SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Health announced three leadership appointments for its regional community hospitals. Effective July 1, Steven Bradley will succeed Chuck Gijanto as president of Baystate Franklin Medical Center and the Baystate Northern Region. And effective immediately, Dennis Chalke has been named senior vice president of Community Hospitals for Baystate Health, an expansion of his current role as chief financial officer and treasurer, in which he will continue. Dr. M. Shafeeq Ahmed will continue in his role as chief operating officer and chief medical officer for Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, and will also serve as acting president of Baystate Mary Lane Hospital after Gijanto ends his tenure on July 1. Additional leadership appointments for the Baystate Eastern Region will be made at a later date, with Ahmed continuing to serve in a senior leadership role. “We’re pleased to share these leadership decisions, which are important ones for Baystate Health,” said Dr. Mark Keroack, the organization’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, who will assume the title of Baystate Health president and CEO on July 1. “One of our success factors for the very near future will be our ability to optimize the use of all our facilities, allowing patients to remain closer to home for more routine treatment and seek more complex care at our academic medical center in Springfield. This model brings us closer to Baystate’s stated vision of an integrated system of care. Our future will be one of integration — of team.” Bradley has served for 14 years as Baystate Health’s vice president for Government and Community Relations and Public Affairs. He led the team that garnered state approval for Baystate Medical Center’s $300 million Hospital of the Future project, and more recently helped facilitate a resolution to a lengthy labor dispute at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. “It is my honor to accept the leadership of this important and beloved community resource. I thank Chuck Gijanto for his leadership and his commitment, and I look forward to further strengthening Baystate’s bond with the Franklin County community,” said Bradley. Prior to joining Baystate Health, Bradley served as regional director for what was then known as the Mass. Department of Mental Retardation, where he carried administrative, financial, and regulatory responsibilities and provided leadership to 6,000 direct and contract employees serving thousands of patients and families in the region. Bradley also served as chief of staff to state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst), and has grown to know Franklin County well in that role and in his subsequent positions. He has served as selectman in the town of Pelham, as board president for the Massachusetts Public Health Assoc., and is past chair of the board of trustees for Springfield Technical Community College and the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, Legislative Affairs Committee. Chalke currently serves as chief financial officer and treasurer for Baystate Health, and will continue in that role in addition to his new position as senior vice president of Community Hospitals. In his expanded role, he will oversee the presidents of Baystate’s community hospitals and regions. He has more than 26 years of healthcare experience, having joined Baystate in 1988. Chalke holds an MBA from UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ithaca College. At Baystate Mary Lane Hospital (BMLH), Ahmed’s responsibilities include leadership for inpatient and outpatient practice operations, hospital medical-staff oversight, provider recruitment, quality and patient-satisfaction program oversight, leadership development, strategic planning, and financial stewardship. He was recently named one of “100 Hospital and Health System Chief Medical Officers to Know” by Becker’s Hospital Review. Prior to his arrival at BMLH, Ahmed had served as president of the medical staff, chief of ob/gyn and a member of the board of directors at the Naval Hospital – Cherry Point in North Carolina. Ahmed is also a member of the Baystate Medical Practices board of directors, and he has served as vice president of the BMLH medical staff. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Boston University and received his doctorate in medicine from Boston University School of Medicine, and completed his ob/gyn residency training through Tufts University at Baystate Medical Center.
Year: 2014
BOSTON — On June 24, the state Supreme Judicial Court cleared the way for a repeal of the state casino law in November’s election. In a unanimous vote, the SJC ruled that Attorney General Martha Coakley was wrong to reject the anti-casino ballot question last year. “We conclude that the attorney general erred in declining to certify and grant the requested relief so that the initiative may be decided by the voters at the November election,” the court said in a lengthy decision written by Justice Ralph Gants. The ruling paves the way the way for what experts predict will be a protracted — and expensive — campaign that will certainly draw significant national interest. Commenting on the court’s decision, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno stated, “I appreciate the due diligence and consideration the SJC has given to this case. Going forward, we will proceed like we did last year before our local referendum and present the facts on what this means to not only Springfield but to Western Mass. and the entire Commonwealth.” He argued that the two main keys to knocking down poverty and public-safety issues in urban America are education and jobs. “People are hungry to work. MGM Springfield is a massive jobs-generation project. It also means $50 million dollars in local vendor procurement opportunities and the redevelopment of the downtown area heavily affected by the June 1, 2011 tornado.” He added, “The entertainment attractions that MGM Springfield will offer to all of New England will not only bring new life and vibrancy to Western Mass., but help to repatriate over a billion dollars currently leaving Massachusetts to other resort destinations. We are prepared and optimistic that, once the voters of the Commonwealth see and hear all the facts, we will prevail.” Michael Mathis, president of MGM Springfield, also weighed in on the decision in a prepared statement. “MGM Resorts has spent three years collaborating and talking with the people of Western Mass. on the value of a casino resort as a unique economic-development catalyst,” he said. “We are confident that our urban revitalization project in Springfield, one of the Commonwealth’s most prominent gateway cities, is something to which all Massachusetts voters can relate. It is a comeback story in progress with hardworking people eager to grow jobs and get back to work. We are fully prepared to extend this message to a larger audience through a statewide campaign to educate the voters on the enormous economic benefits that would be lost to the taxpayers of the Commonwealth in a repeal.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sales of previously owned homes posted the best gain in nearly three years in May, the National Assoc. of Realtors reported, rising 4.9% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.89 million. That gain was the fastest since August 2011; still, sales are 5% below the pace of May 2013. And the pace of home sales is well below the 5.1 million homes sold in 2013 and off the pace of 5.5 million annual sales that would be consistent with a healthy economy. Sales were dampened by last year’s rise in mortgage rates, tight supplies, and tougher lending standards.
GREENFIELD — Kelli Barry has joined Baystate Franklin Medical Center as a philanthropy officer with the Baystate Health Foundation. She brings a variety of fund-raising experiences to her new role, most recently as the vice president of Development for Easter Seals Massachusetts, where she oversaw special events, foundation grants, and giving campaigns. Barry spent 14 years with the American Cancer Society (ACS), serving as the national director for Mission Integration for the Relay For Life. During that time, she developed a comprehensive plan to integrate the ACS mission priorities of health promotion, quality of life, and research, and to foster survivor/caregiver engagement through Relay For Life. Later, as ACS vice president of Income Development for Massachusetts, New England Division, Barry managed a statewide fund-raising team, oversaw budget development and management, and promoted volunteer and constituent engagement. In 2012, Barry was awarded the Massachusetts Unsung Heroine Award by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women for her work with the American Cancer Society. “Making the move to Baystate Health and Baystate Franklin Medical Center is a personal cause for me,” she said. “My family members have received excellent care within our practices and hospitals, and I am dedicated to promoting strong, community-based healthcare in Western Mass.” A graduate of St. Anselm College with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Barry earned her master’s degree in public administration from American International College in Springfield.
SPRINGFIELD — The Rotary Club of Springfield recently honored James Russell as Rotarian of the Year. Russell has been a member of the Springfield Rotary Club for almost 50 years. He is a past president of the club, a Paul Harris Award recipient, a past chairperson of the membership committee, and a participant in many club activities. He was honored for his overall dedication and unwavering service to the club. “This event is to honor not only a great Rotarian, but a great and caring person, and most importantly a great friend,” said current club President Jay Leib. “Jim volunteers and steps up to help any and all activities the club gets involved with. He has been the glue that has kept our club together over the years. He always visits and stays in contact with those who are ill. And he is the first person to step up to help someone who is in need.” Russell was the third-generation owner and president of American Pest Solutions (APS) in Springfield, which was started in 1913 by his grandfather, Abraham Russell. In 2007, he retired and turned the reins over to the fourth generation — his son, Robert Russell, who is now president of APS. The company celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. The Rotary Club of Springfield meets every Friday at 12:15 p.m. in the MassMutual Room at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Lunch is $17 per person and open to the public.
SPRINGFIELD — The Telly Awards has named the Melanoma Foundation of New England (MFNE) a two-time Bronze winner in the 35th annual Telly Awards for its piece titled “The Annoying Mole.” The MFNE launched the public-awareness campaign in May 2014, Melanoma Awareness Month. Produced locally, it features an unsightly and “annoying” mole that is trying to get someone’s attention. The campaign’s simple message: “don’t ignore your moles; get them checked.” The project was a collaboration involving numerous parties. Meghan Rothschild — a melanoma survivor and staff member with the MFNE, and owner of the Northampton-based marketing firm chikmedia — crafted the concept, developed the script and storyboard, and oversaw the project. David Long, owner of Epic Filmmakers of Amherst and West Hartford, Conn., produced, filmed, and edited the spot. Alfonso Santaniello, president of the Creative Strategy Agency in Springfield, had his acting debut as the Annoying Mole in all three formats: radio, print, and TV. MFNE is the largest nonprofit in the region dedicated to melanoma awareness and prevention, offering many free education programs through the year targeted to the prevention of skin cancer in children, teens, and adults. The “Annoying Mole” campaign hopes to reach all segments of the population with the message that melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer but is nearly 100% curable if caught early. “This is a great honor, and we’re very excited,” said Deb Girard, MFNE’s executive director. “We’re happy our work in this field is being recognized.” The Telly Awards were founded in 1979 and honor outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video, and films. A judging panel of more than 500 industry professionals judged the competition. Fewer than 10% of entries are chosen as winners of the Silver Telly, the program’s highest honor. Approximately 25% are chosen as winners of the Bronze Telly. Nearly 12,000 entries were considered this year.
SPRINGFIELD — The Student Prince Cafe and the Fort Dining Room will close on Monday, June 30, and is expected to reopen in about a month, most likely under new ownership. Managing Partner Rudi Scherff told the Republican that he and his sister, fellow Managing Partner Barbara Meunier, haven’t made money with the downtown landmark for some time. He added that several prospective buyers are interested in the 79-year-old German restaurant, which has a staff of 79 and seats 240 patrons. Scherff also noted that a combination of age, declining business, and a major construction project nearby on Interstate 91 — potentially disrupting downtown traffic and keeping away diners from Connecticut — contributed to the decision to sell. He added that business has generally declined as fewer people are willing to shop or eat downtown, partly because of a perception of crime. He said lunch business, dependent on office workers, has also declined, which led to his decision to close a storefront deli on Main Street three and a half years ago. The Student Prince Cafe opened in 1935, followed by the Fort in 1946. Rudi Scherff and Rupprecht Scherff, Meunier’s father, began working there in 1949, and the elder Scherff bought the establishment in 1961. He died in 1996. In 2008, Gourmet magazine listed the Fort as one of the “21 Legendary Restaurants You Must Visit.”
HOLYOKE — Kathy Bowler, executive director of the Holyoke Council on Aging, was recently honored with the Loomis Communities Elvira Whiting Ball award for outstanding service to older adults. More than 150 people celebrated with Bowler, and the reception raised $49,390 in support of the nursing centers at Loomis House in Holyoke and Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing in Springfield, which provide award-winning person-centered care to long-term residents, as well as physical-, speech-, and occupational-therapy programs that help people recover from illness or surgery and return to their homes more quickly. A lifelong resident of Holyoke, Bowler has been executive director of the Holyoke Council on Aging for 26 years. Currently 2,400 individuals are registered with the Senior Center and participate in programs that include transportation, social services, daily meals, tax preparation, tax work-off, fitness classes, health education, art and computer literacy, cultural events, and Learning in Later Life, all supported by an extensive volunteer program. Loomis Communities provides continuing care, specialized care, and health and wellness resources on four campuses: Applewood in Amherst, Loomis House in Holyoke, Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing in Springfield, and Loomis Village in South Hadley.
SPRINGFIELD — Dr. Lewis Cohen of the Psychiatric Consultation Service at Baystate Medical Center has been chosen from among a highly competitive roster of nominations to receive the prestigious 2014 Eleanor and Thomas P. Hackett Memorial Award. The highest honor bestowed annually by the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine (APM), the award recognizes outstanding achievement across an entire career in psychosomatic medicine in training, research, clinical practice, and leadership. “The competition was quite fierce this year; however, the committee heavily endorsed your candidacy and felt that you far outshone your competition,” wrote Dr. Elisabeth Kunkel, chair of the APM’s fellowship and awards committee, in a letter to Cohen. Added Dr. Benjamin Liptztin, chair of the Department of Psychiatry for Baystate Health, “this is a great honor for Dr. Cohen, as well as for Baystate. It is especially fitting since he trained and worked with Dr. Hackett.” Cohen, who also serves as a professor of Psychiatry for Tufts University School of Medicine — for which Baystate Medical Center serves as the Western Campus — is director of Baystate’s Renal Palliative Care Initiative. He has written numerous journal articles on dialysis, palliative care, and end-of-life issues, and is also the author of the book No Good Deed: A Story of Medicine, Murder Accusations and the Debate Over How We Die. He is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Rockefeller Scholars Bellagio Residency Award, a Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship, and the Tufts University School of Medicine Distinguished Faculty Award. The Eleanor and Thomas P. Hackett Memorial Award was established in 1988 to honor Dr. Thomas Hackett Jr., professor and chief of the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and president of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. He was a long-time leader in the field of consultation-liaison psychiatry. He died of a heart attack at age 59, two months after he took office as president of APM. The first Hackett award was presented in 1989, and in 2009, the award was renamed to include his wife, Eleanor, who passed away of leukemia in April 2009. She had presented the award at the annual meeting almost every year since its inception. The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine represents psychiatrists dedicated to the advancement of medical science, education, and healthcare for people with simultaneous psychiatric and general medical conditions, and provides national and international leadership in furthering those goals.
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Scuderi Group announced the signing of a power-purchasing agreement (PPA) with Mexico City-based developer and gaming company AHIS in an effort to lower electrical costs by up to 20% at 13 of its properties. This contract also enables the Scuderi Group to be given authorization to generate electricity for the Mexican power grid. According to the agreement, the Scuderi Group will build the necessary power-generation and energy-storage units to be installed at 13 of AHIS’s casinos located in Mexico City and other resort locations, which currently house an average of 350 machines each, as well as sports/race betting and bingo. The deal will also require the Scuderi Group to begin selling electricity to the country of Mexico since Mexican law mandates that any power generation taking place privately must also sell at least the same amount to the regional grid. This opens up major growth opportunities for the Scuderi Group. The Scuderi split-cycle engine incorporates a unique and highly efficient power-generation and compressed-air energy-storage capability that combines the energy of the high-pressure compressed air with the kinetic energy of the fuel to create a significant efficiency gain. When applied to properties with large power demands, the system has the capability to reduce electricity consumption up to 20%. AHIS is a leading gaming company in Mexico since 1993, currently operating 13 casinos around the country with an additional 29 operations in development. “We are very pleased to advance this project with AHIS to the PPA stage, which brings us closer to seeing the first installations of the Scuderi technology in Mexico take place,” said Sal Scuderi, president of Scuderi Group. “Not only do we look forward to seeing our systems at work saving significant energy, we are also excited to begin contributing electricity to the Mexican grid and helping it to meet its power demands. This is another important milestone for Scuderi Group.” After finalizing the extensive review and evaluation of current and future energy usage at the sites, the Scuderi Group will begin designing and building 13 natural-gas-powered electrical generators with CAES capability that will be sized and optimized according to each building’s specific requirements. The first systems are expected to be up and running next year. The Scuderi engine provides a major advantage when generating power over conventional generators. By utilizing the compressed-air storage capability, the Scuderi engine can capture energy produced via the grid, wind, solar, and other sources. Energy can then be provided on demand to users less expensively when power is in high demand. The system also increases the reliability and capacity of solar and wind farms so energy does not go to waste in off-peak hours. Because of the unique combustion process, the compressed-air energy-storage tanks require far less space than conventional compressed-air energy-storage systems.
