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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Barry Crosby, president and CEO of Freedom Credit Union, announced the new executive committee of the board of directors, the appointment of a new board member, and two appointments to the leadership team of the credit union.

At the recent annual meeting of the credit union, Lawrence Bouley was elected chairman of the board of directors for the next three years. Bouley has been a board member of Freedom for the past 11 years and, prior to that, served on the FHBT Credit Union Board for 25 years. During his tenure, he will play an active role in the strategic direction of the credit union.

Along with Bouley, the following board members were elected to three-year posts on the board’s executive committee: Donald Emerson, vice chairman; Louis Guillette, treasurer; William Carey, clerk; and John Reigner, security officer.

Brian Harrington has been appointed to the board of directors to fulfill the unexpired term of a recently vacated seat. Harrington is an attorney and a deputy regional director in the Springfield office of the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection. While on the Freedom board of directors, he will be a member of the auditing committee, site committee, and security committee.

In other news, David Chase Sr. has joined Freedom Credit Union as vice president of Member Business Lending. Chase has more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry with an extensive background in commercial lending. Most recently, he was vice president of Commercial Lending at Hampden Bank. Chase is actively involved with several organizations, including the West of the River Chamber of Commerce as a board member. Chase is also a vice president of the board of Gray House and also serves as a member of the town of Agawam Planning Board.

Finally, Christine Williams has been promoted to branch officer of the Freedom branch in Easthampton. In this capacity, she will oversee the financial and lending operations of the branch and develop new business opportunities with individuals and companies. For the past two years, Williams has been the assistant branch officer at the Easthampton Branch, and, prior to that, she worked at Citizens Bank. She has more than eight years of banking and credit-union experience.

Daily News

BOSTON — The UMass Donahue Institute has been awarded a five-year, $14 million contract to provide training and technical assistance to Head Start and Early Head Start programs for all of New England.

The institute will work with local Head Start programs on their educational, health, and family services as well as management systems to strengthen their ability to serve children and their families. Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the comprehensive development of children from birth to age 5 in centers, child-care partner locations, and their own homes. Early Head Start also provides services to pregnant women. Head Start and Early Head Start services include early learning, health, and family well-being.

“We are very proud that the University of Massachusetts has emerged as one of the national leaders in providing training and technical assistance to Head Start programs,” said UMass President Marty Meehan. “The Donahue Institute’s work — which complements the early childhood programs at UMass Boston and UMass Amherst — is another outstanding example of the impact that UMass is having, not just in Massachusetts, but across all of New England.”

Added J. Lynn Griesemer, executive director of the UMass Donahue Institute, “we are delighted and honored to receive this award. We have been the predominant provider of training and technical assistance to Head Start in this region for the past 12 years and have gained an outstanding reputation.”

The contract was awarded by the Office of Head Start in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nationally, Head Start/Early Head Start is divided into 12 regions. The UMass Donahue Institute will be the sole provider of training and technical assistance to Region 1, which includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

“We are very excited to continue supporting Head Start programs throughout New England and helping them to improve the wonderful work they already do,” said Bess Emanuel, Head Start regional training and technical assistance coordinator with the UMass Donahue Institute.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC), a member of Valley Health Systems and affiliate to Holyoke Medical Center, announced the appointment of Rosemarie Ansel as executive director.

Ansel’s executive leadership includes demonstrable experience in leading administrative, fiscal, and clinical functions in the community outpatient setting.

“Rosemarie is a skilled senior executive who brings a proven track record in clinical, educational, and medical programming to this important role. Her strong working relationships at the state and national levels will help RVCC enhance the delivery of quality mental-health services to the communities we serve,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Valley Health Systems and Holyoke Medical Center.

Added Ansel, “I am honored to join the River Valley Counseling Center, which is dedicated to providing a wide range of compassionate, community-centered care to individuals and families in our region. Under the Holyoke Medical Center umbrella, we have a strong and pervasive sense of community. This carries over into our team of clinicians and staff, who are second to none when it comes to providing mission-critical services on a 24/7 basis.”

Ansel will lead RVCC, a multi-service agency serving Hampden County for 62 years. Its community-focused outpatient mental-health services include psychiatric day treatment programs, school-based services in Chicopee, teen clinics and school-based health centers in Holyoke, individual and group-based therapy offered in Spanish as well as English, HIV/AIDS support for both men and women, intensive case management, and recreational therapy for 8- to 16-year-old children at risk of hospitalization or residential placement, as well as employer-assistance services through site training, assessment, counseling, and referrals. The center provided 144,000 treatment services across all programs in 2013.

In her most recent role as deputy director of Community Services and director of Operations at the Columbia County Department of Human Services and Mental Health Center in Hudson, N.Y., Ansel oversaw the administrative, fiscal, and clinical components of a community outpatient mental-health clinic. Her leadership resulted in a 23% increase in direct client contacts by the end of the first fiscal year, a 46% increase in clinic-based revenue in 16 months, an increase in the client average daily census by 600 individuals in four years, as well as a 61% increase in co-payments. Prior to her success in this role, Ansel served as deputy for Administration at Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth in Canaan, N.Y. and executive vice president at Hillcrest Educational Centers in Pittsfield.

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — MassDOT is constructing improvements to two overpasses carrying Memorial Avenue over Route 5 in West Springfield. The last 79-hour shutdown is planned for Friday, July 10 at 10 p.m. through Tuesday, July 14 at 5 a.m.

MassDOT has developed several detour routes to maintain traffic during the weekend closure/replacement of the westbound bridge of the Memorial Avenue rotary. These detours are designed to reduce congestion and provide a feasible route for larger vehicles. During this 79-hour shutdown, MassDOT will close the following roads starting at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 10, for the westbound bridge replacement:

• All traffic on the Memorial Bridge (east and westbound);

• Route 5 northbound between the North End Bridge (Route 20) and the South End Bridge (Route 57); vehicles may access the Bondi’s Island transfer-station facility;

• Route 5 north and southbound ramps to Memorial Avenue eastbound; and

• Sidewalks on the westbound bridge.

All roads will reopen to traffic at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 14. A notification will be sent when these roads are reopened. In the meantime, signs will direct vehicles to several detours throughout West Springfield and neighboring communities.

Pedestrians and bicyclists should note that access will be provided to the sidewalks and unmarked crosswalks on the eastbound bridge and southern portion of the rotary. Bicyclists should dismount and walk their bikes on the sidewalks. Pedestrians coming from the northern sidewalks on the Memorial Bridge or Memorial Avenue in West Springfield should cross to the southern sidewalks prior to entering the rotary.

For more information about the project, visit www.mass.gov/massdot/memorialavenuerotaryreplacement.

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Park Square Realty announced the opening of its West Springfield office, located at 470 Westfield St.

Ted Cassell, president of Park Square Realty, purchased the building this past spring and renovated the space, which includes ample desk space for agents, two conference rooms, areas for management and support staff, new signage with landscaping, and a new kitchen area.

“The new office location provides our agents with a professional work environment to conduct their business and meet with their home buyers and sellers,” said Cassell. “In addition, the move to West Springfield allows us to raise our visibility by being on the highly traveled Route 20 in West Springfield. We are very excited to be part of the vibrant community of West Springfield. It offers a central location for our agents to work from and gives convenient access to all points in Western Massachusetts.”

Park Square Realty is a locally owned, full-service real-estate company founded in 1987. The company continues to grow in terms of number of agents and sales volume, now boasting 48 real-estate professionals working throughout the Western Mass. and Northern Conn. regions.

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The West of the River Chamber of Commerce recently announced its new board of directors for the upcoming year.

Chairman for 2015-16 is Chuck Kelly, who has served on the board of directors for several years. He also serves on several West of the River committees, including the economic development committee, and co-chairs the membership/marketing committee. He is the general manager of Flowers By Webster, which has locations in West Springfield and Westfield.

First vice chairman is Brian Houle, a recruitment and staffing operations professional at Spherion in West Springfield. He joined the West of the River board of directors last year and participated on the education and finance committees.

Second vice chairman is Frank Palange, who has served on the board for several years and has been an active member of the economic development committee. He is the owner of V&F Auto in Agawam and also serves as the chairman of the Planning Board in West Springfield.

Treasurer is Lori Stickles, a two-year board member who chairs the finance committee. She is the manager of United Bank’s Agawam branch on Silver Street.

Clerk is Patty Parker-Flores, who has served on the board and several committees over the last few years and this past year chaired the education committee. She is the Cooperative Education coordinator at Lower Pioneer Valley Technical School in West Springfield.

Other West of the River board members for the 2015-16 term include John Weiss (immediate past chairman), Ormsby Insurance Agency; Bonnie Massoia, Canary-Blomstrom Insurance Agency; David Chase, Freedom Credit Union; Donna Safford-Fleury, Crestview County Club; Jennifer Lichlyter, Six Flags New England; Jaime Smith, Westfield Bank, West Springfield branch; Noreen Tassinari, Eastern States Exposition; Michele Brennan, Bridgeport Bindery; Matthew Roberts, Insurance Center of New England; Melissa Richter, PeoplesBank; Tanya Moriarty, Johnson, Sclafini & Moriarty; Dee Emery-Ferrero, DEF Enterprises; John O’Farrell, Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield; Bridget Fiala, Marinosci Law Group; and Bill Lucardi, Marketing Doctor.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) is seeking nominations for its annual Super 60 awards program, sponsored by Berkshire Bank and WWLP-TV 22.

Now in its 26th year, the awards program celebrates the success of the fastest-growing privately owned businesses in the region. Each year, the program identifies the top-performing companies in revenue growth and total revenue. Last year, total revenue winners combined for revenues of over $1 billion with an average revenue of more than $35 million. One-third of the winners in the revenue-growth category experienced growth in excess of 50%, with the average growth of all the honorees in that category at more than 49%.

To be considered, companies must be based in Hampden or Hampshire county or be a member of the ACCGS, report revenues of at least $1 million in the last fiscal year, be an independent and privately owned company, and have been in business for at least three full years. Companies are selected based on their percentage of revenue growth over a full three-year period or total revenues for the latest fiscal year.

Companies may be nominated by financial institutions, attorneys, or accountants, or be self-nominated. Companies must submit a nomination form and provide net-operating-revenue figures for the last three full fiscal years, signed and verified by an independent auditor. All financial information must be reported under generally accepted accounting principles and will be held and considered confidential and not released without prior approval.

Nomination forms are available by contacting Kara Cavanaugh at [email protected] or (413) 755-1310. Nominations must be submitted no later than Aug. 14.

The Super 60 awards will be presented at the annual luncheon and recognition program on Oct. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam.

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Hillcrest Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will offer an informational session on advance directives and healthcare proxies on Wednesday, July 29 at 10 a.m. at the Ralph Froio Senior Center in Pittsfield. The event will include a free continental breakfast.

Part of Hillcrest’s “Berkshire Senior Subjects” monthly series, the presentation will focus on advance directives, healthcare proxies, and MOLST forms. The guest speaker is Patricia Tremblay, MS, RN. The presentation is free and open to the public; registration is requested by calling (413) 445-9747 by July 27.

Hillcrest Commons Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, a nonprofit organization that has been caring for people in the Berkshire area since 1995, provides personalized short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled-nursing care, respite care, and specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia care, all in a homelike setting. Specialty services include a ventilator program to support ventilator-dependent patients or to wean dependence, and a behavioral-health program for those with chronic psychiatric conditions. Hospice services are available for compassionate end-of-life care. For more information, visit www.hillcrestcommons.org.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Luxe Burger Bar announced the return of its Build Your Own Burger contest. Through Aug. 30, Luxe calls upon its guests to craft the burger of their dreams for the chance to win a $500 Chow Fun Food Group gift card. The winning burger will also be featured on Luxe Burger Bar’s menu until the next winner is announced in 2016.

“We are excited to bring our Build Your Own Burger contest to Springfield for the second time,” said John Elkhay, Maestro, Chow Fun Food Group. “We have held this event at our Providence restaurant for four years, and each year we receive hundreds of creative entries from our guests. We can’t wait to see what our guests in Greater Springfield come up with.”

To participate, contestants fill out an entry form at the restaurant or at www.springfield.luxeburgerbar.com/contest. The masterpiece possibilities are endless, with an array of over 45 ingredients, in addition to two original selections not already offered on the menu.

On Aug. 31, the entries will be reviewed, and the top five contestants will have their burgers featured on the Luxe menu from Sept. 4 through Oct. 8. After deliberation and feedback, the top five contestants will be invited to the contest’s finale on Saturday, Oct. 10 at noon at Luxe Burger, where a panel of culinary and celebrity judges will evaluate each submission’s creativity, taste, edibility, ease of production, overall composition, and the given title. Final scoring will be determined by a combination of each burger’s Facebook ‘likes,’ total sales throughout the month, and the judges’ opinions.

For more information about Luxe Burger Bar or to make a reservation, call (413) 758-5893 or visit www.luxeburgerbar.com.

Daily News

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond, a New England leader in civil and environmental engineering and consulting, opened its doors this month to a new Eastern Mass. office in Westwood.

The 4,800-square-foot workplace provides a strong base of operation to better serve the company’s Greater Boston-area clients. Staffed initially with a team of 10, Tighe & Bond plans to expand its workforce at this office to approximately 20 employees.

Director of Business Development F. Adam Yanulis and Senior Project Manager Benjamin Levesque are providing leadership for the upstart of Tighe & Bond’s newest office. Yanulis has more than 30 years of experience providing leadership to the public-sector engineering and construction industry in Eastern Mass. Levesque is a civil and environmental engineer and senior project manager with more than 16 years of experience in the municipal water and wastewater industry.

“We are a firm that is committed to our clients and the many longstanding relationships we have developed,” said Tighe & Bond President and CEO David Pinsky. “Locating an office minutes from Boston allows Tighe & Bond to more readily respond to growing client-service demands. Plus, our team at this location has a strong local knowledge of the region and years of experience providing comprehensive engineering and environmental services, which is sure to benefit both existing and new clients. Also, as we continue growing our business, this office addition provides a great opportunity to tap into the talented workforce available in the Greater Boston area.”

In addition to better serving its Eastern Mass. clients, Tighe & Bond is continuing its plan for geographic growth to further reinforce its position as a New England leader in engineering and environmental services. This new office represents yet another growth opportunity for the firm, which is seeing office expansions and staffing growth in multiple offices throughout New England.

Tighe & Bond currently has more than 260 employees. Its other office locations include Westfield (its headquarters), Pocasset, and Worcester, Mass.; Middletown and Shelton, Conn.; and Portsmouth, N.H.

The firm also has seen substantial revenue growth. This past March, Environmental Business Journal, a research publication providing strategic business intelligence to the environmental industry, presented Tighe & Bond with a bronze medal for the mid-size firm’s notable business achievement in revenue growth in 2014.

Founded in 1911, Tighe & Bond provides engineering and environmental services for clients in government, industry, healthcare, education, real-estate, energy, and water/wastewater markets. Engineering News Record annually ranks Tighe & Bond among the top design and environmental engineering firms nationally. ZweigWhite also has recognized Tighe & Bond several times as one of the best engineering firms to work for in the nation.

Daily News

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. (MBA) has elected 13 executives to serve on its board of directors, including James Lively, president and CEO of Bridgewater Savings Bank, as MBA chairman for a one-year term.

Other new MBA board members from banks with a Western Mass. presence include Michael Lee, managing director of Santander Bank; Steven Lowell, president
 of Monson Savings Bank; Charles O’Brien, president of Adams Community Bank; and Patrick Sullivan, president 
of People’s United Bank.

“This is a fantastic group of leaders,” said Daniel Forte, president and CEO of the MBA. “As an industry, we are faced with new challenges nearly every day that require thoughtful leadership. This group of individuals is up to the task of guiding the banking industry in Massachusetts into what promises to be yet another year where we see complex challenges, and those that are rewarding too.”

Founded in 1905, the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. represents approximately 170 commercial, savings, and cooperative banks and savings-and-loan associations in Massachusetts and elsewhere in 
New England. Banking began in Massachusetts in 1784.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Rotary Club of Springfield recently elected a new President, John “Jack” Toner, and board of directors for the 2015-16 year.

Toner, sales representative at Sumner and Toner Insurance Agency in Longmeadow, is the 101st president of the Rotary Club of Springfield. Toner joined the club in August 2011. He has chaired the club’s Road Race fund-raiser for the last three years and had previously served on the club’s board of directors until his election to president.

One of Toner’s goals for his tenure as president is to continue the work of past president Rick Lee and tap the potential of the club’s membership, both young and old. Toner believes that “fellowship paves the way for meaningful action in our community through membership engagement.”

The Rotary Club of Springfield meets every Friday at 12:15 p.m. in the MassMutual Room at the Basketball Hall of Fame. For more information on the club or becoming a member, visit www.springfieldmarotary.org or call Mike Healy, membership chairperson, at (860) 796-1435.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Bob Delaney, veteran NBA official and current vice president of the league’s referee operations, has been elected to the Hall’s board of trustees. One of 30 current trustees, he is the first referee to serve on the board.

