Month: July 2015

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
Belmont Laundry Inc. v. DEE Services Inc. of Springfield
Allegation: Breach of contract for uniform rental: $32,250.58
Filed: 6/1/15

Central New England Agricultural Services Inc. v. J. Calabrese, LLC and Joseph T. Calabrese
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $25,625
Filed: 6/3/15

U.S. Fluids Inc. v. Connecticut Safety and Maintenance, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract when goods paid for were not delivered: $10,000
Filed: 5/26/15

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Fillion’s Landscaping Inc. v. Ford Motor Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $25,000+
Filed: 4/21/15

Gary Mallows v. Hub International New England, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract: $40,000
Filed: 6/16/15

Laurie McGuire v. Berkel Inc.
Allegation: Product liability: $77,261
Filed: 6/2/15

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
Bernard P. Gawle and Julia A. Gawle v. Michael F. Pinard d/b/a Topitz
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $9,664
Filed: 6/19/15

PALMER DISTRICT COURT
Jamy Lazarick v. Hulmes Transportation Services, American International Group, and James Fateau
Allegation: Fateau, while driving a vehicle in the employment of Hulmes, ran over the plaintiff’s foot and left the scene of the accident: $3,461.03
Filed: 6/12/15

Tara Lavertue v. Gil’s Gym & Racquet Health Club d/b/a All Day All Night Fitness
Allegation: Defendant refused to cancel health membership and improperly collected monthly payment: $502
Filed: 6/9/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Helen Skelton, as POA for Anastasia Skelton v. Extremely Clean Energy, LLC a/k/a Extremely Clean 2
Allegation: Breach of contract for repairs and renovations to residential property: $20,000
Filed: 4/29/15

J & E Roof Systems v. Craig McCarthy d/b/a Quality Renovations
Allegation: Monies due in previous judgment: $7,248.23

Perkins Paper, LLC v. Diamond Gourmet Meat and Deli, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $2,002.66
Filed: 5/11/15

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Westfield Bank v. Susanne C. McLean d/b/a Northeastern Transport
Allegation: Breach of security agreement for car loan: $14,216.80
Filed: 6/22/15

Facing a Talent Crisis

Sections Technology

IT Industry Confronts a Perplexing Shortage of Workers

Dave DelVecchio says technical skill is important in a prospective employee, but so is a willingness and desire to learn new things.

Around the turn of the millennium, when dot-com startups were riding high, computer science was an attractive career option for college students choosing majors. Ironically, however, although technology has become even more pervasive in daily life over the past 15 years, the number of people entering the IT field has plummeted, slowing growth at high-tech companies that would be expanding faster if they could only find the talent. The key, industry leaders say, is working together to reignite interest in what remains a well-paying, in-demand, often exciting field.

As a mechanical-engineering major in college, Joel Mollison didn’t expect to one day own a successful computer-services business. But then he taught himself computer repair, which — along with his growing distaste for his chosen major — led him to change direction, and eventually launch what’s now known as Northeast IT in West Springfield.

That means he’s always looking for people like him, who at some point discover a love for computers and information technology and are skilled at it. But finding those people has not been easy.

“Technology encompasses such a vast range of jobs,” he told BusinessWest. “Programmers and coders are a completely separate thing from people who do what we do, providing managed services, managing people’s networks … and that’s totally different from, say, web design.”

By all accounts, opportunities in those fields and many others in the IT realm are only growing. Yet, at the same time, the number of young people graduating from college with the necessary skills to succeed in IT is falling.

Indeed, according to Code.org, a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science, by 2020, the U.S. will have 1.4 million computing jobs available, but only 400,000 computer-science graduates available to fill them.

That’s a reflection of two colliding trends, the organization notes. As computers increasingly run virtually every facet of our lives, fewer college students are choosing to major in computer science. Specifically, 60% of all jobs in the broad realm of math and science have a computing element, but only 2.4% of all college students majoring in a math or science field are choosing computer science.

“We’ve absolutely been dealing with this for the last five years, and the problem will only get worse before it gets better. In general, we need a lot more folks than there are out there,” Mollison said. “There are a lot of different facets to IT, and each requires its own unique skill set, although there is some overlap. To be a professional in any of these sectors, you need to possess a vast range of knowledge.”

Dave DelVecchio, president of Innovative Business Systems in Easthampton, has experienced the same struggle.

“The pool of qualified talent is not deep enough to provide the exact mix of talent we need,” he said. “Typically, we somebody to come to the table and demonstrate they have the ability to learn — someone with good, broad-based knowledge to draw from, but also a desire and willingness to learn new things.”

Delcie Bean IV, president of Paragus Strategic IT in Hadley, understands the scope of the national problem, but also how it affects his firm, one of the country’s fastest-growing IT companies, on a daily basis.

“Being a top-paying career and the second-fastest-growing career, it’s absolutely the right career to be in, but fewer people are graduating today than 10 years ago; interest is actually shrinking,” he said. “And when we talk about where women and people of color fit in, it’s abysmal.”

He cited statistics from Code.org noting that women, who claim 57% of all bachelor’s degrees, earn just 12% of all computer-science degrees. Meanwhile, at the high-school level, 3.6 million students take the advanced-placement computer-science exam, but only 3,000 of those seats are occupied by African-American and Hispanic students.

Combined, all these numbers tell Bean there’s plenty of untapped potential to draw students of all demographics into an IT field that desperately needs them.

“Paragus, at any given time, has four to eight open positions,” he noted. “Every open position represents an opportunity lost, because every employee has ROI and generates profit. If a position isn’t filled, that’s profit we’re not capturing.”

The net effect is that a company that has been growing at 25% to 30% per year could be growing at 45% to 50% if the talent gap wasn’t an issue and Paragus could hire whenever it wanted to.

For this issue and its focus on technology, BusinessWest examines some of the reasons behind a drought of IT workers that could become critical in the next decade — and what both public- and private-sector entities are doing about it.

Digital World

It’s ironic, Mollison said, that the more people rely on high-tech devices to run their lives, fewer young people are interested in computer science as a career.

“Everything runs on computers now,” he noted. “Because of that, there’s a wide array of services, a wide array of products out there. Career opportunities are growing exponentially, and there are not enough people out there with the experience to fill those gaps.”

Thinking back to his college days 15 years ago, Mollison recalled there were a lot of people entering the IT field drawn by the promise of making a lot of money in an exciting, fast-growing field. It’s a different time, though, and Millennials are known for following their passions, not necessarily just a paycheck.

“If you don’t have a true passion for IT, if you’re not exposed to it at a young age, and if the desire isn’t there to begin with, I think a lot of people may be overwhelmed by the time they reach high school and college, and are figuring out what they want to do with the rest of their lives,” he said. “The tech field can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not absolutely sure that’s where you want to be.”

With the goal of increasing exposure to computer science at an early age, Bean serves on the advisory board of the Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network, or MassCAN, which has developed a set of standards, now being considered by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, for making computer science part of the K-12 curriculum.

Joel Mollison says young people often don’t grasp the sheer breadth of career opportunities available in IT.

“We really thought about what kindergartners should learn, what eighth-graders should know, what high-school graduates in the Commonwealth should be able to do in computer science,” he explained. “It’s as much a way of thinking as anything else. We’re not just talking about specific technology skills; what’s needed is critical thinking, troubleshooting, problem resolution, abstraction — traits that are of value in whatever industry you go into. If someone is an amazing critical thinker, I can teach them IT.”

The standards would likely be recommendations to start, Bean said, “but if they were to make it mandatory, it would put Massachusetts ahead of the curve in graduating some of the best talent from the K-12 system. And we’re already known for our higher-education system.”

Training young people in computer science is something Bean takes seriously, which is why he launched Tech Foundry last year. The Springfield-based nonprofit, which trains promising students to enter well-paying IT jobs right out of high school, recently graduated its first class of 24 participants.

DelVecchio sees, in the promise of Tech Foundry, echoes of Javanet back in the mid-’90s. A locally based Internet service provider, that company was later acquired by RCN, a large, regional player, which created large numbers of entry-level positions in its call center and support services, providing opportunities to work in the IT field when interest in such careers was peaking.

Then, “when RCN decided to move its call center to Pennsylvania, all those folks scattered to the wind — but many of them ended up pursuing a career in IT,” DelVecchio said. “We’ve got four people who have RCN on their résumé.”

In fact, he went on, many local IT companies were seeded with those former RCN workers, who have moved up to management-level positions. A decade or so down the road, DelVecchio hopes a vibrant IT industry in the Valley will be similarly peppered with Tech Foundry graduates. “You might not see the impact this year, but it will benefit the region 15 years from now.”

Bean certainly hopes his brainchild has such an impact, because it’s not just small computer firms that crave IT talent, but some of the region’s largest employers.

“It’s a huge problem with a national impact. Look at MassMutual. Look at Baystate. If they don’t have good tech employees, that’s a problem for them — and a problem for everyone.” Many companies, he added, have experimented with outsourced or even offshore IT services, but find that in-house talent is more efficient and produces better return on investment.

But the talent lag has everyone struggling to meet those needs.

“All we’re doing is shifting people from one company to the next,” Bean said. “There’s a lot of poaching going on — giving someone a raise to be your employee. We all have to do a little bit of that to survive, because the talent pool isn’t wide enough. But it’s not good for the region.”

High-tech, High-touch

When Bean and others talk about IT skills, however, they’re not thinking only about the inner workings of computer hardware and software, but also about ‘soft skills’ — in particular, communication skills — so critical to today’s IT world.

“That’s one of the really big challenges facing a lot of companies like ours,” Mollison said. “We have a lot of people who have to face the public, and you can have great technical people, but if they’re unable to communicate, if they don’t have those soft skills, they’re not as great an employee as they could be; it’s difficult to send them out into the world.”

Some of this reflects one particular type of person who embraces technology early in life, he added.

“A lot of folks are introverted and love computers — it’s a way for people to escape into another world; that’s how they get into it,” he explained. “But as they grow in that facet, and become technically mature, they can lose those soft skills, not being a part of day-to-day life.

“Personally,” he added, “I’ve seen some people who have been sheltered, not been outgoing, who have been turned around. But they need to be exposed to a group of tech people who are more outgoing, who can help break them out of their shell and be more personable, so they can work in a job where they deal with people on a regular basis.”

It doesn’t help, DelVecchio said, that too many IT graduates of the region’s highly regarded colleges and universities take their skills to the Boston area or out of state completely. This talent drain is one of the top-priority issues of the Hampshire County Regional Chamber, of which he’s a founding member.

“This region has vast assets we bring to the table,” he told BusinessWest. “We hear stories of people who moved away for job opportunities, then moved back because this is a place they want to raise a family. We need to be louder about the fact that they don’t have to move away; they can start a career, they can thrive here, and raise a family in the Pioneer Valley. That’s true not just for IT careers, but for many industries.”

Bean hopes the network of entities actively working on the IT talent problem — from state departments to regional workforce-development agencies; from community colleges to initiatives like Tech Foundry — will start to make a dent by not only cultivating young people’s interest in IT, but helping them attain both computer expertise and the soft skills necessary to work with a public that, again, is becoming ever-more reliant on technology.

“I think it’s about exposure,” he concluded. “Typically, people choose their career path based on what they’re exposed to in school — and computer science has really dropped off the radar.”

He noted that CSI: Cyber, the latest iteration of CBS’ popular criminal-forensics TV franchise, is one media entity showing an attractive and exciting side to IT work.

“I’m interested to see its impact; I think that will do more for computer science than anything else. Four years ago, there was a huge increase in students wanting to be physicists, and they traced it back to The Big Bang Theory. I think we underestimate how much exposure pop culture has to do with career paths.”

Meanwhile, his work — and that of others — to promote the computer-science industry locally continues.

“If we can get people more exposure to IT jobs, how exciting this field is, how much it pays, how fast it’s growing,” Bean said, “we can really start to move the needle.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Law: A New Enforcement Priority

Columns Sections

EEOC Targets Gender Discrimination Against Transgender Individuals

By KARINA L. SCHRENGOHST, Esq.

Karina L. Schrengohst

Discrimination based on transgender status or gender identity is a developing area of employment law.

Some states, including Massachusetts, have recognized gender identity as a protected class under state anti-discrimination laws. Federal courts are increasingly finding that laws prohibiting gender discrimination apply to transgender individuals. In the past year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal administrative agency responsible for enforcing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal law prohibiting, among other things, sex (gender) discrimination in the workplace, has filed the first three lawsuits ever filed by the EEOC alleging sex discrimination against a transgender individual.

The EEOC has identified sex discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals as an enforcement priority. Citing a 2011 UCLA study, Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney for the EEOC Phoenix District Office, stated that “78% of transgender employees nationwide reported harassment or mistreatment at work because of their gender identity.”

On Sept. 25, 2014, the EEOC filed the first lawsuit alleging that a transgender employee of a Detroit funeral home was fired two weeks after telling her employer that she was transitioning from male to female. (See EEOC v. R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc., Civ. No. 2:14-cv-13710.) That same day, the EEOC filed a second lawsuit alleging that a transgender employee of a Florida eye clinic was fired after she began to present at work as a woman and informed her employer she was transitioning from male to female; in April 2015, this case was settled for $150,000. (See EEOC v. Lakeland Eye Clinic, P.A., Civ. No. 8:14-cv-2421.)

Most recently, early last month, the EEOC filed a third lawsuit alleging that Britney Austin, a long-term and satisfactorily performing transgender employee, was subjected to sex discrimination by her employer, Deluxe Financial Services Corp., a check-printing and financial-services corporation. (See EEOC v. Deluxe Financial Services Inc., Civ. No. 0:15-cv-02646.)

Specifically, the EEOC alleges that, after Austin began to present at work as a woman and told her supervisors that she was transgender, her employer refused to let her use the women’s restroom. In addition, it is alleged that Austin’s supervisors and co-workers subjected her to a hostile work environment, including making derogatory statements and intentionally referring to her by the wrong gender pronoun.

Commenting on this case, Rayford Irvin, district director for the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office, noted that “a long-term, well-respected employee should not be rewarded for her years of dedicated service by being forced to face the indignity and danger of using a restroom inconsistent with her gender identity, simply because a company’s management subscribes to sex stereotypes and believes co-workers may feel uncomfortable.”

This case is similar to the most recent EEOC decision involving sex discrimination against a transgender individual. On April 1, 2015, the EEOC ruled that denying employees use of a restroom consistent with their gender identity and subjecting them to intentional use of the wrong gender pronouns constitutes sex discrimination in violation of Title VII. (See Lusardi v. McHugh, Appeal No. 0120133395.)

This litigation follows the landmark case of Macy v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Mia Macy, a transgender woman, filed a complaint against ATF alleging employment discrimination in violation of Title VII.

Macy applied for a job as a ballistics technician with ATF. After a telephone interview, Macy was informed that she would be hired if she passed the background check. However, after learning that Macy was transitioning from male to female, ATF informed her that the position was no longer available due to budget cuts. Macy later learned that ATF hired someone else for the position.

On April 20, 2012, the EEOC, for the first time, concluded that discrimination against a transgender individual because that person is transgender is gender discrimination prohibited by Title VII. The EEOC stated that gender discrimination occurs when “an employer discriminates against an employee because the individual has expressed his or her gender in a non-stereotypical fashion, because the employer is uncomfortable with the fact that the person has transitioned or is in the process of transitioning from one gender to another, or because the employer simply does not like that the person is identifying as a transgender person.” (See Macy v. Department of Justice, Appeal No. 012012082.)

Following the EEOC’s decision, the Department of Justice investigated and, on July 8, 2013, found that ATF discriminated against Macy based on her transgender status.

The year before Macy filed her complaint with the EEOC, Massachusetts became the 16th state to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity. An Act Relative to Gender Identity (also known as the transgender equal-rights law), which was effective July 1, 2012, prohibits private employers with six or more employees from discriminating against applicants and employees on the basis of gender identity. Under Massachusetts law, gender identity is defined as “a person’s gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person’s physiology or assigned sex at birth.”

Massachusetts state and federal law prohibit discrimination based on gender, transgender status, and gender identity. This means that employers may not make decisions regarding hiring, promotion, termination, and other terms and conditions of employment based on an applicant’s or an employee’s transgender status, gender identity, or perceived non-conformity with gender stereotypes.

To reduce the risk of litigation, employers should ensure that their policies and practices are compliant with state and federal law. Also, employers should educate employees that discrimination and harassment based on transgender status and gender identity is unlawful and will not be tolerated in the workplace.

In addition to ensuring that policies related to discrimination and harassment are compliant with state and federal law, as a proactive measure, employers should consider implementing written policies and guidelines for managing gender transition, which address use of gender-specific facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms, dress code and appearance standards, confidentiality and privacy rights, and updating personnel records. Employers should also consider working with transgender employees to develop individual plans for workplace transitions.

Finally, employers should train their managers and supervisors on how to respond when employees approach them regarding gender transition and how to address questions and reactions from co-workers. Because this is a developing area of the law, employers would be wise to consult with their employment-law counsel when issues arise in the workplace concerning transgender employees.

Karina L. Schrengohst, Esq. is an attorney at Royal LLP, a woman-owned, boutique, management-side labor and employment law firm. Royal LLP is a certified women’s business enterprise with the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office, the National Assoc. of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms, and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]

Screen Gems

Sections Technology

A chart of area web development companies

Click HERE to download the PDF chart

Creatively Carving the IT Budget Pie

Sections Technology

Effective Planning Can Turn an Obstacle into an Opportunity

By GREG PELLERIN

Greg Pellerin

“The budget evolved from a management tool into an obstacle to management.”

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci was talking about government spending when he made this comment, but he may as well have been referring to those days leading up to the start of a new business budget year. It’s that time when executives go scrambling to either spend what’s going to be lost or, more than likely, find more money to fund an important project.

There is no shortage of priorities for most IT departments. Strategic initiatives, the need for infrastructure upgrades, and software-licensing mandates are a constant challenge. Yet, hiring freezes and the redirection of funding within an organization often make implementation difficult. In my opinion, the answer to those once-a-year budget woes can often be found in four areas: prioritization, funding, implementation, and monetization.

Prioritization

It seems simple, but you’d be surprised by how many times the cart is put before the horse.

Virtualizing desktops and networks is a major investment with a cost-saving upside, but unless a company has clearly defined its ‘bring-your-own-device’ policy, a VDI plan shouldn’t even be considered.

Moving the data center to accommodate growth? Carefully and objectively reviewing hyper-convergence and public cloud potential is critical, because the best time to implement any or part of this solution is during a data-center migration/upgrade.

Perhaps it’s time to get rid of that old PBX phone system and institute a truly unified communications approach. By their very nature, VoIP solutions are software-based and are meant to evolve as business priorities change. A new, unified communications platform with the latest videoconferencing, instant messaging, and speech-enablement capabilities may be overkill and a real budget buster (you can always add capabilities later on).

Prioritizing actual versus perceived needs is the better course of action.

Funding

Critical IT investments can often be made by simply finding creative ways to reduce or redeploy existing budgets. A telecom-expense-management audit (often funded by the savings it incurs) takes a look at existing wireline and wireless contracts and often reveals thousands of dollars, if not tens of thousands, in unnecessary broadband spending. One of our clients was being charged $10,000 a month for a high-speed connection to an office they had closed years before!

Sometimes you can save big time by simply getting your suppliers to pay. Companies like Microsoft set aside millions of dollars each year to supplement new technology assessments and investments. All you have to do is ask.

Implementation

Oftentimes, the high cost of implementing IT solutions can be borne by outsourcing or staff augmentation.

Can’t handle incremental project workload with existing staff? New technology requiring specific expertise, and spikes in workload as a result of short-term projects, can be handled less expensively — and, in many cases, more efficiently — by temporary personnel.

You don’t need to outsource the entire project, but management may be the most logical place to start. A project manager can attend and lead facilities and departmental meetings, coordinate and manage critical milestones, and, most importantly, train your staff to take over the role once he or she is gone.

By focusing internal resources on core business functions, training time is reduced without adding permanent overhead.

Monetization

Everyone want to make money off of their investments, yet IT departments often find this difficult to accomplish.

Do you have an internal engineering-services department that handles maintenance and repairs to critical technologies? Does your data center have excess capacity? These are just two areas where organizations can find monetization opportunities, but unfortunately, they are two areas that often fail miserably.

Before launching any effort to monetize internal resources, be sure that senior management establishes priority protocols that allow those resources to respond to external client needs with the same level of urgency as internal requests. This will ensure the success of most monetization efforts and a way to fund other IT initiatives without breaking the budget.

The budget process has become a necessary evil in today’s competitive business climate. Creative planning approaches can turn it from an obstacle into an opportunity.

Greg Pellerin is a 15-year veteran of the telecommunications and IT industries and a co-founder of VertitechIT, one of the fastest-growing business and healthcare IT networking and consulting firms in the country; (413) 268-1605; [email protected].

Tooth of the Matter

Business of Aging Sections

Mini Dental Implants Provide a Permanent Solution to Lost Teeth

Dr. David Hirsh calls mini implants a fast, affordable way to replace missing teeth and stabilize dentures without surgery, pain, or bleeding.

More than 40 million Americans have missing teeth, and studies show the main reason is the cost: they simply can’t afford to replace them.

But thanks to advances in medicine, today people can replace their pearly whites with mini dental implants, which offer a permanent solution to the problem.

“They’re a fast, affordable, and permanent way to replace missing teeth and stabilize dentures — they don’t require surgery, there is no pain or bleeding, and they are half the cost of traditional implants,” said Dr. David Hirsh of Hirsh and Associates in Springfield.

This development is important because, in addition to detracting from a person’s cosmetic appearance, failing to replace missing teeth leads to other problems. Hirsh said the remaining teeth tend to migrate to fill in the space, which puts so much pressure on them, they can also be lost. “Filling in the spaces not only corrects how someone looks when they smile, it protects the remaining teeth and prevents the bone loss that occurs when they are not replaced.”

Mini dental implants, or MDIs, offer people with dentures a lasting solution to the problem of slippage because they provide an anchor to hold dentures or partials in place and gives them the strength and stability they need to eat foods such as corn on the cob or apples, which they would otherwise have to forego as they are too difficult to chew.

“When a person can only eat soft food because their dentures don’t fit well, being able to eat whatever they want in a restaurant is a tremendous change. If mini implants are holding the denture in place, they don’t have to use paste or powder, which they end up tasting more than the food, and there are no sore spots as the dentures don’t rub against the gums,” Hirsh said, adding that, when they are used to stabilize upper dentures, the palate portion of the denture can be cut away, which makes it much more comfortable and improves the taste of food.

MDIs are solid, one-piece, titanium-coated screws that take the place of a tooth root. They are much thinner than traditional dental implants and were originally designed to hold dentures in place. However, they have other benefits, including the fact that they stimulate and maintain the jawbone, which prevents bone loss and helps to maintain facial features. In addition, they are stronger and more durable than crowns and bridges that have been cemented into place.

They were first used in the ’90s and have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for long-term use for fixed crowns and bridges and removable partial and full upper and lower dentures.

When Hirsh first heard about MDIs, he was skeptical. But after conducting research and learning more, he became convinced they could change people’s lives, so he attended classes in the Shatkin Fabricated Implant Restoration and Surgical Technique in Bufffalo, N.Y. and received his certification.

Six months ago, after rave reviews from patients, he said, he opened one of 27 Mini Dental Implants Centers of America. He told BusinessWest it is associated with the Shatkin Institute, which is the largest training center in America and has the largest lab and dental office in the country.

Dr. Todd Shatkin, who founded the institute, is president emeritus of the International Academy of Mini Dental Implants, and Hirsh is a member of that organization as well as the American Dental Assoc., the Massachusetts Dental Society, the Valley District Dental Society, and the prestigious Crown Council.

Hirsh said that, although traditional implants, which require surgery and months of healing time, were the standard of care for many years, a study by Shatkin that involved placing 10,000 mini implants in patients and following them for 10 years showed they had a 95% success rate, which is exactly the same rate as traditional implants.

The total cost of a single MDI in his center is $2,500, which includes the temporary and permanent crowns, while the cost of the four MDIs needed to hold a partial or denture in place is $4,000.

Something to Chew On

The process in Hirsh’s implant center begins with a panoramic X-ray, which allows the dentist to check the bone density and make sure there is enough room to place the MDI. Next, an impression is taken of the area that will be restored, which is sent to the Shatkin Institute.

“They fabricate a surgical stent that will be used to determine the exact spot where the MDI will be placed,” Hirsh said, noting that the institute also determines the size of the drill bit that needs to be used and the length and width of the implant.