GREENFIELD — The town of Greenfield announced recently that implementation of the town’s technology master plan is underway. The master plan, an initiative started by Mayor William Martin in the fall of 2010, is another step in the mayor’s continuing “Stabilize and Expand Greenfield” Campaign, an effort to create a sustainable and resilient community that also prepares for opportunities created by external forces in the form of jobs, grants, loans, and recreational, cultural, and societal enhancements, as well as upgrades related to infrastructure, buildings, and quality of life. The plan includes upgrading the town’s information-technology assets and building a town-wide ‘last-mile’ broadband infrastructure to serve every business and resident that chooses to subscribe. “This is the culmination of three years of independent research and planning,” Martin said. “We have read and reread the information, discussed with internal and external experts, and now seek to follow a pathway outlined by this research and discussion that will produce a new, technology-rich future for the town of Greenfield. It will allow us, as local providers, to serve our citizens and businesses in a proactive, efficient, and user-friendly manner. We will have the ability to provide Internet access to many of our citizens who cannot currently access the Internet today or are prevented from a rapid and broad connection.” Beginning in 2010, Martin and Economic Development Director Robert Pyers began an effort to focus on the town’s lack of telecommunications and information-technology infrastructure. They believed that an investment in technology would help spur economic development, enhance public-health and public-safety communications, increase quality educational opportunities, and encourage government efficiency and local democracy. Research had also shown that investing in technology would help the town retain technology-based businesses and spur a knowledge-based economy while helping residents take advantage of the global educational, economic, and entertainment resources available through the Internet. “Over the course of the past three years, we have engaged three consulting firms to plan our approach,” said Martin. “The three Massachusetts-based consulting firms include Kelley Management Group Inc. of Wilbraham, JFK Systems of Somerset, and the Skyline Group from Uxbridge. Each has completed their studies and presented their strategic recommendations, which we are now deploying.” Kelley Management Group produced a Municipal Telecommunications Business Plan, which recommends that Greenfield move forward as a municipal telecommunications services provider with full town ownership and control. KMG’s business plan suggests the town will provide the best telecommunications services to every municipal entity, business, and residence at the lowest possible cost. Martin has accepted this plan and is moving forward with the creation of a town-owned Greenfield Technology Division, which will operate a break-even business with reserves for investment into future capital expenditures. JFK Systems developed a comprehensive municipal information-technology strategic plan, which defines and coordinates how the town focuses its IT resources and provides a consistent process necessary to link the various IT departments’ plans and initiatives with the needs of the citizens of Greenfield. The Skyline Group produced a municipal LAN/WAN site-assessment report and recommendations for the town’s municipally owned and town-occupied buildings. This report gives an assessment, inventory, and analysis of current network infrastructure, along with the risks associated with the current deployment. It also provides recommendations to achieve network enrichments in preparation for the town’s new municipal telecommunications network and services. Implementation of the technology master plan is a three-step process that is currently underway. The process begins with upgrading and/or selecting new municipal IT business applications that support the town’s business processes and incorporate industry standards and best-practice functionality and technologies. The next step in the process involves a redefinition of the technical requirements of the newly selected municipal IT business applications — requirements such as CPU speed, memory, data-networking speed, storage, data management, security, data sharing, etc. — and then building an optimal IT infrastructure, including computers, printers, servers, local area networking, etc., required to support it. The final step is the town’s most ambitious and will have the greatest impact on the community: Greenfield will build a low-cost, high-speed ‘last-mile’ broadband infrastructure to support the town’s new IT infrastructure, and to meet the voice, data, and Internet needs of every business and resident.
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration announced that the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has issued two groundbreaking orders requiring Massachusetts electric-distribution companies to modernize the electric grid, building on the Commonwealth’s national leadership on energy efficiency and renewable energy. With these orders, Massachusetts is the first state in the nation to require electric-distribution companies to take affirmative and far-reaching steps to modernize the electric grid. “The grid-modernization order builds on Gov. Patrick’s commitment to strategic investments in innovation and infrastructure, and creates jobs,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett. “By implementing grid modernization, Massachusetts will once again be leading the nation in the clean-energy revolution and enabling customers to participate in how and when they consume energy.” The DPU’s order requires each utility to develop and implement a 10-year grid-modernization plan, to be updated regularly. The DPU determined grid modernization will provide several benefits, including:
• Empowering customers to better manage and reduce electricity costs;
• Enhancing the reliability and resiliency of electricity service in the face of increasingly extreme weather;
• Encouraging innovation and investment in new technology and infrastructure, strengthening the competitive electricity market; and
• Addressing climate change and meeting clean-energy requirements by integrating more clean and renewable power, demand response, electricity storage, microgrids, and electric vehicles, and providing for increased amounts of energy efficiency.
The companion order on time-varying rates recognizes that the cost of electricity changes dramatically over the course of a day and year. Currently, most customers pay a flat rate. The time-varying order would require utilities to set prices that take into account the varying costs of electricity and allow customers to make informed decisions on their electricity use throughout the day. Grid modernization and time-varying rates also will allow the Commonwealth to reduce peak demand, a tremendous savings opportunity for all customers, not just those who respond to price signals. Currently, for reliability purposes, all customers pay to have an electric system that can provide power during peak demand periods, even if those periods occur only a few times a year. Grid modernization and time-varying rates will lead to lower electricity use during peak demand periods, reducing the need to build new energy infrastructure and saving money for all. “This order establishes the platform and the incentives for utilities and other businesses to innovate and invest in new technology, to continue to upgrade our current infrastructure, and to increase the use of renewable energy, electric cars, energy storage, and microgrids,” said DPU Chair Ann Berwick. “At the same time, customers will be empowered to control their electricity use and save money.”
BOSTON — The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts added 9,100 jobs in May and the total unemployment rate dropped 0.4% from the April rate to 5.6%. Over the month, jobs were up 9,100, with private-sector jobs up 8,800. Since May 2013, Massachusetts has added a net of 49,700 jobs, with 51,300 jobs added in the private sector and 300 added in the public sector. The total unemployment rate was down 1.4% from the May 2013 rate of 7%. Not only are Massachusetts jobs above the April 2008 high point before the latest recession, they also exceed the February 2001 pre-recession job level. BLS also revised its April estimates downward to a 2,000-job loss from the 1,600-job loss previously reported for the month.
NORTHAMPTON — Facing the loss of a major sponsorship, the founders and organizers of the fourth annual Northampton Jazz Festival are looking to the community for financial support so that September’s full slate of offerings can continue to be held free of charge. This year’s festival is slated to begin Tuesday, Sept. 2 with various events held each day of the week, leading up to the Saturday, Sept. 6 main festival event from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in downtown Northampton. Musicians on tap will include some of the “most cutting-edge players, mostly from the New York scene,” said Tom Reney, host of WFCR’s Jazz a la Mode radio show. Rick Gifford, a founding member of the board of directors, said the cost of the festival is about $35,000 per year: $15,000 for the musicians and another $20,000 in maintenance and set-up costs. This year, the festival lost an annual $10,000 sponsorship from a large corporation due to a change in its funding priorities. Gifford and fellow festival board members are hoping to close the gap with new business sponsorships as well as private donations, which they are seeking from the community at large for the first time. “We’re determined to continue to make it a free concert for participants,” Gifford said. “All of the music that is supported by our sponsors and patrons of the arts is designed to allow people of any walk of life with an interest in jazz to come to the jazz festival and not worry about buying a ticket. Northampton is all about inclusion. That is the mission of the Jazz Festival, too.” To help close the gap, organizers held a private fund-raising party on June 4 in Northampton, raising more than $3,500 and bringing the total needed down to $11,500. “Supporting the festival is supporting the vitality of the region. I am committed to do what I can to continue to keep free and open jazz alive in this Valley,” said Allen Davis, founder of the Davis Financial Group, LLC, in Hadley and a patron of the festival. Willie Hill, director of the Fine Arts Center at UMass Amherst, added that “we must dig as deep as we possibly can to support jazz and pass it on to our children and the next generation, or it will die as an American art form.” Events begin Tuesday, Sept. 2 with a performance by vocalist Giacomo Gates at the Northampton Jazz Workshop at the Loft at the Clarion Hotel at 7:30 p.m. Next, Wednesday, Sept. 3 and Thursday, Sept. 4 are Jazz and Food Nights at Popcorn Noir in Easthampton and Sierra Grill in Northampton, starting at 6 p.m., and on Friday, Sept. 5, the ‘Northampton Jazz Strut’ will give music lovers a chance to explore different venues across downtown Northampton and hear a number of local and regional jazz performers. At Saturday’s signature Northampton Jazz Festival event, featured performers will include Etienne Charles & Creole Soul, the Steve Davis Quintet and the Champian Fulton Quartet, the Seamus Blake Band, FlavaEvolution, the Miro Sprague/Marty Jaffe Group, and Hendrik Meurkens/Scott Mullet with the Green Street Trio. The festival will also feature the 12-Mile Meal event (12milemeal.com), a battle between three local chefs who are given locally raised ingredients and must cook a dish on the spot with those ingredients. Participating in this year’s challenge will be Xavier Jones of Viva Fresh Pasta of Northampton, Brian Graham of Johnny’s Tavern in Amherst, and Chef Casey Douglass of Galaxy Restaurant/Lounge in Easthampton. For more information, visit northamptonjazzfestival.org or contact Gifford at (413) 582-7925. Contributions can be sent to Northampton Jazz Festival, P.O. Box 641, Northampton, MA 01060.
SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield announced that it has awarded a $25,321 grant for facade improvements to the 886-892 State St. property owned by Lorilee I, LLC. Building tenants include the new restaurant Q Smokin’ Good Food. 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. Improvements to this space included renovations to three separate storefronts, two which were combined to create the new restaurant space. The recently awarded 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 owners. Q, featuring homemade southern barbeque, opened in mid-May. “We are grateful for DevelopSpringfield’s support of our façade renovations. We are a family-run business and are thrilled to bring our love of great southern barbecue to the neighborhood,” said Craig Spagnoli, Q co-owner. “We’ve already received great feedback from folks who have appreciated the visible improvements to the building and have also enjoyed our food. We serve both lunch and dinner, along with takeout, and look forward to serving this community.” The project shows a strong commitment to reinvestment and revitalization along the State Street corridor. It is also an example of initiatives recommended in the State Street Redevelopment Program and the Rebuild Springfield Plan to focus on strategic redevelopment in this area. For more information on the Corridor Storefront Improvement Program, visit www.developspringfield.com and click on ‘programs,’ or contact Jay Minkarah, DevelopSpringfield President and CEO, at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected].
BILLERICA — Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration has announced that applications are being accepted for two programs aimed at growing the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road in Massachusetts, including a rebate program for drivers purchasing or leasing a new EV and a grant program to help install charging stations at workplaces like businesses, nonprofits, and state agencies with 15 or more employees. “These programs further advance the Patrick administration’s goals to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett. “The transportation sector accounts for about one-third of the greenhouse gases emitted, so the deployment of more electric and plug-in vehicles is an important step toward Massachusetts achieving its ambitious goals.” Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Mark Sylvia unveiled the website that new purchasers and leasers can use to apply for their rebates from the $2 million Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program. MOR-EV enables Massachusetts residents who purchase or lease an eligible vehicle to receive a rebate of up to $2,500 on vehicles purchased on or after June 18, 2014. “The Patrick Administration is making it easier for more people to choose cleaner cars that have great fuel economy,” said Sylvia. “Electric vehicles are a win-win for the environmental and economic bottom line, and the MOR-EV program moves us closer to meeting the Commonwealth’s emissions-reduction goals for transportation.” Interested drivers can learn more about how to apply for rebates at www.mor-ev.org. Rebates are being funded with proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auctions and are available on a first-come, first-served basis until all the funds have been committed. All applications must be submitted within three months of purchase or lease, starting on June 18, 2014. Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Commissioner David Cash announced the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program’s workplace-charging grants. Under this grant program, MassDEP will provide 50% of the funding for charging-station hardware costs (up to $25,000) for employers to install Level 1 and Level 2 charging stations for electric and plug-in electric vehicles. This program will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. “By collaborating across agencies and the private sector, we are solving the chicken-and-egg problem — getting more plug-in vehicles on our roads and more charging stations at the same time,” said Cash. “With the launch of the Patrick administration’s innovative programs to support increased electric-vehicle deployment, we can reduce greenhouse gases and petroleum use, save drivers on energy costs, and meet our aggressive local air-pollution, clean-energy, and climate goals.
SPRINGFIELD — The newly formed Focus Springfield Community Television will open with a formal ribbon cutting, unveiling the new, 7,000-square-foot community television and programming facility at 1200 Main St., on June 23 at 10 a.m. Mayor Domenic Sarno, other local officials, and representatives of Focus Springfield Community Television will participate in the grand-opening event. The new local community television hub will host leading-edge technology that will allow local producers and Springfield residents to learn the skills needed to develop and air video programming on the Springfield cable system. The community television entity currently operates public channel 12, educational channel 15, and government cannel 17. Focus Springfield, evolved from the Springfield Media and Telecommunications Group, which was the successor of the Springfield Cable Endowment, was formed as a requirement of Springfield’s first cable television contract with the former Continental Cablevision. Funds contributed to the endowment from the cable-television contract were to be used for community programming, communications technology upgrades in the city, and related investments. The purpose of the center is to create a 21st-century environment to produce video and related media. Services will be rendered at no cost to Springfield residents, and video shooting and editing classes and mentoring will be available. The site was originally the home for MassMutual, which constructed the eight-story building as its home office in 1908.
