Year: 2014

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank was named a Bronze winner in the 35th annual Telly Awards for its piece titled “Life Is Exciting. Let Us Help.” This is the third time Berkshire Bank has received the Telly Award distinction.

The winning spots were 30- and 60-second animated commercials developed by Berkshire Bank, featuring Berkshire Bank’s spokesperson, nine-time national champion, and Hall of Fame basketball coach Geno Auriemma, as the voiceover, and focusing on finding consumers exciting moments. The spot was broadcast throughout New England and New York in support of Berkshire Bank’s “Life Is Exciting” campaign.

The Telly Awards, founded in 1979, are the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video, and films. This year, nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries entered the Telly Awards. Fewer than 10% of entries are chosen as Winners of the Silver Telly, the event’s highest honor. Approximately 25% of entries are chosen as winners of the Bronze Telly.

“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, executive director of the Telly Awards. “Berkshire Bank’s accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft, and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”

PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire Museum announced the addition of Britney Schline to the staff as the collections manager.

Berkshire Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, holds encyclopedic collections comprised of more than 30,000 objects, including art, artifacts, decorative arts, ethnography, natural specimens, and living collections. In her new role, Schline will oversee the museum’s permanent collections as well as work closely with the exhibition team led by Maria Mingalone, the museum’s director of interpretation.

“Britney’s approach to collections management is in line with our institutional goals to bring collections alive for our visitors. She has a fresh perspective on how collections can leverage the ‘21st-century museum’ as a place where people have meaningful experiences with one another around objects,” said Mingalone. “Schline also brings a passion to finding innovative means to connect our visitors to our collections and to one another, whether it is in the galleries, through special programming, on our website, or through social media.”

Schline is a recent graduate of the Cooperstown Graduate Program and holds a master’s degree in Museum Studies. Before completing her graduate degree, she held the position of decorative arts collections assistant at the Berkshire Museum, assisting the museum in cataloguing its ceramic and Asian art collection under an IMLS grant. Most recently, she served in the collections department at the Fenimore Art Museum and the New York State Historical Assoc. Last summer, Schline was an Edward I. Koch fellow at the Historic House Trust of New York City, where she coordinated the Roof Raisers Curatorial Brigade volunteer program. She has also previously interned at Wadsworth Atheneum and the Schoharie County Historical Society.

BOSTON — Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary (EEA) Maeve Vallely Bartlett announced $429,239 in grants from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) for projects to protect and restore rivers, watersheds, and wildlife across the Commonwealth, including three awards in Western Mass.

“The Massachusetts Environmental Trust has been a critical conservation leader in protecting the vital waterways of Massachusetts for over 20 years,” said Bartlett. “By communities and conservation partners collaborating and working together with the Commonwealth, we can develop important projects for maintaining and protecting our clean waters for generations to come.”

Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000, the grants will help support 13 projects in Amherst, Great Barrington, Ipswich, Lee, Lincoln, Methuen, Newton, Plymouth, Provincetown, Taunton, Wareham, Weston, and Westport. The local projects include:

• Town of Amherst, $36,100 to study the contamination of Fearing Brook, and to develop and begin to implement remedial strategies to improve the water quality of the brook.

• Town of Great Barrington, $30,000 to study water quality in Lake Mansfield.

• Housatonic Valley Assoc. in Lee, $15,911 to design and install stormwater vegetative buffers to reduce roadway runoff into Churchill Brook in Pittsfield.

Since it was founded in 1988 as part of the Boston Harbor cleanup, MET has awarded more than $19 million in grants to organizations statewide that provide a wide array of environmental services, from supporting water projects in communities to protecting coastal habitats.

HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke YMCA will offer a Safe Sitter class for girls and boys age 11 to 14 on Saturday, July 12 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Greater Holyoke YMCA. Registration for the program, sponsored by the Greater Holyoke YMCA, is open until July 11.

