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The Colonial Reinvents Itself as a Pittsfield Gem

With a clear plan for the future and some help from its friends, the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield staged a rebirth at the start of this decade, and today continues to grow as the Berkshires’ ‘community theater.’ The story is one of success after a long wait, and audiences are both buying tickets and taking cues from the little venue that could — and did.

From the stage of the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, a performer has a clear view of nearly all of its 800 seats.

That was one thing a local performer of some note liked about the venue. Folk hitmaker James Taylor, a Berkshire County resident, factored the intimacy and the acoustics into his decision last year to record his CD/DVD One Man Band at the theater, which is now in its second year of business following an extensive restoration and rehabilitation project.
In the liner notes, Taylor writes, “the Colonial Theatre in my hometown of Pittsfield just managed to escape the wrecking ball. … People have invested time, money, and themselves resurrecting the old girl. And along the way, they have found a new sense of belonging: a sense of place; a place called home.”

But the events surrounding Taylor’s rare appearance (he usually commands audiences in the thousands) are also an illustration of what’s still in store for patrons of The Colonial. A live performance? No problem. An upscale party or event? They’ve got the space and the staff to pull it off. And a screening of a film, be it a silver-screen classic or One Man Band itself? Bring on the popcorn.

What’s more, David Fleming, executive director of the Colonial Theatre, said those offerings aren’t reserved for summer travelers by any means. Rather, he said the landmark is currently enjoying a new heyday not just as a tourist attraction in the Berkshires, but as the local community’s theater of choice.

“The most important thing I can say about the theater today is that when we opened, there were a lot of skeptics out there who weren’t convinced we were here to serve the Berkshires,” said Fleming. “But we’ve been embraced by the community — to the point where we’re recording some of our biggest audiences in January and February.

“That’s been the most satisfying aspect of our work,” he added. “We’re trying to continue to be responsive to people’s needs and wants, and with everything we do, we try to deliver a message of welcome.”

Road to Restoration

The road from renovation to fully operational venue has been a long one, noted Fleming, which nevertheless has been marked by a number of positives.

The Colonial was a movie theater until 1952, when the owner of a paint and wallpaper store acquired the property through an auction, installing a drop ceiling and using just a portion of the space with the hope that one day, the theater could be restored to its former glory.

That day didn’t come until this decade, but Fleming said his vision and that of the Colonial’s staff and supporters was not far off from its former owner’s.

“We restored the theater to exactly its 1903 condition,” Fleming said of the so-called ‘gilded-age’ theater. “Some people remember when the theater was a movie house, and others only remember it as a paint store. But either way you look at it, this building has a past. Now, it has a future, too.”

Restoration was completed in August of 2006, after a two-year period refurbishing the theater building itself and also retrofitting an adjacent building formerly used as a car dealership. Fleming said the total project cost of $21.5 million included acquisition, hard and soft construction, and design, with $1 million of that total coming from a $10 million economic development fund established for Pittsfield in the 1980s by General Electric, after the company left the region and some staggering unemployment numbers in its wake. The Colonial was the first entity to receive such a large lump sum.

However, Fleming added that the project was identified as eligible for funds through the Save America’s Treasures federal program in 1998, and also received federal and state historic tax credits amounting to $7 million. Another $7 million was collected through government and foundation grants, and the final third of funding was raised through private contributions.

That leaves the Colonial in good shape to move forward, with the bulk of the renovation work now completed and paid for.

“The money to restore the building was not enough to take care of the ongoing shopping list,” he said, “and we’re going to be applying for grants for years. But our focus now is on annual support, and we’re currently operating at a rate of 60% earned revenue. Most theaters with 1,000 seats or fewer operate around 30% or 40%, so we’re ahead of the game there.”

Fleming added that the Colonial requires about $600,000 a year to cover general operations and programming needs, and part of that amount is gleaned through membership drives that collect donations from $50 per patron well into the thousands.

One development Fleming said he’s even more excited about, though, is the success of the venue’s sponsorship and advertising programs.

“In the beginning, we were timid about asking people to buy ad space in our programs, on tickets, and to become sponsors,” he said. “We wanted to make sure we were targeting the right people — the businesses that could really benefit from having their name on our materials — and that we were working well with the community and their needs. But now, we can’t keep up with the requests — people are coming to us and asking for space, and that is just a fantastic feeling. They want their names tied to the Colonial because they see us as a success story.”

