Day: March 27, 2012

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments
The following building permits were issued during the months of February and March 2012.

AGAWAM

Berkshire Power
36 Moylan Lane
$20,000 — Convert warehouse to locker room

Six Flags New England
1623 Main St.
$200,000 — Frame new entry to Big Ben’s building

William Deveno
45 Vassar Road
$15,000 — Office renovations

AMHERST

150 Fearing St., LLC
150 Fearing St.
$4,500 — Sub-divide office space

Amherst College
Converse Hall
$36,000 — New flooring

Amherst College
Frosting Library
$149,000 — Addition of café on first floor of library

Carex LLC
15 Research Dr.
$112,000 — Finish office in existing space

CHICOPEE

200 Tillary, LLC
165 Front St.
$17,500 — Renovations for a bathroom and utility room

Anaber LLC
720 Memorial Dr.
$28,000 – Strip and re-roof

City of Chicopee
115 Baskin Dr.
$447,000 — Roof replacement and masonry repairs at the D.P.W.

City of Chicopee
5 West Main St.
$804,000 — Demolish former Facemate buildings

Hershal, LLC
600 Memorial Dr.
$100,000 — First-floor lobby renovation and addition of fitness center and boardroom

EASTHAMPTON

Anup Sangar
29 Union St.
$4,000 — Minor renovations of existing space

Easthampton Savings Bank
241 Northampton St.
$5,841,000 — New three-story commercial bank

Mt. Tom Development
311 East St.
$63,000 — Complete interior of building

EAST LONGMEADOW

Riv Serrazina
382 North Main St.
$64,000 — New roof

HOLYOKE

Elmwood Towers Associate
485 South St.
$250,000 — Install new equipment building

Gail M. Sullivan
77 Locust St.
$6,000 — Install new roof at restaurant

Holyoke Hospital Inc.
6 Isabella St.
$12,000 — New roof

South Holyoke Apartments
529 South Bridge St.
$30,000 — Install new roof

LUDLOW

American Tower Corporation
31 Ravenwood Dr.
$15,000 — Cell tower antennas

David Lavoie
733 Chapin St.
$46,000 — Re-shingle roof

Lavoie Properties, LLC
394-402 Chapin St.
$1,500 — Replace doors

NORTHAMPTON

Atwood Drive LLC
8 Atwood Dr.
$3,070,000 – Construct 40,000-square-foot medical office building

Bally Bunion Realty, LLC
108 Main St.
$3,000 — Remove non-load bearing partitions

Frank Fournier III Trustee
376 Easthampton Road
$5,000 — Move stairs

James H. Graham
20 Ladd Ave.
$20,000 — Construct two walls in shop area

Service Properties Inc.
78 Conz St.
$15,000 — New roof

Smith College
30 Belmont Ave.
$95,000 — Office renovations on first and second floors

Smith College
102 Lower College Lane
$10,000 — Remove open stairway

SOUTH HADLEY

Mount Holyoke College
50 College St.
$7,000 — HVAC renovation

SPRINGFIELD

3 Pointer, LLC
643-649 Main St.
$45,000 — Interior renovations

1350 Main Street, LLC
1350 Main St.
$23,000 — Interior renovation to combine two suites

City of Springfield
36 Court St.
$120,000 — Interior finishes and removal of wall on the fourth floor

Cottage Hill Church
315 Cottage St.
$129,000 — Roof replacement

Helen & Joe Nowak
537 Main St.
$13,000 — Remodel existing restaurant

Hispanic Resources Inc.
364-366 Main St.
$6,500 — Renovations

State Street N.E. Development, LLC
1525 State St.
$464,000 — Renovate 12,566-square-feet for new retail tenant space

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Health
40 Daggett Dr.
$12,000 — Renovate 892-square-feet of space for a doctor’s office

Dick Harty
1501 Elm St.
$2,000 — Renovate existing commercial kitchen

H & P Realty LLC
218 Memorial Dr.
$80,000 — Strip and re-roof

Paul Longtin
1268 Riverdale St.
$50,000 — Renovate exterior of restaurant

Set in Stone

By
Capell says that, in many ways, the construction industry is more complex than it used to be, from added paperwork and compliance to safety measures and
Construction Sections
Chabot & Burnett Builds on Its Legacy in Masonry Construction

Capell says that, in many ways, the construction industry is more complex than it used to be, from added paperwork and compliance to safety measures and

Kristin Capell says that, in many ways, the construction industry is more complex than it used to be, from added paperwork and compliance to safety measures and LEED certification.

Current president Kristin Capell remembered the first days of her tenure at the company her father and his business partner built, Chabot & Burnett Construction.
“When I got started 16 years ago, my father threw me into it and taught me everything,” she told BusinessWest. “I’d sit in a back room and learn how to estimate masonry. And dad had a grand plan. He and Dan knew when they wanted to retire, because they worked so hard their entire lives.”
Joe Chabot, her father, and Dan Burnett had started the company that bears their name in 1971, when both men were still in their teen years.
“They just did everything together from the start,” said Kristin. “They raced motorcycles, motocross, rode planes, but they were also workaholics, working 12-hour days.”
In an industry dominated by male ownership, Capell said that it is a mark of pride to be at the helm of a construction firm these days, especially one that has erected scores of brick and stone buildings, with project costs totaling in the tens of millions of dollars. But she is quick to point out that, while she is the president, two other partners have joined her in both ownership and leadership, and continue to help lay the foundation for of the area’s premier masonry-construction firms. Jim Carrier, current vice president, and Dan Burnett Jr. are both given equal credit for a business that enters its fifth decade with a rock-solid future before it.
While the economy has hit this niche of the construction sector as hard as every other trade, there have been strong signs of life for this style of structure that is built to last. The brick and stone edifices on college campuses have been a lifeline for this firm, Capell said. “For me in my career, higher education has been about 90% of our projects.”
During that time, the collective wisdom of the men who started the firm helped give Capell and her co-owners a good template for riding out the recession. While this sluggish economy dovetailed with the final days of Chabot and Burnett’s final years of succession, the pair offered advice as solid as a brick wall.
“But in comparison to other recessions, to them, this one was really ugly,” Capell noted. “It was unfortunate that it happened right at the year of their retirement. That big celebration of 40 years just wasn’t as celebratory as we might like.”
She and her partners took over the firm fully in April 2011, and with that lull just behind her, she said 2012 has a good book of work ahead, and that’s generating optimism.
When asked what her predecessors, enjoying their retirement in Florida for the winter, think about this year with $13 million of work on the books, she simply said, “they haven’t once even thought about coming back up to help out. If they were even slightly concerned at all, they would never have left.”

From the Ground Up
Capell said that masonry, and entrepreneurial spirit, were always in her father’s blood.
“My grandfather was a mason tender, and thus my father knew the trade from him,” she explained.
Chabot and Burnett were friends from high school, where they both attended Springfield Tech. Both men had taken jobs with construction firms as teens, and quickly proved themselves to be able masons.
“But they wanted to do it for themselves,” Capell said. “They knew each others’ skills, and they started originally by building chimneys to raise capital and to eventually support their payroll.”
When asked how two 19-year-olds could successfully build themselves a masonry-construction operation, Capell said solid word-of-mouth referrals built the business and enabled it to enjoy steady growth.
“All of the smaller general contractors in this area, Berneche, Fontaine …  they just got to know the two from working with them, and took a risk and hired them — and then realized how good they were,” she continued. After one initial job which the two leveraged into a bank loan to create the company, the rest is history.
“There are probably five or six buildings in just about every town around here that we’ve built — from public schools to banks, tons of work at Smith College and Mount Holyoke College. We built most of the dorms at Western New England University.”
Amherst College is the site of many Chabot & Burnett projects, both administrative and residential, including a dormitory built entirely of granite. “For a while right before the recession, in 2006, 2007, it was a building boom. At the college, we just hopped from one building to the next,” she explained.
UMass Amherst has been a source of significant work for the company as well. Over the past decade, Chabot & Burnett has built the North Apartments, a five-story, four-building student residential complex; the Studio Art building designed by Graham Gund; and the first Integrated Science Building.
Looking back — and ahead — Capell acknowledged that the industry has changed from those early days.
“All the paperwork and all the compliance, safety, LEED … this is a totally different landscape from when Chabot and Burnett were building,” she explained. “They could just go out and build a good building.”

Ton of Bricks
Her father and his partner had put into effect a 10-year succession plan for Capell, Carrier, and Burnett Jr. to eventually take over the firm. During that time, the pair were actively involved in all facets of the company — toward the end, during the recession, even helping out with no compensation.
“They went out into the field again, too,” she said. “Here they were, at the age of 65, coming back into the office at the end of the day all scratched up. Anything they could do to help.”
During their own time, the two had seen their own share of economic expansions and deep recessions. And to Capell and her partners, they offered their own strategic advice.
“‘Put your head down,’ they would say,” she remembered. “‘Trim as much as you can while still keeping the business competitively strong.’ And I did. I got rid of cleaning people, kept a small workforce going.
“Also, I bid everything,” she continued. “I was bidding $500 projects. We did some of the tornado work, just to make sure there was a revenue stream continuing. I went after everything. We did go out of our traditional geographic range, taking a $4 million job in Worcester. Big jobs like that were few and far between. We looked at it, I knew where we had to be with numbers, and I knew I had to take something like that on. Maybe we didn’t make as much money as we historically had, back in the good days. But that’s what the recession did to everyone.”
Overall, Capell said, thanks to the lessons and inspiration provided by her father and Burnett, the company has done more than survive the recession. Indeed, it is on fairly solid footing, and with a number of jobs in progress and in the pipeline.
The new Easthampton High School, a LEED-certified structure, is on the books, and UMass Amherst continues to be a solid client; the firm is building the second of the new science buildings, along with the new UMass Honors College dormitories. Much like the expedited timeline of the North Apartments, built in an-unheard of nine months, this one has a ribbon-cutting date of Dec. 1. “And we haven’t started it yet,” she said with a smile.

Sunshine State
Down in Florida, lifelong friends Chabot and Burnett are now part of the company’s proud history, Capell said, and she’s pleased to report that this first full year of their retirement has been blissfully uneventful for them, from a business perspective.
“Since we took over, they have left us alone,” she said — perhaps the best compliment from the founders of a company who were wholly engaged in the business since they were young men.
“If I ever have a question, of course they will be happy to help,” she continued. Otherwise, “they don’t worry too much about what we’re doing here. They have confidence in us. But this will always their baby, and it was emotional for them in their final year to let go.
“They both live near each other down there,” she added. “They play golf and see each other almost every day. They’re still the best of friends.”
For the new leadership team, Capell and her partners take pride in carrying on the legacy created by the two men.
“I am very proud of the reputation we have,” she said. “When we’re hired on a job, they’re happy to have us. That’s right across the board from the architects to construction managers to the other trades. We offer a professional business, getting things done fast.
“My father and Danny’s reputations preceded them, and that is carried over to us now,” she added. “A company knows that, when they hire us, there’s a history of honesty, of standing behind everything we do, and that’s what I’m most proud of.”

It’s a Safe Bet

By
Daniel W. Morton-Bentley
Environment and Engineering Sections
New OSHA Compliance Rules for Employers Are on the Way

Daniel W. Morton-Bentley

Daniel W. Morton-Bentley

After years of deliberation, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will soon release a rule requiring employers to develop a written injury and illness prevention program (IIPP). This requirement, already in place in several states, is a proactive measure designed to help employers find and fix hazards in the workplace.
The rule is also likely to include additional requirements, such as developing a system for communicating with employees and conducting employee trainings.
OSHA is the federal agency that administers the Occupational Safety and Health Act. OSHA’s duty is to ensure that workplaces are safe and free of hazards. To that end, it prescribes safety regulations and engages in site investigations. While these efforts have largely been remedial in nature, OSHA’s new rule represents a significant step toward preventative regulation.
Generally, IIPP programs require employers to develop, communicate, and carry out workplace injury-prevention plans. More than a dozen states have adopted such programs, including, most notably, California. Thirty-four states either require or encourage employers to adopt IIPPs (15 require them), and many large organizations have voluntarily done so. OSHA has identified six elements crucial to any IIPP program:
• Management leadership;
• Worker participation;
• Hazard identification and assessment;
• Hazard prevention and control;
• Education and training; and
• Program evaluation and improvement.
OSHA has not yet released a draft of its IIPP program, but it is likely that the federal program will resemble California’s influential program, first instituted in 1991. That state’s IIPP initiative requires that plans be in writing and satisfy the seven following criteria:
• Accountability (identifying the person(s) responsible for administering the program);
• Compliance (creating a system that recognizes compliant employees and requires regular training and retraining);
• Communication (ensuring employee awareness of the IIPP and developing a system for communicating with employees that informs them of their right to complain without fear of reprisal);
• Identification (identifying and evaluating workplace hazards, including scheduled periodic inspections);
• Investigation (implementing a procedure to investigate occupational injury or occupational illness);
• Methodology (developing methods and/or procedures for correcting unsafe or unhealthy conditions); and
• Instruction (providing training and instruction at specified times).
California’s law also contains exceptions for small employers. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees can satisfy the communication requirement by orally informing employees about potential hazards, and businesses with fewer than 20 employees are exempt from certain documentation requirements.
California’s IIPP plan also contemplates, but does not require, the establishment of a labor/management health and safety committee. If California employers have a labor/management committee that meets often enough and satisfies certain requirements, this satisfies the employer’s communication requirement. OSHA’s rule could include a similar provision, or mandate the creation of such a committee.
What will this rule mean for your business? If you don’t already have an IIPP, developing one will certainly cost time and money. But, despite these short-term costs, OSHA anticipates that the rule will produce savings in the long run. A study cited in a January 2012 OSHA white paper indicates that IIPP programs have consistently increased productivity, reduced costs, and improved both employee retention and morale.
The effect of OSHA’s proposed rule on small businesses deserves special note.  This new requirement will be yet another legal hoop for small-business owners to leap through. However, as explained in the OSHA white paper noted above, the rule will likely be procedural and not mandate specific, quantifiable results.  Therefore, small businesses must only develop a plan suited to meet the needs of their specific workplaces (which may be relatively simple).
Small businesses should also be aware of the effect of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA). This law affords small businesses greater input into the regulatory process and eases the burden of enforcement and administrative penalties on small businesses.
When a proposed OSHA rule (such as this one) is expected to have a significant impact on small entities, OSHA initiates a consultation process with the Small Business Administration. A review panel is convened and considers comments from industry representatives. After this meeting, a written report is prepared and submitted to OSHA within 60 days. OSHA then reviews the report, incorporates suggestions, and publishes the rule in the Federal Register for public comment. OSHA’s IIPP rule will undergo this process shortly (it was delayed late last month).
Businesses will be able to weigh in on the IIPP rule. Small businesses may contact the U.S. Small Business Administration’s small-business ombudsman at (888) REG-FAIR in anticipation of, or during, the SBREFA review process.  And once this process is complete and a final version of the rule is published in the Federal Register, any business (or interested member of the public) may submit written comments to OSHA during the rule’s notice and comment period.
OSHA has been pushing for a federal IIPP requirement for years, and it will likely be here before we know it.  Businesses both small and large now have opportunities to offer their thoughts on the rule and to plan for what a written IIPP plan will mean for their organizations.