When the patient returns to the office, the area is numbed, and Hirsh places the surgical stent, which is made of plastic, over the surrounding teeth. Next, he drills a hole through the gum into the bone and screws the implant into it, then secures a temporary crown onto it. “The color of the temporary is matched to the surrounding teeth,” he said, adding that, if any modifications need to be made, the information is sent to the lab before the permanent crown is created.

If the MDIs are being used to hold a denture or partial in place, it can be snapped onto the MDIs immediately after tiny holes about the size of a pen tip are drilled into the bone through the gum where the implant will be placed.

“Although a denture can contain about 12 teeth, you only need four implants to secure it,” Hirsh said, adding that, in cases where the denture doesn’t fit well, it may need to be modified before it can be used with the implants.

Losing a lot of weight can cause dentures to stop fitting properly, and if that occurs, people often find it difficult to keep them in their mouths. However, if the denture is secured by mini implants, it is not a problem. It will stay in place, and although people may want to get it realigned, Hirsh said the MDIs will never have to be adjusted.

MDIs have also helped many people with partials because they snap onto the mini implants, eliminating the need for metal clasps on adjoining teeth that hold them in place.

In addition, if people who are replacing a tooth have gum loss, crowns attached to the MDI can eliminate the cosmetic problem. “We put pink porcelain at the bottom or top of the crown so the tooth doesn’t look like it’s too long; it can be matched exactly to the color of a person’s gums and looks very natural,” Hirsh said.

He told BusinessWest the only instance in which a traditional dental implant works better than a mini is if someone has a very low maxillary sinus. “There may not be enough bone to put in the two implants that are needed, and in that case, we refer the patient to a local specialist. But it’s very, very rare.”

Evolving Science

Hirsh said misinformation has been circulated about MDIs in the general community, including the belief that MDIs can’t be used to replace molars or used for a full-mouth restoration, and only last about five years.

“They can last 20 years or a lifetime, just like traditional implants,” he noted, adding that they can be placed in people aged 17 and older once their jaw has stopped growing.

“I believe in 10 years, more dentists will use mini implants than traditional ones,” he said. “It’s a wonderful procedure that results in a wonderful cosmetic appearance. It’s just a matter of education; they’re life-changing.”

Philosophy with a Purpose

Business of Aging Sections

Linda Manor Assisted Living Provides a Continuum of Care

Linda Manor Assisted Living was designed to be aesthetically pleasing — but this is an era when senior-living facilities must be much more than that. That explains the center’s focus on a continuum of care, its efforts to engage residents in activities inside and outside its doors, and its insistence on families being involved in decisions about the details of care — making what can often be a difficult life transition a little more like, well, home.
The architecture and interior design of the newly opened Linda Manor Assisted Living facility in Leeds is breathtaking — and unusual for a facility of its kind.

The front doors open into a brightly lit foyer with high, coffered ceilings and comfortable sitting areas. A few feet away, a gracious twisted staircase climbs to an enormous, circular balcony on the second floor that surrounds the living area, and is punctuated by a large number of nooks with game tables and inviting couches and chairs, as well as a country kitchen.

The facility, which opened last October, has 85 units for residents, who can choose to live in a studio apartment or a one- or two-bedroom unit with their own kitchenette and private bath.

The 76,750-square-foot building features plenty for people to do, with activities that run the gamut from book clubs to art classes and exercise sessions; from volunteering at Kate’s Kitchen in Holyoke, which provides free meals to needy people, to day trips, such as a recent visit to the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute in Williamstown.

The lineup is dictated in large part by residents, who make decisions about what they want to do via committee, which they share with the activity director and write about in their newsletter.

“Our residents are civic-minded and want to be active; they may need some help, but they want to lead full lives,” said Kathy Herman, registered nurse and executive director of Linda Manor Assisted Living, or LMAL. “A few weeks ago, some residents wanted to spend the day going to tag sales, so we let them pick out locations and took them there. Having choices about what they do is important and makes them happy.”

But it is the continuum of care and philosophy that was established long before Linda Manor opened that sets it aside from similar senior living centers, she said.

Kathy Herman says Linda Manor’s small greenhouse was built for residents to enjoy.

It was built by Berkshire Healthcare, the largest not-for-profit company in Massachusetts, with 15 affiliates across the state and two hospices and a pharmacy serving clients. “We also have our own temporary staffing agency called Integra Nurse for our nursing homes,” said Albert Ingegni II, vice president of Housing Services. “This is more than bricks and mortar; we care about our residents, and, because we are a not for-profit corporation, we are driven by our values. Our residents always come first, and we try to make a connection with every one of them.”

Herman agrees. “It’s not just the resident who moves in. It’s the family that comes with them, and we stay in close touch with family members,” she said, adding that it’s important for children to know their parents are happy and that they can call whenever they have a concern. LMAL also boasts a van that is used to transport residents to doctor’s appointments, church, and other places they need or want to visit, which relieves stress on families.

The campus includes Linda Manor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, so seniors who make their home in the new assisted-living facility have access to the above-mentioned continuum of care. Herman said it comes into play if a resident is hospitalized and needs short-term rehabilitation; staff from both buildings hold joint meetings about the resident’s health and well-being, and they can be easily moved back to their home when they are ready.

“Having both facilities on the same grounds allows us to integrate services and provide people with the most appropriate care,” she told BusinessWest. “We’ve established relationships between people in both buildings, which is wonderfully helpful to families, as they don’t have to coordinate care for their loved ones.”

Resident Berta Gauger enjoys living at LMAL. “It’s nice to have people around, and we travel and go places,” she said, adding that she looks forward to volunteering at Kate’s Kitchen.

Ingegni said a service plan is created for every resident that is assessed every six months or whenever the staff observes a change in behavior.

“We work to accommodate each person’s needs, and if they need more help than we can provide in the assisted-living section of the building, they can move into our Life Enrichment Program,” he added, referring to LMAL’s specially designed memory unit (more on that later).

Schooled by Experience

Before Linda Manor Assisted Living was built, Ingegni said, Berkshire Healthcare had decided to expand its housing component, and the Leeds campus, which already housed Linda Manor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, was quickly identified as the ideal place to grow.

Many areas at Linda Manor are set aside for conversation.

“We wanted to provide post-acute-care services to this community and supplement the services Linda Manor was already providing,” he explained, adding that it is one of only a few senior-housing communities in the country designated by Medicare as a five-star facility, and was feted with the Gold American Healthcare Assoc. Award two years ago, which Kimball Farms in Lenox has also received.

Kimball Farms is a retirement community operated by Berkshire Healthcare, and offers housing that covers the spectrum of possibilities: independent living, assisted living, a memory unit for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and a skilled-nursing-care center.

Herman said it allows people to age in place, but, more importantly, the philosophy is one of “habilitation,” which means doing everything possible to help people maintain the level they are at when move in.

“It was developed by Joanne Koenig Coste, who wrote Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s, she noted. “We try to maximize success and minimize failure.”

Herman had retired from Kimball Farms before LMAL was built, but Ingegni talked her into returning to work so she could bring the successful program at Kimball Farms to LMAL and make sure it was well-established.

The Life Enrichment Program is an important component, and was created to take advantage of principles gleaned and perfected through years of experience at Kimball Farms.

“People with dementia often develop low self-esteem when they realize they can no longer do things they used to do. They get frustrated and bored, and, if they are dependent on others for all of their care, they feel like they have failed,” Herman said. “But if you provide them with an environment where they can be successful, they are happy, and it limits adverse behaviors.”

She explained that the Life Enrichment unit has a large kitchen that is central to the floor, a living room, and a sunporch that leads to an enclosed walking path bordered by gardens. “The residents can go in and out whenever they choose.”

Before new residents arrive, the staff obtains a detailed history of their habits, which includes the time they usually get up, if and when they eat breakfast, their daily routine, what they did during their lifetime, and activities they enjoy.

“We establish a plan of care around their schedule,” Herman noted. “They don’t have to do anything based on the clock, and if they want to eat lunch at 2 p.m. instead of noon, they can do it. If you have established a pattern in life, it’s hard to change when you’re 85.”

Special Measures

The staff undergoes continual training and holds frequent meetings to assess how each resident is doing.

“Our residents may have lost some of their cognition, but they don’t lose their emotions, so that’s where we meet them,” Herman noted. “We make them feel good about themselves, and if they don’t understand our words, they do understand body language, so if we are smiling and happy, it is reflected back.”

Resident Berta Gauger enjoys volunteering at Kate’s Kitchen, among other activities at Linda Manor.

She added that staff members are carefully chosen, as not everyone has the temperament to work in a dementia unit, which requires thinking outside the box and coming up with solutions.

When Ingegni spoke with BusinessWest, 15 of 20 available spots in the unit were filled, and although it could have been built to house more people, he said it was designed to be small for a reason. “We found that, if there are more than 25 or 30 people, you lose your effectiveness.”

Although people with dementia are sometimes put on anti-psychotic medications while they at home, Herman said, when they are moved into an environment with people trained to meet their needs, in some cases, they can stop taking them.

“Alzheimer’s and dementia are a disease of the family, and the drugs are often given to make people sleepy, which allows the caretaker to sleep at night,” she said. “We look at the medications each person is taking and work closely with their physicians.”

Ingegni added that the way residents are treated starts with the behavior and attitude of management and filters down to each employee. “They set the example.”

For example, on a recent day Herman found a resident in the memory unit sitting inside while everyone else was outdoors. “I went to her room, got her sunglasses and hat, put them on her, and made a big deal about the way she looked. Then, I asked if she wanted to go for a walk,” she recalled. The technique worked, and Herman explained what she had done to the staff so they could emulate it if needed in the future.

“All of my managers are hands-on,” she said, citing another example that occurred when the dietitian was told a woman wouldn’t sit down to eat dinner. “The dietician responded by telling me she would prepare special finger foods so the resident could walk and eat at the same time, and she got creative with things like a salmon sandwich.”

In another instance, a woman who had been required to have a private aide at another facility because she was deemed a fall risk no longer needs one.

“She could still walk, but wasn’t participating in activities before she came here; she used to stay in her room. But now she is out all the time and hasn’t fallen yet,” Herman said.

Ingegni said the improvements registered by residents go back to the facility’s philosophy of habilitation.

“We want to keep everyone at their highest level,” he reiterated, citing examples like providing a typewriter for a woman in the memory unit who used to be a secretary and giving her paperwork so she felt she was needed.

Herman said the dedication of the staff is exemplified by the facilty’s bus driver.

“When he found he shared a love of poetry with one of the men in the memory program, he began coming back at night to read with him,” she said, adding that the driver also leads a support group for families of residents on the memory unit.

Moving Forward

LMAL has space available for additional residents, and Herman said the process of filling the complex is still ongoing.

But she and Ingegni are obviously proud of the new facility and believe it is off to a very solid start.

“It’s safe, it’s secure, and we are innovative and open to suggestions, so families can play an active role in what happens here,” Ingegni said. “And the fact that we offer different levels of care helps them and helps our residents.”

Which is exactly what everyone wants for aging parents who can no longer live in their homes: a place that caters to their needs and does everything possible to keep them healthy and engaged.

Loan Stars

Banking and Financial Services Sections

A chart of the region’s credit unions

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Common Threads

Banking and Financial Services Sections

130 Years Later, PeoplesBank Still Reflects the Character of Its First President

Doug Bowen says PeoplesBank shares many of its values with its first president, William Skinner.

William Skinner, Holyoke’s most noted industrialist and philanthropist, was known as an innovator, someone who cared about his employees, and a business owner who was deeply involved in his community. Roughly 130 years after he became the first president of what was then Peoples Savings Bank, the institution still reflects Skinner’s values.

Sarah Skinner Kilborne says that, as a child, she heard little about her great-great-grandfather, William Skinner, founder of the Skinner & Sons Silk Manufacturing Co. and Holyoke’s most noted industrialist and philanthropist.

Actually, she heard far more about the company, which had been sold before she was born, than she did about the man, which created first her curiosity and later a fascination concerning his life and times.

Indeed, she never knew about Skinner’s youth in London, where he grew up in abject poverty and vowed to escape from that life. (Actually, no one knew about those years, because Skinner rarely, if ever, talked about them to anyone). And she also heard very little about perhaps the most important chapter in his life — how he rebounded remarkably from a catastrophic flood in 1874 that destroyed his mill in Skinnerville (near Williamsburg) and built anew in Holyoke.

Intrigued by what she came to know about that latter episode, Kilborne became determined to find out more. Years of intense research resulted in her book American Phoenix, published in 2012, which chronicles how Skinner turned that disaster into destiny.

Sarah Skinner Kilborne says she was at first curious about her great-great-grandfather, and then fascinated by his life and times.

“I never heard much about William Skinner the man,” she told BusinessWest. “I knew who he was, I knew he was the founder of the family company, I knew he was my great-great-grandfather. But I knew little about him.”

In the course of researching and writing her book, Kilborne said she learned a great deal, about not just what he did, but how and why. Among other things, she said, he was:

• An innovator. “He took advantage of the most modern machinery, kept an eye on the market, looked for opportunities, saw the big picture, and always looked ahead,” she said;
• A philanthropist who was involved with, among other things, the creation of Holyoke Hospital, the Holyoke Public Library, and the city’s YMCA;
• A business owner who cared deeply about his employees. “If he saw a hard-working employee really struggling and just not able to get ahead, he might step in and pay off all of that man’s debts to help him get a fresh start”; and
• As implied earlier, someone who didn’t glance back. “He was an immigrant who had suffered a terrible childhood, and he’d done everything he could to escape it,” Kilborne said. “He didn’t look back to the past; he cared about the future.”

And those are the very same qualities that still define PeoplesBank, which Skinner served as its first president when it was known as Peoples Savings Bank, said Doug Bowen, who now has that same title and has been with the institution for 40 of its 130 years.

As the bank celebrates its milestone anniversary this year, it is not marking that number or another figure ($2 billion in assets, which the institution just passed), as much as it is highlighting those traits it still has in common with Skinner, he explained.

“If William Skinner were to look at the bank today, he would see that, in some ways, nothing has changed, and in another way, everything has changed,” said Bowen, now in his 10th year at the helm of the Holyoke-based institution.

Certainly, the figures on the ledger sheet have changed. The bank, which opened on St. Patrick’s Day in 1885 and tallied two accounts totaling $65 that day, had $74,000 in deposits its first year of operation, and now has more than $1.5 billion. The number of branches has grown as well; there are now 17.

But the bank is still known for those qualities Skinner instilled in it, including philanthropy — it’s owned a spot on the Boston Business Journal’s list of the state’s largest corporate charitable donors for several years now; innovation, which comes in many forms, from the considerably ‘green’ quality of its recently opened branches to the so-called ‘customer innovation lab’ now taking shape on the fifth floor of the bank’s headquarters building; and as a thoughtful employer — the bank has earned status on the Boston Globe’s list of the best places to work in the Commonwealth the past two years.

“We’re still a mutual bank — our charter is basically the same as it was in 1885,” said Bowen. “And our pillars, our values of innovation, community support, the environment, and employee engagement … there are a lot of parallels and lot of crossovers between where we are today and where we were 130 years ago.”

For this issue and its focus on banking and financial services, BusinessWest details how PeoplesBank can draw some straight lines between the values of its industrious first president and the way the institution conducts business today.

Fabric of the Community

Kilborne said the flood of 1874, caused by the breach of a poorly designed and hastily constructed reservoir dam, was one of the worst industrial disasters of the 19th century and in the history of this region — 139 people were killed by the wall of water crashing down the Pioneer Valley, and the disaster ultimately led to the passage of landmark dam-safety laws.

Still, few in this region know much, if anything, about the catastrophe.

“That was a story that seemed to be lost,” she said, adding that some of her research for American Phoenix benefited greatly from In the Shadow of the Dam, a book about the disaster written by Elizabeth Sharpe and published in 2007.

Lost also were many of the details of how Skinner, whose mill was completed destroyed by the flood — “there was nothing of it left to photograph,” said Kilborne — would go on to build one of the largest silk-manufacturing companies in the world in a then-evolving Holyoke, a unique city specifically designed for industry.

“William Skinner’s story takes the flood’s story to another level,” she said. “This is a personal story in the midst of the flood, and it really addresses this issue of how you rebuild your life after you lose everything.

“I was so taken with his story, and I personally wanted to know how he did it,” she went on. “I was gripped by this sense of loss that he sustained and that everyone else in the Valley sustained at the time of the flood, and how it was that William Skinner’s saga turned into a legendary success story; what set him apart?”

To make a compelling story short, what set him apart were those aforementioned attributes, she said, listing perseverance, innovation, philanthropy, and a burning desire to forge a far better life for his family than the one he endured in the Spitalfields section of East London.

Kilborne mentions the creation of Peoples Savings Bank and Skinner’s appointment as its first president in her book, but doesn’t go into any great detail about the institution or his tour of duty with it.

But she speculated that the values that dominated other aspects of his life and career were undoubtedly evident there as well.

“As the president of the bank, he would have been very community-oriented and conscious of the burden of debt; when he helped found Holyoke Hospital, he was proud of the fact that the hospital was delivered free of debt to the community,” she explained. “When he moved to Holyoke, his reputation was that of being a great financier and manager; within two years, the city wanted him to run for mayor.

“As a banker and as a businessman, he was known to be a man of wise conservatism,” she went on. “But he was also willing to take risks, because he knew the value of investing, he knew the value of innovation, he knew the value of looking to the future. He knew you couldn’t stay stuck in the past and do the same thing over and over again, because if you do, you’re going to be left behind.”

Roughly 114 years after Skinner relinquished the helm at the bank, those same attitudes, if you will, permeate the bank’s operating philosophy, said Bowen, referring specifically to Skinner’s focus on innovation and looking toward to the future and the opportunities and challenges it will bring.

This is reflected in some of the accolades the bank — and Bowen himself — have received in recent years. That list includes everything from placement on the ‘largest corporate charitable donors’ and ‘top places to work’ compilations to recognition for Bowen as one of the Boston Globe’s Top 100 Innovators in 2011, and as one of BusinessWest’s first Difference Makers for essentially creating the environment in which all of the above could happen.

Material Evidence

Before elaborating on how PeoplesBank operates now as it did 130 years ago, Bowen noted that it does so in a banking environment that has changed dramatically since 1885 and is, in many ways, more challenging.

Now, as then, the playing field is crowded with competitors, although the composition of the field is different, with many national and regional players. Meanwhile, due to plummeting interest rates, margins are now razor-thin, making it difficult for banks of all sizes to be profitable.

The customer innovation center now under construction at PeoplesBank is one of the many ways in which the bank reflects William Skinner’s innovative character.

In this environment, institutions are looking for any edge they can get and are united in their quest to increase volume and attain greater market share to compensate for those slimmer margins. Locally, most have banks have done this through acquisition and territorial expansion, and PeoplesBank is no exception (at least with the latter), having executed an aggressive pattern of expansion, including the opening of three branches in Springfield and others in Westfield, West Springfield, and Northampton.

This widening of the footprint (along with inflation, of course) helps explain why it took the bank 120 years to reach $1 billion in assets and only a decade to double that total.

But there’s more to the growth equation than physical expansion, said Bowen, adding that today’s institutions, especially community banks like PeoplesBank, can gain an edge with more personalized service than that delivered by the regional and super-regional players. They can also do so by using technology to improve that service.

And this brings Bowen back, once again, to William Skinner, who embraced those ideals.

“When he built in Holyoke, he bought the latest and most innovative machinery that there was for silk making,” Bowen explained. “Skinner silk became the standard for the American silk and satin industry, and a lot of it was because of his investment in those innovative machines.”

In many ways, PeoplesBank is following that example, he went on, citing everything from design of the bank’s LEED-certified branches to the development of apps for smart phones.

“One of the things that was interesting about the buildings Skinner built was that they had monitor roofs, which had a row of ventilating windows above it that could be opened, which pulled all the hot air up and through the building, something that was unique at that time,” Bowen explained. “Also, the skylights let good light into the manufacturing area, and according to the book, his factories were considered the healthiest in the Northeast, and this mirrors some of the things we’re doing.”

As an example, he mentioned branches like the one recently constructed in Northampton, which focuses on providing natural light and fresh air to make the work environment more conducive to productivity and employee satisfaction.

As another example, Bowen cited the customer innovation lab taking shape at the bank’s headquarters building, a step taken to address the incredible pace of technological advances and the ways in which they can be harnessed to better serve customers.

The bank recorded more than 2 million online banking sessions in 2014, more than double the number only three years ago, said Bowen, adding that this pace of growth will only accelerate in the years to come as customers demand even greater convenience. The lab was formed, by and large, to create such convenience.

“The lab is all about tomorrow and addressing those customer demands for convenience in the future,” he said. “We’re using technology to accelerate innovation and enhance the customer experience.

“The lab won’t have any beakers or Bunsen burners, but it will have space where people can brainstorm about that customer experience and places where we can have focus groups and more broadly speak to the different delivery channels,” he went on. “We want to focus on all the different ways you can deliver products, services, and information to our customers.”

The bank already has what are known as ‘tech titans,’ he said, individuals who will analyze new technology, such as the Apple watch, for example, and evaluate what that technology could potentially mean for customers. The new innovation lab will take such efforts to a higher level, with the focus squarely on the customer.

“We’re constantly, constantly, constantly trying to look at things through the customers’ eyes,” he explained. “We’re trying to create as good an experience, and as seamless an experience, as we can.”

Meanwhile, the bank is also working to apply that phrase ‘good experience’ to employees as well. And placement on the ‘best places to work’ list three years in a row — the only firm in this region to make that compilation — is evidence that it is succeeding in that mission.

“This is based an anonymous survey of employees and gauges what they think of you — we’re not sending in all the nice things we do; it’s strictly the employees,” he said of the process of determining who makes the list. “And when you consider all the businesses in Boston that we’re up against, it’s quite an honor.

“We’re a bank — we don’t have beer on tap or a ping-pong table,” he continued, referring to some of the amenities offered by IT companies. “We can make it fun to work here, but there are constraints we are under.”

Back to the Future

Bowen told BusinessWest that the bank has little, if anything, planned to mark its 130th anniversary.

“We’re more focused on the future and on the things that will make a difference for the community and our employees right now,” he said, adding that, in this respect, the bank is once again emulating its first president and his values.

Skinner’s outlook and his manner of doing business are perhaps best captured by these comments from his great-great-granddaughter.

“He was very broad-minded; he was capable of seeing the large relations of things,” she said. “He had a very expansive way of looking at the world, probably because he grew up in England and moved to America. He saw things globally, and he saw things in a very large frame. He looked at the whole picture, while doing everything he could to build on the present.”

Bowen didn’t say as much, but he strongly implied that continuing to conduct business as Skinner would is certainly the best way the bank can celebrate its milestone.

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

All the Right Ingredients

Luxury Living Sections

Recipe for Spectacular Kitchen Calls for Spice, Convenience

Hunter Marosits says luxury kitchens may have two dishwashers, six or eight stovetop burners, and custom features such as bread warmers and microwaves built into a drawer.

The kitchen has long been known as the heart of a home, and many people are remodeling to add style, function, flair, and a dose of luxury to the most important room in their living area.

“Our sales are up 20% to 25% over last summer, and this year has been super busy; our normal lead time is six weeks, and for a while we were backlogged three months,” said Steve Wenninger, president of Ideal Kitchens Home Improvement Inc. in Chicopee, who owns the company with his wife, Marie Wenninger.

Hunter Marosits is also doing well, and says people are expanding the space to suit today’s lifestyles. “But every kitchen we create is unique. We never do the same thing twice,” said the president of H&R Homes Remodeling Inc. in Springfield.

The recipe for success contains many ingredients, but local remodelers say it begins with and centers around the design.

“The kitchen is a critical part of the home, and designing the room is a work of art that depends on the skill of the designer, the flexibility of the client, and the size of the space. Cost must always be balanced with aesthetics,” said Curio Nataloni, who co-owns Kitchens by Curio in Springfield with his brother, Francis Nataloni, a certified kitchen and bath designer.

“A client can buy the best cabinets and appliances, but that doesn’t mean they will end up with a good kitchen,” he went on. “Form follows function, and a good designer may be able to create the same environment by using less-expensive elements that provide the same aesthetic value.”

Those we spoke with said demand for luxury kitchens has heated up, fueled in part by TV remodeling shows and Internet sites with thousands of before-and-after photos.

Today, people want an open-concept room area that often involves knocking down walls and opening up space to suit relaxed lifestyles.

“In the ’60s, kitchens were created with a way in and a way out. But today, people are entertaining more in their kitchens than in their living rooms or dining rooms, so they want a lot of open space,” Marosits said.