“The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honors the game, and being the first referee to be a board of trustee member is humbling,” said Delaney. “The opportunity to represent the officiating community is a great honor. I embrace this responsibility with dedication, commitment, and enthusiasm to my fellow board members and the Hall of Fame.”

Delaney spent 14 years in law enforcement prior to his officiating career. His work with post-traumatic stress, providing education and awareness for military, law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, and their families has gained international recognition. In 2011, Delaney was recruited by NBA Commissioner David Stern to serve as an NBA Cares ambassador, and in 2014 the Hall of Fame named Delaney a recipient of the Mannie Jackson Basketball’s Human Spirit Award.

“Bob Delaney is one of the most well-respected referees the game has ever seen,” said John Doleva, president and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “This is because of the tremendous man he has proven to be both on and off the court. He represents the game with the utmost integrity, and we are very pleased to have him joining our board of trustees.”

The board of trustees serves as the group responsible for preserving the fundamental mission and financial well-being of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Trustees serve as ambassadors for the Hall, promoting its core mission, which is to celebrate the greatest moments and people in basketball. Made up of individuals that work in or have worked in the game, as well as business leaders that have supported the game, the board also elects all governors of the Hall.

Daily News

BOSTON — In a number of important respects, the Massachusetts economy is experiencing its strongest expansion since the heady days of the late 1990s, according to the editorial board of MassBenchmarks.

As the board anticipated, this year’s severe winter weather had only a transitory, and ultimately minor, impact on economic conditions in the Bay State. Employment and the labor force are growing strongly, and payroll survey shows consistent and strong growth in employment. And gross state product growth, as estimated by the MassBenchmarks Current Economic Index, continues to outpace that of the nation. Once again, the state’s knowledge-intensive sectors are its primary growth drivers.

Industrially, the expansion is being led by the dynamic professional, scientific, and technical services sector, which includes architectural, engineering, and specialized design services; computer services; computer-systems design; consulting services; research services; and other related services. Employment in software development is also growing strongly.

These sectors rely heavily upon the Commonwealth’s highly educated work force, which remains in high demand, as reflected by the fact that college-educated workers continue to have the lowest unemployment rate among all socioeconomic groups in the state. While conditions for less well-educated workers have improved, unemployment and underemployment rates in many communities remain troublingly high.

Economic growth continues to be disproportionately concentrated in the Greater Boston region and within the Route 495 belt. While there are notable exceptions to this pattern of imbalanced growth, including the cities of Lowell and Worcester, conditions in regions outside of the Greater Boston region are improving, but their economic performance continues to lag.

Notwithstanding the solid performance of the Massachusetts economy, there are a number of short- and long-term threats to growth that could serve to slow and in some cases derail the Commonwealth’s expansion. Growth pressures in the immediate Greater Boston region are placing increased stress on the state’s transportation infrastructure, which this past winter’s severe weather revealed to be in serious need of attention and investment.

These same growth pressures, along with inadequate housing production, are fueling rapidly rising home prices throughout Eastern Massachusetts. While this is good news for incumbent homeowners, it puts upward pressure on the cost of living, making it more difficult for the Greater Boston region to attract the highly educated workers it needs to meet the needs of growing knowledge-intensive organizations. And the state’s high electricity prices, which have risen in every corner of the state, are beginning to limit economic growth in regions that are sorely in need of more economic opportunities. In Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampshire counties, new natural-gas hookups have been suspended, which is directly constraining business expansions in Western Massachusetts.

Additionally, the relatively slow growth of the global economy and considerable economic and geopolitical uncertainty continue to weigh heavily on the economic outlook for the nation and the Commonwealth. Greece and Puerto Rico appear to be headed for sovereign debt defaults, with highly uncertain impacts for Europe and North America. Critically important trading partners in Asia, including China and Japan, continue to face serious economic challenges. And the Middle East and Eastern Europe remain politically volatile.

Going forward, while the Commonwealth’s leaders have little control over what happens internationally, it is well within their power to tackle the challenges presented by aging infrastructure and imbalanced growth patterns, MassBenchmark’s board notes. Toward this end, policies that improve the state’s transportation systems, both within Greater Boston and beyond, and extend educational and economic opportunities to more people and regions that have yet to experience the full benefits of the current economic expansion, should be priorities going forward.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Rotary Club has announced the lineup of the 2015 Positively Holyoke Summer Concert Series. The free concerts will be held on Wednesday evenings, July 8 to July 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Heritage State Park in Holyoke. Performances canceled due to weather will be scheduled for the following evening (Thursday of the same week).

The schedule is as follows: July 8, Out of the Blue (rock & roll); July 15, Brass Attack (classic/modern rock); July 22, the Franny O Show (covers and original songs); and July 29, Ireland Parish (Irish ballads).

Heritage State Park is a family-friendly area located between the Volleyball Hall of Fame, the Holyoke Children’s Museum, and historic Holyoke Merry-Go-Round. The park has no formal seating, and concertgoers are encouraged to bring folding chairs and picnic blankets.

“The Positively Holyoke Summer Concert Series began five years ago at the request of the City of Holyoke Parks & Recreation Department. The department approached the Holyoke Rotary Club with the knowledge that many local Rotary clubs provide this form of entertainment in the communities they serve. The events are fun and family-friendly,” said Maureen Ross O’Connell, co-chairperson of the concert committee.

Attendees are welcome to enjoy food at the Rotary Grill, provided this year by Sláinte, which will open at 5:30 p.m. each week. Beer and wine will be available for purchase courtesy of Brennan’s Place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. New this year, attendees will be allowed to take their purchases from the beer garden onto the grounds of Heritage State Park. Coolers and beverages not purchased at the event will not be allowed.

The concert series will also feature a 50/50 raffle each week. Free parking is provided in the Proulx Garage on Dwight Street after 5 p.m. (entrance on Front Street).

Major sponsors of the Positively Holyoke Summer Concert Series include Holyoke Gas & Electric Department and Holyoke Parks & Recreation. Band sponsors include Ross Insurance Agency Inc., O’Connell Care at Home, and the O’Connell Companies. To learn more about the concert series, visit www.positivelyholyoke.com. For sponsorship opportunities, call Maureen Ross O’Connell at (413) 536-8380.

Daily News

WESTFIELD — The trustees of Baystate Health and Noble Hospital announced that Noble and its affiliated entities are now part of Baystate Health.

As of July 1, the hospital will be known as Baystate Noble Hospital and will join Baystate’s team of community hospitals in Greenfield, Palmer, and Ware. Ronald Bryant, currently president and CEO of Noble Hospital, will accept the position of president of Baystate Noble Hospital, in accordance with Baystate Health’s structure for its community-hospital leadership. Bryant will report to Dennis Chalke, senior vice president of Community Hospitals for Baystate Health.

“We’re proud to welcome Noble and its team members to the Baystate family and to bring their proud tradition of outstanding, compassionate care into our organization,” said Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health. “Now, we’ll move on to the most important part of this change: advancing the quality, access, and value of care provided to the Westfield community.”

As president of Baystate Noble, Bryant will continue to provide strategic, executive, and operational leadership for the hospital, which offers a variety of inpatient and outpatient services including medical, surgical, pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac, and emergency services for more than 100,000 local residents.

“For me, this is a new phase and an extension of an already-strong relationship,” said Bryant. “From heart-attack care to neurosciences to obstetrics, the Noble community has a long-standing and thriving relationship with Baystate Health. I’m honored to be able to play a part in this new relationship — and step forward — in service of the Westfield community’s health.”

Added Chalke, “Ron has led Noble to success in the most challenging of environments for community hospitals. We’re very pleased to work with him as we continue our efforts to provide as much care as possible close to home, effectively and efficiently, for our communities in Western Massachusetts.”

Baystate continues its tradition of upholding the histories of partner organizations that endure in their names, Chalke noted. “We’re very pleased to honor the memory of Reuben Noble and continue to provide the outstanding care that patients have come to expect from Noble.”

Bryant earned his undergraduate degree from Assumption College and has a master’s degree in health administration from St. Joseph’s College. He also is a licensed certified public accountant. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Mass. Hospital Assoc. board of trustees.

Noble has about 750 employees who will join Baystate Health’s team of 11,500 across Western Mass. Noble Hospital trustees Robert Bacon and Harriet DeVerry will join the Baystate Health board of trustees as representatives of Noble and its community. Baystate Noble will not retain a separate board of trustees.

Noble Hospital has served the Greater Westfield community since 1893, when Westfield native Reuben Noble bequeathed a large portion of his estate to establish a local hospital. The original hospital had 20 beds and was staffed by eight physicians. The Nurses’ Training School opened in 1905 and graduated 144 nurses before closing in 1936. In 1958, a new hospital was built featuring updated facilities and equipment. Noble Hospital has seen many changes in its 122 years, including new service lines, state-of-the-art medical enhancements, and facility additions and improvements.

The new Baystate Noble Hospital name and logo will be integrated into all signage and materials in the weeks to come. The Noble Visiting Nurse & Hospice logo has also been updated to reflect its connection to Baystate Health.

Daily News

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration will reduce the assessment employers pay to the state on workers’ compensation insurance policies by 0.05%, offering companies some tax relief.

For fiscal year 2016, employers will pay an assessment on their total insurance premium of 5.75%, which is remitted to the state. The previous rate was 5.8%. The new rate went into effect July 1.

The Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) administers the workers’ compensation insurance system and annually establishes assessment rates.

“After reviewing the current assessment rate and the economic outlook for next year, we recommended lowering the rate. This will further support businesses, and anything we can do to support businesses and spur job growth is a very good thing,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II.

The Massachusetts workers’ compensation system is in place to make sure workers are protected by insurance if they are injured on the job or develop a work-related illness. Under this system, all employers in Massachusetts are required by state law to carry workers’ compensation insurance covering their employees, including themselves if they are an employee of their company.

The insurance pays for any reasonable and necessary medical treatment for job-related injury or illness, pays compensation for lost wages after the first five calendar days of full or partial disability, and in some cases provides retraining for employees who qualify.

DIA is funded through assessments on workers’ compensation policies and self-insurance programs for employers operating in Massachusetts. In addition, DIA collects statutory fines and fees. DIA also acts as a court system responsible for resolving disputed workers’ compensation claims, overseeing and adjudicating about 12,000 disputed cases each year.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Salvation Army of Greater Springfield, which has been delivering services and hope to the less fortunate in Massachusetts for more than 125 years, is reaching out to the community for financial assistance in order to maintain essential services and programs.

For the full month of July, the organization will host a Christmas in July campaign featuring counter kettles at local restaurants to raise money to benefit the Greater Springfield community and those individuals who seek Salvation Army assistance.

“We hope to raise a few thousand dollars to support our programs and services so that we may continue to serve those in need,” said Captain John Ferreira. “Last year, the Salvation Army of Greater Springfield provided for thousands of individuals and families thanks to the generosity of our community, and we hope to keep up momentum well into this year.”

In 2014, the Salvation Army of Greater Springfield provided toys for 3,500 families, meals for nearly 4,300 people, clothing and furniture vouchers to 206 families, and fuel assistance to 324 households. Additionally, the agency offers a number of key programs to area families, including afterschool programming, homework help, and nutritious meals; summer activities; and summer-camp scholarships to Camp Wonderland.

Counter kettles will be located at the following local restaurants: the Fort, 8 Fort St., Springfield; Johnny’s Tavern, 30 Boltwood Walk, Amherst; and Johnny’s Bar & Grille, 23 College St., South Hadley.

The Salvation Army of Greater Springfield has also partnered with 94.7 WMAS and Western Mass News to raise awareness of the Christmas in July campaign and the availability of the online red kettle for individuals who are interested in donating but cannot do so in person.

“We are facing an increased demand on our services and, unfortunately, tighter resources with which to address them,” said Amanda Moyer, Springfield Salvation Army board member and director of account services for Springfield-based marketing firm Market Mentors. “By supporting Christmas in July, the Greater Springfield community can help us to bridge the funding gap that occurs before the holiday season.”

For more information about the Salvation Army of Greater Springfield, visit springfield.salvationarmyma.org. Donate to the online red kettle at salvationarmyma.org/christmasjuly.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, July 2, the Adam Wright Show on WHYN, 560 AM, will air live from Springfield’s iconic Fort, as the restaurant will open for the first time for breakfast.

Business and community leaders are encouraged to attend. One special guest will be U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, who will host a separate talk for attendees at 8 a.m. The show airs from 6 to 9 a.m., and breakfast will be served throughout.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — United Personnel received the Champions of Hope Award at the 93rd United Way Annual Celebration & Meeting at Chez Josef in Agawam.

The Champions of Hope Award is given to a local organization that demonstrates commitment and drive to support various community-based initiatives. The recipient of this award is recognized for its commitment to community relationships and initiative.

“We are so honored to receive the Champions of Hope Award, and appreciate being part of various community initiatives, including the work of the United Way, to make Western Massachusetts a great place to live and work for all in our region,” said United Personnel President Tricia Canavan.

Founded in 1984, United Personnel connects more than 700 people with jobs throughout Western Mass. and beyond. From temporary and contract work to direct-hire placement, United provides clients with staffing solutions in a variety of industries and fields, including professional, administrative, medical, and light-industrial placement and vendor-on-premise project management.

A local, woman-owned business, United Personnel has received various awards throughout its history, including Champions of Hope from United Way, Businesswoman of Distinction Award from Pioneer Valley Girl Scouts, Inner City 100 list by Inc. magazine, list of 500 Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies in America by Inc. magazine, Super 60/Fabulous 50 Away by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and Top 100 Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts from Babson College and Commonwealth Institute.

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Nearly 350 Berkshire Bank employees completed more than 20 community-service projects as part of the bank’s company-wide week of service June 8-12.

The week of service is an expansion of the bank’s successful day of service that took place in previous years. The 2015 week of service represented the highest number of employee participants and most projects undertaken during a single week in the company’s history.

The series of projects benefitted nonprofit organizations and communities across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. Local Berkshire Bank employees, who serve as leaders of the company’s XTEAM volunteer program, selected and organized the projects in their markets. This year’s activities in Western Mass. included:

• Great Barrington: 15 employees undertook a series of improvement projects alongside the Trustees of Reservations at Monument Mountain. Projects included mulching the trailheads, painting the visitor kiosk, and painting the new visitor hut.

• Pittsfield: 40 employees undertook a series of projects at Hancock Shaker Village to assist in public-access, public-safety, and visitor-experience improvements throughout the property, which included repairing and repainting the iconic white fence, painting the historic woodshed, and rebuilding the boardwalk.

• South Hadley: five employees helped organize the Birthday Wishes supply room, making it easier for volunteers to locate needed items. Birthday Wishes provides birthday parties to children living in transitional housing.

• Springfield: 20 employees helped with a series of beautification projects at the Zoo at Forest Park to improve the ascetic appearance for visitors. Projects included planting flowers, weeding, and mulching throughout the zoo.

• Springfield: 15 employees helped construct a new home for a local family in need in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Springfield. Employees also presented Habitat with a check for the funds raised through Berkshire Bank Foundation’s Hockey 4 Housing campaign with NESN.

“We were so pleased to give back in this meaningful way through our company-wide effort,” said Lori Gazzillo, vice president and director of Berkshire Bank Foundation. “We’re proud of our employees’ involvement and the growth of our volunteer day into a week dedicated to service, which speaks to our values as a company and commitment to making a difference in our community.”

Daily News

BOSTON — The New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released New England and state unemployment numbers for May 2015. These data are supplied by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor-force data for census regions and divisions, states, counties, metropolitan areas, and many cities, by place of residence. Among highlights in the release:

• The New England unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.9% in May. One year ago, the New England jobless rate was higher, at 6.0%.

• Four New England states posted jobless rates that were significantly different from the U.S. rate of 5.5%. Vermont (3.6%), New Hampshire (3.8%), Massachusetts (4.6%), and Maine (4.7%) recorded lower-than-average unemployment rates.

• Over the last year, five New England states recorded statistically significant unemployment rate decreases with declines ranging from 2.0% in Rhode Island to 0.4% in Vermont. In fact, Rhode Island had the largest jobless-rate decline nationwide.

Daily News

GREENFIELD — The “Keeping Care Local” campaign for Baystate Franklin Medical Center, now underway to raise community support for the hospital’s new surgery building, received a recent boost with two large pledges of support.

Greenfield Savings Bank made a commitment of $250,000, and the Baystate Franklin Auxiliary pledged $200,000 to the campaign. These gifts bring the total raised to date to $3.5 million, with the campaign well on track toward reaching its $5 million goal.

In thanking these two major donors, campaign co-chair Robbie Cohn noted that their gifts and others are a clear reflection of the community’s confidence in its local hospital. “We have a wonderful opportunity to make our community even better as we work together to raise the funds that will raise the building and provide state-of-the-art surgical suites. This facility will help us keep our fine surgeons who are already on staff, while attracting additional new doctors to Franklin County so that we can offer the best possible patient care.”

