a matching grant from the Mass. Cultural Council (MCC), which provided $50,000 to Museums 10 that the organization must match with cash or in-kind contributions.

As the program continues to grow across the region, said Maroulis, Museums 10 is focused on recruiting more for-profit businesses to serve as partners or sponsors with the museums and other cultural outfits comprised in Go Dutch!, in order to ensure those matching grant funds are secured and also to underscore the importance of cultural tourism to the Pioneer Valley’s overall economic health.

“We’ve already seen programs like this succeed in other areas,” she said, noting as an example a recent county-wide endeavor in the Berkshires, titled the Vienna Project. “In that case, businesses and restaurants were very involved, and we want to mirror that involvement here.”

Christine Noh, marketing manager for the Eric Carle Museum, added that not only would the involvement of more for-profit businesses benefit Go Dutch!, but the program can also provide some unique marketing opportunities for those businesses.
“This is a groundbreaking project, and some savvy business owners, particularly in the small business sector, have been quick to jump on board,” she said. “Go Dutch! is going to get a lot of play up and down the I-91 corridor, but also outside the area in key markets like Boston and New York.”

Noh explained that, in addition, a lengthy booklet is being published by Museums 10 that features all partnering organizations and businesses, as well as a ‘passport’ program that allows visitors to Go Dutch! exhibits to receive stamps that make them eligible for an all-expense paid trip to the Netherlands. There are advertising opportunities within the booklet, which will be distributed throughout the Pioneer Valley and outside of the area as a visitor’s guide.

“We’re trying to remind people that live here of what is so great about the valley, and of everything we have to offer culturally,” said Noh, “but we’re also working to bring new tourism in. Several small business owners have been very responsive to that goal, and the hotels are joining us quickly, too. We have a core group of people who understand the value of cultural tourism that is very strong.”

Still, Noh and Maroulis agreed that to give Go Dutch! that final push, greater involvement from some of the area’s larger companies is necessary.

“Businesses need to understand that the cultural and academic organizations of the area bring in more than 500,000 visitors to the area a year,” said Noh. “That’s a lot of people who will come back, or better yet, stay, if they like what they see.”

Maroulis added that Museums 10 is sensitive to the financial obligations of for-profit organizations, but added that in terms of Go Dutch!, the positive marketing opportunities could outweigh economic factors and also give many businesses a boost.

Home Improvements

“We would like very much to see some of the larger employers in the area become corporate sponsors,” she said. “With the support we’ve received from the GSCVB and from the MCC, we have been able to be very successful very quickly with branding ourselves as a permanent fixture in the area, and Go Dutch! is sort of the big event that is heralding the arrival of Museums 10.

“We’re not going anywhere … and we want to work with major businesses to increase the visitorship to their stores or increase awareness of their services, as much as we want to promote ourselves,” she continued. “It all helps us work toward the same goal – benefiting and promoting the place we call home.”

A home she hopes will soon include more open doors and windows of opportunity, unfettered by curtains of any kind.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Features
Some of Trish Hannon’s earliest memories are of times spent in a hospital.

An orthopedic birth defect provided her with an and early — and thorough — introduction to the health care community, one that ultimately left her with the ability to walk and a desire to help others in the same way that teams of doctors and nurses had helped her.

“I was hospitalized on and off as a child, and those experiences were in many ways good experiences, as odd as that sounds,” said Hannon, senior vice president for Healthcare Operations for Baystate Health and COO of Baystate Medical Center. “It was an opportunity for me to see how people who were in health care, particularly nurses, were able to impact people’s lives.

“I felt personally as if my life had been changed by the experience,” she continued. “Early in my life I had a very hard time walking, but by age 10, I was able to walk without any issues. And I knew I was going to be able to dream a lot bigger because I would be able to walk — and it was all because of the great nurses and doctors who took care of me.”

And because of those early experiences and a similar desire to change lives, the first dream was to become a nurse.

“I knew at age 5 that this was what I wanted to do,” she said. “I grew up watching Dr. Kildare and reading Cherry Ames (the mystery-solving nurse in the series authored by Helen Wells); I would go to the library and read everything I could on nursing, and set out to be one as quickly as I possibly could.”

That route was through the Nursing program at Marymount College in Virginia. From there, she started her professional career in pediatric nursing, eventually gravitating toward the operating room and the emergency room.

After relocating from the Washington, D.C. area to San Diego, Calif., and, later, to Springfield and the Baystate system, her career transitioned into roles that were increasingly administrative in nature — titles varied from director of Surgery and Emergency Services to vice president of Clinical Affairs.

But the desire to change lives has remained the common denominator.

“I’ve moved from touching one life at a time from a clinical perspective,” she explained, “to hopefully influencing many thousands of lives with a great team of people through the work that we do; that’s very powerful as it relates to my original dream.”

Today, in her current capacities with Baystate Health, which she joined in 1994, her job description and specific duties are broad in nature; she’s involved in everything from revenue-cycle performance to pension plan redesign to development of a state-of-the-art clinical information system for the system’s three hospitals, Baystate, Franklin Medical Center, and Mary Lane Hospital. But the mission is actually rather simple — the day-to-day delivery of quality health care services.

Walking the Walk

Hannon has a large office in what is known as the Springfield Building at the Baystate complex — but she told BusinessWest she’s rarely in it.

Indeed, as she talked about her current responsibilities within the system, Hannon said her job is largely about listening, and she does it pretty much anywhere but at her desk.

“I manage by walking around,” she explained, noting that she conducts daily “rounds,” during which she talks with patients, nurses, doctors, pharmacists, receptionists — anyone who has something to say about the care administered at Baystate and how to make it better.

Walking and listening are the two main operating philosophies for Hannon in her role as COO of BMC and senior vice president for Healthcare Operations at Baystate Health. This is the latest step in a 32-year career in health care that has seen her transition from hands-on care of single patients in the pediatric ward to direct and indirect responsibility for hundreds of patients and the 4,500 or so employees at BMC.

Hannon came to Baystate after nearly 20 years of work with various health care facilities in San Diego. She spent four years as the director of Specialty Services at Sharp Health Care in Chula Vista, and prior to that worked as senior consultant and president of the Physicians Business Network in San Diego. She also served as director of the Mericos Eye Institute at Scripps Health Inc. in La Jolla, and as director of Surgery and Emergency Services at Villa View Community Hospital in San Diego.

At Baystate, she started in 1994 as service line director of Surgery and Anesthesia, before moving on to director of Clinical Affairs, vice president of Clinical Services, and, in 2000, to COO of BMC. She was named senior vice president of Healthcare Operations for the system in 2005.

Breaking down her present responsibilities, she said they come in three main areas, or sets of activities, that she addresses in partnership with Chief Medical Officer Loring Flint and in conjunction with teams of individuals;

  • Providing physicians, nurses, and other staff with the proper environment, resources, tools, and support systems, as she called them, to provide quality care;
  • Developing new leaders in both clinical and administrative capabilities throughout the system — in other words, putting the right people in positions at every level of service; and
  • Putting the necessary processes in place to measure results and continuously look for ways to improve the work being done.

Lessons in Listening

Elaborating, she stressed that the first of these assignments is perhaps the most critical, and the one that most consistently tests and refines her ability to listen.

“I listen carefully to what the staff is telling us, what the managers are telling us, what the physicians and patients are telling us,” she explained, adding that much of the feedback is garnered while doing rounds of patient wings. “I stop in the emergency department, the oncology unit, the pharmacy, the Comprehensive Breast Center, everywhere.”

Rounds come in two varieties, informal and formal, she noted, adding that during the latter, known as “safety rounds,” the questions are of a more serious nature.

“We interview staff, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals about what concerns them, and the things they are most worried about with respect to the resources they have and the responsibilities they have,” she said. “We ask what them what they need, and if they can identify opportunities to improve; it’s a process we use to create the proper environment people need to do what they do.”

As for leadership development, Hannon said this is another critical component of her work, and another that involves solid teamwork. She told BusinessWest that she is directly involved in the hiring of operating vice presidents and takes part in interviews at the director level. But, system-wide, she is responsible for setting standards and a tone in defining leadership capabilities for managers, directors, and supervisors. She also teaches a class for front-line supervisors that helps provide the skills they need to be effective leaders.

“We constantly look at the development needs of each of the leaders, and make sure that we’re appointing people with the right competencies,” she explained. “We work to make sure that those leaders are developing relationships with the staff that are open and communicative, and that they listen.”