Francis Nataloni agrees. “Prior to the ’90s, kitchens, dining rooms, and family rooms were completely separate. But lifestyles have become more informal, and people want a gathering space that encompasses a sit-down area such as an island, where they can talk to their guests while they cook, as well as an eat-in area,” he said.

For this issue and its focus on luxury living, BusinessWest talks with designers about what goes into the ideal kitchen — and what homeowners can get out of one.

Food for Thought

Most kitchen remodelers draw up a design based on the homeowner’s preferences and the size of the space, but thanks to 3-D renderings, large screens, and state-of-the-art computer tools, it’s easy to make modifications and change details.

“Our job is to take what people have seen and want, then give them a realistic idea of what it will look like in their home,” Francis Nataloni said.

However, major kitchen remodels take time, and many homeowners are surprised that weeks or months may go by before the job is complete. That doesn’t mean they are without working space, however, as temporary countertops can be placed on new cabinets, and every effort is made to get the kitchen sink working as soon as possible.

Overall, remodeling a kitchen involves a lot of small but important decisions, said Curio Nataloni as he flipped through a book with hundreds of specifics that include who will be responsible for floors, windows, carpentry, plumbing, electric work, hooking up the appliances, and more.

In fact, the process can be so complex that Marosits refers to it as a “journey,” on requiring myriad choices. “But a lot of customers get as much enjoyment picking things out as they do when everything is finished,” he told BusinessWest.

Trends come and go, and today, people want a streamlined, simple look. And when it comes to cabinets, “oak is out, cherry is really hot, and maple that is painted is popular,” said Wenninger, adding that white, antique white, or glazed finishes, which give a two-tone effect, are top choices, and in high-end kitchens, cabinets often are given a painted, distressed look, which adds depth.

Francis Nataloni said dark espresso is also a growing color trend, particularly in contemporary kitchens. “But new finishes are coming down the pike,” he noted. “Gray and weathered gray is growing in popularity, as it gives a kitchen an urban, barn-style look.”

In addition to color, style comes into the mix, and shaker-style cabinetry is the number-one seller. “It’s become a staple because it has a more contemporary look and lends itself well to an informal atmosphere,” Francis Nataloni said, adding that people get ideas from magazines and websites, which is why his company has a presence on Houzz.com, where it was feted with the 2015 Customer Service Award based on reviews.

But design still comes into play, and a lot can be done to make a kitchen unique.

“Cabinets can be positioned at different heights,” Marosits said, adding that glass doors provide another way to customize cabinetry, with choices ranging from clear to seeded or frosted. In addition, a small touch like positioning the kitchen sink a few inches out from the wall provides more room behind it, but also makes it a focal point.

Since people are seeking a streamlined look, they want to hide small appliances and other items typically found on countertops. And that’s easy to do: there are microwaves built into drawers, corner cabinets that slide open and eliminate the need for turntables, and tall cabinets or pantries that house equipment and gadgets.

In high-end kitchens, refrigerators and dishwashers can also be disguised when they are covered with the same wood or finish as the cabinets, resulting in a seamless look.

Major appliances are important, and quiet dishwashers make a difference, especially in open floor plans. But packages can be pricey, costing up to $25,000, although most people choose models well below that figure.

Although many people still want double ovens, Francis Nataloni said six or eight burners and an oven combo, which includes a traditional oven topped by a smaller ‘speed oven’ that doubles as a convection oven and microwave, often suits the bill.

Countertops and backsplashes are other elements that require critical decision making.

“Granite is the most popular choice, but marble is moving in,” Marosits said, adding that he takes his clients to distributors where there are thousands of patterns at different price points, and they decide what part of a slab will become the focal point.

However, quartz is also becoming desirable. Wenninger said it is stronger than granite and is maintenance-free. “Standard granite needs to be sprayed every year to prevent staining, and although it’s not hard to do, some people prefer to completely eliminate the task.”

People with a large amount of space usually want an island, but in smaller kitchens, peninsulas attached to the wall serve as workspaces and separate one section of the room from another. “An island is like a piece of furniture and doesn’t have to match the rest of the kitchen,” Wenninger said. “High-end kitchens are often mixing stainless and cherry.”

Satisfying Finish

Although everyone wants a luxury kitchen, people who remodel usually fall into two categories: those who want to improve the resale value of their house, and those who love their homes and have no plans to move.

The latter group usually gets everything it wants, although Curio Natalino said the cost can often be reduced by the designer, who can advise them how to achieve the look they want within their budget.

To that end, Ideal Kitchens has its own cabinet refacing shop, and Wenninger has clients in luxury homes who choose to reface existing cabinets with solid interiors to get the look they are seeking.

“We take off the old doors, make brand-new ones, add new moldings, and put a quarter-inch skin frame behind cabinets and on the edges of the shelves. It can save up to half the cost, and glass and large drawers for pots and pans can be added. We can also create dovetail drawers and add soft-door closures,” he said.

Marosits told BusinessWest that moldings can be mixed and matched with an almost endless number of choices, and they can change the entire look of a kitchen.

But no matter what people choose, remodelers agree that, if a kitchen is well-designed, in most cases people should be able to recoup the money they spend when and if they do sell their home.

“Kitchens have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years, and after that they are considered worn or outdated. But most people only redo their kitchens once in their lifetime, and since statistics show they usually get 100% of their money back, there is no reason not to do it,” Marosits said, adding that some luxury homeowners don’t want an entirely new kitchen, but want a new look, which can be achieved with exotic granite countertops, an upscale backsplash, and a change in hardware on the cabinets.

Which means that dreams can come true at a range of budgets, and the heart of the home can truly become its hub.

Living in Luxury

Luxury Living Sections

Demand for High-end, Custom Homes Grows as Economy Improves

From left, Jason Pecoy, Kent Pecoy, and Suzanne Clarke say outdoor living space has become a key component of luxury homes.

Think about a beautiful marble or tiled shower with multiple showerheads that pulse and even give off steam in a state-of-the-art bathroom that glows with warmth from a gas-burning fireplace.

Imagine a pool cabana that resembles a small but stately home and is fronted by fluted columns and floor-to-ceiling windows with a kitchen and bar inside. Or a four-season room with glass walls that open onto a gorgeous patio that extends the home’s living space into the outdoors.

These areas exist locally in luxury homes where every feature is designed to please the most discriminating buyer. The demand for them is growing, and local builders who specialize in this niche market report that they have a substantial number of projects underway or planned for the near future.

“The market is doing well, and the luxury-building market is in full recovery mode,” said Richard McCullough, president of Richard A. McCullough Inc. in Longmeadow, who finished his term as president of the Homebuilders and Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass. “It took a while for things to improve after the recession, but it’s a different feeling today when I pick up the phone; it’s no longer surprising when someone says they have a lot and want to build a luxury home on it.”

Laplante Construction Inc. in East Longmeadow, which is known for custom-designed homes, has been busy for the past four or five years. It diversified into the remodeling industry long before the economy went into a downward spiral and has steadily built that business, said Raymond Laplante, who founded the company and does most of the design work. “We’ve been doing whole-house teardowns and rebuilds, and are putting up large contract homes today.”

But styles, as well as the size of custom-built homes, have changed dramatically in recent years, and today’s wish lists reflect a desire to save energy and utilize every square foot of space.

“Luxury doesn’t mean large,” said Kent Pecoy, president and founder of Pecoy Signature Homes and the Pecoy Companies in West Springfield. “In the past, luxury homes were usually about 7,000 square feet. Today, they are much smaller — 4,000 to 5,000 square feet — but still have the same appointments: beautiful kitchens, spacious family rooms, built-ins, custom finishes, and swimming pools.

“We’re putting a lot of emphasis on outdoor living, with covered porches, outdoor kitchens, built-in grills, and fireplaces, and are making much better use of basements,” he went on. “Some even have kitchenettes that lead outside to the pool.”

McCullough agrees. “In the ’80s, luxury homes were all about size. Bigger was better, and it was taken to the extreme. Most homes had massive, two-story foyers,” he told BusinessWest.

But that hearkens to a bygone era. Formal living rooms have become passé, and formal dining rooms are not important to most buyers.

“Space that would have been used for a living room in the past is being turned into studies or casual conversation areas,” Pecoy said. “People tell us they want space they can use every day or for more than one purpose, such as a sunroom that doubles as an eating area. As a result, what we’re building is very different than what we built five years ago, and completely different than 10 years ago.”

Lots are also much smaller and closer to workplaces. “In the past, people wanted a lot of land, but now they are happy with an acre or even a half-acre,” Pecoy said. “They don’t want to be way out in the country, so the lots they choose are closer to the center of town. They want convenient commutes; they want to be able to enjoy area restaurants and shopping without having to drive long distances to get there.”

Entertaining has become an important part of many peoples’ lifestyles, and to accommodate that, luxury homes typically have open-concept floor plans that contain a spacious, state-of-the-art kitchen, adjoining family room, and an area that opens into the backyard.

“People don’t want to waste space, so layouts are efficient,” Laplante said, adding that outdoor living plays a key role in design, and his company is building a large number of spacious cabanas, outdoor fireplaces, and kitchens.

Return to Health

The size of luxury homes has gone up and down as quickly as the economy over the past decade or two, and Pecoy said the upward spiral began after 9/11.

“People didn’t want to travel, and since they decided not to buy vacation homes and were going to stay home, they wanted bigger houses. We had built good-sized homes prior to that event, but not nearly as large as the ones that were built for a few years after.”

Richard McCullough says foam insulation and geothermal heating and cooling are popular options in newer luxury homes.

The belief that bigger was better continued until the economy tanked and homebuilding almost came to a halt. Some builders, including Pecoy, had branched out years before, so they still had plenty of work, but although that wasn’t true for everyone, McCullough said, companies with long histories didn’t despair. “Everyone in the industry who has been through this once or twice had a measured amount of optimism,” he explained. “And things are good right now, although that could change because we don’t know what could occur in this geopolitical environment.”

Still, local luxury homebuilders are busy again. McCullough is about to start his fourth home in a development he created in Somers, Conn. called Bridal Path Ridge, and is working on a large addition to a custom-built home there.

“The owners are putting on a new wing with a second family room, office, screened-in porch, pool, hot tub, and outside kitchen area,” he said, noting that he believes many people who could afford to remodel held back while the economy was in a state of flux. “A lot of money sat on the sidelines, but now it is being reintroduced into the market. The fear has faded, and builders are benefiting.”

Jason Pecoy said the demand for screened-in porches, four-season rooms, and covered patios is on the rise. “We just put a roof over a patio in Longmeadow with stone seating walls around it,” said the vice president of the Pecoy Companies and son of Kent.

Efficient use of space even extends into the bathroom, and whirlpool tubs that were rarely used have lost their appeal, while free-standing and claw-footed tubs have made a comeback. In addition, demand for oversized tile or marble showers has heated up.

McCullough said most of the luxury homes he builds today are under 4,000 square feet, and the majority of the space, or about 2,800 square feet, is on the first floor, especially if the home is being built for professionals approaching retirement age who want their master bedroom downstairs, but need bedrooms for visiting children and grandchildren upstairs.

In addition, a growing number of older adults are adding luxurious in-law apartments to their homes, then selling the homes to their children. “There is a big push for these apartments. But people want all the amenities available, and that includes an open floor plan,” Laplante said, adding that he has built in-law apartments that range in size from 1,200 to 1,600 square feet.

The second-home market is also beginning to gain strength.

“We just acquired four acre-plus lots in West Dennis across from the beach and are about to start building a 4,200-square-foot spec home there,” said Suzanne Clarke, director of sales and marketing for the Pecoy Companies. “And we just finished a 3,000-square-foot luxury home in West Dennis that has a beachy feel, with beautiful trimwork, built-in bunk beds for the children with carved seahorses, coffered ceilings, a gorgeous outdoor screened-in porch with a fireplace and TV, and a large patio.”

Attention to Detail

Although today’s luxury homes are smaller, interest in interior detail has grown.

“There is a focus on unique finishes,” McCullough said, citing a custom casing over a doorway with a crown and cap as an example, and adding that, during the course of many remodeling jobs, owners of luxury homes make the decision to change all of the trim on the first floor.

He builds many homes for professionals approaching retirement age, while Laplante has many clients with young children, who prefer a young, transitional style, which translates to elegant, custom-built moldings with simple lines, quartz countertops, and porcelain plank floors in the kitchen that look like hardwood. “They want a clean, modern look, and many choose character wood for the floors, which shows the knots and irregular grain,” he explained.

Keeping rooms off the kitchen have also become popular. “They usually have a fireplace, a small desk, and some seating. They’re small but comfortable nooks that give kids a place to study,” Laplante went on.

Richard Gale, project manager for Laplante Construction, said these rooms allow parents to converse with their children while they cook. “Sometimes we build a center island in them with desks around the perimeter. The room can be used as a place to eat or do homework.”

Raymond Laplante, left, and Richard Gale say attention to detail is a critical component in the design of a new luxury home.

Advances in technology are also making their way into design, and Laplante said mudrooms often contain charging stations where children and adults can plug in all of their devices, and these areas typically have benches that double as storage areas with cubicles and shelves above them to hold books and outdoor clothing.

The playroom is another area where space is maximized. “Parents want things organized, so the rooms may have open shelves or cabinets with pullout drawers,” Gale noted.

The desire to utilize space to the fullest has even washed up in the laundry room, he added. “They’ve become a lot more complicated; they’re bigger and have more cabinetry and space to store things.”

Basements are another area used as part of the living space, and they are becoming recreation centers in new, luxury homes. Some buyers still request formal movie theaters, although builders say that trend is giving way to informal areas that contain a fireplace with a big-screen TV stationed over it.

“Game rooms are popular, and some people want spas, steam rooms, saunas, or lap pools in their basement,” Laplante told BusinessWest.

Incorporating ‘green’ building measures — particularly energy-efficient touches — is also an item on wish lists. “But for many people, it’s more about saving money than about saving the environment,” McCullough noted.

Laplante agrees, but says many of his clients want to make a contribution to the environment, and their desire is boosted by government subsidies that provide cash rebates and incentives for energy-efficient construction.

Pecoy says operating costs have become part of the conversation when people discuss the design of a luxury home.

“In 2004, even if I brought it up, no one wanted to talk about it,” he said. “But today, we’re setting up homes for solar and making sure the main body of the roof faces as much toward the south as we can.”

Foam insulation is slowly replacing fiberglass, and geothermal heating and cooling systems have become popular. “The heating systems cost two to three times more than a traditional system, but pay for themselves over a period of six to eight years,” Laplante said.

Pecoy added that people are also concerned about sustainability and where their building materials come from.

“We used to use a lot of exotic woods, such as ribbon stripe mahogany that came from rainforests,” he said. “But today, people prefer local hardwoods such as oak, ash, and maple.”

Fireplaces are still hot, but the demand for wood-burning models has gone up in smoke, being replaced with gas units that are easy to operate and don’t waste heat. “Saving energy has become ingrained in people’s minds, because no one knows where energy prices will go a year from now,” McCullough said.

Still, the warmth of a fireplace remains attractive, and Laplante’s clients are putting them in bathrooms and bedrooms and using zero-clearance models in hallways that allow them to be mounted on walls.

“They’re not all at ground level, and many look like artwork,” Gale said.

And because entertaining friends and family at home has become so popular, many luxury homes are designed with a guest bedroom and adjoining bathroom large enough to almost be called a second master suite.

Moving Forward

Although designs have changed in recent years, McCullough said, the biggest difference in the market today is people’s willingness to spend money.

“My view is that we’re on a precipitous rise. This year is much better than last,” he told BusinessWest, adding that it means work for builders, subcontractors, suppliers, and companies that make products for construction.

Laplante is building in East Longmeadow, Hatfield, South Hadley, and Southampton, as well as Connecticut. “Some of the homes are on individual lots, while others are in subdivisions. We’re also doing a lot of major renovations,” he noted. “For us, business is great.”

Pecoy said the majority of his firm’s business used to come from building luxury homes. “It has slowly picked up, and right now, it is about 40%,” he noted, adding that many existing luxury homeowners are remodeling and expanding their outdoor space.

Indeed, the list of projects his company is doing is staggering. “We have expanded our footprint, playing in a much bigger sandbox and traveling farther than we used to,” he said.

But for Pecoy and other custom homebuilders, it’s a joyous ride in a season that holds great promise.

Hitting Its Stride

Cover Story Luxury Living Sections

GreatHorse Moves Strongly Out of the Gate

More than three years — and $45 million — after what started off as a basic renovation of the Hampden Country Club golf course, GreatHorse has made its debut. This new name is not followed by ‘golf club’ or ‘country club,’ said President Guy Antonacci, because it is much more than the former, and is not the latter, in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, management is calling this a ‘lifestyle club,’ and say it more than meets that description.

Guy Antonacci says GreatHorse is a “lifestyle club,” a statement backed up by the size and amenities of the clubhouse, seen here from the course.

As Guy Antonacci remembers things, it was supposed to be just a “facelift.”

That was the term he used to describe what his family, owners of USA Hauling and a number of other business ventures, intended to do with Hampden Country Club when they acquired it at auction in early 2012.

The initial plan, he told BusinessWest, was to take a club, opened in 1973 and that was, by most accounts, tired — an adjective that could be applied to the course, clubhouse, and practically every other aspect of the operation — and make it far less so.

They started with the sand traps, eventually investing more than $2 million in work to refurbish them. But as that undertaking progressed, it became clear that the work couldn’t stop there.

“This project has evolved 10 times,” he explained. “It started with bunkers and drainage, but then you realize the bunkers don’t match the grass on the greens, and they don’t match the fairways. You re-grass the greens, and then you say, ‘the greens are 40 years old; we’re putting all this money into everything else … we might as well redo the greens.

“That facelift … well, it turned into full-blown plastic surgery on the entire body,” Antonacci, the club’s president, added with a hearty laugh, noting that what happened on the course also transpired with the clubhouse, added amenities (everything from a pool to bocce courts), and a new, separate banquet facility a few hundred yards from the first tee.

Roughly $45 million later (no, that is not a misprint), GreatHorse — a name chosen in a nod to one of the family’s many entrepreneurial pursuits, a horse-breeding operation — is ready for prime time.

Well, sort of. The course is open, but work continues, specifically on a redesigned, lengthened, and toughened finishing hole. The rambling, 25,000-square-foot clubhouse, described by Antonocci, the club’s president, as “mountain rustic,” is getting some finishing touches, especially in the pool/cabana area and those aforementioned bocce courts, but is otherwise ready for members. The banquet facility is still under construction, but there have already been a number of bookings, and the first wedding is expected early next year and perhaps by the holidays.

As for those members, there are already close to 600 of them, said Antonacci, who stressed that he was counting individuals, not memberships (there are roughly 170 of those). And he’s quite proud of that distinction.

Indeed, the name Great-Horse is not followed by ‘Country Club,’ ‘Golf Club,’ or anything else, he said, and for a reason. It is not designed to be either of those, in the strictest sense of the words.

Instead it is what he called a ‘lifestyle club,’ one that is already appealing in a huge way to families.

“I think a big part of our early success is owed to the fact that we’re very kid-friendly,” Antonacci noted, listing facilities and activities ranging from a playground and pool to a planned kids’ movie night. “The golf-only model, or the old country-club mentality, clearly hasn’t worked in this region over the past 10 to 15 years; we’re calling ourselves a lifestyle club, and we want activities for not just the husband and wife, but everyone, right down to very young kids.”

GreatHorse, the facelift that became a full-body makeover, was designed to be different, and it has already succeeded in that mission, said Antonacci, adding that members and potential members alike recognize and appreciate the difference between this facility and more traditional clubs.

The facility is opulent, to be sure — from leather seats on the golf carts to individual wine lockers in the 160-seat dining room (there are 24 of them, and only a handful remain to be sold) — but also casual, or “comfortable,” as Antonacci put it.

That means jeans are allowed in the dining room and the men’s lounge, complete with its majestic views and mounted deer and elk heads (many of which are trophies Antonacci has bagged himself), and there is no prohibition on cell-phone use, as there is in many clubs.

“We want members to feel comfortable; we want members to feel relaxed,” he explained. “We don’t want guys to feel like they’re walking on eggshells; we want it to be an extension of your home.”

For this issue and its focus on luxury living, BusinessWest paid a visit to GreatHorse, a tour that certainly revealed why this facility with the great view is worthy of that designation ‘lifestyle club.’

Going to Great Lengths

Antonacci has some simple advice — some might call it a warning — for those looking to kick the tires on GreatHorse and see what all the fuss is about.

“If you don’t intend to join, you probably shouldn’t visit this place,” he said with a voice that blended sarcasm with a strong dose of seriousness.

The implication was clear, and those sentiments have been backed up by the club’s strong performance out of the gate. Indeed, those who do visit — and have the wherewithal to join the high-end club — are finding it difficult not to eventually sign on the dotted line, Antonacci said. “We have a very high close’ rate.”

That’s because there is much more to tempt potential members than the course, although that’s a good place to start. Other selling points include everything from massage rooms in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms to the 30-odd TVs scattered around the facility; from the view out the back of the clubhouse to the many aspects of the operation that make it family-friendly.

And it all started with that bunker-restoration project in the late spring of 2012.

Turning the clock back more than three years, Antonacci said his family, always looking for solid business opportunities, set about finding one in what most would consider an unlikely place, literally and figuratively, at that time.

The dining room in the GreatHorse clubhouse overlooks the course.

Indeed, the golf industry, which had been thriving in the years after Tiger Woods appeared on the stage in the mid-’90s and gave the game a huge dose of adrenaline, was still suffering mightily several years after the Great Recession took a severe toll on public courses and private clubs alike.

A number of area clubs were either officially or unofficially for sale, and Antonacci said his family looked, to one extent or another, at several of them, including Hickory Ridge in Amherst and Crestview in Agawam.

The search eventually ended at Hampden, a course and a club that had certainly seen better days but had a spectacular view and what Antonacci described as “good bones.”

What was on those bones obviously needed some work, though, and it eventually came in waves, and in many respects mirrored the experiences of the homeowner who does over one aspect of a room and then realizes this necessitates other steps. And when that room is finished, the others must be made over as well.

So it was with GreatHorse.

While creating a championship golf course, the new owners decided they needed not simply a makeover of the clubhouse, but something new, big, and bold.

“Originally, we were going to fix up the banquet hall and generally leave the old building as is,” Antonacci said. “But we knew that, to do it right, we would have to get rid of the old facility, and that’s when we decided to go full steam ahead with building a new clubhouse.”

And while Guy and one of his brothers, both avid golfers, essentially presided over the course makeover, the new clubhouse was a family affair.

“Everyone got involved,” he recalled, adding that the firm given the assignment to design the clubhouse, Portsmouth, N.H.-based TMS Architects, was given some simple instructions — design something elegant and distinctive, yet also “casual.”

And by all accounts, it delivered, with a facility that includes a full fitness center, a salon, the massage rooms, and a Dale Chihuly chandelier near the front entrance.

“It’s upscale enough to charge what’s being charged,” Antonacci explained, adding that the structure looks more like it belongs in the Rockies than in Western Mass. “But it’s laid-back enough to where you can come, kick your shoes off, relax, and not have to worry about rules.”

Mane Attraction

Billy Downes remembers carrying two of those old-style (and quite heavy) leather golf bags at one time when he caddied at Hampden just after it opened.

That’s why, when it was suggested that the course, with several steep climbs, is difficult to walk, he just smiled.

Downes has a long history at Hampden. He caddied there, played out of the course, and was its pro, after an earlier stint at nearby Elmcrest, when the club went on the auction block in 2012. He told BusinessWest that the creation of GreatHorse has stimulated a great deal of interest and speculation across the region, and in some ways it has re-energized the local golf market.

“I’ve been in the golf business my whole life, and on this end (being a club pro) for the past nine or 10 years, and I’ve never seen in that time what I’m seeing here,” he said. “People come in, whether they’re from another club in this area or not, and their attitude is totally changed. They’re excited — they’re excited to play golf again, they’re excited to be here … it’s fun to see.”

And the course itself is a big reason for this enthusiasm. Redesigned by noted course designer Brian Silva, it is now easily among the best tracks in the region and is already being mentioned as a potential U.S. Open qualifying site and host of state and regional tournaments such as the Mass. Amateur.

Capable of being stretched to just over 7,300 yards, the course maintains, for the most part, its original routing, but is otherwise entirely new. That includes dramatic makeovers to the first and 10th holes, which featured blind tee shots down the mountain and were widely criticized by players.