Some of these advertisers and show sponsors are retail or hospitality businesses that benefit directly from the exposure, said Fleming, noting, however, that a new group of companies, larger outfits that may not have a storefront or a specific service to offer patrons, still want to be involved.

“Some just want to be a part of what we’re doing,” he said, citing Lyon Aviation Inc., the Commonwealth’s largest private charter operator based at the Pittsfield airport, as a prime example. “This is a large, family-owned company that doesn’t stand to gain a lot of customers from having its name in our brochure, but the owners are fans, and wanted to help.”

The New Song and Dance

Performance-wise, the Colonial is in full swing, offering stage shows, concerts, films, and opportunities to rent the space for a variety of events, ranging from wedding receptions to community fund-raisers.

Fleming said the theater’s first two years in operation were largely experimental, staging a wide variety of options to best gauge what kinds of performances would resonate with local audiences and best use the space.

“Now, we’re beginning to narrow things down,” he said. “Singer-songwriters love the space for its acoustics, and theatrical comedy has been a good fit for our audiences.”

Still, the 2008-09 schedule of performances is nothing if not diverse. It includes that singer-songwriter component (Marc Cohn, Arlo Guthrie, Kate Taylor, and Livingston Taylor) and the theatrical comedy aspect (Jewtopia, Steve Solomon’s My Sister’s an Only Child), but also presentations by Tibetan monks; the Machine, a Pink Floyd tribute band; and the National Acrobats of the China Celtic Crossroads. The theater is also equipped to show films and documentaries, and that programming is in the process of expanding.

The Colonial’s schedule is actually broken into 10 key sections: Great Nights Out, the Singer-Songwriter Series, Just for Laughs, International Discovery, Holiday Cheer, Guest Presentations, Family Time, and Berkshire County Collaborators — performances by the Berkshire Opera Company and Pittsfield City Jazz Youth Orchestra are examples of these — round out the live performances. There’s also a film series and a Sunday opera series, at which broadcasts of performances by the internationally acclaimed La Scala Opera are shown.

Jessie Virgilio, director of public relations and education for the Colonial, said these film offerings are a new foray for the theater and as such constitute a learning experience. But they are bringing in new visitors and more walk-in traffic.

“Film is still relatively new for us, so our challenge now is to really sell it,” she said. “Walk-up sales aren’t something we’ve typically depended on; we’ve always been very pre-sale-oriented. Since this is a whole new animal, we’re looking at new and different ways of advertising.”

Some of these initiatives include partnerships with local eateries to offer ‘dinner-and-a-movie’ specials — Virgilio said the theater is finalizing just such a relationship with Pittsfield favorite Patrick’s Pub. This is an example of making inroads in the community to integrate the Colonial into its landscape, both literally and figuratively, but Virgilio said there are many other projects underway aimed at the same goal.

Setting the Stage

“We’re really focused on education,” she said, noting that her title is one sign of that commitment. “Part of my job is to work with schools and families to create opportunities for children to expand their learning experiences.”

The theater has already worked with upwards of 7,000 children as part of this outreach, Virgilio added, welcoming them either to special performances that fit into their classroom’s curriculum or to performing arts classes, where they can learn the ropes themselves.

“Most of these children are from the Berkshires, but we’re pulling from Vermont and New York, too,” Virgilio said. “The education piece is a good fit for us for a few reasons. For one, many grants tend to give funds to educational efforts. Plus, I’ve learned a lot in the past two years about how small school budgets are and what teachers do to work around that. We work closely with the teachers to match their curriculum because they can’t justify taking their class to a show unless it matches a lesson.”

That said, the International Discovery performances the Colonial hosts often blend well with world history, and a recent circus-arts performance taught some of the basics of physics.

“We’re offering students a chance to take what they’re learning and see it played out for them on a stage,” Virgilio said. “It’s an excellent way to reinforce what they’re learning, while at the same time making theater attainable to them at a young age.”

I Always Thought That

I’d See You Again

These programs all go back to that larger goal of creating a “message of welcome,” as Fleming says. This message has become an integral part of the Colonial’s overall mission to create a community theater, seen in all parts of the venue both large and small.

“A theater becomes a people magnet, and a symbol of something people can be proud of. That alone drives property values and leads to more effective recruitment of residents, and the creation of more high-paying positions in the area,” Fleming said. “A whole chain cascades from something like a successful historical restoration of a theater downtown. Performance centers spark creativity and move themselves forward, but anything can spark the enthusiasm and open-mindedness in a community, whether it’s a facility or a person.”