Skills are an important factor in hiring decisions, she continued, but in a word, she’s looking more at personality, or fit with the organization. Elaborating, she said the system’s leaders must possess a “style that is fundamentally about connecting with other human beings and feeling privileged to be serving other human beings.”

Finding such individuals is an inexact science, she acknowledged, but a critical process in making sure the Baystate system is able to carry out its overall mission — today and tomorrow.

“What’s most important to us is a philosophy that we hire for a fit with our organization’s culture and operating principles, and we train for skill development,” she continued. “In my view, it’s a mistake for people to hire on the basis of technical skill, without regard or with less regard to the individual’s ability to effectively lead in an environment that’s about trust and respect and communication and collaboration.”
Many of those elements go into the third component of Hannon’s job description, the quality-measurement responsibilities, or continuous improvement efforts.

“This is a relentless pursuit of perfection,” she told BusinessWest. “And while noting is ever really perfect, the work is in that relentless pursuit.”

Borrowing lessons from the manufacturing sector, the airline industry, and other business groups, health care is becoming increasingly focused on the processes involved with quality and continuous improvement, said Hannon. She noted that the key is to embed this mindset into the culture of the system and make it “part of what you do every day.”

“It is about creating opportunities to learn from things that didn’t go so well,” she explained, “and the opportunity to replicate things that go very well; we focus very much on how to be a better organization all the time.”

Positive Prognosis

Looking at the sum of her many responsibilities, Hannon told BusinessWest that she finds her work both consistently challenging and deeply rewarding.

And it is also honors her original motivation for entering the health care field: impacting lives.

“The work is always exciting because it’s about people,” she said, “and the greatest part of my job is being able to talk with both the staff and patients about the work that we do and the opportunity to actually improve someone’s life because they’ve touched Baystate and Baystate has touched them.

“I have the benefit of both learning continually and working with colleagues who have the same passion for the relentless pursuit of perfection in the way we deliver care,” she continued. “It’s fun to get up in the morning and know that on any given day we have the opportunity to really impact someone’s life in a very meaningful way; that’s very worthwhie.”

In other words, it’s another of her bigger dreams come true.

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

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Celeste Surreira says she’s always had a passion for emergency room nursing.

“I like everything about it … you can really make an impact on people here,” said Surreira, manager of the Emergency Department at Mercy Medical Center. “I enjoy the fast pace and I love dealing with patients. Then, there’s the diversity, which comes in many ways; you see people of many different ethnic groups and every socio-economic category, and we deal with every age group — pediatrics to geriatrics and everything in between.”

And there’s something else, as well — what Surreira calls the public relations factor.
She described the ER as the front door of the hospital, one where introductions are often made and critical first impressions formed.

“You’ve got about 30 seconds to make or break that visit,” she explained. “That’s why emergency room nurses, especially, have the ability to impact that person’s experience and, therefore, their relationship with the facility.”

Making first impressions as favorable as possible is one way to describe the work Surreira does as ED manager, a post she assumed about a year ago. There are others. “You might say I help replace chaos with organization,” she explained, noting that the medical center and its leadership have made a strong commitment in recent years to the ED and continuously improving the delivery of care there.

The initiative included an extensive renovation project completed last year that was designed to streamline patient flow and improve overall customer satisfaction, a term Surreira likes to use when describing her work.

“People who come to the ER are more than patients, they are customers.” She said. “We want to treat those customers in a way that will make them feel positive about their experience here. No one wants to be in the ER, but we can make their visit more bearable.”

Efforts to improve service to patients have contributed to a sharp rise in the ED census from 2004 to 2005, when the number rose from about 45,000 visits to nearly 55,000, or about 150 per day.

“Part of that results from a national trend — in general, numbers are up,” she explained. “And I’d like to think that some of it is due to the fact that we’re doing a better job and our reputation is steadily improving.”

As department director, Surreira does far less hands-on care delivery than she did several years ago, although she still does some, especially when the unit is busy, which is often. In her administrative role, her passion for the patients remains, but takes on a different, broader scope.

Wait-reduction Exercises

Surreira told BusinessWest that waiting is a fact of life in the emergency room.

People wait to see a triage nurse, for registration, to see a doctor, to receive test results, for a bed in the hospital … every step of the process, she explained. The waiting cannot be eliminated, she continued, not at Mercy or any other ED, but it can minimized and also be made more palatable.

“People have told me that they expect to wait, but they want information as to why they are waiting,” she said. “As long as I kept them updated, they were fine.”

Reducing wait times and improving the overall ED experience have been the focal points for Surreira since she became ED director, and, in many ways, since she first started working in that critical area of health care.

That was roughly a year after she graduated from the nursing school affiliated with what is now Baystate Health. Surreira told BusinessWest that, growing up, she knew that she wanted to work with people and impact their lives.

This is what drew her to nursing and, specifically to the ED.

“In emergency room nursing, there is good deal of autonomy, which I like, and also a good deal of patient-teaching, which I also enjoy,” she explained. “I just find this work very rewarding — you feel as though you’re making a difference.”

Baystate did not have any openings in the emergency department, so she left that system for Mercy in 1986. She worked as an ED nurse there for several years, before advancing first to the role of clinical nurse supervisor and then ED director.

In the former, she said, her charge was essentially patient flow during her shift. In the latter, meanwhile, she says, there is more accountability and direct leadership.

“I don’t like to think of myself as a manager,” she explained. “I like to think of myself as a leader.”

Her current assignment is one with a broad job description, one that includes everything from managing payroll for the 70 staff members in the ED to creating classes in customer service for those nurses, orderlies, and other professionals.

But she boils it down to just a few words.

“I’m the ultimate communicator,” she explained, noting that she acts as intermediary between the medical center’s administration and the ED staff, and also plays a key role in coordinating care and developing policies and procedures.

Surreira said broad changes in the health care environment, specifically the rising numbers of uninsured and underinsured individuals, has made the ER the first, and sometimes the only, option for people seeking care.

This phenomenon is reflected in the rising numbers of people visiting the ED, at Mercy and elsewhere, she said, adding quickly that while there are access-to-care issues impacting all providers, the emergency room has always played a key role in serving a specific population.

“Even if you have a doctor and you have insurance, that doctor may not be able to see you for several days,” she said, adding that the ED often becomes a second, critical source of primary care. “We’re really good at what we do … we can see you, do your tests, and give your results all at once.

“So we’re good at customer service, which is how American culture is today,” she continued. “It’s one-stop shopping, sort of speak.”

Bed-time Stories

Improving that shopping experience has been an ongoing obsession for Surreira, her staff, and Mercy administrators. It’s an process, she says, that involves taking the ED visit, breaking it down step by step, and initiating efforts to improve each of them.
And while reducing wait times is a critical piece of the initiative, there are other goals, she said, adding that the general mission is to reduce stress and anxiety from what can often be a traumatic experience.

It starts when the individual enters the door. “We greet every person on arrival,” she said, adding that, for their duration of their stay, staff members are committed to keeping patients and family informed and, in a word, comfortable.

That’s why, for example, the department added what are known as ‘patient

advocates’ to the roster of care providers. These individuals work in the waiting room as liaisons between staff and family members, facilitating the flow of communication and updating patients as to why they are waiting.

“If they see someone who is dissatisfied, angry, or anxious,” she said, “they intervene immediately and do what we call a “service recovery and address the issue at that moment.”

The broad process-improvement effort involves dissecting each step, crafting solutions, and measuring results to confirm progress. “The line is, ‘if you can measure it, you can change it,’ and we have measures in place for all of these steps.”

Listing them, she said the first is the time from when one walks in the door until he or she sees a triage nurse; the second is from that moment until registration is complete; then it’s from registration until one is placed in a room; from that moment until one is seen by a doctor; from the doctor’s visit to the booking for administration; and, finally, the time until one is actually admitted.

Improvement has been achieved at each of these intervals, from the time it takes to see a triage nurse to the time an individual must wait for a bed in the hospital, she said, noting that with the latter, the period has been reduced from 24 hours or more to less than two hours.

“In some cases, that’s a dramatic turnaround,” said Surreira, attributing it to a system-wide commitment to the ED. “It stems from this administration understanding the true value of the ER — this is the public relations door to the hospital — and dedicating itself to making it a real asset to the community and this facility.”

That commitment includes ‘Project 10,000.’ That was the first name given to the series of renovations that took place last year and included everything from enlarging the waiting area to making the triage room more private to increasing the ED bed count from 24 to 29. The name stems from a stated goal of increasing the ED census by 10,000, a goal that has largely been reached, said Surreira, adding that it was later called ‘Project 10’ to connote the highest score on customer-satisfaction surveys.

