Home 2014 April 22 (Page 2)

Day: April 22, 2014

People on the Move

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Departments People on the Move

Holyoke-based PeoplesBankDonna Bliznak Donna Bliznak[/caption]• Donna Bliznak has been promoted to First Vice President, Commercial Lending. Bliznak possesses more than 40 years of financial and banking experience. She joined the bank in 1990 as Assistant Vice President, Commercial Lending, and was later promoted to Vice President, Lending. She holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst, as well as an associate’s degree from Holyoke Community College. She serves on the board of directors for the Stavros Center for Independent Living and the Northampton Chamber of Commerce;



Susan Wilson

Susan Wilson

• Susan Wilson has been promoted to First Vice President, Corporate Responsibility. Wilson joined the bank in 1998 as Marketing Manager. Most recently, she served as Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, where she was the liaison between the bank and the community. She holds an MBA from Western New England University, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bryant University, and an associate’s degree from Bay Path College. She is a co-chair of the Western Massachusetts Funders Group and a member of the Capital Campaign Planning Committee, Associated Grant Makers, and the Grant Managers Network;
• Donna Charette has been promoted to Vice President, Finance. Charette possesses more than 25 years of financial and banking experience. She joined the bank in 1989 and has served in several positions throughout her career, including most recently as Assistant Vice President, Finance. Charette is a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Financial Studies at Babson College. She also holds an asset liability certification;
• Jeffry Kerr has been promoted to Vice President, Marketing. In this role, he will direct Retail Division marketing programs. Kerr possesses more than 25 years of banking and financial experience. He is instrumental in driving consumer acquisition and retention strategies. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts;
• Katherine St. Mary has been promoted to Vice President, Consumer Lending. St. Mary possesses more than 30 years of banking and financial experience. She joined the bank in 2005 as a Residential Mortgage Underwriter. St. Mary holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American International College and an associate’s degree from Holyoke Community College. She also graduated from the Massachusetts School for Financial Studies at Babson College;
• Xiaolei Hua has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Credit Officer. Hua joined the bank in 2006 as a Management Development Trainee and has served as Commercial Credit Officer and Project Management Officer. Hua holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UMass Amherst and is currently working toward a master’s degree from the university’s Isenberg School of Management. He is a board member at the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity;
• Erinn Young has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager of the Longmeadow office. She possesses more than 17 years of financial and banking experience. Young holds a bachelor of administration degree in business executive management from Bay Path College. She is the director of Cancer Free Kids Inc. and a board member of the professional advisory board for Rachel’s Table. Young also serves as a committee member at the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield and the East of the River Chamber of Commerce;
• Annmarie Hurley has been promoted to Accounting Officer. Hurley possesses more than 20 years of banking and financial experience. Hurley joined the bank in 1993 and most recently held the position of Senior Staff Accountant. Hurley holds a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University; and
David Williams

David Williams

• David Williams has been appointed Mortgage Consultant. He will focus primarily on communities west of the Connecticut River, including Agawam, West Springfield, and Westfield. In his role, he will have a variety of mortgage options to offer customers, including refinancing and special first-time homebuyers’ programs. Williams brings more than 20 years of mortgage-lending experience to his new position, including serving as a Mortgage Origination Manager and Regional Mortgage Sales Manager at other financial institutions. Williams earned a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University. He is an active member of the Realtor Assoc. of the Pioneer Valley.
•••••
Health New England announced that Susan O’Connor has been promoted to Director of Government Programs. O’Connor joined HNE in 2008 as a staff attorney. She was promoted to Assistant General Council in 2009 and in 2012 to the Director of Legal Services and Assistant General Counsel for Health New England. In her new role, she is responsible for directing the Medicare and Medicaid operations for Health New England. This includes the development of the Medicare and Medicaid business strategies, ensuring alignment with the strategic goals of the company. She will be also be responsible for leading the growth of both lines of business and overseeing operations related to the government programs. Prior to joining HNE in 2008, O’Connor was Director of Legal Affairs for the Pioneer Health Group. Before establishing her career in law, she served as Program Director for Families in Crisis, an organization dedicated to meeting the needs of offenders and their families. O’Connor graduated from Clark University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut, and received her law degree from Western New England University. She is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. and the American Health Lawyers Assoc.
•••••
Rose Gage

Rose Gage

The Gray House announced that Rose Gage has joined the agency as its new Food Pantry and Thrift Store Program Director. Gage is responsible for all aspects of the food pantry and thrift store, including client services, volunteer management, donation/inventory coordination, quality control, and documentation. She will continue to build and maintain relationships with the Food Bank, Rachel’s Table, and numerous groups and organizations that host donation drives, along with individual donors. Gage worked at Western New England University from 2005 to 2011 and at Bridgewater State University as the Assistant Director for the Community Service Center since then. She earned her bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology from Marywood University in Scranton, Penn. in 1997. In 1999, she earned a master’s degree in Agency Counseling from the same institution. For 13 years, she worked in higher education, in the areas of residence life and civic engagement. The Gray House is a small, neighborhood human-service agency located at 22 Sheldon St. in the North End of Springfield. Its mission is to help neighbors facing hardships to meet their immediate and transitional needs by providing food, clothing, and educational services in a safe, positive environment.
•••••
Mariana Bolivar, an Assistant Professor of modern language at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), has been elected to a three-year term as a regional delegate of the Modern Language Assoc. of America’s (MLA) delegate assembly. Founded in 1883 to strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature, the MLA serves as a platform for English and foreign-language teachers to share scholarly findings and teaching experiences. The association holds a yearly convention to discuss issues that are critical to these academic fields.

Briefcase

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Briefcase Departments

Report Details State’s Healthcare Costs, Access
BOSTON — The Massachusetts healthcare reform law of 2006 set in motion a number of important changes to the healthcare system, which have affected Massachusetts residents, businesses, healthcare providers, and others. Since 2006, the Massachusetts Health Reform Survey (MHRS) has been an important means of monitoring and understanding these impacts. The most recent report, conducted in the fall of 2012, just after passage of the state’s healthcare cost-containment law, brings both good news and signs that warrant concern. As with previous versions of the MHRS, the just-released results of the 2012 survey provide promising evidence that the insurance provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which were modeled after the 2006 Massachusetts law, will improve coverage and access across the nation. However, the 2012 survey also shows that healthcare costs continue to be a burden for many. Massachusetts continues to have the highest rate of insurance coverage for non-elderly adults of any state, 94.6%. This is a significant improvement over 2006, when 85.9% of non-elderly adults had insurance, and much higher than the current national level of 79.7%. In addition, gaps in coverage have lessened: 88% of adults in Massachusetts reported being covered for the entire year, much higher than the national level of just under 75%. The proportion of people in Massachusetts who are “persistently uninsured” has been cut by nearly three-quarters, falling from 9.3% in 2006 to 2.7% in 2012. The survey indicates that respondents are generally satisfied with their healthcare coverage, with about two-thirds rating their coverage as very good or excellent on the range of services, choice of providers, and quality of care, up more than 10% from pre-reform. Access to care is also is very good; nearly nine in 10 respondents reported having a place, other than the emergency room, to go to when they are sick or need advice about their health. This is higher than national estimates for this measure, which top off at around 80%. Use of physician services is also higher in Massachusetts than it is nationally. Eight in 10 non-elderly adults reported having visited a doctor in the past 12 months, compared with 63% nationally. On the issue of affordability, more than 40% of non-elderly adults reported that healthcare costs had been a problem for them and their families over the previous year, including 37.1% who experienced problems with healthcare spending and 16.4% who reported going without needed care because of cost. Having health-insurance coverage did not eliminate cost concerns, as 38.7% of those who were insured for the full year reported that they had problems with healthcare spending. One reason the burden of healthcare costs has not diminished with rising levels of coverage is the continuing trend among employers to shift costs onto workers and their families, such as through high-deductible plans.

Massachusetts Ranks High in Spending Transparency
BOSTON — Massachusetts received an A– grade in government spending transparency according to “Following the Money 2014: How the 50 States Rate in Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fifth annual report of its kind by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG). “We have worked hard to make state government more transparent for taxpayers, and this superb grade from MASSPIRG reflects that,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor. Massachusetts came in at the top of the nation with a grade of 91.5, maintaining it’s A– rating for the third year in a row despite the increasing difficulty of the annual survey as technology improves and consumer expectations rise. The MASSPIRG report designates Massachusetts as a ‘leading state’ in progress toward improved online spending transparency, allowing ordinary citizens to find information through easy-to-use features. The report applauds Massachusetts for increasing transparency by awarding more than $300,000 in grants to six cities to post their spending information online, and planning to help 20 cities post their spending information online by January 2015; posting information on state contracts and bidding opportunities through the state’s checkbook-level procurement website, saving the state $3 million by eliminating paper, postage, and printing costs associated with information requests by state agencies and paperwork from vendors; and improving the state’s transparency website by publishing a report on the Economic Development Incentive Program, which provides recipient-specific details on jobs retained and created. “Given that our grading standards rise annually, earning an A– each year means Massachusetts has demonstrated a significant commitment toward transparency and is continually investing in improvements,” said Andrew Fish, program associate with the MASSPIRG Education Fund. “Gov. Patrick’s commitment to increasing disclosure of the state’s finances allows the public to see how their tax dollars are being invested, promoting both efficiency and accountability.” Patrick’s FY 2015 budget, which was published in a program-based manner and added performance data to the state budget for the first time, aimed to make more spending and performance data available to the public. To read the full report, visit www.masspirg.org.

DevelopSpringfield Issues 1095 Main Street Grant
SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield announced that it has awarded a $20,000 grant for façade improvements to 1095 Main St., property owned by 1095 Main Street Irrevocable Trust. Building tenants include Square One Family Center and Santos Family Chiropractic. The grant is made possible under DevelopSpringfield’s Corridor Storefront Improvement Program, which provides grants of up to $10,000 per storefront for exterior improvements to first-floor businesses located on State and Main streets in Springfield. The funds were used to revitalize and repair the existing façade and included new windows, doors, and signage. The grant is supporting a substantial investment for improvements to the building by the property owner. “This project represents well over $100,000 in capital improvements to the façade of this building,” said Ralph Capua of 1095 Main Street Irrevocable Trust. “It’s an example of our commitment to bringing business back to the South End, and allows for additional leasing opportunities for prospective business owners.” The project shows a strong commitment to revitalization Springfield’s South End, an area devastated by the June 2011 tornado. Improvements to this structure made it possible for Square One, which lost its site after the tornado and was further displaced by the downtown natural-gas explosion in November 2012, to find a new home. The Square One Family Center celebrated the opening of its 1095 Main St. facility last September.

Company Notebook

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Company Notebook Departments

Rick’s Auto Body Supports Link to Libraries
SPRINGFIELD — Rick’s Auto Body in Springfield recently became the latest Link to Libraries Business Book Link sponsor, with its support and contribution of more than 300 new books each year to the Baystate Academy Charter School on Franklin Street in Springfield. “Rick’s Auto Body has stepped up to offer much-needed resources and support to this school,” said Susan Landry, director of Business Book Link. “We’re honored by their support and advocacy to the Link to Libraries program. These students will be supplied with books of all genres for their school library and for their own home library throughout the next three years.” Since its inception in 2008, Link to Libraries has donated more than 225,000 new books to Western Mass. schools, nonprofits, and individuals. For more information on Link to Libraries and its childhood-literacy programs, contact (413) 224-1031 or visit www.linktolibraries.org.

ESB Gives $10,000 to Center for Health Education at HCC
EASTHAMPTON — Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of Easthampton Savings Bank, announced that the bank has made a $10,000 contribution to the Holyoke Community College Foundation for the Center for Health Education. When it opens, the facility will be equipped with sophisticated patient simulators, ranging from maternity and newborn to pediatric and geriatric, in support of nursing education. “The center will significantly expand the college’s nursing and radiologic technology programs, further allowing us to better serve the community,” said Erica Broman, vice president of institutional development and executive director of the Holyoke Community College Foundation. “It will also support the educational needs of the region through partnerships with other community colleges, local agencies, medical facilities, and K-12 schools in the region.” Added Sosik, “building healthy communities starts with education and reliable resources. An investment in this facility is an investment in our communities’ future.” Holyoke Community College will also use the classrooms in the center for outreach programs that will provide free and low-cost health-education programs for residents of Holyoke, Easthampton, and surrounding communities.

HealthSouth Opens Facility at Ludlow Mills
LUDLOW — HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Mass. recently celebrated its grand opening at Ludlow Mills. The $28.5 million facility consists of 53 beds and offers all private rooms. It provides rehabilitative care to patients who are recovering from stroke and other neurological disorders, brain and spinal cord injuries, amputation, and orthopedic, cardiac, and pulmonary conditions. At 74,500 square feet, HealthSouth used more than 100,000 recycled bricks and planed wooden beams from old mill buildings. The facility is part of the Ludlow Mills redevelopment project being undertaken by the Westmass Area Redevelopment Corp. The new HealthSouth is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver-certified hospital, signifying that it meets and exceeds established green-building criteria.