John Howland, president of Greenfield Savings Bank, added that “Baystate Franklin Medical Center serves as a cornerstone of our community. Having a strong, local hospital improves the quality of services where we live and enhances the long-term health of the Franklin County community. The responsibility of supporting this fine institution rests on all of us, individuals and businesses alike. We see this contribution as an investment in the continuing well-being of our neighbors, and in the bright future we envision for Greenfield and Franklin County.”

Speaking for the Baystate Franklin Auxiliary, President Diane Grybko explained that the auxiliary’s purpose is to support the hospital with funds raised through its gift shop, sales, and other events.

“Our families and friends have all been touched by Baystate Franklin, and everyone in our community will benefit from this new surgery facility,” she said. “Some of our volunteers, who serve as greeters for patients and families here for day surgery, were actually involved in its planning. So this is a very personal investment for us, and one we are proud to make.”

The “Keeping Care Local” campaign has more than 30 volunteers working toward reaching the $5 million goal. They are meeting with friends and neighbors throughout the area to share information and raise people’s awareness about services now available at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, plans for the hospital’s future, and how to get involved.

The overall cost of building and equipping the new surgical wing at Baystate Franklin Medical Center is $26 million, with Baystate Health committing $21 million through capital and bonds. To learn about the project and campaign, call Kelli Rafferty Barry, Philanthropy officer, at (413) 773-2763.

Sections Sports & Leisure
Sonny’s Place Sets Standard for Family Entertainment Centers

Chris Shaw

Chris Shaw says the goal at Sonny’s Place is to provide a wide range of activities for people of all ages.

Chris Shaw says the phrase ‘family entertainment center’ has been around for decades and is certainly not a new business concept.

But it has definitely come a long way since the days when such venues consisted of a driving range and miniature golf course with a soft-serve ice-cream stand near the entrance, he went on, adding quickly that Sonny’s Place, the Somers, Conn. venture he serves as general manager, is probably the best example in this region of how such facilities have evolved.

Indeed, the site on Main Street, formerly home to a driving range carved out of a former fruit and vegetable farm, is now home to everything from go-karts, a zipline, and a rock wall to batting cages, an arcade, and a performance stage for live acts — the country group Trailer Trash performed there last weekend. There is also a bar and a barbecue restaurant.

And while Sonny’s does, indeed, offer a miniature golf course, there is no windmill or clown’s mouth to navigate. Instead, there are fountains, a rock formation, and a number of other landscaping features.

“This is not the type of mom-and-pop operation we saw years ago,” said Shaw, who has owned such a facility himself. “The family entertainment center has come a long way.”

And Sonny’s Place is, in many respects, setting the new standard, he told BusinessWest, adding that the facility has added a new attraction almost every year since the Antonacci family, also owners of USA Hauling and the recently christened Greathorse (formerly Hampden Country Club), acquired the property nearly a decade ago.

Together, these attractions draw roughly 600 to 1,000 people a day, depending on the weather, said Shaw, adding that, while most visitors are from Connecticut and Massachusetts, license plates from other states can be seen in the parking lot.

And there is plenty of room for further expansion — both literally and figuratively, he said, adding that the facility closed its driving range a few years ago, leaving that vast acreage for new activities and revenue streams. The zipline now occupies some of that space, said Shaw, adding that a host of possibilities, from a ropes course to another arcade; from laser tag to bumper boats, are all potential expansion options.

“There are a lot of things we can do to further enhance the experience and provide people with even more to do,” he added. “We’re looking at a number of attractive options.”

For this issue and its focus on sports and leisure, BusinessWest paid a visit to Sonny’s Place, a tour that yielded ample evidence of how the family entertainment complex has changed and what it takes to succeed in this new environment.

Setting the Stage

Shaw had Monday, June 22 off from work. He remembers looking forward to it, because he knew there wouldn’t be many other off days for a while.

Indeed, that Monday marked the start of summer vacation for most young people in the region, and by the end of that afternoon, most all other schools had shut things down until late August or early September.

Thus, the very busy season is now underway at Sonny’s Place. This is a year-round facility, certainly, but most of its visitors — and revenue — come in the summer months.

And on that Tuesday, roughly an hour before the facility opened, Shaw had one eye on the weather — thunderstorms and even hail were predicted for that afternoon, and clouds were already gathering by 10 a.m. — and the other on the four months to come.

Sonny’s place has been enjoying steady growth over the past several years, and Shaw certainly expects that trend to continue in 2015 due to continued expansion of the facility and strict adherence to the basic formula for success in this specific business sector.

Elaborating on that formula, he said it involves, well, living up to that timeworn anthem in this business, the one about having something for everyone, meaning, in this case, every age group.

Sonny’s Place has maintained a pace of adding a new attraction roughly every year

Chris Shaw says Sonny’s Place has maintained a pace of adding a new attraction roughly every year — and there is still considerable room for expansion.

Actually, the goal is to have many things for everyone, and Sonny’s Place is accomplishing that — with everything from bounce houses for the very young to a bar with a full liquor license for those who were very young decades ago — as well as activities for everyone in between. For example, 80 students from the class of 2015 at Somers High School were on the grounds just hours after receiving their diplomas for late-night and then early-morning activities that could be placed in the category of ‘safe alternative’ to whatever else the graduates might have been doing that night.

“It’s called a safe grad party, or a safe after-party,” he explained, adding that Sonny’s Place has hosted it the past two years. “They had a buffet served at 11, they also had a hypnotist, and full run of the facility until 5 in the morning.

“We tried to build a well-rounded facility that covers all ages,” he went on. “Mini-golf is good for all ages, the go-karts are good for the teenage crowd — but also for adults, because they like to do it, too — and we have the bar back here so parents can come back and relax, and we have live entertainment for the adults.”

Another part of the success formula, though, involves continually adding new attractions to build on the experience and drive repeat business. This has been the basic mission since the Antonacci family acquired the facility formerly known as Somers Golf Center.

Back then, it had a driving range and a miniature golf course, no doubt with a windmill, said Shaw, adding that, over the years, the venture has added significantly to the footprint while upgrading facilities like the golf course.

The goal was to create an entertainment center that people could spend a half-day or more at, not just a few hours, said Shaw, adding that Sonny’s Place has become a destination in every sense of that word, for families, groups such as summer camps (like the one based in New York State that makes a pilgrimage every summer), and even area businesses.

Indeed, Windsor, Conn.-based Alstom Power, a global leader in power generation, power transmission, and rail infrastructure, will stage three outings for employees and their families at Sonny’s Place this year.

Those visitors, like other others, will have a host of options available when it comes to recreation and possible competition, from miniature golf to mini-bowling; from the zipline to the so-called ‘monkey motion’ jumper, which, said Shaw, blends bungee jumping with a trampoline.

Visitors purchase what is known as a ‘Sonny Moni Card,’ which can be loaded based on dollar amounts or increments of time, said Shaw, adding that they represent another vast improvement over the facilities of years ago — no more feeding quarters into arcade games or buying tickets for individual attractions — and can be used over several days, depending on the amount purchased.

Most visitors will spend several hours at Sonny’s Place, said Shaw, adding that the basic goal in the business plan is to not only extend the day, but bring people back repeatedly over the course of a season that stretches from April to October.

And this goal was the primary motivation for expanding the options in the broad category of hospitality, he noted, adding that a barbecue pit is now open to the public. And then, there’s the live entertainment.

Trailer Trash also made an appearance last year, said Shaw, who couldn’t quantify the turnout — he didn’t have an exact number — but could qualify it.

“There was an overflow crowd,” he explained. “We had to park cars on the old driving range, and we never had to do that before.”

He was expecting a similar turnout this year, and also predicting good crowds for a host of other scheduled acts, including Southern Rain, Jeff Pitchell, Frank Serafino, Lobsterz from Mars, Brass Attack, and many others.

Coming Attractions

Shaw admitted that he didn’t get to see Trailer Trash when it played Sonny’s Place in 2014. He was far too busy dealing with that overflow crowd he described and making sure the night ran smoothly.

He was hoping to get a look for this year’s show, but was hedging his bets in anticipation of another huge turnout.

As for time off? As he said, there won’t be much of that between this summer and the end of the season.

Such is life in the modern family entertainment center, a realm where the bar is being set consistently higher — and Sonny’s Place continues to clear it.

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

Employment Sections
Failure to Hire Muslim Woman Was Religious Discrimination

By KIMBERLY KLIMCZUK

Kimberly Klimczuk, ESQ.

Kimberly Klimczuk, ESQ.

It is well-settled that employers may not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of religion. On June 1, the Supreme Court ruled that Abercrombie & Fitch unlawfully discriminated against applicant Samantha Elauf when it failed to hire her because she wore a headscarf.
Abercrombie & Fitch maintains a so-called ‘look policy’ for all employees in order to project a particular image across all of its stores. The policy specifically prohibits employees from wearing “caps,” because, according to the company, they are too informal for Abercrombie & Fitch’s image.

Elauf, a practicing Muslim, wore a headscarf in observance of her religion. She applied for a position in an Abercrombie & Fitch store and wore a headscarf to her interview. Heather Cooke, the assistant manager who interviewed Elauf, rated her according to Abercrombie & Fitch’s applicant-evaluation system and determined that she was qualified to be hired. However, Cooke was concerned that wearing a headscarf would violate the company’s prohibition against caps.

The look policy does not include a definition of the term ‘cap,’ so Cooke asked her district manager, Randall Johnson, whether Elauf’s headscarf would violate the look policy. She also told Johnson that she believed Elauf wore the headscarf because of her religion. Johnson told Cooke that all headwear, including Elauf’s headscarf, would violate the look policy, and he told Cooke not to hire Elauf.

Elauf filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which sued Abercrmbie & Fitch on her behalf, alleging that Abercrombie had violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it refused to hire Elauf. The district court for the Northern District of Ohio found in favor of Elauf, but the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the ruling, holding that an employer cannot be liable for failing to provide a religious accommodation until the applicant or employee provides the employer with actual knowledge of her need for a religious accommodation.

Abercrombie had argued that, because it hadn’t known for sure that Elauf wore the headscarf for religious reasons, and therefore didn’t know whether she would need an accommodation, it couldn’t be liable for religious discrimination.

The Supreme Court disagreed, pointing out that Title VII makes it unlawful for employers to fail to hire an applicant “because of” her religion, which includes religious practice. The court noted that, unlike other anti-discrimination laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII does not include any knowledge requirement. Rather, Title VII prohibits discriminatory motives, such as, in this case, the desire to avoid potentially having to accommodate a religious practice.

The court also clarified that an applicant only has to show that her need for accommodation was a “motivating factor” in the decision not to hire her. The court found that was the case here, stating that “the employer at least suspected that the practice was a religious one. Its refusal to hire was motivated by the desire to avoid accommodating that practice, and this is enough.”

Abercombie argued that Elauf could not demonstrate a discriminatory motive because its look policy is neutral — it prohibits all headwear, religious or otherwise. However, the court pointed out that Title VII does more than require that religious practices be treated no worse than other practices; it gives religious practices favored status, requiring employers to accommodate religious practices unless doing so would create an undue hardship.

Because the Tenth Circuit dismissed the case on other grounds, the Supreme Court did not discuss whether allowing Elauf to wear a headscarf would be an undue hardship for Abercrombie, but the court ordered that the case be sent back to the Tenth Circuit for a ruling on that issue.

So what can employers learn from Abercrombie & Fitch’s mistakes? First, employers should not jump to conclusions about applicants’ need for religious accommodation, and, if they do, they cannot simply decide not to hire an applicant based on that conclusion. Rather, employers have an obligation to explore whether a religious practice can be accommodated.

Here, for example, Abercrombie could have hired Elauf and then, if she asked to be allowed to wear her headscarf at work, decided whether it could accommodate that practice in light of its look policy. Another option would have been to inform Elauf during the interview of Abercrombie’s look policy and to determine at that point whether allowing Elauf to wear a headscarf would create an undue hardship for the company.

Although the Abercrombie decision does not signify any change in religious-discrimination law, it serves as an important reminder to employers of their obligations under the law.


Kimberly Klimczuk is a partner at the management-side labor and employment firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]

Community Spotlight Features
In Westfield, Redevelopment Plan Becoming Reality

Mayor Daniel Knapik says Westfield is rife with activity that is leading to dramatic changes in the landscape, as projects that were years in the making come to fruition.

New buildings are under construction, while older ones that sat empty for as long as a decade are being transformed and repurposed. Phase I of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail is underway, work is being done in the so-called Gaslight District, and other initiatives are becoming a reality.

“Fourteen years ago, Mayor [Richard] Sullivan showed me his plan for the city, and I saw what the future could be,” said Knapik, adding that this action plan and its prospects for becoming reality led him to seek election to the City Council, where he held a seat from 2001 to 2009 before being elected to the corner office. “It’s astonishing what has happened since then. I supported the mayor’s vision that he created with City Engineer Mark Cressotti, and all of the projects have finally come over the finish line.”

Much of the work has taken place in the last year or two, and projects are in varying stages of development. Change is occurring downtown as well as on Route 20, where a new 99 Restaurant will be built on property that has stood vacant since a Pontiac/Oldsmobile dealership closed down more than 15 years ago.

“We have been talking with officials from 99 for six years to help them find the right spot; they were very selective and looked at other parcels, but finally settled on this one,” Knapik said, adding that ground was broken two weeks ago for the eatery, which is expected to open before Thanksgiving.

In addition, the end units of the former Kmart plaza will finally have tenants. Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore opened in late April in the former Grossman’s Bargain Outlet building on East Main Street, and the space at the other end will soon be occupied by a business that will provide medical-related services. “The site they will move into had been vacant for six years,” Knapik noted.

Daniel Knapik, pictured with Kate Phelon

Daniel Knapik, pictured with Kate Phelon, says the Great River Bridge project, finally completed in 2012 after 30 years in the planning stage, benefits residents and businesses alike.

Another parcel, located at the gateway to Westfield on Route 20, is also flourishing. Nabil Hannoush, serial entrepreneur and vice president of the Hannoush Jewelers chain, purchased the former Balise Ford dealership on 99 Springfield St. and turned the 11-acre property into a center that houses Expert Fitness and other health-related businesses, along with the new Short Stop Bar and Grill and Batter’s Box. He and his wife want to build three additional standalone structures on the side of the building that would likely house a bank as well as retail and commercial office space.

“We are working with them and the Mass. Department of Transportation to enhance the traffic entrance,” said Knapik. “The hope is that the city can secure a grant to widen the road and add a traffic light and dedicated turn lane; we would like to begin work next fall.”

In addition, funding for the entire rail trail has been secured (more about that later), and nearby parks and other venues are planned or under construction.

Progress has also been made on a medical office built on 57 Union St. by Noble Hospital during the recession. Although New England Dermatology rented 20% of the space after it was completed, finding occupants for the remainder became problematic due to the economy. “But that changed in the past year. Noble brought in physicians who have offices there, and it has been nicely filled,” Knapik said.

Overall, the completed and in-progress projects have created a great deal of momentum in the city, said Kate Phelon, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, adding that the positive vibes will undoubtedly spur additional growth.

“Since I’ve been in my position, it is very exciting to see these various projects completed, new businesses opening or expanding, and continued growth in our city,” she said. “This has a direct impact on jobs and population growth.”

Complex Components

The vision Knapik embraced and has worked toward with Cressotti’s help included a number of components: the Great River Bridge project, which was on the drawing board when the mayor took office; the rail trail; badly needed infrastructure improvements on Main and Broad streets; and development of the Gaslight District and an area of underutilized property on Elm Street that fronts it.

The $100 million Great River Bridge project was completed in 2012 after 30 years in the planning stage. The original bridge that crosses the Westfield River was rehabilitated, and a twin span was built directly opposite it. The construction required relocating three parks as well as overcoming other obstacles, but today the old bridge serves southbound traffic while the new one accommodates northbound vehicles.

Major improvements have also taken place at Westfield Barnes Regional Airport, including a $13.5 million runway reconstruction and two new hangars to be built in the future. In addition, a $2 million redesign and reconstruction of Airport Industrial Road is complete, providing better access to companies operating just outside Barnes as well as those who want to locate in the city’s new, 80-acre Air Industrial Park.

Knapik said there has been a tremendous amount of interest in industrial parcels on the north side of the city over the past six to eight months.

“It’s a sign that the economy is turning around, and we are anticipating an announcement of a big warehouse and distribution facility this month on more than 500,000 square feet of vacant land by the airport,” said the mayor. “Plus, a manufacturer is looking at a smaller parcel owned by the city. If we capture both of these, it will lead to about 400 new jobs.”

City officials also secured the $18.5 million needed to complete the rail trail. They are working on Phase I, which covers two miles from the Southwick line to the Stop & Shop in the city’s downtown. During Phase II next summer, the old railroad bridge that crosses the Westfield River will receive new decking and a new surface; work on the last leg of the project will take place in 2017 when the middle section will be completed. It’s no easy feat because the elevated, 3.5-mile trail crosses nine bridges.