A person like James Taylor, who returned to his coffeehouse roots somewhat through his recorded performance last year, singing many of his hits and taking his time telling the stories behind them.

“I’ve lived and worked in New York and Los Angeles, London and Paris, Sydney and Rio,” he wrote for the subsequent DVD. “But the Berkshires are home at last. And somehow the Colonial Theatre, that plucky survivor, is at the heart of the place.”

Departments

1. Michelle Sade, president of the Young Professionals Society of Greater Springfield.


2. Forty Under 40 Class of 2008 member William Collins, director of operations with Spoleto Restaurant Group, shares a laugh with colleagues.


3. Class of 2008 member Rob Anthony, left, program manager for 94.7 WMAS, shares a moment with class of 2007 winner Ed Zemba, co-owner of Robert Charles Photography.


4. BMW of West Springfield showcased a number of new models at the event.


5. Class of 2008 winner Brendan Ciecko, owner of Ten Minute Media in Granby, jokes around near the Forty Under 40 ice sculpture.


6. Class of 2008 members Paul Yacavone, left, CFO of Brain Powered Concepts in Agawam, and Steve Bandarra, co-owner of Atlas TC in Holyoke


7. Guests take a look at the schedule for the evening’s events.


8. Cidade, a jazz and tango ensemble, provided live music for guests.


9. Merrilee Aurora Hale, left, art education director for Gallery 137 in Indian Orchard, shares a moment with Rick DeBonis, vice president of Marketing and Communications for Hampden Bank, which sponsored the event.


10. BusinessWest editor George O’Brien speaks during the Forty Under 40 VIP hour, held for winners and their guests at Chez Josef.


11. Winners were given complimentary bags, provided by sponsor Comcast, which were filled with additional prizes from the evening’s other sponsors.


12. Guests check in at the welcome desk as the event gets underway.

Departments

United Bank announced the following:
• Michael Whitman has joined the bank as Vice President of Commercial Lending;
• Terry Bennett has joined United as Administrative Officer;
• Deborah Gebo has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Retail Banking;
• Joan Klinakis has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Operations; and
• Miriam Siegel has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Human Resources.

•••••

Berkshire Bank of Pittsfield announced the following:
• Amy E. Fyden has been appointed Branch Manager for the Westfield branch at Little River Road. She is responsible for branch sales and operations, new-business development, and educating customers on products and services offered by Berkshire Bank, and
• Brandon J. Kot has been appointed Branch Manager for the Clifton Park, N.Y. branch. He is also responsible for branch sales and operations, new business development, and educating customers on the bank’s products and services.

•••••

Donald Fletcher, Executive Director of the Association for Community Living in Springfield, has announced his retirement for February 2009. An executive transition plan has been implemented to find a successor that will ensure a smooth transition in leadership next spring.

•••••

Michael D. Ravosa of the Burke Ravosa Group, a Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor, has obtained the Certified Financial Planner designation from the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards Inc.

•••••

Visael “Bobby” Rodriguez has been named Baystate Health’s first Chief Diversity Officer, a position created to help the health system attract, develop, and retain a diverse workforce and ensure that Baystate’s work environment reflects the organization’s values, its commitment to its employees, and the cultures of the communities it serves.

•••••

Andrew R. Beaudry has been recognized by John Hancock Financial Network at a recent gathering of the top-performing sales representatives in Puerto Rico. Beaudry is the Senior Financial Advisor at Private Financial Design and is also President of the South Hadley Chamber of Commerce.

•••••

Janet D. Allen has joined Banknorth Investment Group Inc. as an Investment Representative based in the TD Banknorth Branch in Westfield. She provides retirement and financial reviews for individuals as well as small businesses.

•••••

Dana C. Huff has been named a leader in the civil engineering technical practice group of Tighe & Bond in Westfield. Huff is a professional engineer with nearly 30 years of experience in his field. He is an active member of the Solid Waste Assoc. of North America.

•••••

Tina J. Null, RN, BSN, has been appointed Director of Patient Safety in the Department of Quality Improvement and Innovation at Holyoke Medical Center.

•••••

Hasbro Inc. has appointed Bennett Schneir to Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Motion Pictures. Based in Los Angeles, Schneir will serve as Hasbro’s lead creative executive for feature films, focused on the company’s new six-year strategic partnership with Universal Pictures.