Incorporations

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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

Wicked in Pink Run Inc., 53 Fairview St., Agawam, MA 01001. Robert Alves, same. Raise money for the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center patient fund.

Lenox

House of Playa Inc., 170 Housatonic St., Lenox, MA 01240. Kelley M. Keefner, same. Clothing sales.

Milton Silverstein, PH.D., P.C., 347 East St., Lenox, MA 01240. Milton Silverstein, same. Psychological care and services.

Longmeadow

L2 Lacrosse Inc., 68 Robin Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Ryan Thomas Liebel, same. Lacrosse coaching services.

Media Preservation Foundation Inc., 541 Laurel St., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Tracy E. Carman, same. Media archival and community educational services.

Ludlow

Ham Communications Inc., 58 Jackie Dr., Ludlow, MA 01056. Bethany McLaughlin-Maynard, same. Telecommunications consulting.

Montague

Stone’s Equipment Repair Inc., 484 Federal St., Montague, MA 01351. Jason A. Stone, 477 Federal St., Montague, MA 01351. Equipment repair.

Northampton

Jessica Saravia Inc., 122 Main St., Northampton, MA 01060. Oscar A Saravia, 17 Queen Circle, South Hadley, MA 01075. Fast food restaurant.

Northampton Pedal Cabs Inc., 351 Pleasant St., Suite B #139, Northampton, MA 01060. Carlos E. Marti, 140 Langevin St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Pedal cabs.

Pittsfield

Furlano & Arace P.C., 386 South St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Nelson E. Furlano, same. Public accountancy.

Kiwk Food Mart Inc., 8 Bull Hill Rd., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Rakeshkumar Vyas, same. Convenience and gas station.

Lifetime Vacation Consultants Inc., 770 Williams St. Plaza, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Philip J. Constantino, 146 Karen Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Points club memberships for vacations.

South Hadley

Edge Tree Service Inc., 336 Hadley St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Peter Edge, same. Tree removal and landscaping services.

Southwick

P & H Distribution Inc., 30 Woodland Ridge Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Arsen Hoxha, same. Parcel and document delivery.

Springfield

Engaging for Action in Burundi (EFAB) Inc., 82 Maple St., Apt. 101, Springfield, MA 01105. Pascal Akimana, 17 Old Jarvis Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040. To advocate for good governance in Burundi.

Bankruptcies

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Bankruptcies Departments

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

Albrecht, Susan A.
79 Talbot Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Andrews, Sandra E.
3 Field Dr.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Berthiaume, Nathan
413 Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/14

Bourgeois, Michael
15 1/2 North St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Butler, James M.
70 Ruthven St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/14

Celestial Visions Inc.
Kopec, Celeste A.
61 Parallel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Cronin, John M.
22 Carol Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/14

Dockum, Thelma G.
Phins Hill Manor
50 West State St., AP
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Dubois, Holly Beth
76 Monroe St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/15/14

Fondon, Tommy L.
Fondon, Janine
189 Braeburn Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/14

Fontaine, Gregory J.
37 Steuben St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/15/14

Gay, Albert T.
Gay, Tanya L.
94 Jacob St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Goff, Jeffrey M.
Goff, Amy R.
64 Biddle St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Hamade, Yasser M.
127 Woodcrest Circle
Springfield, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Hojnowski, Krista A.
17 Adams St., Apt. 6
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Kronoff, Charles R.
Kronoff, Mary Beth
577 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/14

McCann, Shawn P.
3 Oakwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Murray, Erin N.
68 Knollwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Pashko, Joseph M.
53 West School St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Penoyer, Curtis J.
Penoyer, Sonya C.
P.O. Box 528
Bondsville, MA 01009
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Raffloer, Evelyn
417 Springfield St., #140
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Rivera, Albert
Murphy-Rivera, Kimberly A.
245 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Doing Business as Certificates

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DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of and April 2014.

AMHERST

Amherst Survival Center
138 Sunderland Road
Mindy Domb

Head Games Beauty Supply
67 North Pleasant St.
Erica Wilson-Perkins

The Homestead
500 Sunderland Ave.
Peter Emmet

Woodland Associates
67 Hulst Road
Michael Hutton-Woodland

CHICOPEE

4 Quality Home Construction
116 Hampden St.
Denis Borisov

Bottle in the Smoke
76 Meadow St.
Jonathan Fannin

Greenski Contracting
188 Irene St.
Jeremy Greene

R & J Transport, LLC
106 Fletcher Circle
Robert Craig

LUDLOW

Chicago Pneumatic Construction Equipment
151 Carmelina’s Circle
Mining, Rock Excavation & Construction, LLC

Liberty Tax Service
61 East St.
Steven Kowalski

Massachusetts Refrigerant Abatement
100 State St.
Thomas Washer

Monark Complementary Health
110 Clearwater Circle
Monica Gagnon

Moonlight Café
387 East St.
Ten-Go, Inc.

NORTHAMPTON

Ann Xtra Hand
33 Roe Ave.
Patricia A. Rick

Couples Center of the Pioneer Valley
182 Main St.
Katherine Waddell

Greg’s Auto Repair
376 Easthampton Road
Jeffrey Tenczar

Leading The Way Doggie Daycare
18 Chestnut St.
Melissa Mehlman

Mike’s Along For The Ride
157 Prospect Ave.
Michael Cahill

R & L Healthcare Consulting
35 New South St.
Robin Lango

Room 6 Salon
140 Pine St.
Melanie Burnett

Steady Pine Publishing
8 Hockanon Road
Kerim May

System Technology RX
19 Whittier St.
John Celentano

SOUTHWICK

Diversified Technical Products
6 Pearl Brook Road
David Thompson

G.J. Battles Remodeling
49 Point Grove Road
Gregory Battles

LJ’s Unlimited Landscaping
10 Lexington Circle
Leonard Allen III

Ming House
648 College Highway
Shuming Chen

Our Community Food Pantry Inc.
220 College Highway
Pauline Cebula

SPRINGFIELD

K & S Wholesaler
258 Main St.
Warren Costa

Kevin Conway Auto Sales
200 Orange St.
William McCarthy

Kimi, LLC
38 Kingoke Lane
Kimberly K. Weaver

Maidpro
527 Belmont St.
Heewon Yang

Majestic Barber Shop 2
322 St. James Ave.
Misael Colon

Mi Antojito Bakery
126 Walnut St.
Marilyn Gali

Mobile Welding
74 Joan St.
Michael Skrabely

My Sister’s Stuff
143 Main St.
Angela M. Enos

Mylrose Lawn Care
9 Flint St.
Anthony Brown

NEFW Pro Wrestling
61 Starling Road
Shileen L. Gallerani

No B.S. Property Maintenance
261 Oakland St.
Corey J. Scott

North End Pizzeria
2550 Main St.
Daniel E. Ojeda

One Stop Mart
477 Boston Road
Ramchandra Parekh

Pioneer Valley Industries
16 Esther St.
William J. Kern II

Protemp
24 Hiawatha St.
Sean Gould

Red’s Variety, LLC
1196 St. James Ave.
Natalie A. Henry

Rhino Linings of Springfield
50 Verge St.
Michael T. Dancy

Rumba Music Shop
2633 Main St.
Felix Perez

S & K Distribution, LLC
165 Avocado St.
Ray Steele

United States Veterans
1350 Main St.
Luann Beaulieu

Uno Chicago Grill
1722 Boston Road
Uno Restaurants, LLC

Unstoppable Auto Club
511 East Columbus Ave.
Zenita Roman

WESTFIELD

Big Big Box, LLC
66 Industrial Park Road
Anthony Gleason

CZ Power Body Work
31 Elm St.
Hong Zhang

John Guagliardo’s American Dream
100 Steiger Dr.
John Guagliardo

Millrite Machine Inc.
587 Southampton Road
Robert F. Valcourt

Noble Medical Group
115 West Silver St.
Ronald Bryant

Step by Step Cooking
21 Sunflower Lane
Patrice Mercier

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Allied Heating & Air Conditioning
101 Circuit Ave.
Gary Giordano

Bathcrest of Western Mass.
176 Labelle St.
James E. Belle-Isle

BBC Trucking
58 Amherst St.
William C. Della

Drollett Plumbing & Heating
1 High St.
Jamie L. Drollett

ER Portal Software Group
59 Interstate Dr.
Edward Garibian

Father & Son Home Improvement
65 Verdugo St.
Peter Dzhenzherukha

J.I.S. Roofing Company
103 Ashley Ave.
Justin Grimm

Safaribudget.com
71 Craig Dr.
Aloyce C. Assenga

Sam’s
96 Southworth St.
Ivan Banari

Spartan Auto Care Center
865 Memorial Ave.
Nicholas Katsoulis

Thistle Security Products
78 Mercury Court
Angus Rushlow

Trinity Fitness Options
50 Thomas Dr.
Jessica Benchin

BANKRUPTCIES

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

Albrecht, Susan A.
79 Talbot Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Andrews, Sandra E.
3 Field Dr.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Berthiaume, Nathan
413 Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/14

Bourgeois, Michael
15 1/2 North St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Butler, James M.
70 Ruthven St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/14

Celestial Visions Inc.
Kopec, Celeste A.
61 Parallel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Cronin, John M.
22 Carol Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/14

Dockum, Thelma G.
Phins Hill Manor
50 West State St., AP
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Dubois, Holly Beth
76 Monroe St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/15/14

Fondon, Tommy L.
Fondon, Janine
189 Braeburn Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/14

Fontaine, Gregory J.
37 Steuben St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/15/14

Gay, Albert T.
Gay, Tanya L.
94 Jacob St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Goff, Jeffrey M.
Goff, Amy R.
64 Biddle St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Hamade, Yasser M.
127 Woodcrest Circle
Springfield, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Hojnowski, Krista A.
17 Adams St., Apt. 6
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Kronoff, Charles R.
Kronoff, Mary Beth
577 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/14

McCann, Shawn P.
3 Oakwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Murray, Erin N.
68 Knollwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Pashko, Joseph M.
53 West School St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Penoyer, Curtis J.
Penoyer, Sonya C.
P.O. Box 528
Bondsville, MA 01009
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/14

Raffloer, Evelyn
417 Springfield St., #140
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Rivera, Albert
Murphy-Rivera, Kimberly A.
245 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/14/14

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

The following real estate transactions (latest avail­able) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BUCKLAND

9 Crittenden Hill Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: James E. Eagan
Seller: William Yenner
Date: 03/10/14

6 Homestead Ave.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $178,500
Buyer: Jason M. Jarvis
Seller: Luigi Ottaviani
Date: 03/20/14

CHARLEMONT

South River Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Berkshire East Ski Resort
Seller: J. R. Dumouchel
Date: 03/14/14

CONWAY

3325 Shelburne Falls Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Mark A. Benjamin
Seller: Lively, Irene L., (Estate)
Date: 03/10/14

GREENFIELD

170 Davis St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Pamela Lerch
Seller: Edward H. Foster
Date: 03/17/14

32 Union St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $154,500
Buyer: Shirley B. Russell
Seller: Brightman IRT
Date: 03/17/14

LEVERETT

14 North Leverett Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Peoples United Bank
Seller: David W. Biddle
Date: 03/10/14

NEW SALEM

14 East Eagleville Lane
New Salem, MA 01364
Amount: $184,500
Buyer: Franklin J. Forton
Seller: Sarah E. Mazzarella
Date: 03/13/14

ORANGE

32 Pleasant St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $118,450
Buyer: John Dunphy
Seller: David Cloutier
Date: 03/21/14

SHELBURNE

111 Bridge St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Stefan A. Topolski
Seller: H&T Gerry NT
Date: 03/21/14

SUNDERLAND

153 Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $155,900
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: RBS Citizens
Date: 03/11/14

18 South Main St.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $346,500
Buyer: R. A. Hoff
Seller: Gordon Tripp
Date: 03/21/14

WHATELY

48 State Road
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $201,016
Buyer: MHFA
Seller: Kathleen A. Richard
Date: 03/18/14

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

113 Channell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,200
Buyer: Saw Construction LLC
Seller: Household Finance Corp. 2
Date: 03/14/14

34 Harvey Johnson Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Raymond Lapointe
Seller: Richard L. Begin
Date: 03/21/14

92 Herbert P. Almgren Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $1,500,000
Buyer: Atlantic Fasteners Co Inc.
Seller: Renz LLC
Date: 03/14/14

69 Lealand Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Joan M. Linnehan
Seller: Thomas H. Casiello
Date: 03/14/14

24 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Laura G. Roe
Seller: Catchepaugh, Phyllis L., (Estate)
Date: 03/20/14

121 Parkedge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jeffrey E. Twining
Seller: Edmund S. Salva
Date: 03/10/14

12 Rising St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Foti
Seller: Ralph C. Gates
Date: 03/12/14

BRIMFIELD

122 Haynes Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Sandra J. Miller-Leblanc
Seller: Joseph M. Renaud
Date: 03/14/14