The Safe Sitter program is a medically accurate program that teaches young adolescents how to handle emergencies when caring for younger children. The cost is $45. To pre-register your son or daughter or your child’s babysitter, call (413) 534-5631.


Thousands of adolescents across the country have been trained by Safe Sitter instructors to handle life-threatening emergencies. During the course, students get hands-on practice in basic lifesaving techniques so they are prepared to act in a crisis.
 Safe Sitters also offers helpful tips to make young people more confident caregivers. Participants learn safety precautions, how to understand children of different ages, and even the business of babysitting. 
To successfully complete the Safe Sitter program, students must pass a rigorous practical and written test to show that they have mastered the key concepts and have the skills necessary to handle an emergency.

SPRINGFIELD — 
Christopher Sikes, executive director and founder of Common Capital (formerly the Western Massachusetts Enterprise Fund) will address the Springfield Rotary Club’s luncheon meeting on Friday, July 18. His topic will be the impact of community loan funds in support of local businesses and community projects.

Common Capital is a 25-year-old loan fund which has invested millions of dollars to support the region’s economy. Located in Holyoke, it is a community-development financial institute providing financing to microenterprises, small businesses, and nonprofits since 1989.
 Sikes has taken a leading role in microenterprise and small-business development in the U.S. Before founding the fund, he owned a piano-rebuilding company.

The Springfield Rotary Club meets every Friday at 12:15 p.m. in the MassMutual Room at the Basketball Hall of Fame. The luncheon costs $17 per person and is open to the public. For more information on the Springfield Rotary or becoming a member, contact Mike Healy, membership chair, at (860) 796-1435 or visit www.springfieldmarotary.org.

GLASTONBURY, Conn. — William Crawford IV, CEO of United Bank and United Financial Bancorp Inc., announced that United Bank will expand its already-significant presence in Glastonbury, Conn. by building a full-service banking branch at 2670 Main St. in Glastonbury.

In addition, Crawford announced that United Bank — known in Connecticut as Rockville Bank: a division of United Bank — will be opening a new branch just over the town line in East Hartford inside the ShopRite supermarket located at 31 Main St., East Hartford, Conn. This branch will provide extended hours and seven-days-a-week banking.

The bank’s new Glastonbury location is on the corner of Main Street and New London Turnpike, directly across the street from Katz Hardware, and will be an approximately 2,200-square-foot, full-service branch that will provide retail and commercial banking, investment-advisory services, mortgage banking, and products for small businesses. This location will also provide night-deposit services, a drive-thru teller, and an ATM. For added customer convenience, the bank plans to have four teller stations and four offices for branch staff and lending professionals.

The supermarket branch in ShopRite will also provide retail and commercial deposit and loan products, mortgage-loan origination, small-business products, night-deposit services, and an ATM, along with sufficient teller stations and office space.

Over the past two years, Rockville Bank has significantly expanded its operations in Glastonbury. In addition to the branches at 1009 Hebron Ave. — the Shops at Addison Village — and 902 Main St. in South Glastonbury, the bank established its corporate headquarters at 45 Glastonbury Blvd. in August 2012 and occupies substantial office space on the first and third floors of 95 Glastonbury Blvd., which includes space for its employee training center, mortgage lenders, and commercial-banking team.

“Glastonbury has been a wonderful home for Rockville Bank and now United Bank. Expanding our presence in Glastonbury will create another first-class community-banking destination for our customers and give them full access to a team of experienced local bankers,” said Crawford. “The opportunity to open at this location on Main Street is very exciting because we will be enhancing the public’s convenience to our banking services and teams while building a branch that fits the Glastonbury landscape in what is already a well-traveled, well-maintained part of town.”

AMHERST — Mary Dougherty, publisher for history at Bedford/St. Martin’s, has been named director of University of Massachusetts Press. She will assume her new duties on July 21.