Bringing up those scores has been a labor of love for Surreira, who came back to her point about chaos and eliminating it.

“This can be a very chaotic environment — the key is to make it organized chaos,” she explained. “And when you truncate every step in the process and make it a system, then chaos goes away and organization takes over.”

The Bottom Line

As she talked about life in the emergency room, Surreira said she sees many familiar faces during her rounds of the department.

These patients, or repeat customers, as she called them, have in some ways become extended family, individuals she has come to know and care about.

This is the where the public relations component of work in the ED meets the part about impacting people’s lives.

“That’s why I’m passionate about emergency room nursing and taking care of emergency room patients,” she said, “and why ER nurses are very special people.”

 

Uncategorized
It’s called ‘medication reconciliation.’

That’s a process for ensuring that patients are getting only the medications intended for them, and that these medications do not react negatively with anything the patient is already taking. Northampton’s Cooley Dickinson Hospital is addressing the matter through a number of programs, including medication cards, carried by patients, which alert caregivers to the full list of medications an individual is taking.

This is one of many patient safety initiatives in which Cooley-Dickinson is no longer trying to merely match industry best practices, but in many instances, establishing best practices.

And leading such efforts is Donna Truesdell, MS, RNC, CDH’s director of Quality Improvement, who says she takes enormous pride and satisfaction in her work.

She told BusinessWest that medication reconciliation is just one of several quality initiatives ongoing at Cooley Dicksinson, all designed to improve patient safety, reduce medical errors, and enhance the overall quality of care being administered, Other efforts include everything from a program to reduce the incidence of falls among patients to an effort to speed up the time it takes to make a room ready for a patient to a new system that dramatically reduces the time it takes to secure clean IV pumps and other equipment.

Quality has been the informal, one-word job description for Truesdell for much of her 25-year career in health care. Originally a staff nurse in a hospital in Punxsutawney, Pa. (home of the groundhog), she relocated to Massachusetts in the mid ’80s, and eventually landed at Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield. There, she assumed titles that included director of Quality, Diagnostic, and Clinicial Support Services, and director of Performance Improvement and Clinical Support Services.

In those capacities, as in her current one at CDH, the focus was on process improvement, she explained, and giving staff members — from those who make the beds and clean patient rooms to physicians and nurses — opportunities to do what they do better, and in the process, improve safety and save lives.

This is work much different than hands-on delivery of care, she said, but, in many ways just as rewarding.

“Early in my career, I was frustrated with systems that didn’t help people; I was frustrated when I saw barriers,” she explained. “When I moved into management, I sought to remove barriers and make it easier for people to do their work and care for patients.

“A good day for me,” she continued, “is when I know my work has resulted in a front-line staff person doing their job better.”

Care Package

Truesdell vividly remembers the two years she spent as a school nurse, first at the Academy at Charlemont, and then at Mohawk Trail Regional Schools in Shelbourne Falls.

“When people think of the school nurse they picture Band-aides and skinned knees,” she said. “That’s not what it’s like in many places, including Charlemont.”

Indeed, the school nurse was often the primary care giver for low-income families with no access to health care — real or imagined, she said. “Mothers with no health insurance would bring in pre-school aged children for me to look at and give assessments. Often, I would send kids home with supplies like bandages, because there weren’t any at home.”

There was an educational component to the school nurse duties — working with teachers to help young students learn the basics of health care, she said, adding that she sometimes referred to this period as the “vacation” in her career because of the less hectic, enjoyable nature of the work.

But in many ways, it created an effective bridge to the next stage of her career, which has focused primarily on the two words quality and safety. And they go hand in hand, she said.

From the Mohawk Trail schools, Truesdell moved on to FMC, part of the Baystate Health system, where she served first as manager of the hospital’s Education Department, a post she held from 1988 to 1992. From there, she moved up the ladder to manager of Education and Medical Information Services, where she managed hospital-wide education, patient registration, medical records, and ultilization management departments.

In 1996, she became senior manager at FMC, and a year later was promoted to director of Performance Improvement and Clinical Support Services. And in 2000, she acquired another new title, director of Quality, Diagnostic and Clinical Support Services.

In that role, she coordinated the hospital’s quality-management program and chaired its Performance Improvement Committee, among many other duties. And it was in that capacity that she developed a passion for quality and the processes for achieving it, especially the coaching and mentoring of front-line managers to solve problems.

She said she came to CDH in part for quality-of-life reasons — she had a 2-year-old at the time and desired a position with more reasonable hours — but also because of the facility’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement.

“I had never heard of a community hospital where the CEO, the medical staff, and the leadership team had such an obvious vision for quality care and putting resources toward that,” she explained. “It was that vision that attracted me — and the desire here to become one of the best hospitals in the nation for its size.”

Today, Truesdell, who oversees a staff of nine, is spearheading CDH’s efforts as part of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 1000,000 Lives campaign, which is working to enlist 1,600 hospitals across the country to adopt changes in care that have been proven to prevent deaths due to medication errors. She also heads up the hospital’s participation in the Mass. Hospital Association’s Patient First program and other initiatives aimed at improving the quality of care delivered.

This assignment is carried on in many ways, she explained, and in every department of the hospital, from maintenance to the operating room.

Getting Pumped Ext. 6867.

That’s the number nurses at CDH punch when they want a clean IV pump. That’s what the numbers spell — pump — said Truesdell, adding that the extension was chosen, like all other elements of this particular quality initiative, to save people time and trouble.

And the IV pump is just one of 21 different pieces of equipment brought together in one area of the hospital for faster distribution by something called the Centralized Equipment Management Team. Working with survey data — time studies, employee surveys, and focus groups, the team identified one key concern; an inability to access common patient-care equipment when needed.

“Nurses were spending too much time searching for equipment,” said Truesdell, noting that initiatives like the new extension for pumps have helped reduce that time from several hours — and several phone calls — to an average of seven minutes and one call.

CDH has logged a number of other quality improvements over the past year, including:

  • A drop in the percentage of unreconciled medications from 30% in May 2005 to 5.22% in November of that year in the units where the medication-reconciliation program had been rolled out. (It has now been implemented in all inpatient and outpatient settings);
  • Decreased bed-turnaround time from an average of more than 90 minutes to less than 45 minutes from the time the Environmental Service office is paged to the completion of the discharge patient room cleaning;
  • Decreased facility-acquired pressure ulcers (similar to bed sores) by 8%, to a rate of zero, between December ’04 and December ’05. The achievement was attributed to hiring a dedicated wound and skin care nurse and implementation of a multidisciplinary pressure ulcer prevention program, and
  • The hospital even received commendation from the Northampton Fire Department for the reduction of hallway clutter over the past year.

Assessing these and other quality success stories, Truesdell said solutions usually come through common sense analysis and breaking a process into its specific steps, a methodology that manufacturers have employed for many years now.

In the case of the bed turn-around-time-reduction efforts, she said the solution was fairly simple — outfitting Environmental Service staffers with pagers that would enable them to notified the moment a room was ready to be cleaned and prepped for the next patient.

“Before, people simply put notes on the door alerting staff that a room was ready to be cleaned,” she said. “Sometimes, it would be a while before anyone saw the note.”
To effectuate changes and improvements such as the IV pump program, medication reconciliation, patient room-preparation, and a fall-reduction effort called “Striving for Zero,” Truesdell said CDH uses team of individuals on the front-lines, as she called them. These are the people directly effected by a problem or issue, and they are the ones best able to help brainstorm an answer.

“In hospitals, we have to continually remember to get the front-line people involved,” she said. “In the past, a group of managers would sit down in a room and think they were going to solve the problem. My experience has been that they will either solve the wrong problem or come up with a solution that doesn’t address the real issue.”

In the Q

Empowering staff members and providing them with the tools they need to develop answers to quality issues is one of the many rewards Truesdell says she derives from her current assignment.

Another is the successful — and ongoing — removal of the kinds of barriers that frustrated her when she was a staff nurse in Pennsylvania.

Her dedication to quality and CDH’s ability to establish benchmarks rather than aspire to reach them, has enabled her to have a number of good days — with the promise of more to come.

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

Uncategorized
On a sunny day, the Norwottuck Rail Trail seems to be paved with gold.

Actually, it’s recycled glass embedded in the pavement – a design aspect of the trail that makes the bike path unique.

But it’s also a metaphor that the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), business owners, and the residents of the towns through which the trail runs – Hadley, Amherst, Belchertown, and Northampton – hope will ring true in the coming years.