Daniel W. Morton-Bentley, Esq. specializes exclusively in management-side labor and employment law at Royal LLP, a woman-owned, boutique, management-side labor and employment law firm; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]

Attention to Detail

By
Michael Schafer, left, and Senior Engineer Gregory Henson
Environment and Engineering Sections
Huntley Associates Takes Pride in Its Diversity and Long History

Michael Schafer, left, and Senior Engineer Gregory Henson

Michael Schafer, left, and Senior Engineer Gregory Henson take pride in offering alternative designs and approaches to each of Huntley’s projects.

Huntley Associates, P.C. is a Northampton firm that dates back to 1870 and specializes in surveying and engineering projects. The scope of its work is diverse, but whether the job in question is a multi-million-dollar operation or simply involves giving advice to a municipality, integrity is the company’s cornerstone, said President Michael Schafer.
Specifically, he makes it a point to shake a client’s hand, look him or her in the eye, and give his word that his company will do everything possible to stay within budget and complete the project through carefully orchestrated teamwork. “It all boils down to proper planning and preliminary design. People who see the end product often don’t understand all of the steps that went into it. And in today’s economic times, proper strategic planning is important for a project to be cost-effective,” Schafer said, adding that clients are presented with alternative designs, ideas, and approaches to ensure that they are satisfied.
“When I write out a proposal, it’s very detailed. It lays out every step required from planning to finish. It also allows the client the opportunity to see the cost, which is particularly important because it can determine whether they decide to proceed,” Schafer said. For example, if a residential housing complex will intrude on wetlands, it may become cost-prohibitive or more than a client wants to spend.
“It really depends on the complexity and location, but if a project involves environmental concerns or reviews from state or federal agencies, the scope and fees can become a little fuzzy,” he continued. “For example, if a road has to cut through a swamp, there may or may not be endangered species living there, such as turtles or frogs. Wetlands are a big concern, and you have to work around them, which can mean moving the project or a building to a different location.
“A successful project can no longer be defined in purely technical terms,” he went on. “Regulatory, economic, and administrative issues are now major concerns.”
Therefore, it’s critical to lay out roadblocks to reduce the potential for change orders during construction, Schafer said.
He prides himself on creating a working relationship with everyone who will play a role in or on the job. “I promote a team approach,” Shafer said. “It involves the owner, client, and contractor as well as regulatory agencies, including towns or cities.”
They sit down together, which is important, as it allows different sectors to have input “sooner rather than later, after construction has begun,” Schafer said.
His staff members are not typical engineers. “We’re people who have been in the construction industry, so we understand the complexities involved, which makes it a positive experience for everyone. And if we help each other, the end result is typically an exceptionally constructed project that is completed within budget,” he told BusinessWest.
Schafer said unexpected issues often come to light during the building phase. “But if we work with the contractors, they work with us, so we end up with fewer change orders due to our relationship. And we like to take a project from start to finish to ensure that our clients are truly getting everything they are paying for. It helps that we know the local boards, conservation commissions, and regulations, because we have worked here for 50 years and are surveying the area in which we live.”

In the Beginning
Huntley Associates was founded by E.E. Davis in 1870, and is one of the oldest continuously practicing surveying and engineering firms in New England. “Our employees live in the area, so they are committed to making this a better place to live,” Schafer said.
The company was purchased by Almer Huntley in 1963. “At that time, the company’s main forte was surveying. The first engineering project was done in the late ’60s,” Schafer said.
The additional scope led to growth, and a second office was added in Maine. “By the late ’80s, the company had gone from a two- or three-man show to 80 employees,” he noted.
Huntley reached its peak during the ’70s and ’80s when it was called upon to do a number of projects across Western Mass. A large portion of the work was the civil and structural engineering and mechanical and electrical planning required to build wastewater-treatment plants.
“They were turnkey projects,” said Schafer, noting that the boom continued during the Reagan administration. “There was a lot of money pumped into the economy which was targeted for wastewater plants and infrastructure.”
But after Reagan left office, jobs became harder to get. There was a downturn in the economy, so Huntley closed its Maine office, and the firm stopped doing structural, mechanical, and electrical work, focusing instead on site development via civil engineering and surveying.
When Huntley made the decision to retire, Schafer purchased the firm. He had established Schafer Engineering Associates in Albany, N.Y. in 1994, and the men had worked together.
At that point, Schafer incorporated the services of his two companies. “It was done to consolidate resources and provide a larger capability to clients,” he explained, noting that today, the two companies share resources. “It allows us to keep our rates reasonable.”
Local clients who employ Huntley’s services find they can save time and money when historic records are needed, since their files date back to the mid-1800s. “We have old prints as well as plans and records from subdivisions in many communities, including Springfield and Holyoke. It’s a valuable resource,” Schafer said.

Changing Focus
In 2002, much of Huntley’s work was focused on new residential subdivisions. However, once the recession hit in 2008 and those jobs began to decline, the company’s focus changed again. Today, it’s working on subdivisions in Granby and New York as well as a nine-building apartment complex with 54 units in Amherst.
Other projects include new public-safety buildings in Granby and Montague. “And we are in the final stages of construction of a public-school expansion,” Schafer said.
His two companies have also collaborated on projects for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and they have done work on parks in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York.
Road construction is another forte, and a recent $1.3 million project involved improving a 1.3-mile stretch along Parker Street in Springfield. “There was an overhead railroad bridge which was very narrow, so the street narrowed at that point,” Schafer said.
As a result, the crossing and bridge both had to be rebuilt, which meant the train track had to be temporarily relocated. It was a complex project and involved many agencies, as it was federally funded.
The company was also responsible for the portion of the Manhan Rail Trail that runs through Northampton. Three bridge crossings were included in the initial plan, but a reduction in budget meant it had to be changed to a street crossing. Providing access to the pathway also proved problematic due to elevated stormwater levels and telephone poles which stood in the way and could not be moved. “It took a lot of coordination and communication,” Schafer said.
But these large undertakings are only part of what the company does. “We consider ourselves a multi-disciplinary firm and have always been known as an icon in the area. But most of our work is not recognized. We do structural inspections of municipal and private buildings and a lot of assessments of historic structures,” he explained. There is also storm mitigation work, which has occurred frequently since the June tornado and major rainstorms that followed.
“A major stream bank that collapsed in Whately is threatening the water supply there, so we are helping there,” Schafer said. The company also spends time with officials in municipalities who call on them seeking advice about their treatment systems, grant applications, and landfill monitoring.
“Smaller projects are our bread and butter. We do everything from single-home surveys to surveys of 200 acres or more. And we have worked for many government agencies on the state and federal level,” Schafer said.
The company tries to be creative whenever it can, and uses environmentally sensitive approaches, such as a rain garden it designed for the Amherst apartment project that will divert the runoff of water from the buildings to the garden. “It’s an eco-friendly approach that we can use within the available budget,” he noted.

Back to Basics
The company has evolved continuously during its 142-year history, but through all that change there have been many constants.
“We’re still here and have been here for a long time,” Schafer said. “We have worked in every arena and every county, and are economical.”
But to him, what matters most is the company’s reputation.
“When I shake hands with someone or tell them something, my word is golden,” he told BusinessWest. “I get a real kick of out of helping people and enjoy solving problems. In the end, it’s not just a business. It’s what I believe in.”

Stream of Consciousness

By
Environment and Engineering Sections
Rivers Protection Act Balances Needs of Development, Environment

Melissa Coady paused before explaining the Rivers Protection Act. Because there’s a lot to explain.
“Of all the pieces of wetlands protection regulations, the section about riverfront protection is the most convoluted,” said Coady, project environmental scientist for Tighe & Bond in Westfield. “There’s so much ‘if this, then this’ that has do with when a parcel was created or when the land was subdivided.”
The Rivers Protection Act, initiated by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), was passed into law in 1996 with a number of goals in mind, from preventing water pollution to erosion control; from protecting wildlife to preserving shellfish supplies. It does so by barring or heavily regulating development along the edges of rivers and streams.
“The riverfront area exists to protect the functions and value of those streams and the adjacent areas, in terms of water supplies, groundwater, flood control, prevention of floor damage, wildlife habitat, and fisheries,” Coady said. “It’s trying to roll all these into one area.”
Any understanding of those regulations begins with the riverfront area itself, which is defined as the area along any perennial stream — roughly defined as a stream or river that runs all year, except in extreme drought — between the water line’s annual high-water mark and a parallel line measured 200 feet offshore (except in certain urban areas; more on that later).
“The initial purpose of the Rivers Protection Act was to provide a buffer zone along streams and rivers that are considered perennial — that is, they don’t dry out,” said John Prenosil, president of JMP Environmental Consutling in Springfield. “The idea is to provide wildlife habitat protection, water quality, flood protection, nutrient removal, benefits of that nature.
“A perennial stream,” he explained, “is defined as a stream that’s shown on the most recent USGS [U.S. Geological Survey] mapping as a solid blue line. A dashed line represents an intermittent stream, meaning it dries out.”
And protected property doesn’t necessarily have to be, well, wet. According to the DEP, “riverfront areas may contain wetlands and flood plains, as well as what have traditionally been considered upland areas. As a result, the features of the riverfront area vary by location: from asphalt and landscaped greenways in urban areas to woods, lawns, and farm fields in suburban and rural areas.”

Melissa Coady says the state’s riverfront rules are among its most complex regulations in the realm of wetlands protection.

As Coady noted, “even though it can be comprised entirely of an upland, non-vegetated area, it’s still considered a wetland resource area under the act.”
That can make life tricky for developers, and even thornier for individuals who purchase their dream property, only to find out it’s essentially useless to them.

Multiple Goals
The DEP, however, decided 16 years ago that the value of protecting waterways outweighed the needs of developers. It argued that unspoiled riverfront areas prevent pollution by filtering and trapping sediments, oils, metals, and other pollutants, as well as cleaning water through toxic chemical breakdown in soils and plant roots.
It also asserted that riverfronts protect water supplies by removing pollutants that are carried in runoff from nearby commercial sites, roadways, housing developments, and parking lots before they reach surface water, as well as allowing water to seep down into the ground to replenish groundwater supplies and maintain base flows in streams and wetlands. More than 60% of Massachusetts communities are at least partly dependent on surface water as their primary source of drinking water.
In addition, according to the DEP, riverfront areas protect fisheries and land containing shellfish by moderating stream temperatures, reducing erosion, and filtering sediments and pollutants before they reach rivers — important, because these fisheries and shellfish beds are critical for recreational and commercial harvesting, as well as providing food sources to support the aquatic food chain.
Riverfront areas also protect wildlife habitats by providing food, shelter, and water for many plants, birds, and animals; serving as travel corridors year-round and during seasonal migrations; and harboring rare or endangered plants and animals.
Finally, the DEP noted, riverfronts control flooding and prevent storm damage by absorbing and storing water during storms and releasing the water slowly back to the river.
The law does take into account the fact that urban development tends to spring up alongside waterways. The protected area is reduced from 200 feet to 25 feet inland from the high-water mark in cities with a population above 90,000 or areas of smaller communities with a certain population density; in Western Mass., only Springfield merits that distinction.

John Prenosil

John Prenosil says navigating the nuances of the act is difficult because every site and proposed development project is different.

Prenosil said the 25-foot urban zone “makes sense from a development standpoint; it’s difficult to work in a riverfront area that’s never developed. The point of the act was to protect an undisturbed buffer from the edge of streams and rivers. I think the original intent and purpose was not so much to provide protection along developed areas. It’s for when you go up to the hilltowns and have that proverbial 30-foot-wide trout stream, to provide some protection from development.”
Historically, Coady said, urban areas were built up along rivers to begin with, “so the function and value of undeveloped riverfront areas are virtually absent. But there’s still a need to regulate to a certain extent how those areas get developed.”
However, Prenosil noted, “that being said, the Rivers Protection Act does make development in urbanized areas difficult for sure,” even in municipalities that qualify for the 25-foot protected area.
Of all the resource areas designated by the DEP, Coady said, riverfronts are probably the trickiest to deal with. “The burden is always on the applicant no matter what the filing is — to demonstrate that you’ve met the performance standards, that you won’t have an adverse impact, and if you do have an impact on the resource area, that you’re mitigating it in the way the regulations call for.”