“But the economic impact will be significant,” said Phelon, noting that it will connect with a larger rail trail that covers 65 miles. “We expect tens of thousands of travelers to use it, including cyclists on multi-day trips and organizations that plan bicycling vacations. Retail stores and eateries will benefit, and the area will become a perfect spot for bed-and-breakfast operations.” She added that the chamber and Friends of the Columbia Green Railway hope to partner with local businesses to help them become more bicycle-friendly and draw rail-trail users into their stores.

Travelers and locals will also be able to enjoy amenities on the Westfield River Esplanade, which runs along the levee between the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail and Great River Bridge.

“We plan to construct overlooks with natural-gas fireplaces on it and bocce courts where families can gather; we broke ground six weeks ago and expect to be done by midsummer. The most livable cities encourage people to get out of their automobiles,” said the mayor, who was recently feted with the 2015 Bicycle Advocate of the Year Award by the Alliance for Biking and Walking.

Another major capital project is underway in the Gaslight District. The streetscapes are being rebuilt, and utilities are being modernized and moved underground.

“The design was completed last year,” Knapik said, adding that the $6.5 million cost is being paid for with local money. “The city engineer wants to make this a neighborhood of distinction, and the six streets in the district will be outfitted with gaslights to create an old-fashioned, colonial-style feeling. It’s appropriate because the gas and electric companies got their start there in the 1870s.”

There will also be a new park in the district that will feature a fountain from the Thayer House that was demolished decades ago. “It was saved and unearthed by the Parks Department and hasn’t been used for about 80 years,” Knapik said.

Once improvements are complete in the Gaslight District, the city will finally be able to redevelop Elm Street. “The infrastructure was 100 years old and failing, so we couldn’t put anything there, but three buildings have been knocked down, and two more will be demolished,” Knapik said. “We have remediated the brownfield sites, and when the project is finished in the fall of 2016, the city will have four acres of unpolluted land ready for redevelopment.”

Efforts to modernize Westfield include green initiatives that were finished last year. “Sustainability is important, and adopting single-stream recycling has reduced the amount of tonnage that leaves the city by 30%. We also spent $30 million to make city buildings energy-efficient, which included new rooftops, boilers, and windows,” Knapik said, noting that the heating systems in 14 structures were converted from steam to hot water, which lowered the consumption of gas.

Another green project proposed six years ago came to fruition in January when a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for a 2-megawatt solar farm on the former Twiss Street landfill, which closed about 20 years ago and was a topic of discussion for many years.

“Citizens Energy is leasing the property from the city and will care for the 10 acres in lieu of a tax payment,” the mayor explained, adding it guaranteed the city’s price for electricity for the next 20 years, and cost savings of about $100,000 a year are expected.

Lengthy Process

When Knapik first learned about Sullivan’s vision for the city, he had no idea how long it would take to accomplish. The work on Main and Broad streets has been completed thanks to stimulus funds, which reaped the city $14 million for shovel-ready projects.

“We’ve spent $130 million on utilities, bridges, roads, and street lamps in the last decade, and all of the projects we envisioned have come to a collision point,” Knapik said. “We have had a lot of support from the governor, and good things have come to Westfield.”

Phelon agreed. “With all that has happened and will continue to happen in our great city,” she said, “the chamber is even more excited about connecting its business members and leaders to further promote economic development and entrepreneurism, and to keep the momentum moving forward that makes Westfield a great place to work, live, and play.”

Westfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1669
(town); 1920 (city)
Population: 41,094 (2010)

Area: 47.3 square miles

County: Hampden

Residential Tax Rate: $18.54

Commercial Tax Rate: $34.69
Median Household Income: $55,327 (2010)

Family Household Income: $57,018 (2010)

Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Noble Hospital; Westfield State University; Airtherm; Berkshire Industries Inc.
* Latest information available

Cover Story
UMass Grad Marty Meehan Now Leads the System

COVER0615cMarty Meehan acknowledged that, when someone decides to run for Congress, and then succeeds in that mission, they’ve done more than win an election. They’ve also more or less committed to a career in politics.

But when Meehan set out to capture the Bay State’s 5th Congressional District seat, anchored by his hometown of Lowell, in 1993, at age 37, he said he did so with a much different mindset.

“I knew I didn’t want to serve in Congress for the rest of my life,” he told BusinessWest, adding quickly that he didn’t know exactly what path his career should ultimately take.

So in 2001, he engaged the services of New Directions, an executive career-development firm that, in essence, helps clients determine a path and, in Meehan’s words, “tells you what you’re good at.”

After an extensive three-week process that included several tests and interviews with people who knew him well, those at New Directions told Meehan he’d be good at running a professional sports league or taking an executive position in higher education.

Marty Meehan, seen here with the mascot for UMass Lowell

Marty Meehan, seen here with the mascot for UMass Lowell, says graduating from the university gives him a unique perspective that will serve him well as president.

To make a long story short, that analysis was on the money.

Meehan, who said he essentially put himself on a track for either of those pursuits, eventually became chancellor of UMass Lowell, where, by all accounts, he led a stunning resurgence at the school.

And last month, he was chosen to succeed Robert Caret as president of the entire university system, thus becoming the first UMass undergrad (he earned a degree in education and political science at the Lowell campus) and first chancellor within the five campuses to ascend to the president’s office.

He said those two qualities, if you will, provide him with a unique perspective, one he believes will serve him well in his new position.

“I have a passion for the University of Massachusetts, and I view that as an asset,” he explained. “When I interact with students, I literally say, ‘I was where you are.’ I have a passion for the institution because I was a student here. I fundamentally understand at my core what it means to have a great university system.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Meehan, who takes the helm July 1, touched on a number of issues involving the university and his role as its president. They include:

• The overall accessibility of the university’s campuses: “The fact is that public higher education in this state has been privatized over the past three decades; the cost of a UMass education has stayed the same, adjusted for inflation, but the burden of paying that cost has shifted from the Commonwealth to students and their families”;
• His perceived role: “A big part of my job is to make the case for this system and demonstrate why it’s important to make the investment in a world-class public research university”;
• His quick take on his job description: “My job is to provide leadership, inspiration, and passion to help the university get what it needs in terms of funding and what it needs in terms of stature, prestige, and reputation. Universities are all about students, faculty, and the interaction that takes place between students and faculty; the rest of us are there to support and embrace that interaction”;
• His leadership style: “I’m very strategic in everything I do; I’m also collaborative and accessible”;
• The importance of the Amherst campus: “UMass Amherst sets the standard for what the UMass brand is all about. So it’s in the interest of all the UMass campuses for UMass Amherst to improve its ranking; that’s where the brand comes from.”
• The role of the system as a whole: “I think the economy of Massachusetts runs through this university”;
• His expectations for the Baker administration: “The governor fundamentally understands how the economy of this state works, and he understands the role UMass plays in the economy. I think he’s thoughtful, he’s smart, and the University of Massachusetts could do quite well under Governor Baker”; and
• His commitment to stay for the “long haul,” as he put it: “I didn’t take this job to get another job — I’m not thinking about what else I’m going to be doing. When I got the job at Lowell, everyone thought I was going to run for the Senate a couple of different times or run for governor. What I said was that I didn’t think you could take a job like that and not make at least an eight-year commitment, and I feel the same about this job.”

For this issue, BusinessWest delves into much greater detail on these and other matters as we talk at length with the next leader of the state university.

School of Thought

As Meehan wrapped up his comments with BusinessWest in the office of the UMass Amherst athletic director — he was at the Mullins Center to attend the June board of trustees meeting — he used that setting and its view of the arena to segue into one of the dilemmas he’ll be facing as president, if one could call it that.

“Someone in the press asked me who I was going to root for when UMass Amherst plays UMass Lowell,” he said, referring specifically to two hockey squads that face off against each other and the 10 other teams in the highly competitive Hockey East conference. “I said, ‘that’s an easy one; when the game’s in Amherst, I’ll be rooting for the Minutemen, and when the game’s in Lowell, I’ll be rooting for the Riverhawks; that’s how I’ll solve that.’”

Marty Meehan says one his first priorities

Marty Meehan says one his first priorities is to initiate a new strategic plan for the UMass system, one that will be conducted from the ground up.

Surely, the myriad other issues he’ll be confronting as president will resist such quick, easy, and diplomatic solutions, but overall, Meehan believes he’s ready for pretty much whatever this job can and will throw at him.

Such confidence stems from a career in leadership positions, which have yielded a wide range of learning experiences.

They came in Congress, where he served seven terms, served on the Armed Services and Judiciary Committees, and established a national reputation for his work with everything from campaign finance reform to tobacco control; before that, in stints as the first assistant district attorney of Middlesex County and Massachusetts deputy secretary of state for securities and corporations; and especially at UMass Lowell — which brings him back to that determination readied by New Directions.

Meehan said he worked to position himself for possible management roles with sports leagues — on the House Judiciary Committee, he became more involved in anti-trust issues that affect professional sports leagues, for example — but soon became more focused on the second career path recommended to him.

Indeed, the post at UMass Lowell was actually the second opportunity within the broad realm of higher education that he considered. The first was his pursuit of the job as dean of the law school at Suffolk University, where he earned both his master’s and juris doctor degrees and was also on the board of trustees. But it wasn’t a hard pursuit.

“I told the search firm that I didn’t think I was what the law school needed at that point,” he recalled. “I felt it needed a nationally known academic or perhaps a former federal judge.

“But during the course of an hour-and-a-half conversation, I got an opportunity to talk about higher education,” he went on. “And when the Lowell position came up, the same search firm was hired to handle that search, and after that long conversation we had, I knew they’d be calling me for that position.”

They did, and after overcoming some reluctance to being named a finalist — he was concerned about both publicly acknowledging his pursuit of the job and competing against seasoned academics — Meehan was awarded the job.

He believes that aforementioned passion resulting from his student experiences there — and his ability to communicate it — was a big factor.

“I wanted the job because I felt that I could make a difference at an institution that meant so much to me personally,” he explained. “Number one, it’s in my hometown, and number two, I graduated from the school. And I felt UMass Lowell could be a much greater institution than what it was.”

At Lowell, he took over a school that was, by most all accounts, underperforming, and certainly changed that dynamic.

Indeed, during Meehan’s tenure, the school, founded in the 1890s as the Lowell Normal and Lowell Textile schools, achieved record growth in enrollment, student retention, research, and scholarship funding. The school has also undergone a dramatic physical transformation, with new academic buildings and residence halls; upgraded academic, research, and athletic facilities; and enhanced student-activity spaces.

Meehan’s comprehensive portfolio of improvements includes:

• Rating as a top-tier university by U.S. News & World Report for the first time in 2011. The school has subsequently seen a four-year gain of 27 spots, from number 183 to 156, the second-largest leap in the nation;
• A 50% increase in enrollment over the past seven years, to more than 17,000 students;
• An accompanying rise in academic qualifications, as the average SAT score of incoming freshmen, math and verbal combined, has increased 80 points since 2008;
• A 10% increase in freshman retention, from 75% to 85%;
• A dramatic rise in research expenditures, specifically 80% since FY ’07 to $65 million;
• The construction of 10 new buildings on campus. That boom includes two new academic buildings (the first in 35 years) — the Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center and the Health and Social Sciences Building. It also includes two new residential facilities that are now home to a quarter of the 4,000 students living on campus, a 33% increase in three years;
• Purchase of an underutilized hotel in the city’s downtown and converting it into the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, which provides housing for 500 students as well as conference space, lodging, and a restaurant for the public;
• Acquisition of the 6,500-seat Tsongas Arena in 2010 (it’s now known as the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell); and
• The opening in 2014 of University Crossing, a $95 million student-engagement center created in a former hospital site purchased by the university in 2011.

Degrees of Progress

When asked how all that and more was accomplished, Meehan said it resulted from assembling a great team, putting in place an ambitious strategic plan titled “UMass Lowell 2020,” and achieving critical buy-in on its many initiatives.

This is the same formula he intends to use as president of the system, which, he believes, has already achieved considerable progress in a number of areas, ranging from enrollment to academic qualifications to new building on each of the campuses.

But there is still considerable room for improvement, said Meehan, who was asked to interview during the system’s last presidential search, in 2010, but eventually withdrew, believing the timing wasn’t right and because then-Gov. Deval Patrick had his own preference for a candidate — someone else.

Looking back, he said that decision was a good one, because it gave him additional opportunities to build on his track record of success at UMass Lowell and ultimately learn from the man he would eventually succeed.

Marty Meehan says his primary role as UMass president is to advocate for the system

Moving forward, Marty Meehan says his primary role as UMass president is to advocate for the system and secure funding to ensure that the schools are accessible.

“I got a great opportunity to do two things,” he said. “One was to finish what I set out to accomplish at Lowell, and secondly, I got to work with a second UMass president, Bob Caret. And because of those experiences, I feel that I’m better-prepared to lead the entire system.”

Looking ahead, Meehan, as he mentioned earlier, said one of his primary responsibilities will be as an advocate for the UMass system — in Boston, Washington, and wherever else that broad assignment takes him.

And as advocate, one of his duties is to articulate how the university’s role has changed and broadened — within the Bay State but also nationally and even globally — and what that means in terms of how the system should be viewed and, more importantly, funded.

“Historically — and when I say historically, I mean over the past 30 years — the political leadership in this state has often viewed the University of Massachusetts as a safety net for students who either can’t get into the elite private colleges or can’t afford to go to those schools,” he explained. “The paradigm has changed dramatically; the elite private universities in this state are not training residents of this state, by and large.”

Thus, with this change in role, the university has taken on an even bigger role when it comes to fueling the state’s economy — an assignment that involves everything from sparking startup businesses to educating and training the workers that ventures across all business sectors will need to succeed.

“I think the argument is powerful: if you want a strong economy, you must have a strong university of Massachusetts,” he told BusinessWest.

“The truth is that social mobility and economic development in this state really drives through the university on every level. We’re an innovation economy; we literally educate the workforce in Massachusetts in terms of the engineers we produce, the nurses, the teachers. So Massachusetts is very reliant on a world-class public research university, and we have to keep the quality up,” he continued, adding that 88% of the graduates of the schools in the UMass system stay in the state for at least five years after earning their diplomas, and 66% stay longer.

“In an innovation economy, you need a workforce that’s well-trained and highly educated, and I think this state gets the fact that our graduates are the key to economic development and economic growth. I sure get it.”

Course of Action

Making sure everyone gets it will help the university achieve a better commitment from the state and therefore the more sustainable financial model it needs in the decades to come, said Meehan, adding quickly that the economy, and specifically state revenues, need to improve for this to happen.

The Baker administration inherited a severe budget crisis, he went on, one that has forced painful mid-year cuts, hard decisions, a slowing of the momentum achieved over the past few years when it comes to state funding of public higher education, and, ultimately, the rate increases approved by the trustees at their June meeting.

The scope of those increases isn’t known yet, said Meehan, adding that any increase impacts accessibility and grows already-worrisome student debt.

To attain more attractive funding levels, the economy must improve, but the university as a whole must continue to become more efficient and thus worthy of a larger investment from the state.

“The governor is going to want to hold UMass accountable in terms of performance, graduation rates, student-success rates, fund-raising, and more,” he said. “And I think the university is ready to be held accountable in exchange for a deeper investment by the state government.”

One of the other priorities moving forward, said Meehan, is to draft a new strategic plan for the university, something similar in many ways to “UMass Lowell 2020” but much larger in scope.

It’s been 25 years since a new comprehensive strategic plan has been created for the university, he said, which means the system is overdue for such a document. And like the one at UMass Lowell, this plan will come from the bottom up.

“We had more than 200 faculty, deans, administrators, and students who all came up with a strategic plan,” he explained. “It took us 13 months to create it, and because we included all those constituencies, we had buy-in. And that’s how it’s accomplished in any large, complex organization, and a university is certainly a large, complex organization.

“We need to evaluate what the system has done well over the past 25 years and what it needs to improve,” he continued, referring to the broad scope of such a strategic plan. “And we need to bring in some of the best high-level academics from public research institutions around the country to help us determine whether this can become the best public university in the country.”

As for the immediate future, Meehan said he plans to spend considerable time visiting the various campuses and gaining feedback from a host of constituencies.

These include the chancellors of those institutions, staff, faculty, students, and alumni. But he also intends to gain perspective from a business community that has placed workforce issues at the very top of its list of priorities — and concerns.

“I look at corporations like EMC and Raytheon, and the majority of the people they hire come from UMass,” Meehan explained. “I want to talk with those major CEOs in the state, not only get some advice on UMass, but also to get them to join with us to fight for more state funding and more federal funding. The business community should be UMass’s biggest cheerleader because of the huge contribution we make to making sure these companies get the best, most highly qualified employees they can get; it makes Massachusetts more competitive.”

Checking Some Boxes

Returning to the subject of those hockey teams and the intense rivalry that has developed between them, Meehan related a conversation with UMass Amherst Athletic Director John McCutcheon, who was lamenting how his school has come up on the short end of many recent contests between the schools.