144 Paige Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $226,500
Buyer: Jon Fagerstrom
Seller: FHLM
Date: 03/20/14

CHICOPEE

9 Canal St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Thomas E. McMahon
Seller: Charles S. Szczur
Date: 03/12/14

35 Dorrance St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Susan M. Gagnon
Seller: Robert R. Baran
Date: 03/13/14

102 Edward St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Ian S. Mercer
Seller: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Date: 03/11/14

364 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $166,500
Buyer: Milena S. Sebastiao
Seller: Nicholas M. Butman
Date: 03/17/14

25 Hafey St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Amanda J. Nowak
Seller: Marcelle M. Rudek
Date: 03/21/14

114 Hendrick St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,000
Seller: Joyce E. Morissette
Date: 03/14/14

38 Hyde Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Frank A. Germain
Seller: John F. Ciesla
Date: 03/21/14

3 Sherwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Sarah D. Chivas
Seller: David J. Beaudry
Date: 03/14/14

447 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Aura LLC
Seller: Carol A. Balakier
Date: 03/11/14

EAST LONGMEADOW

76 Admiral St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Daniel Kurowski
Seller: Mazza, Antonette J., (Estate)
Date: 03/21/14

Lee St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Tennessee Jed RT
Seller: Goldstein, Marie L., (Estate)
Date: 03/19/14

267 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Marada LLC
Seller: Falvo, Daniel D., (Estate)
Date: 03/13/14

HOLLAND

8 Collette Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Robert C. St.Jacques
Seller: Walter H. Gedney
Date: 03/14/14

HOLYOKE

25 Fenton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Logan M. Greaney
Seller: Lisa Little-Jennings
Date: 03/21/14

366 High St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Angelo Della Ripa
Seller: Bayview Loan Service LLC
Date: 03/17/14

61 Norwood Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Sandra E. Blaney
Seller: Robert W. Greaves
Date: 03/21/14

LONGMEADOW

178 Bliss Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $185,450
Buyer: Christine E. Callahan
Seller: John F. Staszko
Date: 03/17/14

1657 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Kristen S. Shejen
Seller: Richard J. Kane
Date: 03/14/14

734 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $920,000
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Linda J. Polep
Date: 03/10/14

75 Rugby Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Kara M. Ryczek
Seller: Thomas J. Haller
Date: 03/12/14

52 South Park Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Penny E. Dugan
Seller: Fritz R. Schmidt
Date: 03/18/14

120 Warren Terrace
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Christine E. Anglehart
Seller: Roxann W. Sale
Date: 03/21/14

LUDLOW

37 White St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Nickolas Linna
Seller: Carole A. Devine
Date: 03/10/14

MONSON

26 Childs Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $374,900
Buyer: Grant W. Hamilton
Seller: Justin Haggerty
Date: 03/18/14

PALMER

2230 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Crossway Christian Church
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield
Date: 03/21/14

3027 Thorndike St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Sean D. Genereux
Seller: Mark Jackson
Date: 03/13/14

SPRINGFIELD

18 Claremont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Jose I. Toledo
Seller: Devon Boreland
Date: 03/19/14

72 East Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Terese M. Chenier
Seller: Roland R. Menard
Date: 03/21/14

63 Eleanor Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Damaris D. Marmolejo
Seller: City Joe LLC
Date: 03/12/14

204 Forest Park Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Trevor H. Agnitti
Seller: George J. Kelly
Date: 03/21/14

16 Haumont Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $131,869
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Maurice Polite
Date: 03/14/14

35 Healey St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Gerrity
Seller: Peter S. Slivka
Date: 03/18/14

19 Leroy Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $117,500
Buyer: Jose Rodriguez
Seller: Theresa Kwatowski
Date: 03/19/14

357 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: 401 Liberty Street LLC
Seller: Gleason Siterly LLC
Date: 03/11/14

60 Martone Place
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Martone Place LLC
Seller: Ryanne Realty LLC
Date: 03/17/14

182 Mazarin St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $204,900
Buyer: James Mugwanja
Seller: Joseph A. Cretella
Date: 03/13/14

N/A
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Crystal D. Hudson
Seller: Russell A. Thompson
Date: 03/12/14

65 Peekskill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Carolyn M. Burke
Seller: Judith A. Brown
Date: 03/12/14

34 Redden St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Cynthia L. Anderson
Seller: Mitchell T. Taylor
Date: 03/20/14

116 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Caroline Keady
Seller: Jessica L. Rivers
Date: 03/13/14

100 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Manuel Mantilla
Seller: John P. Bechard
Date: 03/14/14

130 Timothy Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Michael A. Johnson
Seller: Marcel Daigle
Date: 03/21/14

80 Vail St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $171,900
Buyer: Edgar A. Gonzalez
Seller: Lauralee Routier
Date: 03/21/14

SOUTHWICK

198 Hillside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $357,500
Buyer: Hector E. Garcia
Seller: Stephen Iczkowski
Date: 03/21/14

96 Mort Vining Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Peter M. Gallant
Seller: Joseph A. Gallant
Date: 03/14/14

WALES

8 Sizer Dr.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Erica T. Enos
Seller: Gerald F. Hebert
Date: 03/11/14

WESTFIELD

33 Bates Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Gladys M. Szenda
Seller: Brian P. Shea
Date: 03/10/14

48 Broad St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Domus Inc.
Seller: American National Red Cross
Date: 03/10/14

183 Dry Bridge Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: City Of Westfield
Seller: Albert J. Szenda
Date: 03/10/14

139 Fowler Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Roxanne N. Cryankowski
Seller: L. C. Rhodes
Date: 03/14/14

68 Governor Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Svetlana Chernoyvan
Seller: Robert T. Strong
Date: 03/14/14

55 Loomis Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Anthony V. Ascolillo
Seller: Anthony J. Andrews
Date: 03/12/14

14 Lowell Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Peter A. Dehey
Seller: Dana Kiendzior
Date: 03/14/14

32 Mill St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Daniel P. Valeri
Seller: Michael J. Cyrankowski
Date: 03/14/14

284 Paper Mill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jack R. Davis
Seller: Niranjan Sampat
Date: 03/14/14

28 Riverside Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $116,666
Buyer: Elaine M. Chrzanowski
Seller: Chrzanowski, Katharina, (Estate)
Date: 03/19/14

66 Westfield Industrial Park
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $223,020
Buyer: Tomar Sales LLC
Seller: Ashland Inc.
Date: 03/13/14

74 Woodcliff Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Sean P. Ritter
Seller: Deborah Miles
Date: 03/18/14

WILBRAHAM

3096 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $183,500
Buyer: Christian B. Colon
Seller: Edwin Bones
Date: 03/21/14

5 Carla Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: Justin D. Newman
Seller: AC Homebuilding LLC
Date: 03/17/14

36 Old Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Karen L. Madden
Seller: Deborah A. Ordynowicz
Date: 03/14/14

WEST SPRINGFIELD

89 Circle Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Joyce L. Korona
Seller: Jonathan E. Sady
Date: 03/18/14

557 Dewey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,500
Buyer: Nathaniel A. Martin
Seller: Joseph R. Cotton
Date: 03/14/14

17 Fabyan St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Lori J. Lusnia
Seller: Maureen A. Sullivan
Date: 03/17/14

86 Forest Ridge Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Demetrios N. Panteleakis
Seller: Hector E. Garcia
Date: 03/21/14

91 Garden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Carol Maki
Seller: Park St. Development LLC
Date: 03/12/14

36 Maple Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: MRMM TR
Seller: Patricia A. Conway
Date: 03/14/14

60 Piper Cross Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $137,900
Buyer: Michael P. Czechowski
Seller: Nicholas W. Vooys
Date: 03/14/14

104 West Calvin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Pamela J. Callahan
Seller: Donald E. Wright
Date: 03/14/14

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

73 Cherry Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $308,000
Buyer: Ryan Morley
Seller: Myung-Ro Lee
Date: 03/14/14

15 Fisher St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Scott M. Paul
Seller: Benjamin D. Wells-Tolley
Date: 03/11/14

BELCHERTOWN

12 Ledgewood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $261,500
Buyer: Thomas R. Scott
Seller: Property Enhancement LLC
Date: 03/18/14

75 Mountain View Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: Corey Loranger
Seller: John E. Taras
Date: 03/21/14

51 North Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $144,500
Buyer: Nelson Z. Eusebio
Seller: Fred J. Wang
Date: 03/10/14

85 North Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Mary L. Macintyre
Seller: DAG Real Estate Dev. Inc.
Date: 03/21/14

36 Oasis St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Brian Hampson
Seller: Gregory E. Pyles
Date: 03/11/14

15 Pine St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Brendan M. Sullivan
Seller: David E. Cote
Date: 03/18/14

EASTHAMPTON

26 Gula Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Kevin K. Blinn
Seller: Russell H. Phillips
Date: 03/21/14

27 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Linda S. Payson
Date: 03/18/14

2 Jessie Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Rainbow Properties LLC
Seller: Kelly I. Savoie
Date: 03/14/14

GOSHEN

32 Fuller Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Micharl R. Secor
Seller: Bryan L. Clark
Date: 03/11/14

GRANBY

508 East State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Matthew Loomis
Seller: Michael J. Konetzny
Date: 03/21/14

HATFIELD

91 Cronin Hill Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $382,500
Buyer: Benjamin H. Heckscher
Seller: Amy S. Johnson
Date: 03/13/14

HUNTINGTON

3 Harlow Clark Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $292,500
Buyer: Laurel A. Raffetto
Seller: Sean P. Ritter
Date: 03/18/14

NORTHAMPTON

Audubon Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Vizentin
Seller: Jane Hill
Date: 03/14/14

71 Forest Glen Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Haynes
Seller: John P. Tobin
Date: 03/14/14

SOUTH HADLEY

24 Kimberly Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Todd X. Tobin
Seller: US Bank NA
Date: 03/21/14

SOUTHAMPTON

8 Bluemer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Anne E. Chapdelaine
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/21/14

156 East St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Brendan P. Fuller
Seller: Bellinger Construction Inc.
Date: 03/21/14

147 Russellville Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Michael S. Ingraham
Seller: Pioneer Valley Redevelopment LLC
Date: 03/18/14

WARE

53 Babcock Tavern Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $238,960
Buyer: Zachary Czaplicki
Seller: Mark A. Dicaire
Date: 03/20/14

34 Greenwich Plains Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Gregory Foucher
Seller: Benjamin Mazzei
Date: 03/11/14

277 Old Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Michael J. Konetzny
Seller: Marylynne Macintyre
Date: 03/21/14

WESTHAMPTON

46 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Robert W. Fondakowski
Seller: Patricia E. Patenaude
Date: 03/21/14

WILLIAMSBURG

21 Village Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $230,263
Buyer: Mario Cohn-Haft
Date: 03/20/14

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of April 2014.

AMHERST

Amherst College
196 North Pleasant St.
$15,000 — 9 upgraded antenna panels

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Partners, LLP
47 Veterans Dr.
$31,000 — Re-roof

Pride Convenience Inc.
177 Chicopee St.
$27,000 — Store expansion

HOLYOKE

Weld Partners
95 Chestnut St.
$3,656,000 — Convert existing school into 21 residential units — Building D

LUDLOW

Iron Duke Brewery
100 State St.
$4,500 — Alterations

NORTHAMPTON

Bermor Limited Partnership
182 Main St.
$37,000 — Interior renovations

D A Sullivan and Sons
84 North St.
$37,500 — Install replacement windows

Northampton Veterinary Clinic
227 South St.
$17,000 — Interior renovations

Ryan Road School
498 Ryan Road
$138,500 — Install new roof

Smith College
79 Elm St.
$9,751,000 — Phase two of renovations

SOUTH HADLEY

Mount Holyoke College
50 College St.
$26,000 — Install new roof

Loomis Village
246 North Main St.
$35,000 — Porch repairs

Verizon Wireless
274 Amherst Road
$12,000 — Install new upgraded antennas

SOUTHWICK

Town of Southwick
20 Juniper Road
$161,500 — Install new water tank

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$439,000 — Renovate 20 patient rooms

City of Springfield
50 Elm St.
$100,000 — Remove and replace 2nd floor ceiling at Old First Church

Gulmohar Hospitality, LLC
100 Congress St.
$300,000 — Construct a single story building

MPJ Realty Truct Industry Ave. Holding
112 Industry Ave.
$1,590,000 — Interior renovations to the Department of Children and Family Services

Stavros Center
227 Berkshire Ave.
$391,000 — Renovations to existing for new offices

WESTFIELD

71 Franklin St., LLC
71 Franklin St.
$5,000 — Repairs to building

Barnes Airport Commission
110 Airport Road
$86,000 — Remodel 1,400-square-foot restaurant

L & R Market
35 North Elm St.
$111,000 — New walk-in cooler

Peabody-Westfield Limited
126 Union St.
$400,000 — Renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Bella Napoli
185 Elm St.
$3,000 — Construct foundation and new masonry openings

Carriage House
1029 Elm St.
$24,000 — Replace 120 windows

Editorial

By
Opinion
Some Steps in the Right Direction

Jay Minkarah, director of DevelopSpringfield, is right when he says that most of the projects currently in the agency’s portfolio don’t make much sense — financially, anyway.