•••••

Lillian George has announced her affiliation with Carlson GMAC Real Estate. She will work out of the Wilbraham office.

•••••

Deborah A. Pace, Director of Employer Relations at Western New England College in Springfield, has been selected to the National Advisory Committee of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity. Pace will serve a two-year term on the National Advisory Committee, helping set the vision for the annual conference.

•••••

Holyoke Community College announced the following:
• Doreen Larson, Vice President for Student Affairs, received the 2008 Professional Development Award given by the Mass. Women in Higher Public Education;
• Maureen Conroy, Director of the Office for Students with Disabilities and Deaf Services, received an award from the Federation for Children with Special Needs that recognizes her efforts and advocacy to make the college accessible to people with disabilities, and
• Isolda Ortega Bustamante, Director of Engaging Latino Communities for Education, was recognized by the Five Colleges Committee for Community-based Learning for her leadership of Holyoke Bound Orientations.

•••••

Barbara Grynkiewicz has joined the John M. Glover Agency of Holyoke.

•••••

Sarah Torres recently joined Unemployment Tax Control Associates of Springfield as a Staff Attorney. She will manage and oversee regional hearing representatives serving the firm’s clients.

•••••

James B. Dunbar has been promoted to Vice President within the government-relations practice of O’Neill and Associates.

•••••

Nick Morganelli and Donna Hawk have joined the American Lung Association of Massachusetts Leadership Board. Morganelli is a business owner, meteorologist, and science teacher, and Hawk is a respiratory therapist at the Weldon Rehab Hospital at Mercy Medical Center.

•••••

Partners in Prosperity, a Chicopee chapter of Business Network International, has named the following new members:
• Marco Dermith is a home inspector, teacher, and radio-show volunteer. He is the owner of Home Inspections by Marco Inc.;
• Paul Stallman is owner and creative director of Alias Solutions;
• Rachel White is a Web-site designer and creator, and
• Alex Lak is a financial advisor at Edward Jones.

•••••

The Mass. Municipal Wholesale Electric Co. announced the following directors and corporate officers for 2008-09:
• Ashburnham Municipal Light Department Manager Stanley W. Herriott, serving his second three-year term as a Director, was elected Chairman of the MMWEC Board of Directors;
• H. Bradford White, Manager of the West Boylston Municipal Light Department, was re-elected to his third one-year term as President of the MMWEC organization;
• James M. Lavelle, Manager of the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department, was re-elected to a three-year term as a Director;
• Robert V. Jolly Jr., General Manager of the Marblehead Municipal Light Department, was re-elected to a three-year term as a Director;
• Jonathan V. Fitch, Manager of the Princeton Municipal Light Department, was re-elected to a three-year term as a Director;
• Thomas R. Josie, General Manager of Shrewsbury’s Electric & Cable Operations, was elected to complete the one year remaining on the unexpired term of an MMWEC director who retired earlier this year;
• Other MMWEC officers for the coming year, as elected by the board, are: Ronald C. DeCurzio, Chief Operating Officer and Secretary-Treasurer; Kelly R. Joyce, Assistant Treasurer; Nancy A. Brown, Assistant Secretary; and Nicholas J. Scobbo Jr., General Counsel;
• The newly elected directors join MMWEC’s other board members, which in addition to Herriott include William F. Waters, General Manager of the Peabody Municipal Light Plant, and Sean Hamilton, General Manager of the Templeton Municipal Light & Water Plant.
• Michael J. Flynn and Paul Robbins serve on the board as Gubernatorial Appointees. Flynn also represents the Town of Wilbraham on the board, with Luis Vitorino and John M. Flynn representing the towns of Ludlow and Hampden, respectively.

•••••

Beth Callery has joined MetLife Financial Group of Mass. as a Financial Services Representative. Callery is licensed to sell life and health insurance, as well as fixed and variable annuities, in Massachusetts.

•••••

Holyoke Medical Center announced the following:
• Priscilla Mandrachia has been named a member of the Board of Directors. Mandrachia is Second Vice President in the Corporate Audit Department of MassMutual Financial Group of Springfield;
• Dr. David Tupponce has been named a member of the Board of Directors. Tupponce is Vice President of the Medical Staff at Holyoke Medical Center, and serves as the Medical Information Officer and Chair of the Medical Quality Assurance Committee, and
• Sean Mitchell has been named Director of Development.