Meehan said he responded first with some sarcasm, then a challenge, wrapped in the form of a leadership philosophy.

“He [McCutcheon] said, ‘you guys at UMass Lowell have been beating us up the past few years,’” Meehan recalled. “I said, ‘the problem is, everyone has been, and you have to work at this — I want attendance up.’

“Sometimes, I get into a lot of various details, but there’s a reason,” he went on, explaining why he was dwelling on hockey. “I think good leaders need to say, ‘we want excellence in everything we do.’”

That has been Meehan’s approach throughout a career that’s taken him to the House of Representatives and then the career in education recommended years ago. And it’s one he believes will ultimately help drive continuous improvement at the state university. n

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

Features
Dakin Humane Society Strives to Save, Improve Animals’ Lives

Leslie Harris says Dakin strives to rehome animals

Leslie Harris says Dakin strives to rehome animals, and also keep them healthy and happy as they wait.

If a typical cage is like a small hotel room for cats, Biscuit lives in a suite.

That’s not to say it’s luxurious living; he’d really rather be free to wander a house, tended to by a loving family. But while living at Dakin Humane Society, at least he’s got a double cage, with his eating area separated from his litterbox by a small passageway.

It’s a small amenity, sure, said Leslie Harris, Dakin’s executive director. But would you want to eat in your bathroom?

“Do we just put poor Biscuit in a tiny cage and hope for the best, or do we think about how to keep Biscuit healthy? The goal is to get Biscuit home, but while he’s here, we want to keep him healthy and happy.

“Healthy is important,” she went on, “but happy is also important, because Biscuit has been through some trauma. Twelve years old, and one day he showed up here. He probably lived with the same person, a creature of habit. So, in order to keep Biscuit happy, we make sure he has space, that he’s not stressed because his toilet is right next to his food bowl — to preserve his sense of dignity and cleanliness.”

Those little touches make a difference in the animals’ quality of life while living at Dakin, Harris said, which is considered as important as finding them a better life outside the facility’s doors. “We always try to do things to make the animals’ experience here successful — and with, ultimately, a lifesaving outcome.”

After all, saving the lives of homeless, abandoned, and unwanted cats, dogs, and other creatures is the main mission at Dakin, which has increasingly accomplished that goal with a series of ambitious programs, from a spay-and-neuter clinic that brings in more than 10,000 animals annually to a safety-net program that helps economically stressed pet owners keep their furry loved ones.

“One of the things that makes Dakin interesting — from a business perspective, from an animal perspective, and from a nonprofit perspective — is that we really value innovation,” Harris said. “We’re not interested in the status quo; we don’t think that saves lives. The mission in this community is to save the lives of homeless animals and improve the lives of animals living with people.”

Paws for Effect

Since its inception more than 45 years ago, Dakin has become one of the region’s most recognized names in animal welfare, treating, sheltering, and fostering more than 20,000 animals each year — not just cats and dogs, but smaller animals as well.

“Last year, we took in about 50% more smaller animals than the year before — a record number of rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, mice, and birds,” Harris said. “We do not rehome large parrots or reptiles; we send those to a more capable rescue because they have such specialized needs.”

Many animals that arrive at Dakin are homeless or lost, with many dogs transferred from animal control when their owners can’t be located. But others are surrendered by their owners, for a number of reasons.

“The biggest reason why people surrender their own pets to us relates to poverty; that is true whether it’s the city of Springfield or the Upper Pioneer Valley, which we also serve,” Harris said; Dakin operates its headquarters in the former and an adoption center in Leverett.

Veterinarian Dr. Sherri Therrien

Veterinarian Dr. Sherri Therrien performs one of the more than 10,000 spay/neuter procedures conducted at Dakin every year.

“Poverty impacts a person’s housing choices,” she continued, noting that someone who has to move from a house to an apartment may not be allowed to keep a dog. In other cases, a beloved pet may be old and sick, and an owner facing economic stresses may not be able to properly treat them.

Many of these animals are rehomed, Harris said, but Dakin strives to keep them with their owners whenever possible through a safety-net program that might pay for an animal’s immediate medical care before sending him home, or setting a family up with free cat or dog food donated by pet-food stores and volunteers.

“If someone says to us, ‘look, I can’t feed my dog,’ we might say, ‘what if we were able to help you with your food?’” she explained. In another scenario, if an elderly pet owner breaks a hip and has to go to rehab, Dakin might foster their pet and send it home after the owner recovers. Harris said some 50 to 75 animals each year benefit from these options.

While it strives to rehome local animals, Dakin also participates in what’s known as the Dixie Dogs program, receiving dogs from overcrowded shelters in southern states who might otherwise be euthanized.

“There’s a misconception that the majority of the dogs we get come from other parts of the country, but that’s not true,” Harris said. “Most come in locally and are rehomed locally. We still probably take in around 300 dogs through the Dixie Dog program; we have regular transport partners in Texas, Kentucky, and New Mexico, and every couple weeks, they send a shipment of dogs to us.”

These dogs are pre-screened for temperament, and part of each adoption fee is sent back south to improve the lives of dogs in the source community. And the added volume at Dakin is actually a good thing, Harris said, as having more dogs in the building that are considered more ‘adoptable’ creates a buzz that attracts more visitors, giving even the less adoptable dogs — older dogs, for instance, or breeds with less-than-rosy reputations — a fighting chance at a new home.

Still, she told BusinessWest, finding new homes for displaced pets is only one way to stem the tide of unwanted animals. Another way is to reduce the number of animal births. That’s where Dakin’s spay-neuter clinic comes in.

“We provide a high volume of low-cost spay-neuter surgeries for cats and dogs within a 90-mile radius of Springfield,” Harris said. “We spay and neuter between 10,000 and 12,000 cats and dogs a year, and we just completed our 57,000th surgery since opening in 2008.”

That’s critical, she said, because for a shelter to operate as an open-admission facility with a minimum of euthanizations, it must reduce the volume of animals flooding in. The clinic has done just that.

“Not only do we need an effective adoption program, to get animals out the door, we have to stop them from coming in, and what’s the best way? Stop them from being born. That’s why we launched our spay and neuter clinic,” she explained. “A couple hundred surgeries a year will not make much impact.”

Several thousand, however, is a different story — and the admission statistics tell that story well. Kitten admissions have dropped 40% since 2009, and Harris believes that constantly promoting the spay and neuter clinic is bringing down the number of homeless cats in Greater Springfield. “What’s the smartest use of our resources? We’re spending them wisely; it’s cheaper to spay a cat than to shelter one.”

Community Effort

As a nonprofit, Dakin’s operating budget is covered in part by adoption and treatment fees, but mainly by donations from individuals and businesses who support its mission to care for and rehome animals.

The adoption fees run anywhere from $139 for an older cat to $350 for a kitten, and Harris said that money is used to provide needed care for other pets. “It costs us more than $500 per animal to put them through the adoption center. So the fees pay for some of the cost of care, and it’s made up with contributions from people.”

Then there are unique events like February’s PAWSCARS, a major fund-raiser that melded local filmmaking about animals with a red-carpet fashion show featuring notable area residents and their dogs — just another way Dakin is thinking outside the crate.

Still, the organization wouldn’t stay afloat without more than 1,000 volunteers who support the staff of 56 full- and part-time employees.

“Volunteers do nursing care for kittens, feed dogs, help with administrative tasks, sort the surgical equipment, do laundry, distribute pet food as part of the pet-food bank, and do data entry,” just to name a few opportunities to lend a hand, she told BusinessWest. Other volunteers assist with dog-training programs, many of them placed through an internship program at UMass.

“We get a new class of college students every semester, and the curriculum lays out what the intern does in the adoption center. Many of them expect to go into veterinary school, and it’s interesting to see one of the interns come back as a veterinarian.”

The work isn’t always fun — it can be messy and smelly and labor-intensive — but that doesn’t keep animal lovers from pitching in, Harris said. “So many people know about it and want to help. They tend to be the type of person who enjoys focusing on a mission and really wants to see it through.”

They also recognize the importance of innovation, of striving to save and improve more animal lives each year.

“I’ve been at Dakin since we served 300 animals a year, and our headquarters was a house,” she said. “We’ve grown because we’re innovative and open to change. I’ve worked with other animal organizations that said, ‘there’s nothing we can do to solve this cat problem.’ I call BS on that; it’s not true. It just means you’re not thinking hard enough or trying hard enough; you’re stuck in old ways of thinking. It is possible to solve the problem, and I think what we’ve achieved is complete evidence of that.”

After all, Harris said, Dakin is not just helping animals; it’s helping families.

“If you want to help animals, you have to help people,” she told BusinessWest. “The animals don’t come here of their own accord. People knock on the door and say, “I lost my house,’ and if you don’t have an open heart for these people and what their challenges are, you can’t help their animal. But if you’re resourceful and ask, ‘if I were in their shoes, how would I want to solve this problem?’ you can be that problem solver. And we have a staff that’s amazing at that.”

That’s good news for Biscuit — and thousands of other critters looking for a home.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Opinion
Don’t Underestimate Driving Spirit

By JERRY CIANCIOLO

You may have heard that Millennials aren’t starting businesses at the rate of previous generations.

According to the Kauffman Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to studying entrepreneurship, startup rates among Americans age 20 to 34 peaked at 35% in 1996 and has since declined to 23%.

Why?

Forget the pundits and their talk of the Great Recession’s effect, monopolistic corporations, student debt, and slowing population growth. It’s much simpler than that.

Raised by helicopter parents, Millennials just can’t shake the habit of listening to advice. And as an entrepreneur myself, I know how critical it is to ignore so-called experts.

Within two weeks of hanging our shingle, my partner and I submitted to a class project for a local college. A business professor and eight students visited to grill us for 90 minutes. A month later, the retinue returned.

“Let me be candid,” said the professor. “Your business has little chance of succeeding.” Kathy and I flinched.

“We’ve run the numbers, researched the market, factored in your resources and level of experience, and, well . . . ” He looked down and shook his head, delivering the coup de grace non-verbally.

His advice, in so many words? “Update your résumés — today, if possible.”

Almost three decades later, I look back on that afternoon and marvel that my now-wife and I succeeded. The odds were certainly stacked against us.

On our side of the ledger were resolve, resiliency, and a longing for independence. On reality’s side were revenue projections, capital outlays, return on investment, and market share. We were anorexics on the mat with a Japanese sumo.

Yet our business thrives to this day. By any measure, we won the match. But how? If the professor and his students returned and asked how we proved them wrong, what would we say? Simply this — the weaknesses you identified proved to be our camouflaged strengths. For example:

• We were blind to the odds. I remember leasing a postage meter in our first month. The company rep recommended a three-year contract. I suggested five, hoping to shave the fee. She demurred: “businesses like yours, well, let’s stay with three.”
• We didn’t know much about business. I didn’t have financial expertise, nor did Kathy. You wouldn’t find even one economics course on our transcripts. But we possessed what Mark Twain described as the two things you need in life to succeed: ignorance and confidence. The former we had in spades. As for our lack of business savvy, we wore it like a chip on our shoulders.
• We had little patience with systems. At a meeting with a volunteer from SCORE — a group providing free business counseling — I did my best to suppress a yawn as the retired exec plotted a series of steps we needed to take before opening the doors. He also wanted to know whether we had a mission statement. I kept tapping my foot; Kathy withheld her sighs. Paperwork was make-believe to us. It wasn’t going to determine whether we succeeded. Our wits would have to do that.
• We weren’t strategic. Our business goal was basic — survival. Improvise or die was our clarion call. We couldn’t afford to procrastinate, so we ran with whatever seemed sensible at the moment. No one at Wharton would call our carpe diem approach strategic.
• We didn’t delegate. In the early days, there was no alternative. If the computer froze, one of us dug out the manual to thaw it. If a mailing had to go out, we were the clerical staff. But even as profits grew, and hiring was an option, we continued our labor-intensive ways. Granted, we didn’t always put our skills to the best use, but running lean kept margins high and overhead low.

Of course, my wife and I have grown wiser over the years. We wouldn’t advise would-be entrepreneurs to follow our model. But, then, we wouldn’t advise them to follow any model except one that feels right.

That’s why we politely listened to the professor and then went about our business. We encourage Millennials to do the same.

The professor understood business. But entrepreneurs and their driving spirit? Not so much.


Jerry Cianciolo is chief editor at Emerson & Church, Publishers, the company he and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, founded in 1986.

Building Permits Departments

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

AMHERST

Paul Shumway
334 College Highway
$10,000 — Four interior walls and dividers

Town of Amherst Recreation
95 Montague Road
$25,000 — Installation of shade structures

GREENFIELD

American Tower Corp.
180 Country Club Road
$17,500 — Alterations to cell tower

Lehigh Gas Corporation
142 Mohawk Trail
$80,000 — Repair stream erosion by installation of gabion baskets

Ruth Norwood
372 Federal St.
$4,000 — Roof repair

Town of Greenfield
99 Mohawk Trail
$10,000 — Interior renovations at school

Second Congregational Church
16 Court Square
$145,000 — Replace town clock faces

PALMER

Municipal Public Access Cable
1659A North Main St.
$100,000 — Expansion of M-Pact into other half of building

Palmer-Mapletree, LLC
21 Wilbraham St.
$11,500 — Renovations to cell tower

Palmer Place, LLC
1581 North Main St.
$175,000 — Expand Criterion Early Learning Center into adjacent space

SOUTH HADLEY

Mount Holyoke College
1 Silver St.
$28,000 — Build handicap accessible ramp

Mount Holyoke College
50 College St.
$3,000 — Fire-protection modifications

US Industrial Gaylord LP
28 Gaylord St.
$925,000 — Interior and exterior renovations

SPRINGFIELD

Andy Yee
8 Fort St.
$30,000 — Renovate front room of existing restaurant

City of Springfield
1385 Berkshire Ave.
$32,500 — New suspended ceiling system

WESTFIELD

City of Westfield
100 Elm St.
$17,000 – Exterior renovations

Susana Baltazar
480 Southampton Road
$62,000 — Renovate in-studio apartments

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

ASHFIELD

141 Buckland Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Lakeside Park LLC
Seller: Judith W. Hamilton
Date: 05/20/15

119-A&B Pfersick Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $244,800
Buyer: Madeleine S. Roberts
Seller: Albert L. Pieropan INT
Date: 05/20/15

BERNARDSTON

169 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Martha V. Jordan
Date: 05/29/15

Route 5
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: C. W. Llewelyn
Seller: Perry Farm LLC
Date: 05/18/15

BUCKLAND

62 North St.
Buckland, MA 01339
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: D&s Village Rentals LLC
Seller: Andrew P. Soles
Date: 05/21/15

DEERFIELD

9 Greenfield Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $9,085,704
Buyer: BW RRI 3 LLC
Seller: FMW RRI 1 LLC
Date: 05/19/15

119 Old Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Hadley Palmer
Seller: Alexander F. Janko
Date: 05/21/15

113 South Mill River Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $198,333
Buyer: Dylan F. James
Seller: Janice James
Date: 05/21/15

14 Steam Mill Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Carl G. Burwick
Seller: 14 Steam Mill Road LLC
Date: 05/18/15

ERVING

34 Moore St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings Fund Society
Seller: Daniel J. Petrowicz
Date: 05/21/15

GILL

21 South Cross Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $196,500
Buyer: Steven E. Sinkoff
Seller: Paul J. Morin
Date: 05/26/15

GREENFIELD

36 Beech St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: Leuchtman INT
Seller: Nadine M. Benzaia
Date: 05/22/15

49 Congress St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: John D. Whitney
Seller: Bitzer, Edward W., (Estate)
Date: 05/29/15

82 Highland Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Joseph R. Dimarino
Seller: Phebe S. Elliott
Date: 05/29/15

32 Holland Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Andrew C. Eisch
Seller: Moore, George R., (Estate)
Date: 05/29/15

23 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Ryan A. Noble
Seller: Steven F. Strandberg
Date: 05/22/15

7 Legion Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: CC MA Realty LLC
Seller: John J. Galvin Post 81 Inc.
Date: 05/18/15

150 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Thomas W. Wansleben
Seller: William G. Gallant
Date: 05/29/15

72 Montague City Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Vladimir Agapov
Seller: Jeri L. Case
Date: 05/29/15

N/A
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $17,000,000
Buyer: Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation
Seller: Pan Am Southern LLC
Date: 05/21/15

30 Woodleigh Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Edward J. Terault
Seller: Ann Marie Sullivan RET
Date: 05/28/15

HAWLEY

49 East Hawley Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Weston J. Swope
Seller: Kamenides, Mark P., (Estate)
Date: 05/29/15

LEYDEN

178 Eden Trail
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Eric D. Page
Seller: Richard P. Messer
Date: 05/29/15

MONTAGUE

11 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

13 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

15 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

18 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

19 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

25 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

115 Avenue A
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Emily Y. Douglass
Seller: Thomas S. Cameron
Date: 05/29/15

118 Avenue A
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

152 Avenue A
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

175 Avenue A
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $3,450,000
Buyer: Power Turner Falls LP
Seller: Power Town LP
Date: 05/29/15