“It’s a great test of golf for people of all ability levels,” said Downes as he offered a quick tour. “We’ve created what is sure to be a great golf experience.”

To ensure that goal is reached, the club is planning a large teaching facility, and has constructed a huge practice area and three putting greens.

The large pool area at GreatHorse is one of many features that have made it attractive to families.

But Antonacci and GreatHorse General Manager Bryan Smithwick stressed that there is much more to this facility than the course. Indeed, the tour revealed everything from a huge outdoor patio area with five TVs to two semi-surround golf simulators, suitable for lessons and playing a host of courses virtually; from the massage areas to the so-called ‘club room,’ complete with several large TVs, which Smithwick described as an ideal setting for fantasy-league draft nights; from the huge pool area to a tennis and paddleball complex currently under construction.

Overall, the clubhouse and adjoining facilities were designed with the same philosophy as the golf course — to provide an enjoyable experience.

And everything in the package has to succeed with that goal, said Smithwick, adding that as much attention is paid to the food and wine being served as there is to the grass on the greens.

“You can have all this,” Smithwick said, gesturing to the golf course seen outside the windows of the men’s lounge, “but if the food doesn’t match, you’re not going to be successful.”

The goal is to make the club a nearly year-round operation (it will close just after the Super Bowl next February and re-open a month later for March Madness) and to become a family’s restaurant of choice.

Officially open just a few months now, the club has caught the attention of the buying public, said Antonacci, adding that the more than 170 memberships sold thus far far exceed the goals and expectations for this date.

“In the beginning, maybe six or eight months ago, we were saying that we’d be happy to get 75 or 80 memberships to start, and they’d bring their friends, and everything would catch on the second year,” he recalled. “We thought the first year was going to be extremely light, but that hasn’t been the case at all.”

And when one does the math and divides the number of members by the number of memberships, it’s clear that GreatHorse is appealing to its intended audience — families.

They hail from several surrounding communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and even one from Boston. Thus far, the club has relied solely on word-of-mouth referrals, said Antonacci, adding that more formal, targeted marketing is planned.

When asked about the overall goal for memberships, Antonacci said common sense will ultimately dictate a number.

“A lot will depend on activity — some people play once a month, others six days a week,” he noted. “We’ll probably cap the golf memberships at 275 to 350; once we sense that the place feels crowded, we’ll shut it down. One thing we want to avoid is a guy showing up on Saturday morning and not being able to get out for several hours.”

Antonacci didn’t get into any details on rates, offering instead to qualify the price structure. “We like to say that we offer Rolls-Royce value at Audi prices.”

Gait Attraction

Antonacci said that most of the golf publications and other types of periodicals that might review the course and the overall operation won’t do so for at least a few more months.

And those at GreatHorse want it that way.

They would prefer those writers and editors to see and experience a finished product, and, as mentioned earlier, this one isn’t quite finished.

But it’s not too early to declare this one of the more intriguing regional business stories of 2015 and a venture that, like the horses that inspired its name, will run hard and fast in a crowded field of competitors and likely emerge a big winner.

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

Opinion

Opinion

Social Security: A Modest Suggestion

By BEN BRANCH

The U.S. retirement system is beset with challenges. First, the shift from defined-benefit to defined-contribution plans coupled with low contribution rates and poor investment performance means many will have inadequate resources at retirement. Second, longer life expectancies and declining birth rates are increasing the ratio of retirees to workers. Third, the Social Security trust fund is projected to run dry in about 20 years.

The present system does provide a comfortable retirement for those with generous coverage under the remaining defined-benefit plans as well as for those with large sums in their defined-contribution accounts or elsewhere. Those having modest pre-retirement incomes may, however, have little or nothing built up in their retirement accounts. They must largely look to Social Security, which was not designed to be their sole support.

Moreover, unless something is done about it, the Social Security System will in the future be unable to continue to fully fund its payment obligations.

Suggested approaches include increasing the Social Security tax rate and/or increasing the standard retirement age (very difficult politically). Moreover, a higher standard retirement age would force everyone to defer retirement or accept a lower benefit when many people are physically unable to continue working. And even if something is done to improve the system’s finances, that would not necessarily address the problem facing those who retire with too little put aside to live comfortably.

Under the current system, those over age 62 who wish to retire prior to their standard retirement age (66 for most people) must do so at a reduced benefit rate. If, however, they are willing to defer drawing benefits beyond their standard retirement age, their benefit rate increases by 8% for each year they defer up to their 70th birthday.

Note, however that each additional year deferred has a greater impact in terms of reducing the post-retirement payments. A 66-year-old with a 20-year life expectancy who defers a year reduces the years of drawing benefits by 1/20th. One who defers one more year, five years later, with a 15-year life expectancy, has reduced the remaining years of drawing benefits by 1/15th.

To the extent that people can be induced to defer their retirement, our Social Security system benefits both from the additional tax revenues and from the years for which benefits are not paid. Similarly, the overall economy benefits from the additional production of those who continue working. Even the Medicare system would benefit to the extent that those covered by their employer would defer signing up for Medicare.

Clearly, increasing the propensity of people to defer their retirement has many pluses for both the individual and the economy. Can such deferrals be increased? I suggest the following ways for encouraging people to defer their retirement:

• Allow the benefit rates to continue to increase for those who wish to defer retirement past age 70;
• Allow retirees the option of drawing partial benefits while the percentage of benefits that are deferred continue to be increased;
• Promote SSI-benefit-payment deferrals with an education campaign; and
• Encourage additional years of deferral by increasing the rate of increase in the benefit. For example, benefits could be increased by 7% for the first year, 7.5% in the second, 8% in the third, and so on. This process would reflect the advantage to the system for people retiring well past age 66.

Clearly, increasing retirement deferrals would reduce the payments going out while increasing the funds coming in to the Social Security trust fund. Once benefits begin, the benefit rate will be higher, but paid for fewer years. Thus, the total amount paid out may not be very different from what would have been paid out without the deferral. Indeed, the overall economic system would also have been helped out by the tax payments resulting from the additional years of working.

This modest proposal would not only allow, but encourage those who are able to do so to continue to work productively well past the standard retirement age, without forcing continued employment on those who would find such a requirement onerous.

Ben Branch is a professor of Finance at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst; [email protected]

Editorial

Opinion

IT Talent Crunch Echoes a Bigger Problem

Delcie Bean IV was one of the panelists at a forum on entrepreneurship hosted recently by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network. He devoted most all of his roughly five minutes of mic time to what he called a “crisis” intruding upon his industry — the IT sector.

It involves a distinct and disturbing shortage of talent, noted Bean, founder and president of Paragus Strategic IT, who used mostly the future tense to talk about the matter, but hinted strongly that the problem is, in many respects, already here.

He and his colleagues in the IT sphere dissect the matter in greater detail for a story in this issue of BusinessWest (page 36). They talk about how the talent crunch is real and stifling growth opportunities; about how this development seems to make little sense, because there are jobs with good wages available and few individuals seemingly willing to position themselves to take advantage; about how they plunder good workers from each other, often with higher wages as the requisite carrot, a tactic with short-term benefits but long-term consequences; and about how they’re not sure when, or even if, the situation will improve appreciably.

They were all talking about IT, but in many respects, they were speaking about the economy as a whole. Indeed, you could easily substitute software designers and computer-related business owners with manufacturers, nursing-home operators, and even players in the hospitality industry, and the conversation would be essentially the same.

The question remains: where will the workers come from?

As they talked about the matter, those in the IT sector speculated that some might be scared away by the seemingly complex nature of the work in that realm and the notion that they’re not smart enough to thrive in it, when the opposite is generally true.

Joel Mollison, president of Northeast IT in West Springfield, hinted strongly at this when he said, “the tech field can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not absolutely sure that’s where you want to be.”

Others noted how the so-called Millennials tend to follow their passions, not just a paycheck, and wonder out loud how to get people passionate about a career still described with terms such as ‘Geek Squad.’

The answer comes with creating some passion, or something approaching it, and here again, we’re not just talking about IT. This also holds for the manufacturing sector, which suffers not only from lingering misperceptions about what this field is like, but the real fear that jobs in that sector will be sent offshore or to a lower-cost state.

Creating passion for designing software or troubleshooting IT problems will not be easy, but this is the direction our society and our economy are heading in, and talented individuals will be needed to keep things humming.

What’s needed are more programs that will encourage young people — and when we say young, we mean elementary-school age — that such careers are attractive, potentially lucrative, and attainable. At the same time, we need to emphasize quality-of-life issues here in Western Mass., and thus convince those who do have the requisite aptitude for this work that they don’t have to leave the area to launch a career.

Bean went so far as to express the hope that a television show, CSI: Cyber, might fuel interest in this sector in the same way that The Big Bang Theory has for physics.

We hope his optimism is warranted, but industry leaders know it will take more than TV shows to ensure that not only the IT field, but all sectors of the economy will have enough of that most precious commodity moving forward: talent.

That’s because the crisis is already here.

Community Spotlight: East Longmeadow

Community Spotlight Features

East Longmeadow Touts Residential, Business Gains

By GERRY FITZGERALD

Paul Federici says East Longmeadow’s strong balance, in the form of both residential and commercial growth, has made it an attractive location for businesses.

When asked to list the most pressing problems in his community, Paul Federici, chairman of the East Longmeadow Board of Selectmen, paused, then grimaced slightly as he tried to think of matters that might fit that description.

Finally, he shrugged and almost apologetically offered, “well, we’ve got two issues on the horizon that we’re going to have to deal with, but I’m not sure I’d say either one is a problem.”

And if they are problems, they could well be placed in that category of ‘good problem to have,’ he told BusinessWest, referring to a recognized need to build a new high school and an ongoing study to determine if this town of 16,000 people should change its form of government, from the present three-member Board of Selectmen to a mayor, town manager, or other format.

“As much as I enjoy being a selectman, we’ve got a $50 million corporation here, and it may be time for full-time professional management in town,” said Federici, adding that the two issues he mentioned are tied directly to the town’s strong recent pattern of growth, both commercial and residential.

And there are many reasons for both — everything from available, buildable land to an attractive location near several affluent communities; from an alluring commercial tax rate to a host of quality-of-life amenities (everything from the attractive parks to the region’s largest Fourth of July parade) — that collectively make this an attractive place to live, work, and launch a business.

“The town continues to grow,” said Federici. “Homes are selling in all price ranges, from the smaller starter homes on up to the high-end luxury homes in the developments off Prospect Street, which is a very positive sign, and the business climate here has probably never been better.”

East Longmeadow businessman John Maybury, president of Maybury Material Handling, located in the Denslow Road Industrial Park since 1981, echoes Federici’s comments about East Longmeadow’s commercial economy.

“The industrial park is just about completely filled,” said Maybury, “although there still may be a couple of buildable parcels left. The Deer Park industrial area just south of Denslow is also growing nicely, and all of these companies are doing very well. And, of course, we still have the big ones, Hasbro and Lenox, which has invested $60 million in the plant since its purchase by Newell Rubbermaid in 2003.”

Federici pointed to recent newcomers to town as great examples of the positive business climate of East Longmeadow. He listed the Arbors Day Care, WhiteStone Marketing Group and Go Graphix, a new self-storage facility, Toner Plastics, All Hose Inc., and the recently opened, $15 million Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center of Bay Path University on Denslow Road.

Bay Path’s first physician-assistant class to use the new building graduated in May. “It’s great to have Bay Path University in town,” said Federici. “The new building is fabulous, inside and out, and we’re proud to have it in East Longmeadow.”

That facility is one of many recent success stories recorded in town, and, for this latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest chronicles many others while speculating on what might come next.

In Good Company

Asked to pinpoint the core reason why East Longmeadow is thriving financially — the town’s bond rating is at its highest point ever — and has become an attractive landing spot for families and businesses alike, both Federici and Maybury repeatedly used the word ‘balance.’

“It’s the great balance we have between the commercial, retail, and residential sectors that makes East Longmeadow unique,” noted Maybury. “We’ve got some huge industrial companies, and big employers, in Hasbro and Lenox, along with a great mix of large and small commercial firms in the industrial parks, several thriving retail areas, and a growing residential market. That’s a great mix.”

Federici concurred. “That balance is why we have a strong tax base and reasonable taxes, good infrastructure, and good schools,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s why East Longmeadow is a great town for families.”

And for businesses as well, he added, noting that growth has come in virtually all sectors of the economy, from manufacturing to education.

That extends to the retail sector as well, said restaurateur Bill Collins, who, with his business partner, Michael Sakey, opened the Center Square Grill in May 2014.

According to Collins, the restaurant has far exceeded its first-year projections. “Knock on wood, of course,” he said with a grin, “but business has been great, better than we’d hoped for.”

He is quick to attribute much of the restaurant’s success to the centralized location of the town between Wilbraham, Hampden, Springfield, Longmeadow, and Somers, Conn.

“We draw our customers from a five- to 10-mile radius that cuts through five surrounding towns plus all of East Longmeadow,” he explained. “If you look at a map, the center of East Longmeadow is just a fabulous location for retail businesses, and all of the stores, restaurants, and services in the area are doing very well.”

He also credits the town government for creating a positive business environment. “When were first looking to open at Center Square, the Planning Department, selectmen, and the licensing people could not have been more helpful or more welcoming,” said Collins. “They bent over backward to help us get up and running as soon as possible, and that means a lot to a new business.”

Bring up the 100-pound gorilla that every Western Mass. restaurant is at least wary of, the MGM Springfield casino coming to downtown Springfield in a few years, and Collins says he is aware but not overly concerned. “We’re quickly creating many, many loyal, return customers,” says Collins. “We don’t see these people suddenly heading into downtown Springfield to eat at a casino.”

Federici has a similar reaction to the impact of MGM Springfield. “We’ll see,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t think the casino will have a huge impact on us. Two different impact studies, one by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the other by the casino people, both predicted an increase in traffic in the town of about 6%. For a few hours on certain days, we may feel that, but I don’t think it’s going to be anything dramatic.”

Returning to those aforementioned ‘good problems to have,’ Federici said the School Department has concluded that the nearly 60-year-old high school, built when the town was roughly half its current size, is clearly in need of replacement.

“The selectmen gave the approval to the School Committee to go to the state for funding,” he said. “Last year, the project didn’t make the list of 100 or so building projects approved for partial state reimbursement, but it will be submitted again this year.”

Even if approved for partial state reimbursement, the new high school will be a costly burden for the town. “The estimated cost for a new high school is $80 million,” said Federici, “and some significant part of that is going to have to be picked up by the town. But that will be a problem we’ll overcome, and then, we’ll have a beautiful new high school for our children.”

The Bottom Line

As for a possible change in the town’s governmental structure, Federici chose to discuss it with humor, in the form of a story the town clerk once told some visitors to Town Hall.

“He told them, ‘East Longmeadow has a three-member Board of Selectmen and an open town meeting … the pilgrims had a three-member Board of Selectmen and an open town meeting.’ So maybe it is time to make a change.”

If one does come, it will be a clear sign — yet another one in a series of signs, actually — that this community is in a growth mode, and that the trend will only continue and accelerate.

East Longmeadow at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1894
Population: 15,720 (2010)
Area: 13.0 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $20.72
Commercial Tax Rate: $20.72
Median Household Income: $62,680
Family Household Income: $70,571
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting, Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Hasbro, Lenox Tools, East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing, Redstone, Plastipak
* Latest information available

Making a ‘Big’ Difference

Features

BBBS Thrives Through the Power of Partnerships

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County, like the agency’s 370-odd other affiliates, specializes in creating matches that ultimately provide learning experiences for mentors and mentees alike. To do that, the organization relies on partnerships with a host of constituencies, but especially the business community.

Sergio Dias, seen here with Angel, says the ‘littles’ he’s mentored through BBBS have inspired him and motivated him to think differently about the problems he’s confronted.

Sergio Dias was asked about what he does with and for the young people he mentors through his participation with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County (BBBSHC).

He said much depends on the individual in question — he’s served as a ‘big’ to many of them over the years — and the issues they’re dealing with at the time. But many times, he noted, he’s advising the young men on college, everything from why it’s important to the nuances of an application form.

“Some of them just need support based on the issues they’re facing at home, while for others, it’s more about getting them ready for college, including all the paperwork that’s related to getting accepted to a school,” said Dias, an analyst in the Marketing Department at MassMutual. “For others, it’s helping them figure out what they want to do, what their skills are; I’m helping them find themselves.”

He started to elaborate, but quickly changed the tenor of the conversation, focusing on what his interaction with these ‘littles,’ as they’re called, has meant to him. And he stressed that this is an equally important part of the equation.

“Initially, I thought I was giving back — sharing my knowledge and experiences,” said Dias, who is currently mentoring Angel, who will start his freshman year at Springfield College in a few weeks. “But I was really surprised by how much I was learning from them, even though I have three kids of my own. Many times, I’ve been inspired by what these kids have going on in their lives and their outlook and perspective on things. I think I have issues and problems, and I see the issues they’re dealing with and how they’re confronting them, and it really motivates me to think differently.”

Heather Bushey, assistant director of Continuing Education at Bay Path University, can certainly relate.

She’s been a ‘big’ to Springfield resident Destiny for eight years now, and has watched her grow from a young girl in the second grade to a young woman soon to enter her junior year of high school.

Destiny has grown in a number of ways, obviously, but so, too, has Bushey.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself, that’s for sure — about my limits and abilities and what drives me as far as motivating factors and seeing her grow and benefit from the program,” Bushey told BusinessWest. “It’s a very rewarding experience, and it has certainly helped me grow as a person.”

Heather Bushey, right, has been a mentor for Destiny for eight years now.

In many ways, these stories are typical of those who become involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, or BBBS, the working acronym for the nearly 100-year-old organization. And more of them are being written each year for the Hampden County affiliate, which could also be described with that adjective typical.

Indeed, it is like other BBBS chapters in that it:

• Serves an area that includes urban centers populated by large numbers of young people who are living in single-parent households or with grandparents or other relatives, and are very much in need of a positive role model and mentor;

• Struggles mightily to meet the demand for individuals — professionals and retirees alike — who are willing and able to serve in those roles. David Beturne, executive director of BBBSHC, said the chapter now serves roughly 225 young people at any given time, but could, if it had the needed resources and demand, serve twice that number; and

• Is very much dependent on partnerships with the community, especially the business community, to carry out its vital work. Indeed, BBBSHC has forged relationships with corporations and institutions ranging from MassMutual to Bay Path; from St. Germain Investment Management to Veritas Preparatory Charter School in Springfield, to effectively serve area young people.

The obvious goal moving forward, said Beturne, is to close that large gap between the number of young people who need mentoring and those who currently can be served. And to do that, the organization must generate more resources — each match between a ‘big’ and ‘little’ costs about $1,000 — and therefore create more of those critical partnerships.

For this issue, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the Hampden County chapter of BBBS to gain an appreciation not only for this organization’s broad mission, but how the business community plays a huge role in carrying it out.

Striking a Match

On the day that BusinessWest caught up with Bushey and Destiny for a few photos, they were on their way to dinner, although the specific destination was still to be determined.

They dine out together regularly, said Bushey, adding that they also frequent area malls — “Destiny loves to shop” — venture out for frozen yogurt, and take in various cultural events. They’ve been to downtown Boston, the beach, and a host of other destinations.

That list includes the Bay Path campus in Longmeadow. Bushey said she’s taken Destiny there several times with the goal of familiarizing her with that lifestyle and cementing a college education as a goal worth committing to.

“Right now, school is a tough experience for her,” said Bushey. “I try to get her to focus on setting goals for herself; we talk a lot about future goals and plans, with the hope that college will be part of that. I want to expose her to it now so she can start thinking about it.”

Relationships like the one between Bushey and Destiny are somewhat rare, at least in terms of this one’s duration, but, as stated earlier, typical in the way in which both the mentor and mentee learn from one another and grow personally.

Writing such scripts is the singular purpose behind BBBS, said Beturne, adding that it’s a reality, and a sad one at that, that there will always be a need for this organization, and that there are more young people who need help than there are individuals receiving it.

Addressing this reality is the core mission of the 370-odd BBBS affiliates, said Beturne, noting that the Hampden County chapter was launched nearly 50 years ago (1967) and has evolved greatly over the ensuing decades.

BBBSHC is one of several affiliates in Western Mass., but easily the most urban of those organizations, he explained, adding that Hampden County includes the area’s three largest cities — Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke — and some of the state’s poorest communities.

But the need for the agency’s services extends to each city and town in the county, Beturne went on, adding that this need is met through several initiatives, but primarily both community-based matching programs and site-based initiatives, which, as the name suggests, involves mentors visiting mentees at a specific site, such as a school, YMCA, or college campus.
In Hampden County, the specific programs are:

• The community-based model, used nationwide, whereby matches (such as Bushey and Destiny) spend at least eight hours a month together for at least a year and participate in all types of activities in the community;
• ‘Lunch Buddies’: During the school year, matches meet for lunch weekly at the child’s school for about 30 minutes;
• ‘Mentor Springfield’: During the school year, matches meet weekly for one hour at three Springfield middle schools. Activities ranges from writing in journals to working on homework; and
• The ‘Pathways Program’: Also during the school year, eligible students from Springfield’s Putnam and Sci Tech high schools meet with mentors from MassMutual (such as Dias) once a week for 50 minutes (more on this initiative later).

David Beturne, left, seen here with BBBSHC Director of Development Jesse Vanek, says the need for ‘bigs’ far exceeds the supply.

“We’re taking students from Sci Tech and Putnam and going to MassMutual’s main campus,” said Bertune, referring to that last program, obviously unique to this affiliate. “They’re seeing their big brother or big sister there. It’s a career-pathways program with a curriculum to it; we’re looking to immerse these students into the culture of MassMutual, where they learn what the company is and what it does, and how they might be able to make a career out of insurance.”

Results obviously vary with each individual, but a recent study conducted by the national research firm Public/Private Ventures in Philadelphia revealed that participants in BBBS programs are 46% less likely to begin use of illegal drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class, 37% less likely to hit someone, and, overall, more confident of their performance in school and better able to get along with their families.

Unfortunately, demand for mentors far exceeds supply, said Beturne, adding that, while BBBSHC serves about 400 young people a year, there are maybe 225 to 250 matches at a given time; some matches close out because the child reaches a certain age or moves out of the area.

“Demand is huge — I would like to serve at least 500 children in Hampden County, doubling our capacity,” he said. “If we could do that, I would be happy with that — I wouldn’t be satisfied totally, but I’d be happy.”

Escalating demand — there is currently a waiting list for mentors with upwards of 80 names on it (and that’s typical) — and a desire to meet it were the primary motivations behind creation of the site-based initiatives, said Beturne, adding that they allow more young people to receive mentoring services and more busy professionals to get involved in some capacity.

“As we were out doing recruitment, trying to get people to volunteer for the [community-based] program, the one thing we always heard was, ‘I’d love to, but I’m busy — I work, I have a family, I’m doing this or that,’” he explained. “So we started doing the school-based program, where a volunteer can see a child in school during the day. People are able to go out on their lunch break and spend 40 to 45 minutes with a child, maybe more.”

The Power of Relationships

Returning to his comments about how his participation with BBBS has helped him grow as an individual, Dias said he’s worked with six young people over the years, and each one has taught him something about life and how to deal with all that it can throw at you.

Dan Morrill says Wolf & Co. has supported BBBS in many ways, including the large team that took part in the annual bowl-a-thon.

He singled out ‘John,’ a 17-year-old he mentored a few years ago, who displayed an attitude, maturity, and sense of determination that belied his years.
“It felt like I was having a conversation with a 40-year-old,” Dias recalled, noting that the Springfield resident told him at their first meeting that he was determined to overcome a host of problems at home and not only graduate from Sci Tech High School and go to college, but graduate as a junior — and be valedictorian.

“At first I was like, ‘OK, yeah, sounds great … I’ll support you in any way I can,’” Dias said. “By the second month, I remember thinking, ‘he’s going to do it.’ He faced all kinds of challenges — the school didn’t want to let him do it at first, there were a lot of issues at home — but he did it. He got all kinds of scholarships I helped him with, and now he’s thriving at UMass. He was such an inspiration to me.”

Certainly not all stories involving BBBS participants involve such happy or unlikely endings — or beginnings, depending on one’s outlook. But everyone who takes part in this program benefits in some way, said Beturne, adding that the simple goal, again, is to enable more people — big and little — to take part.

And this brings him back to partnerships, all of which in some way enable BBBSHC to meet its mission and broaden its impact.