The Gunn Block, the condemned 19th-century commercial building on the corner of State and Walnut streets that the agency acquired last year, is in horrific condition. Rehabbing it will be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, and when that day comes, the property will sit on the edge of a mostly vacant, considerably underutilized block of buildings across State Street from Springfield Technical Community College.

No wonder the development community had no interest in it.

It’s also had very little, if any, interest in the property known as 83 Maple, the former residence of Ansel Phelps, Springfield’s fourth mayor, which DevelopSpringfield acquired last year and is currently rehabbing. Also long-condemned, the property has not been occupied for years, has resisted at least a few efforts at revitalization, and has become one of many symbols of stagnation in the city.

And then, there’s the former River Inn parcel just a few hundred yards down State Street from the Gunn Block. It has become an eyesore and a crime scene, and DevelopSpringfield acquired it at auction a year ago and razed it with the intention of selling the parcel for reuse, hopefully for retail.

All three of these projects would have to be described as very long shots and financial risks that traditional developers wouldn’t touch.

But as Minkarah told BusinessWest, they are also very symbolic, and therefore appropriate projects for this private, nonprofit agency to use to generate momentum and create a sense of accomplishment in the city.

And such victories are needed because, while we keep reading and hearing about the billions of dollars that will be spent in the city over the next few years — and those numbers are certainly impressive — there is still a sense of ‘seeing is believing’ in this city, and there still isn’t much to see.

‘Strategic’ was the word Minkarah used repeatedly to describe the agency’s current projects, and it’s an appropriate term to use. By revitalizing the Gunn Block and moving forward with a planned grocery store across Walnut Street, the city could spark a new development in Mason Square and change the face of that block just east of Commerce High School. And landing a major retailer in the former River Inn property could generate more momentum for a stretch of State Street that is showing some signs of life, and will show more when the old fire station just down the road is finally rehabbed.

Meanwhile, successfully converting the Ansel Phelps House into use for professionals could stimulate more progress in the Maple Heights area, an historic area that could use a dose of optimism.

At the very least, these projects should create more of a very important ingredient in the city’s efforts to bounce back from fiscal turmoil, natural disasters, a stagnant economy, and a gas blast: hope.

Minkarah’s theory is that, if people see that some of the most blighted properties in the city can be a given a new life, then just about anything is possible.

And he’s right.

These projects may not make sense financially, but they are certainly small — and potentially big — steps in the right direction.

Opinion

By
Opinion
Rising Ocean Waters — and Rates

By JACK CLARKE

Bay State ocean waters and insurance rates are rising. Just ask those holding 25,000 federally subsidized coastal flood-insurance policies in Massachusetts. These contracts insulate people from the full risks of living on the shore — risks that private insurance companies have long refused to take, making taxpayers assume the burden.

Today, due to bigger and more frequent ocean storms, property loss has drowned the national program under $24 billion of debt. Much of this debt mounted after hurricanes Alex, Katrina, and Superstorm Sandy.

To ensure that future flood-insurance rates more accurately reflect the risks associated with living in hazardous coastal floodplains, in 2012, Congress experienced a rare moment of clarity and passed comprehensive flood-insurance reform.

When the new rate increases took effect, they sparked widespread panic, and Congress quickly backpedaled and then hit the snooze button on any serious rate reform. It seems that Congress is more than willing to step into the limelight to rebuild homes and businesses, but not to promote solutions that prevent or minimize property destruction in the first place. One thing is for certain — all this new attention to the risks of coastal living is a wake-up call, and we’d be wise to pay attention.

For those facing King Neptune’s inevitable onslaught of coastal destruction and havoc, options include moving buildings back from the shore, elevating structures on pilings, re-nourishing beaches with sediment to strengthen their natural storm-buffering capacity, and purchasing properties in harm’s way.

Evidence of completed federal coastal property-buyout programs from across the country shows that these investments pay for themselves within 10 years by permanently avoiding response, rescue, recovery, and repair costs from future floods. Most importantly, the lives of first responders and residents are spared.

Flooding causes almost half of all disaster-related property destruction in America — and it’s getting worse. A recent Federal Emergency Management Agency study found that sea-level rise will expand the nation’s flood-hazard areas by more than 50% by 2100, with the number of associated flood-insurance policies increasing by an astounding 130%. A growing coastal population exacerbates the problem. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that almost 40% of Americans now live in coastal counties. Here at home, according to the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office, 85% of Massachusetts’ 6.7 million residents live within 50 miles of the coast.

A 2005 congressionally mandated study found that, for every $1 invested in hazard-mitigation activities, the national economy saves $4 in losses from future disasters, and saves an additional $3.65 in costs to the U.S. Treasury from avoided disaster-recovery expenditures and lost tax revenues. Last month, the New England Center for Investigative Reporting showed that, in this region, there are 534 properties considered ‘severe repetitive loss’ casualties — meaning that the flood insurance program has paid owners multiple times to repair and rebuild on site.

A bill championed by state Sen. Mark Pacheco, chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture, includes coastal buyback simply because it is among the most cost-effective and pragmatic mitigation measures for addressing high-hazard coastal areas. The legislation proposes to fund the purchase, from willing sellers, of properties that are repeatedly and substantially damaged by storms. Specifically, a voluntary coastal buy-back program would:

• Invest in high-risk properties in advance of flood disasters;

• Clean up and restore properties to their natural conditions while conserving them for public benefits such as parklands, wildlife refuges, and public beaches;

• Provide storm buffers as repaired coastal resources absorb floodwaters and save uplands from flooding; and

• Capture and store heat-trapping carbon pollution within restored coastal ecosystems, mitigating some of the worst effects of climate change.

A coastal buy-back program would convert vulnerable and dangerous flood-prone properties from liabilities to valuable community assets while sparing lives, protecting the environment, and saving tax dollars.

The alternative is to continue pouring money into an undertow of debt.

Jack Clarke is director of public policy and government relations for Mass Audubon and a recent gubernatorial appointee to the Mass. Coastal Erosion Commission.

Making a Strong Case

By
Law Sections
MassMutual Steps Up Its Pro Bono Work in the Community

Mark Roellig

Mark Roellig says one of the responsibilities any business has is to give back to the community, and MassMutual’s pro bono work is one example of doing just that.

Mark Roellig was adding up in his head the number of lawyers MassMutual has working for it in Western Mass., Northern Conn., and elsewhere.

He didn’t have an exact figure, but by doing some quick math, Roellig, the Fortune 100 company’s executive vice president and general counsel, could say without hesitation that the number for this region alone would far exceed that of any law firm in the Greater Springfield area.

And if this roster of attorneys comprised an actual firm, it would have a responsibility, he said, to give back to the community in a number of ways, but especially with pro bono work for residents who cannot afford to hire legal help. It is this thought process that helps explain why, during Roellig’s eight-year tenure as general counsel, MassMutual has certainly stepped up its participation in a number of pro bono initiatives and other efforts involving its legal team.

For starters, there’s something called Just the Beginning, a week-long program during which nearly two dozen area high-school students meet with lawyers from MassMutual, as well as area judges and other volunteers, to explore the different professional opportunities within the legal profession. The week includes a networking reception at the firm’s headquarters on State Street, a mock trial, oral appellate arguments, a courthouse tour, and visits to law firms. There is also something called the Pro Bono Partnership, a clearinghouse of sorts that works to connect in-house lawyers with area nonprofits for transactional work.

But perhaps the most significant undertaking by the company has been its multi-faceted commitment to the Hampden County Legal Clinic, a legal-aid program that assists individuals at no charge who have limited financial resources and who meet specific eligibility guidelines.

Support comes in many forms — from helping those facing eviction in Housing Court to assisting individuals appealing denial of unemployment benefits in District Court — and together, these avenues provide a natural, and highly effective, way for the company’s legal team to escalate its pro bono work in the community, said Roellig.

“If you are operating as a business in a community, whether it be a major corporation like MassMutual or a law firm, frankly, you want your community to be one that’s vibrant and strong and one that attracts and retains high-quality talent,” he explained. “In many ways, Springfield has been challenged over the years, so one of the things we want to do through our law department, and in keeping with our obligations as lawyers, is to ensure that we’re adding value to the community.

“When I arrived here, we didn’t have much of a program, or any program at all, really,” he went on. “And this is something I believe in; if you’re going to do business in a community, you need to give back to that community, and our legal team has been consistently ramping up its commitment.”

The company’s support for the legal clinic, for example, takes several forms, including financial assistance after the previous sponsor opted not to continue its commitment in 2011. Indeed, a $20,000 contribution for this year will help defray the cost of a support staffer at the Hampden County Bar Assoc. (HCBA) tasked with recruiting, scheduling, and assisting lawyers taking part in the various volunteer programs, and also directing consumers to these initiatives.

But the most visible form of support has been the steadily growing number of legal staff from the company — lawyers, paralegals, and other professionals — who have volunteered for the initiatives in Housing Court, District Court, and Probate Court.

More than 20 attorneys have volunteered for the various lawyer-for-a-day (LFD) programs involving those aforementioned courts, said Dorothy Varon, an in-house attorney who is part of that group, and the total number of hours donated by staff members increased from just over 100 in 2012 to more than 400 in 2013, a trend that is projected to continue in the year ahead.

For this issue and its focus on law, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at how MassMutual and its large legal team are working with various partners, such as the bar association, to assist the rising number of people who need free legal assistance.

Strong Testimony

It’s called ‘eviction day.’

As that name suggests, this is the one day each week (Thursday) at Hampden County Housing Court that is devoted to eviction cases. It’s a long, often emotional day for tenants and landlords alike, one where many of those present aren’t sure if they will have a roof over their head when they leave.

Roellig has volunteered his services for a few eviction days, and can provide compelling testimony regarding the gravity of what’s taking place.

“It’s an intense day,” he said, “because people are coming in with serious problems on either side, whether it’s someone who’s being evicted or someone who feels that he needs to evict someone, and they need some help.”

Assistance in Housing Court has become one of the many ways in which MassMutual has stepped up its pro bono work within the community, said Varon, one of the company’s in-house attorneys, who credited Roellig with getting the ball rolling and keeping it rolling.

“He gave us the green light to propose to him how we could go about creating a pro bono program that would be effective,” she explained, noting that a pro bono committee was formed and a mission statement drafted. “And one of the things that we concluded early on was that connecting with our local bar association would be the most logical way of creating a pro bono program without reinventing the wheel; this was a very logical connection.”

And support from the corporate giant is needed, said Varon, because, while Springfield has a large and diverse legal community, the landscape lacks the very large firms found in Boston and Hartford that provide the critical mass of attorneys needed to effectively staff the many types of pro bono programs that have been created.

“If you think about Boston or New York or Chicago, there are a gazillion lawyers at these megafirms, and there’s all this support coming from these firms — associates can do pro bono work as part of their workload,” she noted. “In a market like Springfield, where you have a lot of solos and a lot of small firms, it’s not so easy to be out there doing a lot of pro bono work. It’s a very difficult market to generate income.”

Meanwhile, need within the community for volunteer legal assistance is growing, said Charles Cassartello, an attorney with Springfield-based Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley, former HCBA president, and active participant in the legal clinic.

Indeed, while the economy has improved somewhat in the past few years, he said, there has been no decline in the number of people seeking help through various pro bono programs.

And while such initiatives help provide access to justice for people of low or no income, they also play a pivotal role in keeping the wheels of justice turning, said Cassartello, noting that, when individuals decide to represent themselves in legal matters — usually because they have no choice in the matter — the pace of business slows.

“The Springfield District Court is perhaps the second-busiest district court in the Commonwealth — lots of business is conducted there, criminal and civil, and many of the people who come there are unrepresented; they’re pro se litigants,” he explained. “We wanted to develop a program in the District Court to not only assist self-represented people, but take some burden from the court.

“It’s very difficult to deal with self-represented people,” he continued, emphasizing the word very.  “It slows things down, and it can really clog the court’s docket.”

To help unclog matters, the District Court lawyer-for-a-day program assists such pro se litigants outside the court, during regularly scheduled office hours, providing help with forms, general problem-solving, and legal advice in civil matters, said Cassartello.

“They walk away with a basic notion about how to approach their case, how to put together a defense, how to make a claim, and more,” he went on, adding that those seeking assistance may also get referrals to lawyers participating in programs featuring sliding fee scales and other vehicles for providing assistance to the poor.

MassMutual’s assistance, in terms of both volunteers and funding to support an administrative infrastructure, has enabled the LFD programs to continue and ultimately assist more individuals, said Cassartello, who used the term “force multiplier” to describe the firm’s impact on HCBA initiatives.

Varon agreed.

“MassMutual can contribute in a lot of ways,” she noted. “One of the ways is with volunteers, but the other way is with resources. To support the clinic means that there’s someone in the community trying to rally all the lawyers — not just the MassMutual lawyers, but also the broader community.