Some Exceptions
But what about properties purchased before the act went into effect? It turns out the law offers a bit of wiggle room.
“If you are working on a parcel of land that was recorded on or before Oct. 6, 1997, then you are allowed to alter 5,000 square feet, or 10% of the total riverfront area, whichever is greater,” Coady explained. However, “you have to keep at least 100 feet of undisturbed vegetation between the high-water line of the river and the limits of your disturbance. So, even though the provision allows for the development of the riverfront area, they’re still trying to protect the corridor along the river.”
And what if someone purchases a previously developed parcel along a river or stream? As it turns out, the state grants some leeway for development, as municipalities and state agencies are always seeking to improve neglected properties while still adhering to the intent of the 1996 law.
“If you’re not looking at a pristine landscape, if you’ve got an area that already has roads, or has an old parking lot, or is devoid of topsoil — dumping grounds, that sort of thing — if you clean that up, you can develop that area,” Coady explained.
“They’re trying to give an incentive to improve the existing conditions,” she added. “But there are some caveats. The total footprint of the work can’t exceed the total amount of degraded area, and you have to provide some sort of restoration of the degraded riverfront area.
“It could be that people have been dumping things there, and you could be removing the dumped material. You could plant native herbaceous or woody species to enhance the existing riverfront area,” she continued. For instance, if the previously developed area encroaches to within 75 feet of the river, but the 50 feet closest to the water line is undisturbed, a developer might provide new plantings over the intervening 25 feet.
“When you’re redeveloping a piece,” Prenosil noted, “as long as everything stays the same footprint, it’s relatively straightforward, as long as you’re getting no closer to the waterfront.”
Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, Coady added. “That’s one of the reasons this set of regulations is so lengthy and complex. It’s very difficult, even with a clear-cut case, to fit these projects into neat little boxes. A lot of headscratching goes into it, and sometimes, there’s a lot of gray area.”

Common Good
The DEP claims that the legislation “took a measured approach to environmental protection — work in the riverfront area is not prohibited, but applicants must demonstrate that their projects have no practicable alternatives and will have no significant adverse impacts.”
With her background in this field, Coady said, it was natural for her to consider flood plains and wetlands and rare species when she purchased property, but not everyone seeks professional help before making a purchase, and many have been stuck with undevelopable land.
“It would absolutely be recommended to have a feasibility study done beforehand,” she said. “If the property has any wetlands or riverfront area, it would be advisable to take into consideration what uses someone wants to get out of that property in the future, because it may not be feasible under the current regulations.”
The law can be particularly thorny in cities that don’t meet the population threshold for the 25-foot exception, Prenosil said.
“This works great up in the hilltowns, but Pittsfield is problematic when working with residential areas,” he noted. “It’s difficult to apply one standard to everyone because there’s always unique situations.
“Basically,” he continued, “the DEP said, ‘look, we need more protections along the streams and rivers.’ The regulations are always changing; they’re dynamic. Maybe the next iteration of this will address some of those problems.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Instant Gratification

By
Rachael Frank and Rob Archer
Sections Technology
Mobile Web Sites Provide Information Via a Simple Touch

Blair Winans

Blair Winans says a majority of Web sites are not formatted for mobile and tablet devices.

Blair Winans gets many requests from business owners who tell him they want their Web site turned into an app.
“I ask them whether they really need an app or whether they just need a mobile Web site,” said the principal and creative director of Winans Creative in Easthampton, which specializes in Web site design and development.
Technology is moving so quickly that, although many people are familiar with these terms, they don’t understand the real differences between them and what they can accomplish, Winans told BusinessWest. They also don’t know what makes sense for their business in terms of the cost/benefit ratio.
“Apps have become a buzzword,” he explained, “But there is a lot that goes into figuring out what someone needs, and it all comes down to functionality.”
Apps cost $20,000 or more to develop, and once they are in use, they are not easy to change. In addition, they must be approved by the iTunes store, then downloaded by people who want to use them, which makes them inappropriate for most small businesses. An idea is viable only if a company wants to provide a service that will become unique to its brand.
For example, a business might want to provide video tutorials that can be accessed via a mobile device, or a real-estate agency might want people to be able to see all their listings on a phone or tablet, Winans said. But many of these things can be accomplished via a mobile-optimized Web site, which is much more cost-effective than an app.
“You really need a high-level strategy to justify an app. Unless you have a revolutionary idea of how to connect with customers, it may not be worth the investment,” said Winans. “There are a million useless apps in the App Store, and if you can’t effectively answer the question, ‘why would someone download this?’ it is pointless to think about developing one.”
Rachael Frank concurs. “Unless your business is the size of Bank of America or Amazon, you probably cannot afford an app that will provide a return on your investment,” said the lead strategist for Gravity Switch in Northampton, which focuses on specialized technology development.
Still, most businesses have fallen behind the times in terms of keeping their Web sites updated, and could profit from technological advances.
“The whole world is playing catchup as Web development and technology has advanced so far in the last five years,” Winans said. “Ninety-nine percent of Web sites are not formatted for phones, and most people are still trying to get their Web site up to 2012 standards.”
Rachael Frank and Rob Archer

Rachael Frank and Rob Archer say creating an effective Web site is not something that can be done once and left alone.

Rob Archer, senior developer for Gravity Switch, said that being able to view a Web site on a mobile device and use it effectively are entirely different things. “If it doesn’t present well on a small screen, it is not really usable,” he explained, adding that, if people type the name of a company into their phone, they can easily become frustrated if the site has not been formatted to fit their viewing screen.
This occurs frequently because most Web sites were built to be viewed on a desktop computer or laptop with a full-size screen. “A Web site built for a desktop assumes that people have the height and width on their screen that make it easy for them to see everything,” Winans said. There is also information that can be accessed using a computer mouse that will not work with the touch of a thumb, such as a drop-down menu.
“Traditional Web sites can be cumbersome for people using mobile devices,” he continued. “If they are not formatted for mobile users, the bounce rate of people who visit them, then leave quickly, is high,” Winans said, explaining that the term ‘bounce rate’ refers to the speed at which people leave a site that is not user-friendly.

Options Galore
Mobile Web sites can be formatted so that the information people are searching for is literally at their fingertips. “You want to create a layout that gives people a friendly experience when they visit across multiple platforms,” Winans said.
The first step is to determine what mobile users who call up a site are looking for. For most businesses, this is their phone number and address. “If people are looking for a restaurant on a mobile device, they probably don’t care about your history or where your chef trained,” Frank said. “They want your menu, but they want to be able to view it in a way that can be seen well on a mobile device. And this not a PDF, which is for printing purposes.”
That format does work well for people on a desktop computer, Archer said. “But you need to provide multiple solutions and have a responsive design that looks good on a 3- by 5-inch screen as well as a 7-inch tablet.”
Frank told BusinessWest that a mobile site is a separate entity from a traditional site and, therefore, requires a different form of navigation.
“A responsive design will automatically adapt to the size of a mobile device and do things like load a smaller picture or change a layout,” she explained. “This technology has been built upon for the last 10 years.”
And providing this platform can make the difference between keeping or losing a prospective client.
“If you’re pulling in a lot of business from outside of your area, it is important for someone on a mobile device to have the ability to check your hours of operation,” Frank said. “If they can’t get the information instantly or access directions easily, they are likely to go somewhere else. You want to make it easy for people.”
Archer provided another example. If someone is walking around Northampton and knows the name of a restaurant but has no idea where it is located, he explained, that information needs to be easy to find on their smartphone.
Winans agrees, and says design is critical to making a site user-friendly. “Since a phone is small, you want to have big buttons to show specialized content,” he said, adding that a mobile site can be linked directly to Google Maps. “People on mobile devices are usually trying to find several pieces of information quickly, and a mobile site can provide a different layout and change their experience.”

Tuneups
Archer says the maintenance required on a Web site can be compared to the work necessary to keep up a home’s lawn or garden.
“If you let a backyard go, it will end up with weeds and molehills,” he explained. “You need to cut the grass, water it, and make changes according to the weather conditions. And, like the weather, the technology landscape is continually changing, so your business needs to change along with it to keep up with the times.
“A Web site is often the first impression people have of your business,” he continued, “so when they see it on a mobile device, it had better look good and work well.”
Archer advises business owners who have the ability to make changes to their site to make sure the Google Analytics program is turned on. Last June, a new feature was introduced that shows the breakdown between mobile and non-mobile visitor activity on a Web site, including what type of device people used to access it.
Even if the numbers of mobile users are small, they are bound to increase. According to a  report by eMarketer, half of the U.S. population will be using mobile devices, rather than computers, to access the Internet in 2015.
“The days of instant gratification are upon us, and it’s not enough to simply have a Web site or application. You need to be able to deliver content to anyone, anywhere, on any device,” Winans said.
He told BusinessWest that creating a mobile-optimized site from an existing Web site is not expensive. “It can be done for under $1,000 using a standard design,” he said. “And a large portion of businesses could definitely benefit from simple upgrades to their Web site. They can make a big difference.”
A mobile site can also serve as a starting point for a business that is considering an app. “You don’t need to jump into everything head first. There are definitely varying levels and ways of approaching it to minimize the up-front investment,” Winans said.
But building on a Web site requires a solid foundation.
“A lot of people can’t even change the content on their home page,” he noted, adding that he advises people to make sure their site has been built using a framework that can be expanded.
“If you have a good content-management system, it will allow you keep building rather than tearing down the structure each time you want to change something,” he continued, adding that some businesses may eventually want to add options such as e-commerce or video blogging.

Unfinished Business
Frank reiterated the fact that many small businesses have lagged behind the times. “They haven’t assumed their Web presence is important enough to develop,” she said. “But they need to build it and let it grow.”
Archer agrees. “Technology continues to grow, and we don’t know what is coming next,” he said.
So, although the future is unknown, experts say businesses need to make their products and services available in a way that shows they care. And right now, that means extending a friendly hand — or, rather, a design made for a thumb.

The Next Level

By
Mike Levine
Sections Technology
Could the Valley Become a Hub for Video-game Companies?

Allan Blair freely admitted his understanding of the video-game industry is limited. Or was, anyway.
“I had the simplistic view that gaming meant being frustrated by Angry Birds,” said Blair, president of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council (EDC). “The fact is, it’s truly a business, a real industry, and not just something to wile away time on. I had no idea.
“But once I got my mind around that,” he continued, “naturally, as an economic developer, I asked, ‘how do we nurture growth in this kind of industry in Massachusetts?’ As I learned about the industry, I came to believe we have in Western Mass. a lot of aspects necessary for this industry to grow and thrive.”
That was the general sentiment among more than two dozen panelists participating in “Digital Games: Playing in the Valley,” a recent symposium co-sponsored by host Hampshire College, the Mass. Digital Games Institute, and the EDC. The event drafted video-game entrepreneurs, professors from several colleges, political and economic-development leaders, and other speakers to discuss the potential of this fast-growing industry to take root and bring economic benefits to the Bay State.
“I am not part of what you would consider the ‘video-game generation,’ but video games encompass more than they used to,” said state Rep. Jim McGovern (D-3rd District). “Few industries these days can project the growth characteristics of the game industry … and those jobs should be in Massachusetts.”

Mike Levine

Mike Levine says Western Mass. won’t reach its full potential in video-game development and related fields until the region is adequately wired for high-speed Internet.

Many already are; the Bay State’s digital-games cluster employs nearly 4,000 people at more than 75 companies, with gross industry revenues estimated at around $2 billion. More than 20 colleges and universities in Massachusetts offer majors or courses in game design and development. And much of that activity is thriving in the Pioneer Valley.
“The Western Mass. region thrives on creativity and innovation, and I want to see these businesses blossom right here, and for these students to stay in the Valley and pursue their passion for video-game design,” McGovern said, noting that game technology has crossed over into other industries, from military training to medical applications, and is likely to expand further. “This is not a bunch of people talking about this in theory; this industry is growing now. And to get the economy back on its feet again, this is one of the answers.”

No Smokestacks
John Musante, Amherst’s town manager, called video games a potential “smokestack industry without the smokestacks. I enthusiastically believe that the gaming industry would be good for Amherst and good for our region.”
He mentioned that the three colleges in his town alone — UMass, Hampshire, and Amherst — include some 29,000 students at any given time, while others at the symposium noted that the 13 colleges in Western Mass. total some 65,000 students, many of whom are enthusiastic about gaming and might be likely to pursue jobs in the industry locally if they exist.
“Creativity and innovation are what our region is all about,” Musante added. “We believe the creative economy is part of our future, and the prominent potential of the gaming industry certainly seems like a perfect opportunity to build upon together, right here in the Valley.”
Take Raf Anzovin, for example. He launched Anzovin Inc., which creates character animation for games and other entertainment, in Florence in 1999 — a time when he was one of only a handful of people in the area doing that kind of work.
“There are both advantages and disadvantages to being in this area,” Anzovin said. “The cost of living is difficult to minimize. I’m not sure we could possibly start a small character-animation studio from nothing in a place where the cost of living wasn’t so low. We’ve also had a good relationship with the colleges; there’s a lot of good talent coming out of them, and that’s been very beneficial.”
Then there’s HitPoint Studios, a game-development outfit specializing in newer platforms such as social and mobile games. “We started HitPoint in 2008 with eight people in Greenfield,” said its founder, Paul Hake. “Now we’re in Hatfield with 37 people, and we’re anticipating growing quite a bit more.
“We’re excited about what’s going on in the Valley,” added Hake, who sees the region eventually becoming not just a mini-hub for the video-game industry, but a full-blown hub.
Musante said the region sells itself, especially at a time when industry professionals are virtually connected across the globe, and no longer have to be located in a major metropolitan center.
“We have a critical mass of higher education and talent. We have space,” Musante said, adding that the Pioneer Valley’s location less than two hours from Boston and less than four hours from Manhattan, combined with that aforementioned lower cost of living, is a major draw, as well as reputable public-school systems and the region’s natural beauty and outdoor activities. “We feel like we have a lot of things to nurture this industry so it can grow right here in the Valley.”
That growth is already happening, said Pat Larkin, director of the John Adams Innovation Institute, an arm of the Mass. Technology Collaborative. “In this region, the market has already spoken,” he argued. “Firms have flourished; they’re able to germinate, be disruptive, do startups, and grow on a sustained basis in this region.”

Ruth West (right, with Terrence Masson from Northeastern University)

Ruth West (right, with Terrence Masson from Northeastern University) says the fact that game development requires both creative and technical skills is a draw for many students.