The Norwottuck Rail Trail opened in 1993, after the tract of land where the first phase of the path was constructed was purchased by the state from the Boston and Maine Railroad Corporation in 1985. It was given its name at the suggestion of the Hadley Historical Commission, to reflect the Native American heritage of the area, and represents one of the first trails in Massachusetts. Others in the state, including the popular Cape Cod Rail Trail, have been up and running for more than two decades.

According to Danny O’Brien, a rail trail coordinator, the DCR partnered with Mass Highway to finalize a design for the trail, which originally ran from Damon Road in Northampton to Station Avenue in Amherst – an eight-mile course.

“But once they’re constructed, these trails always extend,” O’Brien said. “They generally become very popular within the towns and cities they run though, and then everyone wants them to run into their town.”

Staying the Course

The first extension of the Norwottuck Trail was another mile into Belchertown in the mid 1990s; O’Brien added that a second extension is now planned to bring the trail into downtown Northampton, a move that would not only create a connection between the busy towns of Amherst and Northampton, but is also expected to alleviate parking issues at the start of the trail and spur further business development along the trail.

He also expects the Norwottuck Trail to mirror the success of older trails, attracting businesses to plots along the route and creating a steady stream of both local and long distance tourism in the spring and summer months.

“There were a couple of businesses that were built right away along the route, and they’re doing quite well,” he said. “I expect that trend will continue … a study of the Cape Cod Rail Trail returned some interesting findings in terms of business development around rail trails, and that is a good indicator of where some of the newer trails could be headed.”

In fact, a survey completed among 38 businesses along the Cape Cod Rail Trail by the DCR revealed some noteworthy statistics, which O’Brien said will be measured along other rail trails across the state and also used as proof of the success of such facilities as economic drivers. Some of the DCR’s findings included:

  • 24% of business owners reporting that the trail played a part in opening and/or acquiring their business;
  • 82% reporting that the trail does not hinder their business operations;
  • 60% reporting expansions to their businesses, due in part to rail trail traffic;
  • 75% reporting that the rail trail’s proximity to their business could make selling the business easier in the future, and
  • 53% reporting that revenues from trail users constituted more than 10% of their overall annual revenues.

O’Brien added that rail trails also attract small businesses, or those that cater to tourism or outdoor recreation, a key focal point for area planners and developers as they work to spur new economic growth in the region.

Restaurants, convenience stores, and outdoor activity-based businesses – there are nine bike shops along the Cape Cod Rail Trail alone – are some of the more likely candidates for rail trail placement.

In Hadley, Pete’s Drive-in is probably the most apt example of a business that owes some of its profitability to rail trail visitors, as well as some of its local notoriety.

Patrick Serio, owner of Pete’s Drive-in (he named the restaurant after his youngest son) opened in 1991, unaware that the bike path project was in the works.

Formerly Twintetti’s, opened by Herrell’s Ice Cream founder Steve Herrell and later operated by two local teachers, the drive-in has been energized by Serio, who made the switch to restaurateur after a long career in the grocery business – his family founded Serio’s Market in Northampton.

He said he planned to depend on street traffic on Route 9, where the restaurant is located, and was surprised to benefit from trail business instantly, once it opened to the public.

“We didn’t even have a connector from the path to the restaurant,” he said. “Bicyclists were crossing a drainage ditch to get to us.”

Serio said he soon asked the state for permission to create a small path connecting the trail to the restaurant, and a partnership of sorts was born – permission was granted, and business at Pete’s Drive-in, at the time just a small burger stand, began to boom.

“I think the state wanted to do what they had to, to see the path succeed, and the connector was an instant hit for me,” he explained. “It also did a lot in terms of exposure for the trail.”

Serio said early on, he began offering bike and in-line skating demos in tandem with area bike shops at the trail accessible entrance to his restaurant, bringing more traffic to his business and to the shops he partnered with. And today, Pete’s is seen as the ‘mecca’ of the bike path – a tourist destination for cyclists as well as a pit stop for a burger or a hot dog.

Across New England, Pete’s has begun to glean some positive press, having been featured on NECN’s Phantom Gourmet for an entire summer, and soon seeing the benefits of the show’s glowing review of two of Pete’s signature dishes – the Big Bopper Deluxe burger and Dragon Fries – topped with chili and cheese.

“The spring is the busiest season, and in the summer there’s some competition with the beaches or places like Six flags, but then it cycles back in the fall,” he said. “When the bike path opened, my business improved by 50%. I’d say now, 25% to 30% of my business is still bike path business.”

And that boost played a large part in a recent expansion and remodel of Pete’s, Serio explained. Open year-round, he wanted to increase indoor seating and the restaurant’s visibility from Route 9, so in 2001 he completed a major overhaul that turned the burger stand into a full-scale, ’50s-inspired eatery. He maintained outdoor seating for bicyclists, and allows in-line skaters to zoom into the restaurant to place orders – small examples of the homage he continues to pay to the rail trail that gave his restaurant an undeniable push toward greater success.

“It’s important for us to be user-friendly from both the street and the bike path,” he said.

The Gold Standard

O’Brien agreed that Pete’s is the best example of the Norwottuck Rail Trail providing an economic boost in the Hadley and Amherst area.

“Pete’s is doing very well, and it’s the best example of a successful business model on a rail trail,” he said, adding that with continued improvements to the trail – the recycled glass component has posed a few problems, but they are being worked out – and additional extensions, that success should begin to spread.

And the path is paved with great intentions.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Uncategorized
Growing up, Sidney Cooley’s first passion was music, specifically the piano, which he played in a host of area of clubs during the 1930s. Convinced by his mother that he couldn’t make a good living as a musician, he instead ventured into law, and forged a career that lasted six decades, including more than 20 years behind the bench. As he looks back, he says his profession has been marked by change — not all of it positive.

Sid Cooley remembers attending law school classes in a tuxedo.

That was back in the late ’30s, when Cooley was going to night school at Northeastern University Law School’s Springfield campus — forerunner to what is now Western New College School of Law.

“I was the best-dressed guy in the place,” he laughed, noting that the chosen attire was for one of his jobs at the time — playing the piano and leading his dance band in performances at area clubs, colleges, and social functions, which he often did after his law classes ended.

“I really enjoyed music and I was very good at it … I made money doing something I loved, and I never thought of it as work.” he told BusinessWest, adding that it was his mother who convinced him that he wasn’t quite good enough to make a living from tickling the ivory. Instead, she pushed him, along with his brother, Ed, into a career in law.

And he had a pretty good one, by nearly every account.

In fact, it’s only quite recently that Cooley, who last fall turned 92, started actually using the past tense when referring to that career, which covered six decades, first as a partner with his brother in the firm Cooley & Cooley — actually, it had many names over the years — and, later, more than 20 years behind various District Court benches.

Still known as ‘Judge’ to friends, colleagues, and all those at Cooley Shair, the Springfield-based firm he still reports to every day, Cooley recently talked with BusinessWest on the occasion of his firm’s — and his career’s — 60th anniversary.
He said that while he’s proud of what he’s accomplished with his firm and behind the bench, he’s perhaps most proud of the fact that the administration building at the Willie Ross School for the Deaf, which he has served as a director for more than 25 years, now has his name over door.

He’s also proud of his work with several other area organizations, from the United Way to the Boy Scouts to the Hampden County Assoc, for the Retarded, and of the four honorary degrees he’s received from area colleges.

He’s less proud, however, of some of the many changes that have come to his profession over the past 60 years. In fact, he said that word may no longer be suitable.

“More and more, it seems like a competitive business rather than a profession,” he said, referring to a combination of issues ranging from advertising to the sheer volume of lawyers in the Yellow Pages.

“We’re churning out lawyers in huge numbers these days,” he explained. “We don’t need that many.”

Meanwhile, he said the mandatory sentences for many crimes today removes large amounts of flexibility and imagination from work on the bench, and society suffers as a result.

“Now, the emphasis is all on punishment,” he explained, noting that his liberal approach to sentencing would not be tolerated today. “There is no distinguishing between a guy you can salvage and a guy who’s got to go down the drain. Everyone is treated the same, and that’s not the way we should be doing things.”

BusinessWest looks this issue at Cooley’s long career in the law and at his reflections on the profession and its evolution.

Keys to Success

Cooley was supposed to go home with the other members of the 63rd Infantry Division, which had worked its way across France and to the German city of Beyreuth by the spring of 1945 and the end of hostilities.

But the Army had other ideas.