“If we can support the legal clinic and the bar association, we have a much bigger impact on how pro bono services are delivered than if we we’re just sending volunteers, and that’s our basic strategy,” she went on. “It’s important to volunteer, but we also want to support this on a community level.”

Bottom Line

The goal moving forward is for the firm and the bar association to continually look for ways to add new programs and assist more people, said Varon, who described the current roster of initiatives as a “work in progress.”

“We keep trying to grow what we’re doing and improve what we’re doing,” she told BusinessWest, adding that one priority is to improve data-collection efforts, one of the keys to tracking progress and gaining additional support.

In many ways, MassMutual has helped lay the foundation for a comprehensive system of legal assistance, she said, and now the mission is to build atop that foundation.

The financial-services giant is not a law firm, Varon said in conclusion, but its legal department is determined to act like one — and work within the community is certainly a big part of that assignment.

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

Seth Stratton

By
40 Under 40 The Class of 2014
Attorney, Fitzgerald Attorneys at Law, P.C., age 37

Seth-Stratton-01Seth Stratton’s values are so important to him that he gave up a position with an international law firm that employed 1,100 attorneys and joined a firm in East Longmeadow with four lawyers.

“The work I do now is a lot more interesting and rewarding than working for Fortune 200 or 100 companies where I dealt with in-house lawyers for other firms,” he said. “Big firms are very lucrative, but you work all the time, and I came to realize that life is more than just working hard.”

Stratton grew up in East Forest Park in Springfield and earned a bachelor’s degree at Colgate University in New York, where he broadened his perspective by meeting people from many cultures, then received a master’s degree from UMass Boston and graduated magna cum laude from Suffolk University Law School.

After passing the bar exam, Stratton was hired by Brown Rudnick LLP in Boston, where he did business and commercial litigation. But seven years ago, Stratton and his wife, Jennifer, decided to move back to Western Mass. because they had an 8-month-old son and wanted to live closer to their families. He transferred to Bingham McCutchen LLP’s Hartford office, but found that the long hours and long commute prevented him from becoming part of the professional community in Greater Springfield.

So Stratton left Bingham McCutchen to work at Fitzgerald Attorneys at Law, P.C. He said there were challenges in moving from a big-city firm, because he no longer had hundreds of colleagues to collaborate with, but today he takes pride in representing local business owners — balancing work and family time (with his wife, Jennifer, and their children, Nolan and Caitlin) — and being involved in the community.

That’s an understatement, actually; he’s a board member of the World Affairs Council of Western Mass., on the board of trustees for First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, and a member of the leadership committee for Community Legal Aid’s Access to Justice Campaign 2013. He has also done work for Lawyers for Children America in Hartford.

Among its clients, Stratton’s firm represents MGM Resorts International’s Springfield casino project, and he is working again with attorneys from Brown Rudnick in Boston. “I’ve come full circle,” he said.

— Kathleen Mitchell

Geoff Sullivan

By
40 Under 40 The Class of 2014
Owner and Performance Coach, Continuum Performance Center, age 32

Geoff-Sullivan-01Geoff Sullivan is all about performance. It’s in his title and his company’s name, after all. But it took a few career stops before he set his eyes on his most challenging goal — entrepreneurship.

After studying exercise science at UMass Amherst, and a stint in the Corporate Wellness division of Yankee Candle, he became a fitness director for Healthtrax. At the time, Healthtrax was partnering with Altheus, an innovative business model for personal coaching. “I loved what they brought to the table,” he said.

In fact, he assisted in implementing the Altheus model in 12 Healthtrax facilities in seven states, growing fitness-related revenues by more than 600% in the process. He also created and implemented what’s known as the Small Group Coaching model in 15 facilities.

Eventually, he felt like he could bring his skills and knowledge to his own enterprise, so he left Healthtrax and opened Continuum Performance Center in East Longmeadow in 2011. It proved to be a smart decision, as the business has quadrupled in size since then.

“We are very, I don’t want to use the word ‘prideful,’ but if we are attaching our name to a fitness program, we’re going to give the best we have; we’ll give extra time, do something that wasn’t agreed upon, to reach our goals,” he said. “Our success comes quite literally from the fact that we put the program first, and people achieving the results they want.”

His business also pours energy into the Season of Giving, an annual effort around the holidays that raises money for organizations like Toys for Tots, the Western Massachusetts Food Bank, the Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity. Sullivan gives of his time, too, such as working with his employees on a Habitat house build and visiting regions affected by Hurricane Sandy to assist with cleanup efforts.

That’s gratifying, Sullivan said, but so is his everyday work, because it changes lives.

“Each time someone achieves something they always wanted to but didn’t think they could, you see the pure elation on their face,” he said. “You were an integral part of that — you mapped it out for them — but they were the ones who accepted the challenge and put in the work and accomplished their goal.”


— Joseph Bednar

Kyle Sullivan

By
40 Under 40 The Class of 2014
Business Insurance Broker, John M. Glover Agency, age 28

Kyle-Sullivan-01Kyle Sullivan’s photo shoot for 40 Under Forty includes a random assortment of props — or perhaps not so random, in the way they reflect his many priorities.

The blue stuffed bear signifies his son, expected in July. The silver clock was an award for being named ‘most valuable participant’ at the Hartford School of Insurance last year while receiving his commercial lines specialist designation. And the coffee mug is from his close friend Terra Missildine, owner of Beloved Earth, an environmentally friendly cleaning company he helped navigate the insurance landscape.

But Sullivan doesn’t like to think of himself as a salesman. “I’m someone who builds relationships with clients,” he said. “I provide business insurance, and I work with people who buy homes, rental properties, auto — any insurance besides health and life.”

He focuses mainly on commercial lines, however, and he’s working toward his certification as a construction risk insurance specialist. “That gives me more specific knowledge to work with contractors, which is something I like to do. I hit it off with them; our personalities just mesh.”

Sullivan is a third-generation member of this family business, which was started by his grandfather. But growing up, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to follow the family path. Instead, he had a passion for entrepreneurship.

But his current role gives him a satisfying foothold in that world. “I like to learn about people’s businesses, and there aren’t many fields where you can learn about businesses in depth the way I do,” he said. “I need to understand a business to a great extent to make sure I have the right coverage for what they’ve built. I like to think, ‘they’ve put the last 10 years of their lives into this business. If they lost it all, do they have the right coverage to continue to be in business?’”

Sullivan helps people in other ways as well, through civic involvement that includes Western Mass. Junior Achievement, the Holyoke Blue Sox board, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, and Leadership Pioneer Valley — all with a focus on building the region’s economic future.

“We’re doing anything we can do,” he said, “to better to the Pioneer Valley and build leadership skills and connect people in the Valley who are emerging leaders.”

— Joseph Bednar

Anthony Surrette

By
40 Under 40 The Class of 2014
Principal, Corbin & Tapases, P.C.; Entrepreneur, age 31

Tony-Surretle-01Anthony Surrette has always juggled multiple roles with seeming ease. But maintaining balance in life is important to him, and he believes three factors pave the road to success. “If you’re passionate about what you do, have a solid work ethic, and put your family first, you can be successful,” he said.

The certified public attorney and certified fraud examiner, who has attained the title of principal at Corbin & Tapases, P.C., also owns real estate, is co-owner of 16 Acres Coin-Op Laundry, as well as the Nerdy Spoon in Springfield, and is a dedicated family man.

He loves people, enjoys working with start-up companies, takes pride in his ability to explain things in a simple or highly technical matter, and has an entrepreneurial spirit himself.

“I love working with new clients who are passionate about their interests,” he said. “You can seize their energy.”

During college, Surrette discovered that accounting and business were a good fit for his talents and personality. “Business is in my DNA. But the force that drives me is my family. It’s always been family first,” he reiterated.

After his 3-year-old daughter Andrea was born, Surrette became involved with the nonprofit group known as Angels Take Flight, which provides essential items, including luggage, to foster children moving from home to home. Surrette used his business expertise to establish the agency as a 501(c)3 organization, and served as vice president and treasurer.

Surrette recently became a member of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, and is involved with several organizations focused on business, entrepreneurship, and accounting. In addition, he mentors young people — he’s currently working with an accounting major at Western New England University who works for Corbin & Tapases — and has worked as a business consultant to help companies expand.

Surrette and his fiancée, Nicole, are expecting their second child, and it’s important to him to give his family every opportunity possible, especially since his own father died when he was 10.

“I care about what I am doing and don’t see myself as limited,” he said. “My family has always been very supportive, and I just want to give back.”

— Kathleen Mitchell

Jessica Wales

By
40 Under 40 The Class of 2014
Consumer and Business Banking Center Manager, PeoplesBank, age 36

Jessica-Wales-01Associates at PeoplesBank are never surprised when Jessica Wales asks if they can volunteer for a special event or fund-raiser, and know it could mean they end up serving hot chocolate on a freezing day or wearing an elf suit.

“I have a lot of great friends and co-workers who are up for anything, and especially around the holidays, when you can make a difference in kids’ lives; everybody just wants to help out,” she said.

While donning an elf costume last fall, Wales helped lead one of the most successful branch openings in the history of PeoplesBank, and in the weeks leading up to the opening of the new LEED-certified branch in Northampton, she created and led TeamPossible, a group of branch associates that visited local businesses to perform random acts of kindness, treating customers to free burgers, ice cream, and coffee.

The effort resulted in a record $6 million in new deposits during the initial four months of operation. A driving force in efforts to implement environmentally friendly technology at the new branch, including iPad account opening and video drive-up teller service, Wales has applied those same leadership qualities to Northampton Area Young Professionals, securing speakers for its Leadership Luncheon Series, as well as assisting the FDIC Money Smart program at Junior Achievement and serving as a past member of the fund-raising and marketing committees for the United Way of Hampshire County. For the past seven years, she’s helped the United Way’s Allocation Committee, a group that qualifies organizations’ request for funds.

“You get your heartstrings tugged at these interviews,” Wales said. “I don’t know if people in Western Mass. understand all the services available to them, but there are amazing volunteers out there who put their heart and soul into the organizations they’re representing.”

It’s her love of her hometown of Northampton that has her recruiting PeoplesBank associates to volunteer at Santa’s Train and Earth Day Clean Up in Look Park, the Hot Chocolate 5K Run, and the Northampton Center for the Arts’ annual First Night event. Her own personal time has her sharing afternoons with her partner, Jeremy Cotton, scuba diving or skydiving.

By land, sea, or air, Wales is always up for a challenge and making a positive difference in peoples’ lives.

— Elizabeth Taras

Francia Wisnewski

By
40 Under 40 The Class of 2014
Regional Program Manager, Raising a Reader Massachusetts, age 37

Francia-Wisnewski-01Francia Wisnewski takes pride in doing all she can to increase literacy and help families and children. “I’m a firm believer that providing high-quality, enriching opportunities for young children is critical for laying a strong foundation for their long-term health, well-being, and success,” she said, “and I am passionate about advocating for and promoting legislation that supports families and children.”

Passionate … and busy. The regional program manager for Raising a Reader is a 2008 Schott Fellow, an elected member/chair of the Greenfield School Committee, member of the Greenfield Democratic Town Committee, a three-time winner of Community Action’s Caught in the Act Award, an advisory board member of District Attorney David Sullivan’s Franklin County Children’s Advocacy Center, a 2012 participant in the Early Educator Fellowship Initiative, and a 2012 Emerge Massachusetts Fellow.

Wisnewski grew up in Colombia and worked as a biology teacher before moving to this country to pursue a master’s degree in education at UMass Amherst. After settling in Greenfield, she immersed herself in volunteer work and selflessly continues to give time and effort to causes she believes in. “You have to do whatever you can to be part of the community, and I enjoy being involved in an inclusive process,” she said, adding that she believes it is important to educate children to their full potential and raise the quality of life for families.

The wife of Mark Wisnewski and mother of Luke, 11, and Corin, 8, she was a developmental specialist for the REACH Early Intervention program at ServiceNet in Franklin County and served as coordinator of Family Center Programs for Community Action in Greenfield for 10 years before assuming her current job at Raising a Reader.

Wisnewski said her work at the Family Center, which included promoting literacy events, taught her that she could make a difference and empower others. “I learned the value of networking and building support,” she explained. “There are many people with voices that are unheard who just need a little push.”

She knows communities will always face challenges. “But when they come, you need to be flexible, make the best of everything, and move forward.”

— Kathleen Mitchell

Building Blocks

By
Commercial Real Estate Sections
DevelopSpringfield Targets ‘Impactful’ Projects

Above, the Gunn Block on State Street; below, 83 Maple

Above, the Gunn Block on State Street; below, 83 Maple, also known as the Ansel Phelps House, after the city’s fourth mayor, who lived there.

Jay Minkarah says there’s a course of action, or series of steps, traditionally followed by developers as they are contemplating whether to acquire a piece of commercial real estate and ready it for tenants.