SPRINGFIELD — To honor the leadership and achievements of President and CEO Mark Tolosky over his 22-year career, the Baystate Health board of trustees announced the naming of the Tolosky Center at 3300 Main St. in Springfield. The Tolosky Center, a regional destination for outpatient healthcare services, opened in 1998 and ignited the redevelopment of an underused former industrial area in Springfield’s North End. The area today comprises more than $200 million of Baystate Health investment and more than 455,000 square feet of space, including the Tolosky Center, the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care, the Baystate Children’s Specialty Center, the Baystate Breast and Wellness Center, and the Baystate Orthopedic Surgery Center, among other Baystate-owned and -occupied properties. Tolosky is transitioning out of his position as president and CEO on July 1, moving into a president emeritus role. He served Baystate Health and the community for 22 years, beginning in 1992 as executive vice president of Baystate Health and CEO of Baystate Medical Center. In 2004, while retaining leadership of Baystate Medical Center, he assumed the titles of president and CEO of Baystate Health. The naming of the Tolosky Center culminates a series of recognitions of Tolosky’s long tenure and contributions to Baystate Health and the community. In May, a program that has provided nearly $1 million in forgivable loans to help Baystate Health employees purchase homes was renamed the Mark R. Tolosky Baystate Neighbors Program. Also last month, the nurses of Baystate Medical Center recognized Tolosky with their Nursing Collaborative Award, a testament to his commitment to nurses, patients, and families. “During his tenure, Mark’s commitment has extended beyond the traditional definition of health,” said Victor Woolridge, chair of the Baystate Health board of trustees. “He made it a priority to forge community partnerships that improve lives, and as a result he has helped to strengthen the Western Mass. economy. He has been committed to the well-being of communities and the individuals and families within them.” Presiding over the naming ceremony for the Tolosky Center were James Sadowsky, vice chair of the Baystate Health board of trustees, and John Maybury, chair of the Baystate Health Foundation board of trustees. “My family and I consider ourselves very fortunate to be part of this amazing community,” said Tolosky. “We’ll look with tremendous pride and gratitude upon on our family name on this building, where so many patients receive the skilled and compassionate care that changes their lives for the better.” Under Tolosky, Baystate Health has developed a national reputation as a leader in healthcare quality, being named among America’s top 15 health systems and seeing its hospitals regularly included on prestigious lists of the top-performing medical facilities in the country. In the same period, Baystate Health has scaled up its charitable commitment to the communities it serves, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in community-benefit funding, and collaborating with a diverse range of partners to devise and implement new ways to improve community health each year. It also has substantially increased its economic impact, now employing 10,000 people and producing more than $2.6 billion in economic output annually, according to one recent study. Tolosky recently led Baystate Health through the largest building project in the history of the health system and region, the planning, design, and construction of the $300 million expansion of Baystate Medical Center. During tenuous economic times, he championed the need for these projects for patients, families, and the community. He also fostered unprecedented support from generous donors in the community, raising more than $23 million to make it possible. On July 1, Dr. Mark Keroack assumes duties as Baystate Health’s president and CEO.
John Gormally
WESTFIELD — Westfield State University will be offering its annual College for Kids summer program again this year, with classes running from July 7 until Aug. 1. Originating more than 30 years ago, College for Kids is a summer program for children ages 5-16. It provides children and teenagers with innovative educational programs that foster a unique learning environment. Each of the four weeks features morning classes running from 8:30 a.m. to noon and afternoon classes running from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Children enrolled in both morning and afternoon classes are able to stay with College for Kids instructors and volunteers for lunch. There are also options for both early dropoff and late pickup times for those in need of extra transportation time. Classes include subjects such as science, history, digital media, culinary, and the arts. Summer classes this year include “Prints, Prints, and More Prints!” where students will learn about the art of printmaking while looking at architecture, spaceships, designs, sea life, and more for inspiration in creating signs, cards, and postcards; “Forensic Fun,” where students will search for fingerprints, extracting and analyzing DNA, hunting around campus for clues, and conducting more experiments to find out who committed a crime; and “Sensational Summer Desserts,” where students will learn to make seasonal desserts with natural, healthy ingredients that are in season and provide necessary nutrition for all who enjoy desserts. Each class runs for a week. Class placement is generally limited to 12 students. Classes often fill quickly. For more information or to request a catalog, contact the College for Kids office at (413) 572-8557 or [email protected].
WARE — Country Bank recently awarded $80,000 in scholarships to 16 area high-school students at its annual Scholarship Dinner. The recipients, selected from the scholarship committees established at each location where a scholarship is awarded, each received $5,000 to help get them started in their college career and assist with the many expenses that go along with a higher education. At the event, staged this year at Teresa’s Restaurant & Alfonso Banquet Room in Ware, Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank, had the opportunity to meet each of the recipients, their guests, and a representative from their high school. “It means so much to have the opportunity to meet the students and their parents when the scholarships are presented,” he said. “They have all worked very hard to get to this point, and I have no doubt that each of them will succeed in the next chapter of their lives.” The following seniors were honored:
• Jacqueline Lagasse, Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School;
• Claire Nauman, Belchertown High School;
• Ashley White, David Prouty High School;
• Austin Brouillard, Leicester High School;
• Brandon Nowakowski, Ludlow High School;
• Alla Popa, Minnechaug Regional High School;
• Katherine Sweeney, Monson Innovation High School;
• Valerie Avery, North Brookfield High School;
• Matthew Mahan, Palmer High School;
• Jamie DeLand, Pathfinder Regional Vocational-Technical High School;
• Rebekah Heath, Quabbin Regional High School;
• Paige Guzik, Quaboag Regional High School;
• Erin Murphy, Shepherd Hill Regional High School;
• Brandon Rothweiler, Tantasqua Regional High School;
• William Veith, Wachusett Regional High School; and
• Michaella Balicki, Ware High School.
LONGMEADOW — Jewish Geriatric Services Inc. (JGS) announced recently that it is launching a rebranding campaign featuring the new name Jewish Lifecare (JL), a redesigned logo and brand identity. “Two years ago, JGS celebrated its centennial. It was a time to look back at this organization’s venerable history of caring for our elders, but also an opportunity to envision the future,” said Martin Baicker, president and CEO of JL. “We challenged ourselves to develop a brand that would provide greater clarity of who we are and what we do.” In 2012, the JGS board of directors voted to move forward with the rebranding process, and a rebranding committee was formed, chaired by Susan Goldsmith, president of Marcus Printing in Holyoke. “We needed to shed limiting parts of our present brand, while differentiating ourselves from competitors,” said Goldsmith. “The name Jewish Lifecare was chosen because it encompasses so much more than just geriatrics. It provides the image of life in its entirety and the phases in which we live.” Retaining the word ‘Jewish’ in the name was important because it embodies the mission of the organization, which is rooted in the Jewish faith. The tagline, “Excellence for generations. Serving all faiths” highlights a 102-year history of excellence in the community and the broader audience of people of all faiths, she added. The icon combines the symbolism of an eternal flame and tree of life into one cohesive image. The dot on the top of the icon allows the symbol of a person to emerge, and ties in the human connection to the organization. Jewish Lifecare will phase in the new branding across all platforms and services over the next several months. “We’re introducing the world to the next evolution of an organization founded as the Daughters of Zion Home for the Aged,” said Baicker. “We have a long tradition of embracing culture change to better serve our residents, patients, and families, and we are excited to introduce the community to the next stage of this venerable organization.”
ENFIELD — MassMutual unveiled more than $38 million in renovations to its Bright Meadow campus, the primary location for the company’s retirement-services and workplace-insurance businesses, on June 17. The investment enhances the company’s overall infrastructure and positions MassMutual for future growth. It follows the company’s 2013 acquisition of the Hartford’s retirement-plan business. The renovations encompass approximately 15,000 square feet on the 66-acre, three-building site, and include infrastructure and technology improvements, a state-of-the-art data center, and enhancements to common areas. Several federal, state, and local officials and employees gathered to help MassMutual officially cut the ribbon on the revamped facility, as the 163-year-old company reasserted its commitment to driving economic growth in the state and the surrounding Enfield community. “The significant improvements we have made to our Enfield campus reflect our efforts to position our integrated retirement business for continued success, as well as our broader commitment to invest in our facilities and our communities,” said Roger Crandall, chairman, president, and CEO of MassMutual. “We now have a world-class facility to accommodate the excellent growth potential of this business, and we look forward to delivering an outstanding service experience for our customers here for many years to come.” Among the improvements in and around the building are:
• A state-of-the-art data center, the largest portion of the overall renovation project. The $23 million center will also deliver standby emergency power generation to most of the Enfield campus, thus enabling the facility to remain open in the event of a widespread power outage;
• A redesign of two-story lobby to prominently feature MassMutual branding, including the story of the company’s history and technology to create personalized greetings for special guests;
• A third-floor presentation room, created to welcome clients and visitors and demonstrate the company’s retirement-solution capabilities;
• A new innovative learning lab aimed at enhancing employee learning; and
• A redesigned visitors’ parking lot.
“Through the new construction and enhancements to our Enfield campus, we have created a dynamic and inviting work environment that fosters efficiency and productivity, and enables us to better provide our clients with the products and services they expect,” said Elaine Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual’s Retirement Services division. “Our significant infrastructure investment also reaffirms MassMutual’s commitment to the state of Connecticut and to Enfield, a community we’ve been proud to be a part of for more than a decade.” In addition to the new enhancements at its Enfield facility, MassMutual is also making infrastructure and workplace improvements to its Springfield campus. Between the two locations, the company is investing more than $85 million. MassMutual currently employs about 2,400 people in its Retirement Services division; more than 1,600 work at the Enfield campus. The company also currently has 200 employees with Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC, a MassMutual subsidiary, in Hartford.
Amherst Farmer Refines Method of Growing Plants Without Soil
Joseph Swartz shows off the roots of lettuce plants growing hydroponically in his greenhouse at Swartz Family Farm in Amherst.
Although the idea may sound farfetched, it’s not a fantasy. Instead, it’s one of many projects that Joe Swartz of Swartz Family Farm in North Amherst has accomplished in recent years.
Swartz is a master hydroponic gardener who has taken the industry to new heights. In fact, the New York City farm he designed for Skytop Vegetables was the first in the nation to be grown on top of a public-housing structure. “I did the early sketches on my kitchen table in Amherst,” he said, as he talked about the 8,000-square-foot rooftop farm that opened in February 2013, and provides fresh, nutritious vegetables to residents of the building and neighborhood as well as patrons of nearby restaurants and markets.
Swartz has gained international recognition as an expert in hydroponics, which is a method of growing plants without soil. They are planted from seeds in holes set in plastic containers and thrive on a nutrient solution dissolved in water that runs beneath them and is recycled after the plants take what they need from it.
Swartz has 28 years of experience in operating a year-round, pesticide-free, hydroponic vegetable-and-herb facility in Amherst. It’s a field he entered long before most people thought about where their produce came from and environmental concerns created a demand for locally grown vegetables and fruits.
As a result, Swartz has become a leading expert in hydroponic system design, high-end crop production, biological pest control, system troubleshooting, and much more, and has spoken all over the U.S. and in many foreign countries about his groundbreaking work.
“It’s very gratifying, and when I think of the evolution of all that has happened in the industry since I began my farm, it’s mind-boggling,” he said, adding that he gave a recent lecture at a national conference in Las Vegas and was just invited to speak at a major agricultural conference in England.
The concept of transforming unused rooftop space into a hydroponic garden has many environmental benefits, which include water conservation. “All rainwater that strikes a flat roof has to be channeled into the city’s stormwater systems, and most systems in U.S. cities are completely overwhelmed; one inch of rain that falls on an acre equates to 27,000 gallons of water,” Swartz explained, adding there are more than 15,000 acres of rooftop space in New York City alone.
“But a rooftop greenhouse has gutters on all sides, and rainwater is sent into an underground tank, where it is filtered, cleaned, and used for farming,” he went on. “So it allows us to take a waste product and convert it into food in a very sustainable manner.”
Benefits also accrue from the fact that a rooftop greenhouse shares synergy with the building. Sun that hits the roof and requires the building to be cooled is absorbed by the crops, which also absorb heat from the building in winter, preserving it rather than having it simply go into the atmosphere, Swartz said.
In addition, the system takes heat from the building’s smokestack and uses it to heat the greenhouse. “It capitalizes on heat that is normally wasted. Plus, the greenhouse has thermal curtains that hold the heat in at night. So it’s a win-win situation for the building owner and the owner of the garden,” he told BusinessWest. “It also produces jobs for local residents without many job skills and allows people in the neighborhood to get fresh, nutritious food that doesn’t have to trucked in from thousands of miles away.”
And rooftop gardens, which are rapidly expanding across the country, also provide inner-city children with agricultural knowledge. “We worked with a local school in the Bronx, and a frightening number of children thought milk was made in a manufacturing plant. They had no concept that it came from an animal,” Swartz said. “And most of the people in the neighborhood got their food from a small convenience store and did not have access to nutritious, locally grown vegetables and herbs until the garden was created.”
Growing Venture
Swartz Family Farm has been in business for 100 years, but Swartz likes to keep a low profile, and there are no signs to mark the entrance to his home, greenhouses, and acreage on 11 Meadow St.
“My grandfather Joseph and his wife Anastasia purchased 40 acres and started this farm after they came here from Poland in 1919,” he said. The couple grew mixed vegetables and tobacco and raised their family on the site.
Swartz’s father and uncle took the farm over in the ’50s and turned it into a large-scale potato-growing operation. In addition to growing potatoes on their farmland, they rented land in Hadley, Amherst, Sunderland, Hatfield, and South Deerfield; at the peak of their business, they were raising 300 acres of potatoes.
But his uncle died in 1970, and in the ’80s, the price of land became exorbitantly expensive due to extensive residential development in the area. “As my father got older, he scaled back to the 40 acres here.”
Swartz was in high school when he realized farming his family’s land on a seasonal basis was not a viable option because the economy was booming and seasonal help and additional farmland for crops were unavailable. “So I decided I had to look at a small-scale, very intensive type of agriculture,” he said.
His interest in controlled environmental agriculture, or hydroponics, began in 1985 when he was a student at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass Amherst. He learned the system had been pioneered in Holland and had expanded to the United Kingdom and Spain, where hydroponic greenhouses were operational year-round.
“The same nutrients you would normally apply to a field are dissolved in water,” he noted. “The plants take what they need, and the rest is recaptured and reused. It only requires 10% of the water needed for conventional agriculture, so it is a very environmentally friendly form of agriculture.”
However, the university did not have a program where Swartz could learn how to implement this growing method on a large scale. But he was fortunate enough to meet a retiree living in Ashby, Mass. who was running a small greenhouse growing hydroponic flowers. He had been the lead associate at Cornell University’s research center on Long Island, was originally from Holland, and had pioneered a large portion of the hydroponic technology that was being implemented in the U.S.
Swartz received valuable guidance from him on how to produce a premium product year-round inside a greenhouse on his property.
But when he began building a greenhouse on his family’s land and shared his plan with local farmers, they thought the idea was ridiculous.
“I was considered a crackpot. We have a very tight-knit agricultural community in the Valley, and no one understand why I would grow produce in water when there was beautiful soil here,” he recalled. “But for me, it was a necessity.”
The day after Swartz graduated from UMass, he began working in his new, 5,000-square-foot greenhouse. “At that time, there were 13 hydroponic farms in the state, and today we are the only one of them that is still in operation — we have the longest-running hydroponics farm in the Commonwealth,” Swartz told BusinessWest, adding that he also grew seasonal vegetables on the farm’s 40 acres and sold them to traditional markets.
But his greenhouse thrived. “In my first year, I produced more than 80,000 heads of Boston lettuce in it. In a field, you only get 5,000 heads per acre, and you can only plant one crop. But I was able to plant year-round,” he said, explaining that he devised a system where he was continuously harvesting and reseeding in different sections of the greenhouse.
Paradigm Shift
Swartz has continued to produce hydroponic crops at Swartz Family Garden for 30 years. Lettuce has always been a staple, but after his initial success, he built two other greenhouses and soon was shipping 300 cases of sweet basil a week to 42 Whole Foods stores across the Northeast.
About 15 years ago, when hydroponics became more well-known, Swartz delved into consulting work, which was a natural transition, although he continued farming his own greenhouses. “There were very few experts in the U.S. back then, and there wasn’t much information about how to grow hydroponically on a sustainable, commercial scale,” he said.