After getting a closer inspection of his background, especially his law degree, officials decided that Cooley would stay on in the capacity of deputy military governor in the city of 200,000, which had been a hotbed of Nazi activity.

In that capacity, it was his job to assist with the process of “de-Nazifying” the area, as it was called — in other words, removing Nazis from positions of power and replacing them with those considered politically clean. He also worked to help rehabilitate hundreds of individuals liberated from concentration camps to the east of the Bavarian city.

“At first, I really didn’t like it all — I wanted to go home and get married (which he did late in 1946),” he recalled. “But in time, I came to enjoy it; it was really very rewarding. If I live to a million I won’t help as many people as I did when I was there.”
Cooley said his experiences in Beyreuth helped instill a desire to give back to the community, especially to those less fortunate. And he has done so since he joined his brother, who had already been practicing law for several years, in a one-room office over the old 5 Cent Savings Bank on Main and Court streets in downtown Springfield.

Ed Cooley had a number of medical problems that kept him from enlisting in the service, said his younger brother, noting that during the war, he started his own private practice and began establishing a reputation as one of the region’s leading labor lawyers.

The brothers Cooley operated a general practice — most law firms were in those days — and added other names to theirs over the years, including that of current managing partner David Shrair, who first served the Cooleys as an intern in 1958, joined as an associate in 1960, and became a partner in 1970.

Another of the firm’s many partners over the years was an attorney from Longmeadow, Foster Furcolo. A Congressman in the early 50s, and unsuccessful candidate for Senate in 1954, he would eventually be elected governor in 1956. And during his last year in the Statehouse, he appointed Sid Cooley to the position of special justice of the District Court of Franklin County, a post he served for 13 years.

As a special justice, Cooley would travel the region, filling in at whichever area district court needed him, earning the then-standard per-diem wage of $15 per day.
The compensation levels are not the only things that have changed since then, he recalled, noting first that judges could maintain their private practices while serving on the bench — a policy changed in the mid ’70s — and that District Court had a much broader range of responsibilitoies.

“It was known as the poor people’s court,” he recalled, adding that virtually all matters that didn’t require a jury, including housing and most family matters were handled by the court. “

In 1973, Cooley was chosen by Republican Gov. Frank Sergeant to be the presiding justice of the District Court of Western Hampden in Westfield, a move that surprised him in many ways.

“He was a Republican and I had been a Democrat my whole life … my brother was the founder of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Club in Western Mass.; that’s not how you ingratiate yourself to a Republican governor,” he recalled. Somehow, he was eventually chosen over several other candidates, including current State Supreme Judicial Court Justice John Greaney, who would soon be awarded a Housing Court seat instead.

“That was the best 10 years of my life,” Cooley said of his time in Westfield. “It was a great court — there was no finer court in the Commonwealth — and it had great people; we accomplished a lot together as a team.”

Striking a Chord

Cooley recalls that the Westfield court was a marvelous institution, known far more for its personnel and progressive programs than its facilities.

In fact, for most of his tenure on that bench, the court was located in City Hall, above the city’s senior center.

“You’d be sitting there listening to important testimony from a key witness,” he recalled, “and then, there would be a momentary lull, and you’d hear this loud voice from below: ‘under the B …’ and then a little later, “under the I …’ It was a little unnerving, but we kept our sense of humor.”

While suffering through Bingo and other senior center activities, Cooley was forging a reputation for fairness and innovative policies, while also cementing solid relationships between the court and the city’s business and religious communities, education system, and even the Air National Guard unit based at Barnes Municipal Airport.

It was Guard personnel who, among things, participated in what became known as Cooley’s war on graffiti. It was a battle waged through science — specifically chemists at Stanley Home Products (later Stanhome) which had its headquarters in the city — and waged by volunteers working side by side with those caught putting the graffiti on the walls.

Another initiative was the “Scared Straight” program, which gave young people a tour of the Hampden County jail (then on York Street in Springfield) with the hope that it would deter them from the criminal behavior that would make them a resident there. The program had been in operation for several years, but Cooley made extensive use of it, with a number of constituencies, before it was scaled back by funding and manpower challenges.

Scared Straight was one of many initiatives that Cooley, working in collaboration with Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe, created or expanded to help keep people out of jail, reduce recidivism, and rehabilitate individuals when they got out of prison. The motivation was simple, he said, noting the many costs associated with incarceration.

“When a person goes to jail, something happens to them up here,” he said, touching his temple. “They become anti-social, their home life breaks up and ends up in divorce, the kids go on welfare — the whole system falls apart,” he explained. “We tried to help create these programs that worked not only to keep a family together while a person was jail, but on what we would do with those individuals when they got out of jail.”

This philosophy extended to sentencing, said Cooley, noting he practiced what he called “constructive disposition.”

“Not always, but when you could, you’d try to come up with something whereby the family was salvaged, perhaps the children were salvaged, and the system didn’t break down,” he said. “You had some people — and there were many of them — where you could see that they had learned their lesson and they would never, ever be found in a compromising position again.”

Today, judges are far less able to practice construction disposition, he continued, noting that mandatory sentencing for several categories of crime has removed the critical element of subjectivity from the larger equation.

“If I were a judge today and I tried to do some of the things I did years ago — things that were not frowned upon — I’d be hung up my thumbs,” he told BusinessWest. “The people who are getting 10 years today as a mandatory sentence … some of them can be salvaged. When we put them away like that there is a great cost to society; I don’t like how things are done now.”

Nor does he like the proliferation of advertising in the legal community today — “years ago, you had a sign on your door and that was it,” — which he views as part of the evolution of law from a profession into a competitive business, a process accelerated by the large volume of lawyers entering the field.

The result is a perception about lawyers and the legal community that is much different from when Cooley joined his brother and created Cooley & Cooley 60 years ago.

“I was so proud to become a lawyer back then,” he said. “I’m not sure too many people feel that same way today.”

End Note

Upon retiring from the bench, Cooley went back to Cooley-Shrair. He worked as an arbitrator for several years, and continued his work with area non-profit agencies, including those who offer services to the mentally challenged, the autistic, the elderly, and other groups.

Today, he continues to counsel attorneys at the firm and impart wisdom when and wherever it’s required.

“I’m grateful to still have the opportunity to come to the office every day and talk with the lawyers and be a part of it,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s great to still be associated with the profession; I think I’d be dead if I couldn’t do that anymore.”
After his retirement from the bench in 1982, Cooley rejuvenated his music career — sort of.

He spent considerable time playing the piano as a volunteer serving the incapacitated and elderly shut-ins. In so doing, he blended two of his passions; music and community service.

Those have been just of the few of the many achievements of note from a lengthy career that has touched thousands of people — from Beyreuth Germany to Greenfield, to the Willie Ross School for the Deaf.

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

Features
Alan Seewald recalls what one former town moderator is reported to have said about that remarkable institution known as Amherst town meeting.

“He said that if someone ran into the hallway screaming ‘fire!’ you’d have five people asking for a definition of ‘fire,’ and another five people trying to form a committee to make sure that we included every definition of ‘fire.’

“That’s Amherst — that’s what we love about it and that’s what some hate about it,” continued Seewald, who, as the community’s town counsel for the past seven years and assistant town counsel for the decade before, has had to represent the town in a highly charged, often litigious environment made even more challenging by the presence of UMass and its 20,000 students.

And he’s very thankful for the opportunity.

“It has taken me places that the normal, small town practitioner would never get to see,” he said of municipal law in general, and his Amherst assignment in particular. “I’ve been to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, the SJC (Supreme Judicial Court), every trial court except the Juvenile Court, and I’ve been to state agencies that most people never get to.

“I’ve had a varied and multi-dimensional practice,” he continued, “because municipal law is one of those areas where you touch on nearly every aspect of the law — contracts, tort civil rights cases, municipal finance, land use, personnel, all of it. It’s given me an opportunity to have a practice that’s never boring.”

Indeed, there is both a quality and quantity to the legal workload for the town of Amherst, said Seewald, a partner in the firm Seewald, Janikowski & Spencer, PC, and the latest subject in BusinessWest’s ongoing Attorney Profile Series. He noted that, in recent years, those with strong opinions — and there is no shortage of them in this intellectual and very liberal community — have seemingly acquired greater determination to translate their words into legal action.

“What you’re seeing is an entrenchment that you didn’t see years ago,” he said, speaking from two decades of experience. “When I first started here in the ’80s, I think people were more apt to state their position, press their position, and, if their position didn’t win the day, move on to the next issue; today, I think people are finding it harder to move on — and positions fester.”