“Typically, you undertake your feasibility analysis and make sure the market’s there,” he said, adding that most developers will take a cautious, conservative approach to such work, especially in difficult financial times such as those experienced over the past several years. “Then, you go through your financial analysis, you line up your financing, get tenants or an end user in place, and then you start work.”

But when it comes to projects currently being undertaken by DevelopSpringfield — the private, nonprofit agency tasked with spurring development in the City of Homes, which Minkarah took over roughly 16 months ago — most, if not all, of those steps have been skipped.

This is especially true for initiatives involving two historic properties just outside the central business district — the Gunn Block on State Street, said to be one of the oldest commercial properties in the city, and a once-stately former residence known simply as 83 Maple — and there is a reason for this.

Actually, there are several.

For starters, these are properties deserving of the descriptive adjective ‘blighted.’ Both have been condemned, and, in the case of the Gunn Block, the large red ‘X’ above the door — placed there to warn firefighters that in the event of fire they are not to enter the building — is clearly visible. And bringing new life to blighted properties is one of the main tenets of DevelopSpringfield’s mission.

Jay Minkarah

Jay Minkarah says the current projects in the DevelopSpringfield portfolio don’t make sense financially, but they do from the standpoint of the agency’s mission.

What’s more, the properties are highly visible. The Gunn Block is located across State Street from the main entrance to Springfield Technical Community College, just a few hundred feet past Commerce High School, and around the corner from a planned Mason Square grocery store, another project with which DevelopSpringfield is involved. Meanwhile, 83 Maple is at the intersection of Maple and Union streets, meaning that thousands of people pass it every day and have watched it deteriorate.

These properties are, in many ways, symbolic, said Minkarah, adding that they have been vacant and underutilized for many years and thus have become signs of a city that is stagnant and in decline.

So, considering all of the above, Minkarah decided — and rather quickly after assuming directorship of the agency in December 2012 — to essentially bypass those due-diligence exercises listed above and acquire the properties. They are both undergoing extensive renovations with the goal of having them retenanted in the next few years.

“We skipped a few steps and went right to implementation,” he told BusinessWest. “And that’s important for a variety of reasons. I think it’s important to demonstrate that progress is possible, that we really can make great things happen, that we can actually change things on the ground.

“The projects that we have chosen have been designed to have maximum impact,” he went on, adding that another initiative — acquisition of the former River Inn further east on State Street, subsequent demolition of that property, and preparation of the site for resale — also fits this description. “And we believe that successfully developing these will create some real momentum in the city.”

Minkarah used that word ‘we’ repeatedly as he talked about these projects, and he used it to reference not only his agency, but the many constituencies it works with, from Springfield city officials to other development-focused organizations.

For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest talked at length with Minkarah about the current roster of projects in the DevelopSpringfield portfolio, why they were chosen, and what they mean for the city moving forward.

A Developing Story

Minkarah told BusinessWest that he not only works downtown but lives there as well, and frequently walks the area.

He has a number of preferred routes, including a trek up State Street into Mason Square; another that covers a wide swath of Main Street, essentially from the South End past the Arch; a walk that covers the full length of Union Street; and still another that takes him along Maple Street and often to the Springfield Cemetery.

It was while taking some of these walks — and also many drives throughout the city —that Minkarah identified some potential priority initiatives for DevelopSpringfield, including those that are currently in progress.

“I made it a point to drive around the city and walk around the city and try to understand the dynamic of what was happening,” he explained. “I was looking at it strategically and saying, ‘if we were to intervene, where would it make the most sense to do so? Where could we, while staying within our means, have a maximum impact?’ And these buildings popped out right away.

“We have properties in this city that are very distressed,” he went on, “but because of their location, while they may have value to some people, an intervention on those buildings wouldn’t be strategic.”

He chose that word ‘intervene’ carefully, and summoned it to show how the agency has chosen to inject itself into situations where solutions are both necessary and elusive.

That was certainly the case at the River Inn, acquired at auction roughly a year ago, which had become not only an eyesore, but a frequent crime scene.

“This was a real source of problems for the city and the neighborhood,” said Minkarah, adding that the 1.5-acre property, enlarged through the acquisition of some adjacent parcels, is currently being readied for redevelopment and is officially on the market.

“We’ve had a few nibbles,” he went on, adding that retail is the likely eventual use, and if a deal comes together, it could help spur additional development in an area he believes should capture the attention of national chains, but historically hasn’t.

“State Street is a corridor with tremendous potential,” he said, “and part of what we’re trying to do is get that message out. A lot of things have happened that are really significant, but it can be a challenge to get national chains to recognize the value of that corridor and what a tremendous investment and development opportunity it is.”

“Part of the reason why we’re making these very strategic investments is to enhance the development potential of that corridor,” he went on. “Taking down a building like the River Inn, which was a blight in that area, is one step toward doing that.”

The River Inn site is just a few hundred yards east of the Gunn Block, another property that seemingly begged for intervention.

This landmark predates the Civil War, said Minkarah, adding that its historical significance — it’s on the National Register of Historic Places — coupled with its location and blighted condition made it a prime candidate for the agency’s attention.

“To me, having a condemned building of obvious historical significance, located on State Street at a major intersection, directly across from STCC and the Tech Park … that’s just not OK,” he said. “That’s a condition that has to change. Like the River Inn, the Gunn Block is a property that had deteriorated and was acting as a blight on the area, inhibiting future investment and development.”

Building Momentum

Acquired for $90,000, the property is part of a row of buildings between Commerce High School that are vacant or underutilized — the long-closed Cavanaugh Furniture building is part of the mix — and that Minkarah believes have great potential.

“When I look down that block, I realize that we have this whole row of historically significant buildings that, if they were revitalized, if they were rehabbed, could become a small but interesting and vibrant district that serves the college, serves the neighborhood, and serves the people who work in the area,” he told BusinessWest.

Many of the properties in that row present challenges, and the Gunn Block is clearly the most challenged, said Minkarah, adding that asbestos was found on the walls of the second and third floors, and the process of abating it is slowing the extensive process of stabilizing and then rehabbing the property.

The agency was able to secure a $200,000 brownfields grant from the Environmental Protection Agency through the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, he noted, adding that it will pursue historical tax credits and grants to help finance what will likely be a $1.5 million project to ready the property for tenants.

A restaurant/pub is the most likely next use for the first floor, while residential development is eyed for the upper floors, said Minkarah, adding that a re-use plan will be created for not only the rest of that aforementioned area, but also a planned grocery store across Walnut Street and the surrounding blocks.

Meanwhile, work continues at 83 Maple, which was built in 1841 by Solymon Merrick, inventor of the monkey wrench (one of Springfield’s many firsts) and later bought by Ansel Phelps Jr., Springfield’s fourth mayor.

It has been vacant for several years and was also condemned by the city, said Minkarah, adding that there were two previous, and unsuccessful, attempts to redevelop the 4,500-square-foot brick structure.

This poor track record, coupled with the building’s location and its deteriorated state, made it another target for intervention by DevelopSpringfield, he noted, adding that, while the development community has essentially given up on the property, he sees vast potential.

“The house has a lot of attributes that I really like — it has floor plans that lend it to office use, and, on the whole, it’s structurally sound,” adding quickly that water that poured through two skylights damaged by the 2011 tornado caused significant, but not irreparable, damage.

Crews are currently restoring the large porches on the property and repointing the brick, said Minkarah, adding that the exterior work should be completed this summer, and the focus will then shift to the interior and readying the property for professionals, such as lawyers or accountants.

The price tag will likely reach $750,000, he went on, adding that he’ll try to mitigate that cost with historic tax credits and grants.


Impact Statement

As he talked about his agency’s current projects, Minkarah made early and frequent use of the phrase ‘if all goes well.’

It was summoned to qualify everything from the timelines for rehabilitation of the properties to the ongoing search for funding, to the intended future uses of these landmarks.

There are question marks in each realm, and therefore some uncertainty about whether all will go well. But Minkarah is sure that nothing would ever happen at these properties were it up to the private development community, because the bottom line is that these projects don’t make financial sense.

But they do make sense when it comes to this agency’s mission and its desire to undertake initiatives that will be, in a word, impactful for the neighborhoods that surround them.

“If these were properties that were attractive to private developers, they would be developed. But they’re not, and those are the conditions we have to change,” he said. “We haven’t accomplished anything yet, but with these projects, I believe there is a greater sense of hope, a greater sense of what the possibilities really are, a new appreciation of how far we can really take this community.”

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

Blast from the Past

By
Sections Travel and Tourism
Historic Deerfield Opens a Door to 18th-Century New England

By KEVIN FLANDERS

Philip Zea

Philip Zea says his mission at Historic Deerfield is to bring the heritage of the Connecticut River Valley to life.

For Historic Deerfield President Philip Zea and his staff, the yearly mission is not simply to preserve the heritage of the Connecticut River Valley, but instead to bring it to life.

And they do so with an intriguing, and always evolving, blend of education and entertainment.

“We’re a lot like a professional sports team in the sense that what we do for a living is other people’s recreation,” said Zea as he worked through an interesting analogy. “We want everyone who comes here to have a great time, but also an informative time.”

Once a bustling destination along the 18th-century Boston-to-Albany road, the 104-acre property is now one of the state’s most popular outdoor history museums. Zea, who has enjoyed two stints at Historic Deerfield, first as chief curator for 18 years and later as president — a position he has held for 11 years — oversees a staff of 47. His passion for researching history and sharing it with others has allowed the museum to steadily increase its attendance over the past five years, thus boosting the bottom line at a time when many museums struggle to gain the time and attention of families with plenty of entertainment options.

And Zea and his staff have a positive outlook for the museum, which saw its total income increase by more than $328,000 from 2012 to 2013 (excluding $510,000 awarded to the museum in 2012 through business-interruption proceeds disbursed as a result of Tropical Storm Irene; more on that later). The solid rebound year generated total revenues of more than $4 million for the facility, said Zea, noting that the biggest challenge facing his staff in future years is to continue to evolve and improve to better serve the community’s needs.

“We want to provide people with a sense of confidence that, if they invest their time and money in us, then they are going to come here and have a good time,” he said. “We’re constantly reinventing ourselves and learning more about the history of the area to ensure the public has a great experience here.”

Education is a primary focus for the museum staff, which hosts thousands of students each year from throughout Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Along with Plimoth Plantation and Old Sturbridge Village, Historic Deerfield ranks at the top of the field-trip list for teachers looking to bring their students to an outdoor history museum. Boasting 54 buildings and an expansive campus, students can view everything from hearth-cooking demonstrations to architectural woodworking.

“We have a very robust education program here. In addition to field trips, we also provide programs to help Girl Scouts earn their badges,” said Laurie Nivison, Historic Deerfield’s director of marketing. “We’re looking into arranging programs for the Boy Scouts as well.”

Drawing new visitors is an annual priority for the staff. Zea said the museum has seen an increase in school field trips since 2012, but family trips and private tours in the summer and fall months have also accounted for a significant percentage of visitors. While Historic Deerfield largely remains a hidden New England gem — residents of New England states represented just half of the museum’s total visitors in 2013 — national and international interest has picked up, with 10% of last year’s guests visiting from foreign countries.

The museum’s collection of early-American furniture, ceramics, textiles, and metalwork is a key draw for many guests. The collection was expanded in 2013 with the acquisition of 178 rare objects, including 48 items from the William T. Brandon Memorial Collection of American Redware and Ceramics. All but 30 of the items acquired this year were gifts to Historic Deerfield.

“What’s great about working here is that the setting is the story, with the meadows and village and buildings all adding up to be our biggest artifact,” Zea said. “We like to focus on what people’s lifestyles were like back in the 18th century, learning not only from the physical environment but also the temporal environment.”

Added Nivision, “depending on what your interests are, there’s something here for everyone.”

History Lessons

With ongoing research conducted daily by staff members, there’s something new to learn about the region’s history with each visit. From Benedict Arnold’s arrival in Deerfield to recruit troops (before his turncoat days) to the significance of Barnard Tavern as a political and social hub of the community, new knowledge is just waiting to be discovered at a very old place.

As early as the 1800s, Historic Deerfield, site of the infamous Indian raid of 1704 that claimed the lives of 50 settlers, was attracting history buffs, Zea said, describing letters in the museum’s research library that document Mount Holyoke College students traveling to the campus in the 1830s.

But in order to preserve and present history, the staff at Historic Deerfield must address a number of challenges — everything from Mother Nature (this is an outdoor facility) to that aforementioned competition for the time and dollars of 21st-century families.

For starters, said Zea, the staff must embrace the innate challenge of maintaining the buildings where history was made. Major renovations of two prominent buildings have topped the list of priorities in recent years. The Deerfield Inn, which was damaged by floodwaters during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, was dramatically transformed, including a completely renovated kitchen, the installation of a new fireplace in the dining room, and significant upgrades to the terrace room. Built in 1884, the building continues to serve travelers as it did 130 years ago.

