Day: November 2, 2015

2015 WMBExpo Show Guide

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WMBExpoFeature1015b
Cover Story Events WMBExpo

Wednesday, November 4, 2015
MassMutual Center, Springfield

WMBExpo 2015 LOGOWMBExpoGuide2015sponsors2

The big day is almost here.

And by big, Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest, means big. That’s the easiest and perhaps the best way to describe the fifth edition of the Western Mass. Business Expo, produced by BusinessWest and HCN.

It will be big in terms of size and scope — more than 2,500 attendees are expected, and there will be more than 125 businesses exhibiting — and also in its impact when it comes to showcasing the region’s business community and providing the invaluable insight needed to thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy.

And, as always, it will be very big with regard to creating networking opportunities.

“We like to say this show is all about creating connections,” said Campiti. “And connections come in many forms. People can connect with other business owners, they can connect with local and state agencies that provide needed assistance, and they can connect with concepts about how to become better at what they do.”

WMBExpoGuide2015-1Go HERE to view the 2015 WMBExpo Show Guide

The show, which will kick off with the Springfield Regional Chamber’s November breakfast, featuring keynoter Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery, will feature more than eight hours of programs that will be informative, educational, and inspirational, and will bring together popular elements from Expos past and introduce some new ones.

In that first category, will be informative seminars, more than dozen of them, in tracks ranging from sales and marketing to ‘hottest trends’; a popular retail corridor; a pitch contest staged by Valley Venture Mentors; and the event-capping Expo Social, one of the region’s best networking events.

In that latter category will be a multi-faceted focus on the region’s precision manufacturing sector and the workforce challenges facing it. That focus includes robotics and machine tooling demonstrations; exhibits created by area vocational students on the various tools or their trade and ongoing efforts to forge partnerships with area manufacturers; and a luncheon program featuring Alison Lands, senior manager in Deloitte’s Strategy & Operations practice.

Business Expo Looks to Build Momentum for Manufacturing

She served as a co-author and editor of the New England Council and Deloitte’s recently published report, Advanced to Advantageous: The Case for New England’s Manufacturing Revolution, and her talk will be focused on that document.

This year’s pitch contest will have a new and intriguing twist. This year’s event, which represents a partnership between VVM, the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., the Small Business Administration, and entrepreneur sponsor Meyers Brothers Kalicka, will feature the debut of the InnovateHER pitch competition.

The InnovateHER Challenge is a national prize competition aimed at unearthing products and services that impact and empower women and families through local business competitions. The winner of the Nov. 4 VVM Pitch Contest will advance to the next round of the national InnovateHER competition, with a chance to compete for $70,000 in prize money.

The five contestants at the VVM competition, who will have booths at what’s known as Startup Row and thus can be visited throughout the day, and will stage a preview of their pitches on the Show Floor Theater from 1 to 1:30 p.m., are:

• AuthenFOOD, which enables customers to order food online and reviews local chefs and bakers;
• Bhlue Publishing, LLC, which provides career guidance for young people that focuses on success without a four-year degree;
• Do+Make Business District, an online community and school for what it calls “solopreneurs escaping the 9-5”;
• Hot Oven Cookies, which promises to “deliver comfort in a cookie”; and
• Wonder Crew, a toy company that “offers boys a more expansive play experience, one where they can be strong and emotionally connected.”

Expo attendees will have the opportunity to choose which of those five they think will prevail in the competition. Those who guess correctly will win a beverage for the social.

The region’s healthcare sector will be prominently displayed at the Expo, with a designated corridor. It will be populated by Holyoke Medical Center, HealthSouth, MedExpress Urgent Care, Porchlight VNA/Home Care (which willk be offering flu shots), Ex Physical Therapy, and many other area companies.

A returning feature will be the Retail Corridor, which made a popular debut in 2014. It will feature a host of area companies featuring holiday gift items in a range of categories, from therapeutic massage to chocolate; cosmetics to jewelry; fruit baskets to Springfield Falcons tickets.

Meanwhile, new this year is the Business Support Center, which, as that name would suggest, features a number of exhibiting economic-development-related agencies that exist to support business owners and managers.

Participating agencies include the Economic Development Counsel of Western Mass., the Mass. Office of Business Development, the Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College, the Mass. Export Center, the Holyoke Innovation District, and the Mass. Small Business Development Center, among many others.

The Expo will again be presented by Comcast Business, which has been the show’s lead sponsor since HCN and BusinessWest began producing it in 2011. Director-level sponsors are Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design Group. The Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst is the education sponsor, 94.7 WMAS is the media sponsor, Peerless Precision, Smith & Wesson, the NTMA, and the Larry A. Maier Memorial Educational Fund are the Robotics and Manufacturing sponsors, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka is Entrepreneur sponsor.

WMBExpoEventSchedule2015

Six FAQs About EMV Credit Cards and Crime Coverage

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Insurance Sections

Take Charge of the Situation

By DAVID GRIFFIN

David Griffin

David Griffin

The nationwide shift to EMV is well underway.

EMV — which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa — is a global standard for cards equipped with computer chips and the technology used to authenticate chip-card transactions. In the wake of numerous large-scale data breaches and increasing rates of counterfeit card fraud, U.S. card issuers are migrating to this new technology to protect consumers and reduce the costs of fraud.

“These new and improved cards are being deployed to improve payment security, making it more difficult for fraudsters to successfully counterfeit cards,” says Julie Conroy, research director for retail banking at Aite Group, a financial industry research company. “It’s an important step forward.”

Most of all, it means greater protection against fraud.

Approximately 120 million Americans have already received an EMV credit card and that number is projected to reach nearly 600 million by the end of 2015, according to Smart Card Alliance estimates.

Here are six frequently asked questions to help you understand the changes:

1. Why are EMV cards more secure than traditional cards?

It’s that small, metallic square you’ll see on new cards. That’s a computer chip, and it’s what sets apart the new generation of cards.

2. How do I use an EMV card to make a purchase?

Just like magnetic-stripe cards, EMV cards are processed for payment in two steps: card reading and transaction verification.

3. Will I still have to sign or enter a PIN for my card transaction?

Yes and no. You will have to do one of those verification methods, but it depends on the verification method tied to your EMV card, not if your card is debit or credit.

Chip-and-PIN cards operate just like the checking-account debit card you have been using for years.

4. If fraud occurs after EMV cards are issued, who will be liable for the costs?

Today, if an in-store transaction is conducted using a counterfeit, stolen, or otherwise compromised card, consumer losses from that transaction fall back on the payment processor or issuing bank, depending on the card’s terms and conditions.

After an October 1, 2015, deadline created by major U.S. credit card issuers MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, the liability for card-present fraud will shift to whichever party is the least EMV-compliant in a fraudulent transaction.

Consider the example of a financial institution that issues a chip card used at a merchant that has not changed its system to accept chip technology. This allows a counterfeit card to be successfully used.

“The cost of the fraud will fall back on the merchant,” says Martin Ferenczi, president of Oberthur Technologies, the leading global EMV product and service provider.

EMV Cards and Retailer Liability

Most insurance carriers have a coverage called either “data breach” or “cyber liability.” Presently the coverage has been undersold. With the conversion to EMV cards, it is very important for retail merchants using credit cards to become familiar with this coverage and its options. Coverage varies by carrier coverage forms. The important thing to know is that local businesses have a larger exposure.

In addition, EMV debit cards will roll out at a slower pace; only 25% of debit cards will utilize EMV by the end of 2015. This number will increase to 96% by the end of 2017. Automated fuel dispensers will have until 2017 to shift to EMV cards.

5. If I want to use my chip-card at a retailer that doesn’t support EMV technology yet, will it work?

Yes. The first round of EMV cards — many of which are already in consumers’ hands — will be equipped with both chip and magnetic-stripe functions so consumer spending is not disrupted and merchants can adjust.

If you find yourself at a point-of-sale terminal and are not sure whether to dip or swipe your card, have no fear. The terminal will walk you through the process.

“For example, if you enter a card into the chip reader slot but the reader isn’t activated yet, it will come up with an error and you’ll be prompted to swipe the card in order to use it,” says Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance.

And vice-versa.

6. Will I be able to use my EMV card when I travel outside the country?

Yes and no.

The U.S. is the last major market still using the magnetic-stripe card system. Many European countries moved to EMV technology years ago to combat high fraud rates. That shift has left many U.S. consumers who have magnetic-strip cards looking for other forms of payment when they travel.

Finally, as criminals become more and more sophisticated, it is important to make sure, as a business, your crime coverage does as well. Do you have cyber liability coverage, electronic fund transfer fraud coverage, and employee dishonesty coverage?

Crime coverage in the future will be as important to buy as general liability coverage.

David Griffin is a principal and the executive vice president and treasurer of The Dowd Insurance Agencies. He is a licensed insurance advisor (LIA) as well as a certified insurance counselor (CIC); [email protected]; (413) 437-1005.

Attain’s Bridge Program Helps People Transition from PT to Exercise

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Health Care Sections

Critical Juncture

Hector Pope (right) says Attain Therapy’s Bridge program helped him

Hector Pope (right) says Attain Therapy’s Bridge program helped him recover from knee-replacement surgery much faster than expected.

People who have had surgery or injure themselves often don’t know what to do when their physical-therapy sessions end. They want to continue making progress, but are often at a loss regarding how to reach their personal goals, since they don’t want to reinjure themselves and lack knowledge about what exercises they can do safely, given their limitations.

In fact, said Donna Durocher, it’s a common problem. “Insurance companies often limit the number of sessions a person can attend,” explained the senior physical therapist and clinic manager at Attain Therapy + Fitness in East Longmeadow. “We provide patients with as much education as possible before they are discharged and tell them it’s very important to continue to work on their strength and mobility. But when they get home or go to a gym, many are unsure about what they should do or avoid doing.”

Attain has created a unique program to address that gap. It’s called the Bridge, and allows people to continue to improve and get into shape.

“It offers the next level of care after physical therapy to ensure continuation on the road to recovery,” Durocher said. “It’s a good transition to help people move to the fitness level they hope to achieve.”

The program consists of six sessions and costs $150, which begins with a comprehensive screen to determine the person’s fitness level. When that is complete, the trainer works closely with the patient and their physical therapist to tailor a program that meets their needs and ensures they reap optimal benefits and can meet their goals.

Attain co-owner Terry Ditmar says every trainer at Attain has a master’s degree either in strength and conditioning or exercise physiology, and is well-versed in working with the post-rehabilitation population, which sets them apart from many of their peers.

Indeed, Stephanie Davsky says the Bridge program made a significant difference after she had bunion surgery last February. “I was turning 50, and when I finished physical therapy, I was feeling sorry for myself. I wanted to lose weight and get in shape, but didn’t want to go to a gym,” she said, adding that she was leery of reinjuring her foot and had never worked out before.

When her physical therapist suggested she enroll in the Bridge program, she decided to try it, and it proved so beneficial, she has continued to work with a personal trainer in the East Longmeadow facility.

“They take all of your limitations into consideration,” she said. “They made sure I did exercises to strengthen my foot without hurting it, and helped me with a diet. They also make you feel really good about yourself and work with you to accomplish everything you want to do. If I hadn’t gone through the program, I might have tried doing a little exercise at home, but that would have been it.”

For this issue and its focus on fitness and nutrition, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the Bridge program and how it certainly lives up to the name it’s been given.

Joint Sessions

Hector Pope has participated in the Bridge program twice, and also continues to work with an Attain personal trainer. He underwent knee-replacement surgery in the summer of 2014 and a second procedure last spring.

His surgeon told him it was important to strengthen the muscles around the knee prior to the first surgery. “So I did a pre-Bridge conditioning program at Attain and met twice a week with a personal trainer,” said the 64-year-old Baystate Medical Center emergency-room doctor, adding that, although he and most other people who have knee replacements typically have very limited motion before surgery, “anything you can do ahead of time makes it easier.

“It’s all about preparation before, therapy afterwards, then continuing to be active; you need to build up your muscles again,” he noted, explaining that he didn’t realize just how important pre-conditioning and post-surgery (Bridge) training were before he had his knees replaced.

The Bridge program made recovery easier and got him in the habit of doing strengthening and flexibility exercises. “I could have gone back to work in nine weeks instead of usual 12. You have a partner helping you, and everyone here puts themselves in the client’s shoes,” he said. “It made all the difference and opened up a whole new world to me, and because I am older and don’t want to reinjure myself, I am going to continue this for the rest of my life.

“Most people need some guidance, and it’s worthwhile to have weekly reinforcements,” he went on. “You need to keep exercising if you want to maintain your range of motion and have a good outcome.”

Although Pope and Davsky have chosen to continue with one-on-one training at Attain, many Bridge graduates leave and resume their normal lifestyle, while others choose group classes in the facility or return to their own gyms after gaining confidence and strength.

The program was conceptualized in 2008 after Attain took over a large space in East Longmeadow that had been used by a national sports-performance franchise. It had AstroTurf fields, a basketball court, and an indoor, 60-meter track, and initially the programs appealed to the athletic population. But the fact that East Longmeadow is not close to a major metropolitan area with a sizeable population of athletes made it difficult to continue to offer performance programs on a large scale, Ditmar said.

“We realized the majority of the general population who really needed guidance had other issues keeping them from their fitness or activity goals, such as back pain, knee problems, or chronic diseases like diabetes,” he told BusinessWest. “So we began providing medically guided programs for patients who had exhausted their insurance or were graduating from physical therapy and wanted to continue their progress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Terry Ditmar (left) and Trevor Dorian

Terry Ditmar (left) and Trevor Dorian say exercise physiologists in the Bridge program work closely with physical therapists to come up with a specific exercise plan for each client.

“We learned that people were often overwhelmed when they went to the gym on their own, even if they had some help from trainers,” he went on. “And our blend of physical therapists, strength coaches, and exercise physiologists provided something not found elsewhere.”

He added that, although Attain’s Bridge program is offered at all of its locations, the East Longmeadow facility has the fitness equipment needed to conduct group classes, programs, and personal training.

The program starts with the aforementioned functional-movement screen, which is conducted by a strength coach.

“We look at how well the person can perform basic movements, such as a squat, which is needed in everyday life to sit and stand up,” said Trevor Dorian, head strength and conditioning coach. “If someone can’t do basic movements well, they will compensate on a daily basis, which can lead to imbalances or an acute injury.”

When the assessment is complete, a specific program is developed to target the client’s needs, and he or she attends five 30- to 60-minute sessions, with the length dependent on how much they can tolerate. During each meeting, they do exercises specifically chosen for them, based on recommendations and input from their physical therapist combined with the person’s goals.

“Sharing information about someone’s health condition is important to the success of this program. It’s not always easy to do in this day and age, but because we work with our own physical therapists, for us it’s seamless,” Ditmar said.

He added that Bridge participants range from young people to senior citizens. For example, high-school athletes have become clients after undergoing ligament surgery and completing physical therapy.

“But there’s a big difference between being able to walk and run and going onto an athletic field where you have to function at 100% and may fall, get bumped, or get hit,” Ditmar noted. “The Bridge program allows them to move to the next level.”

Elders also often take advantage of the program. “Someone may have an arthritic knee, and even though their pain is brought under control, they don’t know what exercises they should do. And it can be overwhelming for them to go to a gym,” he told BusinessWest. “But by the end of five sessions, they are confident enough to continue training on their own. It’s especially important for this population because seniors who give up exercising can lose their strength and independence. But this can help prevent that from happening.”

Other Options

Attain also offers small-group classes with six to 10 participants. The personal attention, key to the Bridge program, continues in each class as trainers keep a close eye on each person.

“We correct their form and keep them motivated,” Dorian said. “What makes us different than a regular gym is that everyone is supervised. We don’t have a lot of machinery and are focused on proper biomechanics, so when a coach demonstrates a technique, no one else does the exercise at the same time. We deal with all types of limitations and can regress or make adjustments to someone’s prescription, even if it’s in a group setting. People can also e-mail or call us if they tweak their back or do something bothersome at home. We want to make sure that they are exercising correctly to minimize the risk of injury.”

“Safety is a high priority,” Ditmar agreed. “But our coaches are educated and have a great deal of experience working side by side with physical therapists. They’re members of a team.”

He added many people live with chronic pain that could be alleviated.

“They don’t realize, if they worked with a physical therapist, then transitioned to a strength coach, they might be able to get rid of it,” he explained, noting people can call and make an appointment to get an assessment done, which in some cases has led to physical therapy or one-on-one training.

But no matter how or why they get started, the focus is always on the individual’s lifestyle and situation.

“Our Bridge program is a way to extend the progress you have made and give you confidence to continue exercising independently in a way that keeps you safe,” Ditmar said, “so you can progress to the next level.”

How To Tell Your Loved One That It’s Time to Hand Over the Keys

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Health Care Sections

Driving Forces

By TODD C. RATNER, Esq.

Todd C. Ratner

Todd C. Ratner

Do you remember the day when you received your driver’s license? Most people experienced a rush of excitement and a sense of freedom that they could clearly recall many years later. Now imagine losing this mobility and freedom . . . or, being the one who has to inform an elderly driver that their driver’s license should be limited or even taken away.

The thought of having this often-awkward and painful conversation tempts loved ones to procrastinate; however, adequately preparing for this conversation with an elderly driver who poses a danger to himself and others, and understanding the resources available to both you and your loved one, can facilitate what otherwise might be a traumatic experience.

First, it is important to recognize that everyone ages differently. As such, age alone should never be the sole factor in determining whether or not an elder has the ability to drive safely. However, there is no denying that a person’s physical and cognitive abilities often deteriorate with age. As we age, there is a greater likelihood of becoming inflicted with chronic diseases such as arthritis, dementia, and hearing impairment. In addition, safety of the elder is a concern, as elderly people are more likely to be injured than younger people in similar automobile accidents.

Because the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has no special licensing requirements for elderly drivers, family members should continually watch for signs of diminished capacity. Specifically, family members should ascertain whether or not the driver gets lost, has an increasing number of accidents, becomes forgetful, or has problems understanding simple instructions. Additionally, both Massachusetts and Connecticut require drivers to inform the Registry of Motor Vehicles and Department of Transportation if they have a medical condition that they believe may affect their ability to operate a motor vehicle.

In the event that you believe an elderly driver should reduce or stop driving, it is important to form a plan prior to commencing a dialogue with this individual. Driving is often the last means of independence, because it provides the elderly with the opportunity to visit friends, go shopping, and manage other tasks of daily life. Elderly drivers may get defensive and angry upon hearing that someone is attempting to take away this freedom. Thus, approaching this subject with realistic expectations is critical.

It is important to introduce this subject at a quiet time when both you and the elderly driver are relaxed, without any other immediate concerns. It is also preferable to include the elderly person in the decision-making process, if possible, instead of dictating a decision to them.

You may wish to discuss this matter together with other family members, doctors, and people that the elderly person respects. You might try having the elder write down both pros and cons, in the hope that they will realize that there are benefits to not driving. The initial conversation does not need to yield permanent decisions. Often it is preferable to put the discussion on temporary hold for a few days, to allow time for reflection on various options.

Caregivers and family members may also get assistance from all available resources to facilitate the determination of whether or not the elder should be driving. One option is offered through Weldon Rehabilitation Services on Carew Street in Springfield. They have developed a program to assess an individual’s ability to drive safely. The Driving Assessment Program will take approximately 90 minutes to complete. It commences with a licensed and registered occupational therapist providing a clinical evaluation. If warranted, an on-road evaluation and on-road training with a licensed driving instructor may also occur.

Upon the completion of the evaluation, the results and appropriate recommendations will be discussed with the driver and their physician. The program evaluates vision and perception, physical status, mobility, upper- and lower-extremity reaction time, traffic sign/situation identification and interpretation, cognition, and adaptive equipment. A family member may accompany the elder to the evaluation. To schedule an evaluation, contact the Driver Advisement Program at Mercy Medical Center’s Weldon Rehabilitation Services (413-748-6880).

Other resources to consider are the Berkshire Medical Center’s Driver Evaluation Program in Pittsfield (413-447-2000); the Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital’s Driving Evaluation Program in Worcester (508-791-6351); the AARP’s Driver Safety Course (888-227-7669 or http://www.aarpdriversafety.org); the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists, which offers referrals to professionals trained to help people with disabilities, including those associated with aging (866-672-9466); and the AAA Mature Operator Program (800-622-9211).

If the elderly driver cannot operate a vehicle safely and refuses to stop driving, then further action may be warranted. There are several options available:

• Stage an intervention. This involves family members, health care workers, and anyone respected by the elderly driver, uniting to talk to the elder, firmly but compassionately, in an effort to help the senior accept the issue.
• Contact the local Department of Motor Vehicles and register a complaint. You may wish to do this anonymously.
• If all else fails, you may need to disable the car. This subterfuge should always be a last resort, but sadly, some families do find it necessary. This could include taking away the car keys, disconnecting the battery, or moving the vehicle to a location beyond the elderly person’s control. Duplicity is not a long-term solution, but if there is an immediate need to get the elder off the road, it is sometimes necessary.

Denying an elderly person a driver’s license can be an extremely traumatic event. Restricting or removing an elderly person’s right to drive should be done with careful planning, and by taking advantage of the community resources available.

Todd C. Ratner is a shareholder with Bacon Wilson, and member of the firm’s estate planning, elder, real estate, and business & corporate departments. He handles all aspects of estate planning and probate and real estate, as well as general business matters. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and was a recipient of Boston Magazine’s Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars award from 2007-2012, and Lawyers Weekly Up & Coming Lawyer in 2014; (413) 781-0560; [email protected].

Massachusetts Needs Significantly More Natural Gas

By
Environment and Engineering Sections

Opinion: An Opportunity to Fuel Growth

By RICHARD K. SULLIVAN

Sometimes it’s hard to accept ‘yes’ for an answer. Does Massachusetts need significantly more natural gas to reduce sky-high energy and heating costs, continue to meet its climate goals, enable the robust development of renewable energy sources, and sustain and grow its economy?

There is no question it does. Numerous independent studies have found that the state and region face a critical natural gas shortage, including one commissioned by the Patrick administration and released at the end of his term. These findings shouldn’t be surprising. New England has a limited natural gas infrastructure, and its pipelines are reaching — and in some cases have met — maximum capacity, yet it relies more than ever on natural gas not only to heat homes during long winters but to generate electricity year round.

The region’s dependence on natural gas will only increase as it continues to replace old oil, coal, and nuclear plants with state-of -the-art electricity generators fired by natural gas, a more environmentally friendly alternative. Since 2000, 22 gas plants have been built in New England, and nearly 50% of its electric generation is now fueled by natural gas, a percentage that will climb as new plants come on line.

The problem is that the region’s demand for natural gas exceeds the supply.

These constraints have created a number of serious problems, often downplayed or ignored by those who oppose adding capacity, fearing that natural gas will hurt development of renewable energy and impede other environmental objectives.

But increased natural gas capacity will help enable the adoption of wind and solar power. Renewable energy is intermittent, available only when the sun shines and wind blows. As such, there must be a reliable energy source to support renewables, which is why President Obama has called natural gas a “bridge fuel” that will power the economy with less carbon pollution as the use of renewable energy expands.

More natural gas will also alleviate other environmental concerns. New England remains the country’s most oil-reliant region. Throughout the winter, when home heating takes priority, new and highly efficient electric plants do not have reliable access to natural gas. As a result, the region must revert to oil and coal to meet its electricity needs, which causes large increases in carbon emissions.

According to ISO New England, which is responsible for operating the region’s power grid, on Feb. 15 this year, for example, coal and oil contributed to 42% of the region’s electricity. Gas produced only 17%. Massachusetts has made larger-than-projected cuts in emissions in recent years mainly by shifting to natural gas to produce electricity, but it will be difficult to lock in these benefits without a substantial increase in the gas supply.

There are also the stark economic realities that have resulted from inadequate natural gas capacity in the region, which at the peak of winter needs falls short by more than 1 billion cubic feet a day. The lack of supply has dramatically driven up the cost of natural gas for heating and electricity generation. New England pays the highest prices for electricity in the continental United States, and over the last two years spent a staggering $7 billion more for electricity than neighboring regions.

These costs are borne by businesses and consumers alike, and are a particular burden for low-income households. They threaten economic stability and growth. A recent Forbes story featured the owner of a specialty paper mill in Western Mass. whose biggest worry — more than labor, raw material costs and markets — is energy. She pays 14 cents per kilowatt-hour to run her machines, compared to a national average of 6.5 cents, and estimated she spends $1.2 million a year more for electricity than she needs to.

Study after study has found that meeting the region’s natural gas demands will lower electricity and gas costs, spur renewables and help meet climate goals.

Any proposed pipeline has to be sized to serve existing demand and provide lower-cost and reliable natural gas to western Massachusetts, allowing local distribution companies to expand supplies to local homes and businesses — spurring economic activity and growth in a region that is often overlooked.

The time for further study has past. It’s time to accept “yes” for the answer to the question of whether Western Mass. and New England needs more natural gas and act.

Richard K. Sullivan is president of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. Formerly, he served as chief of staff to Gov. Deval Patrick and secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs; (413) 787-1555.