One such partnership has been forged with Bay Path, and it’s taken on many forms in recent years — from escalating participation in the annual BBBS bowl-a-thon, its largest annual fund-raiser, to the agency being named the school’s designated charity for the 2014 holiday party — but especially with Bay Path students going into Veritas Charter School as ‘bigs,’ creating 20 more of those all-important matches.

“Veritas is very much a college-preparatory school — their mission is to get students to move on, to graduate from high school and attend college,” said Beturne. “Being able to have Bay Path students go into the school and share their experiences — many of the school’s students are first-generation college attendees — is a win for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Veritas, and Bay Path. Their students are able to gain exposure and give back, and students at Veritas are able to see this real world, too.”

Rachel Romano, founder and executive director of Veritas, agreed, noting that students at the school participate with BBBS through the Bay Path initiative and others.

She said only 17 of the school’s roughly 240 students take part (again, demand is greater than supply), but those who do participate benefit from the relationship and the reinforced message concerning the importance of a college education and how it can become a reality.

“Our mission is to prepare our students for college,” she explained. “And what we love is the idea that these ‘bigs’ would stay with these guys and be a support person in their lives who would help them stay on the path to college once they leave Veritas.”

Carol Leary, long-time president of Bay Path, said the school is active with a number of area nonprofits, like BBBS, that reflect the its core values, enable its students to become active in the community, and support young people and education.

Several employers, including Bushey, have served as ‘bigs,’ while students have been doing site-based work at schools such as Veritas for three years, said Leary, adding that BBBSHC was this year’s designated nonprofit at Bay Path, and thus the focus of a well-orchestrated campaign of support.

“We go out to the community and ask if there is a nonprofit that they would like us to highlight and spotlight for Bay Path’s generosity at the holiday party,” she explained. “This year, Big Brothers Big Sisters had the most support of any nonprofit, so we chose them. They gave us a list of things of they need — everything from games for the children to books to gift cards so that the big brothers and big sisters can take a child to Friendly’s — and we send that list to the people at Bay Path, who make donations.”

Case in Point

Another key relationship has been forged with MassMutual, which had a desire to add a case-management component to an existing but evolving mentorship program, and found a willing partner in BBBSHC.

“We wanted to look at mentoring somewhat differently, and look at how we could use mentoring as a method to help focus students on college- and career-readiness issues,” said Pam Mathison, a community-responsibility consultant for the company who specifically focuses on education programs within the city of Springfield, as she talked about the corporation’s larger Career Pathways initiative.

“Initially, we started working with Mass Mentoring Partnership, and they helped build the model along with Springfield School Volunteers and the Springfield School Department,” she went on. “As we got into the experience, we determined that we needed a mentoring partner whose job is the management of a mentoring program, and for that, we approached Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

The motivation for the partnership was to improve the overall experience for both the students and the mentors, she went on, adding that this has certainly happened since the relationship began more than three years ago.

Roughly 40 employees across virtually all departments and all levels within the corporation have made a three-year commitment to serve as ‘bigs,’ said Mathison, adding that students, like Angel, are recruited during their freshman year and essentially begin work with their mentor during their sophomore year.

As with Bay Path’s initiative, there are multiple winners in this scenario, including the company, which is always mindful of creating a pipeline of future employees, the students themselves, and BBBSHC, said Beturne.

He noted that the organization benefits from partnerships with companies large and small, whose employees make donations ranging from stints as ‘bigs’ to service on the board of directors, to raising money through the annual bowl-a-thon.

St. Germain is one of those companies, and its president, Michael Matty, said the support stems from need, but also from the results generated by the agency.

“I have a high level of involvement with a lot of organizations, but rarely do I see people more passionate than those at BBBS,” Matty said. “I love passion; their passion is one of the reasons we are involved. But as a businessperson, I also recognize that passion is perhaps pointless if there are no results.

Mike Matty says BBBS might fly under the radar, but its impact on the lives of underprivileged youth will reap long-term benefits across the region.

“BBBS is an organization that produces results,” he went on. “They perhaps don’t get the recognition that I feel they deserve because their results are impacting youth, and underprivileged youth at that. Their mission is to help the kids who will be an integral part of our local community, where we all work and run businesses. We can’t lament the local situation without working at doing something to change it, which is what they do every day.”

Another prominent local partner is Wolf & Co., the Boston-based accounting firm with a large Springfield presence.

Dan Morrill, CPA, a principal responsible for the company’s Professional Practice Group — and a one-time ‘big’ — said the company’s support comes in many forms, from his service on the board of directors to a large, company-wide turnout for the bowl-a-thon.

“The first year we had a bowling team, I think we had three people — this year, we had about 70,” he explained. “That speaks to how the company values the important work Big Brothers Big Sisters does within the community. Giving back is a big part of the culture at Wolf, and this organization has always been one of those we choose to support because it is really making a difference within the community.”

Work in Progress

Bushey told BusinessWest that young people “age out” of BBBS when they reach 19. By that, she meant that the formal relationship between the ‘big’ and ‘little’ ends.

Often, however, a new one begins, she said, adding that the young people sometimes remain active with the organization in several ways as alums, while staying in touch with their mentor.

“I definitely anticipate remaining involved with Destiny,” she said, adding that she doesn’t know what the future holds for her, but intends to keep providing whatever support she can.

In a nutshell, that’s what this organization is all about — people stepping up, getting involved, and positively influencing young lives.

It takes individuals with time, energy, and commitment to make such a difference, but overall, it takes a community to enable this agency to meet its all-important mission.

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

Finance: Vacation Home or Rental Property?

Columns Sections

The Tax Rules of the Road Are Different for Each Category

By TERRI JUDYCKI

Terri Judycki, CPA, MST

The decision to purchase a second home can be based on many factors — an investment opportunity, a favorite vacation spot, or a desirable residence for future retirement, to name just a few.

Many decide to rent the home in order to offset some of the ownership and maintenance costs. It is important to understand the tax consequences that result from mixed personal/rental use of the property.

Depending on usage, a property with mixed use can be categorized as one of the following:

• Personal residence, if rented out for fewer than 15 days during the year;
• Vacation home, if rented out for more than 14 days and if personal use exceeds the greater of 14 days or 10% of the days rented; or
• Rental property, if personal use does not exceed the greater of 14 days or 10% of the days rented.

It is important to note that a property can be categorized differently from one year to the next.

A personal residence that is used for personal purposes for more than 14 days but rented for fewer than 15 days is treated as solely a personal residence. The income is not taxable, and expenses are not deductible, other than the taxes and qualified residence interest that may be deductible on Schedule A.

If the property is rented for more than 14 days and personal use exceeds the greater of 14 days or 10% of the rental days, rental income and allocable expenses are reported on Schedule E. Deductions (other than taxes and qualified residence interest) are limited to rental income, and ordering rules apply to determine which expenses are allowable.

Gross rental receipts are reduced by costs to obtain tenants, such as commissions and advertising. Expenses are then allocated between personal and rental days. For example, if the property is rented for 75 days and used personally for 25 days, then one-quarter of the expenses are personal and three-quarters are deductible as rental expenses. The expenses allocated to rental use are considered in the following order: (1) expenses that are deductible whether or not the property is rented, such as taxes and qualified residence interest; (2) operating expenses, other than depreciation; and (3) depreciation.

Expenses in the second and third categories may not create a loss. Any such expenses disallowed due to the income limitation may be carried forward to future years until there is sufficient rental income. The taxes and qualified residence interest allocated to personal use are deductible on Schedule A, subject to limits. Note that there is a conflict between the IRS and the Tax Court concerning the proper allocation of taxes and interest. Because taxes and interest are incurred regardless of use, the Tax Court has allowed taxpayers to pro-rate those expenses over the entire year.

Property that is rented and has personal use that does not exceed the greater of 14 days or 10% of the days rented is not considered a residence under tax rules; it is considered rental property. While expenses must still be allocated between personal and rental days, there are no ordering rules for expenses, and expenses are not limited to income. Passive-activity-loss rules may limit the use of any loss for a particular tax year.

The taxes attributed to personal use may still be deducted on Schedule A, but the portion of mortgage interest allocated to personal use may not be deducted on Schedule A, because the property is not considered a residence. This may be a tax trap, depending on the size of the mortgage. If the interest allocated to personal use is significant, it may be beneficial to use the property personally for more than the greater of 14 days or 10% of the rental days.

Because tax treatment depends on the mix of personal and rental use, it is important to understand how tax law defines ‘personal use.’ In determining personal use, in addition to the days of use by the owner, days used or rented by anyone at less than fair rental must be included. Rental to a family member, even at fair rental, is considered personal use unless the property was used as the family member’s principal residence. Days the taxpayer spends repairing and maintaining the property on a full-time basis are not counted as days of personal use.

Timeshare units have additional complications. Personal use by other owners, such as other timeshare owners, is included in determining the extent of personal use. This rule makes it almost certain that timeshares will never be considered rental property.

Personal usage by all the unit owners will almost always be sufficient to cause all the owners to be subject to vacation home rules and limitations. Also, in order to qualify for as a residence with fewer than 15 days rent, the rental days for all the unit owners must be fewer than 15 days, again making it almost impossible to qualify for that exception.

However, in determining whether the mortgage interest can be deducted as qualified residence interest, the taxpayer need only determine whether his or her personal use exceeds the greater of 14 days or 10% of the individual owner’s rental days. Due to a special rule governing mortgage-interest deductions, if the unit is not rented at all, the mortgage interest may be deductible on Schedule A, provided all the other requirements are met.

While an owner’s use of property is normally driven by non-tax considerations, it is important to understand how choices will affect tax consequences. Because each taxpayer’s situation is different, determining how changes in use will affect taxes requires individual analysis.

If you have questions regarding the status of your second home or are planning to purchase a second home that may see mixed use, be sure to speak with your tax professional.

Terri Judycki, CPA is a tax senior manager with the Holyoke-based public accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 322-3510; [email protected]

Building Permits

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2015.

AMHERST

Hampshire College
Merrill House
$247,000 — Remove existing roof and replace with new

Summerlin Trust
11 East Pleasant St.
$5,200 — Add interior wall to create cafe

CHICOPEE

City of Chicopee
2 Broadcast Center
$463,000 — Repairs to existing pump station

Elms College
291 Springfield St.
$32,000 — Replace freezers and coolers in May Dooley Center

John’s Pizza
424 Front St.
$15,000 — Strip and re-roof

GREENFIELD

Rachael Katz
229-231 Main St.
$10,000 — Interior renovations

LUDLOW

Peter King
250 West St.
$125,000 — Install new roof

NORTHAMPTON

King Street, LLC
242 King St.
$64,000 — New roof on Radio Shack

Lander Grinspoon Academy
257 Prospect St.
$167,000 — Install 147 roof-mounted solar panels

O’Connell Oil Associates Inc.
506 Pleasant St.
$33,000 — Renovate interior

William Phillips
1 Corticelli St.
$35,000 — Replace exterior wall

PALMER

Syncarpha Palmer, LLC
311 Emery St.
$42,165.00 — Install a ground-mounted solar system

SOUTH HADLEY

Mt. Holyoke College
1 Park St.
$424,000 — Renovate masonry walls

Mt. Holyoke College
50 College St.
$90,000 — Renovate bathrooms

SDJ Realty, LLC
26 Lamb St.
$8,000 — Re-shingle roof

SPRINGFIELD

1350 Main Street, LLC
1350 Main St.
$12,500 — Construct two offices on the 12th floor

Baystate Medical Center
3350 Main St.
$46,000 — Renovate existing CT scan room

Brican Inc.
159 State St.
$140,000 — Replace failed existing floor joists

Eastco realty
1350 Main St.
$36,500 — Renovate 1,400 square feet of existing office space

F. L. Roberts & Company
487 East Columbus Ave.
$30,000 — Repair damages from car accident

Polman Realty, LLC
2001 Roosevelt Ave.
$2,092,000 — Renovate interior for new charter school

WESTFIELD

American Red Cross
48 Broad St.
$809,000 — Addition and renovation to existing building

HD Development of MD Inc.
514 East Main St.
$49,000 — Restroom renovations

Rock Steady Real Estate, LLC
815 North St.
$60,000 — Replace roof and siding

Westfield Housing Authority
12 Alice Burke Way
$602,000 — Construct elevator shaft and mechanical with lobby

Real Estate Transactions

Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

322 Martindale Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Victoria L. Kelliher
Seller: Gordon Grahame
Date: 06/09/15

108 Northfield Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Eckler Properties LLC
Seller: Country Energy Solutions
Date: 06/12/15

COLRAIN

235 West Leyden Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Katelyn N. Lewandowski
Seller: Gary S. Miller
Date: 06/12/15

DEERFIELD

222 Greenfield Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $635,000
Buyer: RMJ LLC
Seller: Henry Komosa
Date: 06/09/15

252 Lower Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Jocelin Cesar
Seller: Matthewj TR
Date: 06/10/15

GILL

61 Riverview Dr.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Kurt D. Kwader
Seller: Lawrence J. Marinelli
Date: 06/01/15

GREENFIELD

146 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Arcoleo Realty & Property
Seller: MKS RT
Date: 06/09/15

123 Hope St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Peter M. Smith
Seller: Mark Pereira
Date: 06/12/15

112 South Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Richard J. Urkiel
Seller: Hoffman, Lawrence N., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/15

MONTAGUE

69 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Jan R. Richards
Seller: Alan N. Emond
Date: 06/01/15

29 South Ferry Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $219,750
Buyer: Andrew S. Hicks
Seller: Jean Laczynski
Date: 06/10/15

ORANGE

89-91 Mechanic St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $166,736
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Lisa Higgins-Pollock
Date: 06/02/15

70 Oaklawn Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Sarah D. Vanderlaan
Seller: Patrick A. Kaltner
Date: 06/11/15

SUNDERLAND

162 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $202,858
Buyer: Greenfield Savings Bank
Seller: Hyun Lee
Date: 06/10/15

159 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: David M. Wissemann
Seller: Kimberly W. Wissemann
Date: 06/12/15

324 South Silver Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $357,000
Buyer: Barbara A. Salamone TR
Seller: Linda M. Sinapi
Date: 06/12/15

WHATELY

Dickinson Hill Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Peter D. Richardson
Seller: Steven R. Hannum TR
Date: 06/01/15

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

94 Cottonwood Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $292,500
Buyer: Sammy Hannoush
Seller: Richard A. Light
Date: 06/04/15

17 Deering St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Jamie M. Duncan
Seller: Christopher L. Theriaque
Date: 06/12/15

56 Federal St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Melissa L. Theriaque
Seller: Umberto E. Santaniello
Date: 06/12/15

89 Florida Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Robert J. Wensley
Date: 06/11/15

232 Garden St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Louise D. Stearns
Seller: T. Russo Construction Corp.
Date: 06/05/15

102 Glendale Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Yevgeniy Reznichenko
Seller: Mark R. Penna
Date: 06/10/15

56 Horsham Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Averett W. Heinz-Bass
Seller: Jaime M. Ieraci
Date: 06/08/15

46 Independence Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Michael P. Viara
Seller: Vincenzo Martino
Date: 06/09/15

130 South Park Terrace
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Vitaly Dzhenzherukha
Seller: Jeffrey A. Brusig
Date: 06/08/15

1303 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: David Askins
Seller: Michael J. Moreau
Date: 06/08/15

14 Washington Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Krystina Albano
Seller: Ryan Hedges
Date: 06/12/15

BLANDFORD

South Otis Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Springfield Water & Sewer
Seller: Shawn Bliss
Date: 06/10/15

BRIMFIELD

18 Dean Pond Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $155,344
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Shannon C. Donohue
Date: 06/04/15

CHESTER

476 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Elizabeth C. Cliche
Seller: Edward M. Dahill
Date: 06/01/15

CHICOPEE

62 Beverly St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Emilia J. Melendez
Seller: Denis Mikhaylichenko
Date: 06/01/15

127 Blanan Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Zachary M. Hay
Seller: Philip S. Tomkiel
Date: 06/10/15

33 Bristol St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: N. Riley Realty LLC
Seller: J. A. Charlebois-Martin
Date: 06/05/15

41 Calvin St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $163,500
Buyer: Diane M. Beauregard
Seller: Shawn A. Romance
Date: 06/01/15

Columba St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $369,500
Buyer: City Of Chicopee
Seller: Western MASS. Electric Co.
Date: 06/01/15

94 Fernwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Carrie M. Carr
Seller: Annette M. Langevin
Date: 06/03/15

104 Granville Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Linda J. Anghilante
Seller: Brett Lord
Date: 06/12/15

36 Justin Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Amount: $1,150,000
Buyer: Irewan TR
Seller: Microtek Inc.
Date: 06/04/15

129 Labelle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Wegiel
Seller: Michael A. Breor
Date: 06/05/15

111 Manning St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Michael E. Welsh
Seller: Perla I. Ruiz
Date: 06/10/15

57 Marble Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Peria I. Ruiz
Seller: Michael D. Pike
Date: 06/12/15

77 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $120,181
Buyer: Bank OF New York Mellon
Seller: Guy J. Robillard
Date: 06/04/15

891 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Supreeth Veeranna
Seller: Gerard R. Labrie
Date: 06/10/15

24 Mount Royal St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Richard E. Weibust
Seller: Sandra L. Scribner
Date: 06/10/15

187 Pondview Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Crystal Conroy
Seller: Teresa M. Kowalik
Date: 06/01/15

127 Warregan St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Donald G. Demers
Seller: Carol J. Grandmont-Bodine
Date: 06/11/15

1731 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,900
Buyer: Michael Kaeble
Seller: Marlene F. Gelineau
Date: 06/12/15

EAST LONGMEADOW

18 Fairview St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $195,946
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Marc B. Robinson
Date: 06/11/15

37 Frankwyn St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Laura A. Stevens
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 06/05/15

12 Pine St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Ernest P. Thifault
Seller: Denise M. Boutin
Date: 06/05/15

329 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Thomas B. Vaillancourt
Seller: Frederick B. Shea
Date: 06/04/15

184 Tanglewood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: David M. Kubera
Seller: Timothy S. Deane
Date: 06/02/15

GRANVILLE

904 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Gregory S. Levangie
Seller: Barry C. Carlson
Date: 06/10/15

317 North Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: David R. Babinski
Seller: Rebecca L. O’Connor
Date: 06/12/15

HOLLAND

159 East Brimfield Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Robert G. Whitledge
Seller: Robert H. Clark
Date: 06/01/15

29 Forest Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Robert W. Oppenheimer
Seller: Ann M. Nicholas
Date: 06/12/15

HOLYOKE

135 Jackson St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Edwin Uroza
Seller: Joanny Ramos
Date: 06/02/15

859 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $381,000
Buyer: Kanien Properties LLC
Seller: Yvon L. Leduc
Date: 06/05/15

990 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: 990 Main St LLC
Seller: Mathes Development LLC
Date: 06/01/15

179 Morgan St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $155,515
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Diane C. O’Hearn
Date: 06/11/15

Mueller Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Joshua Carrig
Seller: Janita V. Madramootoo
Date: 06/02/15

1771-1773 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Lauren M. Magri
Seller: Todd D. Kirton
Date: 06/02/15

30 Old Ferry Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $368,000
Buyer: Frank A. Demarinis
Seller: Randy A. Shannon
Date: 06/10/15

78 Oxford Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Nicholas W. Smalley
Seller: Claire T. Lariviere
Date: 06/02/15

7 Quinn Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Nikolaus D. Beaudry
Seller: Bartholomew Natoniewski
Date: 06/12/15

24 Vassar Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Ellen G. Woods
Seller: Home Improvement Assocs.
Date: 06/01/15

LONGMEADOW

153 Brookwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Rebecca A. Williams
Seller: Larry I. Krainson
Date: 06/05/15

159 Edgewood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $150,501
Buyer: Foundation Investors Inc.
Seller: Leveillee, Brenda J., (Estate)
Date: 06/12/15

41 Farmington Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Michael Gortakowski
Seller: Justin T. Palmer
Date: 06/12/15

191 Farmington Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $780,000
Buyer: Michelle M. Morey
Seller: Bruce H. Besanko
Date: 06/05/15

LUDLOW

80 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $162,900
Buyer: Machelle N. Kelley
Seller: FNMA
Date: 06/02/15

33-35 Cypress St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $135,000
Seller: Gail A. Sullivan
Date: 06/02/15

31 Dowd Ct
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $328,000
Buyer: John Fortune
Seller: Jeffrey R. Fortune
Date: 06/03/15

58 Erin Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jason M. Bienvenue
Seller: Robert E. Robillard
Date: 06/05/15

10 Fontaine St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Luis L. Joao
Seller: Gabbre, Margaret C., (Estate)
Date: 06/08/15

320 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Susan M. Urban
Seller: Cynthia A. Blatt
Date: 06/12/15

118 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Gary G. Bourbeau
Seller: Maria L. Carvalho
Date: 06/11/15

119 Stevens St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Philip R. Gray
Seller: Suzie G. Ice
Date: 06/05/15

523 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Alves
Seller: Eleanor Slosek
Date: 06/04/15

237 Westerly Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Michael A. Breor
Seller: Marylou Fabbo
Date: 06/05/15

MONSON

6 Betty Jean Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Mark Radzicki RET
Seller: Robert O. Laporte
Date: 06/12/15

Cote Road #BD
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Heidi R. Brown
Seller: Evan G. Carrara
Date: 06/03/15

56 Margaret St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Brittiney E. Moynahan
Seller: Thomas H. Walat
Date: 06/02/15

82 Stebbins Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Robert D. Morgan
Seller: Tammy J. Russell
Date: 06/05/15

PALMER

63 Cabot St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Robert J. Mastrodonato
Seller: June A. Johnson
Date: 06/02/15

2011 Calkins Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Cathy A. Templeton
Seller: John Chmura
Date: 06/05/15

3024 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Austin
Seller: Jason R. Polonsky
Date: 06/09/15

N/A
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Edward P. Santini
Seller: Raymond R. Gilbert
Date: 06/01/15

22-30 North St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Garry Welch
Seller: Ronald J. Swiatlowski
Date: 06/11/15

18 Paul St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Bruce N. Cabrini
Seller: Linda J. Morales
Date: 06/12/15

169 Sykes St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: James E. Grant
Seller: Donna M. Graveline
Date: 06/03/15

70 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Nicholas J. Mulveyhill
Seller: Noah A. Clock
Date: 06/08/15

SPRINGFIELD

29 1st St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: First Page RT
Seller: First Page RT
Date: 06/02/15

233 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Luis Zayas
Seller: Phu T. Nguyen
Date: 06/12/15

80 Bircham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Edna C. Lheureux
Seller: Ronald N. Lajeunesse
Date: 06/05/15

48 Blueberry Hill St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Sylvester S. Harris
Seller: Bao H. Nguyen
Date: 06/05/15

5 Blueberry Hill St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Ronald L. Dion
Seller: Donna J. Ramsdell
Date: 06/01/15

20 Buena Vista Plaza
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Bennett W. Walsh
Seller: Phillips Mary B., (Estate)
Date: 06/02/15

121 Chalmers St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $186,900
Buyer: Francis M. King
Seller: Cari R. Wenninger
Date: 06/02/15

25 Chipmunk Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $143,900
Buyer: Brendan W. O’Halloran
Seller: Margaret M. O’Brien
Date: 06/12/15

22-24 Claremont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $173,738
Buyer: Pennymac Holdings LLC
Seller: Ogechi Ejekwu
Date: 06/08/15

200 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Kyle J. Mailman
Seller: John W. Matthew
Date: 06/01/15

11 Deepfield Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Carmen E. Arroyo
Seller: James H. Blevins
Date: 06/05/15

351 East Columbus Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Irina N. Krokhmalyuk
Seller: William M. McCarthy
Date: 06/09/15

147 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Rodrick H. Shubrick
Seller: Shu Cheng
Date: 06/04/15

55 Gralia Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Angela Pafumi
Seller: Jessica Bigelow
Date: 06/09/15

15 Greenbrier St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Lisandra Lozada
Seller: Judith A. Michalak
Date: 06/11/15

71 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Ramchandra Parekh
Seller: Blong Lee
Date: 06/10/15

62 Groton St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Yuderka Baez
Seller: FNMA
Date: 06/08/15

51-53 Horace St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Javier Garcia
Seller: Shu Cheng
Date: 06/05/15

38 Itendale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $167,642
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Alison B. Wilgus
Date: 06/05/15

106 Jenness St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Steven P. Roy
Seller: Dorcas Roy
Date: 06/11/15

28 Lakevilla Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $128,900
Buyer: Igner I. Murillo
Seller: Abilio J. Casimiro
Date: 06/12/15

272 Longhill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Bennett W. Walsh
Seller: Phillips, Mary B., (Estate)
Date: 06/02/15