3 Emond Ave.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Johanna A. Johnson
Seller: Eric D. Page
Date: 05/29/15

16 Oakman St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Robert F. Mills
Seller: Neipp, Arthur E., (Estate)
Date: 05/26/15

47 Randall Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $202,500
Buyer: Julie N. Kosuda
Seller: Linda Berry
Date: 05/27/15

NEW SALEM

44 West St.
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Bradford Clement
Seller: Richard Oliver
Date: 05/21/15

148 West St.
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Richard H. Oliver
Seller: Gary E. Trainor
Date: 05/26/15

ORANGE

11 Spring St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Robert J. Ballato
Seller: Adele O. Madsen

SHUTESBURY

375 Montague Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Melissa Campbell
Seller: Jaime C. Morton
Date: 05/22/15

351 West Pelham Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Joshua P. Lagreze
Seller: Bradford B. Spry
Date: 05/29/15

SUNDERLAND

266 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $292,500
Buyer: Yinfeng Wang
Date: 05/20/15

131 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Matthew B. Vickery
Seller: Mitchell K. Roberts
Date: 05/21/15

304 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Jonathan L. Wooley
Seller: Klemyk, Barbara A., (Estate)
Date: 05/28/15

51 South Main St.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Dylan Korpita
Seller: Kathleen Kennedy
Date: 05/18/15

WENDELL

39 Stone Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Kathryn A. Lee
Seller: John F. Sini
Date: 05/26/15

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

14 Briarcliff Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Daniel Hickok
Seller: Steven G. Richter
Date: 05/26/15

32 Columbus St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $264,900
Buyer: Eric D. Peterson
Seller: Robert W. Touchette
Date: 05/21/15

147 Edgewater Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $303,000
Buyer: Michelle A. Forfa
Seller: Susan A. Mielnikowski
Date: 05/29/15

65 Harvey Johnson Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Jillian M. Thibault
Seller: Frank Nunez
Date: 05/28/15

12 Haskell St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Christian M. Quatrone
Seller: Marc Turgeon
Date: 05/29/15

92 Horsham Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Masciotra
Seller: Afrodite Doulakis
Date: 05/29/15

767 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Bonnie L. Watson
Seller: Justin J. Richter
Date: 05/18/15

771 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: James M. Votzakis
Seller: Votzakis, Evelyn J., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/15

76 Ramah Circle North
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Wadsworth Realty LLC
Seller: Joseph F. Dempsey
Date: 05/18/15

108 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Santaniello
Seller: Gedney, Claire A., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/15

134 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $215,500
Buyer: Jacques E. Kmon
Seller: Dorothy R. Chechile
Date: 05/21/15

72-74 Riverview Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $209,830
Buyer: Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC
Seller: James R. Deming
Date: 05/22/15

181 Shoemaker Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Corey L. Moquin
Seller: Justin Matisewski
Date: 05/21/15

193 Shoemaker Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Kenneth Berry
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/22/15

35 Spear Farm Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $354,900
Buyer: Marc D. Turgeon
Seller: Joseph L. Lovotti
Date: 05/29/15

88 Strawberry Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Maria P. McCormick
Seller: Michael R. Parolo
Date: 05/29/15

14 Tom St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $233,500
Buyer: Dorothy R. Chechile
Seller: John R. Conte
Date: 05/21/15

104 Wagon Wheel Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Susan A. Mielnikowski
Seller: Nancy-Lee Quatrone
Date: 05/29/15

BRIMFIELD

96 Apple Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Kent B. Boyle
Seller: Matthew Brigham
Date: 05/29/15

74 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $689,000
Buyer: Scott R. Chase
Seller: Virgilius B. Vangerven
Date: 05/22/15

CHICOPEE

69 Ames Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Lloyd Investments LLC
Seller: Neil Hurd
Date: 05/26/15

95 Bardon St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: James Lynch
Seller: Francis W. Pluta
Date: 05/29/15

35 Beaumont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $140,165
Buyer: Mark Pires
Seller: Wroblewski, Helen, (Estate)
Date: 05/20/15

15 Brandon Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Nathan J. Skiba
Seller: John M. Russo
Date: 05/29/15

87 Cochran St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $257,579
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Paul R. Paquette
Date: 05/20/15

32 Coolidge Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $245,660
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Susan Peloquin
Date: 05/19/15

19 Czepiel St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Frank Niemic
Seller: Patricia A. Piekara
Date: 05/28/15

413 East Main St.
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: M. Manohar-Laichandani
Seller: Robert Bergmann
Date: 05/29/15

68 Eastern Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $12,957,152
Buyer: BG Massachusetts I. LLC
Seller: CVT LP

64 Emmett St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Cintron
Seller: Volodymr Boyko
Date: 05/22/15

134 Farnsworth St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Tyrone Dockery
Seller: Steven J. Beauregard
Date: 05/29/15

17 Gagne St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $124,500
Buyer: William R. Yelinek
Seller: Kathleen M. Lewis
Date: 05/29/15

146 Goodhue Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Clifford Purdy
Seller: James H. Bejune
Date: 05/28/15

55 Goodhue Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Jack L. Mattoon
Seller: Robert A. White
Date: 05/28/15

30 Holmes Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Ryan T. Matlasz
Seller: David J. Matlasz
Date: 05/20/15

20 Hopwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Jasmin M. Perez
Seller: Thomas F. Glasheen
Date: 05/28/15

16 Jacob St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Nikolay N. Sevostyanov
Seller: US Bank
Date: 05/28/15

31 Kendall St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Dominique A. Cole
Seller: Jorge O. Gonzalez
Date: 05/29/15

29 Overlook Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Stanley Czausz
Seller: Lamoureux, Alfred U., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/15

39 Raylo St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Robert Lepecki
Seller: Janina Lepecki
Date: 05/29/15

24 Upton St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kemal Akin
Seller: Peter E. Zawadzki
Date: 05/21/15

34 Woodcrest Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Eric Graziano
Seller: Lise C. Guillemette
Date: 05/20/15

EAST LONGMEADOW

Amalfi Dr. #A
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Michael T. Kane
Seller: Bella Vista Land Holdings
Date: 05/29/15

40 Bent Tree Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Jill A. Manferdini
Seller: Roland D. Gelinas
Date: 05/21/15

46 Birch Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: David R. Mailloux
Seller: Michael Torcia
Date: 05/19/15

167 Canterbury Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $553,000
Buyer: Jason Catanzaro
Seller: Dan Roulier & Associates
Date: 05/29/15

249 Canterbury Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $299,989
Buyer: Mark Wing
Seller: Gary E. Gray
Date: 05/29/15

78 Dartmouth Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $550,500
Buyer: Jeremy Shurtleff
Seller: Amaro Goncalves
Date: 05/28/15

235 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Lauren M. Garlett
Seller: Erin L. Beck
Date: 05/22/15

10 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Gregory Desousa
Seller: John F. Sullivan
Date: 05/22/15

91 Melwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Kathleen M. Sawyer
Seller: Brownstone Quarry LLC
Date: 05/21/15

263 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Melissa P. Bovat
Seller: Michael Moynahan
Date: 05/29/15

Pondview Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Custom Homes Development Group
Seller: Joseph Chapdelaine & Sons
Date: 05/22/15

49 Saint Joseph Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Caswell Boreland
Seller: Alfred J. Albano
Date: 05/21/15

175 Tanglewood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Gary E. Gray
Seller: Diana J. Brassard
Date: 05/29/15

25 Tracey Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Joseph J. McGrath
Seller: Patricia K. Schmid
Date: 05/21/15

22 Winterberry Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: John F. Sullivan
Seller: Winterberry LLC
Date: 05/22/15

29 Winterberry Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $404,000
Buyer: Agnieszka Czudec
Seller: Winterberry LLC
Date: 05/22/15

GRANVILLE

280 Silver St.
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $133,250
Buyer: Jason J. Mihlek
Seller: Linda Mihlek
Date: 05/26/15

HAMPDEN

32 Ames Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Danielle K. Williams
Seller: Thomas E. Sutherland
Date: 05/27/15

232 Chapin Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $129,577
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Holly A. Beaumier
Date: 05/22/15

24 Fernwood Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Jaison H. Richard
Seller: Schmidt, Evelyn L., (Estate)
Date: 05/20/15

74 Meadow Brook Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Christopher Quackenbush
Seller: William J. Fisher
Date: 05/19/15

HOLYOKE

21 Bray Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Joseph B. Blanchard
Seller: Everett J. Sexton
Date: 05/29/15

23 Clayton Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $121,333
Buyer: Judith A. Suleski
Seller: Edward J. Suleski
Date: 05/27/15

30 Ernest Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Carlos Bonilla
Seller: Carol A. Kaluza
Date: 05/29/15

32 George St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Louise A. Lyle
Seller: Sanborn, Robert P. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/15

14 Laurel St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Kayla Rodriguez
Seller: Laurette C. Landry
Date: 05/21/15

37 North East St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Efrain Martinez
Seller: Carmen Rivera
Date: 05/29/15

50 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Larry R. Levitt
Seller: James H. Woods
Date: 05/28/15

117 Sheehan Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Cailin M. Baker
Seller: Peter J. Lally
Date: 05/18/15

476 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: PMC Properties LLC
Seller: Robert R. Luce
Date: 05/20/15

47 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Vanessa M. Myers
Seller: Matthew J. McNee
Date: 05/22/15

715 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $223,500
Buyer: Shawn P. Antunes
Seller: Pedro Rivera
Date: 05/19/15

LONGMEADOW

73 Falmouth Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Wilbraham Builders Inc.
Seller: Roseann Caliento
Date: 05/29/15

548 Laurel St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Jessica W. Reyes
Seller: Wayne H. Duke
Date: 05/28/15

112 Longfellow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Mariette Cassada
Seller: Antonietta S. Dimichele
Date: 05/29/15

157 Meadow Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Barbara L. Holensworth
Seller: Dimitri Krutov
Date: 05/18/15

24 Meadowbrook Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $443,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Mounsey
Seller: Farida A. Pomerantz
Date: 05/29/15

145 Redfern Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Michael C. Arnold
Seller: Shelley Cotton

139 Rugby Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $840,000
Buyer: Michael J. Sawicki
Seller: Keith Cunningham
Date: 05/29/15

117 Sheffield Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Cheryl L. Lilley
Seller: Gary J. Stern
Date: 05/29/15

331 Wolf Swamp Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Christopher G. Reed
Seller: Carolyn S. Bampos
Date: 05/22/15

LUDLOW

81 Atlantic St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $241,500
Buyer: Richard T. Santos
Seller: Geremia Botta
Date: 05/20/15

81 Bondsville Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: David M. Dias
Seller: Nancy R. Pacyna
Date: 05/29/15

421 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Carl Fisher
Seller: Antonio L. Gomes
Date: 05/21/15

781 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $241,500
Buyer: Ryan C. O’Sullivan
Seller: Jeffrey M. Chouinard
Date: 05/29/15

27 Fairview St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $239,500
Buyer: Daniel F. Soares
Seller: Gary Decoteau
Date: 05/29/15

547 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Cabot Realty LLC
Seller: Susan L. Lind
Date: 05/28/15

17 Greenwich St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Isaac Flores
Seller: Gene Salvador
Date: 05/29/15

55 Meadow St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: Tina Eugenio
Seller: Kari A. Nunes
Date: 05/19/15

Parker Lane #2
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: John A. Evon
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 05/19/15

125 Poole St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Eric G. Smola
Seller: Desautels, Robert N., (Estate)
Date: 05/20/15

127 Ray St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $151,333
Buyer: Karen M. Zebrowski
Seller: Maria F. Costa
Date: 05/29/15

135 Ray St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $228,250
Buyer: Antonio Rosa
Seller: Steven J. Gagnon
Date: 05/18/15

199 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Lawrence J. Pagliaro
Seller: Jason Perkins
Date: 05/26/15

308 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Linda B. Lastoff
Seller: Albert W. Massanti
Date: 05/20/15

MONSON

91 Lakeshore Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: William C. Winkler
Seller: Pelletier, Roger C., (Estate)
Date: 05/26/15

PALMER

26 Barker St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Buyer: Jennifer A. Fitzgerald
Seller: Keem LLC
Date: 05/22/15

88 Breckenridge St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Paul B. Goodrich
Seller: John L. Clifford
Date: 05/28/15

257 Breckenridge St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $189,500
Buyer: Bruce J. Geary
Seller: Gary H. Fountain
Date: 05/22/15

285 Burlingame Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Keith M. Woodman
Seller: Frank W. Carey
Date: 05/27/15

32 Burlingame Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Duane T. Provost
Seller: Stephen R. Holuk
Date: 05/29/15

4018-4024 Church St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $249,254
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Robin Heaton
Date: 05/28/15

2015 East St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $134,500
Buyer: Robert H. Hayes
Seller: Wells Fargo Financial MA
Date: 05/18/15

109 River St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Kevin R. Godek
Seller: Scott H. Duverger
Date: 05/29/15

1010 Thorndike St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: FSG Realty LLC
Seller: Merrill L. Simonds Post 130
Date: 05/26/15

1016 Thorndike St.
Amount: $225,000
Palmer, MA 01069
Buyer: FSG Realty LLC
Seller: Merrill L. Simonds Post 130
Date: 05/26/15

SPRINGFIELD

293 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: William R. Nickerson
Seller: Joseph Thibeault
Date: 05/29/15

15 Alvin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kevin P. Bach
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 05/19/15

48 Appleton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Yanitza M. Montalvo
Seller: Dana E. Carpenter
Date: 05/21/15

114 Appleton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Allyson Lamondia
Seller: Kathleen A. Fitzgerald
Date: 05/29/15

32 Arvesta St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Kul B. Sarki
Seller: Adam Dalessio
Date: 05/27/15

187 Ashland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Fenton
Seller: Matthew J. Graves
Date: 05/29/15

71 Avon Place
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $964,000
Buyer: Joo B. Lee
Seller: Monaco-Western Mass. Props.
Date: 05/28/15

73-R Avon Place
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $964,000
Buyer: Joo B. Lee
Seller: Monaco-Western Mass. Props.
Date: 05/28/15

53 Bacon Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $124,500
Buyer: Carsten Bech
Seller: Christopher Carella
Date: 05/28/15

175 Brewster St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Stephen H. Rodolakis
Seller: James Almeida
Date: 05/18/15

36 Briarcliff St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Vincent J. Yacovone
Seller: Dianne M. Archambault
Date: 05/22/15

45 Canton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Ermelinda Ramos
Seller: Miguel A. Perez
Date: 05/22/15

69 Carnavon Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Anthony R. Bardelli
Seller: Robert L. Bardelli
Date: 05/28/15

75 Caseland St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Kevin A. Chaffee
Seller: Dawn Fontaine
Date: 05/22/15

350 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Ganga Biswa
Seller: Gladys S. Derosa
Date: 05/29/15

523 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Madina A. Birkin
Seller: Lisa L. Torres
Date: 05/26/15

63 East Drumlin Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Maribel G. Pagan
Seller: Luis Gregorio
Date: 05/29/15

93 East Park St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $964,000
Buyer: Joo B. Lee
Seller: Monaco-Western Mass Props.
Date: 05/28/15

196 Eddy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,905
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Carl E. Allen
Date: 05/28/15

182 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Victoria Zhemanova
Seller: Lori A. Beauchemin
Date: 05/26/15

12 Flower St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Jason Tremblay
Seller: Agnieszka Czudec
Date: 05/22/15

64 Fresno St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jose L. Melendez
Seller: Luis Zayas
Date: 05/29/15

375 Grand Valley Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Nico J. Mascaro
Seller: Jared M. Duff
Date: 05/29/15

83 Grandview St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Andrew P. Zinn
Seller: Allison B. Delong
Date: 05/28/15

69 Intervale Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Donald E. Foster
Seller: Donald E. Foster
Date: 05/29/15

52 Irene St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Barbara K. Velazquez
Seller: Jonathan D. Carver
Date: 05/22/15

42 Irvington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Aaron M. Carrier
Seller: J. Adams Investments LLC
Date: 05/18/15

226 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Cordell A. Daniels
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 05/29/15

70 Labelle Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: James L. Campbell
Seller: Denise M. Colon
Date: 05/20/15

49 Loretta St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Michael F. Richards
Seller: Gina G. Daniele
Date: 05/27/15

35 Mayfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Ismael C. Torres
Seller: Mary L. Lusa
Date: 05/22/15

126-128 Miller St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $144,500
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Maynard Nneji
Date: 05/26/15

814 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Luis E. Correa
Seller: Jack L. Mattoon
Date: 05/28/15

725 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: CIL Realty of Mass. Inc.
Seller: Kyung W. Kim
Date: 05/26/15

10 Pearson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Lynne M. Koshuta
Seller: Bretta Development LLC
Date: 05/22/15

177 Penrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Fabian Gonzalez
Seller: Chad E. Sholin
Date: 05/22/15

28 Pheasant Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Shirley M. Del Rio
Seller: Robert W. Prouty
Date: 05/22/15

15 Riverview St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Juan Alvarez
Seller: Pauline A. Mulligan
Date: 05/27/15