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

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

AGAWAM

EB Partners
646 Springfield St.
$125,000 — Showroom renovations

Sarat Ford
245 Springfield St.
$1,500,000 — Internal and external remodel of existing building

AMHERST

57 East Pleasant St., LLC
57 East Pleasant St.
$10,500 — Replace commercial rooftop HVAC units

Realty Income Corporation
468 West St.
$150,000 — Interior remodel of Speedway

Sixty-Nine Ninety-One Main St. Inc.
79 Main St.
$8,000 — Storefront remodel

CHICOPEE

Clearview Heights
200 Lambert Terrace
$25,000 — Replace roof

Lady of Elms College
291 Springfield St.
$35,000 — Interior renovations at O’Leary Dormitory

GREENFIELD

Country Club of Greenfield
180 Country Club Road
$20,000 — Exchange existing antennas

Franklin Community Co-Op Corporation
144 Main St.
$28,000 — Install walk-in cooler

Haddleton Associates
37 Butternut St.
$20,000 — Exchange existing antennas

Lorenz Family LP
312 Federal St.
$372,000 — Construct addition to existing Aubuchon Hardware

LUDLOW

Center for Human Development
20 Cady St.
$3,000 — Commercial alterations

Ludlow Burial Vault
148 Amherst St.
$129,000 — New roof

NORTHAMPTON

Billmar Corporation
330 North King St.
$660,000 — Interior and exterior renovations

Lloyd Tarlin
228 King St.
$149,000 — Interior fit out for support group

Northampton Co-Op Bank
63 King St.
$115,000 — Convert to yoga studio

Thornes Marketplace, LLC
150 Main St.
$30,000 — Replace Main Street facade

Smith College
126 West St.
$43,000 — Convert storage to office space

PALMER

Burgundy Brook Cafe
3092 Palmer Road
$5,000 — Enclose porch

Pathfinder Vocational Tech
240 Sykes St.
$160,000 — Install new roof

WESTFIELD

City of Westfield
45 Noble St.
$160,000 — Install fire-protection system in senior center

Columbus Apartments, LLC
91 Elm St.
$4,000 — Second-floor renovations

Douglas Clinic Inc.
48 Court St.
$184,000 — Alterations

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

J & F Management
124 Elm St.
$3,000 — Bathroom renovations for handicap accessibility

K-C Aviation, Inc.
33 Elise St.
$108,000 — Renovate 4,970 square feet of office space

Rock Steady Real Estate
815 North Road
$14,500 — Partition for two new offices

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

287 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Dmitriy D. Darmanchev
Seller: June S. Foster TR
Date: 09/24/15

76 Church St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Pavel Belogour
Seller: Jacques A. Lamuniere
Date: 09/23/15

94 Church St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Pavel Belogour
Seller: Jacques A. Lamuniere
Date: 09/23/15

BUCKLAND

46 Avery Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jack P. Hayden
Seller: PDV Inc.
Date: 09/25/15

CONWAY

76 Pleasant St.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Jessica Dampier
Seller: Ira N. Band
Date: 09/30/15

79 Upper Baptist Hill Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Suzanne O. Artemieff
Seller: Sharon Carty
Date: 09/23/15

DEERFIELD

47 Graves St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $168,500
Buyer: Adele B. Dowell
Seller: Yves R. Jacques
Date: 09/28/15

85 Mill Village Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Matthew Marceau
Seller: Anthony J. Furnari
Date: 09/30/15

83 Sugarloaf St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $168,500
Buyer: Gabriel S. Smith
Seller: Frank P. Marchand
Date: 09/29/15

ERVING

4 Semb Dr.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Lori A. Hall
Seller: Elizabeth M. Call
Date: 09/30/15

GILL

30 Franklin Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Nash L. Bly
Seller: Bradford S. Stone
Date: 09/30/15

GREENFIELD

54 Adams Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Shana A. Korenewsky
Seller: Denise M. Hubert
Date: 09/24/15

7 Freeman Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Steven G. Childs
Seller: Robert C. Simpson
Date: 09/21/15

376 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Philip F. Deyman
Seller: Charles W. Purple
Date: 09/30/15

40 Lovers Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $215,900
Buyer: Anthony M. Falco
Seller: Shanna L. Burke
Date: 09/21/15

23 Pleasant St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: Evan S. Childress
Seller: James W. Cole
Date: 09/22/15

36-1/2 Russell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: William B. Kern
Seller: Holly A. Christensen
Date: 09/21/15

28 Spring Terrace
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: Emily M. Notarfrancesco
Date: 09/30/15

135 Thayer Road Ext.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $124,500
Buyer: John R. Lyons
Seller: FNMA
Date: 09/29/15

44-46 Water St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Jerad Goulston
Seller: Jeffrey A. Traft
Date: 09/30/15

LEYDEN

333 Greenfield Road
Leyden, MA 01301
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Paul S. Fisher
Seller: Susan E. Pazmino
Date: 09/21/15

MONTAGUE

18 Bridge St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Michael A. Ketcham
Seller: Bridge Street TR
Date: 09/25/15

NEW SALEM

237 Neilson Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Evan L. April
Seller: Paul J. Golden
Date: 09/29/15

NORTHFIELD

1013-C Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Corwin D. Edson
Seller: Jessica S. Edson
Date: 09/25/15

ORANGE

84 Oak Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Lynn M. Bielecki
Seller: Jamey Cearley
Date: 09/25/15

SUNDERLAND

47 Howard Hepburn Dr.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: David Sagan
Seller: Laura C. Grace
Date: 09/24/15

WARWICK

8 Gale Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Colleen M. Byrnes
Seller: Kevin L. Alden
Date: 09/25/15

165 Hockanum Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Joel V. Rice
Seller: Paul Robbins
Date: 09/30/15

WHATELY

Dickinson Hill Road (SS)
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: J. R. Klinger
Seller: Louis D. Hannum TR
Date: 09/28/15

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

135 Anvil St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Justin D. Matisewski
Seller: Michael D. Balise
Date: 09/30/15

78 Cooley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Patricia Semanie
Seller: Sandra Dauphinais
Date: 09/25/15

95 Edward St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Anthony D. Saloio
Seller: Richard L. Voltz
Date: 09/29/15

123 Elm St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Joyce E. Siana
Seller: Patricia Misisco
Date: 09/23/15

99 Forest Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Charles K. Frohock
Seller: David M. Healey
Date: 09/24/15

43 Fruwirth Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Angela M. Mancini
Seller: Frederick S. Fruwirth
Date: 09/30/15

Lango Lane #6
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Svetlana Strela
Seller: PBI Inc.
Date: 09/28/15

1410 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Shellie M. Donner
Seller: William A. Saltman
Date: 09/30/15

180 Mallard Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $262,900
Buyer: Carrie L. Smith
Seller: Bruce R. Hebert
Date: 09/25/15

497 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Sherika T. Allen
Seller: Joshua X. Tower
Date: 09/28/15

536 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Sarah C. Hoisington
Seller: Frank M. Lalli
Date: 09/21/15

1068 North St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Kostiantyn Kuterhin
Seller: Rose M. Alessandri
Date: 09/22/15

189 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Michael C. Lagacy
Seller: Jacob Dushane
Date: 09/30/15

337 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Robert J. Consedine
Seller: Town Of Agawam
Date: 09/29/15

30-32 Ottawa St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Stephen M. Buynicki
Seller: Evans, Ernest D., (Estate)
Date: 09/30/15

139 Parkedge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Robert J. Carey
Seller: Lynne Kerber
Date: 09/30/15

266 Poplar St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: William J. Sperry
Seller: Francis C. Lewis
Date: 09/30/15

74 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Juanita D. Estrada
Seller: Walter Hollinger
Date: 09/30/15

570 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: George Deveno
Seller: KMCG Realty LLC
Date: 09/30/15

1275 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Carmen C. Marin
Seller: James D. Dow
Date: 09/28/15

105 Witheridge St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Sarah R. Lempke
Seller: Robert J. Carey
Date: 09/23/15

BLANDFORD

66 1st St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Lori J. Hitchcock-Mietka
Seller: Michael A. Mike
Date: 09/30/15

14 Island Acres Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Willmott
Seller: Joshua A. Weinstein

30 Mill Lane
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $689,900
Buyer: Hilltop Northeast Enterprises LLC
Seller: Donald G. Moriarty
Date: 09/29/15

BRIMFIELD

Route 20
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: RCFAM LLC
Seller: Robert H. Clark
Date: 09/25/15

160 Warren Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Jerrold Bennett
Seller: Jeremy P. Hart
Date: 09/22/15

CHICOPEE

157 Amherst St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Rafael Cornier
Seller: Melro Associates Inc.
Date: 09/24/15

145 Beauregard Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Raymond D. Potvin
Seller: Jeanne M. Lafleur
Date: 09/30/15

54 Berger St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Tatyana Onufriychuk
Seller: MNH Sub 1 LLC
Date: 09/25/15

47 Blanchwood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: David Sullivan
Seller: Myles J. Mueller
Date: 09/25/15

53 Bonneville Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Cristina Polanco
Seller: Angela Coulopoulos
Date: 09/25/15

50 Calvin St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Miroslawa Mazgula
Seller: Mark J. Dion
Date: 09/30/15

10 David St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Caleb Z. Provost
Seller: Heather K. Wrisley
Date: 09/29/15

162 Empire St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Nathan P. Mahoney
Seller: Patricia A. Fredette
Date: 09/28/15

82 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Aleksey Stebenkov
Seller: Vyacheslav Kuzmenko
Date: 09/29/15

36 Harrington Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Kimberly Dout
Seller: Bruce Flynn
Date: 09/30/15

20 Harwich St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Kenneth P. Andrulot
Seller: Kenneth C. Burkamp
Date: 09/22/15

115 Haven Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Michael W. Guiel
Seller: William V. Guiel
Date: 09/21/15

47 Lester St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Craig Cwalina
Seller: Kenneth R. Hebert
Date: 09/28/15

63 Ludger Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Buyer: Andrew R. Beaudry
Seller: Jeremiah Beaudry
Date: 09/25/15

6 Macek Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Arminda P. Hanifin
Seller: Lynn Dehneh
Date: 09/24/15

55 Mary St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Linda Furgal
Seller: Christopher P. Renaud
Date: 09/29/15

165 McCarthy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Jean P. Desjardins
Seller: Shirley R. Chretien
Date: 09/21/15

75 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Riverbend 2 Properties
Seller: Charles M. Johnson
Date: 09/24/15

N/A
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Nathan F. Labak
Seller: Weaver, Kimberly K., (Estate)
Date: 09/30/15

18 Ogden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Alexis Rodriguez
Seller: Thanh Monat
Date: 09/30/15

148 Telegraph Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Tammy Szukala
Seller: Yelena S. Pavlenko
Date: 09/29/15

153 Tolpa Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Angela Rodriguez
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 09/23/15

EAST LONGMEADOW

22 Bettswood Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Thomas Anthony
Seller: Donna W. Gore
Date: 09/22/15

28 Crescent Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Michael M. Brock
Seller: Norman R. Vigneault
Date: 09/30/15

98 Evergreen Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: David E. Labrie
Seller: Jason M. Newmark
Date: 09/25/15

53 Melrose Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $302,000
Buyer: Dung V. Pham
Seller: Michael Carabetta
Date: 09/22/15

17 Peachtree Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Seved P. Gheblealivand
Seller: Micheal A. Sorokin
Date: 09/24/15

HAMPDEN

198 Ames Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Thomas Petzold
Date: 09/30/15

61 Stafford Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: James R. Damour
Seller: Kevin J. Caputo
Date: 09/25/15

53 Steepleview Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $747,682
Buyer: Robert J. Villeneuve
Seller: Michael J. Kane
Date: 09/25/15

HOLLAND

10 Forest Court
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Gerald Baseel
Seller: Jon R. Macneal
Date: 09/22/15

HOLYOKE

43 Amherst St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: James E. Durfee
Seller: Maureen M. Grenier
Date: 09/30/15

61 Bemis Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Mark Peltier
Seller: Philip B. Kraus
Date: 09/24/15

57 Calumet Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $156,200
Buyer: Samuel J. Verla
Seller: Michael J. Sullivan
Date: 09/30/15

108 Chapin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $164,408
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Gilberto J. Sotolongo
Date: 09/28/15

121 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Hugenpoet LLC
Seller: Gretna Green Development
Date: 09/30/15

19-27 Hadley Mill Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Reynardo Nazario
Seller: Patricia Gosselin-Gorman
Date: 09/30/15

1155 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Amer F. Ahmed
Seller: Conrad Duquette
Date: 09/29/15

19 Joanne Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Stephen M. Swindell
Seller: Lorraine M. Gorham
Date: 09/24/15

4-6 Orchard St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Karl H. Hastings
Seller: Ana E. West
Date: 09/30/15

358 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Jose L. Colon
Seller: Everett J. Sexton
Date: 09/30/15

206 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $122,333
Buyer: Ventures TR
Seller: Edwin R. Rivera
Date: 09/23/15

417 Southampton Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,500
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Kathleen Welch
Date: 09/25/15

54 Sterling Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $224,500
Buyer: Kathleen M. Marcinek
Seller: Deanna M. Dunn
Date: 09/25/15

LONGMEADOW

67 Allen Road
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Eileen S. Savoy
Seller: Scott M. Gousse
Date: 09/28/15

18 Blokland Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Kenneth R. Holt
Seller: Sun T. Lin
Date: 09/30/15

25 Dover Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Robert Heap
Seller: Barbara K. Seabury
Date: 09/30/15

40 Edgemont St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Kimberly M. Maynard
Seller: Henry Dutcher
Date: 09/25/15

70 Emerson Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Donna Flores
Seller: Warren S. Sumner
Date: 09/25/15

43 Fernleaf Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: PLS Realty Inc.
Seller: Regan, Jeanette T., (Estate)
Date: 09/30/15

81 Glenbrook Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Sean Daoust
Seller: James F. Foard
Date: 09/29/15

68 Northfield Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Douglas W. Taylor
Seller: Jay B. Appleman
Date: 09/30/15

170 Overbrook Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $870,000
Buyer: James M. Fitzpatrick
Seller: James F. Zick
Date: 09/30/15

101 Tanglewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Kalyan K. Pundla
Seller: Gloria J. Wilson
Date: 09/23/15

26 Whitmun Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Richard Butera
Seller: Gary M. Hebert
Date: 09/23/15

LUDLOW

608 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Michael Georgiadis
Seller: Patricia H. Johnson
Date: 09/30/15

132 Cislak Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Anna Rodrigo
Seller: Marek Skora
Date: 09/28/15

East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Corry Real Estate Holdings
Seller: Antonio Sebastiao
Date: 09/30/15

300-302 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $715,000
Buyer: Cumberland Ludlow LLC
Seller: Jorge Dias
Date: 09/25/15

12 Keith Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Matthew G. Nay
Seller: Jaime A. Poulin
Date: 09/28/15

83 Skyridge St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Nancy E. Tenney
Seller: FNMA
Date: 09/30/15

103 Waverly Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Vasilya Turan
Seller: James W. Monette
Date: 09/30/15

MONSON

6 Maplelawn Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Edward A. Perry
Seller: Ryder, Esther C., (Estate)
Date: 09/30/15

225 Moulton Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Keith C. Leonard
Seller: Erin F. Percoski
Date: 09/25/15

140 Peck Brothers Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Tobias Trudeau
Seller: Loren B. Littrell
Date: 09/25/15

PALMER

227 Boston Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Mario Morales
Seller: Jeffrey C. Allard
Date: 09/28/15

23 Brown St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: Matthew Marciniec
Seller: John, Mary S., (Estate)
Date: 09/30/15

57 Commercial St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: David A. Matteson
Seller: Joel B. Sefchik
Date: 09/23/15

Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $140,000
Seller: Orlanda H. Miner
Date: 09/28/15

4400 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $167,220
Buyer: Roberto Chacon
Seller: Robert A. Shepka
Date: 09/30/15

54 Mount Dumplin Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Ryan R. Talbot
Seller: Blueline Management LLC
Date: 09/25/15

16 Orchard St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Paul D. Sigovitch
Seller: Jon R. Rhodes
Date: 09/23/15

2086-2088 Palmer Road
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Christopher Denison
Seller: Pietrewica, A. E., (Estate)
Date: 09/22/15

5 Sylvia St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Danny R. Champagne
Seller: Rudolph E. Kivior
Date: 09/30/15

1212 Thorndike St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Kevin M. Wenzel
Seller: Adams, Marry G., (Estate)
Date: 09/25/15

RUSSELL

271 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Indy B. Edwards
Seller: Michael A. Vaillancourt
Date: 09/30/15

SOUTHWICK

12 Bugbee Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Richard W. Anderson
Seller: Anderson, Elwood H., (Estate)
Date: 09/29/15

97 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Zachary P. Dougherty
Seller: Janet L. Nesbitt
Date: 09/28/15

17 Ed Holcomb Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Red Oak Investments LLC
Seller: Elizabeth A. Cassady
Date: 09/29/15

11 Falmouth Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Maksim Dzyubenko
Seller: Susan J. Barnett
Date: 09/28/15

181 South Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $187,900
Buyer: Christopher L. Belinda
Seller: Pauline A. Fedora
Date: 09/29/15

SPRINGFIELD

80-82 Abbe Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Johnathan S. Delgado
Seller: Gloria Baez
Date: 09/25/15

244 Arcadia Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Justin Veillette
Seller: Andreas A. Kralios
Date: 09/21/15

35 Arcadia Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Carly Muniz
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 09/23/15

1217 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $179,800
Buyer: Migdalia Pinto
Seller: Amanda M. Pereira
Date: 09/25/15

36 Calvin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Salomon A. Mateo
Seller: Beverly A. Capparelli
Date: 09/25/15

156 Carol Ann St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $153,900
Buyer: Juan C. Dominicci-Sierra
Seller: Brittney H. Devenitch
Date: 09/25/15

248 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Epsilon Property Mgmt. Inc.
Seller: Taste Of Greece Springfield
Date: 09/28/15

54 Fairfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Charlie J. Lee
Seller: Concerned Citizens of Springfield
Date: 09/23/15

119 Garnet St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Adrian N. Howell
Seller: Robert J. Palmer
Date: 09/25/15

23 Green Way
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Carey D. Lape
Seller: Andy T. Trinh
Date: 09/30/15

15 Haven Ave.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $199,500
Buyer: Brian W. Terlik
Seller: Daniel J. Garrity
Date: 09/25/15

238 Hermitage Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Gloria J. Wilson
Seller: Donna M. Dougherty
Date: 09/23/15

97 Holly St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: 97 Holly LLC
Seller: Holly Street Realty Inc.
Date: 09/23/15

166 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Winston J. Nixon
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 09/25/15

78 Kenwood Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Epsilon Property Mgmt. Inc.
Seller: Taste Of Greece Springfield
Date: 09/28/15

2220 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $296,382
Buyer: Roger Cohen
Seller: Re-Co Partnership
Date: 09/28/15

360 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Jose A. Lopez
Seller: Jimmarie Sosa
Date: 09/30/15

87 Melville St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Alessandro Calabrese
Seller: Benjamin M. Ulrich
Date: 09/29/15

N/A
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Lucrecia N. Andujar
Seller: Muhammad Chaudhery
Date: 09/30/15

13 O’Connell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Kaitlynn N. Hoague
Seller: Christine A. Roy
Date: 09/25/15

50 Oak Grove Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Christina Diaz
Seller: Rafael A. Vallejo
Date: 09/30/15

1247 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Zusha E. Rodriguez
Seller: R2R LLC
Date: 09/30/15

1587 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Robert J. Pelletier
Seller: Donald Laverdiere
Date: 09/28/15

54 Pheasant Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Ivan V. Rosas
Seller: Darrel L. Franklin
Date: 09/28/15

730 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Maria Prendergast
Seller: Daniel Garte
Date: 09/30/15

926 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Nelson R. Gonzalez
Seller: Heather Long
Date: 09/29/15

120 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $179,500
Buyer: Abby L. O’Quinn
Seller: Norman R. Boucher
Date: 09/29/15

94 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Justin Ferreira
Seller: Jerrold E. Prendergast
Date: 09/30/15

124 Sylvan St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Thomas S. Campbell
Seller: John T. Branciforte
Date: 09/23/15

60 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: Aleksey M. Taganov
Seller: Mary J. Allen
Date: 09/24/15

84 Wachusett St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Mariovy Gonzalez
Seller: Costantino G. Venezia
Date: 09/22/15

36 West Bay Path Terrace
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Maria I. Ortiz
Seller: Myron St. Louis
Date: 09/30/15

193 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $136,900
Buyer: Miguel A. Cruz
Seller: Pelletier, Dorothy M., (Estate)
Date: 09/21/15

1308-1310 Worcester St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: JJS Capital Investment
Seller: JJS Capital Investment
Date: 09/24/15

60 Wrenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Sheila Hayes
Seller: Tanya O’Neil
Date: 09/30/15

TOLLAND

968 Colebrook River Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Billy J. White
Seller: Whitney Bonadies
Date: 09/30/15

37 Lakeside Dr.
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Kollo Pal
Date: 09/28/15

WALES

101 Haynes Hill Road
Wales, MA 01010
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Ricky J. Simoneau
Seller: Robert G. Woodward
Date: 09/30/15

129 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Kelly Nepus
Seller: Isaac P. Rattin
Date: 09/30/15

WEST SPRINGFIELD

601 Birnie Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Joseph E. Eveson
Seller: Kevin J. Wedemeyer
Date: 09/24/15

291 City View Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $189,200
Buyer: Kerry M. Jackson
Seller: Siri J. Lewis
Date: 09/25/15

38 Monastery Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: Sarah A. Latour
Seller: Mary A. Flaherty
Date: 09/29/15

738 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Martin
Seller: Edmund Apostle
Date: 09/22/15

42 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Carolyn L. Gallo
Seller: Charles K. Frohock
Date: 09/24/15

130 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $204,500
Buyer: Michael J. Vickers
Seller: Jane Provost
Date: 09/28/15

WESTFIELD

70 Broadway
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Sokhom Yan
Seller: Ruth E. Finney
Date: 09/24/15

128 Devon Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $378,000
Buyer: Mark Archambeault
Seller: Mary L. Hood
Date: 09/30/15

11 Flynn Meadow Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Kevin D. Matheny
Seller: RSP Realty LLC
Date: 09/25/15

9 Irene Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Brian M. Hale
Seller: Michael J. Veillette
Date: 09/28/15

311 North Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: 301 North Elm LLC
Seller: Jonathan D. Powers
Date: 09/25/15

856 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Russian Evangelical Baptist
Seller: Mino Inc.
Date: 09/30/15

48 Pinehurst St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Eric Grimaldi
Seller: Richard P. Carotenuto
Date: 09/29/15

55 Ridgecrest Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Luis Otero
Seller: Ronald G. Watson
Date: 09/28/15

1 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Melinda Gnoza
Seller: Johnson, Harold W., (Estate)
Date: 09/30/15

31 Southview Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Popielarczyk
Seller: David J. Barton
Date: 09/25/15

13 Stuart Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Sherrilynn M. Guffey
Seller: Luis Otero
Date: 09/25/15

21 Vine St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Nicole Niemiec
Seller: Clegg, Barbara B., (Estate)
Date: 09/23/15

182 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Robert A. Ferrier
Seller: Swanson, Donald N., (Estate)
Date: 09/25/15

WILBRAHAM

5 Birchknoll Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Willard W. Boss
Seller: Kathryn B. Leary
Date: 09/22/15

66 Cherry Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $282,900
Buyer: James P. Kane
Seller: 2301 Boston Road LLC
Date: 09/21/15

35 Decorie Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $267,900
Buyer: Timothy Stasiak
Seller: Willard W. Boss
Date: 09/22/15

11 Horseshoe Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Malgorzata M. Zalinska
Seller: Lynne D. Quintin
Date: 09/30/15

2 Margaret Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Anibal Machado
Seller: Joseph C. Kruzel
Date: 09/22/15

4 Old Orchard Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Leo P. Tassinari
Seller: David A. McCarthy
Date: 09/24/15

3 Park Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Heather Wrisley
Seller: Nathan T. Walker
Date: 09/29/15

16 Pearl Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Jason Fahey
Seller: Richard A. Schieding
Date: 09/22/15

2 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Robert T. Kelliher
Seller: George Deveno
Date: 09/30/15

19-21 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Michael W. Scibelli
Seller: Patricia A. Waite
Date: 09/21/15

1329 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $117,500
Buyer: Jason D. Frisk
Seller: Amy C. Rice
Date: 09/25/15

888 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Nichols
Seller: Michael C. Grise
Date: 09/24/15

1-1/2 Weston St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: French Property Mgmt.
Seller: James Charles
Date: 09/25/15

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

8 Coach Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Laura Leclair
Seller: William M. Loving
Date: 09/24/15

N/A
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Steven V. Andon
Seller: Shumway, Wilbur O. 2nd, (Estate)
Date: 09/22/15

428 Pine St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $288,400
Buyer: Stephen S. Nonnenmann
Seller: William J. O’Neil
Date: 09/30/15

20 Valley View Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Plumtree Real Estate LLC
Seller: Ertel, Madge O., (Estate)
Date: 09/28/15

BELCHERTOWN

38 Chartier Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $306,500
Buyer: Ethan E. Farrell
Seller: Daniel C. Larouche
Date: 09/24/15

766 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Heather L. McCann
Seller: Andrew R. Whiteley
Date: 09/30/15

10 Blacksmith Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Joseph E. Zadworny
Seller: Edward F. Bock
Date: 09/30/15

50 Center St.
Belchertown, MA 01056
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: Lawrence A. Bandolin
Seller: Commons Group LLC
Date: 09/28/15

22 Emily Lane
Belchertown, MA 01002
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Seth M. Tellier
Seller: J. P. Builders Inc.
Date: 09/29/15