19 Macomber Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: Ralph Rodriguez
Seller: Karen Laughlin
Date: 06/05/15

75 Michigan St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Alvin Gosselin
Seller: Sandra A. Goss
Date: 06/08/15

146 Montclair St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Nael J. Ferrer
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 06/12/15

148 Nagle St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $117,800
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Luis E. Hernandez
Date: 06/09/15

1271 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: First Page RT
Seller: Michael Bergdoll
Date: 06/02/15

91 Parkerview St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Ruben J. Calo
Seller: Bergley, Penny A., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/15

89 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Brittany A. Benson
Seller: CDM Properties LLC
Date: 06/04/15

32 Ralph St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $145,900
Buyer: Emma T. Burke
Seller: Mark Houser
Date: 06/02/15

697 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Seth V. Pittsley
Seller: Nicholas A. Gorneault
Date: 06/12/15

11-21 Stockbridge St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: 21 Stockbridge LLC
Seller: Katherine C. Sousa
Date: 06/12/15

1260 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $418,800
Buyer: Somers Road Properties LLC
Seller: VK Heritage LLC
Date: 06/11/15

34 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Marilyn Aponte
Seller: Maryanne T. McCarthy
Date: 06/12/15

130 Talbot Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $165,500
Buyer: Kenneth J. Kimker
Seller: Randy Mascaro
Date: 06/11/15

249 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $117,616
Buyer: James Fiore
Seller: Witlamn Properties Inc.
Date: 06/12/15

20 Tracy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $141,358
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Leonor Santiago
Date: 06/02/15

174-176 Tremont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Deustche Bank
Seller: Donald R. Roache
Date: 06/02/15

40 Tulsa St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Diane Markham
Seller: Chabot, Irene R., (Estate)
Date: 06/09/15

735 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $124,777
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Dionisio Perez
Date: 06/10/15

117 Vincent St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $115,100
Buyer: Eileen Shlosser
Seller: FHLM
Date: 06/12/15

44 Warrenton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: James Worral
Seller: Kristopher S. Gallant
Date: 06/03/15

112 Washington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $169,530
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Christina Palermo
Date: 06/02/15

190 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Caitlyn D. Kelleher
Seller: Marjorie M. Vallone
Date: 06/01/15

92-94 Whittier St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: William Rivera
Seller: Yaser Sierra
Date: 06/02/15

201 Winterset Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Theo G. Theocles
Seller: Joseph W. Alexander
Date: 06/12/15

1104 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: 1104 Worthington St. LLC
Seller: Demetrios N. Panteleakis
Date: 06/02/15

SOUTHWICK

1-B Amberleaf Way
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $426,000
Buyer: Cynthia A. Warner
Seller: Vining Hill Partners LLC
Date: 06/01/15

57 Buckingham Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Connor K. Hedge
Seller: David W. Hamel
Date: 06/05/15

161 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Towle
Seller: Rodney E. Humason
Date: 06/01/15

55 Hudson Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: CCC Real Estate Holdings LLC
Seller: 55 Hudson Drive LLC
Date: 06/09/15

WEST SPRINGFIELD

77 Allison Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Vanessa Comrie
Seller: David A. Scott
Date: 06/11/15

446 Brush Hill Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Daniel E. Williamson
Seller: Daniel J. Garrity
Date: 06/12/15

58 Calvin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Raymond R. Gadreault
Seller: Sheryl A. McKay
Date: 06/02/15

154 Ely Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Joanne M. Cebula
Seller: Edward F. Rosienski
Date: 06/12/15

211 Great Plains Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Mikhail Sychev
Seller: Park Street Development
Date: 06/05/15

65 Green Meadow Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Edward F. Rosienski
Seller: Thomas J. Athas
Date: 06/12/15

21 Oleander St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Michael J. Fortier
Seller: David J. Zagula
Date: 06/01/15

50 Orchardview St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Donald C. Bain
Seller: Gwen Whelan
Date: 06/02/15

575 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Marvin V. Larivee
Seller: Adelino J. Neves
Date: 06/11/15

25 Roanoke Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $124,200
Buyer: Bayview Loan Servicing
Seller: Michael F. Granger
Date: 06/05/15

31 Thomas Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Andrii Zhyhaniuk
Seller: Patricia A. Gallivan
Date: 06/10/15

79 Wayside Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: 79 Wayside Avenue LLC
Seller: Paul M. Zombik
Date: 06/01/15

262 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Karen A. Stanton
Seller: Emelene J. St.Jean
Date: 06/12/15

WESTFIELD

8 City View Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $214,288
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Donald L. Sherwood
Date: 06/01/15

64 Deer Path Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $327,076
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Carleen D. Webber
Date: 06/05/15

180 Eastwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Martha A. Gendron
Seller: George F. Freeman
Date: 06/08/15

90 Franklin St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Jenna N. Casale
Seller: Brian W. Hoskin
Date: 06/01/15

8 Gary Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Robert D. Pion
Seller: William J. Faircloth
Date: 06/12/15

73 George St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Vlad Lujan
Seller: Carmen Torres
Date: 06/01/15

7 Kellogg St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $208,926
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Jean J. Ziemba
Date: 06/09/15

25 King St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Karen E. Eaton
Seller: Roger Eaton
Date: 06/05/15

202 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Crystal S. Cole
Seller: Patricia M. Hebert
Date: 06/02/15

659 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Robert L. Lepage
Seller: Robert D. Patenaude
Date: 06/08/15

5-7 Morris Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $164,500
Buyer: Madeleine E. Smith
Seller: Mark Sears
Date: 06/08/15

481 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: James A. Angelos
Seller: Patricia M. Hebert
Date: 06/02/15

53 Old Quarry Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Mykola Stuzhuk
Seller: Vitaly Vdovichenko
Date: 06/12/15

40 Phillip Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Richard A. Mazza
Seller: Daniel F. Morrill
Date: 06/12/15

488 Pochassic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $274,000
Buyer: Jessica Santiago
Seller: Kristyn Samere
Date: 06/04/15

15 Princeton St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Maria E. Torrens
Seller: Pablo L. Feliciano
Date: 06/01/15

288 Root Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $167,809
Buyer: New England Public Radio
Seller: Iheartmedia Entertainment
Date: 06/12/15

29 Salvator Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $392,500
Buyer: James P. Burke
Seller: Barry E. Doody
Date: 06/12/15

55 Salvator Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Larry T. Lenston
Seller: Tony R. Gendron
Date: 06/08/15

42 Thomas St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Joel Nevejans
Seller: Mary A. Purdy
Date: 06/01/15

674 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Luz Martins
Seller: Andrew P. Kraus
Date: 06/12/15

115 Whitaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: Michael J. Ryder
Seller: William J. Oleksak
Date: 06/05/15

56 Yankee Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $149,029
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Pamela S. Melo
Date: 06/11/15

WILBRAHAM

11 Addison Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Crowley
Seller: Henry P. Folvi
Date: 06/12/15

Carla Lane #10
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Joseph V. Fusco
Seller: AC Homebuilding LLC
Date: 06/02/15

Colley Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Martin J. Blais
Seller: Barbara L. Gibson
Date: 06/12/15

12 Glenn Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Amanda Elliston
Seller: FNMA
Date: 06/12/15

3 Oldwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $291,500
Buyer: Nicole M. Britt
Seller: Joseph T. McAleer
Date: 06/01/15

Sandlewood Dr. #10
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $369,900
Buyer: John F. Coutu
Seller: Mile Oak Land Holdings
Date: 06/10/15

407 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $225,100
Buyer: Paul W. Shaw
Seller: Charles R. Pollock
Date: 06/12/15

4 Squire Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Richard R. Madore
Seller: Ronald G. Eckman
Date: 06/05/15

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

17 Alpine Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $257,850
Buyer: Elisa Martinez
Seller: Donna J. Ross
Date: 06/04/15

70 Hillcrest Place
Amount: $437,000
Buyer: Jonas Cox
Seller: Harrington, Zella B., (Estate)
Date: 06/05/15

36 Kettle Pond Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Ezra M. Markowitz
Seller: Melissa Kroodsma
Date: 06/01/15

39 Old Town Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $429,000
Buyer: V. Vakulabharanam
Seller: Mark D. Brenner
Date: 06/01/15

69 Pelham Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Howerd T. Ewert
Seller: Norma D. Filios
Date: 06/05/15

117 Rolling Ridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Jennifer E. Reese
Seller: Barbara S. Noland
Date: 06/10/15

131 Rolling Ridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Ana V. Sharone
Seller: Harrison L. Gregg
Date: 06/10/15

BELCHERTOWN

383 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Marta Pastula
Seller: Jesse A. Ritter
Date: 06/12/15

147 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Milky Way Realty Inc.
Seller: Harris Milk Transport Co.
Date: 06/12/15

8 Cobb Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Maura A. Kornbluth
Seller: Cathy O’Connell
Date: 06/05/15

60 Daniel Square
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Micha F. Flanary
Seller: Vision Investment Properties
Date: 06/03/15

19 Emily Lane
Belchertown, MA 01002
Amount: $406,125
Buyer: Kelly M. Katz
Seller: JP Builders Inc.
Date: 06/09/15

222 Franklin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Jacqueline K. Ferrier
Seller: Maureen L. McGarrett
Date: 06/03/15

11 Hemlock Hollow
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $274,800
Buyer: Christopher E. Grazioso
Seller: Richard M. Nunes
Date: 06/12/15

340 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Michael R. Warner
Seller: Timothy R. Zych
Date: 06/05/15

185 Shea Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Heather A. Kite
Seller: Richard O. Laterreur
Date: 06/12/15

170 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jason D. Auclair
Seller: David R. Lapierre
Date: 06/05/15

EASTHAMPTON

3 Beechwood Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $282,500
Buyer: Barrie E. Vogel
Seller: Carolyn B. Tauscher
Date: 06/05/15

6 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $253,935
Buyer: J. E. Davis
Seller: Neil A. Alper
Date: 06/12/15

284 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Ryan J. Barry
Seller: Ryan M. McNally
Date: 06/11/15

89 Maple St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $162,667
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Daniel J. Barszewski
Date: 06/03/15

106 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jill C. Hillenbrand
Seller: Gilles R. Lapointe
Date: 06/10/15

12 Riley St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Abid Assab
Seller: Belliveau, Robert L., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/15

GOSHEN

104 Ball Road
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Daniel Phillips
Seller: PDV Inc.
Date: 06/12/15

GRANBY

5 Greystone Ave.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: PNC Bank
Seller: Oscar Saravia
Date: 06/03/15

111 Maximilian Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $377,000
Buyer: Michael D. Pike
Seller: Stephen Scott
Date: 06/12/15

16 Virginia Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Paul Kupin
Seller: Corrigan, Kathleen E., (Estate)
Date: 06/04/15

HADLEY

24 Meadowbrook Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Michael W. Hanna
Seller: Mary N. Wood
Date: 06/04/15

335 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $332,500
Buyer: Adam H. Goodman
Seller: John A. Konieczny
Date: 06/05/15

HATFIELD

156 Depot Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Ryan E. Yagodzinski
Seller: Jason A. Myers
Date: 06/02/15

6 Mountain Dr.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Monica F. Nunez
Seller: Stanley J. Traks
Date: 06/05/15

NORTHAMPTON

485 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jennifer R. Cebik
Seller: Elizabeth A. Crovo RET
Date: 06/09/15

86 Cahillane Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Marja J. Davenbrie
Seller: Brian Campedelli
Date: 06/10/15

540 Coles Meadow Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Clark G. Piers-Gamble
Seller: Linda Mcelaney
Date: 06/12/15

27 Grandview St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Neil A. Alper
Seller: Temple INT
Date: 06/12/15

111 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $217,435
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Anita M. Weigel
Date: 06/03/15

13 Lilly St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Judith Gordon
Seller: Susan C. Bourque
Date: 06/05/15

705 North Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Andrea M. Kennedy
Seller: Beverly A. Corbett
Date: 06/12/15

35 Park St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Max C. Hebert
Seller: Kimball W. Howes
Date: 06/05/15

110 Pine St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Sage
Seller: Terrence R. Reynolds
Date: 06/08/15

454 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Robert L. Cummings
Seller: Robert W. Gougeon
Date: 06/01/15

143 South Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: S. E. VonGoeler
Seller: William E. Boutelle RET
Date: 06/10/15

74 Sovereign Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Daniel K. Lyons
Seller: Uzodinma Okoroanyanwu
Date: 06/03/15

198 Sylvester Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: A. G. Ehlert-Bashista
Seller: Robert A. Lapalme
Date: 06/11/15

203 Sylvester Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Amy S. Altwarg
Seller: Justin P. West
Date: 06/03/15

48 Ward Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,162,500
Buyer: Perry L. Cohen
Seller: Samuel Brumbaugh
Date: 06/04/15

35 Winchester Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Maria D. Vega
Seller: Aline I. Pedelaborde
Date: 06/05/15

41 Woodbine Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Emily Slotnick
Seller: Judy Haigler
Date: 06/08/15

PELHAM

57 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $323,500
Seller: Lisa G. Kent
Date: 06/01/15

SOUTH HADLEY

13 Chileab Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Sarah E. Scibak
Seller: John W. Scibak
Date: 06/05/15

2 Normandy Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Sylke M. Avalo
Seller: Lamers, Otto M., (Estate)
Date: 06/03/15

17 North St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Jason J. Patruno
Seller: Lauri Laroche
Date: 06/01/15

10 North Sycamore Knolls
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Paul J. Staiti
Seller: Diane C. Anci
Date: 06/08/15

WARE

Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Andrew P. Sweet
Seller: Michael P. Bundrick
Date: 06/11/15

7 Old County Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Ryan A. Walch
Seller: William J. Beauregard
Date: 06/08/15

108 Shoreline Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $254,300
Buyer: Eric Castenson
Seller: Milton H. & A. M. Harnois TR
Date: 06/05/15

WESTHAMPTON

65 Edwards Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Morose
Seller: Ann B. Latham
Date: 06/08/15

212 North Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Erin Joyce
Seller: Antanowski, Jadwiga, (Estate)
Date: 06/05/15

20 Stage Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: James A. O’Rourke
Seller: Charles T. Packard
Date: 06/12/15

WILLIAMSBURG

118 Chesterfield Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Alan R. Prybylo
Seller: Katherine S. Nickel
Date: 06/10/15

107 Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Philip E. Skwira
Seller: Statia A. Skwira
Date: 06/09/15

WORTHINGTON

98 Scott Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Edward M. Dahill
Seller: Deborah L. Crossman
Date: 06/02/15

Falvey Linen Supply to Open Springfield Facility

SPRINGFIELD — The city of Springfield and Falvey Linen Supply Inc. have announced a plan for the Rhode Island company to open a new Springfield facility at 100 Brookdale Dr., located in the East Springfield neighborhood, with an expected investment of $7 million and the creation of more than 100 new jobs.

“We are thrilled to welcome Falvey Linen to Springfield,” said Mayor Domenic Sarno. “This is a company with a history of success and will add more good-paying jobs for our residents and be a great addition to our business community. The word is out, and Springfield is on the rise.”

Falvey Linen Supply is based in Cranston, R.I., with facilities in the Hartford area as well as Eastern Massachusetts. The family-owned and -operated company was founded in 1929. Its commercial laundry business has grown throughout its 86-year history and is currently managed by James and Patricia Falvey O’Hara, along with their daughter Kaitlin O’Hara, representing the fourth generation of the Falvey family.

They plan to make an investment of $7 million for the purchase of a 240,000-square-foot building on 17 acres of land, including renovations and new laundry equipment for 100 Brookdale Dr. The company is currently conducting due-diligence procedures on the project, including permitting activities, building design, and water and sewer.

This project will create new tax revenue from the redevelopment of 100 Brookdale Dr., provide new job opportunities, and create economic spinoff to area businesses. The company is seeking incentives through the state’s Economic Development Incentive Program, which would require participation of a local tax-increment-financing agreement, to help assist with the significant investment.

“We’ve talked recently about how some of the major projects can lead to spinoff jobs of companies in the supply chain,” said Kevin Kennedy, Springfield’s chief development officer. “Falvey Linen is a first-class company that is looking to get into our market and this region, and certainly a factor in that is our growing hospitality industry with MGM Springfield. We’re excited to welcome them to Springfield.”

Manufacturing Technology Orders Down 7.9% in 2015

MCLEAN, Va. — U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $336.98 million in May, according to the Assoc. for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as reported by companies participating in the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) program, was down 13.2% from April’s $388.43 million and down 6.2% when compared with the total of $359.28 million reported for May 2014.

With a year-to-date total of $1,798.34 million, 2015 was down 7.9% when compared with 2014. These numbers and all data in the report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.

“In large part, the decline in manufacturing technology orders is due to smaller manufacturers feeling a sense of economic uncertainty and therefore hesitant to make any kind of capital investment,” said AMT President Douglas Woods. “In addition, the energy industry has curbed its spending, accounting for about half of the year-to-date decline in orders, and aerospace did not perform as well as expected in the first quarter. We expect the downturn to ease thanks to strong performance in the automotive and medical industries, with industrial production and a stronger PMI also indicating resilience in manufacturing.”

The USMTO report, compiled by the trade association representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metal-working equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

Local Union Donates to Cancer Center Capital Campaign

SPRINGFIELD — Transforming Cancer Care – the Capital Campaign for the Sister Caritas Cancer Center continues to gain momentum as the International Assoc. of Iron Workers Local 7 has donated $5,000 to the fund-raising project.

“The Sister Caritas Cancer Center is an important resource for the local community, and we are pleased to extend our support to this important project,” said Fiore Grassetti, industry analyst and business agent for the International Assoc. of Iron Workers Local 7, which is responsible for erecting the structural steel framework of the expansion project.

According to Grassetti, members of the union became further engaged in the project as they learned more about it, prompting them to offer their own financial support. “We are also impressed that Mercy Medical Center has made a concerted effort to employ a local and diverse workforce on this project.”

The Sister Caritas Cancer Center is in the midst of a $15 million expansion that will bring all cancer services together in one location and meet increasing demand for outpatient cancer services. In the past two years, the number of patients receiving chemotherapy at the Sister Caritas Cancer Center has increased by more than 200%. By 2022, the need for outpatient cancer services is expected to grow by 26%.

“There is no question that the importance of this expansion project resonates with leaders of the local business community, and we are grateful for their continuing support,” said Diane Dukette, vice president of Fund Development for the Sisters of Providence Health System. The project is scheduled for completion in the fall.

Picture This

Departments Picture This

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

Welcome to the Family

Leaders from Baystate Health and Noble Hospital gathered last week to celebrate Noble officially becoming part of the Baystate family. The Westfield-based hospital will now be known as Baystate Noble Hospital and joins Baystate’s team of community hospitals in Greenfield, Palmer, and Ware. At right, Ronald Bryant (left) — who had been president and CEO of Noble Hospital and will continue as president of Baystate Noble Hospital — joins Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, in officially launching the affiliation. Noble has about 750 employees who will join Baystate Health’s team of 11,500 across Western Mass. The new Baystate Noble Hospital name and logo will be integrated into all signage and materials in the weeks to come.

Agenda

Agenda Departments

Positively Holyoke Summer Concert Series
July 8, 15, 22, 29: The Holyoke Rotary Club has announced the lineup of the 2015 Positively Holyoke Summer Concert Series. The free concerts will be held on Wednesday evenings in July, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Heritage State Park in Holyoke. Performances canceled due to weather will be scheduled for the following evening (Thursday of the same week). The schedule is as follows: July 8, Out of the Blue (rock & roll); July 15, Brass Attack (classic/modern rock); July 22, the Franny O Show (covers and original songs); and July 29, Ireland Parish (Irish ballads). Heritage State Park is a family-friendly area located between the Volleyball Hall of Fame, the Holyoke Children’s Museum, and historic Holyoke Merry-Go-Round. The park has no formal seating, and concertgoers are encouraged to bring folding chairs and picnic blankets. “The Positively Holyoke Summer Concert Series began five years ago at the request of the City of Holyoke Parks & Recreation Department. The department approached the Holyoke Rotary Club with the knowledge that many local Rotary clubs provide this form of entertainment in the communities they serve. The events are fun and family-friendly,” said Maureen Ross O’Connell, co-chairperson of the concert committee. Attendees are welcome to enjoy food at the Rotary Grill, provided this year by Sláinte, which will open at 5:30 p.m. each week. Beer and wine will be available for purchase courtesy of Brennan’s Place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. New this year, attendees will be allowed to take their purchases from the beer garden onto the grounds of Heritage State Park. Coolers and beverages not purchased at the event will not be allowed. The concert series will also feature a 50/50 raffle each week. Free parking is provided in the Proulx Garage on Dwight Street after 5 p.m. (entrance on Front Street). Major sponsors of the Positively Holyoke Summer Concert Series include Holyoke Gas & Electric Department and Holyoke Parks & Recreation. Band sponsors include Ross Insurance Agency Inc., O’Connell Care at Home, and the O’Connell Companies. To learn more about the concert series, visit www.positivelyholyoke.com. For sponsorship opportunities, call Maureen Ross O’Connell at (413) 536-8380.

Indian Motocycle Day
July 26: From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Springfield Museums will present their sixth annual Indian Motocycle Day, the continuation of a long-standing tradition honoring the classic motorcycles that were manufactured in the city from 1901 to 1953. Last year, more than 1,000 people attended the event, which featured more than 60 classic, Springfield-built Indians owned by local collectors, The event is sponsored by the Sampson Family and AAA Pioneer Valley; the media sponsor is Rock 102 WAQY. MassMutual is the 2015 premier sponsor of the Springfield Museums. The museums re-established the Indian Day tradition in 2010 after a five-year hiatus. From 1970 to 2005, the event was held at the now-closed Indian Motocycle Museum on Hendee Street in Springfield. Esta Manthos, together with her late husband Charlie, were the owners of the former museum. In 2007, Manthos donated her extensive collection of Indian Motocycles, artifacts, and memorabilia to the Springfield Museums, where it is now on view in the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. This year’s Indian Day will pay tribute to Bob’s Indian of Etters, Pa., for its many years of supporting the heritage of classic Indian cycles. The original dealership was founded in the 1950s by Bob and Kay Markey, and has been a treasure trove of motorcycle history for over half a century. In addition to the motorcycles on display, there will be a variety of vendors, food and beverages, music provided by Rock 102, and the awarding of trophies for the best Indians in a variety of categories. Commemorative T-shirts will be available for purchase. Anyone bringing a pre-1953 Indian will receive a free admission pass plus a commemorative Indian Day button. Exhibitors, and especially vendors, are encouraged to pre-register by calling (413) 263-6800, ext. 304. Admission to the event is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-17. For those wishing to attend the event and tour museum buildings, general admission is $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and college students, and $9.50 for children ages 3-17. Admission to the event and the museums is free for members of Springfield Museums; free museum admission is available for Springfield residents after 3 p.m. For information, call (413) 263-6800, ext. 304, or visit www.springfieldmuseums.org.

Advance Directives and Healthcare Proxies
July 29: Hillcrest Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will offer an informational session on advance directives and healthcare proxies at 10 a.m. at the Ralph Froio Senior Center in Pittsfield. The event will include a free continental breakfast. Part of Hillcrest’s “Berkshire Senior Subjects” monthly series, the presentation will focus on advance directives, healthcare proxies, and MOLST forms. The guest speaker is Patricia Tremblay, MS, RN. The presentation is free and open to the public; registration is requested by calling (413) 445-9747 by July 27. Hillcrest Commons Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, a nonprofit organization that has been caring for people in the Berkshire area since 1995, provides personalized short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled-nursing care, respite care, and specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia care, all in a homelike setting. Specialty services include a ventilator program to support ventilator-dependent patients or to wean dependence, and a behavioral-health program for those with chronic psychiatric conditions. Hospice services are available for compassionate end-of-life care. For more information, visit www.hillcrestcommons.org.

Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival
Aug 8: The second annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival celebrates the emergence of Springfield’s Cultural District and promotes an arts-driven, community-oriented, and sustainable revitalization of the city. The free event in Court Square will offer a festive atmosphere featuring locally and internationally acclaimed musical artists, dance and theater workshops, local arts and crafts, and plenty of food. More than 5,000 people are expected to attend and enjoy the sounds of jazz, Latin jazz, gospel, blues, funk, and more. The festival is produced by Blues to Green, which uses music and art to celebrate community and culture, build shared purpose, and catalyze social and environmental change. For more information and a lineup of performers, visit springfieldjazzfest.com.