However, precisely because it’s not New York or San Francisco or even Boston, this “middle-tier” region, as he called it, needs to more aggressively market itself. “We need to work harder, smarter, faster, better in order to build and sustain the critical mass we want to achieve.”

Getting Wired
The region poses some drawbacks, too — including one very basic problem in many rural communities.
“The Internet is really what made all this possible, in my opinion,” said Mike Levine, president of Pileated Pictures, an online- and mobile-entertainment studio in Shelburne Falls. “Amazingly, up in the hilltowns, many people do not have broadband. I really think this is a crime at this point; it’s like people not having electricity or television. That’s the number-one issue. Everyone should be connected in the state — not just for entertainment, but for public safety and other reasons.”
Hake agreed, noting that “broadband connectivity in Western Mass. is still not where it needs to be.” Another challenge, he said, is the lack of an experienced workforce to staff growing video-game companies. “We have huge amounts of talent coming out of the colleges, but we have a hard time finding industry veterans.”
There’s a sort of chicken-and-egg component to this issue, however, suggested Joe Minton, president of Digital Development Management in Northampton, which represents video-game-development studios; before that, he was president of game developer Cyberlore Studios.
Specifically, he said, the industry needs to expand in the region to attract that pool of available talent. “In San Francisco, you can walk down the street and meet five or 10 people willing to hire you.”
He talked about the importance of building critical mass in the region, forming a kind of ‘safety net’ so that talented designers, programmers, and others will know that, if one opportunity doesn’t work out, others will be available. Building many success stories, he said, “will make it much easier to bring talent here.”
Fred Fierst, a partner at law firm Fierst & Kane in Northampton, has represented video-game companies for 20 years, he said, amassing a strong reputation in the U.S. and overseas. But even he still sometimes encounters a “credibility issue” regarding Western Mass. that must be overcome. “They think if you’re not a New York or LA laywer, you can’t be a good lawyer; even a Boston lawyer is considered second-rate.”
Fierst noted another issue in video-game development, and that’s a pronounced dearth of women in the field. “I am constantly amazed how few women there are, and those who are [in the field] are in marketing and PR,” he said. “But that’s changing.”
Anzovin agreed. “I’d love to see more women in the industry,” he said, noting that he has worked with many female producers, but few artists and programmers — in other words, people on the creative side. “I don’t know that there’s a magical solution to that problem, but it’s getting better slowly.”

Back to School
Hake said colleges and universities are doing their part by recruiting more women into computer science and related programs.
Ruth West, associate professor and director of Computer Graphics at Springfield College, said the field has an appeal that should appeal to a wide variety of career seekers, no matter their gender. “It requires students to use their whole brain. It’s not just creative, but you have to think technically. There’s a whole mechanical side and a visual side, and it gets students to integrate their whole personality.”
It also requires professors to constantly keep up with trends, she said, which is why she and other faculty attend many conferences and continually track the industry in other ways.
“The only thing we can teach them is how to learn, because five years from now, it’s going to be something different,” West said. For example, social-media and mobile games have dominated the field recently. “I learned 56 programs, and they need to learn how to be that flexible.”
Paul Dickson, visiting assistant professor of Computer Science at Hampshire College, said video-game design is a motivator for students to learn many other skills. His program focuses on training students as generalists, so they can adapt to any platform, a trait valued by smaller video-game companies. Students who go on to specialized work — in a certain type of programming or animation, say — may find greater opportunities at larger companies.
“Games are a hook,” said Mark Claypool, professor and director of Interactive Media and Game Development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “We get students coming through the doors passionate about the things they’ve been playing. That’s gold, to get a student who comes to college excited about learning something … not just about the latest game, but the physical calculus, the music, the storytelling. There are lots of elements that have to go into the next great game.”
Or the next great … whatever. “There are many applications outside entertainment,” Claypool said, “and that’s where the real action is going to be; that’s where the real money is.”
McGovern said Massachusetts clearly has the intellectual capital to build on this work and be an innovator in those future applications, adding that state leaders are continually trying to determine how best to invest in those growing industries through infrastructure and research dollars.
“I feel like there’s a renaissance period going on now,” Pileated’s Levine said, noting that, when he was in school, video games weren’t even mentioned as a possible career path. “Now we actually have schools teaching programs, and kids coming out of school knowing game design.
“I think it’s a very exciting time,” he continued. “As a company, we’re really interested in growing our business in this region, and we need young talent who understand mobile and social gaming far more than we do. What we learned was a very different business model. Things are changing very rapidly.”
And because of online connectivity, breakthroughs can happen anywhere, Minton said. “The world is flat, and it’s really exciting what can be done nowadays.”
He cited Rovio, the Finnish maker of the Angry Birds franchise. “This was a small company making a number of games that weren’t very successful,” he noted. “Now they have many, many hundreds of people. It just takes one hit — and there’s no reason that can’t happen here.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Creating a Stronger, Unified Voice

By
Features
Valley Leaders Announce a Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce

Suzanne Beck says there are many things about the recently formed Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce that she doesn’t know yet — such as the official name (that’s the working title above), the specific operating structure, or which organizations will choose to affiliate with it.
But what she does know is that, if this entity comes together and evolves in the manner that supporting businesses and economic-development leaders expect, it will provide something that has been historically missing from this eclectic and vibrant part of the state — a truly regional voice.
“The vision for the organization is not what’s in place right now, but what we’re building toward,” said Beck, executive director of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and also the interim director for the Hampshire County Chamber, as she discussed the primary motivations for creating the new body. “The vision is to have an organization that can serve as an umbrella for local business agencies that may include more than chambers, and be more effective and create more capacity for doing direct service to business, but also convene and represent the economic initiatives we’d like to advance as a region.”
“It’s really about convening people across the county,” she continued. “Now, the representation is fragmented in terms of reporting views to elected officials and those in various sectors across the region and statewide. A regional chamber will help construct a consistent voice on priorities for Hampshire County.”
Beck said formation of the regional chamber will not threaten the existence of the three chambers of commerce currently serving communities in the county — the Northampton Chamber, the Amherst Area Chamber, and the Greater Easthampton Chamber — because they have specific roles and should continue in them.
“One of the important tenets of this regional chamber is that the local chamber remains intact,” she said, “and is better supported by the increased capacity of the organizations that are part of the regional chamber. That’s one of the things we learned from talking to other people.”
The regional chamber is expected to provide the county with a strong strategic presence at the State House and before regional organizations such as the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. (EDC), she went on, adding that it will act to coordinate resources to support small businesses and “amplify” (a word she used often) attention to local issues.
In that respect, it will be similar in some ways to the EDC, which was one of many potential models that were researched while exploring how and when to proceed with a new regional entity.
The new chamber’s first assignment, said Beck, will be to convene the appropriate parties and create what she called an “economic strategy” for Hampshire County, or a blueprint moving forward, something else that’s been missing from the equation when discussing the region that includes Northampton, Amherst, Hadley, South Hadley, Easthampton, and many smaller communities.
“That’s going to be the first deliverable,” she said of the strategic plan. “It’s going to be an effort to bring people together from the business sector, the nonprofit sector, and the municipal sector to create that economic strategy for Hampshire County that identifies what the priorities are and what will have the most impact, and that we can all share in working toward.”
Beck told BusinessWest that the new chamber, created with a formal vote at the annual meeting of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce on March 10, continues a pattern of regional thinking and doing in Hampshire County. Examples include formation of Leadership Hampshire County, an initiative to cultivate young leaders across the country, and also the Regional Tourism Council in 2011 — an organization that is in some ways a model for the new chamber — as well as a decidedly regional approach to redevelopment of the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton. Meanwhile, it also echoes steps taken in regions across the Northeast and beyond to incorporate a more-regional approach to economic development.
Citing one of many such efforts, Beck listed the Portland, Maine Business Alliance, a group comprised of several chambers in that area as well as other economic-development agencies.
Rus Peotter, general manager at WGBY public television in Springfield, who will serve as the chairman for the new regional chamber, agreed, noting that the regional model is not a new concept.
“It’s already here in our region in the Berkshires, Franklin County, and Springfield, but it’s even bigger around the country,” he said. “There are many models across the country. This is not a completely new concept or something we’re trying to invent.”
Peotter said a regional chamber will provide the county with better representation at regional economic-development meetings where decisions are made about funding and priorities for the Pioneer Valley. “With a regional chamber, the county will not only have someone in the room, they’ll have someone at the table.
“The county will have representation at these meetings and will have some clout,” he added. “You have to have enough gravitas to even be considered a player, and right now, Hampshire County does not. It’s not like it’s being excluded. There’s just no one person to call.”
Beck concurred, noting that, while Hampshire County business leaders serve on the boards for organizations such as the EDC, they represent their respective businesses, and not Hampshire County as a whole, while doing so.
Founding members of the chamber have already invested over one-third of the $400,000 needed over two years to get the concept in full gear, said Beck, adding that regional partners are being invited to become first-tier investors in the new entity, investing in the concept and helping to raise that $400,000 for startup work.
The initial to-do list includes the aforementioned brainstorming on a regional economic-development agenda, and also organizing events that focus on opportunities in Hampshire County. The Hampshire County Chamber will be a new legal entity with a structure for local organizations to affiliate with, starting with the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and its members.
The startup funds will be used for the first two years of operations, after which the regional chamber will be supported by member dues.
Founding directors of the regional chamber include Peotter; David DelVecchio, owner of Innovative Business Systems, Easthampton; William Dimmitt, account manager for the AxiA Group, Easthampton and Springfield; John Heaps, president of Florence Savings Bank; William Hogan, president and CEO of Easthampton Savings Bank; Chuck McCullagh, chief financial officer of the Williston Northampton School, Easthampton; Curt Shumway, partner at Hampshire Hospitality Group; and Janet Warren, owner of MarCom Capital in Hatfield.
One-third of the startup funds have been raised by the founding members and the following businesses and organizations: Coldwell Banker Upton Massamont Realtors of Florence and South Deerfield, Easthampton Savings Bank, Florence Savings Bank, Innovative Business Systems, MarCom Capital, Pioneer Training of Northampton, Robert Reckman of Northampton, Smith College in Northampton, United Personnel of Easthampton and Springfield, WGBY-TV, and Williston Northampton School.

— George O’Brien

Opinion

By
Opinion
How to Reform Community Colleges

The current debate about the future of community colleges is nothing new. Their mission has always been contested.
Some see these open-admission, relatively inexpensive colleges as providing technical training focused on local workforce needs. Others say they provide the first two years of a baccalaureate degree and facilitate transfer to a four-year college or university. Still others see community colleges as providing a variety of non-credit courses and support for students needing to obtain a high-school equivalency degree, or simply advancing their personal or professional interests.
Some — including the Boston Foundation, whose report on community colleges seems to have been the model for the Patrick administration’s recent proposal — think the multiple missions of community colleges are a sign of confusion and inefficiency. Actually, they are the sign that they are doing their jobs.
Community colleges must continue to play their three roles. The question is simply one of balance. But the governor’s recent proposal would tilt the scale the other way, making community colleges little more than publicly funded workforce-training centers for private business. This is as bad for the Commonwealth as it is for community-college students.
A bachelor’s degree not only provides access to higher-paying jobs, but also emphasizes the broad liberal-arts education crucial to helping students deal with living in an increasingly complex global society. Community colleges must continue to play their transfer role while still providing access to immediate career programs. The governor’s emphasis on workplace education short-circuits the many students who aspire to a higher education. Furthermore, it effectively constitutes a tracking system for minority and working-class students, who are concentrated in community colleges.
Rather than throw out the invaluable, multiple missions of community colleges, how about some real reform?
First, we must create a foundation budget for each community college; all are woefully underfunded. Community colleges have traditionally had far less funding than the state universities, and have been hit especially hard by a decade of disinvestment. They do not generally have the capacity to do major fund-raising, recruit higher-paying out-of-state students, or charge the high fees that the UMass institutions do. A starting point would be to raise all community colleges’ budgets up to that of the college with the highest per-student budget.
Second, just as in K-12 education, the most important factor in the quality of education is the faculty hired to teach and do research. This is especially true for community colleges that consistently teach the most racially and ethnically diverse student body in the public higher-education system. This sector of our system deserves to have well-compensated faculty and staff. And yet, the situation is upside down.
Third, community colleges serve huge numbers of students, with a range of needs and interests. The need for support staff — in admissions, mentoring, advising, tutoring, financial aid, counseling, and libraries — is greater than ever. It is precisely these crucial positions that have been eliminated. Staff positions should be hired in proportion to admitting new students and hiring more faculty.
Finally, we must improve the affordability of community colleges so that students can afford to matriculate and are not strapped with debt upon graduation. The explosion of student debt threatens the role public higher education plays in providing a pathway into the middle class. We have to move beyond the ‘high tuition and high aid’ model that Massachusetts has unsuccessfully employed: as tuition and fees have skyrocketed, the state has failed to put money on the aid side of the equation, such that now the average state financial-aid grant covers less than 10% of the total cost of attending a state college.
One of the buzzwords of our politics today is ‘accountability.’ Before asking public colleges and universities, their students, faculty, and staff to do more counting, measuring, and testing, government leaders should be held accountable and provide adequate funding for our institutions to do their jobs. v

Max Page is a professor of Architecture at UMass Amherst and vice president of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts.