125 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Angela M. Bergeron
Seller: Donna L. Perry
Date: 09/30/15

19 Laurel Ridge Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: Cheryl A. Lauricella
Seller: Franco Desantis
Date: 09/30/15

22 Metacomet St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Katherine D. Lorenz
Seller: William Verrochi
Date: 09/29/15

369 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Modesto Zenon
Seller: Adam J. Niziolek
Date: 09/29/15

539 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: William S. Verrochi
Seller: Robert E. Henrichon
Date: 09/29/15

121 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Capital One
Seller: Lori A. Klekotka
Date: 09/22/15

7 Town Beach Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $181,400
Buyer: Dorothy J. Beye
Seller: Deborah A. Palmer
Date: 09/22/15

CHESTERFIELD

17 Fuller Road
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: CJ Lammers
Seller: Lauren B. Fox
Date: 09/21/15

EASTHAMPTON

8 High St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Anup K. Sangar
Seller: Felix Rodriguez
Date: 09/30/15

58 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Sheila Prosterman
Seller: Brian D. Burrell
Date: 09/30/15

98 Line St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Michael T. Lucia
Seller: Derek M. Degrandpre
Date: 09/25/15

22 Lyman St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Julia M. Mathiau
Seller: Gail Dearellano
Date: 09/29/15

176 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Timothy Luce
Seller: Earl H. Lizotte
Date: 09/30/15

32 Mayher St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Stone
Seller: Andrew Caires
Date: 09/30/15

29 Sandra Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Michael J. Natale
Seller: Anne M. Theberge
Date: 09/30/15

53 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Elissa F. Perrier
Seller: Wendy J. Allen
Date: 09/30/15

GRANBY

60 Aldrich St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: James S. White
Seller: James W. Lowe
Date: 09/24/15

531 Amherst Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Davis
Seller: Travis C. Scheinost
Date: 09/25/15

374 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Charles Rider
Seller: Alice Vlasenko
Date: 09/23/15

258 East St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: George A. Randall
Seller: Ran-Lin NT
Date: 09/28/15

80 Kendall St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $314,200
Buyer: Philip B. Kraus
Seller: Stephanie Linnehan
Date: 09/30/15

7 Lyman St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $337,500
Buyer: Kenneth R. Hebert
Seller: Anthony V. Cerini
Date: 09/29/15

144 South St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Raymond E. Aldrich
Seller: James White
Date: 09/28/15

145 South St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Peter Giroux
Seller: Coderre Development Inc.
Date: 09/30/15

HADLEY

21 Meadowbrook Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $271,900
Buyer: Kimberly A. Schlichting
Seller: Reichert, Katharine E., (Estate)
Date: 09/30/15

292 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Vincent J. Tran
Seller: Brett F. Johnson
Date: 09/28/15

48 Shattuck Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Olusoji D. Olakanpo
Seller: James P. Tudryn
Date: 09/30/15

HATFIELD

12 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $840,000
Buyer: Ahca 6 LLC
Seller: Carol L. Benson
Date: 09/21/15

27 Old Stage Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $408,000
Buyer: Patrick B. O’Connor
Seller: Jacklyn A. Dibrindisi
Date: 09/21/15

354 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $358,000
Buyer: Jo Stearns
Seller: Malinowski, Frank A. Jr, (Estate)
Date: 09/25/15

HUNTINGTON

11 Mountain View
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Todd G. Whitaker
Seller: Ralph L. Alcock
Date: 09/21/15

4 Sampson Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Malin Cederquist RET
Seller: Frank A. Zajac
Date: 09/29/15

NORTHAMPTON

11 Acrebrook Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Jennison
Seller: Alvin I. Cohen
Date: 09/28/15

22 Berkshire Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $285,500
Buyer: Katherine L. Lytton
Seller: Loren V. Ball
Date: 09/21/15

120 Chestnut St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Etavab RT
Seller: Lisa A. Dee
Date: 09/28/15

135 Crescent St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Crescent Street Creamery
Seller: Joann Christiansen
Date: 09/29/15

261 Crescent St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $695,000
Buyer: Real Estate Associates
Seller: Northeast Ent. Realty
Date: 09/21/15

300 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: RJ Elm LLC
Seller: 300 Elm Street LLC
Date: 09/25/15

70 Fern St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Elizabeth K. Young
Seller: Janet A. Zmaczynski
Date: 09/22/15

748 Florence Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $157,600
Buyer: Rachel Rothman
Seller: Mary L. Curtis
Date: 09/30/15

40 Hickory Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $372,500
Buyer: Ann M. Stauble
Seller: James J. Keefe
Date: 09/21/15

28 Keyes St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: Anna K. Bartenstein
Seller: Frederick A. Johnson
Date: 09/21/15

26 Langworthy Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $575,500
Buyer: Steven O. Gullerud
Seller: Dorcas F. Fisher
Date: 09/30/15

27 Langworthy Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Richard A. Macisaac
Seller: Rosemund LLC
Date: 09/25/15

32 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Wilfred A. Morin
Seller: Alice L. Blatchley
Date: 09/21/15

225 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $239,500
Buyer: Shawn Gundersen
Seller: Lisa Tennyson
Date: 09/25/15

99 Moser St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $372,448
Buyer: John E. Moore
Seller: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction
Date: 09/25/15

68 Nonotuck St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Mary J. Marquard
Seller: Labato, Marcella T., (Estate)
Date: 09/30/15

120 River Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $1,115,000
Buyer: Equinox Partners LLC
Seller: Audubon Partners LLP
Date: 09/22/15

68 Sheffield Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $441,000
Buyer: Stephen P. Burg
Seller: Corey A. Fox
Date: 09/21/15

SOUTH HADLEY

141 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Lisa C. Gebhardt
Seller: Mark M. Ducharme
Date: 09/29/15

10 Cedar Ridge
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Miriam W. Esber
Seller: James E. Durfee
Date: 09/30/15

450 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Steven E. Deren
Seller: Louise Goldberg
Date: 09/30/15

42 Ferry St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Jeremy J. Cotton
Seller: Walter, Catherine C., (Estate)
Date: 09/22/15

15 Harvard St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Mark Burrows
Seller: Myra L. Quick
Date: 09/24/15

192 Pearl St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Richard T. Stebbins
Seller: Theresa A. Peltier
Date: 09/28/15

49 Pearl St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Timothy W. West
Seller: Angela B. Haggerty
Date: 09/30/15

20 Roundelay Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Jennifer R. Grabowski
Seller: Jeanette C. Peters
Date: 09/28/15

126 Silver St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Michael J. Sobon
Seller: Donald J. Casey
Date: 09/30/15

7 Skinner Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Manuel T. Reyes
Seller: First Niagara Bank
Date: 09/25/15

4 Valley View Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Ruliere Thomas
Seller: David L. Brunelle
Date: 09/22/15

SOUTHAMPTON

8 Birchwood Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: James Keefe
Seller: Richard J. Truehart Jr. LT
Date: 09/22/15

51 Glendale Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Derek A. Revord
Seller: Nicholas V. Tracy
Date: 09/24/15

5 Nicholas Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Volkan Polatol
Seller: James F. Boyle
Date: 09/28/15

8 Nicholas Lane
Southampton, MA 01085
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Dastoli
Seller: F&G Development Corp.
Date: 09/25/15

25 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Dana E. Green
Seller: Susan M. Rusconi
Date: 09/25/15

WARE

90 Coffey Hill Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $221,500
Buyer: Janet A. Crosier
Date: 09/22/15

5 Hillside Terrace
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: William Korzec
Seller: Yvette L. Dudek
Date: 09/30/15

177 Osborne Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $173,500
Buyer: Amber A. Wilder
Seller: Francis H. Dixon
Date: 09/28/15

104 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Jennifer Bradley
Seller: Joseph P. Hession
Date: 09/22/15

66 West Warren Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Brett Richards
Seller: Amber A. Wilder
Date: 09/28/15

WESTHAMPTON

120 Chesterfield Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Mark S. Keel
Seller: Nancy J. Ronan
Date: 09/30/15

179 Easthampton Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Duane P. Desilets
Seller: Nabil A. Hannoush
Date: 09/25/15

97 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Paul R. Tourville
Seller: Daniel Dmuchovsky
Date: 09/30/15

WORTHINGTON

43 Thayer Hill Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Charles T. Ryan
Seller: Alan K. Lecker
Date: 09/30/15

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Alfaro, Blanca L.
304 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/28/15

Ames Spaces
Ames Living Spaces
Ames, Scott A.
PO Box 123
Oakham, MA 01068
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/29/15

Baker, William C.
Baker, Theodora A.
94 Sheri Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Barnes, Jeffrey O.
Barnes, Susan M.
27 Somerset Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Belanger, Michelle L.
705 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/15

Belcastro, Kari E.
106 Faculty St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/29/15

Brazeau, Vincent A.
Brazeau, Dianne E.
55 Spring St.
Apartment 113
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/29/15

Brown’s Auto Body
Brown, Fitzroy
25 Rosemary Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/17/15

Bucknell, Robert T.
Bucknell, Barbara A.
5 Stoneybrook Dr.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Change Enterprises, LLC
Chang, Jimmy E.
175 Cedar Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Chapin, Joyce Francis
45 Doverbrook Road
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/15

Cross, Anita S.
52 Westbank Court
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Daviau, Christopher M.
Daviau, Lilaina W.
25 Taylor St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/16/15

Elhassan, Alaa A.
65 Harrington Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Eurkus, Michael Edward
4 Center St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/15

Gonzalez, Cassaundra L.
a/k/a Jayne Gonzalez, Cassaundra Lea
57 South Maple St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/18/15

Goyette, Jay M.
Goyette, Debora A.
16 Bay State Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Hastings, David F.
74 Forest Park Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/22/15

Henchey, Allen D.
938 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/30/15

Kenyon, Amanda
46 Fairview St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/28/15

LaGasse, Robert Joseph
LaGasse, Rhonda Ann
105 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/23/15

Law Office of Jennifer A. Smolinski
Smolinski, Jennifer A.
252 Green Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/16/15

Lepine, Lori A.
44 Governor Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Mercado, Betsy L.
21 Ames St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/16/15

Muse-Coney, Corinthia E.
188 Russell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/15

Okey Dokey DJ Service
Bell, Kevin S.
82 Monroe St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/15

Ramos, Evelyn
Ramos, Luis
16 Pear St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/15

Ramsdell, Phillip Leroy
Ramsdell, Brooke Lee
43 Falmouth Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/15

Rivard, Randall William
14 Harrison Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/15

Rodriguez, Victor L.
73 East St., Apt. 305
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/15

Rosario, Doris
42 Harvard St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/15

Salahna, Thomas M.
236 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/19/15

Slater, April
143 Mill St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/16/15

Trinidad, Justina
a/k/a Torres, Justina
268 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/16/15

Trudell, Nicholas J.
Trudell, Christine R.
45 Wakefield St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/29/15

Turati, Jill C.
a/k/a Lombardi, Jill C.
103 Prospect St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/15

Velez, Frances
20 Easthampton Road, #J2
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/22/15

Weigel, Anita Maria
71 State St., Apt 322
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/15

Whitten, Richard W.
Whitten, Marsha M.
46 Davis St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/18/15

Winslow, Brian P.
219 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/17/15

Wright, Deborah L.
13 Columbia Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/22/15

Zaldivar, Nicholas P.
17 Grandview Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/16/15

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2015.

AGAWAM

Affordable Refinishing
63 Tina Lane
Juan Lopez

Bella Ness
168 Elm St.
Vanessa Tuttle

Hair Impressions
525 Springfield St.
Jill Traska

New England Educators Insurance
1325 Springfield St.
Brett Ralph

The Doggie Dood
27 White Birch Terrace
Ryan Osborne

HOLYOKE

A Plus Auto Sales
9 Avon Place
Angel M. Albelo

E & C Services
19 Concord Ave.
Edward J. Glica

Gio Calendars & Toys
50 Holyoke St.
Hassan B. Khalio

Room to Room Cleaning
40 Laurel St.
Jeanne Edmond

NORTHAMPTON

Joia Beauty
6 Crafts Ave.
Mette Gustavsen

Kristy’s Nails
737 Damon Road
Hai H. Nguyen

Phoenix Upholstery
221 Pine St.
Brian Gross

Revival Body Work & Massage
241 King St.
Yong Li

Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters
124 King St.
Curtis Rich

Symbols & Cymbals
415 Prospect St.
Nerissa Nields-Duffy

PALMER

My Plus Size E-Closet
34 North St.
Maura Avery

Palmer Auto Mall, LLC
1219 Thorndike St.
Raymond Recor

Speedway
1411 Main St.
Speedway, LLC

SPRINGFIELD

J & R Simmons Group
799 Sumner Ave.
Jacqueline Simmons

J.T. Home Improvement
72 Waverly St.
John Thornton

Mamajuana Restaurant
1060 Wilbraham Road
Luis East Springfield

Marsh and Marsh Enterprises
24 Arbutus St.
Lascelles G. Marsh

MZ Creations
16 Ringgold St.
Michelle Martinez

Nem Tile and Design
31 Clarendon St.
Andre Alleyne

Orchard Imports
1213 Worcester St.
D’Juan Barklow

Pleasant Snack Bar
174 Main St.
Avon L. Porfirio

Premier Lifestyle
148 Jamestown Dr.
Kyle Griffith

Resources and People
29 Ridgecrest St.
Elizabeth Hogan

Saludy Vida
2660 Main St.
Blanca Nieves

Six Corner Stone Pizzeria
305 Walnut St.
Adnan Yildirim

Smily’s Spot
471 Boston Road
Fazul U. Rehman

Software Providers
101 State St.
Lynne Govoni

Top Shelf Landscaping
128 Dewitt St.
Troy A. Gadreault

WESTFIELD

Bloomfield Landscaping
868 Southampton Road
William Bloomfield

Dancer’s Image
77 Mill St.
Beth Drugan

Mary Kay Beauty Consulting
11 Heggie Dr.
Michael Harling

Paws of Nature
11 Brentwood Dr.
Jill H. Rose

Under an Ivy Moon
36 Noble St.
Marie McCutchen

Westfield Action Sports Photography
1417 East Mountain Road
John Sharon

Wolf Paw Creations
67 Highland Ave.
William L. Johnston

WEST SPRINGFIELD

American Executive Connection
1642 Westfield St.
Kevin Anderson

Bumblebee Booths
140 New Bridge St.
Aloysius Alamed

Cashway Oil
75 Union St.
David Vickers

Dollar Express
1150 Union St.
Dollar Express Stores

Firestone Tire & Service
501 Memorial Ave.
Daniel J. Hamlett

Readings by Margurite
1353 Riverdale St.
Margurite Miller

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Malek Shawarma Inc., 11 East Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Eliana Dabbous, same. Sandwiches and beverage services.

EASTHAMPTON

Cheharkrupa Inc., 22 Cottage St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Pragneshkumar Patel, 11 Caitlin Way, Westfield, MA 01085. Real estate management.

FEEDING HILLS

Pioneer Valley Mentors Inc., 149 Cayote Circle, Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Charitable organization.

GREENFIELD

American White Shepard Association Inc., 75 Old Albany Road, Greenfield, MA 01301. Terri Vest, 573 Ponderosa Ave. #4, O’Fallon, IL 62269. To encourage and promote quality in breeding of purebred white Shepards.

HADLEY

China Golf Collectors Society Inc., 245 Russell St., Unit 6, Hadley, MA 01035. Wayne Xing, 35 Autumn Lane, Amherst, MA 01002. Forum for golf collectors to meet.

Foundation for Indigenous Kids Inc., 7 Grand Oak Farm Road, Hadley, MA 01035. Ellen Roy, same. Charitable organization.

NORTHAMPTON

Digital Eyes Film Productions Inc., 207 Bridge St., Northampton, MA 01060. Patrick J. Moynihan, same. Film production.

Fall River Drywall Systems Inc., 206 Coles Meadow Road, Northampton, MA 01060. Michael St. Amand, 5 Crescent St., Millers Falls, MA 01349. Drywall installation.

PITTSFIELD

Carol Link Physical Therapy Inc., 174 Elm St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Carol Grace Link, 180 Ann Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Physical therapy.

Khem Organics Inc., 100 North St., Ste. 405, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Amy MacDonald, 953 West St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Non-profit organization.

SOUTHAMPTON

M.P. Vaclavicek Inc., 9 Donna Marie Way, Southampton, MA 01073. Mark P. Vaclavicek, same. Insurance sales and financial advisor.

SOUTHWICK

AMP Transport Inc., 71 Berkshire Ave., Southwick, MA 01077. Laurie Phelps, same. Transportation, cargo, and trucks.

KDC Construction Inc., 56 Kline Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Kristopher D. Corey, same. Excavation and snow removal.

WESTFIELD

EOV Transport Inc., 1430 Russell Road Apt. 12, Westfield, MA 01085. Yevgeniy Ovechkin, same. Transportation services.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Springfield Regional Chamber Merger Approved

SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts secretary of state has given final approval to the merger between the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce to officially form the Springfield Regional Chamber. At a meeting of both the ACCGS and the Springfield Chamber, the membership of the ACCGS and the Springfield Chamber voted in person and by proxy to unanimously approve the merger and create the new organization. The creation of one unified organization was the result of more than two years of discussions, comprehensive analyses, reviews of best practices, and benchmarking against chambers across the country. Under the previous model, the ACCGS served as an umbrella organization providing services and benefits to a collective of affiliate chambers: the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the Professional Women’s Chamber of Commerce (PWC), and the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce (ERC5). The new organization reflects the merger of the ACCGS and Springfield into one organization. “Our region is one economic marketplace,” said chamber President Jeffrey Ciuffreda. “This merger better reflects the regional thinking of our membership, and, as a result, we have a clearer and strengthened vision, stronger collaborations with existing regional partners, and greater opportunities for new ones. It enables the chamber to grow so that its members can grow, too.” He added that the move “also allows us to have a stronger, more unified voice to better shape policy on Beacon Hill and in Washington,” and noted that the merger also allows the chamber to have an increased regional presence to help drive growth, a more cohesive structure, operational efficiencies, and more effective and impactful use of resources. “In the end, this merger should provide for an increased level of service to our members so that we can maximize their financial investment in us.” While the ERC5 voted not to merge, the Springfield Regional Chamber will continue to provide services to these members through the remainder of their membership term. “We continue to work with the ERC5 and its leadership to identify mutually beneficial ways to work together to strengthen the region as a whole,” said Ciuffreda. Meanwhile, the Springfield Regional Chamber has debuted its new logo. According to Nancy Creed, the chamber’s vice president of marketing and communications, the new logo has a more modern look. “We wanted the logo to better reflect what we do rather than who we are,” she said. “Many still don’t understand what a chamber does, but this logo, specifically the words ‘Connect to Commerce,’ clearly reflect our purpose.” The logo, created by Creed with assistance from consultant Gary Czelusniak, centers around the number two because, as Creed noted, “partnerships take two for success — the chamber and a business, the chamber and the region, the chamber and its members, not to mention the businesses and consumers, businesses and employees, and the list goes on. Success is all about working together and building relationships.” She said the choice of colors also are significant, noting that orange represents enthusiasm, creativity, success, strength, and endurance, and is a color highly accepted among the younger generations. “Believe it or not, seeing the color orange actually increases the oxygen supply to the brain and stimulates mental activity, and people associate orange with good value.” She said grey, on the other hand, is associated with power, strength, authority, prestige without being overly formal, reliability, and stability. “Grey is also perceived as long-lasting and classic. That holds true for us since we have been connecting people to commerce for more than a century.” Springfield Regional Chamber members in good standing can use the new logo on their websites as a means of communicating to consumers their commitment and investment in the chamber. The chamber is also working on a new website, www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, and chamber staff have all transitioned to the new domain name for their e-mail addresses.

Single-family Home Sales Up in Pioneer Valley

SPRINGFIELD — The Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley reported that single-family home sales in September were up 19% across the Valley compared to the same time last year. The median price is up 4.1% from $191,750 last year at this time to $199,700 this year. In Hampden County, sales were up 12.2% and median price up 7.1% from September 2014, while in Hampshire County, sales were up 45.2%, and median price was up 1.9%. In Franklin County, sales were up 15.4%, but median price was down 8.8%.

State Unemployment Drops in September

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 4.6% in September, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday. The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts lost 7,100 jobs in September. The job losses occurred in the education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; construction; and manufacturing sectors. However, year-to-date, Massachusetts has added 46,900 jobs. The preliminary estimates show 3,406,700 Massachusetts residents were employed in September, and 163,100 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,569,800. The labor force decreased by 21,900 from 3,591,700 in August, as 17,200 fewer residents were employed and 4,600 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The statewide unemployment rate in August was 4.7%. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell 1.0% from 5.6% in September 2014. The September state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 5.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “The Massachusetts unemployment rate continues to decline. Although the state experienced job losses in September, the overall jobs picture is strong,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said. The state’s labor force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — decreased 0.4% to 64.9% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has decreased 0.6% compared to September 2014. September 2015 estimates show that 3,406,800 residents were employed, and 163,100 were unemployed. There were 35,400 fewer unemployed persons over the year compared to September 2014. The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in professional, scientific, and business services; leisure and hospitality; and education and health services.

State Receives Grant for Apprenticeship Programs

BOSTON — The state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development was awarded a $2.9 million federal grant to expand apprenticeship opportunities in high-growth industries in Massachusetts. The American Apprenticeship Grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor, will enable the state to help 300 residents gain apprenticeship training in industries with a growing demand for new employees, such as healthcare, technology, and advanced manufacturing. The funds will support the Massachusetts Apprenticeship Initiative (MAI) to increase the number of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities in those industries. There are more than 7,500 registered apprentices in the state in 2015. “As many employers in Massachusetts struggle to find the skilled labor to fill available jobs, this grant will enable training for individuals in high-demand industries and provide more job opportunities for the people of the Commonwealth,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $175 million in American Apprenticeship Grants to 46 awardees across the nation to expand apprenticeships in high-growth industries. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will use the grant to build upon apprenticeship opportunities and address the skills gap for underserved residents. “Our team worked incredibly hard to be awarded one of these highly competitive grants,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker, II, who chairs the Workforce Skills Cabinet. “These funds will help us in our mission to meet employers’ demands for highly skilled workers so they can continue to grow their businesses. Businesses cannot grow if they cannot find enough skilled workers.” Created by the governor through an executive order, the Workforce Skills Cabinet’s goal is to align education, economic- and workforce-development programs, and policies to increase opportunities for training and employment for residents while helping businesses meet their growth needs.

Governor Files Landmark Substance-abuse Legislation

BOSTON — Continuing a series of initiatives to combat the opioid epidemic, Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled legislation to provide medical personnel with the power to intervene with patients suffering from addiction, control the spread of addictive prescription opioids, and increase education about substance-use disorder for providers and in the community. The bill, titled “An Act Relative to Substance Use Treatment, Education and Prevention,” contains several additional provisions developed by the Governor’s Opioid Working Group to address prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery. “Combating the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth calls for a comprehensive approach, and filing today’s landmark legislation is a critical step toward creating more effective treatment pathways and better controlling opioid-prescribing practices for first-time patients,” Baker said. “Our administration has already implemented a series of the working group’s recommendations to tackle this epidemic from every angle, ranging from prevention to recovery support.” This bill calls for new requirements for practitioners, educators, and communities and amends the civil-commitment statute to specify that women committed for substance-use treatment may be sent to new secure treatment units approved by the departments of Public Health and Mental Health, and ends the practice of sending women to MCI Framingham for treatment. Further, medical professionals will be granted the authority to involuntarily commit an individual for treatment for 72 hours if they pose a danger to themselves or others. Currently, individuals suffering from substance-use disorders can be held for treatment only through an order from the courts, which are not always in session, limiting access for families and patients in need of a 24-hour ‘front door’ to treatment for a substance-related emergency. To better control opioid-prescribing practices, the legislation contains a provision limiting patients to a 72-hour supply the first time they are prescribed an opioid or when they are prescribed an opioid from a new doctor. Practitioners will also be required to always check the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) prior to prescribing an opioid to a patient, and will be required to fulfill five hours of training on pain management and addiction every two years.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

International Container Co. Plans Holyoke Facility Expansion

HOLYOKE — In an effort to accommodate a growth in production, International Container Co., LLC will build an expansion to its facility and operations headquartered at 110 North Bridge St. in Holyoke. The expansion is planned with the assistance of both local tax incentives and tax credits provided through the Commonwealth’s Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP).
International Container Co. (ICC) purchased its 150,000-square-foot facility in Holyoke in 2001 and has since made many improvements to the property. Since moving to Holyoke, business has increased each year for the company. The tax-increment financing (TIF) agreement lasts for five years and allows for a property-tax exemption on the newly created real-estate value. In return, ICC has agreed to create a minimum of five new jobs and invest between $900,000 and $1 million in the project.
The agreement has been submitted to the Holyoke City Council for approval. In addition, ICC will receive state investment-tax credits, pending review and approval of the application by the Mass. Economic Assistance Coordinating Council, based on the amount of sales generated from the expansion.
“The expansion of International Container is another indicator that manufacturing is alive and well in Holyoke,” Mayor Alex Morse said. “Our city’s manufacturers are a vital part of the community and our economy. This local incentive will ensure that this project can be brought to completion to retain and create dozens of employment opportunities in our own backyard.”
Over the last two years, ICC has made substantial efforts to expand, now servicing all of New England and selling products across the U.S. ICC currently employs 45 people, noting a growth in employment since 2013 when there were 24 employees at the facility.
“We are very excited to be working with the city of Holyoke on our expansion project,” said Joseph Searles, general manager of International Container.