As publisher for history since 2006, Dougherty devised and implemented a long-range plan for the growth of the Bedford history list, which increased revenue from $8 million to $18.5 million. She also launched and developed a digital strategy for the history list, including the adaptation of a new platform and the development of innovative digital resources. During her time at Bedford, she managed every aspect of the list’s growth, including editorial, design, marketing, financial, and technological dimensions.

Michael Malone, vice chancellor for research and engagement at UMass Amherst, said Dougherty’s appointment builds on the legacy of strong and creative leadership of the previous two University of Massachusetts Press directors, Leone Stein and Bruce Wilcox. “As the publishing industry continues to evolve and adapt to a changing marketplace, the UMass Press will be well-served by having Mary Dougherty as director. She has a terrific record of success in publishing and a deep appreciation for the value of scholarly research,” said Malone. “Her vision and management skills will be invaluable to its continuing success.”

Added Dougherty, “my hope is to sustain the many qualities that now distinguish the University of Massachusetts Press, to grow the press in new areas to serve emerging scholarly and community needs, and to publish nimbly in print, digitally, across vendors, and across platforms in order to reach scholars and readers in Massachusetts, throughout the U.S., and across the globe.”

From 2004 to 2006, Dougherty served as executive editor at Bedford/St. Martin’s, where her responsibilities included acquiring textbooks, implementing new approaches to sales analysis and editorial review, managing author relations, negotiating contracts, and expanding the firm’s network of author prospects and contacts. She joined the company in 2003 as a history specialist charged with raising the profile of the discipline and increase sales.

Prior to joining Bedford/St. Martin’s, Dougherty was a sponsoring editor and college sales representative with Houghton Mifflin Co. She earned a Ph.D. in American literature at Rutgers University. She also holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College.

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announce the launch of its updated website, www.umassfive.coop — the same address, with a refreshed look and content.

As more members conduct their transactions online, UMassFive considered it time to improve that experience and make it as pleasant and efficient as possible. The website was upgraded to create an easier navigation throughout. The new site is device-responsive, meaning that whatever method is used to access the UMassFive website — whether it be a phone, tablet, or computer — it will adapt to the screen size for easy viewing and navigation. The design of the site provides a cleaner, more dynamic look, while maintaining the welcoming feel that the UMassFive brand is known for. Other improvements to the website include added quick links on the homepage, as well as an expanded financial tools and resources section.

The UMass Five College Federal Credit Union was established in 1967 and serves the University of Massachusetts as well as the Five College System and other select employee groups. As a nonprofit financial cooperative, earnings go right back to members in the form of better rates, lower fees, and improved services. UMassFive has more than 31,000 members, four branches, and assets of $320 million.

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank has announced that its foundation has provided a $1,500 grant to support the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC). The grant funds will go directly to support the MSBDC’s business-advisory services and other programs throughout Western Mass.

“Berkshire Bank and its foundation have been long-time supporters of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center,” said Jason Rivera, vice president, Business Banking at Berkshire Bank. “We recognize the vital role the MSBDC plays in assisting small businesses throughout the Commonwealth.”

The MSBDC is a partnership program with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the state Office of Business Development under a cooperative agreement with the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. It provides free, one-to-one, comprehensive, confidential services focusing on business growth, strategies and training, financing and loan assistance, government contracting, international trade, as well as strategic, marketing, and operational analysis. In addition, low-cost educational training programs are offered across the state, targeted to the needs of small business.

Last year, the MSBDC served 3,432 clients, providing more than 22,000 hours of counseling to help create and retain more than 3,000 jobs and secure more than $30 million in financing to assist small businesses throughout the Commonwealth. The MSBDC’s services are delivered through a statewide network of skilled professionals supported by a vast network of federal, state, educational, and private-sector partners including Berkshire Bank. The MSBDC has 50 outreach sites located throughout the Massachusetts, including offices in Pittsfield and Springfield.

