Home 2015 November (Page 3)
Daily News

WESTFIELD — EpiCenter announced its “Solutions for Business” open house and forum to be held at its Westfield headquarters on Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 9 to 11 a.m. This is an opportunity for local business owners and staff to participate in an open discussion focusing on how to better utilize ERP software and business systems to drive future growth and profitability.

“EpiCenter supported us throughout the design, conversion, and implementation stages of the project,” said Heidi DeGrazia, CFO of Integra. “We relied on their strong expertise of the Epicor ERP solution to help us implement and utilize the system in a way that best suited our business.”

Added Kevin Parks, material manager at medical-device maker the Baker Co., “EpiCenter has been very good to us and was instrumental in getting us up and running. Our project manager … really understood the product, with strong technical and hands-on working knowledge of the solution and close ties with Epicor.”

For close to two decades, EpiCenter has performed more than 400 implementations, conversions, and special projects using Epicor software. The open house is designed to deliver insights into the common challenges facing manufacturers and services companies which limit a company’s growth and potential. These include shop planning and scheduling challenges, quality/advanced quality, compliance and regulatory burdens, streamlining the quote-to-cash process, and management and accuracy of business metrics .

EpiCenter’s team of consultants boasts an average of 10 years in the ERP world, with senior members exceeding 20 years of hands-on industry experience. The company has expertise in a multiple of disciplines and vertical markets with a focus to guide companies, including cost accounting, finite planning and scheduling, data migration/integration, business intelligence, configurations/customizations, cloud hosting, and more.

Space at the open house is limited. To register, call (888) 583-4526 or visit www.regonline.com/epicenter-getaheadofthecurve.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Central Cultural District announced that Morgan Drewniany has been named interim director. She was assistant director for the Springfield Business Improvement District before being appointed to this new role. A graduate of Hampshire College, she focused her studies on the intersection of environmental chemistry, public health, and social justice.

“I truly believe having a strong cultural center is a key economic driver for our city,” Drewniany said. “For example, in order to thrive and attract young professionals and empty-nesters looking to reside in market-rate housing, you need to hear their desires, which include, among others, easy walkability, activities to do after work, shopping options, and more.”

The SCCD has a vision that the city of Springfield will be recognized as a creative community that contributes to the economic vitality and cultural enrichment of the region. It aims to foster synergy and alignment of cultural resources in order to create a vibrant and welcoming experience for visitors and residents alike.

“In the short time I have been in this position, I have seen tremendous support from the community; both the cultural- and non-cultural-related businesses are expressing their support and the understanding how strong cultural assets encourage economic growth,” Drewniany continued. “My goal is to not only inspire individuals to want to make downtown their home, but also to encourage those who work in downtown to stay after work for a bite to eat or a show — as well as to engage folks in the surrounding communities who currently travel to see a good show or find international cuisine to know that is available right here in their own backyard.”

Recently, the SCCD produced the “Springfield Under the Stars” movie series, which brought families out to enjoy the community; generated easily accessible artist resources and opportunities; and created a walking-tour map, available at downtown institutions and online. In addition, it is partnering with the Springfield Business Improvement District on the Downtown Holiday Market, creating a store filled with artisan goods and Springfield merchandise from local cultural and educational institutions.

For information on the SCCD and member organizations, visit springfielddowntown.com/cultural-district.

Daily News

AGAWAM — Jean Deliso has been named a member of the 2015 Chairman’s Council of New York Life. Members of the elite Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement.

Deliso has accomplished this level of achievement after 30 years in the financial-services industry. Her passion for finance and strategic planning led to the creation of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services in 2000. She began her career in corporate accounting in Tampa, Fla., where she consulted with small-business owners on financial operations and maximizing performance.

Deliso has been a New York Life agent since 1995 and is associated with New York Life’s Connecticut Valley General Office in Windsor, Conn. She serves on many boards in her community, including the Baystate Health Foundation and Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, and is chairman of the board of the Community Music School of Springfield. She is past chairman of the board of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, past board member of AAA Pioneer Valley, and past trustee of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the advisory council at Bay Path University.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Revitalize CDC announced a JoinedForces initiative, performing critical repairs and rehabilitation on military veterans’ homes. The initiative will spark the organization’s expansion into Holyoke. JoinedForces will serve all branches of the military and bring volunteers and the community together to support the troops.