Curry Printing Changes Logo to Reflect Shift in Business

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Curry Printing in West Springfield is changing its logo to better reflect its core business.
Since opening in 1976 as Curry Copy Center, the printing business has experienced a paradigm shift. “Ninety-eight percent of what we do today is print, and not copy,” owner Stephen Lang said. “In the old days, customers would come in with their camera-ready originals. We would make a plate and then run off copies. Today, those originals are electronic files sent directly as e-mail attachments or uploaded on our website. No plates need to be made; we print direct to different devices depending on the job. Blueprints, full-color brochures, reports, manuals, newsletters, banners, signs, and all kinds of collateral material go direct to print.”
To reflect this change, Curry has updated its logo. “It’s still OK to call us Curry Copy if you want; we really don’t mind,” Lang said. “But we are so much more than copies these days.”

Country Bank Contributes $7,250 to Local Schools

WARE — Country Bank surprised 29 local schools that participate in the bank’s Savings Makes Sense School Banking Program with $250 gift cards to Staples. Each school received the donation to help cover the cost of back-to-school supplies. “We know how difficult it is for the schools to have the supplies they need when budgets become tight. They are truly so grateful and appreciative of this gift,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, Financial Education officer at Country Bank, adding that teachers typically spend about $250 of their own money annually to purchase items for their classrooms. Country Bank serves Central, Western, and Eastern Massachusetts with 15 offices in Ware, Palmer, Brimfield, Belchertown, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Paxton, Charlton, Leicester, West Brookfield, and Worcester. It sponsors the Savings Makes Sense program and the award-winning Credit for Life program in its communities. For more information, visit www.countrybank.com.

A Plus HVAC Recognized

WESTFIELD — A Plus HVAC of Westfield is one of nine New England-based contractors to receive a 2015 COOL SMART award. The firm, led by owner and President Nathan LeMay, has received this honor for three consecutive years. The honors were presented recently at the annual golf tournament of the Air Conditioning Assoc. of New England. Sponsored by the Massachusetts/Rhode Island COOL SMART program, the awards are given out during the sporting event held in Stow. The winning contractors specialize in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and are recognized for quality installation of energy-saving equipment and their overall contributions to the program. COOL SMART is a high-efficiency heating and cooling rebate program for residential customers of National Grid, Eversource, Unitil, and the Cape Light Compact. These program administrators sponsor the awards and the tournament to recognize contractors in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for outstanding service and an ongoing commitment to energy efficiency. Launched in 2004, COOL SMART promotes the purchase and installation of Energy Star-qualified and high-efficiency air conditioners, heat pumps, and water heaters. Awards are distributed annually to recognize outstanding contractors for leadership, quality work, and active program participation. “For the past decade, we have witnessed more and more contractors participating in COOL SMART,” said Kevin Parse, Unitil program coordinator. “This program is important to public health because greenhouse-gas emissions and pollution are reduced by up to 30% as a result of their outstanding work. On behalf of Eversource, we are proud to be affiliated with the program and its committed contractors throughout the region. We applaud A Plus HVAC for its third consecutive win and hope to see even more participants next year.” To learn more about becoming a COOL SMART contractor, or for general program information, visit www.masssave.com or call (800) 473-1105.

Webber and Grinnell Unveils New Look

NORTHAMPTON — Webber and Grinnell recently unveiled a new look and logo. “We felt it was time to contemporize things at the agency,” said President Bill Grinnell. “We wanted a logo that reflects our progressive culture and makes a statement to current and future clients.” Webber and Grinnell has been serving personal and business insurance clients throughout the Pioneer Valley for more than 100 years. For more information about its services, visit www.webberandgrinnell.com.

Aaron Smith, P.C. Supports United Way Day of Caring

EAST LONGMEADOW — Aaron Smith, P.C., a certified public accounting firm serving individuals and businesses in the Pioneer Valley, supplied 10 volunteers for the United Way of Pioneer Valley Day of Caring last month. The Day of Caring is the largest day of service in the Pioneer Valley, bringing more than 1,000 people together to complete community-service work throughout the region. Aaron Smith employees participated in the Day of Caring by working with a local YMCA to close up a summer camp for the season. Camp Weber, part of the West Springfield YMCA, has been serving young people for more than 150 years. Generations have enjoyed the 75 acres of wooded property located on Dewey Street, which needs a thorough cleaning at the beginning and end of each season. “It was a pleasure working with Camp Weber as part of the United Way Day of Service,” said Joanna Smigiel of Aaron Smith. “We helped by sweeping out the various buildings at the camp and cleaning refrigerators, sinks, cabinets, and washrooms. We also moved picnic tables inside for the winter, moved various supplies into an indoor storage unit, and generally cleaned up the grounds.” The Day of Caring was established to promote the spirit of volunteerism, increase awareness of local human-service organizations, and demonstrate how people working together for the common good can accomplish great things. “It’s such a rewarding experience to help an organization that brings joy, education, and life skills to our area youth,” said Scott Betsher, certified public accountant and director at Aaron Smith. “We pride ourselves on our relationship with the United Way of Pioneer Valley, knowing that what we do together really makes a difference in the communities we serve. We are not afraid to roll up our sleeves to get the job done. This is how we approach our volunteer work and how we work on your business.”

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move

Webber and Grinnell Insurance Agency announced several recent changes at its North King Street office in Northampton:
• Mat Geffin has been named Vice President and Equity Partner at the firm. He started at the agency in 2009 as vice president of business development in the commercial-lines department, and quickly established himself as a leader at the agency. Geffin leads the sales efforts at Webber and Grinnell, in addition to managing a large book of business encompassing the construction, habitational, manufacturing, and nonprofit market niches. He is an active board member for the United Way of Pioneer Valley, Tech Foundry, and the philanthropic services committee at the Community Foundation;
• Jenna Rodrigue has been promoted to Commercial Lines Supervisor. She leads a team of eight business-insurance specialists and is responsible for the day-to-day service of the agency’s commercial clientele. She began her career at Webber and Grinnell 12 years ago as a commercial lines customer-service representative;
• Kathy Cusson has been named Personal Lines Supervisor. Part of the Webber and Grinnell team since 1989, she leads a staff of nine and is responsible for the day-to-day servicing of the agency’s personal-lines clients.
•••••

Alison Shilinsky

Alison Shilinsky

Country Bank announced that Alison Shilinsky has been named senior vice president of Human Resources. With 10 years in the industry, Shilinsky is an experienced human-resources professional. She earned her master’s degree in management from UMass Amherst and her bachelor’s degree in English and communications from Assumption College. Shilinsky’s previous work at Brown Rudnick LLP, a prominent Boston law firm, has had a significant impact on her approach to human resources and business. She is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management, the New England Human Resources Assoc., the New England Employee Benefits Council, and the Mass. Bankers Assoc. “Alison is an exceptional example of what a human-resources professional is supposed to be,” said Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank. “Not only is she knowledgeable and dedicated, she demonstrates compassion and empathy to all employees. We are thrilled to have her join our team, as we know she will be a valued resource for Country Bank and its employees.”
•••••

April Healey

April Healey

Greenfield Cooperative Bank announced that April Healey has joined the bank as a Mortgage Originator at the bank’s main office on Federal Street in Greenfield. Healey has more than 14 years of experience in real estate, most recently at a local, regional bank. She will be responsible for originating residential mortgage loans in Franklin and Hampshire counties. She attended Holyoke Community College and has held various positions with the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, including director and chairperson of its Realtor Public Image Committee. Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its Northampton Cooperative Bank division is a community-based institution with more than $525 million in assets and $60 million in capital reserves. The bank provides residential mortgages, commercial loans, and deposit products at 10 offices in Western Mass.
•••••

Tim Irwin

Tim Irwin

Chris Mader

Chris Mader

Tim Irwin and Chris Mader of OMG Inc., have been named in the annual 30 Under 30 Awards given jointly by Young Fastener Professionals and the Fastener Industry Coalition. “To be recognized by this prestigious group is certainly a high honor for these two outstanding individuals, and also for OMG,” said Hubert McGovern, president of OMG. “We are very proud of their accomplishments and for this great industry recognition.” The 30 Under 30 Awards are given annually to young industry professionals who are making a difference in the fastener industry. Ideal candidates are leaders who are driven, motivated, and passionate about their jobs and the future of the fastener industry. Individual nominations are selected based on several criteria, including their contribution to measurable results in the form of cost savings, sales increases, and design-efficiency increases. Irwin is a Product Manager with FastenMaster, where he is responsible for the LOK line of structural wood fasteners. He was cited for his team leadership as well as significant contributions he has made on the success of the FlatLOK, the ThruLOK, and the FastenMaster business as a whole. In his role as product manager, he has been able to significantly impact sales revenue and profits and has demonstrated a keen ability to drive product development based on end-user needs. Mader is a Codes/approvals Support Engineer for OMG’s Roofing Products division, responsible for helping evaluate new products, as well as developing and maintaining technical product specifications, maintaining code approvals, and keeping abreast of technical changes and advancements in the commercial-roofing industry. He has been instrumental in helping OMG understand critical compliance standards and requirements for products sold in various international markets and for his work with products designed to secure solar PV racking systems to commercial roofs. The winners from this year’s 30 Under 30 Awards were recognized at the National Fastener Industrial & Mill Supply Expo in Las Vegas on Oct. 21. Headquartered in Agawam, OMG Inc. is North America’s largest manufacturer of specialty fasteners and products for commercial and residential construction applications. The company operates two business units: OMG Roofing Products and FastenMaster.
••••
Beloved Earth, the Pioneer Valley’s first green cleaning company, has promoted Lynn Moynahan to the position of Assistant Vice President in charge of the residential services division. Beloved Earth co-founders David and Terra Missildine serve as company president and vice president, respectively. David oversees commercial services, and Terra oversees general operations. Moynahan has been with Beloved Earth for three years and previously served in the role of residential services manager for Hampshire County only. In her new position, Moynahan will oversee the entire residential services team, including managers in other counties. Beloved Earth employs a total of 12 staff members in its two divisions. The business primarily serves Hampshire County, but also Hampden and Franklin counties.
•••••

Edward Garbacik

Edward Garbacik

Edward Garbacik has joined the team at Private Financial Design, LLC in South Hadley. For more than 30 years, he has been providing individuals and small-business owners with comprehensive financial planning as an advisor and planner, including investment-advisory services, retirement planning, estate planning, and other wealth-management needs. He earned the certified financial planner designation through the CFP certificate program at Boston University and has also been awarded the accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designation, widely considered the fiduciary standard for business retirement planning and plan-sponsor services. Prior to joining Private Financial Design, Garbacik held the title of partner at a boutique investment firm specializing in retirement-income planning. He was also vice president and managing partner of investments at FSB Financial Group, where he led the group’s financial-planning and wealth-management team. Private Financial Design offers comprehensive financial planning for both personal and business needs, including fee-based investment-advisory services, retirement plans, and other wealth-management services.
•••••
Dakin Humane Society has appointed Kimberly Hannah and Brendan Wood to serve three-year terms on its board of directors, according to interim Executive Director Nancy Creed. Hannah currently serves as office manager and executive assistant to the president and CEO for the Sisters of Providence Health System. Prior to that, she was the office manager and executive assistant to the president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Hospital and worked at Baystate Health for several years. She has volunteered for animal-rescue organizations including FACES and the Westfield Animal Shelter, and is a graduate of Bay Path College. Wood is a wealth-management advisor with the Foundation Management Group at Merrill Lynch. He previously taught at independent schools in Santa Barbara, Calif., and is a graduate of Princeton University. Dakin Humane Society delivers services that improve the lives of animals in need and the people who care about them from its two locations in Springfield and Leverett. The organization shelters, treats, and fosters more than 20,000 animals each year and has performed more than 62,000 spay/neuter surgeries since 2009.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• Nov. 4: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Join the Greater Easthampton, Greater Northampton, and Amherst Area chambers along with our host, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, for a networking extravaganza. Sponsored by Duseau Trucking.

• Nov. 6: 
CheckPoint 2015 Legislative Summit. Registration and networking, 11 a.m.;
 welcome, lunch, and keynote speaker, noon to 1:30 p.m.; Chamber View
Dialogue with chamber executives, followed by legislative response, 1:30-3 p.m.; cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, 3-4 p.m. Keynote speaker:  state Senate President Stanley Rosenberg. Also hear from Tim Wilkerson, regulatory ombudsman of Economic Policy Development at the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions to invited legislators.

• Nov. 7: 15th Annual Greater Easthampton Chamber Viva Las Vegas Bowl-a-Thon, at Canal Bowling Lanes, 74 College Highway, Southampton. Two sessions:  3 p.m. and 6 p.m. A night of fun, laughs, music by DJ Jay Paglucia, and pizza as you help support funding this season’s holiday lights.

• Nov. 11: Monday Morning with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., Burger King, Easthampton.

• Dec. 3: Holiday tree lighting and visit from Santa, 6:30-8 p.m., at Pulaski Park, Easthampton.

• Dec. 4: Greater Easthampton Chamber Snow Ball, 6-11 p.m., at the Garden House, Look Park. An old-fashioned, elegant, holiday affair. Sit-down dinner featuring Meyers Catering, live music, and dancing featuring Maxxtone. Dress in style, black tie optional.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Nov. 4: November Arrive @ 5 Open House, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust  St., Northampton. Cost: $10 for members.

• Dec. 2: December Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., at Hampshire Council of Governments, Northampton. Sponsored by Applied Mortgage. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Nov. 2: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Amelia Park Children’s Museum, 29 South Broad St., Westfield. Event is free and open to the public. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 6: CheckPoint 2015 Legislative Symposium, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, Holyoke. Cost: $50 for chamber members, $60 (paid in advance) for non-members. For sponsorship opportunities, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 9: Eat & Educate: Business Insurance Options, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Westfield Bank, 141 Elm St., Westfield. Presented by Shawn Torress & Kevin Green of Westfield Wealth Management and Westfield Bank. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members; $75 to attend all three Eat & Educate workshops. RSVP required. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 12: November After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Ezra’s Mercantile, 34 Elm St., 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.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER

www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• Nov. 4: PWC Headline Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., co-located at the Western Mass Business Expo, MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. “New England’s Skills Gap in Advanced Manufacturing,” featuring Alison Lands, senior manager of Deloitte Consulting, LLP. Cost: $40. Reservations may be made online at www.professionalwomenschamber.com. The Professional Women’s Chamber is a division of the Springfield Regional Chamber.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Nov. 4: Springfield Regional Chamber Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., co-located at the Western Mass Business Expo, MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. Pull up a bar stool for a casual conversation with Harpoon Brewery CEO and co-Founder Dan Kenary. Cost: $30 in advance, $35 at the door). Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 12: Springfield Regional Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Tech Foundry, 1391 Main St., 9th Floor, Springfield. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 19: Springfield Regional Chamber Government Reception, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Carriage House, Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Meet socially with your local, state, and federal officials. Cost: $50 for members, $70 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 24: Springfield Regional Chamber Pastries, Politics and Policy, 8-9 a.m., hosted by TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Featuring Hampden Country District Attorney Anthony Gulluni. Sponsored by the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

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. The business-to-business show will feature more than 100 booths, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, a day-capping Expo Social, the annual pitch contest, robotics and machine tooling demonstrations, flu shots, and much more. Sponsors include Comcast Business, presenting sponsor; Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design, director-level sponsors; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor; Peerless Precision, Smith & Wesson, the NTMS, and the Larry A. Maier Memorial Educational Fund as robotics and manufacturing sponsors, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka as entrepreneur sponsor. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com.

Senior Health Fair

Nov. 4: Baystate Franklin Medical Center and the YMCA of Greenfield will hold a Senior Health Fair and Functional Fitness Assessment from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the YMCA, 454 Main St. The event, for individuals age 60 and older, will feature a variety of screenings, fitness assessments, information stations, guest speakers, and healing modalities to explore. The event is free and open to the public; lunch will be provided at noon. YMCA staff will administer the functional fitness assessment, which includes six elements: lower body strength, upper body strength, aerobic endurance, lower body flexibility, upper body flexibility, and agility and balance. BFMC departments represented will include the Emergency Department, Medical-Surgical, Birthplace, Cardiopulmonary, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Audiology, Case Management, and Baystate Home Infusion, offering various screenings (such as hearing and balance testing), information on assistive devices, heart-healthy information, and Reiki and stroke education. Participants can test their healthcare knowledge with a ‘Wheel of Health’ game. In addition to YMCA and BFMC staff, vendors from other healthcare-related services will be exhibiting at the fair. During lunch, three guest speakers will be featured: Dr. Tom Higgins, interim president and CEO of Baystate Franklin Medical Center, speaking on senior health; cardiologist Dr. Heba Wassif, on what to monitor with new medications and the side effects they can cause; and nurse practitioner Pamela McLean, on cancer prevention. The event is free, but pre-registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, call (413) 773-3646, ext. 448, or register at the YMCA Welcome Center.

Spirit of Skiing Award

Nov. 7: Cal Conniff will be honored by the New England Ski Museum (NESM) at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The event is open to the public. NESM’s Spirit of Skiing Award is given to honor a skiing notable who manifests the motto, “skiing is not just a sport, it is a way of life,” attributed to ski pioneer Otto Schniebs. Previous winners include Olympic medalists Stein Eriksen and Penny Pitou, U.S. Olympians Tom Corcoran and Tyler Palmer, Killington Ski Resort founder Preston Smith, renowned ski instructor Herbert Schneider, and ski-show impresario Bernie Weichsel. Conniff spent his professional life working for the betterment of the ski-area industry, managing the Mt. Tom Ski Area from 1968 to 1973. He put the small facility on the national map by developing extensive night skiing and one of the earliest snow-making systems in the country in the 1960s, two innovations that were soon emulated throughout the resort industry. During his tenure at Mt. Tom, Conniff targeted the youth market, introducing thousands to the thrill of downhill skiing through numerous school programs. Conniff took over leadership of the National Ski Areas Assoc. in 1973, moving its offices from New York City to West Hartford, Conn. and ultimately downtown Springfield in 1978, where it remained until his retirement in 1990. He now lives in Wells, Maine. Conniff was an accomplished ski racer in college and won the four-way combined championships for the American Armed Forces in Europe when he was stationed in Germany in the 1950s. A graduate of American International College (AIC), he hosted a TV show on WWLP called Skiers’ Corner. He was inducted into AIC’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011, and to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1990. He is the former president of the New England Ski Museum, where an annual grants program was established in his name. Tickets to the event, which starts at 5 p.m., cost $75 and available by calling the NESM at (603) 823-7177 or visiting www.skimuseum.com/events. Proceeds support the museum’s mission to preserve the history of skiing.

Neuroscientist to Visit Springfield College

Nov. 19: The Springfield College Center for Wellness Education and Research (CWER) will host world-renowned neuroscientist and nutrition and diet expert Nicole Avena at 7 p.m. in the Fuller Arts Center. Avena’s presentation, “Why Diets Fail: Because You’re Addicted to Sugar,” will focus on years of research showing that sugar is addictive, and present a science-based plan to stop cravings. The event is free and open to the public. Author of more than 50 scholarly journal articles, Avena’s research suggests that overeating of palatable foods can produce changes in the brain and behavior that resemble addiction, findings that have jump-started an entire new field of exploration and discovery related to the obesity epidemic. She has presented her research to an array of audiences, including pharmaceutical companies, diabetes-prevention groups, food-industry marketing executives, nutrition groups, and obesity-education groups, and has contributed to articles in Men’s Health, Psychology Today, Bloomberg Businessweek, and WebMD. The New York Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Assoc., and the National Institute on Drug Abuse have honored her research achievements. Housed in the Springfield College School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, CWER’s mission of is to serve as the region’s pre-eminent source for best practices in nutrition and physical-activity programming for young people.

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Ellendave, LLC v. Stick Time Sports Inc.
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $102,375
Filed: 9/28/15

Francis Duda, M.D. v. Baystate Medical Practices Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $100,000
Filed: 9/29/15

Verizon New England Inc. v. Springfield Water & Sewer Commission
Allegation: Negligence and trespass causing damage to equipment: $16,246.65
Filed: 9/23/15

W.W. Grainger Inc. v. Westcarb Enterprises Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $144,215.49
Filed: 9/24/15

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Easthampton Savings Bank v. Dependable Drywall Inc. and Lukas J. Rosov
Allegation: Non-payment on commercial line of credit: $39,327.68
Filed: 9/13/15

H. Lawrence Foster Company Inc. v. James J. Welch & Co. and Cottage Square Apts., LTD, and Berkeley Regional Insurance Company
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $197,797.15
Filed: 9/21/15

Paul Weinberg, Weinberg & Garber, PC v. Climate Design Consulting, and First American Insurance
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $1,500,000
Filed: 9/22/15

Tofino Associates, LLC v. Ted Ondrick, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract for asphalt road installation: $117,172.35
Filed: 9/24/15

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

GRP Capital, LLC v. Adamos Pizza and Restaurant
Allegation: Defendant failed to deliver receivables purchased by plaintiff in breach of contract: $12,800.00
Filed: 9/21/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Kendrick Wong v. The Creative Strategy Agency, Inc.
Allegation: Breach of employment contract: $4,209.72
Filed: 9/28/15

Susan Poirier v. ProFast Commercial Flooring, LLC and Pyramid Management, LLC
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of work area causing injury: $4,146.00
Filed: 9/17/15

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Marion Air Conditioning & Refrigeration v. Maurice Casey, Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of balance due on repairs, parts, and labor: $8,686.51
Filed: 9/4/15

Chattanooga Offers a Raft of Lessons for Springfield

By
Features

In the 1960s, Ron Littlefield says, no one needed GPS to find Tennessee’s fourth-largest city.

“You could tell when you were getting close to Chattanooga because you could smell Chattanooga; it stunk,” said the former mayor, who served from 2005 to 2013. “It was an old foundry city. And when you had stormy weather, you had inversions, because we have mountains and valleys, and it would trap the smoke, and you would literally be eating smoke when you walked outside.”

City leaders were mortified when, in October 1969, Walter Cronkite came across a recent EPA study, sat down behind the news desk, looked into the camera, and declared Chattanooga “the dirtiest city in America.”

“It was so bad that people had to change their shirts in the middle of the day,” said John Bridger, executive director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency. “They were tough times — but tough times create opportunities.”

In truth, Bridger continued, many residents put up with the pollution because the manufacturing sector was chugging along, but Cronkite’s report jarred them out of complacency. “If not for those challenges, I don’t think we would have changed, because we were comfortable. We were the dynamo of Dixie — why change what we were doing if we were making money? But that report created an impetus for change; it brought a new perspective.”

Still, Chattanooga was no overnight turnaround. Even after efforts to clean up the waterway and better connect the riverfront with the downtown area, a downturn in the region’s manufacturing base led to mass flight from the city, which lost more than 10% of its population during the 1980s. But, as current Mayor Andy Berke points out, it was the only American city with that level of population loss during the ’80s to actually gain residents in the 1990s.

“It took a long time — a lot of people over a great period of time — to make it happen,” he said. “And it started with real investment in the core of our city.”

Today, Chattanooga is a growing city (population just over 173,000, about 20,000 more than Springfield) riding a wave of entrepreneurship and high-tech innovation, and touting itself as the Gig City after building a broadband network (known as ‘the Gig’) able to connect every home and business to the Internet at 1 gigabit per second, or 50 to 100 times faster than the average U.S. Internet connection.

As part of the City2City Pioneer Valley program, 30 economic-development, nonprofit, and community leaders from Greater Springfield visited Chattanooga late last month to hear the story of how a stinking foundry city transformed itself into a beacon of innovation.

Walnut Street Bridge

Many of the attendees at the foot of the Walnut Street Bridge, a pedestrian span over the Tennessee River that’s a hallmark of an extensive riverfront makeover.

In doing so, they learned that this community on Georgia’s northwestern border is no utopia; it still faces serious education, workforce-development, and racial-gentrification issues, to name a few. But it’s also proving to be an example of how public, business, and nonprofit interests can work in concert to produce and then fund real solutions.

“There seems to be one goal with all these organizations we’ve met. They’re all doing their own things, but they’re all on the same page and have the same goal, and that’s to help all these spinning wheels move the city forward,” said Alfonso Santaniello, president of the Creative Strategy Agency in Springfield, who values his company’s downtown presence and wanted to visit a growing city with a similar emphasis on building up its central business district.

“Springfield needs to find a way to get everyone on the same page and push forward from there,” he went on. “That’s one of our biggest issues; everyone is doing great things, but why are we not doing them together?”

Chattanooga’s striking collaboration culture (more on that later) is one reason why the Gig City label is, in fact, not the top storyline there, but a way to draw national notice to everything else that’s going on.

“The technology is great,” said Enoch Elwell, founder of Co.Starters, a Chattanooga-based entrepreneuship program that has expanded nationally, including into Holyoke earlier this year. “But its biggest impact is as a rallying cry for our community, something that brings us together and draws the world’s attention.”

The City2City contingent from Massachusetts was certainly listening.

Cleaning Up Their Act

Littlefield recalls a time when Chattanooga manufacturers treated the Tennessee River like a sewer, dumping garbage directly into the waterway. “But in the ’70s, we cleaned up our water, and we began to clean up our act.”