Over the past five years, as awareness and concern about the environment escalated, the demand for local products began to rise.
“Public awareness changed buying habits, and the demand for urban agriculture began to grow,” Swartz said. “It was a paradigm shift because, before that, food was produced on large commercial farms which were often not even in this country.” In fact, when he first began to sell Boston lettuce, there was nothing but iceberg lettuce in the stores, and there was no demand for any other variety.
About four years ago, Swartz was approached by two men who were starting a company called Sky Vegetables. “They wanted to take the concept of urban agriculture one step further and build commercial farms on flat city rooftops, because there is so much of that space that is unused,” he said.
He became their director of farming, and in 2009 began designing a hydroponics rooftop garden for a new LEED Platinum-certified building in the Bronx that would be used for public housing. Arbor House was completed in 2012, and the rooftop farm opened in February 2013.
“The space was leased for $1 for 99 years, and lettuce and cooking greens such as chard, kale, sweet basil, upland cress, and baby bok choy are grown there. Sky Vegetables operates the farm independently, and the building’s residents have the opportunity to get food from it via a community-supported agriculture program,” Swartz said.
Today, his wife, Sarah, operates their hydroponic farm in Amherst, which sells produce to local vendors such as Atkins Market. Swartz left Sky Vegetables six months ago to consult full-time with growers across the globe. He just finished an ongoing project in Kuwait and is going to Dubai to assist a large-scale farm in replicating a hydroponics system in Singapore. “I need to fine-tune the system before they can expand and replicate it,” he explained.
Limitless Potential
Swartz has more than 49,000 hours of greenhouse production time and has also done consulting work in a variety of settings. This year he has already been to Nassau, Bahamas; Santa Cruz, Calif.; Atlanta; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Las Vegas.
“Hydroponic gardens range from simple, home-built systems that are outside, to conventional greenhouse systems, to very high-level, computer-controlled greenhouses, to a garden in Nova Scotia that grows without sunlight inside a warehouse, using LED lighting,” he explained. “It’s a 100% controlled atmosphere — and the final frontier is space.”
Indeed, he noted that a colleague, Gene Giachumelli, professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona, is designing a hydroponics food-production system for outer space, where one of the challenges is zero gravity.
“It’s a very interesting industry, and hydroponics is the safest food-production method possible,” Swartz said, as he stood on his family farm, gazed at his greenhouse, and recalled his own history.
“My father and many other people thought I was crazy when I started this. But I have taken the farming techniques I developed in the Valley and am working with growers across the globe today,” he said, adding that pesticides are not needed, and “you cannot get safer food products.”
That endeavor has no limits, and Swartz will continue to grow his own business as well as help other people across the world create farms without soil, sunlight, and other factors — in the process transcending what any farmer could have imagined several generations ago.
Send photos with a caption and contact information to: ‘Picture This’ c/o BusinessWest Magazine, 1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103 or to [email protected]
Woman of the Year
The Professional Women’s Chamber of Western Massachusetts honored Carol Fusia Campbell, president of Chicopee Industrial Contractors, with its Woman of the Year award in ceremonies on June 3 at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee. Left to right from top, Campbell is presented with a key to the city by Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos. Campbell is presented with a citation from Kathy Tobin, president of Friends of the Homless. Campbell poses with, from left, Michelle Depelteau of Sunshine Village, Nancy Mirkin of Florence Savings Bank, and Gina Golash Kos, executive director of Sunshine Village.
Photos by Denise Smith
Fruit of the Vine
Black Birch Vineyard co-owner Ed Hamel (right) recently gave a tour to members of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. The visit to the vineyard in Southampton was part of an Arrive@5 event, where members come together and network at a place of business. Hamel and three other owners opened the vineyard in 2012, making and bottling wine there, as well as sponsoring wine tastings, concerts, and other events.
The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2014.
CHICOPEE
Cabot Street Pub
66 Cabot St.
$4,000 — Install commercial kitchen hood
FedEx Ground
140 Lonczak Dr.
$2,000,000 — Install new conveyors
SDI, LLC
45 Plainfield St.
$651,000 — Strip and re-roof
LUDLOW
ALM Group
592 Holyoke St.
$58,000 — Addition
NORTHAMPTON
Atwood Drive, LLC
8 Atwood Dr.
$600,000 — Fit up 13,000 square feet on first floor for new tenant
Better Homes Properties, LLC
34 New South St.
$51,000 — Exterior repairs
Coolidge Northampton, LLC
243 King St.
$15,000 — Alterations in Suite 246
Michael Banas
357 Bridge St.
$20,000 — Repair rear egress
Pine Street, LLC
98 Pine St.
$7,300 — Strip and shingle roof
Pun Family, LLC
176 Pine St.
$22,300 — Renovations and new entry for massage therapy
Ryan Road School
498 Ryan Road
$138,000 — Install new roof
Thornes Marketplace, LLC
150 Main St.
$22,000 — Install partitions and sprinklers at Heavenly Chocolate
PALMER
Paixao Properties
2052 Main St.
$4,000 — Expand commercial kitchen
SMOC
8 Depot St.
$15,500 — New roof
Wing Memorial Hospital
40 Wright St.
$103,000 — Replace commercial kitchen hood exhaust
SOUTH HADLEY
Loomis House
246 North Main St.
$35,000 — Repair porches
Mount Holyoke College
50 College St.
$65,000 — Renovate bathrooms
Mount Holyoke College
17 Morgan St.
$63,000 — New windows
SPRINGFIELD
Caring Health Center
860 Boston Road
$120,000 — Interior remodel for exam rooms
City of Springfield
90 Berkshire Ave.
$575,000 — New roof and masonry work
Valley Plating Associates
412 Albany St.
$390,000 — Addition
WESTFIELD
Kenia Associates, LLC
65 Springfield St.
$214,000 — Commercial alteration
Noble Hospital
115 West Silver St.
$95,000 — Replace existing acoustical ceiling
WEST SPRINGFIELD
134 Capital Drive, LLC
1680 Riverdale St.
$250,000 — Renovate 12,000 square feet of office building for new retail tenant
John Salema
2068 Riverdale St.
$350,000 — Construct new building
Paul Klose
645 Westfield St.
$10,000 — New roof
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
7 Martin Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $374,000
Buyer: Horace D. Taft-Ferguson
Seller: Peter Chadwick
Date: 05/12/14
CONWAY
98 River St.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $149,500
Buyer: Danielle L. Thompson
Seller: Anthony T. Rice
Date: 05/15/14
DEERFIELD
20 Crestview Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Butz
Seller: Willard E. Plumley
Date: 05/13/14
382 Lower Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $382,000
Buyer: Jaime D. Reloj
Seller: Steve & Kathy Melnik FT
Date: 05/09/14
GILL
14 South Cross Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jonathan Holmes
Seller: US Bank
Date: 05/14/14
GREENFIELD
42 Congress St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Valencia LLC
Seller: Freehigh LLC
Date: 05/09/14
108 Crescent St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Monahan INT
Seller: Krystyna Colburn
Date: 05/15/14
111 Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $144,500
Buyer: Jeremy S. Stone
Seller: Troy Santerre
Date: 05/15/14
39 Gold St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $243,750
Buyer: David H. Tasgal
Seller: James R. Scace
Date: 05/05/14
16 Michelman Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Robert J. Escott
Seller: Warren D. Sampson
Date: 05/16/14
347 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Dmitry D. Darmanchev
Seller: Mackin Construction Co.
Date: 05/09/14
89 West St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Johnathan R. Griffen
Date: 05/13/14
MONTAGUE
116 Montague St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jonathan E. Billings
Seller: Macintire INT
Date: 05/14/14
49 Old Stage Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Scott P. Schenk
Seller: Duane W. Greene
Date: 05/12/14
32 Park St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Hall
Seller: Sarah J. Reid
Date: 05/08/14
14 Randall Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: William Codington
Seller: Rita T. Plaza
Date: 05/14/14
66 Sunderland Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Windy Hollow Acres LLC
Seller: Amy Plavin
Date: 05/14/14
NORTHFIELD
299 Birnam Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Clifford S. Phillips
Seller: Nurten Foster
Date: 05/16/14
ORANGE
12 North Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
Seller: Scott Grenquist
Date: 05/15/14
70 Oaklawn Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Marc H. Moss
Date: 05/07/14
540 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Brian A. Heath
Seller: Karol L. Brodeur
Date: 05/09/14
SHUTESBURY
20 Great Pines Dr.
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jaime C. Morton
Seller: James M. McNaughton
Date: 05/16/14
828 Wendell Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jennifer Smetzer
Seller: David A. Bellemore
Date: 05/15/14
284 West Pelham Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: David J. Larue
Seller: Salvatore Dinardi
Date: 05/12/14
SUNDERLAND
104 North Silver Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Gregory M. Bell
Seller: Mark D. Clark
Date: 05/15/14
HAMPDEN COUNTY
AGAWAM
73 Bessbrook St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Armando Arroyo
Seller: Antoinetta Moylan
Date: 05/16/14
157 Cambridge St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: David W. Piette
Seller: Joseph M. Santaniello
Date: 05/15/14
341 Cooper St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Marlene N. Johnson
Seller: Sullivan, Catherine M., (Estate)
Date: 05/16/14
2 Corey St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $152,110
Seller: Dmitriy M. Shapovalov
Date: 05/09/14
5 Cottonwood Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $346,500
Buyer: Thomas M. Gordon
Seller: Robert C. Roy
Date: 05/09/14
45 Liswell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Kara Krupa
Seller: Jeffrey R. Jochim
Date: 05/07/14
437 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Donna M. Bys
Seller: Katherine E. Petschke
Date: 05/08/14
28 Virginia St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Sergey Tokarev
Seller: Matthew C. Hunter
Date: 05/08/14
BRIMFIELD
85 Cubles Dr.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Laura M. Kuszarski
Seller: Samsel, Una, (Estate)
Date: 05/15/14
131 Tower Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Genise Jackson
Seller: Nancy Orr
Date: 05/15/14
CHICOPEE
64 5th Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: David A. Fredette
Seller: Sergey Savonin
Date: 05/15/14
15 Boutin Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Michael W. Robbins
Seller: Michael J. Robbins
Date: 05/14/14
17 Graham Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Brandon R. Houle
Seller: Czupryna, Frederick J., (Estate)
Date: 05/14/14
716 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Stephen R. Doel
Seller: Marta Alvarez
Date: 05/05/14
86 Orchard St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Danielle M. Cormier
Seller: Suzanne F. Bruno
Date: 05/15/14
20 Pendleton Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Resolute RT
Seller: Richard A. Burns
Date: 05/07/14
3 Pleasantview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Tisha D. Libbey
Seller: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Date: 05/14/14
24 Sandtrap Way
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $377,900
Buyer: Jesse A. Wells
Seller: Francis W. Soucie
Date: 05/14/14
School St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Yarland Properties LLC
Seller: John B. Murray
Date: 05/09/14
21 Sitnik Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Olga Kvashenko
Seller: Sophie Czekanski
Date: 05/09/14
EAST LONGMEADOW
15 Converse Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. McCluster
Seller: Sean P. Shimansky
Date: 05/16/14
241 Hampden Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: David Ayers
Seller: Matthew A. Bean
Date: 05/09/14
N/A
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Shannon L. Ecker
Seller: Wilbraham Builders Inc.
Date: 05/05/14
55 Pineywoods Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Vladimir Strelnitski
Seller: Anthony E. Gentile
Date: 05/16/14
278 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,500
Buyer: Steven A. Carando
Seller: Linda S. Orcutt
Date: 05/14/14
14 Redstone Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Julianne M. Lessard
Seller: Anthony Cianflone
Date: 05/16/14
887 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Shelby P. Marrin
Seller: Robert R. Driscoll
Date: 05/15/14
40 Spruce St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: T&K Realty LLC
Seller: Kirkpatrick, Mark D., (Estate)
Date: 05/14/14
5 Tamarack Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $487,500
Buyer: Laura L. Grant
Seller: Joseph R. Kennedy
Date: 05/05/14
178 Tanglewood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Beek
Seller: Richard F. McKeever
Date: 05/05/14
80 Waterman Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Scott R. Caron
Seller: Michael Torcia
Date: 05/15/14
338 Westwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Ortiz
Seller: Thomas F. Drumm
Date: 05/16/14
HAMPDEN
43 Chapin Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $167,200
Buyer: Richard B. Francis
Seller: Ryan S. Hemingway
Date: 05/09/14
40 Oak Knoll Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $289,555
Buyer: Bruce J. Strange
Seller: Robert P. Kaboray
Date: 05/05/14
HOLLAND
1 Hamilton Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Diane Cady
Seller: Jason P. Curving
Date: 05/07/14
5 Inlet Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Daniel Burns
Seller: Gary Biesadecki
Date: 05/09/14
23 Island Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Timothy Hill
Seller: David R. McGuill
Date: 05/15/14
2 North Leisure Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: Robert J. Kamay
Date: 05/09/14
40 Old County Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Eric B. Piskorski
Seller: Leslie Germaine
Date: 05/09/14
30 Over The Top Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Todd Oberheim
Seller: Mark D. Schultz
Date: 05/07/14
HOLYOKE
293 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Javier Soto
Seller: Pyles, Allie E., (Estate)
Date: 05/15/14
540 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Daniel A. Warner
Seller: John Gajowy
Date: 05/16/14
35 Ridgeway St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $152,900
Buyer: Donald R. Packard
Seller: Richard G. Rondeau
Date: 05/09/14
237 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Richard G. Rondeau
Seller: Barbara J. Crosson
Date: 05/09/14
24 Vassar Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Neil N. Feldman
Date: 05/06/14
LONGMEADOW
28 Ardsley Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Seth Tenenbaum
Seller: Richard G. Duncan
Date: 05/09/14
33 Brittany Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $461,500
Buyer: Jack W. Bailey
Seller: W. S. Keeley
Date: 05/16/14
106 Longfellow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Huse
Seller: Jeffrey E. Roche
Date: 05/16/14
309 Merriweather Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Brent L. Ulrey
Seller: Elizabeth A. Barton
Date: 05/12/14
205 Nevins Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $211,300
Buyer: Michael J. Templeton
Seller: Carole A. Veratti
Date: 05/13/14
162 Williamsburg Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Kal A. Dulaimy
Seller: Kay A. Rhee
Date: 05/05/14
76 Woodland Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Joshua Warren
Seller: Robert F. Cheritano
Date: 05/06/14
LUDLOW
810 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: John J. Diggins
Seller: Marc A. Toton
Date: 05/12/14
52 Norwich Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Matthew D. Mol
Seller: Patrick D. Meffen
Date: 05/16/14
PALMER
255 Flynt St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Stanley J. Zych
Seller: Glen A. Hitchcock
Date: 05/16/14
3007 Palmer St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Barbara A. Corbett
Seller: Shorey E. Dow
Date: 05/16/14
52 Smith St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Timothy S. Benton
Seller: Wallace J. Roberts
Date: 05/16/14
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $129,500
Buyer: Stephanie L. Bearce
Seller: June M. Slozak
Date: 05/13/14
RUSSELL
122 Huntington Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Jessica M. Beaudry
Seller: Rosanna Seymour
Date: 05/15/14
SPRINGFIELD
34 Audubon St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Ruben Borrero
Seller: Julianne M. Lessard
Date: 05/16/14
40 Bangor St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Laurie A. Gilbert
Seller: James M. Daly
Date: 05/16/14
705 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Mohammad Sarker
Seller: JJSA 17 Acquisition Co. LLC
Date: 05/16/14
604 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Grez Automotive LLC
Seller: Walter J. Grzebien
Date: 05/07/14
901 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $1,073,865
Buyer: GP Springfield MA
Seller: US Bank
Date: 05/14/14
145 Chalmers St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Cote
Seller: James M. Wingard
Date: 05/15/14
15 Delaware Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Wanda Lockett
Seller: Sticks & Stones Inc.