That was certainly true in the famous, or infamous, case of the town’s new downtown parking garage, an initiative that survived five separate lawsuits to block it and took several years to bring from town meeting vote to reality.

To successfully represent the town and its employees in this climate, Seewald, who is also town counsel for the Worcester County community of Westminster, says he must separate policy, or politics, from the law.

“Debate in Amherst is spirited, it really is,” he explained. “My formula for success in representing the town has been to always call it as I see it and not get involved in the political process,” he explained. “I have to treat everyone in town with respect and dignity and not get drawn into the political fray.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Seewald talked about the challenging yet rewarding work in municipal law, and also about handling legal duties in what some call the ‘People’s Republic of Amherst.’

Liberal Interpretation

This is a town that has been Seewald’s home for nearly 30 years now. He attended UMass in the late ‘70s — earning a degree in Theater Arts — and “never left,” as he put it.

After graduation, he worked several different jobs before enrolling in Western New College School of Law. As a first-year law student, Seewald did some work in the UMass Legal Services Offices, where he spent considerable time advising students in civil rights cases against the Amherst Police Dept. It was while handling such work that he met Bob Ritchie, an attorney in Amherst who was then town counsel and the individual representing the police officers in such matters.

Upon graduation from WNEC, Seewald would eventually joined Ritchie as an associate in a firm then known as Ritchie & Ennis, and became a partner two years later. He also became assistant town counsel in January, 1987, beginning what has become a two-decade-long stint of service to the community.

His firm, meanwhile, now boasts three partners — Seewald, Bob Spencer, and Debra Jankowski — and an associate, Kristine Bodine. It is a general practice with several specialties, including real estate, generally handled by Spencer, trusts and estates, handled by Jankowski, and civil litigation and municipal law, which is Seewald’s realm.

In addition to his work for Amherst and Westminster, an appointment he assumed in 2003, Seewald has also acted as special counsel, representing a host of communities on issues from ranging from sewer moratoriums to landfill expansions. He also represents individuals in cases against communities other than Amherst and Westminster. Often the clients are developers trying to advance commercial and residential projects through the bureaucratic process. Meanwhile, he also represents neighborhood groups and other constituencies that might oppose such initiatives.

His portfolio of work on both sides of the fence has enabled him to establish reputation — and a growing practice — in a field, municipal law, he says has undergone some dramatic change over the past few decades, making it more complex and thus more specialized.

“State laws apply to big towns and little towns alike, and it’s become quite complicated,” he said, citing measures on everything from procurement to conflict of interest. “It takes someone who has a particular concentration in this area of the law to really do it right.”

He said work as a town counsel involves not only representing a community when claims are filed against it, but also “preventative maintenance,” as called it, to keep a town and its employees out of harm’s way.

This means frequently telling appointed and elected officials things they don’t necessarily want to hear — such as Seewald’s recent advisement to conduct recent interviews for the town manager’s position in open, rather than executive, session.

“People love policy and process here,” he said. “I stay out of policy and try to tell boards and try to tell politicians what the range of their discretion is — what they’re allowed to do and what they’re not allowed to do.”

Case in Point

As he described his work as town counsel in Amherst, Seewald started with the obvious: “There’s never a dull moment here.”

Elaborating, he said the town poses several somewhat unique challenges for its legal representation. For starters, there are the colleges — Amherst and Hampshire — and the university, which is a small community unto itself.

“Obviously, having a young, mobile population can sometimes be inconsistent with the stable family neighborhoods that we like,” he said. “But I think the town and the university have come together in recent years better than they have in the past.”

As an example, he cited the apparent end of one infamous Amherst tradition, the so-called Hobart Hoedown, a spring party in North Amherst that had turned ugly earlier this decade; the 2003 event ended with a riot in which 15 police officers were hurt. Ten individuals, many of them UMass students, were later indicted on a number of charges.

“That’s one example of the town and university coming together and working on issues and common problems,” said Seewald, noting that there has not been a hodown the past two years. “We owe a lot to the colleges; they do present us with a lot of challenges, but they also contribute greatly to the tremendous quality of life we have here.”

Preservation of that quality of life is at the heart of what some see as an anti-business, anti-development mindset in Amherst — Seewald believes perception is not exactly reality on that issue — and cases like the town’s long-delayed parking garage.

“We had people who, for some very legitimate reasons, thought this was not appropriate policy,” he said of the project, the six town meeting warrant articles to revise or rescind the initial approval, and the various unsuccessful lawsuits filed to stop it, involving everything from the acquisition of easements to the town exceeding set appropriations.

Opposition to the garage is an example of the “entrenchment” he described earlier, and also a model for how he approaches his work as town counsel.

“My approach to that was the same as my approach to everything else in town,” he said. “As far as I was concerned, the legislature had spoken and my mission was to effectuate the vote of the legislative body in town — town meeting — which said, ‘build a garage.’

“I think I’ve survived in this town because no one knew whether I personally supported the garage or not,” he continued. “And if were to ask me, I wouldn’t tell you, because it was none of my business; the legislature spoke and my advice to the town was to build the garage.”

Fast Facts:

Attorney: Alan Seewald
Firm: Seewald, Jankowski & Spencer, P.C. (East Pleasant St., Amerst). Also, town counsel for the communities of Amherst and Westminster.
Education: Juris Doctor: Western New England College, 1985; Bachelor of Arts: UMass Amherst, 1980
Phone: (413) 549-0041; E-mail:[email protected]

Final Arguments

In other words, it was another case of calling it as he sees it.

That’s how Seewald has crafted a solid reputation in the field of municipal law, and how he’s managed to represent the town of Amherst for nearly 20 years.

As he said, it’s an assignment that provides more variety — and less boredom — than most lawyers, and most town counsels for that matter, will ever experience.
And there’s no debating that.

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

Opinion
At some point in life, everyone needs to consult with an attorney, but there are many things that should be considered when trying to find the right one.

Knowing how to approach the task of choosing a lawyer is perhaps the first step in the process.

Where to begin?

The best references are from trusted associates. These can include accountants, friends, insurance agents, clergy, bankers, stockbrokers, etc. Consider people with whom you serve on civic boards or church organizations. Is there an attorney on the board whose manner of handling matters demonstrates leadership and intelligence?
If you do not have access to people who know an attorney, you can consider contacting your local bar association to request a recommendation. There are also professional organizations and publications that you can consult for recommendations, including Boston Magazine’s “Super Lawyers” issue, BusinessWest magazine, and Martindale-Hubbell, (martindale.com.) This well-established organization rates attorneys and law firms on both legal ability and professional ethics, and it is widely used throughout the legal and business communities. The highest quality lawyers will be rated AV.

Making Your Initial Contact:

Once you have identified potential attorneys with whom you would like to speak, it is recommended that you contact them by phone and explain the type of problem you have, to see if they are interested in handling that type of matter. You should ask if they offer a free initial consultation, or whether you will be charged for the first meeting.

Ask their experience level within your particular area of the law. Several of the basic legal areas include family, business, estate planning, personal injury, employment, litigation, real estate, immigration, tax, and banking. Even general practitioners tend to specialize in a few of them. Ask how many similar cases they have handled, the number of years that they have been in practice, and the size of their firm and support system.

Next, check the background of the attorney and his or her law firm. A good way to do that is to review the firm’s Web site. See what awards the attorney has won, undergraduate and law schools attended, and whether he or she has published articles that correspond with your practice area. All of these are indicators that will help you to further gauge the attorney’s level of expertise within your required field. You may also want to check with the state licensing authority to see if there have been any ethics violations brought against the attorney. In Massachusetts, that information can be obtained from the Mass. Board of Bar Overseers, located in Boston.

Discuss Fees and Billing Procedures:

Ask how the attorney sets legal fees. There are a few fee options, including hourly, flat, and contingency. An attorney provides knowledge in return for a fee, which normally includes charging you for phone call consultations as well as office visits, so you should clarify how fees are calculated.

  • Hourly fees are most often used by an attorney in non-personal-injury cases, whereby the attorney will charge an agreed-upon fee for the amount of time spent on your behalf;
  • Flat fees are most common in certain types of consumer cases, including real estate closings, simple wills, simple bankruptcies, and other matters that can usually be estimated to take a certain amount of time. This should be discussed and agreed upon before the work is done;
  • In personal injury cases, and sometimes in other instances, an attorney will agree to handle a matter on a percentage basis, called a contingent fee. In those cases the attorney is paid a percentage of the money that is recovered on your behalf;
  • In some cases, an attorney will consider a combination of the above fee distinctions; for instance, a reduced hourly fee may be agreed upon in combination with a contingency fee.