“Reactions to the new interior design have been overwhelmingly positive,” wrote Anne Groves, chair of Historic Deerfield’s board of trustees, in a letter for the museum’s annual report. “The project team did an exemplary job in managing the renovation and the financial analysis involved in bringing the Inn back online.”

Meanwhile, Barnard Tavern is in the process of undergoing an extensive makeover, which includes repairing the foundation, stabilizing the chimneys, restoring wall paneling, replacing the heating system, and reconstructing the stairway and railings. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2015, 220 years after the tavern was first constructed in 1795.

Meanwhile, attendance is an ongoing challenge, and the staff at the museum addresses it by establishing new and engaging programs and exhibits.

Last year, for example, introduced a three-day workshop called “Every Dish Has a Past,” focused on research of historical recipes — a program that concluded in tasty fashion, with participants cooking the meals they researched.

Moreover, the theme of the museum’s 2014 Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife will be sports and recreation in New England. Taking place June 20-22, the annual seminar will include presentations on hunting, fishing, hiking, climbing, marksmanship, horsemanship, and the paths to popularity of sports like hockey, baseball, and basketball. Lectures will also be given on the history of sports record keeping and statistics, as well as the evolution of sports apparel.

Along with these new additions to the museum’s lineup, Historic Deerfield will return many of its beloved events and activities from past years, beginning on April 26, when a Patriots’ Day re-enactment will feature a cannon-firing display, a parade, and colonial craft activities. The museum will also host its annual Columbus Day antique show, presented by the Antiques Dealers Assoc. of America.

“The Patriots’ Day event is always fun for families, usually drawing at least 300 people,” Nivison said. “It’s a great chance to come out and see several different groups take part in the re-enactment.”

Another goal for the staff in 2014 is to not only educate visitors about the setting and the historical events that have taken place in Deerfield, but to also accentuate the stories of the people who made those events significant.

Zea said it’s imperative to emphasize what people’s lives were like so visitors will have a better understanding of their motivations and interests. The rise of Deerfield as a cultural and political hub, for example, was contingent on geography and the arrangement of roadways, with Deerfield marking the intersection between the Boston-to-Albany road and the north-south Hartford-to-Hanover (N.H.) route, an 18th-century equivalent to the junction of I-90 and I-91.

“It’s important to focus on community history and also domestic history by sharing how people lived and traveled and encountered locations like Deerfield in the first place,” said Zea.

It Takes a Village

The phrase ‘living museum’ has come into use in recent years to categorize facilities like Historic Deerfield, and it’s an apt term.

It accurately describes how such museums show how people lived, but it also suggests that such facilities are constantly evolving and finding new ways to not only transport people back in time, but to help them understand what they’re seeing and put it into historical perspective.

It’s all a part of making the past come alive, said Zea, adding that Historic Deerfield’s imaginative work of the past several years will ensure a solid future for this key regional tourist destination.

Swing Time

By
Sections Travel and Tourism
Six Flags New England Reaches Higher — Much Higher

By JOSEPH BEDNAR and ROBERT GEBO

Jennifer McGrath

Jennifer McGrath says the 400-foot-tall New England Sky Screamer will take the classic theme-park swing ride to the extreme.

Just cross the South End Bridge in Springfield and look south, and it’s easy to see how Six Flags New England already towers over the Connecticut River. On a clear day, Bizarro, Scream, Goliath, and the Cyclone are clearly visible in the distance.

The tallest of those, the award-winning Bizarro rollercoaster and the Scream drop ride, reach about 200 feet into the air, offering breathtaking — and, for some riders, nerve-wracking — views of the river, Mount Tom to the north, and Connecticut to the south.

Now imagine being twice that high.

Actually, visitors won’t have to imagine once the park unveils its newest attraction, the New England Sky Screamer, this summer. Lifting patrons 400 feet up and then swinging them around for two minutes at 35 mph, it’s touted as the world’s tallest swing ride.

Clearly, Six Flags has come a long way in the 15 years since the chain acquired historic Riverside Park, adding it to its international stable of destinations, adding numerous major rides and a bustling water park, and effectively doubling the property’s size. And now, it’s touting a new height record to boot.

“It’s taking that swing ride we know and love and adding every possible element of thrill and fear into it,” said Jennifer McGrath, communications manager for Six Flags New England. “Your arms and legs are exposed in the air, your swing is on chains, just like that classic family swing ride — except this is not classic.”

The ride, which is painted red, white, and blue, will glow with color-changing LED lights at night, she added. “We don’t feel it’s just a new ride for Six Flags New England; we feel it’s a new icon, something people will identify with Western Mass. You can see it from the Springfield area and well into Enfield and Suffield. Six Flags loves breaking records, and they feel this ride is something special, and they know Six Flags guests are going to love it.”

As a prominent chain in a highly competitive industry, Six Flags is always looking to the future, mapping out a national strategy of park additions to keep the buzz high at its 13 parks in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Not every park gets a major addition on the level of a Sky Screamer every year, but Agawam has received plenty of recent attention, adding the Bonzai Pipeline slides in the Hurricane Harbor water park in 2013, the Goliath switchback coaster in 2012, and the Gotham City Gauntlet mouse coaster in 2011.

“It’s amazing what we’ve evolved to, and we continue to grow,” McGrath said, noting that it’s a cornerstone of the Six Flags brand to continually invest new capital in its properties.

“In true Six Flags fashion, we’re going even bigger in 2014 with our new attractions,” added Jim Reid-Anderson, the chain’s chairman, president, and CEO, in a press statement. “Our promise to you is to bring something new to every single park every year.”

Work and Play

Economic-development and tourism officials have long pointed to Six Flags New England as a major economic engine for the region. While the park, as a publicly held company, does not release attendance figures, it easily outdraws the number-two tourist attraction in Western Mass., Yankee Candle Village, which records 1.5 million guests per year.

SixFlagsGoliathSign

Six Flags officials say they’re committed to introducing something new at all the chain’s parks every year.

“Six Flags has been a wonderful neighbor to Agawam. They’re one of the top five taxpayers in the community, they work closely with all our departments, and they are a huge economic boon to the Pioneer Valley as a whole,” Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen told BusinessWest. “And it’s a regional tourist attraction, so it’s not just great for Agawam, but for the whole Valley.”

Six Flags is a significant employer as well, with more than 100 year-round employees, about half of whom work in maintenance. In the offseason, they’re busy enhancing the grounds, from new painting and signage to landscaping and structural improvements.

In addition, the park hires more than 3,000 seasonal workers annually, giving a major boost to the region’s efforts to employ high-school and college-age individuals, who are facing an historically lean market for summer jobs.

“They’re one of the largest hiring employers in the summer for seasonal purposes, which is great in these economic times,” Cohen said, referring to not only young people, but older individuals who might be unemployed or between jobs. “They really are good neighbors, and we’re really proud to have them in Agawam.”

He noted that the public ownership group that bought Six Flags in 2010 has been much easier to work and communicate with than Premier Parks, which operated the chain from 1998 until its Chapter 11 bankruptcy and restructuring a decade later. That’s important, he said, when planning a project like the Sky Screamer, which has the potential of drawing bigger crowds to the park, but is also a significant change to this small town’s skyline.

“They came to us early, in a very timely manner, and answered all our questions,” the mayor said, adding that Agawam residents were largely supportive of the project. “There were some people — not many — afraid that this would change the landscape of the area. But we already have cell towers. And they did this in patriotic colors. They took our concerns into consideration, and it was done tastefully. I have not had many — if any — complaints at all.

“Everything was done expeditiously — the public announcement, meetings, permits,” he reiterated. “They don’t wait until the last minute. Since the new regime took over, they work well on the local level, answering the concerns that people have. The relationship is much healthier, and communication has been much better.”

That’s not to say the park hasn’t been growing all along. Since becoming a Six Flags property in 1998, it has introduced a raft of thrill rides, including Bizarro (formerly Superman: Ride of Steel), winner of five Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today as the nation’s top steel coaster, in 2000; Flashback, a switchback coaster, also in 2000; Batman: the Dark Knight, a floorless coaster, in 2002; Pandemonium, a kid-friendly spinning coaster, in 2005; and, of course, the recent additions.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Harbor, which now totals 33 waterslides in addition to a lazy river, two wave pools, and other watery fun, opened in 1998 as part of the Six Flags makeover.

The entire property now comprises more than 270 acres, and ranks as both the largest amusement park and largest water park in New England.

Food for Thought

Other recent changes are less flashy, but are significant to many patrons. For example, McGrath said, restaurant menus will add food items, including more vegetarian fare — a shift that guests had been asking for. Once again, the park will offer a $99 dining plan along with its popular season-ticket options, allowing guests one lunch and one dinner per visit throughout the season.

As for the season tickets, they are priced at different tiers — higher tiers include free parking all year, among other amenities — but tend to pay for themselves within two or three visits, making Six Flags an affordable recreation option for area families, McGrath said. That’s important in a stressed economy, when many families can’t afford to fly to vacation destinations. “This is a day trip for anyone, all the way up to Maine — down to Pennsylvania, even.”

Many of those visitors are parents and grandparents taking their kids to Six Flags and sharing their fond memories of Riverside Park, which existed as an amusement park alongside the Connecticut River for about 90 years.

Some relics remain on the grounds, McGrath said, from the 1909 carousel to the antique automobiles that rattle along a metal track and give youngsters the chance to experience driving a car. Then there’s the Thunderbolt, the 1941 wooden coaster — standing 70 feet tall and traveling up to 40 mph — that has been called a landmark by American coaster enthusiasts. Six Flags preserves rides like this, McGrath said, because the company understands the special memories they have for many.

No matter what a ride’s age, she noted, maintenance teams check each attraction daily, often from as early as 5 a.m. “Our staff is diligent in regard to checking safety, and it’s a main focus — before the park opens, during, after, every potential minute for our guests, it’s a thorough process.”

Besides its obvious link to families, Six Flags involves itself in the community through charity events as well, working with more than 3,000 organizations annually across its 13-park footprint. Locally, that includes school-supply drives and coat drives for children, as well as Cause for Paws, an event that raises money for the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, and an annual skin-cancer-awareness event.

But the main buzz right now is clearly on the rides, which opened to their first guests of the 2014 season on April 12. New England Sky Screamer will open a bit later in the season, and though it’s expected to be a hit, it won’t be the last one, McGrath said.

“Right now, we are well into the planning process of 2015, even though we are executing 2014,” she told BusinessWest. “When it comes to building a new attraction for the park, we listen to our guests, of course, and what they would like to see in the future. We want to entertain those of all ages.”

After all, at the end of the day, it’s all about reaching new heights of entertainment — literally and figuratively.


Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

When It’s Not Obvious

By
Law Sections
There Are Discrimination Issues That Can, and Do, Sneak Up on You

By ANNIE L. LAJOIE, Esq.

Annie E. Lajoie, Esq

Annie E. Lajoie, Esq

Not all discrimination is open or obvious.

Sometimes it can sneak up on you in ways you have not imagined. In fact, you may face a viable discrimination claim even when you did not intend to discriminate against someone. 

Under a disparate-impact theory of discrimination, intent is irrelevant. Instead, liability is based upon the effects or impact of a policy or practice, rather than the employer’s motivation behind it. In other words, a disparate-impact claim arises when an employer’s policies and practices, seemingly neutral and non-discriminatory on their face, result in a negative impact on a protected class of employees, based on factors such as race or age.

Disparate-impact claims often arise in the context of employee-selection criteria, pre-hire assessments, employee testing, organizational restructuring, and reductions in force. 

In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court noted for the first time that Congress directed the thrust of Title VII to the consequences of employment practices, not simply the motivation. At the end of the day, Title VII was enacted to protect a vulnerable group from overt or unintentional discrimination when practices that are fair in form have a discriminatory impact.

In this seminal case of disparate-impact discrimination, an employer required employees doing manual labor to have high-school diplomas. The court found that this requirement was discriminatory because this requirement was substantially limiting the amount of black applicants who could be hired. Why was this an issue? Because a high-school diploma did not correlate to how well someone would perform this manual-labor job. Therefore, a good practice for employers is to make sure that any requirements or policies are related to and necessary for the job.

Necessary Measures

When an employer’s policy is challenged as having a disparate impact on a specific group of people, the employer may defend itself by claiming that the policy is job-related and necessary. The types of policies that are necessary, even if they impact certain groups differently, are those that are related to safety or ensure that an applicant is qualified to perform the job. However, employers should be careful not to make such tests or policies more difficult than the actual job.

In one case, a company was experiencing a high rate of employee injury, so it implemented a strength test for applicants. After implementing these strength tests, the employment rate for women at that company decreased from 46% to 15%. While this appeared to be the result of a job-related and necessary strength test, the tests were substantially more difficult than the actual work.

Because a less difficult strength test would have determined if someone was able to do the job without disqualifying as many women, the court deemed the company liable for disparate-impact discrimination. To reduce the risk of a similar fate, employers should make sure their tests are commensurate with the difficulty of the job.