•••••

Convergent Solutions Inc. in Wilbraham announced the following:
• Ronald Duquette Jr. has been appointed IT Delivery Services Manager. He will serve on the medical billing and practice management systems team and will participate in client-related electronic-medical-record installations and maintenance.
• Christina Dever has been named Client Relations Manager. Dever will specialize in the development of charge-capture processes focused on compliant coding and customized design.

•••••

Ellen Desmarais has been named General Manager of the Colony Club in Springfield. The Colony Club is a private dining club located in Tower Square.

•••••

P. Edgardo Tarrats has been named Branch Manager of the Springfield office of the U.S. Small Business Administration. In his role, Tarrats is responsible for the SBA’s financial-assistance and entrepreneurial-development programs in the four counties of Western Mass.

Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Gilbert & Son Insulation v. Creative Design Custom Homes
Allegation: Non-payment of insulation services provided: $4,069.79

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Weslee Sicard v. Favorites Staffing Agency
Allegation: Emotional distress caused by actions of employee: $5,000
Filed: 4/29/08

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

C & S Distributors Inc. v. Carlson Siding Company
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $87,700.84
Filed: 4/17/08

Carol L. and James S. Glanville v. Hu Ke Lau Restaurant
Allegation: Failure to provide alternate transportation to intoxicated patron resulting in motor vehicle injuries: $186,685.46
Filed: 4/18/08

Country Bank for Savings v. Munson Heating
Allegation: Failure to make payments: $49,699.92
Filed: 4/22/08

Peabody Family Investments, LLC v. Turfgrass Environmental Consulting
Allegation: Breach of Contract: $200,000+
Filed: 4/22/08

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Doris Montgomery v. City of Northampton
Allegation: Failure to provide access to health insurance benefits: $10,000
Filed: 5/05/08

Laura Singleton v. Sinclair Broadcast Group & Patrick Berry
Allegation: Employment discrimination and wrongful termination: $633,197+
Filed: 5/13/08
Miller Development Enterprise Inc. v. World War II Veteran’s Association of Hampshire County Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract for services, labor, and materials: $52,034.00
Filed: 5/12/08

Murphy Construction v. Mike’s Landscaping and Excavating
Allegation: Breach of contract for services, fraud, and intentional misrepresentation: $41,775.52
Filed: 5/08/08

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Michael & Diane Ventrice v. Diamond RV Center & Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.
Allegation: Plaintiff was sold a recreational vehicle with defective tires, and seller did not remedy: $15,000
Filed: 4/16/08

Rugg Building Solutions v. TNT General Contractors Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $16,215.36
Filed: 5/08/08

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Carter-McLeod Paper & Packaging Company v. Iris Media Group Industrial, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,027.21
Filed: 2/06/08

Reliable Temps Inc. v. C & C Salvage LTD
Allegation: Failure to pay for temporary employees provided by plaintiff: $4,154
Filed: 2/14/08

The Marlin Company v. 135 Benton Drive Operating Company, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $10,535.52
Filed: 2/16/08

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Capital One Bank (USA) v. Gary’s All Nite Towing
Allegation: Non-payment of credit account: $17,563.81
Filed: 4/18/08

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2008.

AGAWAM

KDS Partnership
79 General Creighton Abrams Dr.
$20,000 — Flooring renovations

AMHERST

Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield
132 North Pleasant St.
$25,000 — Replace wireless antennae at bell tower of St. Brigid’s Church

Shumway Limited Partnership
15 Cowles Lane
$9,720 — New roof

CHICOPEE

City of Chicopee
617 Montgomery St.
$600,000 — Demolition of Chicopee Comp. High School

First Congregational Church
302 Chicopee St.
$19,200 — Hoist way for vertical lift

EAST LONGMEADOW

Jennifer Nguyen
30 Shaker Road
$14,700 — Interior build-out

MRI of New England
265 Benton Dr.
$490,000 — Commercial addition

Pearson Systems
98 Shaker Road
$32,000 — Interior build-out

GREENFIELD

Baystate Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$8,000 — Emergency repair to damaged elevator shaft wall

Kangel LLC
99 Elm St.
$9,700 — Re-roof

Richard Regan
94 Main St.
$49,000 — Renovation of building to change use from restaurant to hair salon

 

Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield
133 Main St.
$87,000 — Replace exterior front stairs, sidewalk, and curbing