From an ecological perspective, it actually helped when the foundries started to close, but it posed economic issues, he went on, which were partially remedied by attracting industries from the north, like textiles and automaking, with the promise of cheaper labor. But that wasn’t a sustainable strategy, and a steady population drain ensued.

“When you lose jobs, you also lose hope, and when you lose hope, you lose your children,” he said. “They grow up and get an education and go somewhere else. We began to say, ‘we have to change this community in ways we’ve never changed it before. We’ve got to change our attitude, our way of thinking.’”

The first step was the creation of the Tennessee Riverpark Master Plan to transform the riverfront and downtown area, but only after many hours meeting with residents — many of whom had felt disenfranchised — and incorporating their concerns into the process. As Littlefield recalled, one woman told him, “this is the first time, when I said something, that someone wrote it down in my own words.”

Municipal leaders also visited other cities (notably a 1981 trek to Indianapolis) to find ideas and inspiration. These information-gathering efforts led to the creation in 1986 of River City Co., a nonprofit tasked with implementing the master plan, a 20-year blueprint for the riverfront and downtown, initially capitalized with $12 million from local foundations and financial institutions.

“We did visioning before visioning was cool, and we found that it actually works,” Littlefield said. “So we set about to create quality of life, and that started with the river.”

Bridgett Massengill, executive director of Thrive 2055 — a more recent coalition of economic leaders tasked with creating economic opportunity in a tri-state, 16-county region surrounding Chattanooga’s Hamilton County — detailed how four area foundations took the first step to fund River City Co., and called it typical of the way the city has operated in the past 30 years.

“I have been blown away by the collaboration in this region, the way we come together, roll up our sleeves, and make it happen,” she said. “There was a will that we were going to proceed with or without federal dollars.”

That caught the attention of Katie Allan Zobel, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

“The success in Chattanooga has grown from public-private partnerships,” she told BusinessWest. “They keep saying how foundations have played a role in these partnerships, and it seems to me that’s something Springfield and surrounding regions should be exploring with more focus.”

She first thought, upon hearing of the role of the region’s foundations, that they must be larger and better-capitalized than those in Western Mass., but was surprised to find that wasn’t the case. “We can always do more together, and Chattanooga has been proving that for the last 25 years.”

The tax structure in Tennessee — property and sales taxes but no income tax — is a challenge for economic development, officials note. That’s why the public-private partnerships that have sprung up to support development are so noteworthy, said Beth Jones, executive director of the Southeast Tennessee Development District. “Typically, we don’t start with how much money an initiative will cost. We ask, ‘is this a good idea?’ and then we bring people together to raise the money.”

That’s part of the so-called “Chattanooga way” cited by many of the people who met with the City2City contingent. Kim White, president and CEO of River City Co., said the term essentially refers to the way leaders “get a diverse group of people together and really plan.”

Landing a Gig

The city’s successes included a complete overhaul of the riverfront, including the privately funded Tennessee Aquarium, the nation’s largest freshwater aquarium, and the pedestrian-only Walnut Street Bridge; as well as an innovation district downtown aimed at attracting both high-tech giants like Amazon (which has a presence in the city) as well as a raft of intriguing startups.

Despite the successes of the Tennessee Riverpark Master Plan, the planning process had never focused specifically on entrepreneurship or technology until the city’s power company, EPB, tapped into federal stimulus money in 2009 to launch the Gig, said Ken Hays, president and CEO of the city’s Enterprise Center and Innovation District, which followed in the wake of the massive fiber project.

Since then, an accelerator program for startups has graduated 67 companies that have raised $3.1 in combined capital. In 2012, a nonprofit called CoLab launched GigTank, an annual, 14-week summer entrepreneurship program; 40 participating companies have raised $4.37 million in capital to date. CoLab’s “Will This Float?” startup pitch competition, launched five years ago, has attracted 47 participants, and the five winners all continue to grow, with $5.5 million in capital raised to date. Then there’s Tech Goes Home, a computer-education program aimed at everyone from preschoolers to the elderly.

Chattanooga has plenty of traditional industry, of course, none more prominent than Volkswagen, which employs about 2,400 people at its only North American plant and is planning an expansion — even amidst controversy over its diesel engine — that will bring production of a new SUV to Chattanooga and boost its workforce by another 2,000, including 200 in research and development, a first for the area. Other giants, like Coca-Cola and Little Debbie, dot the landscape as well.

Laura Masulis, left, transformative development fellow at MassDevelopment

Laura Masulis, left, transformative development fellow at MassDevelopment, and Scott Foster, right, chairman of Valley Venture Mentors, speak with Will Joseph and Enoch Elwell of Co.Starters, a national, Chattanooga-based entrepreneurship initiative that launched in Holyoke this year.

But economic-development leaders are focused on the Innovation District and the cultivation of small businesses that may one day grow to be the next Coca-Cola or Amazon. Efforts to do so range from Startup in a Day, a commitment to streamlining business permitting on a 24/7 basis, to the Growing Small Business program, a financial incentive offered to companies with fewer than 100 employees that hire at least five workers in a 12-month period.

“If we can subsidize their next hire and keep them afloat for another couple of months, that’s what we want to do, and it’s been pretty successful,” said Nick Wilkinson, the city’s deputy administrator of Economic & Community Development.

With the type of 21st-century businesses attracted by the Gig, however, comes the need for a culture change, or at least a greater focus on the quality-of-life issues that matter to a young, hip, tech-savvy worker base, Bridger said. In addition, the population has shifted from one dominated by two-parent families with children in 1970 to one with mostly single-income households, and that affects the type of housing — smaller and closer to workplaces — that needs to be built in the city.

“Place matters,” he said, noting that IT workers aren’t tied to their workplaces like people in more traditional industries. “So, if you want to compete economically, they’re thinking place first, jobs second. Ultimately, it’s not just about transportation, it’s not just about economic development, it’s not just about the natural environment — it’s about how all those things work together to create place.”

That’s where quality-of-life improvements like the revamped riverfront and growing arts and recreation initiatives come in. The city is obviously doing something right, with $4 billion in business investment since 2008. Now leaders are trying to keep the momentum going by developing more housing in the city — an expected 160,000 new units by 2055, in fact — and touting the success of amenities like the free downtown shuttle (cheekily known as the Choo Choo) and an extensive network of bike lanes, all to support a Millennial population that doesn’t necessarily want to rely on automobiles.

The task isn’t easy when 97% of the downtown workforce drives in from the outside, and only 1.2% of downtown zoning is mixed-use. Regional passenger rail service may be 20 years away or more simply because the surrounding counties don’t have the population density of, say, Western Mass. to support it.

“Our focus is on how to create that housing density that makes us a more 24/7 city,” White explained, noting that the next two years will see the addition of 1,500 apartments downtown, more than doubling the current number, in addition to 500 more hotel rooms and 1,300 more student units to support the 12,000-student University of Tennessee Chattanooga, which skirts the downtown area. “If you come back in three years, this will be a completely different city.”

Barriers to Progress

Some of those changes are more pressing than others. The City2City tour came in the shadow of a recent, searing report by Ken Chilton, a Public Administration professor at Tennessee State University, on the city’s ongoing racial gentrification and the challenges minorities face overcoming poverty, violence, and poor health.

The 23-page report, The Unfinished Agenda, examines how investment and development in certain downtown neighborhoods has come at the expense of low-income African-American families that used to live there but have been forced out by rising costs.

For example, in 1990, the downtown white population was 2,402, while the black population was 3,720. In 2013, those numbers were reversed, with 4,880 whites and 2,358 blacks living downtown. In effect, African-Americans are increasingly being pushed into poorer neighborhoods and schools mired in violence and chaos and not seeing the type of investment that characterizes the downtown and riverfront, Chilton writes.

Because some of these neighborhoods have more adult high-school dropouts than college graduates, many are forced to rely on low-paying jobs instead of the white-collar jobs that have defined the downtown renewal. As a result, 36% of blacks in Chattanooga live in poverty, compared with 14.5% of whites. In the 11 lowest-income neighborhoods in Chattanooga, where the population is 73% African-American, the average poverty rate is 63.5%. Bridger told the City2City contingent that, while the city’s unemployment rate is 5.5%, it’s about double that in the black population.

James McKissic, director of Chattanooga’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, agreed that gentrification is a problem, noting that certain neighborhoods have indeed become unaffordable for lower-income residents. But he added that several housing developments are in the works over the next few years, targeted at different income levels, in desireable neighborhoods. “We don’t want to be the next San Francisco or Austin; we want people from various income levels to live together.”

Still, he added, the heart of the issue is poverty — and the need for initiatives that will improve education and provide economic opportunity for people of all races and income levels.

However, public education — which is operated on the county level — hasn’t made enough strides to satisfy Chattanooga officials, a situation detailed in a 2013 Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies report, again written by Chilton, affirming that the system’s poor, majority-black schools lag far behind schools in more prosperous — usually whiter — neighborhoods.

To compound matters, Tennessee finishes 49th in the nation in per-pupil education spending, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but Hamilton County spending fell between 2007 and 2012, even compared to the state as a whole. Adjusted for inflation, the county spent about $321 less per pupil in 2012 than in 2007. In those years, the Hamilton County Board of Education cut about $44 million to balance budgets in the face of rising costs in health care, utilities, and salaries. “There’s a disconnect between the school system, the state Board of Education, and the real world,” Berke said.

Added Bridger, “public education is not where it needs to be, and it’s becoming a job-recruitment problem.” He noted that the rural counties surrounding Chattanooga fare even worse when it comes to graduation rates. “We’re not getting enough qualified employees to work in the jobs.”

After all, the city’s manufacturing base hasn’t disappeared; it’s just that many of today’s manufacturing jobs are high-skill, high-paying positions. Much like the situation in the Pioneer Valley, plenty of openings exist, but the Hamilton County region grapples with a skills gap between what employers require and the level of education that job seekers bring to the table. Unfortunately, Jones noted, applied-technology classes at local community colleges struggle with empty seats and a lack of interest in manufacturing as a career.

“We’ve basically taught people throughout the South and throughout the country that manufacturing is dirty, it’s not cool, it’s a sweatshop, it doesn’t pay well, the whole nine yards. I still hear that from our young people,” Jones said. “We’ve got to do a better job educating our young people that there are good jobs out there, and you can get them with certain certifications and certain degrees, and you can make more a whole lot more money than I’ve been making all my life with a four-year degree.”

Ruth Thompson, communications and outreach manager for Thrive 2055, agreed, stressing the importance of education. One notable initiative, called Tennessee Promise, pays for two years of community college, in an effort to narrow the skills gap.

“The majority of the country has about 8% of their economy driven by manufacturing. If you hear us talking a lot about advanced manufacturing, it’s because, in our region, it’s 22%. We still have a very, very heavy manufacturing base,” she said. “But previously, a 16-year-old from Trenton, Georgia could drop out of school, go work in a hosiery mill, and have a good job the rest of his life. We know that’s no longer the case. So as we work on changing the culture, we’re working in partnership with the community colleges and four-year universities to change that mindset that you don’t have to go to school.”

However, “we have other problems on top of the skills gap,” Jones added, noting that substance abuse — in another parallel to Massachusetts — keeps many people out of the workforce, while Tennessee (unlike the Bay State) ranks near the bottom of the 50 states in health metrics such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

“We’re starting to have that culture change; people are starting to realize that education and health are both economic issues,” she said. “Before, people kept them in their separate silos. And as a state, we didn’t value education, but we’ve started moving in that regard.”

On the Plus Side

The city’s current mayor, however, chose to highlight some positive statistics, noting that property crime is down 22%, and violent crime down 5%, since last year, though well-known pockets of crime tend to skew perception. “It’s frustrating for us that people don’t feel safe.”

Berke also noted that, despite Chattanooga’s position along two major interstates, which makes it an attractive corridor for drug trafficking, the city is no worse off than others of its size. “We have drug crimes, and we have drug-related violence, of course, but nothing you’d say is unsual for similar cities.”

Meanwhile, “Thrive 2055 is trying to change the culture, helping us manage the changes that are happening to our region,” Thompson said, noting that the project is built on the pillars of economic development, natural treasures, transportation, and education and workforce.

All are important in their own way, she added; the region is, after all, a biodiversity hotspot, with the highest concentration of different freshwater fish species in the world — but also one of the top 10 shipping corridors in the U.S., leading to ‘pinch points’ of daily congestion along Interstates 24 and 75. Juggling such disparate resources and challenges is a major part of the Thrive effort.

As for the Gig, it hit a goal of 40,000 subscribers — the mark needed to achieve profitability — two years after its launch, and now boasts 75,000. It’s now the centerpiece of the city’s marketing efforts — signs at the Chattanooga’s airport greet visitors with the message ‘Welcome to Gig City’ — but, as Elwell noted, is only one part of the story.

“Some people have taken it for granted; they’ve forgotten how hard it was,” said Charles Wood, vice president for Economic Development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, referring to the entire 45 years of changes since Walter Cronkite’s paradigm-shifting report. “As a chamber, how do we make sure we don’t get complacent?”

Scott Foster thinks the city’s culture of collaboration will guard against exactly that.

“The emphasis from the private sector, the nonprofit sector, and the the public sector is on collaboration,” said Foster, an attorney at Springfield-based Bulkley Richardson and chairman of Valley Venture Mentors. “Sometimes the city takes an interest in something and the foundations come and support it, while other times, the private-sector guys say, ‘this is important, so we’re starting it, and we’ll see if anyone wants to join in with us.’

“That’s great,” he went on, “because you’ve got these three legs of the stool, and all three keep saying, ‘I’m going to experiment with this, and if it works, I know you guys will come along.’ There’s a trust there, and an openness to trying new things. It doesn’t matter whose idea it was; it matters that it’s a good idea, and if it’s a good idea, in Chattanooga, they’re all behind it.”

That’s an example, Foster went on, that public officials, businesses, nonprofits, and foundations can learn from in Greater Springfield and the Pioneer Valley, where much good work is happening, but not always in concert.

“If somebody’s got a good idea, let’s celebrate it and support it, not tear it down, not say, ‘well, it doesn’t quite work,’ or ‘it conflicts with what another group is doing.’ OK, fine — they can do it too. There’s no such thing as too much entrepreneurship or too much economic development. When we get to that point, then we’ll figure out that problem. But we’re not at that point.”

Looking Forward

Littlefield recalled how, when Volkswagen had to choose between Chattanooga and another city to locate its U.S. plant, the competing financial incentives were largely a wash. “But they told us, ‘We came here for the intangibles, because, at a certain point, the intangibles become tangible. And you can’t put a price on that.’”

The greatest benefit Chattanooga has seen during its impressive recovery, the former mayor continued, has been a new, prouder, more confident attitude.

“After we visited Indianapolis, someone said, ‘wouldn’t it be great if, someday, people came to Chattanooga to see how we did it? And now, here you are — and you’re one of many. We don’t claim any special knowledge, any magic — just people coming together saying, ‘we all live here, and we’re going to make sure this is a city where our children will want to raise their children.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

It’s Never too Early or too Late to put a Savings Plan in Place

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections

How to Retire with Confidence

By VINCENT PETRANGELO

Vincent Petrangelo

Vincent Petrangelo

When you envision your retirement future, what do you see? Some conjure an image of rest and relaxation, traveling the world, or spending more time with loved ones. For others, it could be volunteering or continuing to work at what you love.

But whatever your vision may be, it takes patience and planning — and viewing your retirement savings not as a lump sum, but as a monthly income stream — to smoothly transition into the next phase of your life.

What follows are some practical thoughts on how to achieve such a transition.

Defining Expectations

Because Americans are living longer, planning for a long, healthy, and active retirement takes on even greater importance. That means thinking very long-term, since you could be retired for 30 years or more. So as you’re thinking about retirement, you’ll need to understand what you want and need and how to save for those goals so that your money will last as long as you need it to.

When retirement rendezvous are keeping you and your loved ones busy, the last thing you’ll want to worry about is outliving your money.

A 2015 study conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute revealed that almost a quarter of soon-to-be retirees worry about doing just that. Only 22% of workers are “very confident” they’ll have enough money for a comfortable retirement, while 24% are “not at all confident.” Getting guidance and advice from a financial professional who understands retirement can go a long way to building up confidence in your financial future.

Getting Started

One of the best — and easiest — ways to begin saving is to take full advantage of any retirement plan matching contributions your employer may offer. While the specifics vary, many companies will match whatever you contribute to the retirement plan (up to a certain percentage of your income). Similar opportunities could be available to you through corporate profit-sharing plans, employee-stock-purchase plans (ESPPs), and employee-stock-ownership plans (ESOPs).

Even better? Automate those savings. Most financial institutions allow transfers from your checking or savings into your retirement account, allowing you to contribute before you see your take home pay. You’ll also be able to take advantage of the long-term benefits of dollar-cost averaging, which can reduce your risk of investing a large amount in a single investment at the wrong time.

By putting in even a small amount every month, you can make a huge difference in your retirement readiness down the road. For instance, contributing $100 every month to an investment that yields an annual interest rate of 6% translates into more than $46,000 saved over 20 years, and almost $197,000 over a 40-year career. And when you’re ready, you can work with a knowledgeable financial professional to establish a sustainable withdrawal strategy that allows you to tap into this source in a disciplined way over time, so you can create a steady stream of income when you’re no longer receiving a paycheck.

This is a hypothetical example for illustration purposes only and does not represent an actual investment. Investing involves risk, and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.

Playing Catch-up

If you find yourself off track, consider these strategies to help accelerate your retirement readiness.

• Save More. Cut back anywhere you can and use that money to boost your contributions to your 401(k) and other retirement accounts. Maximize your contributions as soon as you can in order to take advantage of any employer match and to give the investments more time to potentially grow.

• Maximize Tax Efficiencies. Those 50 years of age or older have the opportunity to contribute a greater tax-free amount to their retirement accounts. For instance, this year’s 401(k), 403(b) and Profit Sharing Plan catch-up contributions can be up to $6,000. It pays to investigate all your options and take advantage of the ones that fit your specific situation.

• Retire Later. You may not like this option, but giving your investments more time to grow can lead to a bigger payoff in the long run. Working full-time may not always be an option, but by working longer you can delay drawing from your assets and can help maximize Social Security benefits if you wait to collect until full retirement age.

• Adjust Your Plan. Revisit your goals — particularly needs and wants — with a trusted financial advisor to ensure you can cover essential expenses throughout your life. Determining how much you need for the retirement you envision, what you need to get there, how to invest your money, how to account for inflation, what your healthcare costs are likely to be … these are matters your advisor understands and deals with daily. By following their professional advice, you may find your situation is brighter than you think.

Remember, there are a lot of moving parts here — projected investment returns, inflation, changes to tax and healthcare provisions, etc. — so there’s no such thing as ‘set it and forget it.’ It pays to get a little help. Bear in mind that a number of seemingly small changes can add up to meaningful numbers, especially when you add in the effect of compounding investment returns over a period of years.

The most important thing you can do to improve your retirement future is to start saving now. It’s never too early or too late. There are strategies that can help no matter what stage of life you’re in.

Balancing your financial reality with the lifestyle you want to create takes some finesse, but it’s worth the effort so you can create an income stream designed to cover your basic needs and wants when you’re no longer working full time. What you put in today and in the days to come will help you secure the retirement you’ve always envisioned — and enjoy it every step of the way.

 
Vincent Petrangelo is a wealth management specialist, carrying the AIF® Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation and a partner of deViller Petangelo Wealth Management of Raymond James in Springfield. He also serves as the local branch manager of the Raymond James office; (413) 372-6600. 

ESB Forges a Long-term Growth Strategy

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections

A 40-year Plan

 

ESB President and CEO Matt Sosik

ESB President and CEO Matt Sosik

When asked to describe the current strategic plan for Easthampton Savings Bank (ESB), Matt Sosik, the institution’s president and CEO, said it’s fairly simple, really.

“I want this bank to be here 30 or 40 years from now, and we’re a little myopic about that,” he told BusinessWest. “We’re focused on making sure that this a community asset decades from now.”

“We’ll be gone — maybe we’ll be pushing up daisies, who knows?” he went on, referring to himself and Tom Brown, ESB’s executive vice president Retail Banking who’s already logged 30 years with the institution, and was sitting beside him. “We want this bank to be here; it has a necessary place in the long-term future of the communities we serve.”

Such talk might have seemed melodramatic decades ago, or even a few years ago, he acknowledged, but the times have changed, and mere survival is no longer the foregone conclusion it once was, as evidenced by the number of institutions that are now referred to only in the past tense, said Sosik, who arrived at the bank roughly 15 months ago after a lengthy stint as CEO at Oxford, Mass.-based Hometown Bank.

Indeed, the cost of business is soaring, and margins, dramatically impacted by plummeting interest rates, are razor thin. In this environment, size certainly matters — not in terms of bragging rights, but simply the ability to function properly, and profitably, in a changed landscape.

“We’re never going to measure ourselves by our asset size — we’re going to measure ourselves by how successful we are,” said Sosik as he described a general operating philosophy that was in place long before he arrived at ESB. “But in banking, community banking especially, size continues to a be an incredibly important metric; efficiencies are borne by spreading them over a broader base of assets. Period.”

That’s why most banks have embarked on territorial expansion efforts in recent years, which have taken them to corners of the Bay State far removed from their home bases, and into other states, especially Connecticut, as well. Such efforts have also led to an explosion in new branches, and significant over-banking in communities such as East Longmeadow, Amherst, Northampton, and others.

But in addition to seeking size, banks have also become driven in their quest to become more efficient and create economies of scale. This has been achieved largely through mergers and acquisitions, an ongoing trend that has changed the banking and business landscapes in many ways.

ESB has been part of these trends, said Sosik, as witnessed by its acquisition earlier this year of Citizens National Bank in Putnam, Conn., a move that, as mentioned earlier, gives the institution a broader geographic footprint while also growing its asset base.

But the bank is also being creative in its growth-and-survival strategy, as evidenced by the announcement in late September that ESB and Hometown will form a strategic partnership through the merger of the institution’s holding companies, a transaction that will yield a $1.7 billion entity, and thus the size needed to remain competitive in today’s changing financial services landscape.

However, this somewhat unique union — creation of the so-called multi-bank holding company is becoming more common but is still rare for this market — enables both institutions to operate independently, maintain their names, identities, and operating systems, and thus avoid some of the headaches that accompany typical mergers.

Another benefit of the holding-company-merger model is that it can expanded, said Sosik, adding that other institutions can become part of this larger entity. And he’ll entertain such entreaties, as long as they constitute good fits.

For this issue and its focus on banking and financial services, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at ESB’s strategy for adding several decades to its 145-year track record of service to the community.

Generating Interest

As he talked with BusinessWest about the merger of holding companies, how it came about, and the many advantages to such a growth vehicle, Sosik said that banks such as ESB may still have a proverbial five-year plan — although most documents have a shorter duration because of the fast pace of change in this industry.

But the overall outlook must be for a much different timeframe, he said, adding that community banks must take a long view — as in 30 or 40 years — and create strategies that will ensure the current name is still over the door after that much time has past.

The strategic plan at ESB is not necessarily focused on acquisitions, said Sosik, adding that rather, it is framed by what he called “well-defined metrics that we wanted to obtain” that are monitored on a regular basis (more on them later).

“But at the end of that business plan, we talked about an acquisition strategy that we thought we could put into practice,” he went on. “And it gets back to that notion that size is a path to efficiency, and for us, if we can drive our overhead ratio, which is simply our non-interest expenses as a ratio of average assets, to 2%, we feel we can be successful over a very long term.

“For us, this is about scale, it’s about efficiency,” he continued, “and it’s about producing a business plan that can stand the test of time.”

Tom Brown

Tom Brown says traditional organic growth will not be enough to enable ESB to create the size it needs to compete in a changing financial services landscape.

As he talked about how this strategic plan has unfolded to date, Sosik said that ESB, like most banks facing similar challenges, is constantly looking for opportunities to achieve that aforementioned scale and efficiency, but in ways that certainly make sense for the institution.

One such opportunity was the recently finalized merger with Putnam, Conn.-based Citizens National, another mutual bank, an acquisition that, when completed, provided the institution with $1.3 billion in assets (Citizens was a $333 million bank when the deal was announced) and a brand network of 15 full-service offices.

“That might not have made a lot of sense to some of our competitors, but it made a great deal of sense to us,” he said, referring specifically to the geographic distance between the two banks’ headquarters. “It stood on its own financially … it made good financial sense, it was creative to our bottom line, and it was a great return on investment.”

The acquisition represented a distinct departure from the way the bank operated through its first 144 years of existence, said Brown, adding quickly that it was a change brought about by necessity.

“We got to this point through normal branching over time — kinder, gentler economic times to be sure,” he told BusinessWest, referring to the past 30 or 40 years in particular. “We had a lot of organic growth, but we can’t continue to grow in that way; I see this strategy as an opportunity for us to ensure that we can carry out our mission of mutuality well into the future.

“We have 200 families that rely on us for their livelihood,” he went on, referring to the bank’s current workforce. “We take that responsibility very seriously.”

Sosik agreed, adding that traditional organic growth is not going to get the job done in the current banking environment, one that seems destined to become increasingly challenging with time.