Date: 05/13/14
195 Durant St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Sherleen Alequin
Seller: Blueline Management LLC
Date: 05/08/14
196 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Juan Vazquez
Date: 05/16/14
19 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Carlito Gonzalez
Seller: Kenneth M. Mills
Date: 05/16/14
50 Ellery St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $122,817
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Toum Sea
Date: 05/05/14
44 Fallston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Brianna M. Dieni
Seller: Jorge Herrera
Date: 05/09/14
63 Freeman Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Robert Hines
Seller: MBC Properties LLC
Date: 05/16/14
58 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Sara D. Burrington
Seller: Heather M. Woods
Date: 05/16/14
103 Glenoak Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $135,500
Buyer: Geoffrey R. Farrington
Seller: Carl J. Paquette
Date: 05/16/14
43 Hazen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Howard C. Hill
Seller: John F. Carberry
Date: 05/15/14
Hickory St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Bretta Construction LLC
Seller: Courtside Of Springfield
Date: 05/15/14
56 Louis Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Ryan B. McGuire
Seller: Gregg P. Desmarais
Date: 05/15/14
78 Manchester Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Christine Dettman
Seller: John E. Cole
Date: 05/13/14
216 Mazarin St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Quetszy A. Melendez
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 05/07/14
122 Newton Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Rimondi
Seller: Amanda L. Spear-Purchase
Date: 05/05/14
84 North Brook Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Anthony Santos
Seller: Jose A. Rivera
Date: 05/14/14
Naismith St. #41
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Bretta Construction LLC
Seller: Courtside Of Springfield
Date: 05/15/14
198 Park Dr.
Springfield, MA 01106
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Michael A. Torcia
Seller: Dorene A. Archambault
Date: 05/14/14
Paridon St. #10
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Grand Paridon LLC
Seller: Camelback LLC
Date: 05/06/14
1956 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Dominic A. Falzone
Date: 05/12/14
202 Pasco Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Simone S. Carvalho
Seller: Lawrence Picard
Date: 05/08/14
108 Pidgeon Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $138,900
Buyer: Jose L. Rodriguez
Seller: Barbara J. Klocker
Date: 05/14/14
215 Rosemary Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Nitza Ramos-Cruz
Seller: Charlotte A. Carrington
Date: 05/16/14
Silver St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Bretta Construction LLC
Seller: Courtside Of Springfield
Date: 05/15/14
1493 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Leonard A. Lindsay
Seller: Curtis F. Terrell
Date: 05/08/14
82 Treetop Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Robert Ackerman
Seller: Meilleur, Aline D., (Estate)
Date: 05/16/14
23 Varney St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Patricia M. Shibles
Seller: Ronald Rovelli
Date: 05/16/14
45 Welland Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Jorge L. Baiz
Seller: Regina F. Walker
Date: 05/12/14
Wells St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Bretta Construction LLC
Seller: Courtside Of Springfield
Date: 05/15/14
1425 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: RHL Properties LLC
Seller: Simmons Ventures LLC
Date: 05/07/14
SOUTHWICK
3 Field St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Michael F. Ferraraccio
Seller: Marc A. Wenners
Date: 05/07/14
4 Iroquois Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: Michael Diotalevi
Seller: Robert V. Sala
Date: 05/14/14
35 Miller Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Dayle Stowell
Seller: Robert G. Valentine
Date: 05/12/14
10 Tammy Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jacqueline N. Ditrocchio
Seller: Gregory F. Garstka
Date: 05/08/14
WALES
49 Mount Hitchcock Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Amy Roode
Seller: Wendy E. Baker
Date: 05/05/14
WESTFIELD
41 Canal Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Gregg P. Desmarais
Seller: Tirone Development Corp.
Date: 05/15/14
32 Carriage Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $223,500
Buyer: Scott P. Battles
Seller: David C. Carkhuff
Date: 05/12/14
13 Clinton Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Marta V. Martinez
Seller: Oleg Iurtue
Date: 05/16/14
26 Kellogg St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Rustam Orozaliev
Seller: Stanislav Morozov
Date: 05/09/14
56 Overlook Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Laura Reinholz
Seller: Elizabeth B. Goyette
Date: 05/09/14
45 Parker Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Ion Malancea
Seller: Ivan Mokan
Date: 05/15/14
321 Pochassic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Pavel Matovich
Seller: Frank A. Langone
Date: 05/09/14
187 Tannery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Matthew P. Wzorek
Seller: Cesar Ramirez
Date: 05/09/14
42 Willow Brook Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Robert T. Clayton
Seller: Marc T. Bergeron
Date: 05/12/14
WILBRAHAM
9 East Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Samuel B. Everett
Seller: Hale, Doris M., (Estate)
Date: 05/16/14
4 Oldwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Keith A. Person
Seller: Samuel B. Everett
Date: 05/16/14
WEST SPRINGFIELD
103 Forest Glen
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Jessica F. Caron
Seller: Joan B. Smith
Date: 05/15/14
50 Harney St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: David M. Siegel
Seller: Una Z. Reiser
Date: 05/16/14
43 Kerry Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: John J. Yates
Seller: Donald W. Duquette
Date: 05/09/14
698 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Kevin R. Lalonde
Seller: Mary P. Lagodich
Date: 05/05/14
161 New Bridge St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Shannon L. Tanski
Seller: John D. Clarke
Date: 05/16/14
78 Pease Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Robert C. Roy
Seller: Laura A. Kaplan
Date: 05/09/14
64 Sean Louis Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $612,000
Buyer: Rajshree Patel
Seller: Stephen R. Hoey
Date: 05/09/14
32 South Blvd.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: TM Properties Inc.
Seller: Ralph Draper
Date: 05/12/14
18 Wilbert Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Kyle M. Douglas
Seller: Bohn, Gustave F., (Estate)
Date: 05/16/14
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY
AMHERST
28 Kettle Pond Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Molly J. Goren-Watts
Seller: Djaferis FT
Date: 05/05/14
136 Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Ludmila Tyler
Seller: Joslad & Associates PC
Date: 05/14/14
150 Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $350,430
Buyer: David T. Eisenhauer
Seller: Jeremy Ober
Date: 05/07/14
Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Buyer: M. C. Dufour
Seller: Tofino Associates LLC
Date: 05/16/14
38 Maplewood Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: Dean Brown
Seller: Barbara B. Yaukey
Date: 05/15/14
20 McClure St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Nathaniel A. Whitmal
Seller: Marta Ostapiuk
Date: 05/15/14
Sunset Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Worcester City Campus
Seller: August M. Woicekoski RET
Date: 05/15/14
BELCHERTOWN
211 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jonathan J. Crosby
Seller: Michael Beresky
Date: 05/16/14
45 Depot St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $925,000
Buyer: NE Fibers LLC
Seller: Whitney National Realty
Date: 05/12/14
29 Ledgewood Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $258,500
Buyer: Scott M. Blanchard
Seller: Dennis M. Dube
Date: 05/15/14
59 North St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Thomas N. Synan
Seller: Deborah Becerra
Date: 05/16/14
62 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Pogoda
Seller: Robert T. Marsh
Date: 05/15/14
130 Springfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Nathan A. Marean
Seller: Clarence E. Robinson
Date: 05/07/14
76 Sheffield Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Dustin J. Carey
Seller: Christopher T. Faber
Date: 05/15/14
EASTHAMPTON
17 Bayberry Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Michael J. Horan
Seller: John F. Horan
Date: 05/09/14
110 Lovefield St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Albert C. Park
Seller: Robert A. Varey
Date: 05/13/14
412 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $1,460,000
Buyer: Argotec Stevens LLC
Seller: JPS Elastomerics Corp.
Date: 05/09/14
19 Matthew Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $297,500
Buyer: Sandra L. Graves
Seller: George R. Paquette
Date: 05/16/14
99 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Jenna K. Schmidt
Seller: Tyler J. Novotny
Date: 05/06/14
5 Susan Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Jeremy A. Jungbluth
Seller: Kristi Neathawk
Date: 05/16/14
38 Treehouse Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Kathleen I. Dyer
Seller: EH Homeownership LLC
Date: 05/09/14
19 Wemelco Way
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Miri Realty LLC
Seller: FDR LLC
Date: 05/15/14
GOSHEN
1 Lake Dr.
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Charlie Lotspeich
Seller: David Weiland
Date: 05/09/14
GRANBY
92 School St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Ryan T. Williams
Seller: Francis W. Gallagher
Date: 05/08/14
151 West St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Willard A. McKinstry
Seller: Alfred W. McKinstry
Date: 05/15/14
HADLEY
2 Hawks Meadow
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $137,200
Buyer: Countryside Home Builders
Seller: Alan Sthilaire
Date: 05/09/14
150 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: George F. Moriarty
Seller: Shauneen A. Valliere
Date: 05/12/14
153 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Vertical Assets LLC
Seller: Jeffrey C. Mish
Date: 05/09/14
20 Sylvia Heights
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $516,000
Buyer: John F. Pappenheimer
Seller: Sortino, Elaine J., (Estate)
Date: 05/14/14
123 West St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $602,400
Buyer: James B. Mead RET
Seller: Frederick H. Pratt
Date: 05/07/14
HUNTINGTON
3 East Main St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Hamel Arenius-Kinloch
Seller: Nance J. Bendus
Date: 05/15/14
NORTHAMPTON
29 Adare Place
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Nada M. Kawar
Seller: Matthew D. Thomas
Date: 05/16/14
102 Bancroft Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $797,000
Buyer: Ravindra M. Nadkarni
Seller: David J. Starr
Date: 05/15/14
24 Bayberry Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Melanie J. Currie
Seller: Gary R. Campbell
Date: 05/13/14
57 Chestnut St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $479,000
Buyer: Killian O’Connell
Seller: Gertrude E. Hooks
Date: 05/14/14
241 Crescent St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Suleiman A. Mourad
Seller: Peter N. Gregory
Date: 05/05/14
34 Forbes Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: David B. Erickson
Seller: Suzanne J. Williams
Date: 05/15/14
30 Hatfield St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Peter W. Kelley
Seller: Longtin, Kyle, (Estate)
Date: 05/09/14
9 Kingsley Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $266,500
Buyer: TN Real Estate Group LLC
Seller: Koch Holding Co. Inc.
Date: 05/08/14
60 Masonic St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $965,000
Buyer: Traddles LLC
Seller: Media Education Foundation
Date: 05/15/14
SOUTH HADLEY
51 McKinley Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: James M. Purchase
Seller: Annemarie Sias
Date: 05/09/14
15 Normandy Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Jermey S. Milligan
Seller: Dustin Carey
Date: 05/15/14
19 North St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Jonathan E. Fedus
Seller: Leonard F. Pope
Date: 05/09/14
99 River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Bryan Barsalou
Date: 05/16/14
3 San Souci Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Raymond L. Brousseau
Seller: Robert A. Baker
Date: 05/05/14
SOUTHAMPTON
7 Parsons Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Robert D. Hutchison
Seller: Laura A. Reinholz
Date: 05/09/14
227 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Ronald H. Laurin
Seller: Rita M. Kosior
Date: 05/14/14
WARE
80 Shoreline Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $316,000
Buyer: Margaret D. Soucie
Seller: Theresa M. Girard
Date: 05/14/14
The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.
Archambeau, David J.
Archambeau, Dawn L.
a/k/a Archambeau, Dawn Kelleher
24 E St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/14
Axler, Bobby
Axler, Roberta A.
336 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/14
Barnes, Steven S.
Barnes, Lori A.
125 East Road
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/08/14
Booth, Jamie Marie
121 North Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/14
Botta, Roberto G.
Botta, Carmela
32 Green St.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/14/14
Boyd, Amy L.
a/k/a Hochreich, Amy Lee
14 Meadow Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/14
Bushey, Henry D.
74 Woodstock St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/14
Cameron, Lucretia D.
1259 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/07/14
Casey, Kathleen E.
P.O. Box 296
East Otis, MA 01029
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/14
Chey, Chansophoan
392 Paige Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/14
Collins, Michael A.
283 Wildermere St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/14
Collins, Michael C.
Collins, Meagan L.
a/k/a Laramee, Meagan L.
22 Pembroke Place
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/14
Devine, Tarra M.
268 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/09/14
Ezold, Jerome
Ezold, Amanda
16 Maple Crest Circle, Apt. G
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/14
Fitzgerald, Sean
9 Brookside Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/09/14
Frates, Jennifer Anne
a/k/a Collasius, Jennifer A.
8 Western Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/14
Gagne, Lester T.
24 Kowal Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/14
Garczynski, Kamie A.
52 Yvette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Gilardi, David A.
Gilardi, Linda E.
18 Sixth St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/14
Gondek, Richard M.
Gondek, Barbara A.
61 Williams St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/13/14
Hansen, Barbara
405 Pittsfield Road #A3
Lenox, MA 01240
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/14
Harris, Jesse Allen
Harris, Samantha Marie
a/k/a Gwozdzik, Samantha
16 Lee Road
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/14
Hemminger, Sylvia A.
188 Main St.
Haydenville, MA 01039
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Hughes, Susan C.
36 Collins St.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Johnson, Lana D.
13 Cherry St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Kelly, Michelle Ann
90 Blueberry Hill St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/14
LaCosse, Daniel A.
2517 Hancock Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/14
Laura Robitaille Interiors
Robitaille, Laura A.
11 Hillary Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/14
Leger, Gary Michael
77 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/01/14
Lemire, Joseph T.
59 New Ludlow Road, Apt. 18B
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Lemire, Tina G.
67 Kendall St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Lenahan, Michael R.
167 Union Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/14
Manning, Cathy A.
P.O. Box 463
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Marcil, Glenn S.
Marcil, Ann-Marie
a/k/a Marcil, Ann Marie
220 Blandford Stage Road
Russell, MA 01071
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/14
Miazga, Matthew M.
165 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/14
Midstate Construction
Lackey, Theodore L.
299 Phillipston Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/14
Moran, Katiria E.
a/k/a Lopez, Katiria
530 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/14
Moreira, Iris R.
a/k/a Moreira Gomez, Iris R.
PO Box 80636
Springfield, MA 01138
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/14
Moynihan, Cynthia A.
85 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/14
Olmo, German J.
19 Lockhouse Road, Apt. 23-3
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/14
Peguero, Aurelina T.
P.O. Box 3403
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/14
Perez Claudio, Carmen M.
258 Union St., Apt. 3
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/14
Petley, Brandon H.
1015 Doe Valley Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/14
Ramos, Frank
274 Eleanor Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/14
Reynolds, Debbie M.
a/k/a Mason, Debbie M.
392 College Highway
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/14
Rolnick, Misty M.
a/k/a Fletcher, Misty M.
160 Montgomery Ave. Ext.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/14
Rosario, Freddy
64 Prospect St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/07/14
Royal Air
Moskvitch, Peter
Moskvitch, Svetlana
a/k/a Archoulik-Moskvitch, Svetlana
171 Manchonis Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/14
Rudder, Melissa Sue
P.O. Box 725
Greenfield, MA 01302
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Sexton, George C.