16 Ronald Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Todd Bourcier
Seller: Fecke, Hans-Dieter, (Estate)
Date: 05/28/15

284 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Nataly Dejesus
Seller: Linda C. Mumblo
Date: 05/28/15

1250 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $2,450,000
Buyer: Albany Road St James Ave. LLC
Seller: Cinemark USA Inc.
Date: 05/21/15

91 Saint James Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Joseph Fiorentino
Seller: Mark Seymour
Date: 05/18/15

57 Signal Hill Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $234,900
Buyer: Linda Frey
Seller: Stanley Czaplicki
Date: 05/29/15

1119 State St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Mayank & Abhi Inc.
Seller: Satish Kumar
Date: 05/19/15

101 Sylvan St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Melissa M. Montagna
Seller: Stephen T. Dupre
Date: 05/29/15

365 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $123,521
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Robert G. Crowell
Date: 05/20/15

149-151 Verge St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Robert Poole
Seller: James R. Masterson
Date: 05/27/15

106 Weymouth St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Stephanie C. Labelle
Seller: Joyce M. Karwoski
Date: 05/22/15

107 Winding Lane
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Arlene F. O’Connor
Seller: James J. Bertier
Date: 05/22/15

50 Woodruff St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $143,900
Buyer: Dulce M. Taveras
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/26/15

SOUTHWICK

14 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Gail J. Lariviere
Date: 05/28/15

11 Buckingham Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Sharon A. Conte
Seller: Crystal Conroy
Date: 05/21/15

89 Hillside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $358,000
Buyer: Gina M. Page
Seller: Paul E. Malkoon
Date: 05/27/15

15 Hunters Ridge Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Colleen M. Picard
Seller: Kenneth G. Laxton
Date: 05/29/15

6 Iroquois Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Joanne Fournier
Seller: George W. Ball
Date: 05/22/15

28 Jeffrey Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $259,500
Buyer: Justin T. Barnett
Seller: Janice L. Wright
Date: 05/27/15

23 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kevin D. Rolfe
Seller: Robert D. Pion
Date: 05/22/15

TOLLAND

7 West Granville Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $140,000
Seller: Robert S. Hutchinson
Date: 05/27/15

WEST SPRINGFIELD

104 Autumn Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Michael Blair
Seller: Gail M. St.George
Date: 05/22/15

94 Boulevard Place
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Simon Rahiman
Seller: Michael J. Butler
Date: 05/28/15

180 Daggett Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $825,000
Buyer: 180 Daggett Drive LLC
Seller: Pep Boys-Manny Moe & Jack
Date: 05/29/15

606 Dewey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $228,500
Buyer: Michael P. Fernandes
Seller: Alicia D. Pincince
Date: 05/29/15

81-83 Field St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Wheeler
Seller: Rogers, Ruth F., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/15

17 Meadowbrook Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Daniel B. Quigley
Seller: Gregory S. Forfa
Date: 05/29/15

1115 Memorial Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Eastern States Exposition
Seller: Ronald E. Provost
Date: 05/28/15

1131 Memorial Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Eastern States Exposition
Seller: Ronald E. Provost
Date: 05/28/15

430 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Chad E. Sholin
Seller: John M. Dansereau
Date: 05/22/15

63 Park Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Arrha Credit Union
Seller: West Springfield Knights
Date: 05/27/15

82 Queen Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: James M. Rickson
Seller: Joseph C. Sampson
Date: 05/18/15

143 Robinson Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Lisa R. Delong
Seller: Jean A. Murray
Date: 05/29/15

77 South Blvd.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Emil Ibadov
Seller: Michal P. Kosciolek
Date: 05/27/15

138 Southworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Kuber Adhikari
Seller: Albee, Donald R., (Estate)
Date: 05/29/15

68 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Lazy River Housing Co. LLC
Seller: Limestone Management Services
Date: 05/19/15

67 Wilder Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Kathryn Maloney
Seller: Robert A. Wise
Date: 05/28/15

36 Windsor St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Phil King Realty LLC
Seller: Wilbraham Trucking Corp.
Date: 05/28/15

WESTFIELD

24 Avery St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Quincy E. Hall
Seller: Shawndy Bush
Date: 05/29/15

49 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Brian L. Osowski
Seller: Marie K. Heath
Date: 05/26/15

37 Caitlin Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $334,900
Buyer: Timothy Dion
Seller: Darlene A. Bowen
Date: 05/29/15

41 Church St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Thomas P. Keenan
Date: 05/20/15

7 Dana St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Mary M. Hurd
Seller: Salvatore Anania
Date: 05/28/15

78 Devon Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $367,000
Buyer: John J. Florek
Seller: Cheryl A. Zebold
Date: 05/20/15

132 Devon Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Michael Cashman
Seller: William S. Wright
Date: 05/20/15

95 Egleston Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: CWW Realty LLC
Seller: Ellis L. Langone
Date: 05/28/15

17 Elizabeth Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Denys Gomenyuk
Seller: Brian S. Paterson
Date: 05/29/15

227 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Kyrsten L. Scott-Smith
Seller: LP 4 LLC
Date: 05/28/15

316 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $237,900
Buyer: John C. Wright
Seller: Tina D. Avery
Date: 05/28/15

15 Hancock St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Gearing
Seller: Margaret Doe
Date: 05/22/15

36 Indian Ridge Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Andrew Brach
Seller: Michael Cashman
Date: 05/29/15

39 Lindbergh Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $179,500
Buyer: Shuming Chen
Seller: Elaine Fisher
Date: 05/21/15

280 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Iacovelli Enterprises LLC
Seller: Glen Schermerhorn
Date: 05/18/15

150 Miller St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Kyle J. Killinger
Seller: John D. West
Date: 05/20/15

6-8 Morris Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Alicia A. Malloy
Seller: Mark Sears
Date: 05/18/15

20 Murray Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Brian M. Hodovanec
Seller: Aleksandr Popov
Date: 05/22/15

123 Old Farm Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Wayne Cooper
Seller: Harry H. Tompkins
Date: 05/27/15

6 Pheasant Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Jessica S. Brooks
Seller: Joseph A. Masciotra
Date: 05/29/15

23 Pleasant St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $214,500
Buyer: Katharine Williams
Seller: Timothy E. Dion
Date: 05/29/15

47 Ridge Trail Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Zeyad Elsayed
Seller: Richard J. Peters
Date: 05/29/15

33 South Maple St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jesse Stanley
Seller: Peter Strniste
Date: 05/26/15

25 Scenic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $328,000
Buyer: Jason R. Polonsky
Seller: Loretta A. Bey
Date: 05/29/15

3 Sherman St. Ext.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Olga Khimich
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/26/15

162 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $825,000
Buyer: Kayrouz Realty 2 LLC
Seller: LGP Realty Holdings LP
Date: 05/21/15

44 Stuart Place
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: 44 Stuart Place Land Trust
Seller: Michael A. Cecchini
Date: 05/28/15

245 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Crandall FT
Seller: Joseph E. Beatty
Date: 05/20/15

130 Whitaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Igor Radionov
Seller: Carolino A. Centeno
Date: 05/19/15

WILBRAHAM

24 Blacksmith Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Seungly Oh
Seller: Meta M. Desantis
Date: 05/29/15

3 Delmor Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Sutherland
Seller: Clifton C. Roberts
Date: 05/27/15

31 Eastwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $660,000
Buyer: Robert J. Roy
Seller: Thomas L. Bretta
Date: 05/29/15

5 Edward St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Keith M. Bartle
Seller: Zolla, Armand A., (Estate)
Date: 05/27/15

5 Highview Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Mahdi Mohammadaghaei
Seller: USA
Date: 05/29/15

23 Hunting Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $170,100
Buyer: USA HUD
Seller: Wesley R. Quinn
Date: 05/18/15

5 Magnolia St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Connolly
Seller: Dorothy Soja
Date: 05/18/15

488 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Gary Cove
Seller: Mary S. Ripley
Date: 05/18/15

687 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Thomas X. Kennedy
Seller: Barbara T. Andrews
Date: 05/19/15

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

8 Applewood Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Cameron R. Mackenzie
Seller: Carroll G. Lamb
Date: 05/26/15

66 Berkshire Terrace
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $307,560
Buyer: Berg & Berthiaume LLC
Seller: Arriola, Leslie K., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/15

12 Canterbury Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Randolph Lisle
Seller: Jane C. Vogl
Date: 05/27/15

Lindenridge Road #52
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Darren M. Clapprood
Seller: Tofino Associates LLC
Date: 05/29/15

150 Market Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Eleanor Townsley
Seller: Karen Merrill
Date: 05/22/15

27 Morgan Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Charles M. Aulino
Seller: Andreana P. Lemmon
Date: 05/27/15

209 Old Farm Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Miao M. Lin
Seller: Di Hong
Date: 05/20/15

South Middle St. #7
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Niels V. Christiansen
Seller: South Middle Street Inc.
Date: 05/28/15

237 Sunset Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Metin Yavuz
Seller: Katherine Glime-Lamotte
Date: 05/29/15

BELCHERTOWN

661 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: John H. Conkey
Seller: John H. Conkey
Date: 05/27/15

681 Gulf Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Susan L. Surner
Seller: Dariusz A. Celmer
Date: 05/29/15

91 Ludlow St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Robert J. Cousineau
Seller: Christopher M. Kirstein
Date: 05/29/15

N/A
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Seth P. Arvanites
Seller: Riverbend 2 Properties
Date: 05/29/15

26 Pondview Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Tara M. Orzolek
Seller: Kevin M. Lacroix
Date: 05/22/15

164 Railroad St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $322,500
Buyer: Paul O. Brown
Seller: Clair J. Brucker
Date: 05/20/15

126 Warner St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: H. L. Lehmberg
Seller: Kevin Clark
Date: 05/28/15

54 Woodhaven Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Robert G. Kuhn
Seller: Robert J. Roy
Date: 05/29/15

CHESTERFIELD

50 Bray Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Roslyn S. Malkin
Seller: Thomas E. Dawson-Greene
Date: 05/22/15

178 Bryant St.
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $508,000
Buyer: Timothy E. McElroy
Seller: Kester Warlow-Harry
Date: 05/18/15

EASTHAMPTON

4 Crescent St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Andrea B. Stone
Seller: Patrick V. Niedzwiecki
Date: 05/29/15

10 East Chestnut St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Zachary R. Smith
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/29/15

12-14 Knipfer Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: David J. Janulewicz
Seller: Kevin C. Netto
Date: 05/29/15

93-95 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $630,000
Buyer: Pizzatronics Worldwide
Seller: Lisa L. Fusco
Date: 05/29/15

156 Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $599,500
Buyer: Nicholas D. Duprey
Seller: Brenda A. Linnell
Date: 05/27/15

49 Oliver St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: David A. Blow
Seller: Donna M. Sicard
Date: 05/19/15

60 Oliver St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Kerri Wessel
Seller: Edmund L. Wrzesinski
Date: 05/29/15

29 Phelps St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Norwich Properties LLC
Seller: Mount Tom Properties LLC
Date: 05/20/15

11 Pine Hill Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Dennis J. Meehan
Seller: Allyn R. Spacek
Date: 05/28/15

14 Robin Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Joseph Ryan
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 05/22/15

109 Strong St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $293,500
Buyer: John Fish
Seller: Scott D. Edmands
Date: 05/19/15

10 Vadnais St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Joseph D. Sayles
Seller: Kathleen A. Hickson
Date: 05/29/15

GOSHEN

42 Ball Road
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Lauren L. Bonczek
Seller: Kristopher T. Pease
Date: 05/28/15

GRANBY

152 Taylor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $419,500
Buyer: Judith A. White
Seller: Benjamin E. Bruso
Date: 05/29/15

HADLEY

91 Hockanum Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Shane R. Conklin
Seller: Meghan D. Stolki
Date: 05/26/15

208 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Henry L. Rigali
Seller: Hadley Investments Corp.
Date: 05/22/15

HATFIELD

74 Chestnut St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Martha Brabant
Seller: Matthew Shiels
Date: 05/22/15

NORTHAMPTON

Beaver Brock Loop #19
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $389,250
Buyer: Lauren E. Duffy
Seller: Beaver Brook NT
Date: 05/29/15

227 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Huong C. Chow
Seller: R2R LLC
Date: 05/21/15

290 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Jose Buri
Date: 05/29/15

374 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $401,500
Buyer: Donna Vance
Seller: Frank J. Werbinski
Date: 05/22/15

13 Grove Ave.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Megan L. Freedman
Seller: John A. Brozoski
Date: 05/29/15

35 Kensington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Penny L. Remsen
Seller: Donald Gillman
Date: 05/26/15

48 Lincoln Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Craig G. McNeil
Seller: Claydon, Paul B., (Estate)
Date: 05/29/15

36-40 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Eric Lucentini
Seller: R. E. Carle LLC
Date: 05/22/15

95 Moser St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Stacy L. Giufre
Seller: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction
Date: 05/22/15

414 North King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Matthew C. Hine
Seller: Danielle K. Williams
Date: 05/27/15

5 North Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Beth F. Pellettieri
Seller: Day, Leona, (Estate)
Date: 05/22/15

262 North Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Richard M. Gnatek
Seller: Carol Wolfgram
Date: 05/29/15

19 Norfolk Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $525,500
Buyer: Tamsin J. Farmer
Seller: Dinneen Funding TR
Date: 05/28/15

425 Prospect St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Nonotuck Resource Assocs.
Seller: Justrev LLC
Date: 05/19/15

91 Water St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Cardinal
Seller: Alice B. Badecker
Date: 05/27/15

400 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Stephen C. Calcagnino
Seller: Robert J. Dostal
Date: 05/28/15

113 Whittier St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Benjamin S. Lewis
Seller: William M. Goggins
Date: 05/27/15

39 Woodbine Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $327,500
Buyer: Stanley A. Freeman
Seller: Judy Haigler
Date: 05/29/15

SOUTH HADLEY

27 Ashfield Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $423,000
Buyer: Allana N. Jackson
Seller: Eleanor Townsley
Date: 05/22/15

45 Dartmouth St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jose L. Ramos
Seller: Fotjo, Janet M., (Estate)
Date: 05/29/15

306 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Devin S. Mackey
Seller: Mitchell FT
Date: 05/29/15

51 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Mary J. Else
Seller: Barbara E. McCarthy
Date: 05/28/15

31 Maple St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Richard J. Rogalski
Seller: Thomas Fregeau
Date: 05/29/15

20 Maria Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jarrett Moyer
Seller: Sharon M. Zulch
Date: 05/19/15

92 Mountain View St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Tami L. Paquette
Seller: Bruce J. Patryn
Date: 05/29/15

20 Pittroff Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Meon
Seller: Allard, Carlene F., (Estate)
Date: 05/21/15

1 Valley View Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: ZAHSR LLC
Seller: Nabish RT
Date: 05/27/15

12 Wildwood Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $223,500
Buyer: Western Mass. Training Consortium
Seller: Christie FT
Date: 05/29/15

SOUTHAMPTON

3 East St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Alice M. Badecker
Seller: Robert E. Dragon
Date: 05/27/15

12 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Elizabeth H. Goepfert
Seller: John Darrow
Date: 05/29/15

WARE

33 Berkshire Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Kevin Slattery
Seller: Paul A. Nowicki
Date: 05/19/15

79 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Mandeville
Seller: David F. Porowski
Date: 05/27/15

9 Old Poor Farm Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Laurie K. Racine
Seller: Jeffrey Beaudin
Date: 05/29/15

76 Old Poor Farm Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Melissa Richardson
Seller: Alan P. Desrosiers
Date: 05/22/15

27 Sczygiel Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Keith Bradway
Seller: Bank New York Mellon
Date: 05/29/15

104 West St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $7,790,000
Buyer: HJN Hotels Corp.
Seller: CPI Ware LLC
Date: 05/20/15

WESTHAMPTON

253 Kings Hwy.
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Robert P. Turner
Seller: Christopher J. Joly
Date: 05/28/15

82 Laurel Hill Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Mark E. Challet
Seller: Justin Kurtz
Date: 05/29/15

171 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $321,000
Buyer: Dinneen Funding TR
Seller: Robert P. Turner
Date: 05/28/15

324 Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Lauryn B. Cronin
Seller: Mark E. Challet
Date: 05/29/15

WILLIAMSBURG

Depot Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: ILEX RT
Seller: Roger A. Graves
Date: 05/20/15

8 The Lope
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Nina L. Sitron RET
Seller: Judith Haigler
Date: 05/28/15

DBA Certificates Departments

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

AGAWAM

Beauty & Barber Boutique
762 Springfield St.
John Minto Jr.