Law

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Columns Sections
Insurance Payments for Your Autistic Child

Dennis G. Egan

Dennis G. Egan


Having a child with autism creates many challenges, not the least of which is the potential financial impact on your family. Until recently, many families were burdened with a mountain of bills when attempting to have their child diagnosed with and treated for disorders within the autism spectrum. But, thanks to a new Massachusetts law, that is changing.
In August 2010, ARICA (an Act Relative to Insurance Coverage for Autism) was signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick; it became effective on Jan. 1, 2011. This law requires health-insurance companies in Massachusetts to provide coverage with respect to the diagnosis and treatment of autism-spectrum disorders, regardless of the age of the individual afflicted by the disorder.
Despite what many believe, or at least have questioned, ARICA has no impact on the special-education services provided by school districts, as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Act and Massachusetts law.
Melissa R. Gillis

Melissa R. Gillis

To clarify, ARICA requires that health insurers provide payment for supplemental services, in addition to services provided by school districts, pursuant to a student’s individualized education plan (IEP). Services covered by ARICA include, but are not limited to, medication, counseling, psychiatric care, psychological care, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.
This law includes several significant factors that are noteworthy:
• Reimbursement cannot be sought for services provided by a school district in furtherance of a child’s IEP;
• School districts are prohibited from requiring that services otherwise provided under the child’s IEP be sought via private health insurance coverage; and
• Potential coverage under ARICA cannot be considered by a child’s IEP team when developing the child’s IEP.
There are, however, several exceptions to coverage under ARICA. For example, self-funded plans that fall under the auspices of ERISA are not required to provide insurance coverage. In addition, individuals who receive health care coverage under MassHealth or CommonHealth are not eligible for the coverage provided by ARICA. In addition, insurers may opt out of required participation if applicable costs to the insurance exceed 1% of its otherwise current costs.
As with any new legislation, the implementation of ARICA has progressed, and will evolve, in fits and starts as interested parties educate themselves and others with respect to the practical application of the law.
For example, health-insurance companies that fall under the requirements of ARICA may require a copy of the child’s IEP prior to making coverage decisions. As such, it is very important that the parents of a child covered by ARICA proactively inform the school district that all requests for their child’s IEP be directed to themselves as the parent of guardian. Remember that Massachusetts law prevents school districts from disseminating information relative to a child’s IEP to a private health-insurance provider without the parent or guardian’s informed, prior written consent.
As with any change, especially one of this magnitude, the key to successful transition is communication. You should contact your child’s school district to ensure that it is aware of the provisions of ARICA, as well as its effect on the services that the district provides. This discussion should include such issues as what policies the district has in place to ensure that your child’s confidential information is not shared with insurers without your written consent, as well as a review of the district’s continuing education of staff and administrators relative to ARICA. Parents may also request literature from the school district in order to ensure that the district has written procedures in place to ensure proper application of ARICA.
With your child’s best interests in mind, it is important to reach out to his doctors and therapists to discuss this new law and the impact that it has on services provided, both pursuant to your child’s IEP and privately. It is important that any services provided to your child by a doctor or therapist be properly coded when billed to avoid confusion, which can ultimately lead to additional costs and/or delays.
Communication with your health-insurance company is crucial — first, to confirm that the provisions of ARICA apply to your health insurer, and, second, to ensure that covered services are provided and billed appropriately. In addition, any questions with respect to co-pays and out-of- pocket expenses are best addressed prior to receipt of services.
Informing your insurer proactively that your child receives services that fall within the scope of ARICA, and requesting written information with respect to its compliance with ARICA, will reduce the likelihood that billing questions and issues arise. As with any issue, proper documentation of any and all services provided will assist in resolving any potential issues in a timely manner.
Luckily, a number of quality resources are available for those who have questions related to ARICA. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Insurance has published guidance with respect to ARICA, and many autism advocacy and support groups have held and continue to hold informational workshops.
If you need legal assistance when wading through the waters of autism-disorder diagnosis and treatment payments, make sure you consult with a qualified special-education attorney. n

Melissa R. Gillis, Esq. is an attorney with Bacon Wilson, P.C. in the special-education, domestic, and real-estate departments; (413) 781-0560; baconwilson.com/attorneys/gillis. Dennis G. Egan Jr., Esq. is an attorney with Bacon Wilson, P.C., concentrating in special education, business, and corporate law; (413) 781-0560; baconwilson.com/attorneys/egan

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Acevedo, Denise M.
107 Barre St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Alibozek, Michael J.
32 East Road
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Allen, Robert Q.
Allen, Catherine M.
14 Coakley Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/23/12

Barszewski, Joanne Mary
392 Montague Road #22
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Bass, Ingrid E.
359 Springfield St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Beaudry, Francis H.
P.O. Box 907
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Belisle, Penny M.
513 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Berthiaume, Nathan H.
413 Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/23/12

Brown, Robert A.
148 Hillsdale Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/23/12

Brunette, Steven P.
26 Chestnut St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Busbin, John R.
79 Evergreen Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Carmody, Julia M.
49 Enfield St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Carver, Jonathan David
52 Irene St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Cayer, David S.
105 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Chambers, Molly P.
85 Crescent St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Chasles-Snyder, Gigi M.
a/k/a Chasles Labbe, Gigi M.
48 Claverack Road
Whately, MA 01093
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/12

Cora, Crystal
a/k/a Mccarthy, Crystal
111 Malibu Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Crocker, Donna Haley
76 Hazelwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/22/12

Cumba, Jose Antonio
Cumba, Maria Mercedes
44 Webster St., 1st Fl.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Dargis, Tatiana
a/k/a Banari, Tatiana
1161 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Davila, Maria E.
66 Jenness St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Daye, Martin Oliver
24 East Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/23/12

Deblois, Normand P.
Deblois, Leona Rose
1157 Elm St., Apt 5
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Delnegro, Andrew F.
Delnegro, Judy A.
74 Mill Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

DeMeyer, Tracy A.
25 Keegan Lane 8C
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/12

Desmond Landscaping
White, Desmond
17 Cloran St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Desousa, Ruy T.
97 Water St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Dialessi, Robert G.
Dialessi, Lynn P.
22 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/22/12

Dondey, Joseph P.
41 Newell St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Dondey, Torey L.
a/k/a Lheureux, Torey
41 Newell St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Dowers, Amy M.
PO Box 175
Chester, MA 01011
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Dumas, Eric Joseph
339 Grattan St.
Apartment 2
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Dyer, Tiffany L.
29 Quincy Ave., Apt 1
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/12

Echevarria, Juan J.
17 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Edwards, Phillip Arthur
Edwards, Nancy Ann
P.O. Box 205
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/12

Gautier, Jennifer V.
17 Halsey St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/16/12

Hebler, Todd M.
52 Newell St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Henderson, Jennifer G.
P.O. Box 751
Sheffield, MA 01257
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Hrycay, Kenneth
28 Horseshoe Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Jones, Edward A.
Jones, Gail A.
185 Pinegrove Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Joseph-James, Katrika N.
71 Whittier St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Kasperek, Christopher Paul
306 Barry St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Kazonis, Michael
62 Middle St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/12

Kennedy, Mary Ellen
20 Granby Heights
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/23/12

LaFrance, James A.
P.O. Box 344
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/12

Langlois, Theodore
418 Meadow St. #A9
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Lenkowski, Cara M.
10 Prospect St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Lovely, Michael S.
116 Polaski Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/23/12

Lussier, Keri A.
267 Ridge Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

MacKay, Bonnie L.
a/k/a MacKay-Vachula, Bonnie L.
42 Basket St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Macznik, Eric A.
Macznik, Claudia C.
52 Posner Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/23/12

Manning, William J.
18 Palmer Road Unit 17
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Manzoor, Muhammed T.
165 Lumae St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/24/12

Martell, Jan S.
Martell, Tammi A.
130 Bacon Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

MBS Enterprises
New Day Real Estate
Seward, Michael Brett
P.O. Box 829
Bondsville, MA 01009
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/23/12

McClintock, Saundra D.
443 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Melbourne, Mary E.
39 Agnes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/16/12

Michienzi, Audrey
106 Wilson Road
Barnardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Moore, Roberta F.
a/k/a Sczepanski, Roberta F.
95 Syrek St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Morales, Alberto M.
3 Carriage Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/12

Moriarty, Laura M.
66 Pleasant St., Apt. 3R
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Murray, Aaron P.
Warfield, Elizabeth A.
367 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Nalewanski, Rachael Leigh
19 Stone Path Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

O’Neil, Judith A.
87 East Road
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Oster, Tamara M.
30 Kenlee Gardens, Apt. 2R
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Ouimette, Tina L.
a/k/a Chaves, Tina L.
68 School St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Parenteau, Kenneth J.
Parenteau, Geraldine R.
a/k/a Parenteau, Dina R.
111 Glendale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Patel, Brijesh D.
112 Florence St.
Leeds, MA 01053
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Patenaude, Dana R.
Patenaude, Tami E.
47 Cypress St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/17/12

Poole, James
Poole, Carol Garden
847 New Braintree Road
Oakham, MA 01068
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Pothier, Richard A.
250 Reed St.
West Warren, MA 01092
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Pothier, Sandra L.
250 Reed St.
West Warren, MA 01092
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

R.C.R. Enterprises, Inc.
Ruscio, Robert C.
Ruscio, Cheryl A.
52 Garden Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/12

Ramos, Gary L.
51 Howes St.
Springfield
MA, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Redman, Kerry-Ann
33 Ferris St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Richard, Ronald G.
Richard, Mary F.
a/k/a Newhouse, Mary F.
160 slumber Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/22/12

Rivera, Roman
a/k/a Nieves/Rivera, Roman
Viera, Milagros
395 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/12

Roseberry, Rene
Roseberry, Lynn
222 Sheldon Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Sierra, Wilfredo
P.O. Box 3626
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Smith, Michael J.
Smith, Colleen M.
10 Longview Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/16/12

Spusta, Kimberlyanne
18 Howard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Stanger, Jesse J.
277 Main St.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Starkey, Courtney L.
97 Congamond Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Strickland, Christine C.
a/k/a Raddatz, Christine
221 Ventora St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Taylor, Richard W.
Taylor, Virginia A.
13 Charles Place
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Taylor, Steven J.
12 Crestview Dr.
PIttsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/16/12

Tyler, Lemart E.
Tyler, Anne M.
33 Michael Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/12

Winslow, David B.
41 C St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/12

Zhupikov, Dmitriy
Zhupikov, Yuliya
58 Hanover St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/12

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the months of February and March 2012.

AGAWAM

1st Stop Café
369 Walnut St.
Jennifer Haile

Agawam Fruits and Vegetable Market
301 Springfield St.
Andrey Akimov

Cordi Truck LLC
470 Shoemaker Lane
Robert Arrington III

Security Consultant
37 Royal St.
Greg Norman

TNT Tent and Table Rentals
362 North St.
Anthony Boido

AMHERST

Boston Dance Challenge
200 West Pomeroy Lane
John Schimmel

Golden Booty Tanning
6 University Dr.
Kimberly Gomes

Markamusic
12 Charles Lane
Alfredo Chapelliguen

CHICOPEE

Ashley’s Fashion Place
342 Front St.
Victor Davila

Commercial Services
6 Stone Ave.
Mark Skrodzki

David’s Home Plans
188 Wildermere St.
David Dejordy

Keaton’s Kleaning Service
43 Juliette St.
Jason Keaton

The Fab Glam Boutique
148 Broadway St.
Isaiah Weldon

The Flyin Donkey
17 Barre Cir.
Garvin C. Headley Jr.

Top Dog Removal Services
340 Grattan St.
James Mcgourn

Western Mass RV Rental
376 Chicopee St.
Shawn-Ellen Krajcik

EASTHAMPTON

Dawson Home Health Assistance
2 Culdaff St.
Kobina Dawson

Hairy’s Pet Supply
155 Northampton St.
Scott Murray

Hero Watch Repair
4 Wilton Road
Avrey LaValley

New England Remodeling General Contractor
67 Division St.
Thomas M. Bacis

Pioneer Laptop Repair
19 Dartmouth St.
Derek Pevey

R & H Roofing, LLC
59 South St.
Charles Robertson

HADLEY

Aegis Chiropratic
241 Russell St.
Lisa Sanderson

HOLYOKE

Al’s Snack Shop
147 High St.
Natasha M. Correa

Fudge Puppy
56 Suffolk St.
Danielle Pikul

M & H Construction
635 Homestead Ave.
Mark Haradon

Seeds of Life
205 Bemis Ave.
Theresa Grisanti

Subway Restaurant
1506 Northampton St.
Rajendra Patel

Western Mass Ob/Gyn
15 Hospital Dr.
Hank J. Porter

NORTHAMPTON

7-Eleven
60 King St.
Kimberly Tasneem

AD Firearms Education and Training
92 ½ Maple St.
Andrew R. Davis

Andy’s Spacework
142 Riverdale Dr.
Ann E. Dollard

Antiques Corner
5 Market St.
Louis M. Farrick

Delap Real Estate LLC
158 North King St.
Dennis Delap

Fight for the Future Center for Rights
217 Pine St.
Tiffiny Cheng

Hinge
48 Main St.
Brian Aussant

Living Out Studio
219 Main St.
Scot P. Padgett

Orzel Tree & Logging
150 Federal St.
Justin Vezina

Root
11 William St.
Tanya Hart

The Foundrey
24 Main St.
Sally Noble

PALMER

Elite DJ Services
1330 Ware St.
Robert A. Roy

Hollywood Cuts and Styles
1622 North Main St.
Naomi L. Mills

The Yellow House Inc.
1479 North Main St.
Bonny Rathbone

SPRINGFIELD

7C’s Press
208 Main St.
Edward S. Kamuda

A.J. Electric, LLC
22 Rapalus St.
Nidal Adeid

Affordable Heating
12 Fairhaven Dr.
Wilfredo Cruz

Ahava Flora Inc.
81 Beacon Terrace
Juan C. Ocasio

American Lung Association
393 Maple St.
American Lung

Aqui Me Quedo 2
15 Locust St.
Jose DeJesus

Arce’s Print
2460 Main St.
Adrian Arce

Atlas Convenience Store
411-417 St. James Ave.
Aziz Ahmed

Audri’s Catering
47 Manor Court
Audri Lavern

Auntie Sue’s Cookies
48 Groton St.
Susan M. Byrne

Bettey Rips & Things
339 Boston Road
Betty Seibles

Boylan Overhead Door
90 Tapley St.
Sean A. Boylan

Captain Pizza
30 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Nelson Rivera