Revitalize CDC hosted a breakfast fund-raiser on Nov. 5 to raise money to help repair and renovate homes for veterans in need in both Holyoke and Springfield.

The next project is scheduled for Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, and will serve Air Force E4 veteran Scott Leary and his family. Revitalize CDC will restore the home they live in, which was built in 1901 by Leary’s great-grandfather and has been in the family since that time.

Leary, who served in the Air Force from 1990 to 1996, shares the home with his wife, Jessica, and their three children, all under the age of 14. The family has struggled with many challenges, including Jessica’s permanent disability due to a back injury sustained working as an emergency medical technician, and a child with autism, currently being seen as a patient at Shriners Hospital. Their home is currently in desperate need of repairs, and although they have been working tirelessly on it themselves, they are in need of help.

The public is invited to assist in the home restoration. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank President and CEO Paul Scully announced that Robert Kolb has been promoted to executive vice president, chief commercial & retail banking officer. A banking professional with 33 years of industry experience, Kolb has been with Country Bank since 2012 as senior vice president, chief commercial banking officer.

Before coming to Country Bank, Kolb worked at TD Bank as its Rhode Island market president. Prior to that, he held the same position the bank’s Central and Western Mass. divisions.

“Since joining our team, Bob has brought an outstanding level of leadership to the bank,” said Scully. “He has completely embraced the unique mission of community banking, while helping us benefit from the insights he gained while working at a respected, larger institution. His contributions have helped both our employees and our customers, and his proven approach has become the cornerstone of our commercial-lending success.”

Kolb serves on the Ware Business and Civic Board.

Daily News

WESTERN MASS. — Do you know someone who is truly making a difference in the Western Mass. region?

BusinessWest invites you to nominate an individual or group for its eighth annual Difference Makers program. Nominations for the class of 2016 must be received by the end of the business day (5 p.m.) on Friday, Nov. 20. Nominations can be completed online by visiting www.businesswest.com and clicking ‘Our Events.’

Difference Makers was launched in 2009 as a way to recognize the contributions of agencies and individuals who are contributing to quality of life in this region. Previous honorees include:

2015:

  • Katelynn’s Ride;
  • Judy Matt, president of Spirit of Springfield;
  • MassMutual Financial Group;
  • The ownership group of the Student Prince and the Fort; and
  • Valley Venture Mentors

2014:

  • The Gray House;
  • Colleen Loveless, executive director of the Springfield chapter of Rebuilding Together;
  • The Melha Shriners;
  • Paula Moore, founder of YSET Academy and a teacher at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Training Academy; and
  • Michael Moriarty, attorney, director of Olde Holyoke Development Corp., and supporter of childhood literacy programs

2013:

  • Michael Cutone, John Barbieri, and Thomas Sarrouf, organizers of Springfield’s C3 Policing program;
  • John Downing, president of Soldier On;
  • Bruce Landon, president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons;
  • The Sisters of Providence; and
  • Jim Vinick, senior vice president of investments at Moors & Cabot Inc.

2012:

  • Charlie and Donald D’Amour, president/COO and chairman/CEO of Big Y Foods;
  • William Messner, president of Holyoke Community College;
  • Majors Tom and Linda-Jo Perks, officers of the Springfield Corps of the Salvation Army;
  • Bob Schwarz, executive vice president of Peter Pan Bus Lines; and
  • The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts

2011:

  • Tim Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission;
  • Lucia Giuggio Carvalho, founder of Rays of Hope;
  • Don Kozera, president of Human Resources Unlimited;
  • Robert Perry, retired partner/consultant at Meyers Brothers Kalicka; and
  • Anthony Scott, Holyoke police chief

2010:

  • The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation;
  • Ellen Freyman, attorney and shareholder at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C.;
  • James Goodwin, president and CEO of the Center for Human Development;
  • Carol Katz, CEO of the Loomis Communities; and
  • UMass Amherst and its chancellor, Robert Holub

2009:

  • Doug Bowen, president and CEO of PeoplesBank;
  • Kate Kane, managing director of the Springfield office of Northwestern Mutual Financial/the Zuzolo Group;
  • Susan Jaye-Kaplan, founder of GoFIT and co-founder of Link to Libraries;
  • William Ward, executive director of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County; and
  • The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce will host a workshop on LinkedIn and how to use it to promote a business, products, and services.