Even if a test is appropriately related to the job, it is still important to reassess whether it will cause the least amount of disparate impact of all the options. In another case, an employer implemented a test that measured verbal, numerical, and spatial reasoning skills to evaluate applicants’ mechanical aptitude. Before implementing this test, the employer undertook significant research and analysis to ensure that it was appropriately related to the job.

However, this test was found to exclude black applicants at a disproportionately high rate. Additionally, the court determined there was a less discriminatory method the employer could have used, but the employer never considered newer methods after implementing the original test. Since the employer was using a test that affected a protected group more than other groups, and there were other methods the employer could have used that would affect protected groups less, the employer was liable for disparate-impact discrimination.

With this example in mind, it would be wise for employers to re-evaluate their policies and procedures annually so that superior methods may be discovered and incorporated.

Finally, employers should also be careful when attempting to rectify situations where a protected class has been disparately impacted by a test or policy that is job-related and consistent with business necessity. In a U.S. Supreme Court case, a group of white and Hispanic firefighters sued their employer for disregarding test results where black firefighters failed the test at a significantly higher rate.

The employer feared that using the test results as the basis for promotions, as was originally planned, would bring a claim of discrimination. However, the court stated that, because the employer was careful to ensure that the test was job-related and consistent with business necessity, it was unlawful discrimination to disregard the results only because a protected class performed badly on it at a higher rate.

Steps to Take

As you can see, disparate-impact discrimination claims truly can sneak up on you. These claims are some of the most difficult to prepare for and deal with because they are often based on policies and tests that appear neutral. Further, as you can see from the case discussed above, trying to avoid a claim of discrimination can open you up to a different one.

To reduce their risk of disparate-impact discrimination claims, employers should:

• Make sure job requirements are job-related and necessary;

• Make sure physical tests are commensurate with job requirements;

• Review policies and procedures annually to make sure there is not an available practice with a less disparate impact;

• Train supervisors often; and

• Review any new policies or practices with employment counsel prior to implementation, then annually.

The bottom line is that you should keep track of your numbers. Statistics play a key role in disparate-impact analyses and disparate-impact claims. Employers would also be wise to review with their employment counsel any new policies or practices before implementation and conduct annual reviews of the same.

Annie E. Lajoie, Esq. specializes exclusively in management-side labor and employment law at Royal LLP, a woman-owned, SOMWBA-certified, boutique, management-side labor and employment law firm; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]

Estate Planning for Second Marriages

By
Law Sections
Here Are 10 Important Points to Ponder — and Remember

By MICHELE J. FEINSTEIN and ANN I. WEBER

When you decide to get married for the first time, estate planning is probably the last thing on your mind. But if your marriage does not endure because of death or divorce and you later want to remarry, marriage, life, and death may be a little more complicated.

Here are some pointers to keep in mind if you or someone you love are contemplating remarriage.

• Do you have a will? If not, the Commonwealth has written one for you.

If a spouse in a second marriage dies without a will and has children from a prior marriage, under Massachusetts law, the survivor will receive the first $100,000 and one-half of the balance of the estate.

If this is not your plan of choice, you should have a will and perhaps a revocable trust which clearly sets out your wishes.

• If you want to leave your estate entirely to your children, your spouse may have the right to challenge your will and receive the share prescribed by statute.

Under Massachusetts law, a spouse can waive the provisions in the decedent’s will and elect to take the share prescribed by statute. For example, if you die leaving children from a prior marriage, your spouse can force a distribution equal to the income interest in one-third of your probate estate (and potentially the assets of your revocable trust if you have one) plus $25,000 distributed outright from that share.

Your spouse cannot benefit from any provisions in the will in his or her favor, but can continue to receive the benefit of property passing outside of the probate process, i.e., proceeds of life insurance or retirement plans and jointly held assets, etc.

• If you have a will which was signed prior to your marriage and you die before signing a new one, your spouse may receive a share of your estate even though he or she is not mentioned in the will.

In such a case, your spouse will receive the share he or she would have received if there had been no will from the portion of the estate not left to your children or grandchildren, unless your will was made in contemplation of the marriage or you provided for your spouse outside the will with life insurance, retirement benefits, jointly held assets, etc.

• Do you have minor or disabled children?

While your former spouse will probably be guardian of your children, your may not want him or her to control assets passing to or for the benefit of your children. You can name a conservator or a trustee of a children’s or special-needs trust to control these assets for the benefit of your children.

• Do you have a prenuptial agreement?

If so, you and your spouse may have relinquished rights to each other’s estates. You can, however, include your new spouse in your will, as any provisions in favor of your spouse will trump the prenup.

• Do you have a divorce decree or separation agreement?

If so, you may have obligations under these agreements. Your attorney should review these documents in order to be sure that your new plan does not contravene these obligations.

• Do the combined assets of you and your spouse exceed $1 million? Do they exceed $5.34 million?

If so, you may need a revocable trust or perhaps some additional planning to minimize your state and federal estate taxes, respectively.

• Are you receiving Social Security retirement benefits based on a former spouse’s earning records?

If so, your remarriage may affect your benefits. If you are receiving benefits based on your divorced spouse’s earnings record, your benefits will end upon your remarriage and be recalculated based on you or your new spouse’s earnings, whichever is higher. If your benefits are based on a deceased spouse’s record and you are 60 or older at your remarriage, you will receive the higher of the three worker’s benefits. However, if you are under 60 when you remarry, you will forfeit your widow’s benefits permanently.

• Are you concerned about the costs of long-term care? Your marital status may affect your eligibility for benefits.

MassHealth has different eligibility criteria for single and married persons applying for nursing-home coverage, with some very favorable options applying to married couples.  In particular, assets can be transferred to the well spouse without a transfer disqualification, special types of annuities can be purchased to accelerate eligibility, and the well spouse will be entitled to keep $117,240 of countable assets.

While this works well when the children likely to inherit belong to both spouses, traditional planning can cause problems down the line for blended families if the ill spouse’s children are excluded as beneficiaries of the well spouse’s estate.

• Do you want your children or other individuals to be beneficiaries of your qualified retirement plan(s)?

If so, your new spouse will need to sign a notarized waiver of these benefits in order for these beneficiaries to take. Qualified plans include defined benefit or contribution plans, profit-sharing plans, and 401(b) and 401(k) plans.

Attorneys Ann I. Weber and Michele J. Feinstein are partners with the Springfield-based law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. Weber concentrates her practice in the areas of estate-tax planning, estate administration, probate, and elder law; (413) 737-1131; www.ssfpc.com. Feinstein concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning and administration, elder law, probate litigation, health law, and corporate and business planning; (413) 737-1131; www.ssfpc.com

The Rules Have Changed

By
Law Sections
New Regulations Aim to Level Playing Field for Veterans, IWDs

John S. Gannon

John S. Gannon

Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced new rules intended to promote the hiring and employment of veterans and individuals with disabilities by federal government contractors. OFCCP is responsible for ensuring that employers doing business with the federal government comply with laws and regulations requiring affirmative action and nondiscrimination.

Two laws the agency oversees are Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities, and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), which requires federal contractors to take affirmative action to employ specified categories of veterans.

Background

The Department of Labor (DOL) has stated that the new rules “help level the playing field” for veterans and individuals with disabilities (IWDs).  According to fact sheets released by the DOL, the unemployment rate in 2012 for Gulf War II-era veterans — those who served in the Armed Forces sometime since September 2001 and have since returned to civilian life — was 9.9%, compared to 7.9% for non-veterans.

The disparity increased for males ages 18 to 24.  Similarly, IWDs had high rates of unemployment; the unemployment rate for working-age IWDs in 2012 was 15%, compared to 8.8% for individuals without disabilities. The poverty rate for IWDs, ages 18 to 64, was 28.8%, compared to 12.5% for non-disabled people. The new rules are aimed at addressing both of these target populations.

Major Provisions

The new rules impose significant new obligations for covered federal government contractors and subcontractors. First, the final VEVRAA rule requires contractors to establish annual hiring benchmarks for protected veterans, a group that includes Vietnam-era veterans, special disabled veterans, veterans separated from service for three years or less, and veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized.

Contractors can either use the national percentage of veterans in the civilian workforce as a benchmark (currently 8%), or develop their own custom benchmarks using criteria outlined by OFCCP. Although progress toward the benchmark needs to be tracked, failure to meet the benchmark alone will not carry a penalty. A violation could result, however, from failure to establish a benchmark and collect corresponding data.

The final Section 503 rule contains a similar provision that establishes a 7% workforce utilization goal for employment of IWDs. The 7% goal applies to employees in each job group, unless the total workforce is under 100 employees.  Employers of fewer than 100 may apply the 7% IWD goal to the entire workforce.

Again, OFCCP states that failing to meet the IWD utilization goal alone will not constitute a violation of the regulation and won’t lead to a fine or penalty.  However, it may lead to an audit by OFCCP. Following an audit, OFCCP may request that the contractors enter into conciliation agreements with remedial benchmarks for hiring IWDs.

Self-identification

Both final rules require contractors to invite applicants to self-identify as a veteran or IWD during the application process. In addition, covered contractors must ask employees to voluntarily self-identify IWD status during the first year following the implementation of the new regulations and every five years thereafter. OFCCP has released a Section 503 self-identification form that contractors are required to use, which can be found at www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/sec503/voluntary_self-identification_of_disability_cc-305_sd_edit1.24.14.pdf.

The agency has not released a similar VEVRAA form, but sample invitations to self-identify can be found in the new regulations. Contact employment counsel for guidance on creating this form.

Employers who are up to speed on their Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) obligations might be concerned with the new Section 503 self-identification process. The ADA generally prohibits employers from asking applicants and employees to provide information concerning their physical and/or mental condition. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued an opinion letter last year supporting OFCCP’s new self-identification requirements.  Therefore, covered contractors do not need to worry about ADA obligations when issuing Section 503 self-identification forms to applicants and employees.

Data Collection

The new regulations require contractors to document and annually update several quantitative comparisons for the number of veterans and IWDs who apply for jobs and are hired. This includes information about the number of veterans and IWDs who applied, the total number of applicants and the total number hired, and the total number of openings filled.


Who Must Comply?

The new VEVRAA rule impacts all employers who have federal contracts or subcontracts of $100,000 or more. Section 503 rules apply to employers with federal contracts or subcontracts of $10,000 or more.

Timing

The effective date for the new regulations was March 24, 2014. However, contractors with affirmative-action plans (AAPs) already in place on March 24 can keep them in place until the end of their current AAP year and defer compliance until their new AAP plan year.

Bottom Line

Federal contractors need to make sure their hiring and employment practices comply with the new rules. Additionally, AAPs need to be modified for compliance. Contact experienced counsel for assistance updating your AAPs or general information about the new OFCCP rules. n

John Gannon is an attorney at the management-side labor and employment firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]

Introducing the Class 2014

By
40 Under 40 Cover Story The Class of 2014
The Young Business and Community Leaders of Western Massachusetts


In 2007, BusinessWest introduced a new recognition program called 40 Under Forty. It was intended as a vehicle to showcase young talent in the four counties of Western Mass. and, in turn, inspire others to reach higher and do more in their community.

Seven years later, it has accomplished all that and much more. The program has become a brand, the awards gala has become one of the most anticipated events of the year, and the 40 Under Forty plaque that sits on one’s desk has become both a coveted prize and symbol of excellence, recognized by all.

On June 19 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, 40 more plaques will be handed out, to members of a class that is both distinguished and diverse. It includes bankers, lawyers, and accountants, but also a Holyoke city councilor, a contractor who specializes in blitz building, and Springfield’s senior project manager. And it represents virtually every business sector, from healthcare to education; from technology to the nonprofit realm.

With that, we introduce the Class of 2014 with words (enough to explain why they’re an honoree) and pictures that tell a big part of each story, whether the winner is captured with his or her children, dog, or even boxing gloves or a giant candle. The stories are all different, but the common denominator is that these young individuals possess that most important of qualities: leadership.

Click here to download a PDF flipbook version of the 40 Under Forty Class of 2014

Sponsored by:
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Fathers&Sons130x70
HNE
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Partner

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2014 40 Under Forty Winners:

Tamara Blake
Sandy Cassanelli
Robert Chateauneuf
Nick Colgin
Izabela Collier
G. David Condon IV
Jose Delgado
Justin Dion
Garett DiStefano
Patricia Faginski
Sean Gouvin
Nicole Griffin
Lee Hagon
Denise Hurst
Justin Hurst
Sean Jeffords
Danielle Klein-Williams
Dr. Andrew Lam
Angela Lussier
Ruby Maddox
Kevin Maltby
Andrew McMahon
Geoff Medeiros
Alex Morse
Meghan Parnell-Gregoire
Orlando Ramos
Jason Randall
Liz Rappaport
Robert Raynor
Alfonso Santaniello
Michael Schneider
Paul Silva
Michael Simolo
Noah Smith
Seth Stratton
Geoff Sullivan
Kyle Sullivan
Anthony Surrette
Jessica Wales
Francia Wisnewski

Meet the Judges — Click Here

Photography for this special section by Denise Smith Photography