NORTH BROOKFIELD — North Brookfield Savings Bank (NBSB) announced several promotions in its branches and corporate offices. Vice President Patty Ostrout has been promoted to senior vice president of Retail Banking, Operations Manager Laurie Wisniewski has been promoted to vice president of Operations, Branch Administrator Tammy Martin has been promoted to assistant vice president/branch administrator, and Credit Analyst Courtney Fitzmaurice has been promoted to assistant vice president/commercial portfolio manager.

“We’re very proud of Patty, Laurie, Tammy, and Courtney for their well-deserved promotions, not only because of how much we value them, but also because of what it says about our continued growth as a mutual savings bank,” said Donna Boulanger, NBSB President and CEO. “We’re looking forward to the continued value they will bring to the growth and success of North Brookfield Savings Bank, our customers, and the expanding communities that we serve.”

With more than 25 years in the financial industry, Ostrout started with NBSB in 2012. Wisniewski started as a teller at NBSB in 1985 before holding positions in accounting and other aspects of the organization. Her promotion to vice president of Operations means she is coming full circle, as she’ll be working closely again with the branches and in the deposit areas of banking.

A graduate of Worcester State University and the Massachusetts Banker’s Commercial Lending School, Fitzmaurice joined the bank in 2011. As commercial portfolio manager, she will work directly with small businesses through the expanding Business Center at NBSB, which offers a wide range of loan and deposit products for business customers. The Business Center was also recently named a preferred lender for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Martin received her bachelor’s degree from Worcester State College (now Worcester State University) and has more than 10 years of experience in the banking industry. She has been at NBSB for nearly two years and said she is looking forward to continued community involvement.

SPRINGFIELD — At its recent meeting, the Rotary Club honored 11 new members inducted into the club during the 2013-14 Rotary year and also inducted its new president, Rick Lee, and the board of directors for the 2014-15 Rotary year.

According to Jay Leib, immediate past president, “all members of The Rotary Club of Springfield have worked diligently to make sure that our club is not only interesting but a fun place to belong. This past year, our club provided 13 service fund grants to various nonprofit organizations in Springfield. We are proud of our 11 new members and are prepared to continue providing grants within the Springfield community.”
 The new Rotarians who joined this year are Michelle Booth, Robert Carter, Lamont Clemons, Rev. Derrick Fetz, Gale Gates, G. Dene Kimbell, Karen Motyka, Justin Roberts, Laurie Rosner, Audrey Szychulski, and Michael Walsh.

One of Lee’s goals for his tenure as president is to tap the potential of the club’s growing membership. He is placing new emphasis on the club’s annual service fund special event, the Rotary Harvest 8K Run and Relay, to be held in Forest Park on Oct. 18.
 Lee is the executive director of the American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter. He will retire from that post this summer after 30 years of service.

The Springfield Rotary Club, a member of Rotary International, meets every Friday at 12:15 p.m. in the MassMutual Room at the Basketball Hall of Fame. 
For more information on the Rotary Club of Springfield or becoming a member, please visit www.springfieldmarotary.org or contact Mike Healy, membership chair, at (860) 796-1435. For more information on the the Rotary Harvest 8K Run and Relay, contact Jack Toner at (413) 567-1051 or [email protected].

SPRINGFIELD — What one little thing can achieve so many health and well-being goals, from reducing stress to strengthening family relationships to improving your job performance? The answer is: a vacation.

Americans might take a hint from Europeans, who rarely miss the chance for a relaxing vacation, averaging 25-30 vacation days from work each year and managing to use most of those days. But a new survey by Robert Half — a specialized staffing firm based out of Menlo Park, Calif. — shows 39% of workers this year won’t use all of the paid vacation time they’ve earned. Among those surveyed, 38% said they are saving days in case they need them, while 30% are afraid of falling behind on the job.

“We know that adequate rest and relaxation are essential for good mental and physical health,” said Dr. Stuart Anfang, medical director of Adult Outpatient Psychiatry at Baystate Medical Center. “Time off allows you to recharge, to reconnect with family and friends, and to refresh your mind and body.”