Sexton, Eleanor J.
P.O. Box 541
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
Sheehan, Jean A.
a/k/a MacGillivary, Jean A.
75 Appleton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/14
Sign Smith
Smith, William E.
Smith, Jayne R.
158 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/14
Sjolander, Amy A.
292 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/14
Slattery, William P.
321 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/14
Smith, Robert F.
Smith, Michele M.
24 East Palmer Park Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/14
St. Amand, Steven A.
134 Cabot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/14
Willmore, Sandra O.
252 Union Stret, Apt. 1A
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/14
The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of June 2014.
AGAWAM
A-1 Inspection Services
569 Springfield St.
Kelly Nadeau
Bellerose Realty, LLC
85 Peros Dr.
Glen Bellerose
DDMJ Transportation
712 South West St.
Vitaliy V. Ganovsky
Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging
1623 Main St.
Michael Madden
M & H Handyman Services
18 Arrowood Dr.
Kenneth E. Mayo
Marasi Pool Water
32 Horsham Place
Steven Marasi
AMHERST
Center for Yoga & Healing Arts
17 Kellogg Ave.
Patricia Townsend
Innate Body Wisdom Physical Therapy
96 North Pleasant St.
Marjorie Giliberto
Let’s Go Dog Walking Service
153 High St.
Laura Robinson
CHICOPEE
Bellz Eco-Tech Cleaning Services
419 Montcalm St.
Vickie Washington
Echo Painting
78 Aarendon Ave.
Igor Morozov
My Tech Guy
675 Rendleton Ave.
Luis Rivera
Spagnoli’s Catering
587 Grattan St.
Louise Spagnoli
Sunny Day Lawn Care
16 Victoria Park
Nicholas Stiles
HOLYOKE
City Corner Convenience
579 Dwight St.
Mohammad Bashir
Fanzone
50 Holyoke St.
Mary Dent
JC Mini Market
4 Adams St.
John C. Almonte
Karfoke Social Club
293 Clemente St.
Daniel Rios
Know Your Business
256 Maple St.
Christina Stevenson
Malls Convenience
50 Holyoke St.
Khushal Gogri
Manny’s Pizza
510 Westfield St.
Charlene M. Fantakis
New England Fish & Chip
530 High St.
Frankie Cardona
Pizza Shop
172 Sergeant St.
Imiran Racheel
The Danish Hot Dog
50 Holyoke St.
Niels Christiansen
Volt Scooter
56 Nonotuck St.
Kenneth L. Harstine
NORTHAMPTON
College Planning Services
8 Tiffany Lane
Ruth Delisle
DFB Tech
440 Westhampton Road
Daniel Burke
Potential Energy Consulting
26 Crescent St.
Michael Jaeger
Terra Vinca
78 South Main St.
Sarah Harvey
The Tigerlily Salon
122 Main St.
Christina Grail
Valve Spring
79 Bland Road
Christina Divigard
PALMER
NexCentury Entertainment
1125 Thorndike St.
Alexander Sopollec
Never Forget Publishing
120 Peterson Road
Justin Lincoln
Palmer Hobbies
1428 Main St.
William Lanza
Sundance Industries
10 Willoughby Lane
Wayne Degon
SPRINGFIELD
110K Entertainment
318 Locust St.
Joseph Janas
A & D Tool
34 Front St.
Felix Dynak
Advantics Inc.
101 King St.
Suzette T. Cotton
All About Business
1655 Main St.
Ralph Rodriguez
Amir M. Parach
156 Island Pond Road
Amir M. Parach
Antojitos Criollos
197 Plainfield St.
Luis A. Alvarado
Arcangel Auto Repair
100 Verge St.
Arcangel Mattei
Auto Kings, LLC
867 Boston Road
John Feliciano
Bader Alazam
43 Blanding St.
Bader Alazam
Beyond Glamorous
14 Bryant St.
Latisha Smith
Boston Revolutionary
139 Ithaca St.
Stephen Joseph
Collectibles Items
75 Dwight Dr.
Thuy Trann
Congregation Torah
2 Eunice Dr.
Alliance of Orthodox
D & B Towing
141 Carver St.
David Reyes
Dean’s Sewer & Drain
134 Sunrise Terrace
Dean Veratti
E.T. Boutique
528 Main St.
Edward Hernandez
Environment Control
471 Forest Hill Road
Timothy C. Foley
Feng Enterprises
42 Berkshire Ave.
Feng Zheng
Fu Yuan
1203 Parker St.
Paul M. Chen
GForce Enterprise
69 Mohegan Ave.
Gennaro T. Danielle
Grez Automotive, LLC
604 Boston Road
Pan Siphanoum
International Auto Sales
715 Liberty St.
Ryan M. Conway
Ivan Kasana
1655 Boston Road
Ivan Kasana
J & P Commercial Cleaning
320 Goodwin St.
Judith Maldonado
J.C. Williams Community Center
116 Florence St.
Katishia Gallishaw
J.O. Associates
34 Front St.
Jeffrey Orchyrmowicz
JJ’s Kiddy Kab
50 Massachusetts Ave.
Shuana Amanda
King Cow Jerky
64 Magnolia Terrace
Bob Wool
The Hair Parlor
524 Main St.
Sarah Christine
Urban Gear Inc.
1640 Main St.
Jin Woo
Verizon Wireless
1420 Boston Road
Alice C. Brennan
Weldon Rehabilitation
233 Carew St.
Kevin A. Jourdain
WESTFIELD
A & J Landscaping
70 East Silver St.
Antonio Goncalves
Awilda’s Hair Care
18 Arnold St.
Awilda Colombani
International Food Market
45 Meadow St.
Alex Altman
Ray of Hope International Church
15 Summer St.
Parlad Gurung
Richard Keith Ringer
11 Crestwood Circle
Richard K. Ringer
Sophisticated Production
33 Stuart Place
Melissa R. Tessier
St. Jean Appliance
459 Southwick Road
Randy C. St. Jean
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Ballard Mack Sales
124 Ashley Ave.
John Picking
Bare Skin
470 Westfield St.
Amanda Douglas
Comfort Inn & Suites
106 Capital Ave.
Nataver Inc.
Licensed Avon Beauty
250 Westfield St.
Deborah L. Scharmann
Reliance
24 East School St.
Aleksey Baedakov
Rikoh Americas Corporation
1 Interstate Dr.
Ricoh Americas
The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.
CHICOPEE
Titos Auto Sales Inc., 357 Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Jeffrey L. Jose, 80 Fisher Road, Chicopee, MA 01013. Used auto sales.
SOUTH HADLEY
Rock Voices Inc., 33 Carlton St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Anthony Lechner, same. Musical instruction, education, and performance.
Silverthorne Theater Company Inc., 41 River Road, South Hadley, MA 01075. J. Lucinda Kidder, same. To prepare and present theatrical productions and engage in educational activities in theater skills and appreciation.
SPRINGFIELD
Vargas Cleaning Services Inc., 14 Draper St., Springfield, MA 01108. Carlos Enrique Vargas Gabriel, same. General cleaning services.
WESTFIELD
Zhong Rong Inc., 68 King St., Westfield, MA 01085. Shou Qi Liang, same. Restaurant.
WESTHAMPTON
J & D Sales & Repairs Inc., 19 Perry Hill Road, Westhampton, MA 01027. James Meehan, same. Automotive sales and repairs.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Go Pro Appliances Repair Inc., 149 Wayside Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Priscilla J. Kowal, 91 Blue Ridge Dr., Somers, CT 06071. Appliance repair.
S.A. I.T Inc., 12 Royce Court A#1, West Springfield, MA 01089. Surya Sharma, same. IT enabled services.
WILLIAMSBURG
MRJW Enterprises Inc., 39 Petticoat Hill Road, Williamsburg, MA 01096. Louis Montgomery, same. Construction.
WILLIAMSTOWN
New England Lawn & Garden Care Inc., 371 Hopper Road, Williamstown, MA 01267. Valerie Caryl Ross, same. Landscape and garden services.
DevelopSpringfield Touts Rebuild Springfield Work
SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield hosted an event on May 29 to mark the two-year anniversary of the Rebuild Springfield Plan release and to commemorate the third anniversary of the June 1, 2011 tornado. City officials, volunteers, contributors, residents, and other stakeholders gathered on Central Street to hear remarks highlighting Rebuild Springfield Plan progress. Attendees were provided an opportunity to tour newly rebuilt homes in the severely tornado-damaged Central Street corridor. The Rebuild Springfield Plan is a city-wide master plan designed to provide a framework for addressing the redevelopment needs of neighborhoods impacted by the June 2011 tornado. Additionally, the plan serves as a guide for addressing a wide range of issues relevant to the city as a whole. DevelopSpringfield, in partnership with the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, facilitated the planning process, which included the input of city residents and stakeholders and was published in the spring of 2012. The recent gathering featured remarks by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Jay Minkarah, president and CEO of DevelopSpringfield; Nick Fyntrilakis, DevelopSpringfield board chair and vice president of Community Responsibility for MassMutual Financial Group; Bishop Bruce Shaw, pastor of New Hope Pentecostal Church; Melvin Edwards, city councilor and Maple High/Six Corners Neighborhood Council president; Tim Allen, city councilor; Steven Bradley, DevelopSpringfield board member and vice president of Government and Community Relations and Public Relations for Baystate Health; Jose Claudio, DevelopSpringfield board member and director of Community Development for the New North Citizens’ Council and speaking on behalf of the North End Housing Initiative; and Alberto Ayala, speaking on behalf of VIVA Development. All of the speakers played a role in planning and rebuilding efforts in the city. They noted that the new homes and cleanup in the Central Street corridor are clear signs of rebirth in that neighborhood, with construction of the new Elias Brookings School in the background. With the assistance of federal, state, and city investment, progress is being made on several other key projects, including plans for construction of a New South End Community Center at Mason Wight Park. Trees have been planted, parks rehabilitated, and the Dryden Memorial School rehabilitated, among many other signs of physical improvements since the tornado. Beyond the response to the challenges brought on by the tornado, the plan also provides a framework to advance other important community priorities throughout the city. Progress on these fronts is also evident in many ways, including work in addressing educational and workforce-training priorities; efforts to highlight cultural assets, including the designation of the Springfield Central Cultural District downtown; enhanced public safety programs; and cohesive and collaborative economic-development initiatives to attract business and permanent jobs to the city. The full plan is available at www.developspringfield.com. DevelopSpringfield also announced the publication of the Rebuild Springfield Progress Report 2014. Developed in collaboration with many volunteers who participated in the Rebuild Springfield planning process, the report highlights many of the plan’s priorities. It is available online at www.developspringfield.com and in print at DevelopSpringfield offices at 1182 Main St. in Springfield, and was distributed in the Republican on June 5. A Spanish-language version will be available soon and distributed throughout the community and also online.
Construction Spending Rises Modestly in April
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Total construction spending rose modestly for the third straight month in April as a mix of increases and declines in public and private categories showed the sector’s recovery remains fragile and fragmented, according to an analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Association officials said the industry could benefit from new federal investments in infrastructure to offset declining public-sector demand. “Residential, private non-residential, and public construction spending all have areas of strength but also pockets of weakness,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “While the overall trend remains more positive than last year, growth is likely to be spotty for the foreseeable future.” Construction put in place totaled $954 billion in April, 0.2% above the revised February total and 8.6% higher than in April 2013. The year-over-year growth so far in 2014 has exceeded the full-year increase of 5% recorded from 2012 to 2013. Private residential construction spending inched up 0.1% in April to a six-year high. The latest total exceeded the year-ago level by 17%. Single-family construction rose 1.3% in April and 14% year-over-year. Multi-family spending soared 4.4% and 31%, respectively. Improvements to existing single- and multi-family structures slumped 2.2% for the month but increased 17% from a year ago. Private non-residential spending dipped 0.1% in April but climbed 5.6% over 12 months. Most major categories increased from year-ago levels. However, the largest private segment, power construction — comprising work on oil and gas fields and pipelines as well as electricity projects — slipped 0.6% for the month and 3.9% over the year. The fastest-growing private type was office construction, which jumped 3.1% in April and 26% since April 2013. Public construction spending rose 0.8% for the month and 1.2% year-over-year. The largest public segment, highway and street construction, declined 1.1% in April but increased 4.9% from a year before. The second-biggest category, educational construction, gained 3% and 4.9%, respectively. “The outlook for the rest of 2014 remains uneven,” Simonson predicted. “Demand for apartments appears to be very strong, but there are several warning signs about home building. Despite dropping last month, power and manufacturing construction should remain the leading private non-residential categories, with hefty growth for the year as a whole. The rebound in public construction that occurred last month may not be repeated soon.”
<strong>State Seeks $100 Million for Gateway Cities
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick is asking the Legislature to approve a bill that would make $100 million available to the state’s 26 so-called Gateway Cities, including Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Westfield, and Pittsfield, for a host of economic development initiatives. Included in the bill are provisions for: $15 million for commercial development projects; $10 million in grants and loans to clean up contaminated industrial sites; $5 million for loans for small businesses; $25 million in annual tax credits for companies that commit to adding jobs; and $20 million for ‘middle-skills’ job training in manufacturing and information technology. “We are trying to make sure every resident — and not just residents of Boston — have access to economic opportunities,” said Alex Zaroulis, a spokeswoman for Patrick’s office of Administration and Finance. However, some legislators said the proposed spending was not enough to make a real difference in the struggling cities. “The level of funding proposed by the governor is simply insufficient,” said Rep. Antonio Cabral, a New Bedford Democrat. “The surest way to undermine faith in the Commonwealth’s programs is to fund them at a level that we know won’t solve the problem.”
April Trade Gap Widens to $47.2 Billion
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. trade deficit jumped to a two-year high in April, as exports declined and imports surged to a record high. The deficit rose to $47.2 billion in April, up 6.9% from an upwardly revised March deficit of $44.2 million, the Commerce Department announced this week. Exports dropped for the fourth month out of the past five, falling 0.2% to $195.4 billion. Meanwhile, imports climbed 1.2% to a record high of $240.6 billion.
ECS Acquires Assets of Pangean-CMD
AGAWAM — Environmental Compliance Services Inc. (ECS) announced the completion of the acquisition of the corporate assets and human talent of Pangean-CMD Associates Inc. (PCMD) of Woodstock, Ga. This acquisition, the largest in ECS’s 32-year history, will drive its evolution by expanding the market areas the company serves into Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, and Utah. In addition, it will also expand the existing company capabilities in the Carolinas, Florida, and Ohio. “This acquisition now means that ECS has a national presence that combines senior think-tank engineering with self-performed field services throughout the petroleum, building-sciences, and due-diligence market sectors,” said Mark Hellstein, ECS founder and CEO. “With the addition of the passionate team from Pangean-CMD, we are better-positioned to service the upstream petroleum market.” Kevin Sheehan, ECS COO, added that “this acquisition will also provide professional growth and opportunity to employees as well as an effective tool to recruit new, talented staff.” ECS is now one of the only firms in the petroleum market that offers environmental services, compliance services, remediation, and cost recovery with in-house staff on a national basis. This strategic acquisition enables ECS to simplify the compliance and remediation process for petroleum customers while reducing their costs, essentially becoming a one-stop shop for clients. The expanded staff will also allow for boots-on-the-ground support for ECS’s existing web-based compliance-management programs. “The success of Pangean-CMD has evolved solely from our passion, our commitment to our customers, and our reputation for good, solid work,” said Darren Moore, president of Pangean-CMD. “Combining our assets will allow us to build relationships, share knowledge, and draw on the collective expertise of our co-workers to do what we have always done best: provide the best customer service and work environment possible.” Established in 1982 and headquartered in Agawam, ECS has grown to more than 20 office locations nationwide.