William & Natalie Koncal
154 Hope St.
$4,000 — Roof repairs

HADLEY

National Evaluation Systems Inc.
300 Venture Way
$17,000 — Build three offices in common area

SOUTH HADLEY

Mt. Holyoke College-Safford
50 College St.
$2,475,000 — Renovations

SOUTHWICK

W.R. Newman
681 College Highway
$1,641,000 — New commercial construction

SPRINGFIELD

Clifford Laraway
1000 West Columbus Ave.
$10,000 – General build out of Subway restaurant

Michael Wiggins
427 State St.
$9,500 – Interior renovations

Sei Aarons
414 Boston Rd.
$49,750 – New roof

Valley Real Estate
412 Albany St.
$50,000 – New roof

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Ashley Avenue Associates
95 Ashley Ave.
$23,000 – Renovate 2,907 SF of office space

Robert Goodman
66 Morgan Rd.
$4,800 – Strip & re-roof

Departments

WMECO Issues Price-increase Alert

SPRINGFIELD — Western Mass. Electric Company (WMECO) recently made a filing with the Mass. Department of Public Utilities (DPU) regarding procurement of energy supply for the period starting July 1. WMECO is sharing the results of the procurement to help customers prepare in advance for increased energy-supply costs for WMECO customers taking default service, also known as basic service. The energy supply was solicited in the open energy marketplace for those customers who have not chosen to purchase their energy supply from a competitive supplier. Pending approval by the DPU, pricing for the solicited energy supply will be in effect for residential and small commercial and industrial (C&I) customers taking default service for the six-month period ending Dec. 31, 2008, and for medium and large commercial and industrial customers for the three-month period ending Sept. 30, 2008. Medium and large C&I customers who have not secured their own competitive energy supplier would see the largest increase, while the increase for residential and small C&I customers would be moderated because prices were averaged with those obtained in a previous procurement. Upon DPU approval, effective July 1, residential customers will see a new energy supply rate of 12.114 cents per kilowatt hour, an increase of 1.3 cents per kilowatt hour over the current energy supply rate of 10.814 cents per kilowatt hour. For the average residential customer using 700 kilowatt hours of electricity per month, this is anticipated to be an increase of $9.10 per month or 7.6% on their total bill. Also effective July 1, medium and large C&I customers will see a new energy-supply rate of 14.572 cents per kilowatt hour, an increase of 4.086 cents per kilowatt hour over the current energy supply rate of 10.486 cents per kilowatt hour. These customers can expect to see about a 29% increase in their monthly bill due to this increase. WMECO officials note that customers are directly feeling the impact of escalating energy prices, and encourage the use of energy-saving opportunities, ranging from home-energy audits to the installation of energy-efficient lighting and air conditioning. For more information, visit www.wmeco.com.

BBB Announces Torch Awards

CHICOPEE — The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Central New England Inc., recently honored American Pest Solutions Inc. of Springfield with its Torch Award. Torch Award recipients must maintain high standards of behavior toward customers, suppliers, and employees; have a history of ethical business practices; participate in community affairs; and be a for-profit business for a minimum of three years. The BBB extended its honorable mention distinction to Moving/ Odd Jobs Unlimited of Chicopee. In addition, the BBB honored Evan Coleman from Amherst Regional High School with its first annual Western Mass. Student Ethics Award and Scholarship.

New Regional Bicycling Map Available

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission has completed an update to its popular regional bicycling map for area cyclists. In addition to popular on-road cycling routes and bike paths in the region, the map shows popular destinations and local landmarks, along with safety and commuting information. Printed on weather-resistant material using fade-resistant inks, it can be marked with favorite routes to specific destinations. Funding for the map was provided by the Federal Highway Administration and the Mass. Executive Office of Transportation through a donation by Family Bike of East Longmeadow and Agawam. Maps are available free at bike shops throughout the Pioneer Valley. Maps are also available for a $5 prepaid shipping and handling fee by sending a check to the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, 26 Central St., Suite 34, West Springfield, MA 01089-2787. For more information and a list of locations carrying the bike map, visit www.pvpc.org.