For example, a survey several years ago by the Mind Body Center at the University of Pittsburgh concluded that leisure-time activities, such as taking a vacation, resulted in higher positive emotional levels and less depression among the 1,399 participants, who had been recruited for studies on cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and other diseases. Additional benefits included lower blood pressure and smaller waistlines.

But when workers do take time off this summer, it’s important, Anfang said, that they truly leave their work behind and take a break from all electronic distractions. “In our high-tech, wi-fi-connected world of cell phones, texts, and e-mails, it can be a challenge to disconnect from work and other responsibilities. Try unplugging for even just a few hours, or give yourself a day of electronic rest on a weekend or especially during vacation,” he added. “The e-mails and phone messages will still be there, and you can come back refreshed and ready to respond with renewed energy, focus, and attention.”

Yet another study from Hotwire.com, the American Travel Behavior Survey, concluded that 87% of Americans would prefer to take more leisure trips if they felt they had the time and money to do so. “Summer vacations are especially popular because of great weather and school break for families. Even if you can’t take off lots of time or afford a big trip, spending a weekend day doing something fun — not just errands and chores — can really be helpful and healthy,” Anfang said.

But where to go to decompress when you can’t afford the costs associated with a vacation, from plane tickets and eating out to hotels and gas? Options include going camping, visiting a nearby lake to cool off and relax, spending a day picnicking or swimming at a city or state park, taking day trips, or enjoying a ‘staycation’ by hanging out next to your backyard pool or lounging in a hammock and reading a good book.

“You don’t necessarily have to go very far or spend a lot of your hard-earned money to take a vacation,” Anfang said. “What is important is to get away from your normal daily routine to recharge your batteries by leaving work back at the office, doing something you really enjoy, or spending quality time with family.”

LONGMEADOW — The Leavitt Family Jewish Home at Jewish Lifecare has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission’s national standards for healthcare quality and patient and resident safety in nursing homes. The accreditation award recognizes the nursing home’s dedication to continuous compliance with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards.

The Jewish Home underwent a rigorous on-site survey June 18. A Joint Commission surveyor evaluated the nursing home for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and residents, including infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management.

“In achieving Joint Commission accreditation, the Leavitt Family Jewish Home has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients and residents that goes above and beyond federal and state requirements,” said Gina Zimmermann, executive director of Nursing Care Center Accreditation for the Joint Commission. “Accreditation is a voluntary process, and I commend the Jewish Home for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

The Joint Commission’s Nursing Care Center accreditation program, formerly the Long Term Care accreditation program, was established in 1966 and accredits nearly 1,000 organizations offering nursing-home services. The Joint Commission’s standards address important functions relating to the care of patients and residents and the management of nursing-care centers. The standards are developed in consultation with industry experts, providers, measurement experts, and consumers.

“With Joint Commission accreditation, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. Joint Commission accreditation provides us a framework to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence,” said Stephen Roizen, administrator of the Leavitt Family Jewish Home. “Achieving Joint Commission accreditation, for our organization, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. home prices rose 8.8% in May compared with a year earlier, but the pace of gains has slowed as more homes have come onto the market, data provider CoreLogic reported this week. On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 1.2% from April to May, but CoreLogic’s monthly figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal patterns, such as warmer weather, which can affect sales. Prices increased the most in western states, including Hawaii, California, and Nevada.

FLORENCE — Florence Savings Bank announced that Danielle Drapeau has joined the bank as a mortgage production officer. Drapeau brings more than 20 years of banking experience to her new role with FSB. Most recently, she was an underwriter-officer with United Bank, located in West Springfield. Her experience includes underwriting loans that include FHA, VA, Fannie Mae, and USDA Farmers Home. FSB President and CEO John Heaps Jr. said that “Danielle is a welcome addition to our team here at Florence Savings Bank. Her expertise will provide tremendous value to us and to the customers we serve.”