Chase and Sons Chainsaw
20 Maple St.
Sheryl A. Chase

Contractors Kitchen
88 Industry Ave.
Joseph A. Frye

Dallas & Co.
161 Laconia St.
Richard Anthony

Daly Appraisal Services
40 Bangor St.
James M. Daly

Discount Smoke & Groceries
431 White St.
Nafees Niazi

E.V. Translation Services
6 Temple St.
Edgar Vaskanyan

Eddie Moore Carpentry
40 Ionia St.
Eddie L. Moore

Emely Market
168 Eastern Ave.
Rony Almonte

Executive K9
87 Hanson Dr.
Michael Vincent

Executive Real Estate Inc.
535 Main St.
Amy F. Rio

Floor Maintenance Service
1655 Main St.
Ramon L. Rosado-Cruz

Gary Kennett
95 Forest Park Ave.
Gary Kennett

Geeta Foods Inc.
191 Berkshire Ave.
Mohammad N. Galani

Gentle Smiles LLC
1410 Carew St.
Annie Watson

Hess
453 Cooley St.
R.J. Lawlor

Hispanic Communications
133 Maple St.
Norma Rodriguez

Hollywood Tans
354 Cooley St.
Steven J. Corvin

International Barber Shop
13 Locust St.
Francis A. Rivera

J.T. Sound Factory
485 Central St.
John Feliciano

Tripticstar
298 Allen Park Road
Michelle Barnaby

Unlimited Pawn
1199 Sumner Ave.
Andrew Phan

Western Mass Warriors
335 Newbury St.
Junior S. Williams

WEST SPRINGFIELD

911 Expedited Trucking
82 Grove St.
Ellen F. Gregory

Aardvark Property Holdings LLC
1457 Riverdale St.
Arthur R. Doty

Advance Welding
47 Allston Ave.
Melinda Mitton

Carolina Bedding of Western Mass
1702 Riverdale St.
Daniel A. Wells

Elegant Nail Salon
1333 Westfield St.
Lien T. Tran

Freihoffer’s Baking Company
358 Park St.
Andrew Shulman

Goodhind, Harten, & Associates
1252 Elm St.
Alan R. Goodhind

Integrated Equity Services
975 Elm St.
Thomas P. Sweeney

Irizarry & Irizarry Consultant Services
183 Greystone Ave.
Jose H. Irizarry

J Squared
136 Nelson St.
James J. McMahon III

Michael Gousy Inc.
180 Westfield St.
Michael J. Gousy

Point Blank Paintball Inc.
1457 Riverdale St.
Arthur R. Doty

The Official Cuts Barber Shop
715 Main St.
Luis A. Marrero

Western Mass Services
208 Labelle St.
Leonard Cowles

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Associates in Women’s Health Care P.C., 200 Silver St., Agawam, MA 01001. Sharon MacMillan MD, 129 Silver Creek Dr., Suffield, CT 06078. Women’s Health Care Services.

AMHERST

Econ4 Inc., 418 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. James K. Boyce, 14 Elf Hill Road, Amherst, MA 01002.

BELCHERTOWN

Education Yes Inc., 43 Allen St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Jeffry B. Hatch, 1704 Millcreek Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84106. Non-profit organization dedicated to developing and teaching positive integrative approaches to transform the learning process of all students.

EAST LONGMEADOW

EBBE Inc., 43 Thompson St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Michael Finn, 30 Oakhill Circle, Chicopee, MA 01020

GANBY

34 Carver Street Inc., 7 Carver St., Granby, MA 01033. Patrick Bensen, same. Holding Real Estate.

GREENFIELD

Canines Helping Autism and PTSD Survivor Corp., 559 Country Club Road, Greenfield, MA 01301. William Gordon, same. Provide persons with a diagnosis of PTSD or an autism spectrum disorder access to a network of services related to the use of a service dog at minimal cost.

Family Legacy Partners Inc., 465 Coltrain Road, Greenfield, MA 01301. Cynthia L. Nims, same. Financial services including mortgage.

HADLEY

D&B Kelley Farm Inc., 100 Stockbridge St., Hadley, MA 01035. Daniel Kelley, 117 Stockbridge St., Hadley, MA 01035. To engage in the operation of farming.

HATFIELD

Grill ’N Chill Inc., 127 Elm St., Hatfield, MA 01038. Anthony R. Paciorek, 25 Dwight St., Hatfield, MA 01038. Food service / restaurant.

HNE Inc., 4 Prospect Court, Hatfield, MA 01038. Kenneth Holhut, 15 Circle Dr., Hatfield, MA 01038. Food service, bar, and restaurant.

LONGMEADOW

Bond Financial Group Inc., 171 Dwight St., Suite 201, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Dylan E. Bond, same. Providing a full range of financial planning products and services.

LUDLOW

HLZC Holdings Inc., 1020 East St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Jose Salvador, same. Property management.

NORTH ADAMS

Hoosac Valley Community Development Corporation, 150 Ashland St., North Adams, MA 01247. Marie Harpin, 15 Rock St., North Adams, MA 01247. The corporation will engage in activities intended to contribute to the preservation of existing or the creation of new affordable housing.

NORTHAMPTON

Foundation for Orthopedic Reconstruction Inc., 70 Old South St., Northampton, MA 01040. Patricia Defelice, 60 Cleveland St., Holyoke MA 01040. The corporation’s purpose is to identify persons that are in need of, and would not otherwise have access to, medical implants and orthopedic reconstruction.

PALMER

George Stewart Inc., 1006 Pine St., Palmer, MA 01069. George R. Stewart Jr., same. Service and consulting.

SOUTH HADLEY

ALZ Enterprises Inc., 183 East St., South Hadley, MA 01075. James M. Earle, same. To build a fund to finance, research, and development for the cure for Alzheimer’s disease and also finance childhood development programs.

SPRINGFIELD

Baitus Salaam Inc., 605 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108. Kimat Khatak, 15 Pheasant Run, South Hadley, MA, 01075. Arrange, hold and establish prayers in accordance to the teachings of Quran and Sunnah specific only to Hanafi Fiqh (Jurisprudence).

BDL Restaurants Inc., 15 Angelica Dr., Springfield, MA 01129. Shanna M. Rhoades, same. Restaurant holdings.

Fenco Global Industries Corp., 44 Cabinet St., Springfield, MA 01129. Fenella Alicia Sitati, same. Technology sales and services.

Fierceblaze Inc., 1655 Main St., Springfield, MA 01108. Juan R. Perez, 89 Kensington Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Web Design and software development.

Graphic Excellence Inc., 1441 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. Michael S. Connors, 57 Robin Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Printing, copy, graphics, and mailing services.

Iglesia Pentecostal De Dios Sanando Al Herido Inc., 57 Grosvernor St., Springfield, MA 01107. Carlos Luis Cosme, same. Worship place for the needed.

STOCKBRIDGE

Berkshire Management Solutions Inc., 5 Sergeant St., Stockbridge, MA 01262. Christopher May, same. Consulting and job recruiting.

WESTFIELD

A Positive Energy Boost Inc., 6 Parker Ave., Westfield, MA 01085. Steven William Pomeroy, same. Retail sales of goods, selling online and direct.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Springfield Official
Named to Casino Panel
BOSTON — Bruce Stebbins, business development director for the city of Springfield since September 2010 and a former member of the Springfield City Council, has been named to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The five-member panel is now complete. The other members are Chairman Steve Crosby; Judge James McHugh, who served on both the Superior Court and the Massachusetts Appeals Court; Gayle Cameron, a former New Jersey State Police lieutenant colonel; and Enrique Zuniga. Prior to his work with the city, Stebbins worked for the National Assoc. of Manufacturers and the Mass. Office of Business Development.

WMECo Grant Seeks to Boost Industry Competitiveness
SPRINGFIELD — The precision-manufacturing industry in Western Mass. received a major boost recently with the announcement of a $10,000 private initiative to increase the skills competencies of employees. The Regional Employment Board of Hampden County Inc. (REB) received the grant from Western Massachusetts Electric Co. (WMECo) to provide skills-enhancement courses and college-credit courses to 65 incumbent employees of the region’s precision-manufacturing companies. The award will be used as a match to a $150,000 grant received by the REB and its partners represented by the Western Mass. Chapter of the National Tooling Machining Assoc. (WMNTMA), which was announced in October by Secretary Gregory Bialecki of the Mass. Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. The $150,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s John Adams Innovation Institute supports the work of the REB’s Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project (PMRAP), which is focused on generating innovative and creative ideas that will raise the industry’s and region’s economic profile. “We are pleased to make a contribution to education that will stimulate growth for small and medium-sized precision-manufacturing companies,” said Peter Clarke, WMECo president and COO. “The region will benefit from sustained job creation and continued economic development.” In addition to the REB and the WMNTMA, partners in PMRAP include Holyoke Community College, Springfield Technical Community College, the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., and the region’s seven vocational-technical-comprehensive high schools. “The Patrick-Murray administration has made strong investments in growing the Commonwealth’s advanced manufacturing industry,” noted Bialecki. “This grant, in addition to the $150,000 grant from last year, will go a long way to helping give employees the vital training they need to help support their companies’ and industry’s continued growth.”

Forgay Shares Professional Leadership Secrets
LONGMEADOW — Bushido Business: The Fine Art of Professional Leadership is a new anthology featuring Richard Forgay II, president and CEO of Business Leadership Mastery. Forgay joins forces with internationally recognized business icons to share their secrets of success in ways one can immediately apply to business and life for sustainable success. Bushido is the traditional ethical code, or ‘way of the warrior,’ of the Japanese samurai. It is founded on the seven values by which they conducted their life and business of warfare — honesty and justice, heroic courage, compassion, polite courtesy, complete sincerity, loyalty, and duty and honor. Forgay, along with authors and professional speakers Tom Hopkins, Brian Tracy, and Stephen Covey, apply this historical code to the challenges faced by today’s leaders in business, government, education, and other diverse arenas. Forgay noted that the book shares time-proven methods of achieving sustainable success through leadership, team building, sales, marketing, business operations, interpersonal relationships, and customer-service excellence. Forgay’s contribution to the anthology is titled “Mastering the Bushido Code.” “Bushido Business is a moral compass, an authentic expression of individual and organizational values that defines their influence and culture,” he said. With straightforward language and supporting diagrams, Forgay applies the Bushido Code to modern-day professional leaders and actual events. Then he facilitates a structure for readers to apply their own virtues and values to be prepared to do the same in their chosen fields of expertise through a series of self-assessment Bushido Challenges that, if accepted, promise to produce immediate and transformational results. Forgay challenges leaders to embrace their traditional principles and values as the blueprint for major transformation. “Adherence to empowering values is always in vogue,” he said. “Identifying and activating value-based cultural standards of excellence is a way for leaders and teams to embody dignity, trust, and professionalism in their realms of responsibility among those they lead and serve in the business, government, educational, and spiritual communities.” Forgay educates and empowers top executive and entrepreneurial leaders to excel at growing companies where people, productivity, customer satisfaction, and profits thrive in any economy. For more than two decades, he has led and served thousands of people to achieve all-time-high sales and multi-million-dollar revenues, and he has earned international recognition as an effective executive leader in high-pressure, intensely competitive environments in the highest levels of corporate America. For more information on Bushido Business, visit www.businessleadershipmastery.com. Insight Publishing of Sevierville, Tenn. released the book on March 7. It retails for $19.95.

Project Provides Free Interview Clothes
ENFIELD, CT — For many soon-to-be college graduates at Asnuntuck Community College, Stacy’s Closet is a way to relieve some of the stress students with limited resources face, according to Stacy Lanigan, associate director of career services. Stacy’s Closet, now in its sixth year, solicits donations year-round of gently used business clothes from the college’s faculty and staff, as well as the surrounding community. In keeping with the community college’s mission, Lanigan noted that the clothes are also available free to members of the community. She said the college is committed to serving all residents in its service area, which includes Enfield, East Granby, East Windsor, Ellington, Granby, Somers, Stafford Springs, Suffield, and Windsor Locks. Stacy’s Closet accommodates students graduating in June and December. Offerings include shirts and blouses, business suits, shoes, belts, and ties. “We aim to prepare the whole student,” said Katie Kelley, dean of Student Services. “Not just academically, but also for the expectations in the workplace and the interview process.” Donations of clean, professional attire on hangers are being accepted through April.

Construction-industry Employment ‘Sluggish’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the week ending March 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims in the construction industry was 351,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 365,000, according to the U.S. Labor Department. The four-week moving average was 355,750, unchanged from the previous week’s revised average of 355,750. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6% for the week ending March 3, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 2.7%. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 3 was 3,343,000, a decrease of 81,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 3,424,000. The four-week moving average was 3,394,250, a decrease of 25,250 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,419,500. In related news, Associated Builders and Contractors noted that, despite a loss of 13,000 construction jobs in February, the industry’s unemployment rate dipped to 17.1%, down from 17.7% in January. The nation’s construction industry has added 65,000 jobs, up 1.2%, since February 2011, when the unemployment rate stood at 21.8%. The non-residential building construction sector added 2,000 jobs in February and has added 15,000 jobs, or 2.3% year over year, with employment now standing at 663,200. The residential building construction sector added 2,000 jobs for the month and has added 7,000 jobs, up 1.3%, compared to one year ago, with employment at 573,000. “Predictions for monthly job growth have been on the rise, and February’s performance exceeded those expectations,” said ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “However, that is only true for the broader economy, not for the construction industry.” Basu added that ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator, which declined during the fourth quarter of last year, foreshadowed this jobs report and indicates that construction-industry employment is likely to be sluggish in the months ahead. “The good news is that the overall economy continues to mend, implying ongoing recovery in construction spending,” said Basu. “This should eventually translate into more-stable non-residential construction employment growth later this year.” The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 3 were in New York (+16,478), California (+4,320), Pennsylvania (+2,859), Texas (+2,116), and Virginia (+1,554), while the largest decreases were in Massachusetts (-2,974), Rhode Island (-1,071), New Jersey (-1,034), Puerto Rico (-562), and Kentucky (-284). Overall, the nation added 227,000 jobs as the private sector expanded by 233,000 jobs and the public sector shrank by 6,000 jobs, according to the Labor Department. Year over year, the nation added 2,021,000 jobs, up 1.5%. The unemployment rate stood at 8.3% in February, unchanged from January.