Driving for the Cure Golf Tournament
Aug. 17: The seventh annual Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament will tee off at Crestview Country Club in Agawam. The presenting sponsor for this year’s tournament is Autotrader. The tournament will be a four-player scramble. Tournament-day check-in begins at 10:30 a.m., and tee time is at 12:30 p.m. The event includes lunch, golf, dinner, raffle prizes, contests, and more. The tournament was started by Carla and Tommy Cosenzi, owners of TommyCar Auto Group, in memory of their father, Tom Cosenzi, who passed away from a glioblastoma brain tumor in 2009, in the hopes of carrying on his legacy and finding a cure for this disease. To date, this tournament has raised a total of $480,000 in its six-year partnership with the Jimmy Fund, one of the largest organized golf programs in the U.S. All proceeds support Dr. Patrick Wen and his team of researchers in the Neuro-Oncology Department at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. “My father’s vision was that no other family would have to endure the pain of cancer,” said Carla Cosenzi. “It was his wish that we continue to raise money for cancer research at Dana Farber through its Jimmy Fund.” To register an individual or team, or to become a tournament sponsor, visit www.tomcosenzidrivingforthecure.com. For more information, contact Kayla Currie at (413) 570-1319 or [email protected].

Valley Fest
Aug. 29: White Lion Brewing Co. will host its inaugural beer festival, called Valley Fest, at Court Square in downtown Springfield. MGM Springfield will be the presenting sponsor. The festival is poised to be White Lion’s signature annual event, introducing the young brand to craft-beer enthusiasts throughout New England and beyond. White Lion Brewing Co., the city of Springfield’s only brewery, launched in October 2014. Founder Ray Berry and brewmaster Mike Yates have released three selections under the White Lion brand and have been busy promoting their efforts in venues all over Massachusetts and other New England states. “Valley Fest will have the best of the best local, regional, and national beer and hard cider brands,” Berry said. “Even in our inaugural year, Valley Fest will be the largest one-day beer festival in Western Massachusetts. We expect to draw up to 2,000 enthusiasts from throughout New England. We are very excited to showcase the fourth-largest city in New England and all of its amenities.” Berry anticipates that more than 50 breweries and many local food vendors will converge on Court Square for two sessions. Enthusiasts will have an opportunity to sample more than 100 varieties of beer and hard cider alongside pairing selections by local chefs. A number of sponsors have already committed to the event, including MassMutual Financial Group, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, the Dennis Group, Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place, Paragus Strategic IT, Williams Distributing, and the Springfield Business Improvement District (BID). “We are honored to sponsor Valley Fest and look forward to it being an annual event that shares in the facilitation of growth within the downtown community,” said Chris Russell, executive director of the Springfield BID. Visit www.valleybrewfest.com for event details, ongoing updates, and sponsorship opportunities.

Western Mass. Business Expo
Nov. 4: Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News in partnership with Go Graphix and Rider Productions. The business-to-business show will feature more than 100 booths, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Details about specific events, programs, and featured speakers will be printed in future issues of BusinessWest. Current sponsors include Comcast Business, presenting sponsor; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; Johnson & Hill and Health New England, director level sponsors; and 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $750. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

Chamber Corners Departments

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

• July 13: 2015 ACCGS Golf Tournament, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Ranch Golf Club in Southwick. Schedule: 11 a.m. to noon: registration/practice, course-side lunch; 12:30 p.m.: shotgun scramble; 6 p.m.: reception/dinner buffet. Event sponsors: Robinson Donovan, P.C., TSM Design Inc., Western New England University, Berkshire Bank, and Hampton Inn Chicopee/Springfield. Lunch reception sponsor: MassMutual Center. Birdie sponsors: Barr & Barr Inc., Florence Savings Bank West Springfield Loan Center, HealthSouth Rehabilitation, Frank Webb’s Bath Center, Bacon Wilson, P.C., Insurance Center of New England, and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. Putting contest sponsor: Chicopee Savings Bank. Cost: Foursome supporter: $600; individual supporter: $150. To register or for more information, contact Sarah Mazzaferro at (413) 755-1313 or [email protected].

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

• July 20: Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce 12th Annual Golf Tournament, 10:30 a.m. at Hickory Ridge Golf Course, Pomeroy Lane, Amherst. Registration and lunch: 10:30 a.m. to noon; shotgun start at noon; social hour and cash bar, 5 p.m.; dinner, awards ceremony, and auction, 6 p.m. Hole-in-one, longest-drive, and closest-to-the-pin contests. Presented by Hampshire Hospitality Group. Co-scholarship sponsor: Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Gold sponsor: Applied Mortgage Services. Silver sponsors: Encharter Insurance, J.F. Conlon & Associates, Health Services Administrators. Dinner sponsor: Fallon Health. Lunch sponsor: Davis Financial Group. Bronze sponsor: Steve Lewis Subaru. Media sponsor: Daily Hampshire Gazette. Major gift sponsor: New England Promotional Marketing. Carts sponsor: Robert Stern Financial Services. Water sponsor: Atkins Farms Country market. Ice cream sponsor: Flayvors of Cook Farm. Towel sponsor: Hampshire College. Tee box and contest sponsors: men’s longest drive, Jones Group Realtors; women’s longest drive, Edward Jones, Tom McRae. Cost: $125 per golfer; $500 per foursome.
• Aug. 12: Chamber After 5 Lady Bea Riverboat Cruise, 5-7 p.m., at Brunelle’s Marina, 1 Alvord St., South Hadley. The Lady Bea features both inside seating and outside sun decks that attendees can explore while spending a wonderful evening on the Connecticut River. Sponsored by Alden Credit Union. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for guests.

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

• July 22: Summer Sizzle, 4:30-7 p.m., at Elms College Quad, 291 Springfield Street, Chicopee. Rain date is July 23. Menu: strawberry salad, BBQ baked beans, steakhouse potatoes, coleslaw, biscuits with honey butter, BBQ chicken breast, pulled pork, corn on the cob, cookies, assorted soft drinks. Dunk tank, minute-to-win-it games, and more. Cost: $35, which includes food, drink ticket, and games.
• Aug. 20: Mornings with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., at Porter & Chester Institute 134 Dulong Circle, Chicopee. Coffee and light refreshments will be served while Mayor Richard Kos provides updates about what’s happening in Chicopee and other topics that impact the Greater Chicopee area. Submit questions by Aug. 17 to [email protected]. This event is for chamber members only and is free, but registration is required.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• July 13: Monday Morning with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., at Strong Bus Corp., 40 O’Neil St., Easthampton. This event is free and open to the public.
• July 31: 31st Annual Golf Tournament, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway, Southampton. Features prizes, contests, and raffles. Sponsored by A-Z Storage and Properties and Easthampton Savings Bank. Sponsorship opportunities still available. Cost: $110 if registered and paid by July 4, $125 after July 4. Payment due by July 17. Pricing includes cart, gift, lunch, and dinner.
• Aug. 10: Monday Morning with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., at A-Z Storage & Properties, 165 Northampton St., Easthampton. This is your opportunity to bring your questions to Mayor Karen Cadieux for casual conversation and direct answers. This event is free and open to the public.
• Aug. 13: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., at Freedom Credit Union, 422B Main St., Easthampton. Join us along with our hosts, Freedom Credit Union and Wireless Zone of Easthampton, for a night of networking. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

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

• July 15: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m. Sponsored and hosted by Providence Place at Ingleside, 5 Gamelin St., Holyoke. Discover the beauty of Providence Place at Ingleside. Mix and mingle with friends and colleagues. Refreshments, door prizes, and 50/50 raffle. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members and walk-ins.

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

• July 14: 2015 Seminar: “What Employers Need to Know About the New Sick-leave Law,” 4-5 p.m., location to be announced. Presented by attorney James Winston. This talk will center on how new regulations will affect employers, and what employers need to do so that they will not run afoul of the new law. It is important for all employers to understand their obligations, even if they have fewer than 11 employees. The presenter will also discuss various hypothetical situations under the new sick-leave law. Pre-registration is required, as space is limited. To register or for more information, e-mail [email protected].

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Sept. 9: September After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., at Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. Refreshments will be served. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• Aug. 17: West of the River Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament, at The Ranch in Southwick. Schedule: 11:30 a.m., registration; noon, lunch; 1 p.m., shotgun start, scramble format. Cost: $125 for golf and dinner. For more information and for tickets, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

People on the Move

Departments People on the Move

The United Way of Pioneer Valley held its 93rd annual meeting and celebration recently to elect new board members and honor donors, community partners, volunteers, corporate partners, and employee campaign managers. Bennet Markens, President and CEO of the Markens Group Inc., was elected Chairman of the board. Also:
• Jennifer Endicott, Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President of Baystate Health, was elected Vice Chair;
• Brian Smith Sr., Vice President and Treasurer of People’s United Bank, remains as Treasurer;
• Susan Mielnikowski, attorney with Cooley, Shrair, P.C., remains as board Clerk; and
• Denis Gagnon Jr., Vice President of Excel Dryer Inc., and Michael Mathis, President of MGM Springfield, were elected as new board members for a three-year term. Gagnon was also named chairman of the Resource Development Council, the volunteer fund-raising arm of the United Way. Stephen Spelman, attorney at Egan, Flanagan and Cohen, P.C., was named vice chair of the council.
•••••

Mary Shea

Mary (Fallon) Shea has been promoted to Vice President of digital strategy at Garvey Communication Associates Inc. Shea started her career at GCAi in 2004 as an intern. She later was instrumental in changing the direction of the agency in 2007 toward digital marketing and away from more traditional marketing tactics. Shea was also responsible for GCAi achieving Google Partner status, a designation that reflects the qualification level of agency associates and the volume and quality of the pay-per-click work done by the agency. Shea is a Google AdWords qualified planner, which requires her to pass tests in the areas of AdWords fundamentals, search advertising, display advertising, and video advertising on an annual basis. Shea is a cum laude graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She is vice president of the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts and a member of the Valley Press Club, the New England Financial Marketing Assoc., and the Public Relations Society of America. She was honored among BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2010.
•••••
Lisa Kraus, Western Massachusetts vice president and mortgage sales manager at United Bank in West Springfield, has been named 2015 Affiliate of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. The announcement was made during the association’s annual awards banquet on June 11 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the highest honor given to an affiliate member, the award is bestowed upon one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the organization during the past 17 months in the areas of affiliate-related association activity, community service, and business activity. A member of the Realtor Assoc. since 1999, Kraus is chairperson of the community service committee and a member of the affiliate-Realtor committee. She is an active participant in the association’s many charitable fund-raising efforts, serving as co- chairperson of the annual benefit golf tournament, and the calendar raffle. She chaired the Minute to Win It charitable fund-raising event. She is involved in shopping, wrapping, and delivering gifts to area homeless shelters as part of the association’s activities during the holidays. Kraus is a co-presenter of financing classes as part of the “If the Realtor Had Only Known” series and at the annual Education Fair & Expo. She regularly participates in association membership meetings and networking events. Her business activities include hosting a monthly Meeting of the Minds, a gathering of local lenders, attorneys, and appraisers who come together to discuss real-estate market trends and challenges, and craft potential resolutions. She is also a member of the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts.
•••••
Unemployment Tax Control Associates Inc. (UTCA), a national unemployment-insurance service provider based in Springfield, with offices in Boston and Houston, announced the addition of Carrie Jo Dennis as Vice President of Business Development. Dennis, based in Houston, will be responsible for managing sales and marketing strategies to accommodate corporate goals and will ultimately develop and lead the future sales team. Prior to joining UTCA, Dennis was a client-development consultant for a background screening firm serving the healthcare industry, helping to ensure the safety of patients and staff. She holds a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, holds certifications in Paradigm Sales Training and Integrity Selling Training, and has completed the Franklin Covey Organizational Course.
•••••
Following the firm’s annual stockholder meeting, Tighe & Bond announced the promotion of three of its veteran managers to vice president: Christopher Bone, Antonio da Cruz, and John McClellan:

Christopher Bone

• Bone, who has 22 years of engineering experience and works out of Tighe & Bond’s Westfield office, joined the firm in 1999. Over the years, he has served as an environmental engineer and project manager for numerous high-profile wastewater and water-resources projects. He has overseen the design of numerous new treatment plants, and also has a history of finding innovative and cost-effective solutions for challenging upgrades at existing facilities. Currently, he serves as project manager on a design-build team for a $130 million sludge-dryer facility in Detroit, which will be the largest facility of its kind in North America once constructed. University of Wisconsin at Madison. He is a member of the American Water Works Assoc., the New England Water Works Assoc., and the Water Environment Federation;

Antonio da Cruz

• da Cruz, who has 22 years of engineering experience and works out of Tighe & Bond’s Worcester office, joined the firm in 1993. Over the years, he has served as a civil engineer and project manager who specializes in wastewater, water resources, solid-waste management, and site/civil projects. He has hands-on experience with a wide array of project roles including planning, design, and construction administration. He designs and manages numerous high-profile infrastructure projects for the city of Worcester and the town of Palmer. He formerly served as a member of Ludlow’s Board of Public Works, and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Water Environment Federation, and the New England Water Environment Assoc.;

John McClellan

• McClellan, who has 20 years of engineering experience and works out of Tighe & Bond’s Westfield office, joined the firm in 2000. He specializes in water supply and treatment, water-distribution systems, water-treatment plant upgrades, and environmental modeling. He has performed system-wide water-quality modeling studies and water-treatment process-evaluation studies for major communities and water suppliers throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. He also has managed design- and construction-phase services for numerous water-supply and treatment projects to improve water quality and overall system improvement. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Water Works Assoc. Founded in 1911, Tighe & Bond has offices in Pocasset, Westfield, and Worcester, Mass.; Middletown and Shelton, Conn.; and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
•••••
Amanda Murray has joined the Berkshire Museum staff as the Curator of the Little Cinema. In her new role, Murray will be choosing films for the weekly showings, as well planning special screenings, organizing film-themed talks and events, and improving the moviegoing experience for Little Cinema audiences. “Coming from both the museum world and the independent-film world, I was so excited to learn that the Berkshire Museum is home to a thriving independent cinema. What a rare combination — and a rare opportunity for a film programmer,” said Murray. “In my own life, I’ve relished opportunities to see the latest independent films at festivals and historic, small theaters around the country, and it’s a joy to now be representing and programming such a unique venue for independent film.” Berkshire Museum’s Little Cinema has been showing independent and foreign films for 66 years in downtown Pittsfield. Little Cinema is a single-screen movie theater inside the museum; typically, one first-run independent or foreign film is shown each week. As the film curator, Murray will be developing new initiatives, such as presenting films and film-related programs that complement the museum’s exhibitions and support its mission to create inspiring connections among art, history, and natural science.
•••••

Sandy Weicher

Comcast Cable announced that Sandy Weicher has been appointed Vice President of Customer Care for the company’s Western New England Region, which includes Western Mass., Connecticut, New York, Vermont, and Western New Hampshire. In this role, Weicher will be responsible for delivering a positive experience for Comcast customers across the region and will oversee day-to-day management of the company’s regional call centers located in Enfield, Conn., and South Burlington, Vt. Weicher will work closely with her team to implement the company’s recently announced multi-year strategy to transform the customer experience. Weicher has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and has worked at Comcast for more than a decade. She comes to the Western New England Region after serving as vice president of care for the company’s Freedom Region, which includes Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs, New Jersey, and Northern Delaware. Prior to that, she worked as area vice president for the Greater Chicago Region’s north area, where she was responsible for the network operations, repair, installation, and technical operations teams providing video, high-speed Internet, and voice services to the area’s customers. Weicher is a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) and received the Greater Chicago Chapter’s Breaking the Mold Award and Mentoring Award. She is also a graduate of WICT’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute and Comcast’s Field Executive Boot Camp. Additionally, she previously served as president of the Indiana Cable Television Assoc., held a board member position with the Chicago Urban League, and was a fellow in Leadership Philadelphia, a nonprofit community-service organization.

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Baker, Francis P.
Baker, Jacqueline T.
40 Hardwick Road
Gilbertville, MA 01031
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/15

Barabolkin, Alexander
90 Frederick St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/15

Bastardo, Cipriana
1122 St. James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/15

Blomstrom, Eric T.
Blomstrom, Sandra G.
a/k/a Mainville, Sandra G.
P.O. Box 835
Bondsville, MA 01009
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/15

Boulay, Jeffrey
Boulay, Amy L.
a/k/a Korytko, Amy
14 Bacon Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/15

Brandley, Peter Jeff
Brandley, Jessika Louise
6 Union St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/11/15

Chung, Lychien
13 Mosher St., Apt. 5
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/15

Cote, Kristen M.
63 Estabrook St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/15

DalMolin, MaryAnn
325 Beacon Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/15

Duprey, Paul
1G Park Villa Dr.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/15

Eddie O’s Properties
Orcutt, Edward Minor
Orcutt, Leann Mary
40 North Lane
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/15

Ellis, Faith
a/k/a Tyrell, Faith
216 Marsden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/15

Farrow, Carmen
63 Hope St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/15

Fontanilles, Michelle M.
a/k/a Pleva, Michelle M.
422 Southwick Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/15

Fortin, Charles
Fortin, Debra
215 Silver St.
Granville, MA 01034
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/05/15

Funai, David C.
34 Mattoon St., 3rd Fl.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/15

Gaudino’s Auto Repairing
Gaudino, Charles P.
PO Box 435
West Springfield, MA 01090
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/11/15

Gaulin, Sheri L.
19 Five Bridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/15

Giancaterino, Jessica Ann
131 Mechanic St.
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/15

Grabowski, Timothy M.
120 Greenacre Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/03/15

Grogan, Kathleen P.
150 Oakland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/15

Hamel, Jacob R.
Hamel, Carolyn H.
215 Royalston Road
Phillipston, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/15

Hatfield, Shauna E.
11 Wells Park Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/11/15

Herrera, Antonio
30 Mountain View Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/15

Hoffman, Ellen M.
320 Hatfield St., Apt. C
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/15

Jordan, Samantha L
a/k/a Parmenter, Samantha L.
4 Culdaff St., Apt. L
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/15

Kennedy, Joseph F.
105 Estabrook St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/15

Lacey, Karen A.
69 Anita Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/15

Lawrence, John E.
197 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/15

Mackay, Tanya
19 Hillside St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/15

Matos, Anna S.
36 Leete St.
P.O. Box 4038
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/15

Morgan, Michael Clifford
37 Lafayette St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/15

Parmenter, Michael E.
1123 Burts Pit Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/15

Parrott, Matthew J.
6 Cedar Lane
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/15

Peyman, Malcolm C.
27 Hewitt St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/15

Preston, Jessica Elizabeth
a/k/a Ritter, Jessica
239 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/15

Presz, Donna E.
59 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/15

Rattet, Sarah B.
147 Adams Dr.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/15

Reardon, Bernice M.
603 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/15

Roberts, Christopher H.
Roberts, Betheny M.
PO Box 774
Bernardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/15

Schwartz, Lawrence I.
Schwartz, Bernice L.
249 Redfern Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/15

Seddon, Eric C.
Seddon, Dana
a/k/a Willette, Dana M.
33 Arnold Place
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/15

Smith, Jackie L.
11 Goshen Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/15

Sullivan, Jacqueline M.
a/k/a Shaw, Jacqueline M.
80 Regency Park Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/15

Vezina, Judy Ann
78 Hill St., 1st Floor
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/15

Vincent, Mitchell W.
Vincent, Donna T.
281 Chauncey Walker St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/11/15

Vogel, Kathleen M.
10 Memory Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/15

Voight, Teri Marie
70 Arthur St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/15

Waterman, Patrick Anthony
45 Enterprise St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/03/15

West, Sandra P.
50 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/15

Whipple, Robert A.
58 Washington Ave.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/15

Williamson, Maxwell N.
Williamson, Kathleen M.
31 Summer St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/15

Woodward, Daniel R.
6 Power Ave
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/03/15

Briefcase

Briefcase Departments

Baystate Finalizes Noble Hospital Acquisition
WESTFIELD — The trustees of Baystate Health and Noble Hospital announced that Noble and its affiliated entities are now part of Baystate Health. The hospital is now known as Baystate Noble Hospital and will join Baystate’s team of community hospitals in Greenfield, Palmer, and Ware. Ronald Bryant, currently president and CEO of Noble Hospital, will accept the position of president of Baystate Noble Hospital, in accordance with Baystate Health’s structure for its community-hospital leadership. Bryant will report to Dennis Chalke, senior vice president of Community Hospitals for Baystate Health. “We’re proud to welcome Noble and its team members to the Baystate family and to bring their proud tradition of outstanding, compassionate care into our organization,” said Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health. “Now, we’ll move on to the most important part of this change: advancing the quality, access, and value of care provided to the Westfield community.” As president of Baystate Noble, Bryant will continue to provide strategic, executive, and operational leadership for the hospital, which offers a variety of inpatient and outpatient services including medical, surgical, pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac, and emergency services for more than 100,000 local residents. “For me, this is a new phase and an extension of an already-strong relationship,” said Bryant. “From heart-attack care to neurosciences to obstetrics, the Noble community has a long-standing and thriving relationship with Baystate Health. I’m honored to be able to play a part in this new relationship — and step forward — in service of the Westfield community’s health.” Added Chalke, “Ron has led Noble to success in the most challenging of environments for community hospitals. We’re very pleased to work with him as we continue our efforts to provide as much care as possible close to home, effectively and efficiently, for our communities in Western Massachusetts.” Baystate continues its tradition of upholding the histories of partner organizations that endure in their names, Chalke noted. “We’re very pleased to honor the memory of Reuben Noble and continue to provide the outstanding care that patients have come to expect from Noble.” Bryant earned his undergraduate degree from Assumption College and has a master’s degree in health administration from St. Joseph’s College. He also is a licensed certified public accountant. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Mass. Hospital Assoc. board of trustees. Noble has about 750 employees who will join Baystate Health’s team of 11,500 across Western Mass. Noble Hospital trustees Robert Bacon and Harriet DeVerry will join the Baystate Health board of trustees as representatives of Noble and its community. Baystate Noble will not retain a separate board of trustees. Noble Hospital has served the Greater Westfield community since 1893, when Westfield native Reuben Noble bequeathed a large portion of his estate to establish a local hospital. The original hospital had 20 beds and was staffed by eight physicians. The Nurses’ Training School opened in 1905 and graduated 144 nurses before closing in 1936. In 1958, a new hospital was built featuring updated facilities and equipment. Noble Hospital has seen many changes in its 122 years, including new service lines, state-of-the-art medical enhancements, and facility additions and improvements. The new Baystate Noble Hospital name and logo will be integrated into all signage and materials in the weeks to come. The Noble Visiting Nurse & Hospice logo has also been updated to reflect its connection to Baystate Health.

MGM Springfield Seeks One-year Delay
SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will consider a formal request by MGM Springfield to delay the opening of its South End resort casino by one year. MGM Springfield President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Mathis appeared before the commission recently to discuss the request. He cited, as the main reason, the rehabilitation of the Interstate 91 viaduct through downtown Springfield — a project expected to last into the summer of 2018. The casino was originally expected to open in late 2017, and Mathis said opening a casino during viaduct construction is not feasible. MGM is asking to open the casino in September 2018, or one month after the completion of viaduct work. The I-91 project is expected to limit the number of lanes in both directions, creating considerable traffic. Initial viaduct work is expected to start this July, with ramp and lane closures beginning in late fall. The Gaming Commission, which must sign off on any change in the casino construction schedule, could make a decision on at its July meeting.

Jobless Rate Unchanged in New England in May
BOSTON — The New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released New England and state unemployment numbers for May 2015. These data are supplied by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor-force data for census regions and divisions, states, counties, metropolitan areas, and many cities, by place of residence. Among highlights in the release:
• The New England unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.9% in May. One year ago, the New England jobless rate was higher, at 6.0%.
• Four New England states posted jobless rates that were significantly different from the U.S. rate of 5.5%. Vermont (3.6%), New Hampshire (3.8%), Massachusetts (4.6%), and Maine (4.7%) recorded lower-than-average unemployment rates.
• Over the last year, five New England states recorded statistically significant unemployment rate decreases with declines ranging from 2.0% in Rhode Island to 0.4% in Vermont. In fact, Rhode Island had the largest jobless-rate decline nationwide.