In regard to attorney bills, you should ask how they are determined and how often they will be sent. Will you be required to pay a retainer? If so, will you be billed monthly, quarterly, annually; and what does the fee you are paying include? In addition to legal fees, will you be responsible for filing fees and additional expenses if a lawsuit is filed?

Come Prepared for the Meeting

To best prepare yourself for that initial meeting with your attorney, you should be organized. This will ensure that you present all of your important facts to the attorney, and this will better allow him or her to address your issues. It is a good idea to provide a written narrative of the facts as you understand them, and bring copies of all of your documents so that the attorney can retain a set for further review and discussion.

It is important that you disclose all of the facts to the attorney, both good and bad, and that you do not hide any information. Full disclosure is the only way that an attorney can give you honest advice and a fair assessment of the viability of your case. Generally, all of the facts eventually come to light, and it is both embarrassing and disheartening to realize that had you disclosed all of the facts at an earlier stage, your attorney may have been able to dramatically improve your case.

Finally, remember that the attorney wants to succeed on your behalf and needs to know that you are as committed to your case as he or she will be. You should have a clear expectation of your prospects for successfully obtaining your goals after the attorney has presented his or her analysis of the potential outcome. If you do not get a positive feeling from your discussion with the attorney, or you sense a lack of enthusiasm for your case, you are probably better off to consult with another attorney to see if you can make a better connection.

Most attorneys are educated, compassionate, and caring people, who genuinely want to do well for their clients. Working together as a team with your lawyer will substantially improve your chances for success, whether purchasing your first house, obtaining immigration status for your aunt, forming your new business, or obtaining damages from the contractor who failed to properly finish your kitchen.
Hopefully, you will have a successful outcome and will have made a new friend for life.

Michael B. Katz, Esq. is a senior partner with the law firm of Bacon & Wilson, P.C. A frequent author and lecturer on business and health care matters, he specializes in business, insolvency and health care legal matters in the firm’s Springfield, Westfield and Northampton offices; (413) 781-0560;[email protected].

Uncategorized
The law firm Robinson Donovan, which has offices in Springfield and Northampton, has added three new associates over the past several months, bolstering its litigation, estate planning, and employment law departments in the process.

Civil litigation will be the primary focus for Dianne Brooks, a graduate of Harvard Law School who was an associate professor in the Department of Legal Studies at UMass Amherst for 15 years before starting her own practice in Northampton in 2004.

She joined Robinson Donovan in early January, seizing an opportunity to take her career in a different direction. “As much as I enjoyed having my own practice, I wanted to take my work to a higher level and take on more sophisticated litigation,” she told BusinessWest.

Her practice areas will incorporate civil litigation including business, employment, products liability, and intellectual property.

David Lawless will also be focusing on many of those specialties.

A 1998 graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs and 2005 graduate of the law school at UConn, he joined Robinson Donovan last fall. He told BusinessWest that he likes the Northeast, especially the Pioneer Valley, and joined Robinson Donovan for that reason and also the quality mentoring for which the firm is noted.

Lawless has worked in the New York County District Attorney’s Office and an investigative analyst in the Money Laundering and Tax Crimes unit. He will use that experience at Robinson Donovan in practice areas that include business litigation, employment law and litigation, and products liability.

Mentoring was also a motivating factor in Rebucca Mutch’s decision to join the firm last November.

“The level of mentoring here was a major selling point for me,” she told BusinessWest. “It drew me out of Boston and drew me out of litigation.”

A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and a 2004 graduate of Suffolk University Law School, Mutch practiced business litigation for a mid-sized firm in Boston before leaving to join Robinson Donovan. There, she will concentrate her practice in the areas of estate planning, probate litigation, and business law.

Departments

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

Blair, Cristie A.
89 Leo Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/09/06

Emond, John D.
229 Straits Road
North Hatfield, MA 01066
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/11/06

Hatcher, Robert Major
PO Box 7000
Hampshire County Jail
Northampton, MA 01061
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/13/06

Macurkiewicz, Shawn E.
16 Park Ridge Dr.
Huntington, MA 01050
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/12/06

Moody, Nelson MC
840 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/12/06

 

Morris, Lisa M.
26 Harvey Johnson Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/12/06

Morris, Patricia A.
47 Cuff Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/09/06

Murphy, Christopher A.
103 Audubon St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/04/06c

Thiphavong, Kalinthone
8 Old Stafford Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/11/06

Zych, Richard S.
494 Lyons St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/09/06

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of January 2006.

AMHEREST

Amherst Shopping Center
Assoc. LLC
181 University Dr.
$65,000 — Create Quiznos sub
shop

Friends of Hospice House
Inc.
1165 North Pleasant St.
$155,000 — Addition for
mechanical room,
add heating and air
conditioning to entire building

EAST LONGMEADOW

E.L. Center Village
85 Center Square
$950,000 — New buildings

HOLYOKE

City of Holyoke Engine
Houses
490 South St.
$85,400 — Interior and exterior
renovations

D’Action Enterprises LLP
232 Lyman St.
$173,000 — Total remodel to
existing restaurant

LONGMEADOW

Jim Furlong
819 William St.
$11,450 — Renovate stores into
offices

NORTHAMPTON

Annex Development LLC
21 State St.
$1,360,950 — Construct 2-story
building attached to existing
building, interior and exterior
modifications

City of Northampton
20 West St.
$22,600 — Replace handicap
lift, alterations

Cooley Dickinson Hospital
Inc.
30 Locust St.
$6,194 — Convert
administration offices to
therapy area

Curran Associates
72 Masonic St.
$16,000 — Expand staircase
width, open walls to connect
rooms

Julia M. Freedgood
15 Merrick Lane
$13,850 — Renovations

Reza and Jennifer Shafii
155 Industrial Dr.
$440,000 — Construct single
story addition with mezzanine

Valley Community
Development
16 North Maple St.
$20,000 — Renovations

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Health
280 Chestnut St.
$1,095,000 — Interior
renovations

JNF Inc.
1011 East Columbus Ave.
$18,500 — Addition to bar and
restaurant

Mass Mutual
1500 Main St.
$70,224 — Alter Suite 1906

Mr. D’s Sports Bar
578 Main St.
$5,745 — Install fire alarm
system

PeoplesBank
1900 Wilbraham Road
$650,000 — Erect bank

S.R.A.
11 Wilbraham Road
$36,000 — Alter reception area

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Bob’s Discount Furniture
135 Memorial Ave.
$120,000 — Electrical work

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.

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Book Distributors Inc. d/b/a Koen Book Distributors Inc. v.
Bookline Booksellers Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $8,450.94
Date Filed: Jan. 3

Advogue Carpet Gallery Inc.
d/b/a National Carpet Center v. Kenneth Lynds d/b/a A-2-Z Home Improvements
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $4,691.29
Date Filed: Jan. 6

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

United Rentals (North America) Inc.
v. Adams Enterprises
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $4,999.15
Date Filed: Jan. 3

United Rentals (North America) Inc. v. J.C. Stevens Co. Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $14,691.00
Date Filed: Jan. 3

United Rentals (North America) Inc. v.
Daniel J. Dunn d/b/a Bay View Development
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $10,056.92
Date Filed: Jan. 3

United Rentals (North America) Inc. v.
Beacon Site Development Corp. and Philip J. Montalto
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $19,733.52
Date Filed: Jan. 3

Conversent Communications of MA Inc. v.
F.L Roberts & Co. Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for services: $17,018.87
Date Filed: Jan. 9

Construction Service, a division of Dauphna’s & Sons Inc. v.
Ames Design Inc. a/k/a Ames Design, Leslie Clement a/k/a Leslie A. Clement a/k/a Leslie McCarthy
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $3,201.00
Date Filed: Jan. 11

Features
For years, Springfield, the birthplace of basketball, was also home to the finals of the NCAA Men’s Division II Basketball Championship. After a 12-year hiatus, the city has been awarded the Elite Eight for the next two years. Event organizers intend to use that time to make a solid case for establishing Springfield as a permanent home.

Of late, when the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc. (NCAA) awards the Division II Men’s Basketball Championship to a city, it’s a one-year proposition.

That’s the way it’s been since the start of the decade, with stops in such places as Lakeland, Fla., Evansville, Ind., Bakersfield, Calif., and, last year, Grand Forks … North Dakota.

But when a group of Springfield businesspeople and basketball enthusiasts made a bid to bring the tournament back to Springfield for what would the 50th anniversary of the Division II championship in 2006, they asked the NCAA for two years — and they got them.