The event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the chamber office located at 177 High St. The guest speaker will be Darlene Morse, facilitator, trainer, and job developer at CareerPoint.

Studies show that LinkedIn is by far the most preferred networking and social-selling tool used by professionals the world over. This workshop is designed for anyone looking to use LinkedIn more effectively and best utilize the power and opportunities it offers. Attendees will learn how to market themselves, increase visibility and reputation, and, most importantly, develop new business.

The seminar is sponsored by PeoplesBank and the Republican/MassLive/El Pueblo Latino. The cost $10 with advance registration for chamber members and $20 for all others, and includes a continental breakfast. To reserve a spot, call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 or register online at holyokechamber.com.

Daily News

GREENFIELD — Community Legal Aid (CLA) announced receipt of a $15,000 grant from the Franklin Fund of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts to fund a second year of its Legal Educational Partnership with Greenfield Community College (GCC).

The partnership between CLA and GCC places a CLA legal advocate on campus to provide income-eligible students with information about their legal rights, screening for government-benefits eligibility, and legal help.

“This one-stop approach to solving students’ non-academic problems by resolving legal matters that impede economic stability will help clear the path for students’ successful educational and professional careers,” said Jonathan Mannina, Community Legal Aid’s executive director.

In the project’s first year, Wendy Kane, a CLA benefits advocate with more than 30 years of experience, worked in collaboration with Rosemarie Freeland, coordinator of GCC’s Women’s Resource Center, to let students, faculty, and staff know about the project, schedule on-campus intakes to discuss legal problems, and screen students to make sure they were maximizing their income. CLA then assisted more than 30 GCC students with legal issues including domestic violence, divorce, child support, visitation, custody, eviction, government benefits, and denial of housing subsidies.

GCC President Robert Pura called the first year of the program a “huge success” and looks forward to “continuing to build and strengthen this critical and innovative partnership.”

Community Legal Aid aims to ensure fairness in the justice system by providing free legal services to more than 5,000 low-income and elderly residents of Western and Central Mass. each year. Its mission is to improve the lives of low-income and elderly people through legal assistance that protects fundamental rights, secures access to basic needs, and challenges policies and practices that harm its clients.

CLA intervenes in moments of crisis, when clients’ problems — protecting their livelihood, home, health, or family — require immediate legal solutions. It helps tenants facing wrongful eviction, survivors of domestic violence, workers denied lawful benefits, children in need of stable homes, and elders whose economic security or healthcare is in jeopardy.

CLA has full-time offices in Northampton, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester, as well as satellite offices in North Adams, Greenfield, Fitchburg, Southbridge, and Milford. To learn more, visit www.communitylegal.org.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The 11th annual Grinspoon, Garvey & Young Entrepreneurship Conference will be held Friday, Nov. 6 from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. More than 500 students and faculty representing 14 area colleges are expected to attend the event, which includes hands-on workshops, entrepreneur exhibits, a keynote speaker, and networking.

Organized by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation and the 14 colleges, the Entrepreneurship Conference is held annually to inspire, motivate, and support college students in turning their ideas into businesses. The event will feature 25 exhibitors, including former Grinspoon student awardees who started their businesses while in college.

Students will begin the day collaborating on teams for the “Team Challenge: Campus Tech Solutions” competition beginning at 9:10 a.m.

Afterward, students may select from five breakout sessions, including “The Shark Tank,” “Pitch Camp,” “The Lightning Round: Idea Jam and Speed Networking,” “Social Entrepreneurshi: People, Planet, Profits,” and “Epic Stories from Grinspoon Award Winners.” In each of these sessions, students will learn directly from successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, entrepreneurship faculty, and each other.

The keynote speaker this year is Jess Lauren, founder of Olive Natural Beauty and winner of the 2015 Valley Venture Mentors Accelerator Awards.