State Lowers Business Rate for Workers’ Compensation
BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration will reduce the assessment employers pay to the state on workers’ compensation insurance policies by 0.05%, offering companies some tax relief. For fiscal year 2016, employers will pay an assessment on their total insurance premium of 5.75%, which is remitted to the state. The previous rate was 5.8%. The new rate went into effect July 1. The Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) administers the workers’ compensation insurance system and annually establishes assessment rates. “After reviewing the current assessment rate and the economic outlook for next year, we recommended lowering the rate. This will further support businesses, and anything we can do to support businesses and spur job growth is a very good thing,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II. The Massachusetts workers’ compensation system is in place to make sure workers are protected by insurance if they are injured on the job or develop a work-related illness. Under this system, all employers in Massachusetts are required by state law to carry workers’ compensation insurance covering their employees, including themselves if they are an employee of their company. The insurance pays for any reasonable and necessary medical treatment for job-related injury or illness, pays compensation for lost wages after the first five calendar days of full or partial disability, and in some cases provides retraining for employees who qualify. DIA is funded through assessments on workers’ compensation policies and self-insurance programs for employers operating in Massachusetts. In addition, DIA collects statutory fines and fees. DIA also acts as a court system responsible for resolving disputed workers’ compensation claims, overseeing and adjudicating about 12,000 disputed cases each year.

Employers Grapple with Earned Sick Leave Law
SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey filed final regulations on June 19 regarding the new Earned Sick Leave Law that took effect this month, leaving employers with only eight business days to make payroll and policy changes to stay in compliance of the law. The final regulations addressed questions about the law’s ambiguities that have been raised throughout the Commonwealth, including several by local employment-law attorney Kimberly Klimczuk, partner at Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. Klimczuk testified before the attorney general during the public hearing in Springfield in May, advocating for employers. “This public-notice and comment period offered by the attorney general was our opportunity to gain clarity on behalf of employers,” said Klimczuk. “Over the last six months, I have presented to almost a dozen groups of human-resource professionals and clients that had questions not clearly answered within the law or previously issued regulations.” Klimczuk brought the questions to the attention of the attorney general so that ambiguities could be addressed within the final regulations. The final regulations clarified several issues, such as whether sick leave can be used concurrently with leave taken pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act or other leave laws, whether differential pay would be included in sick pay, and whether policies that condition holiday pay on attendance the day before and the day after the holiday would be acceptable under the non-retaliation provisions of the law. “I was impressed with how responsive the attorney general and her staff were to employer concerns,” she said. “Many of the issues I raised at the public hearing were explicitly addressed in the final regulations, such as the provision about holiday policies, which was a huge relief to many of my clients. While not everything was resolved in exactly the way we had hoped, in many areas, we at least have the information we need to provide a definitive answer to our clients’ questions.” Still, given the short period of time between the issuance of the final regulations and the effective date of the law, many employers have been scrambling to make the policy changes necessary to come into compliance.

Census Pinpoints State’s Oldest, Youngest Counties
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Based on median age, the U.S. Census Bureau recently reported on which counties in Massachusetts had the oldest populations and which had the youngest. The U.S. median age ticked up from 37.6 on July 1, 2013 to 37.7 on July 1, 2014. These estimates examine population changes among groups by age, sex, race, and national origin, as well as in all states and counties, between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2014. The counties in Massachusetts with the highest median age on July 1, 2014 were Barnstable at 52, Dukes at 46.7, and Berkshire at 46.1. This means that half the population was older than this age, and half younger. The youngest counties — that is, those with the lowest median age — were Suffolk at 32.4, Hampshire at 35.7, and Middlesex at 38.4. As the nation aged, so did most counties in Massachusetts, with the exception of Norfolk, Essex, Nantucket, Hampden, and Middlesex, where the median age remained the same between 2013 and 2014. Nationally, non-Hispanic, single-race whites represented the largest group in 2014, at 197.9 million. Hispanics were next, with a population of 55.4 million, followed by blacks, at 45.7 million, Asians (20.3 million), American Indians and Alaska natives (6.5 million), and native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (1.5 million). In Massachusetts, there were 3,144,704 non-Hispanic single-race whites. Other races, alone or in combination, included 731,206 Hispanics, 639,843 blacks, 475,356 Asians, 69,207 American Indians or Alaska natives, and 14,205 native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders. Unless otherwise specified, the statistics refer to the population who reported a race alone or in combination with one or more races. Censuses and surveys permit respondents to select more than one race; consequently, people may be one race or a combination of races. The sum of the populations for the five ‘race alone or in combination’ groups adds to more than the total population because individuals may report more than one race.

Classic Cars Return to Springfield This Summer
SPRINGFIELD — The Duryea Motor Wagon Co., the first American firm to build gasoline automobiles, had its beginnings in Springfield back in 1895. Now classic and antique cars are making their way back to Springfield for Cruise Night, occurring every Monday this summer. The event offers not only classic and antique cars, but also great music and delicious food. “I was thrilled that downtown could play host to Cruise Night,” said Chris Russell, executive director of the Springfield Business Improvement District. “With all the history of the automobile in Springfield, we thought it only made sense to have a car show. If you love the classic automobiles as much as I do, please join us next Monday night. And if you have a classic car of your own, don’t forget to register, too.” Cruise Night at Stearns Square features classic and antique cars that are 20 years or older. Individuals who want to register a car may do so beginning at 5 p.m. Registration is on Worthington Street across from Stearns Square. Registration fees are currently being waived. At the end of each night, trophies will be awarded. For more information, visit springfielddowntown.com/cruise-night.

ACCGS Seeks Super 60 Nominations
SPRINGFIELD — The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) is seeking nominations for its annual Super 60 awards program, sponsored by Berkshire Bank and WWLP-TV 22. Now in its 26th year, the awards program celebrates the success of the fastest-growing privately owned businesses in the region. Each year, the program identifies the top-performing companies in revenue growth and total revenue. Last year, total revenue winners combined for revenues of over $1 billion with an average revenue of more than $35 million. One-third of the winners in the revenue-growth category experienced growth in excess of 50%, with the average growth of all the honorees in that category at more than 49%. To be considered, companies must be based in Hampden or Hampshire county or be a member of the ACCGS, report revenues of at least $1 million in the last fiscal year, be an independent and privately owned company, and have been in business for at least three full years. Companies are selected based on their percentage of revenue growth over a full three-year period or total revenues for the latest fiscal year. Companies may be nominated by financial institutions, attorneys, or accountants, or be self-nominated. Companies must submit a nomination form and provide net-operating-revenue figures for the last three full fiscal years, signed and verified by an independent auditor. All financial information must be reported under generally accepted accounting principles and will be held and considered confidential and not released without prior approval. Nomination forms are available by contacting Kara Cavanaugh at [email protected] or (413) 755-1310. Nominations must be submitted no later than Aug. 14. The Super 60 awards will be presented at the annual luncheon and recognition program on Oct. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam.

Report Outlines State Underemployment Stats
BOSTON — The New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released “Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization in Massachusetts 2014,” with data supplied by the Current Population Survey (CPS) program, a monthly survey of households conducted by the Bureau of Census for the BLS. The comprehensive body of data includes labor force, employment, unemployment, persons not in the labor force, hours of work, earnings, and other demographic and labor-force characteristics. Among the highlights from the release:
• In 2014, the broadest measure of labor underutilization, designated U-6 (which includes the unemployed, workers employed part-time for economic reasons, and those marginally attached to the labor force), was 11.5% in Massachusetts, down from 13.2% in 2013. Nationally, the U-6 rate averaged 12.0% in 2014.
• As measured by U-3 (the official concept of unemployment, which includes all jobless persons who are available to take a job and have actively sought work in the past four weeks), the unemployment rate in Massachusetts was 5.8%. By comparison, 6.2% of the labor force was unemployed nationally.
• Massachusetts had 204,800 unemployed residents in 2014 according to the CPS, and another 164,300 were employed part-time for economic reasons (also known as involuntary part-time). These individuals worked part-time because of slack work or business conditions, or because they were unable to find a full-time job. Nationwide, there were 7.2 million individuals working part-time for economic reasons in 2014.
• Discouraged workers, included among the marginally attached, are persons who are not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. In 2014, there were 13,500 discouraged workers in Massachusetts.
• In 2014, Massachusetts was among the 23 states where all six measures of underutilization significantly decreased over the year.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook Departments

United Personnel Earns Champions of Hope Award
SPRINGFIELD — United Personnel received the Champions of Hope Award at the 93rd United Way Annual Celebration & Meeting at Chez Josef in Agawam. The Champions of Hope Award is given to a local organization that demonstrates commitment and drive to support various community-based initiatives. The recipient of this award is recognized for its commitment to community relationships and initiative. “We are so honored to receive the Champions of Hope Award, and appreciate being part of various community initiatives, including the work of the United Way, to make Western Massachusetts a great place to live and work for all in our region,” said United Personnel President Tricia Canavan. Founded in 1984, United Personnel connects more than 700 people with jobs throughout Western Mass. and beyond. From temporary and contract work to direct-hire placement, United provides clients with staffing solutions in a variety of industries and fields, including professional, administrative, medical, and light-industrial placement and vendor-on-premise project management. A local, woman-owned business, United Personnel has received various awards throughout its history, including Champions of Hope from United Way, Businesswoman of Distinction Award from Pioneer Valley Girl Scouts, Inner City 100 list by Inc. magazine, list of 500 Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies in America by Inc. magazine, Super 60/Fabulous 50 Away by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and Top 100 Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts from Babson College and Commonwealth Institute.

Greenfield Savings, Baystate Franklin Auxiliary Boost BFMC Campaign
GREENFIELD — The “Keeping Care Local” campaign for Baystate Franklin Medical Center, now underway to raise community support for the hospital’s new surgery building, received a recent boost with two large pledges of support. Greenfield Savings Bank made a commitment of $250,000, and the Baystate Franklin Auxiliary pledged $200,000 to the campaign. These gifts bring the total raised to date to $3.5 million, with the campaign well on track toward reaching its $5 million goal. In thanking these two major donors, campaign co-chair Robbie Cohn noted that their gifts and others are a clear reflection of the community’s confidence in its local hospital. “We have a wonderful opportunity to make our community even better as we work together to raise the funds that will raise the building and provide state-of-the-art surgical suites. This facility will help us keep our fine surgeons who are already on staff, while attracting additional new doctors to Franklin County so that we can offer the best possible patient care.” John Howland, president of Greenfield Savings Bank, added that “Baystate Franklin Medical Center serves as a cornerstone of our community. Having a strong, local hospital improves the quality of services where we live and enhances the long-term health of the Franklin County community. The responsibility of supporting this fine institution rests on all of us, individuals and businesses alike. We see this contribution as an investment in the continuing well-being of our neighbors, and in the bright future we envision for Greenfield and Franklin County.” Speaking for the Baystate Franklin Auxiliary, President Diane Grybko explained that the auxiliary’s purpose is to support the hospital with funds raised through its gift shop, sales, and other events. “Our families and friends have all been touched by Baystate Franklin, and everyone in our community will benefit from this new surgery facility,” she said. “Some of our volunteers, who serve as greeters for patients and families here for day surgery, were actually involved in its planning. So this is a very personal investment for us, and one we are proud to make.” The “Keeping Care Local” campaign has more than 30 volunteers working toward reaching the $5 million goal. They are meeting with friends and neighbors throughout the area to share information and raise people’s awareness about services now available at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, plans for the hospital’s future, and how to get involved. The overall cost of building and equipping the new surgical wing at Baystate Franklin Medical Center is $26 million, with Baystate Health committing $21 million through capital and bonds. To learn about the project and campaign, call Kelli Rafferty Barry, Philanthropy officer, at (413) 773-2763.

Doing Business as Certificates

DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of June 2015.

AGAWAM

Mannahatta
270 Main St.
Carlos Garcia

Rondinelli Accounting Services
11 Memory Lane
Anthony Rondinelli

Uplifted Vapor Supplies
499 Springfield St.
Christian Henriques

CHICOPEE

M & M Consulting & Engineering
69 Truro St.
Richard Mongeau

Michelle Langan Photography
24 Percy St.
Michelle Langan

Westover Tailor Shop
291 Hercules Road
Hyang Huang

Ziemba Tax Service
214 Exchange St.
David Ziemba

HOLYOKE

City Zone Supermarket
328 Appleton St.
Sahar Katoom

Crazy & Gymboree Retail Stores Inc.
50 Holyoke St.
The Pyramid Companies

Family Market
81 Northbridge St.
Jose T. Almonte

Fini’s Ice Cream
2 Fini Road
Dianne M. Sutherland-Fini

Las Chicas Market
341 Appleton St.
Khuram Abbasi

Paper City Car Wash
990 Main St.
Bryan A. Marcotte

Saints Bounce House
134 Cabot St.
Steven A. St. Amand

SHLLC Network & Computer Services
12 Winterberry Circle
Michael Mastroianni

Spear Reign Comics
6 Portland St.
Christian Alvarez

Sports Authority
50 Holyoke St.
Michael E. Foss

The Hair Place
103 Chapin St.
Ronald E. Holland

Windsor Realty, LLC
149 Essex St.
Lucjan Hronowski

NORTHAMPTON

Damon Road Rentals
96 Damon Road
Evelyn Mock

Find
42 Maple St.
Cynthia Crooks-Garcia

Glamourama
7 Old South St.
Rosa Guerra

Patios Plus
91 Laurel Park
Eric Tirrell

Roland’s Motor Works
504 Easthampton Road
Roland Tessier

Sakura & Vegan Palate
261 King St.
Yi Q. Chen

The Green Groomer
123 Hawley St.
Russell Brooks

PALMER

Linc’s Plumbing and Heating
21 Wilbraham St.
Lincoln Tetreault

Palmer Animal Hospital
1028 Thorndike St.
VCA Animal Hospital Inc.

Syriac General Contracting
49 Belanger St.
Wyatt Syriac

SPRINGFIELD

A & C Property Management
490 White St.
Christopher W. Dube

Ace Asphalt Maintenance
63 Doyle Ave.
James Gordon

AEB & Company
233 Senator St.
Maria Sombe-Baraka

All Musician
49 Garcia St.
Andre Robinson

Bannon & Ferrari Granite
874 Berkshire Ave.
Ruben Sousa

Blooming Beauties
144 Glenwood St.
Lourdes M. Cortez

Blue Moon Bodywork
432 Newbury St.
Qiao H. Zhao

Brother’s Construction
39 Longview St.
Luis Cartagena

Brotherhood on the Move
157 Jamaica St.
Darryl Moss

Byron E. May Cleaning
425 Sumner Ave.
Byron E. May

Central Barbershop
118 State St.
Carlos A. Colon

Chambers Kajukenbo
528 Main St.
Brandon Scott

Commonwealth Community
79 Thompson St.
Paul Jones

Craig Masonry
67 Arden St.
Robert M. Craig

CSX Cleaning
114 Hampden St.
Hestor Rusinique

Dan’s Car Hauler
569 Wilbraham Road
Danil Byunovskiy

Derderian Motion Pictures
57 Rittenhouse Terrace
Matthew John

Eaton Construction
15 Wells Ave.
Melvin E. Eaton

Egyptian Musk Outlet
816 Carew St.
Terence L. Williams

El Caribeno Restaurant
858 State St.
Juan C. Rodriguez

FCB Insurance Services
1 Federal St.
Michael Daggett

Florr
1655 Main St.
Jaritza Rosario

Game Hunters
511 Belmont Ave.
Vien Nguyen

Gerardo Barbershop
182 Oakland St.
Gerardo Antonio

Gianna Salon
1209 Parker St.
Tammy A. Shepard

Godus
1655 Boston Road
Sarah E. Jackson

Grandparents N’ Charge
174 Russell St.
Gloria Williams

Gujjar, LLC
447 State St.
Malook Singh

Ho Mei Chinese Restaurant
852 Main St.
Qibiao Zheng

Incorporations

Departments Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Redeemed Christian Church of God Inc., 33 Kellogg Ave., Amherst, MA 01002. Kekeletso Mohasi, same. Church.

CHICOPEE

Iklim Inc., 76 Main St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Murat Citlak, 231 Howard St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Pizza shop.

She-Rock Interiors Inc., 19C Ames Ave., Chicopee, MA 01013. Jennifer Cavaliere, same. WBE construction company.

EASTHAMPTON

Arnould Inc., 181 Northampton St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Vicki Arnould, same. Family therapy practice.

FLORENCE

Blueway Art Alliance Inc., 50 Ladyslipper Lane, Florence, MA 01062. Kathleen D. Jacobs, same. Nonprofit education in arts.

Simply Serenity @ Franki’s Inc., 40 Main St., Suite 102, Florence, MA 01062. Salon and spa.

GRANBY

Pearl Construction Partners Inc., 58 Morgan St., Granby, MA 01033. John M. Lukasik, same. Construction.

HATFIELD

All Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., 93 Elm St., Hatfield, MA 01038. David B. Lampron, same. HVAC services.

Tempasure Inc., 139 Main St., Hatfield, MA 01038. Gregory C. Schurch, same. Sales and marketing.

HOLLAND

Halfway Home Cat Rescue Inc., 11 White Road, Holland, MA 01521. Robin Fiskaa, same. Cat shelTerrace

HOLLAND

Christians Chaplains Shama Inc., 172 Sargeant St., second floor, Holyoke, MA 01040. Efrain Ortiz Minister, same. Church organization.

Duygu Inc., 420 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Necmi Kupuc, same. Pizza restaurant.

SPRINGFIELD

Hora Zero Media Group Corporation, 156 Florence St., Springfield, MA 01105. Evelyn Edwards, same. Christian media network.

Iglesia Pentacostal Bajo La Uncion Del Santo Inc., 111 Renee Circle, Springfield, MA 01105. Adrian Lopez, same. Church organization.

Gas Prices at Lowest Levels Since Mid-May

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Drivers paid an average of $2.83 per gallon for regular gasoline over the past two weeks, the lowest prices since may 15, according to Lundberg Survey Inc.

Prices slid 1.66 cents in the peiod through July 10 and were down 3.34 cents since June 12. Gas was cheapest in Jackson, Miss, at $2.42 a gallon, and most expensive in Los Angeles at $3.66. Last week, the average in Massachusetts was $2.75. Prices reteated as falling crude oil prices reduced refiners’ costs for producing motor fuel.

Greenfield Mayor Addresses Harvard Symposium

GREENFIELD — Mayor William Martin presented the city’s Municipal Broadband Plan on July 8 during a Massachusetts Municipal Light Plant symposium hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University Law School.

More than 80 municipal and state officials representing over a dozen cities and towns in the Commonwealth were in attendance. Fernando Fleury, IT manager for the city of Greenfield, and Daniel Kelley, the mayor’s technology advisor and principal of Kelley Management Group Inc., also joined the mayor on the panel.

Martin’s presentation centered on the city’s quest for further independence as demonstrated in Greenfield’s electrical aggregation program, among other initiatives. The mayor also unveiled the unique features of the city’s Municipal Broadband Plan, which includes 1Gbps fiber and wireless broadband for all residents, businesses, and government agencies that call Greenfield home.

Many of the symposium attendees expressed interest in the mayor’s Municipal Broadband Plan because of its approach to supporting the requirements of fiber-reliant, high-demand businesses along with the mobile broadband requirements of today’s society. Most attendees represented communities pursuing municipal broadband or preparing plans to do so.

A disjointed process, unclear state policies, and regulatory governance questions dominated the Q & A portions that immediately followed each community presentation. Community representatives were asked to contribute to the takeaways from the day-long dialogue to the Berkman Center’s final report.

Help the United Way Stuff the Bus for Kids

HOLYOKE — The United Way of Pioneer Valley, in partnership with Peter Pan Bus Co., is collecting school supplies to fill more than 1,300 backpacks for children who are homeless in Springfield, Holyoke, Westfield, Chicopee, West Springfield, and South Hadley.

From July 24 to Aug. 8, local companies and stores will hold collection drives for donations of school supplies (locations and dates to be determined). Backpacks will be delivered right to the schools. The Stuff the Bus kickoff event will be held on Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m. at the Holyoke Mall.

The 2015 Stuff the Bus sponsors include Amica Insurance, the city of Springfield, Comcast, Excel Dryer, Health New England, Lenox Industrial Tools, Staples Foundation, and Westfield Bank. The 2015 community partners are Holyoke Mall, MassMutual Financial Group, Merriam-Webster, Six Flags Great Adventures, and Westover Job Corps.

Seminar Proposals Sought for Western Mass. Business Expo

SPRINGFIELD — Organizers of the 2015 Western Mass. Business Expo, presented by Comcast Business, are seeking proposals from those interested in presenting educational seminars at the annual show. This year’s event, set for Nov. 4 at the MassMutual Center, is expected to attract more than 2,000 business professionals.

The show will feature a number of seminars to be presented during the course of the day. Presentations should be 45 minutes in length, be interactive, and give business owners and managers insight and actionable ideas to take back to their office or plant.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, July 24. Proposals may be sent to [email protected].

2016 Update to Regional Transportation Plan Now Available

SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission announced that the draft version of the 2016 update to the Regional Transportation Plan for the Pioneer Valley (RTP) is now available for public review and comment.

The RTP outlines the direction of transportation planning and improvements for the Pioneer Valley through the year 2040. Updated every four years, it provides the basis for all state- and federally funded transportation-improvement projects and planning studies. The long-range plan concentrates on both existing needs and anticipated future deficiencies in transportation infrastructure, presents preferred strategies to alleviate transportation problems, and creates a schedule of transportation-improvement projects that are financially constrained.

Prepared in concert with regional goals and objectives and the federal Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) legislation, the RTP plays a vital role in the advancement of transportation projects and policies for the region. New information included in the RTP update includes:

• A 30-page executive summary providing an overview of the RTP process and a sampling of high-priority transportation-improvement projects included as part of the draft plan;

• Seven problem statements, developed in consultation with a series of regional focus groups, to define the overarching issues that must be addressed through the implementation of the RTP; and

• A series of 17 regional performance targets to serve as indicators of how well the Metropolitan Planning Organization is doing in advancing the goals of the RTP.

Two public meetings to solicit public comments on the draft Regional Transportation Plan are scheduled for 7 p.m. at the following locations:

• Tuesday, July 14 at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, 60 Congress St., Springfield; and

• Thursday, July 16 at Northampton City Hall, City Council chambers, 210 Main St., Northampton.

A third meeting for local elected officials is scheduled for Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m. at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission office. These meetings are an opportunity to learn about the transportation planning and project-development processes and to comment on the draft version of the RTP. Transportation staff will also be available for questions and comments.

Copies of the draft RTP are available for public review online at www.pvpc.org. Public comments are encouraged and may be submitted in person at the public meetings, or in writing until 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 23 to the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, attention: Gary Roux.

Seminar Proposals Sought for Western Mass. Business Expo

SPRINGFIELD — Organizers of the 2015 Western Mass. Business Expo, presented by Comcast Business, are seeking proposals from those interested in presenting educational seminars at the annual show.

This year’s event, set for Nov. 4 at the MassMutual Center, is expected to attract more than 2,000 business professionals. The show will feature a number of seminars to be presented during the course of the day. Presentations should be 45 minutes in length, be interactive, and give business owners and managers insight and actionable ideas to take back to their office or plant.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, July 24. Proposals may be sent to [email protected].

YWCA of Western Massachusetts Announces New Board Members

SPRINGFIELD — The YWCA of Western Massachusetts board of directors met recently and elected the following individuals: Ann Donah, director of Development for Easter Seals Massachusetts; Nicole Griffin, president of Griffin Staffing Network; Pastor Gail Hill of Family Church in Springfield; Arlene Rodriquez, dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Springfield Technical Community College; attorney Deborah Saremi, general counsel of Future Health, LLC and Saremi, LLP Property Management Co.; Jamina Scippio-McFadden, director of Marketing & Community Relations at the UMass Center at Springfield; and Nancy Urbschat, principal and owner of TSM Design. Ann Turnberg, Coldwell Banker and president of the YWCA board of directors, was elected for a second term.

Bright Nights Offers Ticket Savings During 12 Days of Christmas in July

SPRINGFIELD — From July 12 to July 24, Bright Nights at Forest Park will celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas in July with the sale of discounted tickets.

During this 12-day period, businesses, groups, organizations, and individuals can purchase Bright Nights admission tickets for the best price of the year. Tickets will be $12 each with a minimum order of 12 tickets. Tickets will be good for admission of a car, van, truck, or mini-bus (seating capacity of fewer than 17) during the 2015 season.

The 12 Days of Christmas promotion for Bright Nights, the Northeast’s premier holiday lighting experience, provide a savings of as much as $9 off weekend and holiday admission and $6 off weeknights.

Bright Nights at Forest Park’s 21st season will open Nov. 25 and operate through Jan. 3, 2016, closing on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. It is a collaborative effort between the Spirit of Springfield, a private, nonprofit organization, and the Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management. The three-mile experience winds through historic Forest Park, past displays including Toy Land, Winter Woods, North Pole Village, Seuss Land, Barney Mansion, and more.

For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call the Spirit of Springfield at (413) 733-3800.

Freedom Credit Union Announces Board Appointments, New Hires

By BusinessWest Staff July 9, 2015