But that wasn’t the real goal.

Indeed, their mission was and is to make The City of Homes a permanent home for what has come to be known as the Elite Eight. This is a nearly week-long series of games that climaxes a 64-team tournament staged over two weeks each March, with the championship game broadcast live on CBS.

The request for two years, says Don Senecal, vice president of Finance and Operations for the Basketball Hall of Fame, was a bid to give Springfield a chance to show what it can do.

“This will be our opportunity to show that Springfield, Basketball City, is the place where the Elite Eight should be,” he told BusinessWest, “and we’re going to do our best to convince them.”

Already, organizers have commitments from 22 area businesses, amounting to more than $100,000 that will be used to stage the event and purchase tickets, some of which will go to area young people as part of broad basketball-oriented educational program called MVP’s of Character. Senecal said the immediate goal is to build on that base of support and thus show the NCAA that Springfield’s desire to host the event is a region-wide phenomenon.

Springfield was home for the tournament’s final games throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, Senecal explained, and drew decent crowds. But with a desire to spread the wealth, and perhaps give the tournament a boost, the NCAA took the show on the road — specifically to Louisville, Ky. There it stayed for six years before moving on to Bakersfield, Evansville, and other locales.

But Bob Burke and others in Springfield believe the Elite Eight belongs here.

Burke, athletic director at American International College, a Division II school that has acted as official host for the tournament in the past, and will do so again in ’06 and ’07, called Springfield the “natural home” for the championship.

“This is the birthplace of the sport,” he explained. “And we have everything the NCAA needs — a great facility, a number of hotels, and some great educational opportunities for the athletes playing in the tournament.”

Burke said this is a different Springfield than the one that last hosted the event in 1994, one with a refurbished arena that is part of a new, $55 million convention center, and a new Basketball Hall of Fame, one with a number of facilities and exhibits that didn’t exist in the old Hall.

“We have a lot to offer here,” he explained. “This will be a great opportunity for Springfield, the NCAA, and the athletes themselves.”

Sal D’Amato agreed.

Chairman of this year’s tournament and executive vice president of the TD Banknorth Insurance Group, he said the Elite Eight is about much more than basketball.

He told BusinessWest that there are economic benefits for Springfield and the region — for starters, the event is expected to consume 1,000 hotel nights — but there are other dividends, as well. The event will provide a chance to showcase the city and its gleaming new MassMutual Center, for example, and in the process show the NCAA and other groups it is a fitting site for conventions, meetings, and other sporting events.

Meanwhile, the games and the accompanying festivities could provide a needed psychological boost for the city at a time of extreme fiscal duress and headlines about possible bankruptcy or receivership.

“Springfield has had some difficult times, to be sure, but it’s starting to climb back,” D’Amato said. “The Elite Eight can be a big part of that comeback.”

BusinessWest looks this issue at how Springfield intends to make the most of its two-year window, and soon make the city and the name Elite Eight synonymous.

Bouncing Back

The colleges are not exactly household names.

Kennesaw State. Fort Hays State. Virginia Union. North Carolina Central. Kentucky Wesleyan. Metro State. These are some of the recent Men’s Division II champions, and most people would be hard pressed to find some of them on a map.

But while the schools may be small and somewhat obscure, the basketball they play is still top caliber, said Mark Morris, vice chairman of this year’s event and director of public relations for Health New England.

Tracing the history of the event, Morris said it all started in 1957 in Evansville (with Evansville College as the host school) and remained there for 20 tournaments, five of which were won by the hosts.

When Evansville became a Division I school, the tournament had to move, and Springfield earned its first opportunity to host the event in 1977. The event moved to another Springfield, the one in Missouri, for the next two years, before it returned to the Pioneer Valley for a 15-year run.

It was during that time, that area residents became familiar with such schools as Central Missouri State, Florida Southern, St. Augustine’s, Alaska-Anchorage, and Mount St, Mary’s. Attendance for the final games was fairly steady through those years — championship game turnout ran from a high of

6,894 in 1987 to a low of 3,555 in 1980 — and often reflected the proximity of the teams to the region and the number of fans they brought with them, Morris explained.

But by 1994, the NCAA wanted to take the event to other sites, said Morris, noting that this is the policy with Division I basketball finals, the hugely popular Final Four, and other tournaments. Louisville played host for six years, drawing attendance numbers similar to Springfield’s. But turnout has declined in the past few years, with only 2,378 coming out for the championship game in 2002 in Evansville, 1,600 for the 2004 game in Bakersfield, and about 1,500 for last year’s tilt in North Dakota.

“Grand Forks had a great facility, a wonderful place to watch a basketball game,” said Morris. “But they didn’t get the turnout; there were some logistical challenges — only one airline actually flies into the city.”

But even before the tip-off in Grand Forks, Springfield was making its case to bring the tournament back to Springfield, said Senecal, noting that as it did so, it had commitments from 22 area businesses and organizations that helped sell the NCAA on the city and the region.

Net Results

As he talked about Springfield’s two-year window of opportunity to impress the NCAA and make the Elite Eight a fixture in the city, D’Amato said organizers have to do more than fill seats — although that is an important consideration.

Indeed, there must be a broad base of support that includes business and civic leaders and area residents. Building that base is a process that started more than a year ago, he told BusinessWest, adding that it started with a commitment on the part of officials at the Hall of Fame and others to bring the championship back to Springfield.

To make that happen, the city needed to make a bid to the NCAA, and to do that it needed a solid case.

There are many elements to that case, said Senecal, including accessibilty — getting teams and fans to the game — and also facilities and accommodations. Beyond those essentials, however, he added, the city needed a solid core of supporters.

Springfield had one in the form of an organizing committee for the championship comprised of those 22 businesses and groups, also known as ‘Community shareholders.’

They include the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, TD Banknorth, the Hall of Fame, Chicopee Savings Bank, Comcast, the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., Freedom Credit Union, the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Burea, Health New England, Houser Auto Group, and Verizon. Also, MassMutual, the Northeast-10 Conference (which includes AIC), Peoplesbank, The Republican, Sheraton Springfield, Six Flags New England, Spalding, the MassMutual Center, Springfield Marriott, the Tip Off Committee, and Western Mass. Electric.

“Having that base of supporters really convinced the NCAA that Springfield could do this, that we could put on a great championship,” said D’Amato, adding quickly that organizers are seeking additional sponsorships from area businesses. “That’s what sold them.”

Now that Springfield has the Elite Eight for this year and next, said Senecal, the assignment is to put on tournaments that will give the NCAA reason to keep the event here. He said the facilities such as the MassMutual Center, the new Hall of Fame, the downtown hotels, and the proximity to Bradley International Airport will all help in that regard.

But another key ingredient in the equation is making the Elite Eight more than a series of seven basketball games, he said, and instead a community event.

This was the motivation behind such initiatives as MVP’s of Character, which is expected to include nearly 1,000 area students. They will hear several speakers, including Bob Amastas, founder and director of Students Against Drunk Driving, and former Olympic gold medalist and motivational speaker Tim Daggett.

“There is an important philanthropic component to this,” said D’Amato. “We’re going to have 1,000 kids at the MassMutual Center to watch some basketball, but also listening and learning.”

Senecal told BusinessWest that there are no hard estimates on the overall economic impact of the championship on the city and region. Beyond the 1,000 hotel nights, however, the event is expected to be a boon for area restaurants, clubs, the Hall of Fame, and other hospitality related businesses.
But there will other benefits, he contin

ued, including the opportunity to showcase the city before a fairly large and diverse audience (the final game will be broadcast nationally) that includes the NCAA, which stages hundreds of championships and events each year.

“This will be a chance for us to show we a great city this is,” said D’Amato. “And if we do a good job hosting this event — and I’m very confident that we will — there may be opportunities for us to host other NCAA events down the road.”

In the meantime, the event should provide a psychological boost, the size of which is still to be determined.

“There will be a sense of pride to come with staging this event and making it successful,” said Senecal. “

Fast Facts

What:The NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship — the Elite Eight.
When: March 22-25
Where: Springfield, Mass., the MassMutual Center
Contact: For tickets, information, or sponsorship details, call (413) 231-5515.

Courting History

The tournament committee has chosen the marketing slogan The National Championship Happens Here for the upcoming Elite Eight.

The plan, however, is to be able to use the branding tool for a long time.
Armed with a solid game plan and a team of business leaders supporting the effort, organizers believe they have a winning proposition.

They’ll have two years to make their case.

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