Group Opposes Efforts to Eliminate State Income Tax

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Trustees of the Plan for Progress, the Pioneer Valley’s adopted economic-development plan, recently issued a position statement in opposition to a fall 2008 ballot initiative calling for elimination of the state income tax. The group stands in opposition to the initiative since the state income tax accounts for 60% of total tax revenues and is a principal source of funds needed to cover mandatory financial obligations of the state. If the ballot initiative was eliminated, the group notes a fourfold increase in the sales tax, from 5% to 20%, or a doubling of total property taxes, would be necessary to cover the overall impact of state-supported services and key capital improvements.

Howdy Award Recipients Recognized

SPRINGFIELD — The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) recently honored nine individuals from throughout the region during the 13th annual Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence. The awards, produced by the GSCVB, recognize front-line employees in the hospitality industry who go above and beyond in the performance of their duties and provide outstanding service to their guests and customers. By doing so, these hospitality professionals contribute to the economic vitality of the businesses they serve and the region overall. Howdy winners were: Laura Payer, concierge, Holiday Inn, Holyoke, in the category of “accommodations”; Mark Gervais, event manager, MassMutual Center, Springfield, “attractions”; Todd Hannigan, bartender, J.T.’s Sports Pub, Springfield, “beverage”; Bernie Pietruskiewicz, breakfast server, Country Inn & Suites, Holyoke, “food,” and James Watts, lead concierge, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, “public service.” Also, Kathy Crouse, sales associate, Mrs. Claus’ Bakery/Chandler’s Restaurant, South Deerfield, “retail”; Guy Racine, motorcoach operator, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Springfield, “transportation,” and Bernardo Santiago, engineer, Hilton Garden Inn, Springfield, “unseen hero.” In addition, the Howdy Awards Committee selected Bruce Landon, president of the Springfield Falcons hockey club, to receive the Spotlight Award, which recognizes individuals or organizations for their dedication and outstanding contribution to the region’s hospitality industry.

Opinion

For years, a quiet debate has been waged about whether entrepreneurship can be taught, or coaxed, or whether the trait is simply something that people are born with.

While that discussion continues on some levels, colleges across the region and around the world are creating and expanding programs of study in entrepreneurship — and we’re very glad that they are.

That’s because Western Mass., and the world in general, need to be more entrepreneurial. By this, we mean that individuals, and entire companies, need to be more enterprising. And the proliferation of programs at area colleges — some of which involve people in high school and even middle school — bodes well for the future of this region.

When most people think of the words ‘entrepreneur’ and ‘entrepreneurship,’ they think of business owners and the act of starting new ventures. But that’s only part of it. That terminology also applies to people who think in an entrepreneurial manner, meaning they’re focused on new ideas, new ventures, and different, better ways of doing things.

By creating and expanding programs in entrepreneurship education, area schools are helping to foster economic development in the region by creating new businesses and strengthening existing ones.

Area programs come in different sizes and shapes, but they have the same basic goals — to promote entrepreneurship as a viable career option, and to provide individuals with the skills needed to succeed in business, or at least have a better chance of doing so.

Most programs in this region have developed over the past decade or so. Schools such as UMass, Springfield Technical Community College, Bay Path College, American International College, Western New England College, and Holyoke Community College have created degree programs or courses of study that encourage people to be entrepreneurial — and then show them how to do it.

Some programs compel or individuals or groups or individuals to create their own businesses, while others offer case studies involving local or national companies, and still others place students with area business owners for a semester or a year to watch, learn, and sometimes help plot a strategic course.

In each case, students are learning by doing, which will provide invaluable experience for the day when they are running their own business or trying to help an employer expand or diversify his or her venture.

It’s hard to quantify just what the various entrepreneurship programs mean in terms of the short- and long-term health of the region’s economy, but it’s fair to say that the proliferation of study programs should create jobs and also help existing companies compete effectively in an increasingly global economy.

As recent editions of BusinessWest have revealed, there are some very exciting entrepreneurial ventures taking shape across Western Mass. These involve everything from ethanol production to wind power, from developing a better wind turbine to devising new ways to remove costs from medical billing. These initiatives and others bode well for the region, and they exist because people with drive and imagination are taking risks and converting ideas into new businesses.

It’s no coincidence that we’re seeing so many exciting new ventures. This region has a deep tradition of entrepreneurial spirit stretching back to the early days of the Springfield Armory, and the current generation is simply carrying on that tradition.

But through the many programs in entrepreneurship education now in place in the Pioneer Valley, this region can expect even more enterprising people to step forward with new concepts and new businesses.

And as we said, this bodes well for the Greater Springfield area and its future economic health and well-being.