Gold sponsors for the conference are the UMass Amherst Isenberg MBA Program and the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation. The silver sponsor is Bueno Y Sano, and bronze sponsors include Northwestern Mutual, AAA of the Pioneer Valley, and the Springfield Venture Fund.

Participating colleges include American International College, Amherst College, Bay Path University, Elms College, Greenfield Community College, Hampshire College, Holyoke Community College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College, UMass Amherst, Western New England University, and Westfield State University.

For more information, contact Cari Carpenter, director of the Entrepreneurship Initiative, at [email protected] or (413) 335-3535.

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity will present its 15th annual Fall Feastival tonight, Nov. 5, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield.

The event will feature food selections from area restaurants, including the Log Cabin – Delaney House, Nadim’s Mediterranean Restaurant & Grill, and more. Live and silent auction items will be available, including theater tickers, golf foursomes, and family-fun activities.

The event is supported by platinum sponsors BusinessWest and Babson Capital; gold sponsor PeoplesBank; silver sponsors Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. and Columbia Gas of Massachusetts; and bronze sponsors Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation and Monson Savings Bank.

Tickets cost $75. To RSVP and purchase tickets, call (413) 739-5503 or visit habitatspringfield.org.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Workforce Development office will offer three Certified Fiber Optics Technician Courses starting Dec. 7.

The courses will cover a variety of topics for both those new to the field and experienced technicians. The Fiber Optic Training class combines theory and hands-on activities to prepare students to take the Certified Fiber Optic Technician exam sanctioned by the Fiber Optics Association. The exam is administered and graded during the final class.

Students will learn how to identify fiber types; recognize various connectors used in fiber installation; and install, terminate, splice, and properly test installed fiber cable to existing standards. The program explores the history and future of fiber optics and fiber optics capabilities, and basic testing and troubleshooting.

Anyone interested in becoming a Certified Fiber Optics Technician is highly encouraged to sign up. The course fee includes study materials and text book, a CD, exam fees, plus a one year membership to Fiber Optics Association. In addition, STCC will offer Certified Fiber Optic Specialist Outside Plant (CFOS/O), Certified Fiber Optics Splicing Specialist Course (CFOS/S) and Certified Fiber Optics Specialist in Testing & Maintenance (CFOS/T).

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — HAPHousing has been recognized as a NeighborWorks Green Organization for its comprehensive commitment to sustainable operations. To achieve this designation, HAP was required to demonstrate adherence to a set of green business practices across its operations and all of its program areas.

This is the fourth consecutive year that NeighborWorks America has recognized member organizations for their efforts to create healthier, energy-efficient environments for homeowners, renters, community residents and employees. To date, 81 of the 240 organizations in the NeighborWorks network have achieved this designation.

HAPHousing’s green initiatives and programs include ensuring that its housing developments and offices are energy efficient, and distribution of information on energy conservation to clients, residents, employees, and the public.

According to Peter Gagliardi, President and CEO of HAPHousing, “An increasingly vital part of our work in developing affordable housing in the region is the building and maintaining of sustainable projects and practices that are environmentally friendly. We take this designation seriously and with pride in our mission to build healthy communities where people thrive.”

“HAPHousing is helping to improve people’s health and well-being,” said NeighborWorks America CEO Paul Weech. “The organization is showing how green business practices make economic sense.”

NeighborWorks America creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. For more information on the green designation, and to see the complete list of designees, go to NeighborWorks.org/Green.

Daily News

HARTFORD, Conn. — The independent accounting firm Whittlesey & Hadley, P.C., announced that Christopher Nadeau, CPA, has been appointed manager, joining the firm’s Holyoke office.

Nadeau brings more than 10 years of experience in private and public accounting with a practice concentration in assurance, compliance, tax and advisory services to closely held businesses, professional/medical practices and the nonprofit sector —the firm’s largest niche focus. Most recently, he served as assistant controller for Worcester Envelope Company.

Nadeau received his master of science in accountancy and Bachelor of Science in business management and accounting from Westfield State University, where he is currently an adjunct professor and member of the university’s Accounting Mentoring Program. He currently holds memberships with the Mass. Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Springfield/Hartford Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants.

The firm’s managing partner, Drew Andrews said, “Chris’ accomplishments as a practitioner of accounting in the areas of nonprofit, medical and closely held business will benefit our clients and the firm’s position as the leading provider of professional services in Western Massachusetts and throughout Southern New England. We are proud to add Chris to our team of professionals.”