“To get the scale we think is necessary, you can no longer rely on a de-novo branching strategy,” he explained. “There’s a bank on every corner, there’s a branch on every corner … there’s no way to achieve real growth in that environment. And that’s why you look at acquisitions as a way to geographically diversify and continue to grow that base of assets that provides that needed efficiency.”

By All Accounts

It was this search for effective, practical, and, yes, imaginative, acquisition strategies, that led ESB to pursue talks with Hometown, an institution that Sosik was obviously quite familiar with.

Those talks picked up in intensity several months ago, he said, adding that when finalized — the merger has been approved by both banks’ boards but is awaiting regulatory approval — this deal will yield a bank that will approach $2 billion in assets and $14 million in annual earnings at the outset.

“It will be a powerful, financial, community-driven machine,” he said, adding that it will cover nearly all of the territory between and including the Pioneer Valley and northern Worcester County.

Under the terms of the deal, Hometown Community Bancorp will merge into ESB Bancorp, and Sosik will serve as the merged company’s CEO, while Michael Hewitt, president and CEO of Hometown Bank, will serve as its president. Both Sosik and Hewitt will continue as CEOs of their respective banks. The merged parent holding company is also planning to change its name to Hometown Financial Group to better reflect its strategic positioning as a multi-bank holding company.

Efficiencies will be created through the simple elimination of redundancies, said Brown, adding that the new entity will need only one department for human resources, compliance, auditing, purchasing, technology, marketing, and others, where now there are two.

That doesn’t necessarily mean there will be immediate and dramatic reductions in force, he went on, adding that there will be a sharing of resources undertaken slowly and methodically, with staff consolidation attained mostly through attrition.

But while these efficiencies are being created, there are decidedly fewer of the serious headaches and inconveniences to customers that have resulted from most of the recent mergers, in which one bank is essentially absorbed into the other, Brown went on.

“If you’re focused on community, employees, and customers — if that’s the focus of your mission — then you shouldn’t be able to screw up a merger,” he told BusinessWest, adding that ESB and Hometown are committed to those fundamentals.

As he explained how it all works, Sosik grabbed his copy of the press release announcing the deal and drew a simple schematic on the back. The top half showed two mutual holding companies (MHCs) with a single line to the banks they control. The bottom half had one MHC, representing a multi-bank holding company, with two lines connected to boxes marked ‘ESB’and ‘HB.’

“There’s room for more lines here,” said Sosik, indicating that further expansion of the new holding company is possible, if the fit, or fits, are good ones.

“We’re basically recreating the mission of the MHC to become a multi-bank holding company,” he noted. “And we believe that we can be attractive to other like-minded mutuals who are thinking the same things we’re thinking about size, efficiency, and long-term viability, and are worried about those things. We think we can bring them into a multi-bank holding company that is philosophically attractive to them.

“We’re not in any rush to do that, though,” he went on, while deciding not to speculate on what institutions may fall into that category, other than to say the desired partners would obviously be small- to mid-sized mutual banks.

“We’re taking about institutions that, like us, want to be serving their respective communities 30 or 40 years from now,” he went on, “but don’t have a way of ensuring that on their own. If together, we can put some certainty to that, then we may have something that will work.”

The Feeling’s Mutual

As he talked about his institution and its strategic plan, Sosik speculated that at some other community banks, the thought process may be about how to navigate the next five years or that they simply can’t plan past 10 years because they don’t know what the future will bring.

At ESB, the thinking is different, more proactive, he went on, adding that the focus is on three or four decades from now, when someone else is occupying his office and downtown Easthampton looks much different.

And it’s about shaping the future much more than it is about dreading what it might bring.

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

Chase, Clarke, Stewart & Fontana Draws on a Rich History

By
Insurance Sections

A Downtown Institution

CCSF President Bob Stewart

CCSF President Bob Stewart

Bob Stewart says that when it comes down to the fine print, there’s not a lot of difference in the cost of insurance policies from one company to the next.

“It’s all about relationships,” said the president of Chase, Clarke, Stewart & Fontana (CCSF), an independent insurance agency with deep, 144-year-old roots in Springfield. “Any insurance purchaser can go down the street and find another policy that may be a few dollars less than the policy they have. But it’s not all about being the lowest price on the street; it’s about providing the best coverage and providing the best service you can for your clients.”

He said his firm isn’t unique in that respect; in the era of managed competition, a time when large, national insurance chains have flooded the market with marketing campaigns focused on bottom-line promises, independent insurers have been forced to focus on the personal touch, or, as he called it, “servicing the heck out of it.” Fortunately, he added, that’s long been key to the culture at CCSF.

“That’s how we keep business — return the phone calls, answer the e-mails, go see clients,” he went on, noting that house and office calls make even more sense as downtown Springfield prepares for three years of construction hassles related to the MGM casino and the I-91 viaduct reconstruction.

“With what’s going on downtown, the parking is horrible, so we don’t encourage any of our clients to come into our office; we will go out and see them. We’re always hopping in the car; that’s just routine. We’d rather go see our clients in their office or home and talk to them there. That’s part of the service aspect, too.”

And those clients are diverse, Stewart said.

“We don’t necessarily specialize in any one thing; we do an awful lot of personal-lines insurance — homeowners, auto insurance — but we do a large amount of commercial insurance as well, a lot of professional liability, medical liability, social-service-agency liability, lawyers’ liability. I have a small program of accountants’ professional liability, with clients all over, from Boston to Pittsfield. My brother [Jim Stewart] runs a church program; he’s a broker for a national church organization, the United Church of Christ.”

Jim Stewart is one of three vice presidents, along with Dan Fontana and Raymond Lukas, and they all bring different types of expertise to the table, Bob explained. “We’re all over the map. Ray is a financial planner by trade, so he’s done a lot of life insurance, employee benefits, and financial planning, so any stuff we need done on that end, that’s always his bailiwick.

“It really is a fun business,” he went on, “and I wish we were able to attract more younger people into the field because it’s a great business. It might not have all the glitter of a Wall Street job, and we are in downtown Springfield, which doesn’t appeal to a lot of people. But it’s a wonderful business, and we’ve been very successful over the years. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.”

For this issue and its focus on insurance, BusinessWest sat down with Stewart to talk about why he’s a believer not only in his industry, but in Springfield itself, and why he’s still excited after 42 years in the business about helping people and businesses protect what’s important to them.

History Course

Since William Fuller opened an insurance business in downtown Springfield in 1871, that firm has never been headquartered more than a couple blocks from where it sits now, on the corner of State and Main streets.

“We’re probably the oldest independent agency in Springfield — maybe in Western Massachusetts,” Stewart noted. “Basically, our history is a series of mergers and purchases over the years.”

Fuller’s agency was later acquired by Samuel Sherwood and William Cone, growing under their leadership and then with Sherwood’s son, Malcolm. Raymond Redfield then added the business to his own agency, along with the Oppenheimer Agency, which had started around 1880. In 1957, Redfield invited the Russell D. Chase Agency and the Arthur H. Clarke Agency to merge together as Redfield, Chase & Clarke.

Meanwhile, another agency had been thriving in Springfield — the Lewis J. Stewart Insurance Agency, started by Stewart’s grandfather just after World War I and later run by his son, Robert Stewart Sr. In 1966, that agency joined with the growing Chase agency, which was renamed Chase, Clarke, Stewart. Bob Stewart came on board in 1973, followed by Jim in 1980.

Click HERE for a listing of area insurance companies

But the consolidation process was far from over. In 1995, the agency merged with the R.J. Fontana Agency — bringing Dan Fontana into the fold — forming Chase, Clarke, Stewart & Fontana.

CCSF

CCSF, located in the office building on the corner of State and Main Streets, has had a presence in downtown Springfield for nearly 150 years.

In 2000, the company purchased the Mutual Insurance Agency of Springfield, whose history dates back to 1827. Finally, in 2004, CCSF purchased the Lukas Insurance Agency of Springfield.

Through it all, the commercial-lines business has changed little over the years, save for occasional shifts in rates, but the same can’t be said of personal lines.

“That has changed drastically since what they call managed competition,” Stewart said. “Take auto insurance — back in the ’80s, we had probably about 12 insurance carriers writing auto insurance in Massachusetts, and not the big ones. No one wanted to come in because the state set the rates and said, ‘this is what you’re going to charge.’ Insurance companies were bound by those rules, and most of them felt they couldn’t make money in Massachusetts.

“But then the gloves came off and managed competition started,” he went on. “Insurance companies could set their own rates within certain parameters, so the field is much more wide open now. We’re now competing with the big insurance carriers from all across the country.”

Before this new era, he explained, independent agents wrote some 80% of auto policies, which was unheard of across the U.S.; that figure was closer to 40% or 50% in most states.

“That market share has dropped, and we knew it was going to,” Stewart went on. “And it has caused the insurance carriers we do business with, the independent-agency carriers, to really come up with some unique and unusual coverages and pricing to compete with some of the big companies that have come into the state. They’ve been very responsive. They’ve stepped up to the plate when they needed to compete from a pricing standpoint or from a coverage standpoint, by enhancing policies.”

Marketing has changed in some ways as well, particularly with the emergence of social media, which CCSF has put to effective use with a blog, where it shares information with various types of clients — for example, an article about cybersecurity for business customers, about insulation for homeowners, and about child car safety for motorists, just to name a few recent entries.

“That’s one way to stay in touch with them, let them know what’s going on in the industry, what kinds of things they can do to lower their premiums, protect their properties, and lower their risk,” he explained. “We’re been fortunate to have a young woman in the office who is really versed in social media. I’m kind of old-school, but everyone says it’s beneficial, so we’ll continue to do it.”

Selling a Promise

Stewart is just as pleased to see the changes emerging in Springfield — not just the casino, but a surge of activity and new business in the central business district that give him hope for the city’s future.

“When I started here in 1973, it was an entirely different downtown area. We had Steiger’s, Forbes, A.O. White, Johnson’s Bookstore — all sorts of stuff down here,” he told BusinessWest. “We went from that to seeing not much of anything in downtown Springfield. But I’m positive about the changes that are proposed and are happening. I they will benefit the city as a whole, not just downtown. I’m very positive about it. For those of us who work right in the center, what’s going on now in construction is inconvenient, but it’s an inconvenience that will be short-lived.”

Three years of construction and traffic snarls may not seem short-lived to some business owners, but with his company’s history sprawling back 144 years, he finds it easy to take the long view. Besides, there’s always someone new to get in the car and visit.

“For me, it’s really all about the people I deal with. We have a tremendous staff in our office, it’s fun to deal with them, and it’s fun to deal with all my clients — I really enjoy talking to people, going out to see them. That’s what makes it interesting. If I had to sit behind my desk all day, every day, I’d probably be miserable.”

Stewart is also gratified by a job where he helps people protect themselves against the worst, or at least mitigate hardships when they do strike.

“One client I’m dealing with now, his house was badly burned — a very extensive, very serious loss,” he said. “I talked to them a few times the last few weeks, and things are going smoothly, and the checks are getting cut. It’s good to see that what we’ve provided for them is actually going the way it’s supposed to, and things are being put back together without any further issues.”

At its heart, he concluded, “all we’re selling as an insurance agency is a promise, so we’d better be able to deliver on that promise when the time comes.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Holyoke Medical Center Breaks Ground on New ED, Office Building

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) broke ground this week on construction for a new, state-of-the-art Emergency Department that, when completed, will expand the current space from 8,500 square feet to approximately 22,000 square feet, as wel as a new, 16,000-square-foot medical office building.

The project is expected to be completed in spring 2017. The Emergency Department will feature a new Crisis Center for Psychiatric Services, 40 treatment areas, multi-patient trauma rooms, advanced life-saving equipment, and a patient-navigation service. This will allow HMC to treat patients in a more efficient and dignified way.

The medical office building will house a host of new services, including a comprehensive weight-loss center, sleep-apnea clinic, and other multi-specialty physician practices. These expanded services will address the current and emerging community health needs of Hampden County, including the sharp rise in obesity and diabetes rates, while also creating new jobs in Holyoke.

“Today’s groundbreaking represents our strong commitment to providing tens of thousands of patients in the Pioneer Valley with access to convenient and compassionate life-saving care,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems Inc. “HMC’s new Emergency Department and medical office building will offer the latest in medical technology, a broader range of emergency services, and highly skilled clinicians dedicated to serving our community.”

Funding for the project is provided partially by the Commonwealth’s Health Policy Commission (HPC), through Phase 2 of the Community Hospital Acceleration, Revitalization, and Transformation Investment Program, also known as CHART, which aims to promote care coordination, integration, and delivery transformation to enhance Massachusetts community hospitals’ delivery of efficient and effective care. The $3.9 million grant supports the integration of new behavioral-health services in the Emergency Department.

“Our partnership with community hospitals is a critical part of HPC’s efforts to achieve the Commonwealth’s cost-containment and quality-improvement goals,” said David Seltz, executive director of HPC. “CHART hospitals were issued a challenge: propose initiatives that will put you on a path of transformation, while meeting the critical health care needs of your community. Today, I’m pleased to report that HMC exceeded that challenge. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Holyoke community to build a more coordinated and affordable healthcare system.”

HMC’s award was the highest award for a single hospital in CHART Phase 2.

HMC will leverage an innovative, multi-disciplinary high-risk-care team, known as the Behavioral Health Emergency Care Service, to support all patients with behavioral-health conditions in the Emergency Department. At the same time, this coordinated initiative will introduce robust care navigation in partnership with community-based organizations to ensure that patients receive targeted interventions, including those necessary to address the high incidence of complex, challenging social issues, and are referred to the right services for successful follow-through on individualized care plans.

A portion of this investment will also support HMC’s efforts to redesign its Emergency Department, and will create a separate healing and therapeutic behavioral-health space in the emergency room designed to reduce patient anxiety, streamline patient flow, and improve overall quality of care in a safe and secure environment.

Additional financing partners for the total project budget of $22.8 million include Valley Health Systems, MassDevelopment, People’s United Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and A.I. Wainwright.

Last year, more than 42,500 patients visited Holyoke Medical Center’s Emergency Department, and the department will continue to serve the Greater Holyoke community throughout the construction phase of the project.

Amy Royal Recognized as New England Super Lawyer

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Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Royal LLP, a woman-owned, boutique, management-side labor and employment law firm, announced that Amy Royal, principal and founding partner of the firm, has been honored as one of New England’s Super Lawyers and has been included in the 2015 issue of New England Super Lawyers magazine. Super Lawyers consists of attorneys throughout New England who are nominated by their peers as outstanding lawyers, and each nomination undergoes an extensive selection process.

With nearly 15 years experience, Royal has successfully defended employers in both federal and state courts as well as before administrative agencies in a variety of areas of employment law, including employment discrimination and sexual harassment, unfair competition, breach of contract and wrongful discharge claims, workers’ compensation, and Family and Medical Leave Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and Fair Labor Standards Act violations, with a special emphasis on wage-and-hour class actions.

Royal regularly advises non-union clients on maintaining a union-free workplace and performs other preventive work such as wage-and-hour-law compliance, record-keeping audits, drafting of employee manuals and affirmative-action plans, and management training. In addition, she assists unionized clients during contract negotiations, at arbitrations, and with respect to employee grievances and unfair-labor-practices charges.

Royal’s accolades also include Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s 2012 Top Women of Law award recognizing her as a top woman lawyer in Massachusetts, as well as BusinessWest’s prestigious 40 Under Forty award recognizing her for outstanding leadership in the Pioneer Valley business community.

Four Nonprofits to Share Space at GCC’s Downtown Center

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Daily News

GREENFIELD — Four nonprofit organizations that serve Western Mass. will share office space at Greenfield Community College’s Downtown Center as a base for building stronger relationships with the people and organizations of Franklin County. The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, Leadership Pioneer Valley, and the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts will each staff the office one day a week.

“In general, the idea behind this partnership is that we are stronger together,” said Katie Allan Zobel, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Mass. (CFWM). “We’re all better, more effective, and more well-informed when we can share our resources, information, and energy.”

She noted that the Community Foundation has had an office at the GCC Downtown Center since January 2014. “GCC President Bob Pura generously provided us with a space where we could hold regular office hours, offer training opportunities, and have donor conversations that would be more convenient for those we served in the Upper Valley. This has resulted in many, many more conversations and, thus, more learning about the specific issues and needs in Franklin County.”

Allan Zobel continued, “we realized that other organizations serving the Pioneer Valley without offices in Franklin County might also benefit from using this space. Since the CFWM was only using the office one or two days a week, it seemed obvious that others could benefit from sharing the space with us. Bob agreed. After several conversations, the groups selected days of the week each would hold office hours and one day a month when all the groups would gather to update each other on work and to explore possible collaborations.”

Pura, applauding the new collaboration, added, “this is a win for each organization, a win for the community, and especially a win for those who will benefit directly from this collaboration. As I have said on many occasions, this community is a best practice for collaborations, and this adds to that body of evidence.”

Lora Wondolowski, executive director of Leadership Pioneer Valley, noted that “Leadership Pioneer Valley is committed to the whole region, but having a primary address in Springfield can be offputting for those in Franklin County. We look forward to expanding our presence in the community and to getting beyond the traditional boundaries that separate Western Mass. counties and organizations. I believe there is power in this collaboration that will be greater than the sum of what each organization is doing individually.”

Added Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council, “it is important to have a physical presence in Franklin County and to build working relationships with the leaders, businesses, and citizens of the County. Bob Pura has been very helpful in providing this opportunity for our four organizations to have a base in Franklin County.”

Finally, Elizabeth Barajas-Román, CEO of the Women’s Fund, said that “Franklin County residents can teach us a lot about how to work together for greater impact. This partnership with like-minded organizations is a terrific example of how we are deepening our understanding of the region and each other.”

Bacon Wilson Selected Among U.S. News Ranking of Best Law Firms

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced the firm’s inclusion in the 2016 “Best Law Firms” rankings published by U.S. News – Best Lawyers. The full-service firm has been recognized with a Tier 1 Metropolitan designation for Springfield.

Firms are selected for professional excellence, with tier rankings based on a meticulous assessment process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations as well as peer reviews from leading attorneys in their fields. Achieving a Tier 1 ranking indicates both quality law practice and expansive legal knowledge. This marks the sixth consecutive such honor for Bacon Wilson. Additionally, in August, four partners were named to the Best Lawyers in America 2016 list: Paul Rothschild, Stephen Krevalin, Michael Katz, and Jeff Fialky.

Bacon Wilson’s managing partner, Stephen Krevalin, noted that the latest award is “among the most significant in our field. We are pleased and gratified to be counted among the 2016 Best Law Firms. For me, Bacon Wilson’s inclusion in this publication highlights the outstanding skills of our attorneys.”

Bacon Wilson, P.C. is one of the largest firms in Western Massachusetts, with a total of 42 lawyers and approximately 60 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff. The firm’s main office is located in Springfield, with regional offices in Northampton, Amherst, and Westfield. For more information, visit www.baconwilson.com.

Northstar Recycling Remains True to Core Values

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Environment and Engineering Sections

What Goes Around …

Noah (left) and Seth Goodman

Noah (left) and Seth Goodman left their family’s paper recycling business to establish Northstar Recycling and fill a void in the marketplace.

Noah Goodman scrolls through photos on his smartphone, searching for a picture of a whiteboard.

It was taken before he and his brother, Seth, opened Northstar Recycling, and showcases the first step they took in establishing their company: Creating a set of core values.

The list includes, “We Do First Things First”; “We Count on Each Other for Help”; “We Do Our Personal Best Today”; “We Do the Next Right Thing”; and “We are Impeccable With Our Word.” But the final item, which is underlined and was written in capital letters, reads “WE HAVE FUN!”

It’s a principle they both subscribe to, and although making sure employees have a good time at work is hardly a priority for many business owners, these partners attribute their accelerated growth and success to the combination of these core values and the atmosphere they have carefully crafted in their East Longmeadow facility.

They say it has helped them attract graduates from prestigious schools such as Princeton — they actually have five Ivy Leaguers on the payroll — as well as employees from large urban centers such as New York City, who joined their firm because they want to work in a place where their well-being is a primary consideration.

In fact, that premise recently earned the company accolades when Fortune magazine ranked Northstar Recycling as one of the top places for women to work in the U.S.

Teresa Chamberlain graduated from Lehigh University last year with a degree in environmental engineering and environmental studies and moved from Ohio to work at Northstar. Her story, and remarks, are typical.

“It’s a relaxing, professional environment,” said the client development executor, who takes a proactive stance in her job. “I’m not micromanaged and because the responsibility to get my work done is my own, I am empowered to do things well.”

The Goodmans told BusinessWest that Northstar is filling a need in the marketplace, and has experienced phenomenal growth. “Four years ago, we had 11 employees. Today, we have 34,” Noah said. “We’ve grown so quickly that we are doubling our space in January and taking over the entire 8,000 square foot building we are in.”

The interior of their space also reflects attention to detail. The entranceway is dominated by a soothing, 9-foot waterfall with Northstar’s logo imprinted on the rock surface beneath the flowing water. The ceilings are lofty and a hallway with an arched faux metallic-patterned silver ceiling leads to spacious offices and a break room, which is kept well stocked with free food and snacks.

There is a picnic area outside with a barbeque grill and patio tables with umbrellas; they are installing a horseshoe pit; employees are treated to a meal each week at the local Coughlin’s Place restaurant, can bring their dogs to work, and get free haircuts, courtesy of their employer, at Ace Barber Shop in the building.

And of course, they have their own composter. “We are a zero- waste-to-landfill office,” said Noah, explaining that Northstar’s purpose is to create recycling programs for national manufacturing firms and other businesses, and materials they deal with include cardboard, plastic, metal, wood, and organics.

“We partner with companies and manage their recycling, because they typically have environmental goals they have to achieve by a certain date and time,” Seth noted.

Noah explained that the company’s clients can’t find outlets for their raw materials, so Northstar does that for them in a way that creates a revenue stream, an important goal in addition to achieving sustainability and their environmental goals.

It’s an arena Northstar not only excels in, but one in which it is pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished (more about that later). It also makes sure the recycling takes place as close to the manufacturing firm as possible.

Click HERE for a listing of area environmental services companies

“We’re always looking to reduce the distance where materials are recycled; a lot of things today are being sent to China and India in overseas containers,” Noah explained. “Recycled paper is the largest item exported out of the U.S. by volume.”

As a result, they work hard to find local recyclers wherever their client has a facility. “We make it as easy for the manufacturer as possible,” Seth said. “We coordinate everything, including the containers they use and the trucks and trailers that transport materials.”

Solid Foundation

The Goodman brothers are fifth-generation entrepreneurs. “Our great, great grandfather was a peddler in Western Mass., and he and our great grandfather had a scrap metal recycling company on Ferry Street in Springfield,” Seth explained.

Their father and uncle joined the business in the ’60s, but changed its focus and turned it into a private paper-recycling firm. “It grew to be one of the largest paper recyclers in New England, and we both worked in the business for 20 years,” Noah said, adding that these experiences helped them develop strong work ethics and they “did every job there that anyone could do.”

Seth Goodman

Seth Goodman says Northstar has employees whose only job is to continuously improve recycling programs at clients’ manufacturing plants.

However, five years ago the brothers developed a different vision, and made the decision to branch off on their own. “We felt there was a real need to help companies reduce what they were putting into landfills and increase what they were recycling,” Seth recalled.

Noah told BusinessWest they realized that U.S. companies had begun to take sustainability seriously and knew that large Fortune 500 firms didn’t have the expertise to meet stringent standards, which require them to reduce their carbon footprint as well as the amount of material they put into the trash.

They said the U.S. produces more than 50 millions tons of waste every year (more than any other country in the world), and more than half of it is dumped into landfills, contaminating water supplies and polluting the air with dangerous amounts of methane gas, which is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

This factual information, coupled with their shared values and relationship — “we’re best friends and very much in tune with each other; we communicate openly and honestly and defer to whoever is the most passionate about something, which means there is harmony at the top,” Noah said, — led them to launch Northstar Recycling in 2011 with 11 employees.

Their core belief was simple: Waste has value, and it is damaging to the planet and financially irresponsible to send reusable resources to a landfill. And from that their mission statement was born — to help businesses recycle more and send less to landfills.

“We felt we had the experience and know-how to help companies and saw a huge future in it,” Noah said.

But before they started, they spent time designing the culture of their future workplace.

“We wanted to create a workplace where people felt emotionally safe; where they could speak up openly and have their opinion heard and considered,” Seth said. “We also wanted our employees to have fun and care enough to really want to help us succeed.”

The brothers each have three young children, and because spending time with them is a priority, they felt it was only fair to provide employees with the same luxury.

“So, if someone has to leave work for a family issue, the first thing we ask is: ‘Is everything OK?’ and the next is ‘What can we do to support you?’” Seth said.

“Every decision we make day-to-day is in line with our core values — they are what and who we are as human beings,” he went on. “It’s also what drives our business and our culture, which are the foundations for our success. We have a great strategy and execute really well, but we couldn’t do it without our values; the people who work for us really want to see us succeed because of the environment we’ve created.”

In addition to those in East Longmeadow, the company has three employees in New York, two in Philadelphia, and one in Cincinnati.

However, everyone is brought to East Longmeadow on a quarterly basis, and after working together, they enjoy a fun-filled evening activity.