Lioness Magazine Aims to Raise $10K in 60 Days
SPRINGFIELD — Lioness magazine is looking to raise $10,000 in seed funding on indiegogo.com, a popular crowd-funding website. “Mainstream entrepreneur magazines are geared toward men, from their style to their content. Their publishers admit that more than 60% of their readers are males. Even though female entrepreneurship is rapidly on the rise and even though in 2013 female-owned companies generated more than $1.3 trillion, there was still no mainstream magazine for these women, until now,” explained Lioness founder Natasha Clark. Lioness launched in August 2011 and since then has been read by more than 3,000 people worldwide. Seventy-nine percent of the readers are women between the ages of 25 and 45. With the launch of the new lionessmagazine.com, the news site is able to provide daily content in addition their regular monthly magazine. “Western Mass. is a great place to live and do business, and my hope is to grow Lioness and keep it headquartered right here,” Clark said. From June 2 to Aug. 1, she is shooting to raise $10,000 in seed money to keep the magazine afloat through 2014. She has primarily been funding the company herself. Working as a program manager at the nonprofit Springfield School Volunteers, Clark — one of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty honorees in 2010 — works on the all-female staff to bring volunteers into the school district as mentors, academic tutors, and participants in the popular Read Aloud program. When the campaign closes, Clark will transition to running the startup full-time. She thought crowd funding would be an ideal way to raise funds and educate the public about Lioness’ mission at the same time. “I love that platforms such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter give entrepreneurs like me a fighting chance to raise some capital to get our startups to the next level,” she said. “I just want to do something really awesome for women entrepreneurs around the globe, and I want to be able to do it in my hometown.” To learn more about Lioness and its Indiegogo campaign, visit igg.me/at/lionessmagazine.
Kathleen Doe Launches Creative Design Venture
NORTHAMPTON — Kathleen Doe has announced the launch of Kathleen Doe Creative Design, putting more than a decade of industry experience to work in founding her own business. The Northampton-based venture specializes in print and package design, marketing communication, and brand development, providing a complete range of creative services from concept to execution. Previously, Doe was the senior graphic designer and studio director at Stevens 470 in Westfield. She graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in the school’s renowned Electronic Media, Arts and Communication program. She is a member of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, the Northampton Area Young Professionals, and is on the Board of Directors of the Irish Cultural Center at Elms College.
Leadership Pioneer Valley Graduates Class of 2014
NORTHAMPTON — The 2014 class of Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) graduated on June 5 in ceremonies at the Smith College Conference Center. Prior to getting their certificates, the 35 participants in the 10-month program presented their accomplishments from working in six teams on issues facing the region. Each project was submitted by a local nonprofit or past LPV team. Three of the projects were continuations from prior years, and the nonprofit partners included Peace Jam of New England, STCC’s Latino Success Project, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Project topics included increasing access to higher education, attracting and retaining young professionals, publicizing regional history, engaging young people in leadership, and connecting local colleges and universities to the regional food bank. Each team offered expertise and energy to make a difference on community challenges from throughout the region. Each team project afforded experiential-learning opportunities and the chance to further community trusteeship while making a real impact in the region. Teams also had to collaborate with their partners to reach their own goals and meet the expectations of the nonprofit partners. Each participant participated in day-long monthly sessions from October until May, featuring seminar-style leadership-development sessions and hands-on field experiences in communities throughout the Pioneer Valley. Through the program, they refined their leadership skills, gained connections, and developed a greater commitment to community trusteeship and cultural competency. The culturally diverse class of 35 men and women represent nonprofit, private, educational, and public organizations throughout Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. The 2014 graduates are: Sherill Acevedo, Baystate Medical Practices; Jasmine Amegan, Westfield State University; Kerri Bohonowicz, Community Health Center of Franklin County; Amy Britt, Tapestry Health; Ronda Carter, Health New England; Christina Casiello, MassMutual; Jenny Catuogno, Gaudreau Insurance; Tammy-Lynn Chace, Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce; Eliza Crescintini, Children’s Study Home; Geoffrey Croteau, MassMutual Charter Oak Insurance & Financial Services; Nasheika Durham, YMCA of Greater Springfield; Andrew Fletcher, Holyoke Community College; Kelsey Flynn, MassMutual; Valerie Francis, Health New England; Meghan Godorov, Mount Holyoke College; Cynthia Gonzalez, Greenfield Cooperative Bank; Richard Griffin, City of Springfield’s Economic Development Department; Rachel Jones, Springfield Technical Community College; Kevin Jourdain, Sisters of Providence Health System; Diane LeBeau, Westfield State University; Yamilette Madho, Big Y Foods Inc.; Matthew Kullberg, WGBY; Rosemarie Marks-Paige, Health New England; Josiah Neiderbach, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission; Lizzy Ortiz, City of Springfield’s Office of Housing; Beena Pandit, MassMutual; Lee Pouliot, City of Chicopee; Jennifer Sanchez, Springfield Technical Community College; Isabel Serrazina, Springfield Housing Authority; Nicole Skelly, United Bank; Kyle Sullivan, John M. Glover Insurance; Colin Tansey, Specialty Bolt & Screw; Todd Weir, First Churches of Northampton; Christopher Whelan, Florence Savings Bank; and Jonencia Wood, Baystate Health.
ESB Teams Up with Pioneer Valley Habitat for Easthampton Build
EASTHAMPTON — Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of Easthampton Savings Bank, announced that the bank has become a keystone sponsor for the first Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity home in Easthampton. The bank contributed $10,000 to the East Street Habitat home. The money will go toward the costs of planning, construction, volunteer recruitment, and training. A 15-volunteer committee is already in place to plan the building of the East Street Home. “This particular build is significant because we are building two homes at once, and it is our first Women Build Initiative, which is a project designed to proactively welcome women leadership and women volunteers,” said Peter Jessop, interim executive director of the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity. “Three of our steering committee members are from Easthampton Savings Bank, so ESB is providing more than just financial support — they are also providing leadership and volunteer capacity. This is the true spirit of the Habitat model, and we hope ESB’s commitment will inspire others to get involved.” Added Sosik, “the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity is about building communities. Being a sponsor gives us the unique opportunity to become involved in a family’s journey towards home ownership in our community. Plus, the Women Build Initiative is a great way to empower women to get involved in the construction of a home and help a family who wouldn’t be able to build a home otherwise.” Easthampton Savings Bank has supported Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity since 2004 with contributions totaling over $31,000, while ESB employees sit on the organization’s board of directors, finance committee, and the Women Build steering committee.
Wellness Center Becomes Accredited Program for Diabetes Education
SPRINGFIELD — The Western New England University and Big Y Foods Inc. Consultation and Wellness Center was recently named an accredited diabetes-education program by the American Assoc. of Diabetes Educators (AADE). This accomplishment represents yet another step in the implementation of the ‘pharmacist as educator’ philosophy that is central to the vision of the university’s College of Pharmacy. Diabetes education is a collaborative process through which people with or at risk for diabetes gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify behavior and successfully self-manage the disease and its related conditions. These are provided by diabetes educators. “Trends show that diabetes education is moving out of the hospital and into the community, so AADE’s accreditation program was created, in part, to encourage diabetes education where the patient is seeking care,” said Leslie Kolb, program director for the AADE’s Diabetes Education Accreditation Program. “The Western New England University and Big Y Foods Inc. Consultation and Wellness Center is exactly the type of program we envisioned when we set up our accreditation program in 2009.” Kam Capoccia, associate professor and director of the Consultation and Wellness Center at 300 Cooley St. in Springfield, noted that it is one of 13 AADE-accredited programs in the Commonwealth. “This is a pharmacist-run diabetes center, and we are proud and honored to serve the community.” Added Nicole D’Amour Schneider, senior manager of Pharmacy Operations for Big Y, “the Western New England University and Big Y Foods Inc. Consultation and Wellness Center has been providing our community with excellent, patient-centered care and disease-state-management education for nearly four years. Our congratulations go out to our partners at the Western New England University College of Pharmacy for achieving this impressive accomplishment.”
Q Restaurant Opens on State Street in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Dominic Sarno joined other public officials and neighborhood business leaders on June 2 for a ribbon cutting to mark the grand opening of the Q Restaurant, the latest example of renewed reinvestment and revitalization along the State Street corridor. Advertised as serving “real southern barbecue,” the restaurant opened for lunch on May 19 and started serving lunch and dinner on May 26. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. “This is another example of the city’s continuing ability to attract new investment that revitalizes neighborhoods,” said Sarno. “Not too long ago, this building was seized by the city. Now, it is back on the tax rolls, it is looking better than ever, and I’m hoping it will be an asset to the neighborhood for years to come.” Located at 890 State St., the property was purchased from the city in 2013 by Craig and Chris Spagnoli, a father-and-son team that had previously worked with the city on revitalizing foreclosed properties in the Forest Park neighborhood. The Spagnolis have invested more than $500,000 in starting the restaurant and are also planning to rehabilitate the upper floors into 15 units of rental housing. “My son Chris’s wife, Sarah, is from the South, and since we’ve been working in Springfield, we’ve always talked about how we thought a good southern barbecue restaurant would go over well,” said Craig Spagnoli. “We’re hoping Q will be a popular place for the neighborhood, for the colleges nearby, and for commuters wanting to pick up takeout on their way home.” The restaurant is located in Mason Square on the edge of the campus of American International College and a few blocks from Springfield College. It is across the street from the former Indian Motorcycle factory, and the restaurant boasts several Indian models as a tribute to the neighborhood’s manufacturing legacy.
Dena Hall
Michael Moriarty
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Douglas Bowen
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Linda Ellen Jones
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Monson Savings Bank (MSB) has announced the promotion of Terry Poloski to Mortgage Originator. Poloski joined the bank in December 2011, has more than 30 years of experience in consumer and mortgage lending, and has worked with every aspect of the lending process, including underwriting. She is not only adept at helping her borrowers obtain the right financing package, but also at assisting them with every detail along the way, said Steve Lowell, MSB president, adding, “we are extremely fortunate to have Terry on our team. She embodies the Monson Savings commitment to customer service and is highly qualified to help people find the right financing package for new homes, construction, and refinancing.” Poloski is a member of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley.
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Steven Mitus
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Ryan Leap
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FieldEddy Insurance announced the following:
Gina Clark
Sara Goodreau
• Sara Goodreau has been appointed Personal Lines Account Manager. She holds her CISR and CIC designations. Her knowledge of various computer operating systems will benefit Goodreau as a staff trainer, and she will assist with operational tasks.
Carla Dawley
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TD Bank has named Denise Fleming Assistant Vice President and Store Manager of the branch located at 693 Memorial Dr. in Chicopee. She is responsible for new-business development, consumer and business lending, managing personnel, and overseeing the day-to-day operations at the store. Fleming has more than eight years of banking experience. Prior to joining TD Bank, she served as a Branch Sales Officer at Rockville Bank in Enfield, Conn. Fleming is a member of the Chicopee Rotary Club and the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, and is a graduate of the Connecticut School of Finance and Management.
Denise Fleming
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The YMCA of Greater Springfield announced the following appointments to its board of directors:
• Fran Smith, a veteran of the newspaper advertising and circulation business for 34 years, and currently Advertising Manager at the Republican and masslive.com;
• Mark Smith, Vice President of Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management for Smith & Wesson, and previously Director with the Chicag0-based consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal;
• Dan Flynn, Senior Vice President and Marketing Manager at People’s United Bank; and
• Stacey Church, Assistant General Manager of the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield.
ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555
• June 27: ACCGS Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Sheraton Springfield, One Monarch Place. This event will feature ‘the year in retrospect’ and presentation of the 2014 Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year award. Cost: $40 for members, $60 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by contacting Cecile Larose at [email protected].
• July 9: ERC5 Member Appreciation Night with the Western Mass. Pioneers, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Lusitano Stadium, 400 Winsor St., Ludlow. Enjoy an exhibition game, food, contests, surprises, and more. Reservations are complimentary for ERC5 members, $5 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by contacting Cecile Larose at [email protected]. The ERC5 is an affiliate of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield
• July 14: ACCGS Annual Golf Tournament at the Ranch Golf Club in Southwick. Schedule: 10:30-11:30 a.m., registration/practice; 11 a.m.-noon, course-side lunch; 12:30 p.m., shotgun start. Cost: $600 for a foursome, $150 for an individual golfer, $30 for reception only. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by contacting Cecile Larose at [email protected].
AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
413-253-0700
• June 19-22: Taste of Amherst 2014. Come enjoy four days of fun at the 2014 Taste of Amherst, on the Amherst Town Common. Live entertainment will be provided by 93.9 the River, fun family events, and more than 20 local restaurants. Hours: Thursday, June 19, 5-9 p.m.; Friday, June 20, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, June 21, noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, June 22, noon-4 p.m.
• June 25: Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m. New-member reception. Don’t miss this annual event, hosted by all the businesses at 25-35 University Dr.:
Cheryl Nina Salon, Encharter Insurance LLC, J. F. Conlon & Associates, Sawicki Real Estate, and
Ziomek & Ziomek, Attorneys at Law. The Pub will provide food and drink. Sponsored by Greenfield Savings Bank.
Tickets: free for new members (if you joined between June 2013 and June 2014), $10 for members, and $15 for non-members.
• July 21: Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce 11th Annual Golf Tournament, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Hickory Ridge Golf Course, Pomeroy Lane, Amherst. Registration and lunch are from 10:30 a.m. to noon, with a shotgun start at noon, and reception and dinner starting at 5 p.m. Cost: $125 per player. Presented by Hampshire Hospitality Group. Co-scholarship sponsor: Cooley Dickinson Health Care. Silver sponsors: Encharter Insurance, J.F. Conlon & Associates, MBA. Lunch sponsor: Davis Financial Group, LLC. Dinner sponsor: Fallon Community Health Plan. Bronze sponsors: Daily Hampshire Gazette, NEPM, Steve Lewis Subaru. Carts sponsor: Taylor Rental. Water sponsor: Atkins Farms Country Market. Towels: Hampshire College.
CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101
• June 19: Mornings with the Mayor. Chamber members meet with Mayor Rich Kos at a different host business every other month to talk about what’s happening in the city of Chicopee. Submit questions you’d like addressed, by June 16, to [email protected]. For more information, contact the Greater Chicopee Chamber at (413) 594-2101.
• June 25: June Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Teddy Bear Pools & Spas. Tickets: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.