Daily News

GLASTONBURY, CONN. — William H.W. Crawford, IV, CEO of United Financial Bancorp Inc. and United Bank of Glastonbury, Conn., today announced that Rick Renaud, private mortgage banker for United Bank, has been elected to the 2016 Board of Directors of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Central Massachusetts (HBRACM).

The HBRACM Board of Directors is made up of various leaders from the area’s homebuilding and remodeling industry, including building contractors, suppliers and subcontractors. It also includes those who provide professional services to the home building industry such as designers, engineers, legal professionals and lenders.

Renaud is part of United’s greater Boston-based loan production office led by Jim Picciotto, vice president and Eastern Mass. Sales Manager. Renaud, who has 15 years of experience in the banking industry, joined United Bank in April 2012 and is based at the bank’s Chadwick Square branch in Worcester.

In addition to his HBRACM board seat, Renaud, a veteran of the United States Air Force, is a longtime member of the National Assoc. of Home Builders (NAHB). He also served as an Affiliate Member of The Worcester Regional Association of Realtors and the Central Mass Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, in honor of its 100th anniversary, will hold a Centennial Gala on Thursday, Nov. 5 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

The Association comprises more than 1,600 members serving 68 communities in the Pioneer Valley. Committed to advocacy and community service, the association works alongside the National Assoc. of Realtors and the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors to protect and promote home ownership and private-property rights. The association provides a wide array of benefits, business tools, market data, and educational opportunities to its members.

Delivering the keynote address at the event will be Bill Brown of Oakland, Calif., first vice president of the National Assoc. of Realtors. Hosting the event will be Dawn Henry of Palmer, president of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. Kevin Sears of Springfield, New England regional vice president of the National Assoc. of Realtors, will serve as master of ceremonies. More than 300 guests are expected to attend.

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank has been assisting local senior centers since 2011 with an annual donation of $2,000 each. This gift assists them with some of the expenses that may not be covered within their regular budget. A total of $166,000 has been donated over the last five years to local senior centers.

“We have heard stories of our gifts helping to fund events such as veterans breakfasts, helping to put in a new floor, or, most recently, to assist with transportation costs to out-of-town medical appointments,” said Shelley Regin, senior vice president. “One director explained that many seniors may forgo important medical appointments due to the difficulties involved with public transportation or their fear of driving in unfamiliar areas such as Springfield. We are so pleased that we can help in this way.”

Country Bank serves Central and Western Mass. with 15 offices. For more information, visit www.countrybank.com or call (800) 322-8233.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual’s board of directors approved an estimated dividend payout of $1.7 billion for 2016 to its eligible participating policyowners — a nearly $100 million increase over 2015, and the fourth consecutive year it has reached a new record. The 2016 payout also reflects a competitive dividend interest rate of 7.1% for eligible participating life and annuity blocks of business, maintaining the same rate as both 2014 and 2015.

“Today is a special day where the commitment we’ve made our policyowners is brought to life through our annual dividend payout,” said Roger Crandall, MassMutual’s chairman, president, and CEO. “Through nearly our entire history, our policyowners have received an annual dividend regardless of what is happening in our world — whether it’s through world wars, pandemics, market crashes, and most recently, a historically low interest-rate environment where even three-month Treasury bills are yielding zero percent.”

While dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has consistently paid them to eligible participating policyowners since the 1860s. The 2016 dividend marks nearly two decades that the company has consecutively announced an estimated dividend payout exceeding $1 billion.

“As a mutual company, operating for the benefit of our policyowners and members, we are thrilled to share our collective and cooperative success,” Crandall said. “Our consistent payment of dividends is proof of the enduring financial strength and stability we provide, as well as the resiliency of our long-term strategy.”

Among the key contributors to MassMutual’s dividend payout are its retirement-services and international insurance businesses, as well as its asset-management subsidiaries, such as Babson Capital Management LLC, Baring Asset Management Limited, Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC, and OppenheimerFunds Inc.