‘Western Mass. Economic Review 2012’ Available
SPRINGFIELD — Western Massachusetts Electric Co. (WMECo) recently published “Pioneering Futures: Western Massachusetts Economic Review 2012,” reviewing the lifestyle, educational, and business aspects that make the area an attractive region. “Western Mass. offers a prosperous future for businesses looking to move to the region,” said Peter Clarke, president and chief operating officer of WMECo. “WMECo proudly produces this publication in order to expose the many appealing attributes of this unique location.” Clarke noted that some areas covered in the review include the region’s industry mix, business innovation, education and productivity, international trade, and quality of life. The review also compares the region’s ranking in these and other areas to nearby regions and other states. The review can be found at www.wmeco.com/business/growyourbusiness/publications.aspx?sec=nr. Printed copies may be requested by calling (413) 787-9333.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

Big Y Completes LED Lighting Retrofit
SPRINGFIELD — Big Y Foods and Groom Energy recently announced the completion of a significant LED lighting retrofit at Big Y’s distribution facility in Springfield. The energy-efficiency upgrade is part of a broader scope of sustainability-oriented investments in its operation that will reduce the company’s environmental impact. The newly implemented LED lighting system applies the latest lighting and networking technologies, bringing better illumination, operating efficiency, and energy-savings monitoring to the Springfield distribution center. The upgrade replaced existing T5- and T8-based fluorescent lighting systems, both within the dry and cooled areas, and will reduce annual energy consumption by more than 521,833 kilowatt hours. This initiative will eliminate more than 4,000 pounds of carbon annually. Groom Energy worked closely with the Big Y energy-management team to design, test, and install the upgrade. The system is based on LED products from Digital Lumens, a Boston-based LED-systems manufacturer. The project was supported by financial incentives from Western Massachusetts Electric Co., which regularly supports energy-savings upgrades by its commercial and industrial customers. “We’re very pleased with the results of our lighting-upgrade project,” said Gary Kuchyt, manager of the Energy and Sustainability Department at Big Y Foods. “It has been a successful collaboration from the onset and will help us to dramatically reduce our energy costs — a great outcome for our company and our customers.”

INK Products Supports Square One
CHICOPEE — INK Products, an office-products, printing, and promotional-products supplier, is teaming up with local businesses in an effort to raise funds for Square One. Tom Guertin, founder of INK Products at 25 Grove St., noted that Square One will receive a percentage of a business’ purchases as a donation direct from INK Products. “This is another way local businesses, including mine, can give something extra to Square One,” he said. For more information on the promotion, contact Guertin at (413) 594-7533.

Hampden Bank
Charitable Giving
Tops $716,000 in 2011
SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden Bank Charitable Foundation Inc.’s charitable giving topped $716,000 in 2011, according to Glenn Welch, president and COO of Hampden Bank. “In addition to our foundation grants, the bank also provided significant financial support to area communities in excess of $116,000 through our marketing and human-resources departments’ community-relations activities,” noted Welch. He added that much of the funding was allocated to youth development, school enrichment, and Little League programs throughout Hampden County. “As we prepare to celebrate our 160th anniversary on April 13, I can think of no better way to mark the occasion than by recommitting ourselves to our long history of community service and support as we move through the 21st century,” he said. Community organizations receiving grants included the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, DevelopSpringfield, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Friends of the Soldiers Home of Holyoke, Square One, and Rebuild Together.

Three Companies Join to Create Red Thread
BOSTON — Three New England businesses have joined forces to become Red Thread, according to Jenny Niemann, chairman of the company. The newly combined regional enterprise connects work, workers, and the workplace as the authorized Steelcase dealer in New England. Red Thread is comprised of three companies that previously operated under the names of Office Environments of New England, bkm Total Office, and Business Interiors. “When we initially brought these three companies together, we knew they were three strong brands, each with its own brand equity in its own territory,” said Niemann in a statement. “An ancient legend describes a red thread as an unbreakable link between those meant to be together. Rebranding under Red Thread enables us to express to our customers the connection we see between our culture, values, and business mission.” Niemann added that the name also “articulates our aspiration to help our customers identify their own common threads — the way their brand, culture, and promise can be effectively expressed through their environments’ furniture, technology, architectural systems, and audio-visual solutions.” For more information, visit www.red-thread.com.

Monson Savings Reports ‘Outstanding Results’
MONSON — Monson Savings Bank President Steve Lowell recently announced that the bank’s 2011 results surpassed national and statewide benchmarks for growth and profitability while posting a record year for giving back to the community. During the bank’s annual meeting, Lowell noted that deposits grew in 2011, predominantly in core deposits, by 11%. Also, Monson Savings achieved a return on assets of 0.66%, which ranked first among peer banks throughout Massachusetts, according to Lowell. “The bank also announced outstanding results for its Financial Advisory Services division and compared these results to the 172 other banks that partner with Infinex Financial Group throughout the East Coast,” he said. “Specifically, Monson Savings ranked second of the 50 peer banks and 24th out of all Infinex partners.” He also noted that the bank gave back a record $142,000 to the community in charitable donations. “What I am most proud of is that we were able to give back so much to our community last year,” said Lowell, “while at the same time keeping our institution growing and financially healthy. We had an outstanding year, and I can’t thank our customers, staff, board, and corporators enough for their contributions.”

Open Square Welcomes Brave One Agency
HOLYOKE — Brave One, an agency specializing in corporate social responsibility and sustainability communications, recently selected Open Square for its new location. The agency plans to grow considerably in the coming year, and Brave One founders Lukas Snelling and Jesse Mayhew feel the building will allow them to grow while staying true to its commitment to sustainability. “We are really excited to be in Holyoke and participate in the Paper City’s digital revival,” said Snelling. “We think this city provides a great platform for us to do business, and we look forward to the possibility of expanding even further here.” Mayhew echoed the sentiments of Snelling. “Open Square seemed like a natural fit,” he said. “Not only are they reusing beautiful mill space, but they are generating their own renewable energy to power our office. We couldn’t be happier to be part of such an amazing and growing community.” Both founders hope their growth “will be a contributing force in Holyoke’s continued revitalization.” Brave One’s new office is located at 4 Open Square Way, Suite 219. For more information, visit www.braveoneagency.com.

Easthampton Savings Launches eBranch
EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Savings Bank has introduced a new eBranch that will be replacing its Web site at bankesb.com, according to William Hogan, president and CEO. “Our goal was to mirror what a typical experience would be for one of our customers visiting a branch and to bring it to our virtual site,” Hogan said. “This will allow greater online functionality and resources for our customers, making the entire site more convenient and easier to use.” The new eBranch will offer site search, online account opening, loan applications, and customer service along with fun and useful tools such as interactive calculators and an educational-resource center. To celebrate the launch, the bank is offering a CD and auto-loan special online. For more information, call (413) 527-1111.

JN Phillips Auto Glass Expands Service
CHICOPEE — JN Phillips Auto Glass recently opened a 7,500-square-foot distribution center in the city, and also added a Springfield service center and relocated its Northampton service center to 144 King St. “Combined with its service centers in Chicopee and Pittsfield, JN Phillips has increased the company’s ability to provide Western Mass. customers even faster, more convenient auto-glass replacements and repairs while ensuring the highest safety standards possible,” said Robert Rosenfield, CEO. Rosenfield also noted that the company has begun offering windshield recycling. “It took some time, almost two years, and a financial commitment to figure out how to do it, but it was worth it, and our customers really appreciate knowing that, when they have us replace their windshields, the damaged ones don’t end up in landfills,” said Rosenfield. “For all of us in this beautiful Pioneer Valley, preserving our environment is paramount.” In related news, Dan and Matt Bean, former operators of Bean’s Auto Glass, a locally owned family business for more than two decades, have joined JN Phillips Auto Glass. “We are very proud to be part of JN Phillips Auto Glass now,” said Dan Bean. “This is another family-owned business that puts customer service and community values first. The company’s commitment to safety, convenience, and expertise leads our industry.”

United Bank Foundation Awards $34,500
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The United Bank Foundation recently awarded $34,500 in grants to community initiatives in the Springfield area during the organization’s most recent round of funding, according to Dena Hall, president. Womanshelter/Companeras, a Holyoke-based nonprofit dedicated to assisting victims and survivors of domestic violence, received $5,000 in support from the foundation. In Springfield, students will benefit from the foundation’s $5,000 grant to Springfield School Volunteers to support the Science, Math, and Reading Tutoring (SMART) program. Also, a $5,000 grant will provide support to the Enchanted Circle Theater, an educational theater company based in Holyoke that inspires learning through the arts. The foundation awarded grants of $4,000 each to the Community Adolescent Resource and Education (CARE) Center in Holyoke, to fund a portion of the teen Rowing Strong, Rowing Together program; to Noble Hospital in Westfield, to purchase recliners for psychiatric patients in the Emergency Department; and to Springfield College, to fund the East Campus renovation project. Additional grants included $3,000 to the Carson Center for Human Services in Westfield, to fund a fully accessible spray park for Kamp for Kids; and $2,500 to Valley Community Development Corp., to support a foreclosure-prevention counseling program for Hampshire County residents. Grants of $1,000 each went to Domus Inc. to support the community youth and adult basic-education program in Greater Westfield; and to the Northampton Center for the Arts, to support Northampton Draws, a free community art festival and workshop. The United Bank Foundation has awarded more than $1.4 million in grants since it was established in 2005 as a permanent source of funding to benefit communities in United Bank’s market area.

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

‘Music for the Eyes’
Through April 7: The artwork of Preston Trombly, host of Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s nationally broadcast Symphony Hall channel, titled “Music for the Eyes,” will be exhibited through April 7 at the Arno Maris Gallery in Ely Hall on the Westfield State University campus. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m., Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call (413) 572-4400 or visit www.westfield.ma.edu/galleries.

Author Lecture
March 28: Internationally acclaimed author Tom Perrotta will read from his upcoming novel, The Leftovers, at 10:10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. in Scibelli Hall Theater, as part of the Ovations series at Springfield Technical Community College. The talks are free and open to the public. Two of Perrotta’s books, Election and Little Children, have been made into movies, and five novels have been national bestsellers. For more information, call (413) 755-4233.

ADA, FMLA Workshop
March 29: Royal LLP, in conjunction with the Human Service Forum, will present a workshop at the Delaney House in Holyoke on the compliance issues involving the ADA and FMLA. The interactive workshop addresses some of the most common questions that upper management faces each day. Attendees will learn skills and strategies that can help reduce the risk of employment litigation. For more information on the 8:30 a.m. to noon event, contact Ann-Marie Marcil at (413) 586-2288 or visit www.humanserviceforum.org.

Not Just Business as Usual
April 5: Former NBA player and businessman Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman will be the guest speaker at the Springfield Technical Community College Foundation’s third annual Not Just Business as Usual event at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. A cocktail and networking reception is planned from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the dinner program from 7 to 9 p.m. Bridgeman spent most of his 12-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks, but also played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the current franchise owner of more than 160 Wendy’s and 120 Chili’s restaurants. The event encourages local businesses to come together for an evening to network, learn from one another, and support student success. Funds from the event will provide students access to opportunities through scholarships, technology, and career direction to be successful future employees and citizens. “It’s a time to celebrate innovations, change, and our region’s success,” said STCC Foundation Interim Director Robert LePage. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, and individual tickets are $175 each. For more information, contact LePage at (413) 755-4477 or [email protected].

Constitution Café
April 10: Author and philosopher Christopher Phillips’ latest book, Constitution Café, draws on the nation’s rebellious past to incite meaningful change today. He proposes that Americans revise the Constitution every so often, not just to reflect the changing times, but to revive and perpetuate the original revolutionary spirit. He will present a free lecture at 8 p.m. in the dining hall at Blake Student Commons, on the Bay Path College campus, 588 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. The lecture is part of the annual Kaleidoscope series. For more information, call (413) 565-1000 or visit www.baypath.edu.

Marketing Basics Seminar
April 11: The Mass. Small Business Development Center Network will host a lecture titled “Marketing Basics” from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Dianne Doherty of the MSBDC Network will present the workshop that will focus on the basic disciplines of marketing, beginning with research (primary, secondary, qualitative, and quantitative). For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass. The cost is $40.

RetireSmart Seminar
April 11: MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division continues its web-based RetireSmart interactive participant education series with “Understanding Target-Date and Target-Risk Investments” at noon. The 30-minute presentation will cover taking charge of your retirement-investing strategy in today’s market environment; the ABCs of target-date and target-risk strategies, and how these investments may fit into your overall plan. Space for the live online seminar is prioritized to retirement-plan sponsors and participants on MassMutual’s platform. MassMutual retirement-plan clients can register by logging into their retirement-plan account at www.retiresmart.com or by visiting www.retiresmartseminars.com.

Slam Poet Lecture
April 13: Taylor Mali, a former high-school teacher who has emerged from the slam-poetry movement as one of its leaders, will discuss his performances at 10:10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. in Scibelli Hall Theater, as part of the Ovations series at Springfield Technical Community College. The talks are free and open to the public. For more information, call (413) 755-4233.