• June 26: Member workshop, “E-mail Marketing for Success: Creating Effective Newsletters & Announcements,” 9-11 a.m., at La Quinta Inn & Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. Sponsored by First American Insurance Agency Inc. E-mail is more important than ever to the communication efforts of businesses and nonprofits everywhere, and to customers, donors, clients, and supporters of those organizations. This session will reveal some simple but effective best practices and considerations for the small-business or nonprofit seeking to make their e-mail newsletters more effective. Attendees of this presentation will learn the different types of newsletters, what to write about in your newsletter or announcement, how to consider using images, subject-line best practices and when to send your newsletter, the importance of understanding how connected e-mail and social media are and how they have to be done together, and what types of additional tools might be useful.
FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463
• June 27: Annual Meeting and Legislative Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., at Terrazza Ristorante, Country Club Road, Greenfield. Elected state officials and chamber election of officers. Tickets: $13 for chamber members, $15 for non-members. Contact the chamber for more information at (413) 773-5464 or www.franklincc.org.
GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414
• July 10: Netwrking By Night Business Card Exchange, 5-7p.m. Hosted by the Oxbow Water Ski Show Team, 100 Old Springfield Road, Northampton. The program will feature a gala waterski show and networking under the tent on the shores of the Oxbow. Door prizes, hors d’ouevres, and host beer and wine. Sponsored by Mantis Graphics and William F. Steplar Financial Services. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for future members. RSVP requested.
• July 25: 30th Annual Golf Tournament, at Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway, Southampton. Scramble format with 9 a.m. shotgun start. Games, contests, and raffles. Team fees include lunch and steak dinner. Major sponsors: Easthampton Savings Bank and Five Star Building Corp. Event sponsors: Innovative Business Systems Inc. and TurningLeaf Design. Opportunities for business exposure include tee sponsors, donations to the golfer’s gift bag, and raffle-prize donations. Team fees: $440; tee sponsorships: $75/$125. This year’s 30th anniversary tournament will honor William Cater Jr., the first golf chairman. Contact the chamber to sign up a team, arrange a sponsorship, or make a raffle or gift prize donation.
GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900
• June 19: “The Art of Small Business: Pricing,” 9-10:30 a.m. Hosted and sponsored by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Special guest: Don Lesser of Pioneer Training. Lesser has been a consultant and business owner for more than 30 years. He will share insights and techniques that have contributed to his success. How do you determine what rate you should charge for your time? What is a livable rate for your work? What is the range of rates for your work in your market? How do you price a job, and how do you cover add-ons and other changes? Do you have separate rates for different types of clients? What about donating services? How do you negotiate rates with a potential client? This workshop covers the process of determining your rate and sticking to it. Cost: $20 for members, $25 for non-members.
GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618
• June 20: June Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Ranch Golf Club, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. Sponsors: platinum, First Niagara; gold, United Bank; silver, United Way of Pioneer Valley. Speaker: Superintendent of Schools Dr. Suzanne Scallion. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Consider donating a raffle prize. To register, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.
• June 25: Chamber’s Spring Marketing Speaker Series 3, 8:30-11 a.m., at the Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Topic: “You’re Social. Now What? Is It Working?” Speaker: Liz Provo, authorized local expert for Constant Contact. Cost: free to chamber members, $25 for non-members. For more information, call Pam at the Chamber office at (413) 568-1618.
• June 27: Local Legislative Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. The luncheon is for the chamber communities of Blandford, Chester, Granville, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland, Westfield, and Woronoco. The state legislators for each community have been invited to speak. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Cost: TBA. For more information, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.
• July 10: The Chamber’s 37th Annual Pancake Breakfast, 7-11 a.m., at South Middle School, 30 West Silver St., Westfield. Sponsored by: City of Westfield, Walmart, Appalachian Press, Noble VNA, and Peppermill Catering. Highlights: Vendor tables, bounce house, face painting, music, and more. Cost: adults, $6; seniors, $5; children under 12, $3. For more information, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.
WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880
• June 19: Annual Breakfast Meeting, 7-9 a.m., at Chez Josef, Agawam. Sponsored by OMG and Development Associates. The event will kick off with the welcoming of new chairman John Weiss and the incoming WRC board of directors. Cost: $25 for chamber members, $30 for non-members. For more information and for tickets, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• August 18: Annual Golf Tournament, at the Ranch Golf Course, Southwick. Registration is at 11:30 a.m., with lunch at noon and a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Cost: $125 for golf and dinner. For more information or for tickets, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
40 Under Forty
June 19: The eighth annual 40 Under Forty award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, honoring 40 of the region’s rising stars under 40 years old. An independent panel of judges chose this year’s class from more than 150 nominations, a record. Their stories were presented in the April 21 issue, and may also be read here. Tickets cost $65. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600.
Mutton & Mead Medieval Festival
June 21-22: Experience old England in New England with the fourth annual Mutton & Mead Medieval Festival, which returns to 210 Turners Falls Road in Montague on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine. A benefit for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and the Montague Common Hall, the festival transports fairgoers to the adventurous days of Robin Hood with two full days of fun for all ages, featuring 65 artisans and 40 hours of entertainment including knights jousting on horseback, whimsical stage shows, dancers, jesters, fairies, and unique musical acts not seen anywhere else. The festival also features a children’s area with activities for kids throughout the day as well as puppeteers and medieval characters. The event brings the medieval world to life with re-enactors demonstrating skills such as cooking, textile arts, blacksmithing, and swordplay. Attendees will also have a chance to feast on delicacies including turkey legs, roasted lamb, mead, beer, and ale. Cost is $15 for adults, $10 children and seniors. Children under 6 are free. Parking is $5.
Western Massachusetts Developers Conference
June 26: The Western Massachusetts Developers Conference — a regional event aimed at connecting regional leaders and economic-development specialists with brokers, site selectors, investors, and others interested in learning about the exciting development opportunities of the region — will begin at 8 a.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. The conference will highlight Western Mass. as an exceptional place to invest, start, and grow businesses and will feature Roger Crandall, chairman, president, and CEO of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., as the keynote luncheon speaker. Crandall will share why this Springfield-based company calls Western Mass. home. In addition, the day will include information on shove-ready development opportunities, a review of the Western Mass. Value Proposition, a CEO panel sharing how the region supports business growth, and a review of recent major infrastructure investments and exciting projects on the horizon, such as the proposed MGM resort casino in Springfield. The day-long event includes a light breakfast, lunch, tours, and reception. This event is being coordinated by organizations including the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Western Mass., Economic Development Partners, MassDevelopment, and MassEcon. Gold sponsors for the conference include Baystate Health, Health New England, and Mass Mutual. The silver sponsor is Hampden Bank, and supporting sponsors include Hampden Bank, TRC Solutions, and United Bank. The event is free, but space is limited, and registration is required. For more information and to register, visit www.westernmassedc.com.
ACCGS Annual Meeting
June 27: ‘Social entrepreneurism’ will be the focus of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield’s (ACCGS) annual meeting, presented by MGM Springfield, on June 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sheraton Springfield. The event will feature Sam Intrator, professor and chair of the Education and Child Study Program, a member of the Urban Studies Program, founding director of the Smith College Urban Educational Initiative, and the co-founder of Project Coach, a program that uses sports as a means to engage, connect, and empower adolescents and youth. The annual meeting will also include the annual election of officers and directors, a recap of the ACCGS successes in the past fiscal year, and the presentation of the 2014 Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year Award, presented annually to honor the memory of Richard Moriarty, a long-time participant in the ACCGS. Reservations are $40 for members, $60 for general admission, and may be made at www.myonlinechamber.com or by contacting Cecile Larose at [email protected].
Leadership Skills for Supervisors, Managers
July 24: Ensure the future of your organization by providing leadership skills for your supervisors and managers. The Principles of Leadership II series, sponsored by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, emphasizes team-building skills. Participants will learn how to develop high-performance teams, lead change, and take their time-management and interpersonal skills to the next level. The series follows on the heels of Principles of Leadership I, which focused on the one-to-one relationship between the supervisor or manager and each of his or her direct reports. Participants in Principles of Leadership II, which begins on July 24, must complete five core programs — on topics ranging from team dysfunction to problem-solving skills; from time management to emotional intelligence — to receive the certificate of completion. To register, contact Sue Miller, director of Learning and Development at the Employers Assoc., at [email protected] or (877) 662-6444, ext. 3013.
Western Mass. Business Expo
Oct. 29: BusinessWest will present its fourth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. The business-to-business show, which last year drew more than 2,000 visitors, will feature more than 100 booths, seminars, and Show Floor Theater presentations; breakfast and lunch programs; and a day-capping Expo Social. Comcast Business will again be Presenting Sponsor, while the social will be sponsored by Northwestern Mutual. Current Silver Sponsors are Health New England and DIF Design, and additional sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600.
The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.
HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
ERPortal Software Group, LLC v. Dee Zee Inc.
Allegation: Defendant has failed and refused to pay for software created and installed by the plaintiff: $473,877.95
Filed: 4/29/14
Hillcrest Capital Partners, L.P. v. Max S. Construction, Maxim Shalypin and Liliya Shalypina
Allegation: Defendant defaulted on various promissory notes: $463,855.73
Filed: 4/22/14
Kayrouz Realty, LLC v. EL Pilon Restaurant and Jose I. Gonzalez
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $151,950.00
Filed: 5/13/14
U.S. Electric Services Inc., d/b/a Hampden Zimmerman Electric Supply Co. v. PAL Construction, LLC, Jeff Steil Electric, and Albany Road-Springfield Plaza, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $39,357.10
Filed: 4/23/14
HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Boulanger’s Plumbing & Heating Inc. v. 1776 Brewing Company, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of labor and materials: $41,983.61
Filed: 4/22/14
Interland Real Estate v. William Shelton d/b/a High and Mighty Beer
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $179,313
Filed: 4/8/14
June A. Ducharme v. George P. Grillo, M.D.
Allegation: Negligent and careless treatment: $1,010,000
Filed: 4/17/14
NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
Loss Prevention Services v. Shahid Iqbal and ZMS, LLC
Allegation: Default on contract: $6,149.47
Filed: 5/15/14
Raymond D. and Lynette M. Shipman, as trustees of Shipman Realty Plus v. Positive Reflections
Allegation: Non-payment of rent, plumbing services, water and sewer damages, and commission: $10,274.47
Filed: 4/14/14
PALMER DISTRICT COURT
Yolette Jean-Babtiste v. Classic Management, LLC and William and Joan Metcalf, d/b/a S&K Lawncare
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing slip and fall: $23,860.94
Filed: 5/15/14
SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Ted Ondrick Co. v. Patriot’s Environmental Group
Allegation: Suit on previous judgment: $20,784.87
Filed: 4/22/14
Samantha Parsons v. Millenium Nails Inc.
Allegation: Failure to use sanitary instruments resulting in infection: $7,739.07
Filed: 4/10/14
VIP Physical Therapy v. Elco Administrative Services Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay: $2,575
Filed: 4/22/14
WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Alves Fuels Inc. v. W&I Construction Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of fuel services rendered: $30,931.02
Filed: 4/15/14
SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual has awarded $155,000 to eligible nonprofit organizations through its annual Community Service Awards (CSA) program. The awards are given on behalf of MassMutual financial professionals who demonstrate outstanding commitment to nonprofit organizations in their local community. New this year, MassMutual has increased its giving to include six $5,000 Silver awards in addition to its usual 10 $10,000 Gold awards and a top $25,000 Platinum award. “At MassMutual, we are proud of the significant impact our financial professionals have on their communities. What better way to encourage more of them to volunteer than to recognize those that are highly dedicated to helping others?” said Nick Fyntrilakis, vice president of Community Responsibility at MassMutual. “We are delighted to expand our program this year to honor more individuals who are making a positive difference in their communities across the country.” This year’s $25,000 Platinum Award winner is Darren Scrimpshire, a financial professional with MassMutual South Texas in San Antonio. Scrimpshire is being recognized for his work with San Antonio Fitness, Independent, & Recreational Environment (SAFIRE), a day activity center for young adults with intellectual disabilities that focuses on healthy lifestyles, continuing education, and pre-vocational skills. This year is MassMutual’s 18th year presenting Community Service Awards. Each award recognizes the many selfless hours of volunteer time and talent that MassMutual’s financial professionals put in during the year to improve their communities. MassMutual has contributed more than $1.4 million to charitable organizations across the country through its CSA program since its inception in 1996. The CSA program is just one of a variety of philanthropic programs sponsored by MassMutual in support of nonprofit organizations where its financial professionals live and work. Last year, in total, MassMutual provided nearly $8 million in philanthropic investments throughout the U.S., of which more than $900,000 supported organizations in honor of its financial professionals.
WARE — Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank, and Shelly Regin, first vice president and director of marketing at the bank, recently paid a surprise visit to the Baystate Mary Lane Community Benefits Advisory Committee (CBAC). Scully personally acknowledged the work of the CBAC and awarded the Carson Center two checks. The first, for $2,000, was a portion of the proceeds from Country Bank’s Community Series performances at the Center at Eagle Hill. The second check, for $10,000, was a direct gift from Country Bank to further the Carson Center’s provision of services for community members who are struggling with addiction. These funds were given to compliment the Yes to Life structured outpatient addiction program at the Carson Center, which was funded by Baystate Mary Lane Hospital’s determination-of-need (DON) funds last year. DON funding was made available for community health initiatives as part of the state Department of Public Health’s DON process related to capital expenditures for Baystate Medical Center’s new Emergency Department in Springfield. “We are so proud to support this important and worthwhile program, which will help so many of our community members” Regin said. “Country Bank recognizes this as an opportunity to assist the Carson Center and their Yes to Life Program, and in turn bring support to those who need it in our surrounding towns.”
SPRINGFIELD — The Columbus Blue Jackets have named Jared Bednar head coach of the Springfield Falcons, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate. Bednar has served as an assistant coach of the Falcons since 2012, helping the club capture consecutive division titles since his arrival. “Jared has been instrumental in the development of several of our prospects in Springfield while serving as an assistant coach, and was a big part of the team’s recent success,” said Blue Jackets Assistant General Manager Chris MacFarland. “He’s very well-respected throughout the hockey community, and we’re confident he will excel in his new role within our organization.” Bednar served as the head coach of the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen from 2010 to 2012, amassing a record of 81-63-12 over the course of two seasons. He joined the Rivermen after serving as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat during that club’s inaugural 2009-10 season.
SPRINGFIELD — Local law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., serving Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, was recognized as a Gold award recipient from the United Way of Pioneer Valley during its 2014 annual celebration. Local businesses were recognized with Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards for extraordinary support during the 2013-14 campaign. Each year, the United Way of Pioneer Valley runs an annual campaign that provides funding for local nonprofit organizations and community initiatives. Donations finance health and human-service programs throughout the region. Awards were presented at the annual celebration, which was hosted recently at Chez Josef in Agawam. “We are proud to have the good fortune to be able to give back to a community that supports our success,” said partner Steve Schwartz, who has been with the firm since its inception 45 years ago. “We are equally proud of the other contributing businesses recognized at the United Way of Pioneer Valley annual event. We accomplish more working together.” The United Way of Pioneer Valley is the regional affiliate of United Way Worldwide, a leadership and support organization and network of nearly 1,800 community-based United Ways in 45 countries and territories. United Way envisions a world where all individuals and families achieve their full potential through education, income stability, and healthy lives. For 90 years, the United Way of Pioneer Valley has been working in partnership with individuals, businesses, and organizations that advance the common good throughout the Greater Springfield community, including the 25 cities in Hampden County, South Hadley, and Granby.