“We’ve staged a scavenger hunt in Springfield; a square dance with a professional caller and country western band; a team-building event; and a painting party,” Seth recalled. “And every year, everyone goes on a two-to four-day trip. Last year we saw Broadway shows. We have also gone to Mohawk Mountain (in Connecticut) to go horseback riding, and our sales marketing team (which goes on different trips) has gone to a dude ranch in Montana, skied in Jacksonville, Wyoming, gone white water rafting in West Virginia, and visited South Beach in Miami.”

Noah said the perks are important. “We want our employees to be happy, because if they are happy and healthy, they are more productive. So although we do have hourly weeks, we aren’t clock watchers,” he noted. “And everything that has happened in the last four years has exceeded our expectations.”

New Solutions

Seth said that when Northstar goes into a company for the first time, it conducts an initial assessment, which includes looking at areas where trash is generated.

“We typically find they are throwing away material that is recyclable,” he said.

At that point they assign two teams to work with the client. One of their primary roles is to find outlets for material that is being discarded, but could be diverted. Items often include stretch film, plastic strapping, and cardboard, which is frequently not all recaptured, even if attempts have been made to recycle it.

A Northstar team also creates a set of internal standard operating procedures for the client, because in many instances even if the company has established these measures, they are not efficient or inclusive enough.

“We have people whose sole job is to work at manufacturing sites to continuously improve their recycling programs,” Seth said.

The Goodmans are proud that their business has a positive impact on the environment and say the potential for growth is unlimited.

“There is a lot of opportunity because many companies have set goals to be more environmentally proactive. In fact, one of the nation’s largest fast food chains told all their suppliers if they want to continue to do business with them, their manufacturing facilities have to be ‘zero waste to landfill’ by a certain date,” Seth told BusinessWest. “Our business is being driven by large consumer-product companies throughout the country.”

Clients are visited on a frequent basis, and in addition, the home team constantly looks for new, innovative ways to recycle items traditionally considered non-recyclable. Success stories include selling textile scraps to a company that is using them to make bow-and-arrow targets.

“We also work with a large pet food manufacturer who used to send all its wet scraps to a landfill; now they go to a composter,” Seth said, noting that Northstar’s employees think creatively or out of the box.

“We research everything scrap items could possibly be used for, and are creating markets where there weren’t markets before,” he went on. “For example, we have a client that produces the film used to package coffee; it’s made of three layers of plastic and one layer of metal, and the scraps were going into the trash. But we found a company that turns them into a reusable packaging product.”

Noah said it’s a plus when consumer product firms can state in advertisements and literature that they are a sustainable company and all their manufacturers are zero waste to landfill.

“Northstar becomes a resource for these major corporations, and in many cases they refer their vendors to us; if they are having trouble meeting their goals, we can help,” he noted. “They realize they can devote a lot of time, energy and resources to the issue or bring their problem to us as we have a proven track record of getting the job done.”

Moving Forward

The Goodmans are proud of their company and what they have accomplished.

“When we began, we realized there were not enough nimble companies to help national corporations reach their goals,” Noah said. “There was a void in the market and we bet our financial livelihood on the belief that we could fill it, which we have done.”

They are also happy to continue their family tradition of entrepreneurship.

“Our company is located in East Longmeadow and our family has been in the area for five generations, so we’re proud to be able to help revitalize the business community in Western Mass. and are really excited to be bringing new jobs to the area,” Seth said. “But it all goes back to our core values.”

Business Expo Looks to Build Momentum for Manufacturing

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Events Features WMBExpo

This year’s show to feature programs and exhibits focused on manufacturing

“Oscar’ the robot

“Oscar’ the robot will be putting talents on display at the Western Mass. Business Expo on Nov. 4.

The large team of organizers for the Western Mass. Business Expo is busy with hundreds of details, large and small, as the Nov. 4 show approaches, including creation of nametags for those in the many categories of ‘participant.’

One of those tags will require just a single word: ‘Oscar.’ That’s the name given to the robot created by a team of Agawam High School students for a FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition staged earlier this year.

FIRST, an international, K-12, not-for-profit organization founded to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, said there were more than 3,000 entries, including Oscar, for a competition, or game, called Recycle Rush. As the name suggests, these robots were programmed to stack storage totes and recycling bins; Oscar ranked 65th in New England, just missing qualifying for the NE FIRST District Championships by five points.

Oscar, created by a team called ROSIE (Recognizing Outstanding Science-inspired Education) Robotics, will be putting his various talents on display at the Expo — show attendees may actually get an opportunity to take the controls — thus playing a significant role in a multi-faceted effort to spotlight one of the most important sectors of the region’s economy, precision manufacturing, and the many challenges facing it.

Indeed, while the Expo will showcase virtually every sector of the local economy — from banking to retail; healthcare to technology; education to tourism — this, the fifth edition of the show, will feature a number of programs and exhibits focused on manufacturing and efforts to return this once-proud industry to prominence in the region.

Individual elements of this focus on manufacturing and the workforce issues it now faces include a luncheon program hosted by the Professional Women’s Chamber of Western Mass. The keynote speaker will be Alison Lands, senior manager in Deloitte’s Strategy & Operations practice. She served as a co-author and editor of the New England Council and Deloitte’s recently published report, Advanced to Advantageous: The Case for New England’s Manufacturing Revolution, which will form the basis of her talk.

It will also include participation by several area high schools, which will be spotlighting not only robotics, but also their machining programs, which play a vital role in maintaining a steady flow of workers to area manufacturers.

In addition to Agawam High School, Putnam Vocational Technical Academy and Westfield Vocational Technical High School will be taking part in the show. They will be showing off display computers, 3-D printers, and other equipment, and providing simulations of precision-manufacturing processes.

The focus on this sector is critical, said Kristin Maier Carlson, president of Westfield-based Peerless Precision Inc., who noted that many young people — and their parents, unfortunately — have a perception of manufacturing that is outdated and inaccurate.

“The view that people have is from way back when — that this is not a job to be in,” she told BusinessWest. “Actually, you need a lot of skill to be machinist, and this is a very viable alternative for those who are not looking to go to college.”

She said that, while running operations at Peerless, she’s also on a mission to help people get an accurate look at her industry and perhaps become motivated to join it. Actually, her work is a continuation of her father’s mission to achieve that same end.

Larry Maier acquired Peerless in 1997, and years later took a leadership role with the National Tooling & Machining Assoc. (NTMA) and its efforts to educate several constituencies about precision manufacturing with the goal of securing an adequate future workforce for shops here and across the country.

When her father was diagnosed with colon cancer, Maier Carlson, who said she grew up working at the shop sweeping floors and later cutting material on a band saw, returned to this region from San Diego to help determine its future course. By the time Larry succumbed to the disease, she had made up her mind not to sell the operation, but lead it to new heights.

While doing so, she is continuing her father’s work in education and building a workforce, and currently playing a leadership role at the NTMA. As part of that, she and other family members created the Larry A. Maier Memorial Educational Fund to help carry out the task of enlightening young people — especially those at the middle-school and even elementary-school levels — about the opportunities in manufacturing.

Money from that fund will be used to offset the costs associated with bringing the various high schools to the Expo and enabling them to show how their programs are both creating job opportunities and helping area manufacturers tackle the challenging workforce issues confronting them.

“Far more of our workers are closer to retirement than not,” said Maier Carlson. “We’re going to need to replace those workers, and this is an ongoing challenge. Area manufacturers need to partner with our area schools to not only educate people about opportunities in this field, but also provide the training necessary to help people become qualified to take these jobs. The Expo will showcase how these partnerships are working.”

As for Oscar, he will be one of at least two ‘competition robots’ that the ROSIE team will bring to the Expo, said Dana Henry, chief mentor for the team, adding that he expects these machines to turn some heads, impress attendees, and bring attention to careers that fall in the broad category called STEM — science, technology, education, and mathematics.

“We’ll have a half-dozen students there talking about the science, engineering, and manufacturing that goes into this,” said Henry. “We have to do all our own programming, wiring, machining, and CAD work for this — the whole ball of wax to build this 120-pound machine in six weeks. It should be very eye-opening.”

As will many other aspects of an Expo that has added a number of compelling elements to this year’s itinerary. Visit www.wmbexpo.com for more information and to register.


George O’Brien

What’s Next for Electronic Health Records?

By
Health Care Sections

The Big Disconnect

The big disconnect

Implementation of electric health records (EHR) has been a process defined by clearly stated goals and — thus far — frustrating results. The objective was and still is to improve communication and share important medical information. In practice, the technology simply hasn’t worked as designed, an opinion summed up in these comments from the head of the American Medical Assoc.: “Physicians are trying to use EHRs to improve patient care, investing a lot of time and money into making them work, but they are being thwarted.”

The goals of electronic health records are easily understood. The path to get there … well, that’s a bit thornier.

“The big push for us is still meaningful use and the sharing of data. That’s what everyone wants … to share information across the continuum,” said Carl Cameron, chief operating officer at Holyoke Medical Center, before offering an example of what an effective EHR system would accomplish.

“If your primary-care doctor sends you a referral to a specialist, they can share information back and forth. If you end up in the emergency room, the doctor can see the information about your last visit or past visits to the primary-care office. Historically, care has been episodic. Basically, if you have a sore throat or something else is wrong with you, you call the doctor’s office, they see you and document it, and nobody else may ever see that note.”

However, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created mandates in 2009 for hospitals and other providers to move toward EHR use (the term is used interchangeably with EMR, or electronic medical record), they didn’t anticipate the sheer number of different systems that would arise and the confusion they would engender. Today, well over 80% of all physician practices in Massachusetts have established EHRs — for practices with more than 10 doctors, the figure is close to 100% — but not without frustration, cost, and a large dose of uncertainty.

It’s not just a Massachusetts problem. Dr. Steven Stack, president of the American Medical Assoc., recently wrote an article in which he detailed cases like that of a Georgia physician in pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine who was an early adopter of EHR technology in 2006, more than three years before the legislation that mandated it and established the first deadlines.

She said her three-physician practice has spent $84,000 on EHR and related IT costs, yet she doesn’t plan to continue its use, preferring instead to take a financial penalty, because she’s so dissatisfied with the limitations of the system.

Carl Cameron

Carl Cameron says a key goal of electronic health records is sharing patient information across the continuum of providers — no easy feat.

“Physicians are trying to use EHRs to improve patient care, investing a lot of time and money into making them work, but they are being thwarted,” Stack wrote. “The goal of the meaningful-use program was to encourage physician adoption of EHRs. This has been accomplished. Today, more than 80% of physicians have implemented some form of EHR system. But we’re not getting what we expected from this technology.

“As physicians,” he went on, “we had hoped that these tools would help facilitate patient engagement, reduce administrative burdens, and promote the exchange of data. Those three things have definitely not happened. Instead, we’re dealing with systems that won’t talk to one another, cost too much to maintain, and require us to spend an inordinate amount of time entering data instead of helping patients.”

Delcie Bean, CEO of Paragus Strategic IT in Hadley, has heard similar frustrations. His firm got into the EHR consulting business several years ago — a ripe field, since doctors by 2011 and 2012 were hiring EHR vendors at a rapid pace. The pace has slowed down considerably, Bean said, largely because the practices that planned to adopt EHRs have done so, but also because of uncertainty about the technology’s end game.

“There seem to be some practices that, for one of a couple reasons, are hesitant to do it. First and foremost, there continues to be a huge consolidation of private practices by hospitals, and doctors are saying, ‘why spend all that time and money when, in a couple of years, we’ll be acquired by a hospital?’ It’s hard to answer that question,” he said, adding that many doctors don’t feel incentivized to adopt the technology until it becomes marketable or it becomes more clear whether they’ll be acquired or stay private.

“The second thing is, there has been a ton of consolidation at the EMR level, and a lot of providers are waiting to see which EMRs end up being the one their specialty or their region rallies around,” Bean continued, adding that the number of competing EMR systems has begun to shrink, from around 500 at its peak to about 400 today. “With so many players, doctors are waiting to see who’s going to end up on top before they invest. With such a huge investment of time and money, they’re afraid of getting it wrong. I don’t blame them.”

In the Beginning

EMRs represent a new and often-intimidating landscape for doctors. As recently as 2003, fewer than 5% of the Commonwealth’s hospitals, and even fewer practices, used any sort of electronic record system, according to the Mass. Medical Society (MMS).

Lee Martinez

Lee Martinez says hospital IT challenges range from consolidating community-based physicians under EHR systems to teaching patients how to use online data portals.

But in 2009, as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), the federal government included a section called Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health, or HITECH, with the goal of improving patient care through federal investment in IT infrastructure and — crucially — adoption of electronic health records capable of interoperability, privacy, and security.

Included in ARRA — otherwise known as the federal stimulus bill — were provisions for incentives of at least $44,000 per physician for meaningful use of an EHR. Reimbursement would be issued through Medicare and Medicaid after proof of regular EHR use in more than 20 areas, including computerized order entry, e-prescribing, recording demographics, medication lists, allergies, vital signs, smoking status, and several clinical measures.

At the heart of this process is the term ‘meaningful use,’ which is essentially using EHR technology to improve healthcare quality, safety, and efficiency; engage patients and families more directly in their care; improve care coordination between providers; improve population and public health; and maintain privacy and security of patient information.

Stage 1 of meaningful use, the explosion of activity in 2011 and 2012 that Bean referred to, concentrated on data capture and sharing. The goal of stage 2, which CMS expected to be complete by this year, focused on advancing clinical processes, such as more rigorous health-information exchanges, stricter requirements for e-prescribing and lab results, electronic transmission of patient-care data across multiple settings, and more patient-controlled data.

The problem is that many providers need more time to achieve the goals of stage 2 meaningful use, and won’t realistically approach the requirements for stage 3 by the 2017 deadline; these include improving quality, safety, efficiency, and health outcomes; patient access to self-management tools; and documented improvements in population health through EHRs, just to name a few.

“I think it’s a huge challenge, and it’s draining the resources that many providers need to put into this, whether it’s dollars or staff or upgrading applications or hardware — all those things enter into the picture,” MMS President Dr. Dennis Dimitri told BusinessWest. “And even though the EHRs have to be certified to allow physicians to use them and qualify for the incentive payment, it doesn’t mean the EHR allows you to easily do all the tasks of stage 2 and eventually stage 3.

“Anecdotally, I know more than one physician who’s said, ‘it’s too hard to work, too time-consuming, and it’s interfering with my ability to take care of my patients; I’m not going to qualify for stage-2 meaningful use,’” he went on. “And with the potential for financial penalties from CMS, physicians are just putting their hands up and saying, ‘I can’t do it.’”

That’s why medical societies across the country are pushing for changes in the timelines for meaningful use stage 2 and 3, he added. “Physicians bought in; they thought it was the right thing to do. And now they’re finding out these systems are not living up to the promise.”

Theoretically, EHRs should improve practice efficiency. By replacing paper records with electronic data, the thought went, practices could reduce record handling and access data more quickly for clinical, workflow, and billing purposes. EHRs are also intended to improve quality of care, reduce prescribing and treatment errors, and prepare practices for the collaborative world of accountable care.

But, in reality, the MMS reports, doctors are complaining that inputting data electronically actually takes up more time than written records, system outages are persistent, technical support from vendors can be unreliable, and — perhaps most significantly — interoperability and transportability of data from one EHR brand to another is not yet common, and changing brands can be costly, time-consuming, and stressful.

“Electronic medical records have added to the amount of time physicians spend entering data, which increases their workload. Most physicians will tell you their day is longer by using EMRs, not shorter,” Dimitri told HCN. “They also worry that an electronic medical record gets between them and the patient, when the physician is spending a lot of time looking at the medical record, filling in information, checking boxes. There has been some concern that may have a negative impact on the patient-physician relationship.”

Cameron agreed. “Providers have to change the way they interact with patients, and that’s not always easy because now they’re talking with the patient with a laptop between them, looking at the record. Certainly, that’s a challenge.”

Come Together

As for interoperability of EHR systems, the industry is seeing improvement, if only due to consolidation. In fact, according to the MMS, 80% of Massachusetts practices are using one of seven large EHR vendors.

“People wanted to get away from this ad hoc system of 20 EMRs in the community,” said Lee Martinez, chief information officer at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. So CDH, for its part, is moving to Epic, one of those seven vendors, and is slowly bringing its affiliated physician practices on board.

However, Bean said, interoperability remains a big question mark for many practice administrators grappling with EHR adoption. “Doctors know this will help their practice ultimately, but there are so many questions about interoperability, referrals, how patients access their records — a lot of uncertainty and unknowns. And whenever there’s uncertainty, people stay on the fence about it.”

Meanwhile, Holyoke Medical System has about 80 doctors in its health-information exchange, which uses the eClinicalWorks system.

“We’re working very hard to put all these initiatives in place and make sure we provide good-quality patient care,” Cameron said. “We’re in the process now of implementing a product called Qpid, which is essentially like a Google for healthcare. Basically, it sits on top of your medical record and becomes a search engine to help us do surveillance on a behavioral-health patient or cardiac patient, for example; when the patient presents in the emergency room, it will give the clinician a dashboard of past information so they don’t have to search the entire medical record.

“We believe that snapshot provides a higher level of care for the patient,” he went on, “helping clinicians make real-time decisions in the emergency room. Eventually, we’re going to tie that into the health-information exchange … we see this as a very powerful tool.”

The next piece, Cameron said, is applying EHR systems to population health, in terms of managing, say, the region’s diebetic population or COPD population, with the goal of reducing rehospitalization.

“That’s the big focus — keeping them out of the emergency room and, if they do show up, making sure they don’t come back within 30 days, because Medicare and others are starting to penalize hospitals for patients [returning to] the emergency room,” he explained. “We’ll have patient-care navigators with access to patients’ information, so if they have chronic diseases such as diabetes, follow up with them, make sure they’re keeping their appointment to see their specialist, make sure they’re taking their medications. This will help reduce the overall healthcare costs of those patients.”

Another component to population health is teaching patients how to use electronic portals, secure websites where they can access their personal health information.

“We have a patient portal and a physician portal here at Cooley Dickinson,” Martinez said. “I think that’s one big promise for the near term — getting patients more involved in this. In our community, a lot of patients are using the portal to manage their own care. We think that’s extremely important.”

Understanding the broad promise of EHRs but also recognizing the current challenges, both the AMA and the MMS are advocating for a pause in stage 3 mandates until all practices can reach stage 2. For its part, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued some final and proposed regulations for stages 2 and 3 of meaningful use (see story, page 33).

Dimitri recently testified before the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing in support of a bill that would provide additional time for healthcare providers to comply with the interoperable EHR mandate contained in the 2012 healthcare cost-containment bill, Chapter 224.

“While the medical society continues to study and encourage adoption of interoperable medical records where appropriate,” he told lawmakers, “legislative mandates carrying financial penalties are not the appropriate policy level to promote this practice.”

Brave New World

Speaking with BusinessWest, Dimitri said the state’s physicians are not shrinking away from the future, but rather embracing it.

“I think physicians have been excited about the potential of electronic medical records for some time. A few early adopters have been doing some kind of electronic medical record for well over a decade. A larger number of physicians didn’t have full electronic medical records, but had been electronically prescribing for some period of time — again, going back well over a decade.

“Since then,” he went on, “the speed with which electronic medical records have been adopted in physician practices has picked up so much that in excess of 80% of physician practices now have an electronic medical record. So, from my perspective, physicians have been very interested in this technology and have high hopes about what it can do for them. The bad news is, electronic medical records have not been the panacea that many of us hoped they would, improving the ability to collect and share data and extract information about patients and population health.”

Time will tell whether EHRs flourish and reach their intended goals, but HMC’s Cameron feels the promise is worth the effort.

“There are a lot of challenges right now,” he said, “but I still believe technology should be a part of revolutionizing healthcare.”

Sarno Says a Baseball Deal Would Have to Make Sense for the City

By
Features

Covering His Bases

Springfield’s Vision 2017

Springfield’s Vision 2017 presentation offered the Republican property as one possible site for a ballpark. City leaders say there are several options.

As he discussed the current talks concerning the possibility of minor league baseball coming to the City of Homes, Mayor Domenic Sarno spent a good deal of time referencing the last time this matter came to the table.

That was a rather extended period, actually, from the mid ’90s into the start of this century, when several proposals were floated for a ballpark that would be built on sites ranging from the city’s North End, to the riverfront, to the Chicopee River Business Park. And that go-around, if one chooses to call it that, is much different from this one, said the mayor.

For starters, he said, back in the ’90s, baseball and the stadium in which it would be played were talked about in terms of being a major economic development initiative, a ‘build-it-and-they-will-come’ proposition, where the city would build a park and then essentially lure a team to play in it.

This time around, things are much different, said both Sarno and Kevin Kennedy, the city’s chief development officer. In the current environment, baseball would be a piece of the puzzle — not the piece, they said.

“This is part of the economic development equation, the vision that we have,” said the mayor. “It fits right in with the momentum we’re enjoying right now.”

Meanwhile, instead of having a hypothetical team as the focus of the discussions, the current talks involve the Triple A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

That team, which has played in Pawtucket for decades, and is known affectionately as the PawSox, is looking for a new home, a search that began in earnest in Providence, but will not end there, apparently, after negotiations concerning a site adjacent to the Providence River were terminated amid a host of obstacles.

Now, several other cities are supposedly in the mix, with Springfield being one of them.

The changed climate involving the current discussions is apparent in the way both Sarno and Kennedy address the matter. Early and often they said the city would pursue the team “only if makes sense for the city,” and vowed that they wouldn’t get into anything approaching a bidding war with Worcester, Fall River, or any of the other cities rumored to also be in some form of contention for the team.

“To have the home town, home state Triple A Boston Red Sox affiliate in Springfield would be a home run,” Sarno noted. “But it’s got to be done smart, it has to be done with community input, it has to be done in partnership with the business community … done the right way, it could be a huge benefit.”

Indeed, Sarno and Kennedy both said this matter is certainly worth an investment in time and energy on the part of the city, primarily because some of the officials with the Red Sox organization have expressed interest in the city, and also because bringing the PawSox to the city makes sense for both parties involved.

As noted, Springfield officials would get another building block to go along with MGM’s casino, a new factory to build subway cars, Union Station’s revitalization, and new entrepreneurial energy downtown, in its efforts to stage a complete revitalization, Sarno said. Meanwhile, the Red Sox would be locating their Triple A affiliate in a city with a number of other entertainment options (either already existing or planned) and in a market with easily accessible to people across the state, but also Connecticut, Vermont, and eastern New York State.

“We’re going to be very methodical about this,” the mayor stressed. “We’re going to look at the numbers, we’re going to look at the private investment; if it makes sense, we’ll pursue it. If it doesn’t, again, it’s just one piece of the puzzle.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Sarno and Kennedy about the prospects for baseball, and how this bid is much different than the failed adventure of 15 years ago.

Stepping up to the Plate

Sarno said the current baseball talks started — or at least gained some traction — at a recent awards ceremony in Boston known as the Globies, named after the newspaper the stages them, the Boston Globe.

The mayor was in attendance to accept an honor on behalf of Springfield — ‘best comeback city’ — and during the early stages of the ceremony he was approached by Sam Kennedy, the recently named president of the Red Sox, who has some ties to the City of Homes.

“He said, ‘Larry would like to speak with you guys,’” said Sarno, adding that this was a reference to Larry Luccino, Kennedy’s predecessor as president of the Red Sox and managing partner of the PawSox.

Sarno noted that he did eventually get to speak with Luccino. It wasn’t a long conversation, but the latter got across the message that he wanted Springfield to become part of the mix when it came to finding a new home for his team.

How Luccino, who has scripted some intriguing stories of ballpark construction in urban settings — Camden Yards in Baltimore and Petco park in San Diego, most notably — became interested in Springfield is not known, but Sarno believes it has a lot to do with why he was at the Globies to begin with.

He said the city is staging a noteworthy comeback, and MGM’s plans to build an $800 million casino in its South End have put the community on many radar screens that would not have picked it up years ago.

“MGM has put us on the map,” said Sarno adding that the casino initiative has already created new opportunities — he credits the project as being a big motivating factor in the decision of Falvey Linen Supply to relocate to Brookdale Drive — and could help inspire many others.

What becomes of this baseball opportunity is a function of economics and practicality, said the mayor, again noting that any deal “must make sense for the city.”

The starting point will be what is usually is in such matters, said Kennedy, referring to a planned feasibility study that will examine where a stadium could go, how it would be financed, and whether the numbers do indeed make sense.

“We need to look at the economics of this in terms of potential sites, and we need to know all there is know about the whole baseball business in terms of the size of the stadium and everything else” he said, adding that the city is asking the business community to step to the plate, figuratively, and underwrite some or all of the cost of the study.

As for possible locations for an 11,000-seat stadium required to host the team, Kennedy said that several could eventually emerge.

At his department’s now annual presentation last spring on development initiatives, this year called Vision 2017, Kennedy presented a number of images representing possible future developments. One of them was a baseball stadium on the site of the Republican newspaper’s complex on Main Street just past the Arch.

While that would be a very expensive option for the PawSox, there are many other potential sites, he said, especially in the area near Union Station and what has come to be the “blast zone,” site of the 2012 natural gas explosion.

A baseball stadium in the North End and a casino in the South End could create opportunities for not only those areas, but the real estate in between, said the mayor, adding that the two entertainment entities, as well as others already in place, such as the AHL’s Falcons, will likely create a steady flow of pedestrians in downtown.

“Getting that pedestrian traffic, thousands of people going back and forth — having an anchor like the stadium in the North End and the casino in the South End opens up myriad possibilities,” Sarno noted.