Christo to Keynote Riverscaping Conference
April 19-22: An international conference on the art, history, and science of the river will feature the celebrated artist Christo, whose latest project will be to install 5.9 miles of fabric over a stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado. The Five College Riverscaping Conference also includes lectures, gallery openings, student poster sessions, and a two-day symposium opened by Jonathan Lash, Hampshire College’s new president and the former president of the World Resources Institute. The conference marks the conclusion of the 18-month Five College Riverscaping project, funded in large part by a grant from the American delegation to the European Union and in partnership with river experts from Hamburg, Germany. Aimed at developing sustainable approaches to reconnecting people with the river, the Riverscaping effort has brought together students, policy makers, artists, academics, entrepreneurs and environmentalists in a series of ‘laboratories.’ Centered around education, research, and design, the laboratories focus on Massachusetts’ stretch of the Connecticut River and the Elbe River in Hamburg. Christo’s address, at Smith College’s John M. Green Hall, will open the conference on April 19. He will discuss the two current projects that he and Jeanne-Claude (who died in 2009) have initiated: “Over the River” on the Arkansas River and “The Mastaba,” in the United Arab Emirates. The river installation, planned for the summer of 2015, will involve suspending nearly six miles of luminous fabric panels over a 42-mile stretch of the upper Arkansas River in Colorado. The project, while controversial, has received federal and state approval. Lash will open Saturday’s symposium sessions with his comments on “Why the River Matters.” Other highlights of the symposium on Friday and Saturday include papers by a wide range of designers, scientists, and scholars from around the world, including Jinnai Hidenobou of Hosei University in Tokyo, Johan Varekamp of Wesleyan University, and T.S. McMillin of Oberlin College, author of The Meaning of Rivers. A student session takes place on Friday evening, and a performance of music and readings will follow on Saturday. The entire conference, including Christo’s address, is free and open to the public, but online registration is required. Visit www.riverscaping.org for a complete schedule and to register for the Christo address and all the other events.

Comedy Night to
Benefit Charities
April 21: Smith & Wesson Corp. will host a benefit comedy show to support two local children’s charities, the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Ronald McDonald House, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Cedars Banquet Hall, 419 Island Pond Road, Springfield. Tickets are $30 per person, and include the show, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres prior to the show, a cash bar, raffles, fund-raising, games, and music. Teddie Barrett of Teddie B. Comedy will emcee the event, featuring professional comedians Bill Campbell, Dan Crohn, and Stacy Yannetty Pema. For tickets or more information, contact Phyllis Settembro, Smith & Wesson, (413) 747-3597; Karen Motyka, Shriners Hospital, (413) 787-2032; or Jennifer Putnam, Ronald McDonald House, (413) 794-5683.

‘Adapt, Diversify,
Reinvent & Grow’
May 16: Local business owners will talk about what they have done to keep ahead of the many demands on their time, and at the same time adjust for the economic environment, during a workshop titled “Adapt, Diversify, Reinvent & Grow” at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Presenters include Paul DiGrigoli of Digrigoli Salon & School of Cosmetology; Tara Tetreault of Jackson & Connor; Kate Vishnyakov of Kate Gray Inc.; and Rick Ricard of Larien Products. The 9 to 11 a.m. session is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.

NYC Bus Trip
June 30: The Chicopee Chamber of Commerce will host a bus trip to New York City, leaving the chamber parking lot at 7 a.m. and returning around 9:30 p.m. Participants are on their own for the day in New York City. Tickets are $45 per person. For more information, contact Lynn at (413) 594-2101.

40 Under Forty
June 21: BusinessWest will present its sixth class of regional rising stars at its annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The June 21 gala will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners. Tickets are $60 per person, with tables of 10 available. Early registration is advised, as seating is limited. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com.

Western Mass.
Business Expo
Oct. 11: BusinessWest will again present the Western Mass. Business Expo. The event, which made its debut last fall at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, will feature more than 180 exhibitors, seminars, special presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and the year’s most extensive networking opportunity. Comcast Business Class will again be the presenting sponsor of the event. Details, including breakfast and lunch agendas, seminar topics, and featured speakers, will be printed in the pages of BusinessWest over the coming months. For more information or to purchase a booth, call (413) 781-8600, or e-mail [email protected], or visit www.wmbexpo.com.

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets 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.

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Complete Restoration Solutions Inc. v. Oak Tree Inn Corp. and Fernando F. Nogueira
Allegation: Balance due for repair and cleaning services rendered: $31,113.37
Filed: 2/28/12

Cynthia and Lester Hebert v. Valley Surgeons Inc., Bradford C. Gray, M.D., Ernest M. Mittelholzer, M.D., and Holyoke Radiologists
Allegation: Medical malpractice: $775,000
Filed: 3/1/12

L.L Klink & Sons Inc. v. Hampden Structural Systems Inc. d/b/a Private Garden Greenhouse Systems and Joseph Hickson
Allegation: Suit for enforcement of a previous judgment: $45,744.25
Filed: 3/5/12

Maria Consedine v. Home Goods Inc.
Allegation: Products stacked on a shelf fell on the plaintiff’s foot, causing a fracture: $3,356.55
Filed: 2/24/12

William Brock v. Pride Convenience Inc. and Robert Bolduc
Allegation: Non-payment of wages: $30,000
Filed: 2/28/12

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Unifirst Corp. v. Everything Sounds Custom
Allegation: Breach of contract: $14,186.75
Filed: 2/2/12

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
M and I Bank, FSB v. Easthampton Trading Co. Inc.
Allegation: Balance due on business line of credit: $40,019.43
Filed: 1/23/12

Tri-County Schools v. Mohawk Trail Regional School District
Allegation: Unpaid educational services provided: $19,755.16
Filed: 2/15/12

PALMER DISTRICT COURT
Capital One Bank v. The Cheney Team
Allegation: Monies owed for credit advanced: $7,201.97
Filed: 1/20/12

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Acushnet Co. v. Hampden Realty Partners, LLC and William Tragakis and Domenic L. Cardinale
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $21,087.81
Filed: 1/24/12

Jason Payero v. TR Stone Trucking Co.
Allegation: Failure to pay wages: $10,873
Filed: 2/21/12

Pacific Southwest Industries v. Langone Pipeline and Utility
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $9,134.74
Filed: 1/24/12

Stanislav Vasilevski and Eugene Dubakov a/k/a Yavgeni Divakov v. Orchard Car Co. Inc.
Allegation: Common-law fraud and breach of contract for sale of a motor vehicle: $18,100
Filed: 2/10/12

United Rentals Inc. v. Bridges, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of materials, equipment, and services on a construction project: $11,915.24
Filed: 2/8/12

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

AFFILIATED CHAMBERS
OF COMMERCE OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• April 3: Springfield Chamber of Commerce Executive Directors meeting, noon to 1:30 p.m., EDC Conference Room, Springfield.
• April 4: ACCGS Business @ Breakfast, at the MassMutual Learning & Conference Center, Memorial Drive, Chicopee. Doors open at 7:15 a.m. Cost: $20 for members, $30 for non-members.
• April 11: ACCGS After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Get Set Marketing, 207 Worthington St., Springfield. Cost: $10 for members, $20 for non-members.
• April 13: ACCGS Legislative Steering Committee, 8-9 a.m., at the TD Bank Conference Center, Springfield.
• April 18: ERC Board of Directors meeting, 8- 9 a.m., at the Gardens of Wilbraham, Community Room, 2 Lodge Lane, Wilbraham.
• April 18: ACCGS Ambassadors Meeting, 4-5 p.m., EDC Conference Room, Springfield.
• April 19: ACCGS Executive Committee meeting, noon to 1 p.m., in the TD Bank Conference Room, Chamber Offices.
• April 25: Annual Beacon Hill Summit. Save the date for the ACCGS’ yearly State House visit. Details to follow soon.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• March 28: Margarita Madness, 5-7 p.m., at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The public is invited. Cost: $25 per person, $40 per couple; chamber members are $20 per person. A margarita-tasting event will be featured;  sample 12 margaritas and vote for your favorites. Sponsored by MassLive.com, the Valley Advocate, Greenfield Savings Bank, Applewood at Amherst, Copycat Amherst, Encharter Insurance LLC, Hope & Feathers Framing, Johnny’s Tavern, Judie’s Restaurant, 30 Boltwood, Lit, the Pub, UMass Fine Arts Center, Your Promotional Consultant/NEPM, and more.
• April 11: Chamber breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Lord Jeffery Inn. Cost: $15 for non-members, $12 for members.
• April 17: Chamber Brown Bag: “Networking Secrets from an Ex-Wallflower,” 12:30-2 p.m., in the Jones Library large meeting room. Guest speaker: Val Nelson.
• April 25: Chamber After 5, 5- 7 p.m., event location to be announced. Cost: $10 for non-members, $5 for members.

CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• April 1: April Salute Breakfast, 7:15- 9 a.m., at the Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College. Cost: $19 for members, $26 for non-members.
• April 12: Business Executive Roundtables, 8:30-10:30 a.m. The CEO Roundtables program will match up to 15 business leaders from non-competitive companies based on company size and expectations. It is not an industry group. Participants come from companies in various fields to confidently share their unique perspectives, experience, business challenges, and lessons learned during regular monthly meetings that offer intellectual discussion and debate. Cost: $75 for members, $100 for non-members.
• April 25: April Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at the Hampton Inn in Chicopee. Cost: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

• April 24: HCC non-credit course. Special chamber rate. Call the chamber for more information.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• April 4: Arrive @5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by RK Miles, 24 West St., West Hatfield.  Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can; a casual mix and mingle with colleagues and friends. Sponsored by Keiter Builders. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information about the event or to RSVP, call the chamber at (413) 584-1900, or e-mail [email protected].

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• April 3: Professional Women’s Chamber New Member Welcome Reception, 6-8 p.m., at the 350 Grill, Worthington St., Springfield. Free hors d’oeuvres; cash bar.
• April 11: Professional Women’s Chamber Roundtable, “Health and Wellness,” 11 a.m.-1 p.m., hosted by Max’s Tavern, MassMutual Room, Springfield. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members.
• April 26: The Professional Women’s Chamber “Chocolate Affair,” 6- 9 p.m., at Chez Josef, Tivoli Room, Agawam. Featuring chocolate desserts, cordials, and shopping at vendor booths. Cost: $25 in advance, $40 at the door.
GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• March 28: WestNet Plus One!, 5-7 p.m., hosted by PeoplesBank, 281 East Main St., Westfield. Network with fellow chamber members and meet new members and businesses in the area. Guest speaker: Patrick Berry, President of the Westfield News. Cost: $10 for chamber members, $15 cash for non-members. Don’t forget your business cards. To register, call Carrie Dearing at (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected].
• March 31: 2012 Spring Southwick Economic Development Commission (EDC) Home & Business Show, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at Town Hall, 454 College Highway, Southwick. This tabletop exhibit of Southwick businesses is free to the public, and the EDC will be collecting non-perishable food items for the local Food Pantry. Several free seminars will be held. Please visit www.southwickma.info for more information.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF
GREATER SPRINGFIELD
www.springfieldyps.com

• April 19: April Third Thursday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Adolfo’s Ristorante, 254 Worthington St., Springfield.

PictureThis

By
Berkshire-Bank
Departments Picture This

Send photos with a caption and contact information to:  ‘Picture This’ c/o BusinessWest Magazine, 1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103 or to [email protected]

Taking Shape

0184
0199
197
0202
Members of the media had the opportunity to tour the inside of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center on March 14. John Goodhue, executive director of the center (seen at top and second-from-top),  led a tour of the 90,000-square-foot, $168 million facility taking shape at the former Mastex Industries site in downtown Holyoke. Work on the center is expected to be completed at the end of this year. Partners in the center are the University of Massachusetts, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Northeastern University, EMC Corp., and Cisco Systems.




















St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast

Berkshire-Bank

The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce staged its annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast on March 16. A number of city officials and state legislators took to the podium, and BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien delivered the keynote address. At top, a delegation from Berkshire Bank takes in the festivities, while below, representatives of Noble Hospital enjoy the day’s events. At bottom, the Westfield Colleen, Meagan Susan Casey (center), enjoys a bite of cake with her court, from left, Meaghan Kwarzinski, Ryan Hickson, Sinead Smith, and Connor Sheehan.

Editorial

By
Opinion
Continuing the Search for Answers

State Rep. Jim McGovern hit the nail on the head — repeatedly.
In his comments to attendees at a recent symposium titled “Digital Games: Playing in the Valley” (see story, page 17), he said that few industries “can project the growth characteristics of the game industry.” And he’s right. He then said that, to get the regional economy back on its feet, video games comprise “one of the answers.” Right again.
And notice the use of the plural, because it’s important.
Indeed, there are still many people in this region looking for the answer, or the next big thing. After decades of searching, one would think that they would know by now that there isn’t one answer to this region’s problems when it comes to vibrancy, job creation, and overall reinvention from its days as a manufacturing hub. And there won’t be one big thing, either.
It must be many things, or many answers. Which brings us back to the symposium at Hampshire College earlier this month. It was there that speaker after speaker — from college professors to elected officials like McGovern to people like Allan Blair, president of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council — talked about how this region could be a hub for video-game-related businesses, and how it should be.
Not all, but most of the active ingredients are there to make this happen, the various speakers said, listing everything from cost of living to a critical mass of young college students, to a quality of life sought by the younger generations. The challenge, they said, is to foster this young, still-growing industry, and to overcome the hurdles, such as the lack of a solid reputation in this industry and also the incomprehensible lack of high-speed Internet access in some of the more remote but still-desirable areas of this region.
The day’s events and speeches could be summed up as a call to action, an effort to raise awareness when it comes to the job potential of a still-misunderstood subsector of the economy, and an attempt to rally the necessary support to convert something that most consider a longshot into something doable.
We need more events like this in Western Mass. because we need to tap a number of wells when it comes to innovation and job creation, in fields like video games, green energy, the biosciences, medical-instrument manufacturing, and more.
The first step is to acknowledge and understand the full potential of some of these emerging industries or clusters — and many speakers admitted that they hadn’t previously had such an appreciation of the video-game sector — and then to be carefully aggressive in creating an environment in which such ventures can thrive.
‘Carefully aggressive’ might sound like an oxymoron, but it’s not. Cities, regions, and states must indeed be aggressive when it comes to supporting potential jobs — Rhode Island was when it gave former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s video-game business, 38 Studios, a $75 million loan to get to the next level in the Ocean State — but they must also be prudent. Massachusetts learned the lesson the hard way when it gave huge incentives to Evergreen Solar, not understanding that market forces would soon drive production of such systems overseas.
No one could have imagined 30 years ago that video games would be a course of study in college and a source of many thousands of jobs worldwide. Likewise, no one knows what we’ll be saying these same things about 30 years from now.
What we do know is that the region must be diligent in its search for answers — in the plural — because it will take many of them to create the solid jobs our communities will need moving forward.

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