The estimated payout also occurs at a time when the company’s financial-strength ratings are among the highest in the industry and its total adjusted capital as of June 30, 2015 — a key indicator of overall financial stability — surpassed $17 billion for the first time in the company’s history.

Of the estimated $1.7 billion dividend payout, an estimated $1.65 billion has been approved for eligible participating policyowners who have purchased whole life insurance. MassMutual had its ninth consecutive record year of growth in whole-life policy sales in 2014 with $418 million, and sales of whole life continue to be strong through the first three quarters of 2015.

In addition to receiving the dividend payouts in cash, other ways whole-life insurance policyowners may use the dividends include paying premiums, buying additional insurance coverage, accumulating at interest, or repaying policy loans and policy-loan interest.

“Whole life insurance enables people to plan for both the expected and unexpected events in their lives, whether it’s leaving a legacy for loved ones or using cash value to help fund a college education or fill an income gap in retirement,” said Michael Fanning, executive vice president and head of MassMutual’s U.S. Insurance Group. “We have provided millions of people with financial resources they can use to chart a course through these turbulent times, further proof that, whether bulls or bears are driving the market, policyowners have received their dividend payout from MassMutual.”

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. announced that Shawn Howard will lead investment strategies for the bank as its new senior vice president, chief investment officer, senior portfolio manager. In addition, Tom Barney, first vice president, wealth advisor, and Colleen Lussier, vice president, wealth advisor, have joined the Wealth Management team. These additions represent a continued focus on providing convenient, fully integrated investment and money-management solutions to Berkshire Bank customers.

Howard has more than 20 years of financial experience, with nearly 16 years in the asset-management space as a portfolio manager; he was most recently at TD Bank in the Private Client Group in Springfield, where he managed investment portfolios for high-net-worth individuals, nonprofit organizations, and institutional clients. He served in a similar capacity at Evergreen Investments and Mellon Private Asset Management Companies.

Barney, a certified financial planner for more than 30 years, has rejoined the Berkshire Bank Wealth Management team after retiring in 2011. Prior to his retirement, he led the team for 17 years, growing the division to almost $700 million in assets. Barney previously served as vice president for Fleet Investment Services in Hartford, Conn., as well as vice president and private banker for Bank of Boston in Pittsfield, Springfield, and Hartford. He was on the board and served as president of the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County.

Lussier also joins the bank from TD Bank, where she was a wealth advisor for more than 16 years. Her expertise is concentrated in areas of trust and estate planning, business succession, and contract law. She is a certified trust and financial advisor and a registered financial consultant. She will assist in developing client relationships as well as trust and estate administration.

“Berkshire Bank is a strong, well-capitalized financial institution that continues to invest in wealth management with the addition of talented team members and resources to support our clients’ financial goals,” said Sean Gray, chief operating officer of Berkshire Bank. “We are delighted to add experienced professionals in these important roles and know that Shawn, Tom, and Colleen share Berkshire Bank’s commitment to a customer-focused approach.”

Daily News

On Wednesday, 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 day-long event is crammed with programming designed to promote awareness of the depth and breadth of the region’s economy and help business owners and managers better navigate the myriad challenges they face.

The day will get off to an entertaining start with the Springfield Regional Chamber’s October breakfast and keynote speaker Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery, who will engage in a “casual conversation” with BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien. Later, at the luncheon hosted by the Professional Women’s Chamber, Alison Lands, senior manager in Deloitte’s Strategy & Operations practice, will present a program based on a report she co-authored and edited titled “Advanced to Advantageous: The Case for New England’s Manufacturing Revolution.” She will discuss the challenges facing this resilient, innovative sector, particularly a persistent skills gap and a lack of brand awareness, and how they present real opportunities for workforce development in New England.

Throughout the day, there will be informative seminars across four tracks: Sales & Marketing, Workforce Development, Hottest Trends, and Entrepreneurship. Also slated are robotics and machine-tooling demonstrations, a Technology Corridor, a Business Support Center, the ever-popular Pitch Contest staged by Valley Venture Mentors, the day-capping Expo Social (always a great networking opportunity), 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, robotics and manufacturing sponsors; and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, entrepreneur sponsor. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com.

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

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.

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

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]

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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]

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].

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

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].

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 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 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.”

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.

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

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

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.
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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.
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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.

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

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.