A Potential Hit

As he talked with BusinessWest about the PawSox and the possibility of them coming to Springfield, Sarno introduced some history lessons.

He related how his father, who was one of nine barbers doing business in downtown Springfield when the city last had a minor league team — an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants — in the ’60s, still tells stories about the players he saw.

“He would talk about Billy Ray Hart, the Alou brothers, Juan Marichal — they would all come in, and it was a glorious time,” he said, adding quickly that this latest pursuit of baseball has nothing to do with nostalgia or creating memories for future generations.

Well, it’s not all about those things. In reality, it’s about building on current momentum by adding another important piece to the revitalization puzzle — if it works.

“We’re going to be very methodical,” Sarno said again. “I think people know we’re open for business and they like that, but we’re also very succinct in making sure that we cross the ‘t’s and dot the ‘i’s.

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

Longmeadow Looks to Spur Development

By
Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Richard Walker and Antigoni Proctor

Richard Walker and Antigoni Proctor say the addition to the Longmeadow Shops will enable retailers and eateries to stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace.

The economic landscape in Longmeadow will soon be changing — quite literally — and the new development is just what this residential community needs — in many ways.

Indeed, for the first time in more than two decades, the Longmeadow Shops will undergo a major expansion, which will include a 13,100-square-foot space with a drive-through to accommodate the growing needs of CVS.

“Voters approved a zone change in February for an adjacent 1.2-acre parcel that we have owned since we purchased the Longmeadow Shops 22 years ago,” said Steve Walker, regional property manager for Grove Property Fund LLC.

“More than 80% percent of residents approved the change after we showed them what we want to do; we felt it was important for them to know as much as they could about our plan,” he continued, explaining that they will add a new, 21,000-square-foot building, which will be separated from the current strip that houses shops, banks, and eateries, by Bank of America’s drive-through, located on the far end of the existing structure.

The site plan has received approval from the Planning Board, and although some might wonder why Grove would want to expand now after leaving the grassy parcel empty for so many years, Walker said several factors provided the impetus.

“We felt the time was right. Longmeadow has a new high school that was completed last fall and the town has a lot of new residents,” he said. “CVS has had several conversations with us about expanding, but we never had room to accommodate them. The space they are in is too small for their needs, and elderly patrons as well as parents with sick children often need to park quite a distance away to get inside the store.

“In addition, we’re trying to strengthen our position in the marketplace,” he went on. “Change is good, and we want to provide shoppers with more variety, and make this into a larger lifestyle center, which will help our retailers stay competitive, especially since Internet shopping has taken a toll on all local retail businesses.”

The expansion of the Longmeadow Shops is expected to generate an additional $80,000 to $90,000 in taxes each year, which makes this development significant for another reason.

Indeed, although officials say the new revenue will help, they have serious concerns about their ability to sustain services over the next decade due to a lack of developable land, and therefore, a distinct lack of opportunities to generate new tax revenue.

“The state limit on how much you can charge residents on their home is $25 per $1,000, and we are projecting we could hit that limit in five years,” said Selectman Chairman Richard Foster. “There are some variables, and a debt exclusion is possible, but it would mean no increases to the town budget and no new hires, and if we reached that figure, we would be faced with a possible reduction in services.”

He knows other communities have had to deal with the same situation, but said they usually have land that can be developed.

“Our town is 96% residential and 4% commercial, so what makes it so great also cripples it, and everything we do affects homeowners’ tax bills,” he noted. “Our infrastructure is aging and we need to start replacing it, which will cost millions. We need to keep moving forward, but I have become very concerned as I watch tax bills increase each year. There is a finite limit to how much people can pay and we need to find new ways to generate income.”

For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinesWest explores just how Longmeadow intends to go about that all-important mission.

Growing Pains

Town Manager Stephen Crane said rezoning the land next to the Longmeadow Shops from residential to commercial certainly shines a spotlight on challenges the town could face in the future.

“We have the highest combined tax rate in the state; we instituted a split tax rate for the first time this year, but there is such a small amount of developable land left,” he told BusinessWest.

To help solve that problem, the town has engaged the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to help officials update the community’s long-range strategic plan, with the goal of assessing development opportunities in the community.

“We have a AA bond rating, and the town is very well- managed, but the lack of growth isn’t keeping pace with the increased cost of operating the town,” Crane said. “So, we’re taking a proactive stance to find areas that are underdeveloped or undeveloped and plan to look at any restrictiveness in our zoning that impedes new development.”

The PVPC will re-evaluate the land-use portion of a document titled, Face the Future: The Long Range Plan of 2004, and present town officials with options for redevelopment. Foster said officials will study three sites that could potentially be used as recreational, commercial, or residential development at some point in the future, if residents voted in favor of such proposals. They are:

• The 20.1-acre Water Tower Property on Academy Drive near the East Longmeadow line;

• 65 acres of developable land in Turner Park, the town’s largest tract of unused property (the park contains more acreage but it is composed of wetlands and ponds). “From a developmental standpoint, this area could be a phenomenal site due to its natural features,” Foster said, adding that building a senior community on the property might be a viable option;

• Either of the middle school properties, since one of them may become available if the facilities are consolidated, a move which some have suggested. Williams Middle School sits on 16.1 acres, while Glenbrook Middle School is on 20.5 acres.

Last March, the School Committee voted unanimously to recommend the submission of two statements of interest for a new middle school to the Mass. School Building Authority, based on their age and limited amount of space. The district would like to move students from both schools into a new facility.

Although the selectmen denied the request, they had an engineering firm update a report they had done several years ago by re-inspecting the schools and bringing cost estimates up to date.

“But the school department may come back with the proposal again this spring,” Foster said, adding that the middle schools could be consolidated. “We’re looking at a lot of things right now.”

Due to that and the fact that the town needs to establish new sources of revenue, officials are being diligent about fleshing out all possibilities, he went on.

“I’m striving to establish a plan that is so dynamic that future boards will institutionalize it and accept it and continue to reinforce its development,” Foster continued. “It could become our 15-to-20-year master plan and the number one objective of our community.”

What’s in Store

Meanwhile, the plans for expanding the Longmeadow Shops are becoming reality.

And as she went into detail on them, Grove Property Fund Manager Antigoni Proctor first explained the meaning and value of a lifestyle shopping center.

“It’s a place where people can have a cup coffee, shop for clothing and gifts, get their hair and nails done, pick up medicine, have dinner and visit with their friends,” she said, adding that this is what the shops have become. “We want it to be enjoyable to come here.

“It’s a place where people can socialize and buy things they want and need. They can also do their grocery shopping across the street at Big Y, or buy children’s toys at Kiddly Winks in Williams Place,” she continued as she pointed to the shopping complex, which is fronted by Williams Street and separated from Longmeadow Shops by an island containing a gas station, Big Y and Bliss Road, which runs in front of the shops.

Walker said Grove is excited about the expansion and grateful to the town and its residents for approving the plan.

“This is a really unique property. It sits in the most affluent community in Western Mass and it’s not right off a highway,” he said. “It has become Longmeadow’s downtown and it’s a great place to do business.”

Construction is expected to begin early next spring and be completed by November 2016. The cost is estimated at $3.1 million, which includes adding a fourth entrance with a new curb cut, as well as a complete reconfiguration of the parking lot. In addition to 139 new parking spaces, the current lines will be blacked out, the lot will be resealed, then it will be restriped to provide room for more vehicles.

“The new parking design will make it easier for people to get in and out of the shopping center,” Walker continued.

CVS will move from its current 7,900-square-foot space and become the anchor tenant in the new structure. “Their new store will contain 13,100 square feet, and the drive-through will help elders, parents with young children, and other people who don’t want to go into the store to pick up prescriptions,” Walker said.

That will leave about 8,000 square feet in the new building, he went on, adding that Grove is having discussions with a national retailer interested in leasing about 6,000 square feet and they hope to sign a contract within the month.

“We’re really excited about the tenant,” he said, noting that the company is taking a proactive stance in filling the remaining space and hopes to get a new restaurant in the building. “We also have to backfill CVS’s current space as well as the space that was vacated when Semolina Bread moved out this month.”

To that end, Proctor recently visited The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor, Conn., hoping to find a shop or eatery that would be a good fit for the Longmeadow Shops.

“We try to find the best national, regional and local tenants that will complement what we already have here,” Walker said.

Crane believes the expansion will be beneficial on a number of levels.

“It will provide additional tax revenue as well as giving the community more retail options. Something like this doesn’t happen often in Longmeadow,” he noted.

Forward Progress

Foster said Longmeadow is doing everything possible to generate new revenue, and the addition of a meals tax two years has generated $125,000. But it’s not nearly enough, so the quest to find ways to generate new income will continue. “We’re stretching our thought process as far as we can and hope PVPC will bring new ideas to the table,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Longmeadow Shops will be expanded, and the town will remain a quiet, bucolic place with a small number of businesses that do very well.

“Longmeadow is a well-managed community that offers residents and businesses a wide range of high-quality services,” Crane said. “We don’t have many opportunities for commercial expansion, so we are being proactive and in spite of our limited economic development tools, we are trying to apply them in the most effective way possible.”

Longmeadow at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1783
Population: 15,803
Area: 9.5 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $23.63
Commercial Tax Rate: $26.13
Median Household Income: $99,089
Family Household Income: $114,515
Type of government: Open Town Meeting; Town Manager; Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Bay Path University; Glenmeadow; Longmeadow School Department
* Latest information available

Casino is a Partnership Between City, MGM

By
Opinion

Editorial

As he stood before the collected media recently to answer questions about an announced (sort of) 14% reduction in the size of his company’s planned South End casino, MGM Springfield President Mike Mathis was asked if he could promise that this change, which came atop a scrapping of plans for a 25-story hotel tower, would be the last.

He looked at the questioner with more than a hint of incredulity, and said, in essence, ‘absolutely not.’ In fact, he said the only thing he would promise was the opposite — that there would be more changes to come. Many of them.

The exchange drove home the fact that there is perhaps a lack of real understanding among the public, elected officials, and, yes, media members, about what happens with an $800 million building project in the middle of an urban center.

Someone building a $400,000 home on a one-acre parcel in Belchertown would probably make dozens, if not hundreds, of changes large and small between the time the first blueprints were drawn and the last of the landscaping details were completed. So why should it be any different with a nearly $1 billion casino being built over several blocks in Springfield’s downtown?

Technically, it isn’t any different, but in reality, it is. That’s because this is one of the first casinos to be built in Massachusetts, all eyes are certainly on this project, and most all of those eyes are looking through lenses coated with skepticism.

MGM has made promises, and elected officials, the gaming commission, and the public at large, want to make sure those promises are kept.

All that is fine, but we would advise the parties involved, especially Springfield’s elected officials, to keep their focus on the big picture, and that is working in partnership with MGM to create a casino that will be economically viable and an asset to the region.

That word partnership is critical in this equation, and both sides need to be mindful of it. MGM should understand that its partner is new to this casino industry and new to the process of building such a facility, and thus the lines of communication not only need to be open, but wide open.

In the company’s view, the 13.9% reduction in the size of the casino footprint is relatively minor, with the changes aimed at making the project more efficient and workable. But its leaders should understand that city officials won’t see it that way, and they need to be diligent in communicating this change and explaining it.

City officials, on the other hand, need to be mindful that this is a process, one where change will be a virtual constant. They also need to remember that Massachusetts is very late arriving to the table when it comes to gaming, and the competitive picture is changing rapidly, with perhaps more changes to come.

In comments made to the media recently — and in his op-ed piece at the bottom of this page — Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno vows to “keep MGM’s feet to the fire.” We would expect nothing less, and hope that the city will indeed micro-manage this project, but in a good way.

But while doing so, it should respect the company’s experience and track record  within the industry and, in simplistic terms, trust it to create a facility that the region can be proud of and that can thrive in the ultra-competitve environment that prevails in this industry.

Recent events notwithstanding, we believe MGM has earned that trust.

City will “Keep MGM’s Feet to the Fire”

By
Opinion

Opinion

By Domenic J. Sarno

In July 2013, when Springfield voters approved MGM’s development of an $800 million hotel-casino complex in our downtown, it was an historic event and the culmination of a two- year process. The vote backed a vision of transformation for an area destroyed by a tornado and a city devastated by the loss of manufacturing jobs. As I stated then, the proposal would not be a panacea, but, as the largest development in the history of Western Massachusetts, the benefits outweighed the costs, and it was worth pursuing.

In addition to local approval, last November in a state-wide referendum, support from voters in virtually every city and town across the Commonwealth validated our selection process. In fact, the Mass. Gaming Commission recommended to the Japanese government, which is considering legalizing casinos, that they study Springfield’s selection process. Based on their recommendation, last month the Japanese government sent its representatives to interview me and our internal team about how we established the process.

However, I have always known that, no matter how successful we were in attracting and reaching a contract with one of the largest corporations in the entertainment and gaming industry, the most difficult part would be making sure that the development was completed as promised.

To assist us in the enforcement of the promises made by MGM, we have a binding host community agreement with enforceable legal remedies and damages for non-compliance. In addition, I have the assurances of the chairman of the Mass. Gaming Commission that he will defer to the City’s design concerns in the commission’s enforcement of MGM’s gaming license conditions.  These tools will allow us to keep MGM’s feet to the fire, and should assure the naysayers that, working together, we can be successful in seeing the fruits of our labor and our hopes and expectations realized.

Indeed, these tools already helped us negotiate through the I-91 delay, and I will continue to aggressively enforce the binding agreement in the negotiation of any changes that are in the best interests of the city. As further proof that this process works, although I initially was skeptical about losing the original glass tower, I now believe that the benefits to our community of relocating the market-rate housing offsite outweigh the intangible, yet perceived, loss of a new addition to Springfield’s skyline.

Now, a new challenge is presented by MGM’s proposal to reduce the size of the original project. I pledge that I will not agree to any changes that negatively affect MGM’s promises of employment opportunities and revenue. We again will utilize our consultants to assure that the city is protected as we review and negotiate over the latest proposed changes. MGM will pay for our review costs including our team of gaming law, design, and engineering experts that have been with us since the beginning of our casino selection process.

I have asked my internal team, together with our outside experts, to provide me and the City Council with the analyses that we need to make decisions in the best interest of the city. I am confident that our rigorous review process will result in the city realizing the vision it had when it selected MGM: developing a first-class resort casino project benefitting the city, region and Commonwealth. I will settle for nothing less.

 Domenic Sarno is mayor of Springfield

Not-for-profit Leaders Must Be Aware of Key Changes in Rules

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections

Guidance on Grant Guidance

By DONNA ROUNDY, CPA

Donna Roundy, CPA

Donna Roundy, CPA

Not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) make up a sizable percentage of the economy in Western Mass. A number of these organizations rely, to some degree, on financial funding from the federal government for program support for the specific clients they serve and the general public.

It is important that leadership of these organizations be aware of a significant change in the grant guidance meant to usher in grant reform, improve consistency, and focus on performance. I recently facilitated informational sessions with local not-for-profit leaders to review this guidance and identify changes that may affect their organizations. This article will cover those topics that were most significant or asked about.

The Federal Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) oversees the various federal agencies. OMB issued guidance on various aspects of awarding, financial and program management, monitoring, and auditing federal assistance. This guidance brings together seven different grant administration circulars and cost circulars for states, local governments, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations into one source. This guidance is being called Uniform Guidance (UG) or the Super Circular, and is applicable to organizations that receive federal funding that is effective for new federal awards received after Dec. 26, 2014, as well as for incremental funding increases for awards granted prior to that date.

The biggest take-away is the sub-recipient and contractor monitoring as well as internal-control review that organizations will have to perform to be compliant with these new requirements. Procurement methods and policies must be updated to conform to proscribed requirements. Organizations will be required to have conflict-of-interest policies and must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the federal agency or pass-through entity. There is no stated materiality in relation to this potential conflict of interest.

A few points of interest came to light in reading through this guidance:

• The definition of ‘equipment’ compares the cost of the tangible personal property to the entity’s capitalization threshold, or $5,000, which signals that the federal government considers a $5,000 capitalization threshold reasonable; an organization will want to consider perhaps increasing their threshold;

• The guidance makes reference to electronic record keeping and reporting, and states that supplies, by definition, includes computing devices.

• The term “must” signifies a task or procedures that non-federal entities are required to perform. The term “should” signifies a  recommended best practice.

• NPOs looking to pass through a portion of the federal funding and program performance goals to another entity will need to perform a risk assessment of the sub-recipient, monitor the required activities and outcomes, and perform mandatory over-sight requirement.

• In the past, awards or grants with the federal government have not always included a budget line item for management and general. This reform requires that each grant or contract awarded will include an indirect cost rate approved for the non-federal entity or a 10% deminimus indirect cost rate.

• Organizations having federal awards must have document-procurement policies that include five approved procurement methods, and must maintain records of the history of procurements. That documentation will include, among other things, the rationale for the contractor selection and rejection. Competition in procurement was also a big emphasis;

• Conflict-of-interest standards must be maintained covering employees who deal with procurement contracts. If conflicts are identified they must be reported, in writing, to the federal awarding agenc;.

• A significant emphasis is placed on recipients of federal awards to establish and maintain effective internal controls based on the guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” a.k.a. the “Green Book” and the standards issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Tread Way Commission (COSO), as both are examples of best practices;

• Because internal-control literature in recent years has been based on the recommendations found in COSO, it’s likely that a non-profit entity’s internal control system has a foundation in COSO. As monitoring is a key factor in internal control, routinely assessing risk and reviewing processes is good practice;

• As one reads through this easy-to-read and extremely thorough administrative and cost guidance, it’s a clear take-away that the requirements are based on best practices and are an effort by the federal government to get more effective use, monitoring, and performance results for the billions of dollars expended annually;

• An audit of an organization with federal funding is called a Single Audit, and has testing and documentation requirements that exceed those for a commercial audit. Effective for fiscal years ended Dec. 31, 2015, the government has increased the threshold for an organization required to have a Single Audit from $500,000 to $750,000. This will only relieve approximately 5,000 organizations nation-wide from this stringent testing and will still provide audit coverage of over 99% of federal expenditures; and

• Federal agencies have not provided implementation guidance to their award recipients. The Uniform Guidance places additional requirements on states that pass through federal funds to provide clear information on the CFDA and amount of federal funding to NFP organizations.

As the guidance is put into practice, there are sure to be practical implementation questions that arise. Be sure to contact your organization’s CPA or financial professional with any questions you may have.

Donna Roundy, CPA is a senior manager specializing in not-for-profit organizations with the Holyoke-based public accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (413) 322-3534; [email protected].

Are You Overpaying Import Tariffs?

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections

Measure Entitles Businesses to Reimbursement

By MICHAEL A. FENTON, Esq.

Michael A. Fenton

Michael A. Fenton

Does your business import products from a foreign country? If so, you may be eligible for reimbursement of some or all of the import duties you paid over the last three years. In some cases this can equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars in refunds.

Swift action is required because the deadline to apply for reimbursement is Dec. 28. What follows is some detailed advice on what to do.

Through a trade program known as the Gen-eralized System of Preferences (GSP), the U.S. promotes economic growth in the developing world by providing preferential duty-free entry for up to 4,800 products from 129 designated beneficiary countries and territories. The GSP was instituted on Jan. 1, 1976, by the Trade Act of 1974 and has continued in various forms since its enactment.

As with other legislation, Congress often allows the GSP authority to lapse before it is renewed. This causes duties on imports that are normally covered by the GSP to be charged at the applicable port of entry. Said duties are held in escrow pending renewal of the GSP. Once the GSP is re-authorized, duties held in escrow can be retrieved by importers who paid them on GSP products during the period in which the GSP lapsed.

However, if any item’s GSP status changes, thereby losing eligibility for duty-free treatment, the duties held in escrow will not be refunded to the importer.

Most recently, the GSP expired on July 31, 2013, causing companies all the U.S. to be charged tariffs on imports that previously entered the United States without such fees. The lapse of the GSP continued until June 29, 2015 when President Obama signed into law a bill (H.R. 1295) which reauthorized the GSP retroactively to July 31, 2013. This enables importers of GSP-eligible products to seek reimbursement for tariffs paid during the lapse in GSP coverage. The GSP reauthorization provided retroactive benefits only for goods from a country that is a beneficiary of the GSP program as of July 29, 2015. As such, this would exclude countries such as Bangladesh and Russia that lost eligibility between July 31, 2013 and July 29, 2015.

If your business imported products from a foreign country between July 31, 2012 and June 29, 2015 effective legal counsel can help you determine your reimbursement eligibility and navigate the process of seeking a refund.

Importers who filed their entries electronically, used the appropriate special program indicator for GSP, and paid duty on GSP-eligible goods, will receive an automatic refund. However, many entries were made without using the special program indicator for GSP refunds. Unfortunately, many local importers use couriers that did not properly claim eligible GSP products at the time of entry. Many couriers did not claim products as having GSP status at the time of entry because the GSP legislation was expired. Because the products were not claimed at GSP at the time of entry, a formal request must be made of US Customs and Border Protection for a refund of the tariffs.

A refund request for duties deposited must be received by U.S. Customs and Border Protection no later than Dec. 28. There are very specific requirements for processing these requests and our office has experience in handling these claims. Typically, the only documentation needed to determine eligibility and process any applicable refunds can be found on a statement of the transaction from your courier (e.g. FedEx, UPS, etc.)

These tariff refunds represent thousands of dollars to many area business, but swift action is required to receive the reimbursements. If you have questions about GSP reauthorization and whether your company is entitled to a refund contact qualified legal counsel immediately.

Attorney Michael A. Fenton, of Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., concentrates his practice in the areas of business planning, commercial real estate, estate planning and elder law; [email protected]; (413) 737-1131.

Picture This

By
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]

 

And the Winners Are …

HRU2HRU3HRUHRU1Human Resources Unlimited recently staged its annual employer recognition and fundraising event, which featured awards to several area businesses that help HRU carry out its multi-faceted mission.Top to bottom: HRU’s 2015 Employer of the Year Award went to Harrington Hospital.  Seen from left are: Sally Irvine of HRU’s Tradewinds program; Harrington Hospital President and CEO Edward Moore; Brittany Walker, program manager of Tradewinds; and Donald Kozera, President and CEO of HRU;  HRU’s 2015 Rookie Employer of the Year Award went to Plastipak Packaging. Front row (from left): ETS Career Services Senior Employment Coordinator Guss Ofori; Edgardo Antonmarchi, Karl Treat, and Rich Schroll, all with Plastipak Packaging; Pedro Martinez-Cruz, HRU’s ETS Career Services program; and Kozera. Back Row, from left: Paul Willridge, ETS Career Services, and Dean Kimber and Maryann Ayala of Plastipak Packaging; HRU’s 2015 Sheldon B. Brooks Employer Lifetime Achievement Award Winner was the YMCA of Greater Westfield. From left: Dan Flynn, COO for Wholesale Banking, United Bank; Dave Wunch, maintenance director, YMCA of Greater Westfield; Andrea Allard, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Westfield; and Ashley Ethier of HRU’s Forum House program; HRU’s 2015 Armand Tourangeau Volunteer of the Year Award Winner was John Ernst. From left: Timothy Marini, HUB International New England (formerly FieldEddy Insurance); John Ernst, Ernst Financial Group; Carol Tourangeau, wife of the late Armand Tourangeau; and Kozera.

 

 

Branching Out

Boys-and-Girls-Club-of-West-Springfield
Farmington Bank celebrated the opening of its first branch in western Massachusetts at 85 Elm St. in West Springfield on Oct. 15  with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by area business, municipal and community leaders. As part of the ceremony, the Farmington Bank Community Foundation announced donations to four area nonprofit organizations, which included a $2,500 contribution to the Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield. Seen here, from left, are: Mike Moriarty, Farmington Bank senior vice president, commercial team leader, and Boys & Girls Club of Springfield board member; Dan D’Angelo, Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield executive director; John Patrick, Farmington Bank chairman, president, and chief executive officer; and John O’Farrell, Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield director of development. The Farmington Bank Community Foundation also announced donations to West Springfield Partnership for Education, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity; and Cancer House of Hope.

 

Downtown Arrival
SCdowntown

Springfield College hosted an Open House and Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Oct. 21, in recognition of its new office space at 1350 Main Street in downtown Springfield. Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper joined Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno in leading the ceremony. Both Cooper and Sarno highlighted the college’s strong and rich commitment to the city of Springfield. Tours of the new office and conference room space were available for the individuals in attendance. The downtown office will assist the college in working more closely with city officials, organizations, and schools. It will provide new opportunities for experiential learning and collaborative planning. Here, from left, Springfield College Trustee Emeritus Lyman Wood, current Springfield College Student Trustee Jonathan Reidy, Cooper, Sarno, and Springfield College Trustee James Ross III help cut the ribbon.

 

 

Super 60 Celebration

Super60AwardSuper60DiasThe Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce staged its annual Super 60 Awards Luncheon on Oct. 23. The event recognizes top-performing companies in two categories: Total Revenue and Revenue Growth. Top, Wonderlyn Murphy, center, president of City Enterprise Inc. (No. 1 in the Growth category), receives her honor from Jody Gross, director of Business Development for Health New England, and Luke Kettles, senior vice president and chief lending officer for Berkshire Bank. Bottom, keynote speakers Emily and Oliver Rich, a.k.a. the Tea Guys, talk about their Whately-based venture.

 

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