Hathorne Company
429 North Westfield St.
Lynne Romansky

GREENFIELD

Bannister Painting Company
55 Freeman Dr.
Jared Bannister

Franklin Media
19 James St.
Susan F. Wilson

Tractor Supply Company
75 Newton St.
Lori Terlecki

HOLYOKE

Adams Street Market
4 Adams St.
Rose Parra

Beauty 360
50 Holyoke St.
Celebtina Abankwa

Cano Used Tire
640 South Bridge St.
Carmen Garcia

Sears Auto Center
86 Lower Westfield Road
Everton Blake

Today’s Nails
50 Holyoke St.
Charles Tran

SPRINGFIELD

3 Express Multi Service
899 Carew St.
Philip Alexander

Ace Taxi
295 Allen St.
Yasir Osman

Aelou Visuals
167 Atherton St.
Duane Thomas

Aquatic Diving Adventures
11 Front St.
James Morell

Ares Landscaping
33 Mill Pond Dr.
Enrique Nunez

Auto Imports
62 Winter St.
Raymond Tirado

BBNS Property Clean
95 Cliftwood St.
Berge Bernadeau

CG Interior
190 College St.
Chris Graham

Carole Singh
93 White St.
Carole Singh

Cathy’s Food Consulting
807 Worthington St.
Caterina Cardenuto

Chapin Center
200 Kendall St.
Northeast Health

Something to Talk About
1500 Main St.
Stephanie R. Smith

Swanson Meetings
3 Peer St.
Diane Swanson

The Dusty Walnut
360 Walnut St.
Daniel Hanke

Traditional Saigon Restaurant
281 Belmont Ave.
Le Nguyen

U-See-It
71 Harvard St.
Jermaine Jones

VCA Boston Road Animal Hospital
1235 Boston Road
VCA Animal Hospitals

Western MA Marketing
79 Patricia Circle
Brittany Marie

Yaad Food Jamaican Restaurant
87 Main St.
Orlando Roberts

Young Live Humble
100 Moreland St.
Jalil Gonzalez

WESTFIELD

AJ Quality Goods
86 Notre Dame St.
Alexander Mamchur

Dorsey Construction Contracting
25 State St.
Andrew Dorsey

Natasha Butler Photography
44 Mechanic St.
Natasha M. Butler

Reliable Jack
1 Klondike Ave.
Stephen Franklin

Vieau’s Express
36 Governor Dr.
William Vieau

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Attain Therapy & Fitness
124 Myron St.
Performance

Avada Hearing Care Center
459 Riverdale St.
Michael Demelio

Balise Collision Repair
1800 Riverdale St.
Balise Motor Corporation

Calabrese Market
54 Park St.
Anthony Calabrese

Father & Son Construction
772 Union St.
Erick Santiago

Mass Trans Insurance Agency
425 Union St.
Roman Shetan

Odessa Auto Repair
141 Allston Dr.
Anton Ivanov

R-E Pools
31 Field St.
Eric Dziewit

Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Trinity Solutions Inc., 21 Sutton Place Suite 2, Agawam, MA 01001. Devyn Ryan, same. Promotional marketing and sales consulting.

BELCHERTOWN

BARC Inc., 54 Canal Dr., Belchertown, MA 00117. Kristen Wood, same. Animal shelter.
CHICOPEE

Done Right Property Services Inc., 714 Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Antonio Spicer Jr., 6 Bradley Circle, Enfield, CT 06082. Real estate maintenance and clean out.

Iglesia Nuevo Comienzo Inc., 1 Springfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Miguel A. Alvarez, same. Church.

FEEDING HILLS

Expert Home Improvement Inc., 100 Burlington Dr., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Vladimir Shevchuk, same. Home improvements.

HADLEY

Bottle & Brew Inc., 5 Woodlawn Road, Hadley, MA 01035. Hai Cheng, same. Retail sale of beer, wine, and liquor.

PITTSFIELD

At Your Service Handymen and Property Managers Inc., 56 Bartlett Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Jack Cerveira, same. Handyman services and property management.

SOUTH HADLEY

Nasir 2015 Inc., 10 Oakley Estates, South Hadley, MA 01075. Amir M. Paracha, same. Owning and operating convenience stores.

Saima 2015 Inc., 10 Oakley Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Amir M. Paracha, same. To own and manage convenience stores.

SPRINGFIELD

Concilio De Iglesias La Puerta En El Cielo Inc., 414 Chestnut St., #818, Springfield, MA 01104. Soledad Kercado, same. To organize and establish Christian organizations.

Divergent Power Corporation Inc., 38 Sterns Terrace, Springfield, MA 01105. Joel A. Hershey, same. Provides energy related services and products.

Friendly Ride Transportation Inc., 44 Upton St., Springfield, MA 01104. Rene A. Romero, same. Medical, transportation, and companionship services.

Fusion Electric Inc., 980 Bay St., Springfield, MA 01109. Collin H. Burnett, 508 East St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Electrical contracting services.

WESTFIELD

Heka Health Inc., 120 Woodcliff Dr., Westfield, MA 01085. Mark Andrew Dupuis, same. Educational and civic activities.

New Life for Children Inc., 9 South Maple St., Westfield, MA 01085. Tatyana Bratnichenko, same. Material and spiritual aid for orphan children in other countries.

Agenda Departments

ACCGS Golf Tournament
July 13: The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick will be the setting for the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield’s (ACCGS) 2015 Golf Tournament. The tournament is sponsored by Bacon Wilson, P.C., Barr & Barr Inc., Florence Savings Bank, Frank Webb’s Bath Center, HealthSouth, Insurance Center of New England, and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. The tournament will kick off with registration and practice on one of its six target greens, two pitching greens, and pitching nets at 11 a.m. A course-side lunch, sponsored by the MassMutual Center, will be served from 11 a.m. until noon, with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Golfers will enjoy a scramble format, hole-in-one contests sponsored by Rocky’s Ace Hardware and Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, longest-drive and closest-to-the-line competitions, a putting contest sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank, and an opportunity to win from a wide selection of raffle prizes, including Red Sox tickets and gift cards. The day will conclude with a reception, buffet dinner, and awards ceremony. An added attraction this year will be the opportunity to win the use of a fully-stocked golf cart for the tournament, completed with snacks, cigars, additional raffle tickets, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and more. The tournament entry fee is $600 per foursome (individual golfers are welcome at $150) and includes greens fees, cart, lunch, reception, and souvenir photo sponsored by Arrow Security Co. Inc. and Eastfield Mall. Non-golfers may attend the reception only for $30 per person. To register, visit www.myonlinechamber.com or e-mail ACCGS Member Services Director Sarah Mazzaferro at [email protected].

Indian Motocycle Day
July 26: From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Springfield Museums will present their sixth annual Indian Motocycle Day, the continuation of a long-standing tradition honoring the classic motorcycles that were manufactured in the city from 1901 to 1953. Last year, more than 1,000 people attended the event, which featured more than 60 classic, Springfield-built Indians owned by local collectors, The event is sponsored by the Sampson Family and AAA Pioneer Valley; the media sponsor is Rock 102 WAQY. MassMutual is the 2015 premier sponsor of the Springfield Museums. The museums re-established the Indian Day tradition in 2010 after a five-year hiatus. From 1970 to 2005, the event was held at the now-closed Indian Motocycle Museum on Hendee Street in Springfield. Esta Manthos, together with her late husband Charlie, were the owners of the former museum. In 2007, Manthos donated her extensive collection of Indian Motocycles, artifacts, and memorabilia to the Springfield Museums, where it is now on view in the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. This year’s Indian Day will pay tribute to Bob’s Indian of Etters, Pa., for its many years of supporting the heritage of classic Indian cycles. The original dealership was founded in the 1950s by Bob and Kay Markey, and has been a treasure trove of motorcycle history for over half a century. In addition to the motorcycles on display, there will be a variety of vendors, food and beverages, music provided by Rock 102, and the awarding of trophies for the best Indians in a variety of categories. Commemorative T-shirts will be available for purchase. Anyone bringing a pre-1953 Indian will receive a free admission pass plus a commemorative Indian Day button. Exhibitors, and especially vendors, are encouraged to pre-register by calling (413) 263-6800, ext. 304. Admission to the event is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-17. For those wishing to attend the event and tour museum buildings, general admission is $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and college students, and $9.50 for children ages 3-17. Admission to the event and the museums is free for members of Springfield Museums; free museum admission is available for Springfield residents after 3 p.m. For information, call (413) 263-6800, ext. 304, or visit www.springfieldmuseums.org.

Driving for the Cure Golf Tournament
Aug. 17: The seventh annual Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament will tee off at Crestview Country Club in Agawam. The presenting sponsor for this year’s tournament is Autotrader. The tournament will be a four-player scramble. Tournament-day check-in begins at 10:30 a.m., and tee time is at 12:30 p.m. The event includes lunch, golf, dinner, raffle prizes, contests, and more. The tournament was started by Carla and Tommy Cosenzi, owners of TommyCar Auto Group, in memory of their father, Tom Cosenzi, who passed away from a glioblastoma brain tumor in 2009, in the hopes of carrying on his legacy and finding a cure for this disease. To date, this tournament has raised a total of $480,000 in its six-year partnership with the Jimmy Fund, one of the largest organized golf programs in the U.S. All proceeds support Dr. Patrick Wen and his team of researchers in the Neuro-Oncology Department at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. To register an individual or team, or to become a tournament sponsor, visit www.tomcosenzidrivingforthecure.com. For more information, contact Kayla Currie at (413) 570-1319 or [email protected].

Valley Fest
Aug. 29: White Lion Brewing Co. announced that it will host its inaugural beer festival, called Valley Fest, at Court Square in downtown Springfield. MGM Springfield will be the presenting sponsor. The festival is poised to be White Lion’s signature annual event, introducing the young brand to craft-beer enthusiasts throughout New England and beyond. White Lion Brewing Co., the city of Springfield’s only brewery, launched in October 2014. Founder Ray Berry and brewmaster Mike Yates have released three selections under the White Lion brand and have been busy promoting their efforts in venues all over Massachusetts and other New England states. Berry anticipates that more than 50 breweries and many local food vendors will converge on Court Square for two sessions. Enthusiasts will have an opportunity to sample more than 100 varieties of beer and hard cider alongside pairing selections by local chefs. A number of sponsors have already committed to the event, including MassMutual Financial Group, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, the Dennis Group, Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place, Paragus Strategic IT, Williams Distributing, and the Springfield Business Improvement District (BID). Visit www.valleybrewfest.com for event details, ongoing updates, and sponsorship opportunities. A portion of Valley Fest proceeds will support several local charities.

Western Mass. Business Expo
Nov. 4: 
Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News in partnership with Go Graphix and Rider Productions. The business-to-business show will feature more than 100 booths, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Details about tevents, programs, and featured speakers will be printed in future issues of BusinessWest. Sponsors include MGM Springfield, presidential and Expo Social sponsor; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; Johnson & Hill and Health New England, director level sponsors; and 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $750. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Briefcase Departments

State Unemployment Drops to 4.6% in May
BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 4.6% in May, a 0.1% decrease from the previous month, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday. The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in the state since December 2007. The new preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts gained 7,400 jobs in May, marking the ninth consecutive month of jobs gains. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell 1.2% from 5.8% in May 2014. The unemployment rate in Massachusetts peaked in September 2009 at 8.8%. The May state unemployment rate is 0.9% lower than the national rate of 5.5% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised upward its April job figure, reporting the state gained 11,200 jobs, instead of 10,100, which the agency reported last month. “We have had solid job growth in the last three months, with approximately 30,000 jobs added in the state,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said. “As more jobs are created, more people are coming back into the labor market.” Over the month, jobs were up 7,400, with a private-sector gain of 7,100. Since May 2014, jobs grew by 70,600, with 59,300 private-sector job gains. Sectors that gained jobs over the month include construction, which added 3,500 jobs; retail trade, 1,500 jobs; and wholesale trade, 1,500 jobs. Transportation and warehousing lost 500 jobs. Manufacturing gained 600 jobs, and financial activities gained 700 jobs. Education and health services and professional, scientific, and business services had the largest job gains over the year.

Women’s Fund Announces $240,000 in Grants
EASTHAMPTON — The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) announced a total of $240,000 in new grant commitments in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Working within focus areas of educational access and success, economic justice, and safety and freedom from violence, partners in these communities will each receive $60,000 over three years to deploy innovative programs that will help shift the landscape for women and girls. Grantees include Berkshire County’s Flying Cloud Institute and ROPE/Women of Color Giving Circle for their Berkshire Collaborative for GIRLS in STEM project; Franklin County’s Greenfield Community College, Montague Catholic Social Ministries, New England Learning Center for Women in Transition, and Seeds of Solidarity for their Women’s GARDEN Project Collaborative effort; Hampden County’s Neighbor to Neighbor and Voices from Inside for their Voice Activated project; and Hampshire County’s MotherWoman, UMass Amherst, and Hampshire College for their Firm Foundation: Policy Change for Mothers project. “We had an extremely competitive applicant pool,” said Elizabeth Barajas-Román, Women’s Fund CEO. “The grants committee made difficult choices based on projects with meaningful collaborations, clear and attainable impact on the community, and on proposals that balanced our portfolio of funded projects already in the field.” The new 2015 grantees join exiting Women’s Fund grant partners funded through 2017: Berkshire United Way for a coalition effort titled Face the Facts Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition; the Prison Birth Project in Hampden County, which will continue its social- and reproductive-justice efforts for incarcerated and post-incarcerated mothers; and, in Hampshire County, the Treehouse Foundation’s project, Re-envisioning Foster Care Together. “Collectively, these grantees will help leverage the WFWM’s impact on the lives of women and girls in Western Massachusetts,” Barajas-Román said. “The WFWM will also continue to convene skill-building sessions and support the programming of organizations that work on issues that impact women and girls.” In addition to the financial award, WFWM will invest an additional $20,000 into the partnership by giving each organization the opportunity to nominate its staff, constituents, or board members as participants of the WFWM’s Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI), a program that has equipped 200 women from across the four western counties to become civic leaders in their communities; impact policy on the local, state, and national levels; and seek and retain elected positions. The WFWM is a public foundation that invests in the lives of local women and girls through strategic grant making and leadership development.
 
Tree-planting Program Expands to Chicopee
CHICOPEE — At a tree-planting ceremony at Fredericks Park in Revere, state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton announced an initiative to expand the Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP) to include the cities of Chicopee and Revere. The program, which targets the Commonwealth’s 26 gateway cities, is designed to utilize tree plantings as a way to reduce energy use in urban neighborhoods and lower heating and cooling costs for residents and businesses. “By extending the Greening the Gateway Cities Program to include the communities of Revere and Chicopee, our administration continues its commitment to work closely with cities and towns across the Commonwealth to provide resources that benefit municipalities and improve the state’s environment,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Added Beaton, “increased tree canopy will provide our communities with the first, and best, line of defense from excessive urban summer heat and the biting winds of winter. In addition to benefiting the Commonwealth in terms of energy efficiency, the Greening the Gateway Cities Program will provide the residents of Revere and Chicopee with cleaner air and water, reduced noise pollution, and the beatification of homes and neighborhoods within their community.” With a defined goal of a 10% increase in urban tree canopy in selected neighborhoods within gateway cities, the increase in tree cover is expected to reduce heating and cooling costs in the selected areas by approximately 10%, with an average homeowner saving approximately $230 a year, once the trees reach maturity. Over their lifespan, the trees are expected to lead to $400 million in energy savings for residents and businesses. Aimed at improving the often-low tree canopy found in the Commonwealth’s gateway cities due to their urban character and history of manufacturing, the program’s benefits are not isolated to energy efficiency. By planting trees, communities will see a reduction in stormwater runoff, higher air quality, an increase in property values and tax receipts, and a safer, healthier environment for residents. Under the program, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is spearheading tree-planting efforts and is in the process of planting up to a combined 15,000 trees in Holyoke, Chelsea, and Fall River. Agency staff, working in partnership with local municipalities and grass-roots organizations, have developed a successful approach to planting the number of trees required to have an energy impact, focusing on high-density urban neighborhoods, where planting on average 10 trees per acre will provide benefits to 15 to 25 households. Planting this number of trees will increase canopy by an estimated 1% in eight years, and 10% in 30 years. “The Greening the Gateway Cities Program is not only an important tool in our overall urban forestry plan, but will be an engine for job creation and energy sustainability in these communities,” said DCR Commissioner Carol Sanchez. “DCR is proud to continue the long-standing partnership between the Bureau of Forestry and the cities of Chicopee, Revere, Chelsea, Holyoke, and Fall River. With the help of local community and grass-roots organizations, GGCP will pay dividends in these high-density urban communities where green space is needed most.” To implement the expansion of the Greening the Gateway Cities Program, the DCR will partner with the city governments of Chicopee and Revere and community groups to plant approximately 100 trees this June, and thousands more to come. The program will also benefit the cities’ local economies by creating jobs for residents. DCR will hire local workers for tree-planting teams in each city, and every tree will be purchased from Massachusetts nurseries. “The City of Chicopee greatly appreciates the Commonwealth’s commitment to our city and its neighborhoods by providing us with a number of replacement trees,” said Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos.

State Offices Partner on Financial Education
BOSTON — The state Division of Banks, in partnership with the state Treasurer’s Office, announced the creation of the Financial Education Innovation Fund, which will provide an opportunity for high schools to develop or expand financial-education fairs. These events, most commonly known as Credit for Life fairs, are designed to be a fun and effective way for students to learn about making real-world financial decisions when it comes to saving, spending, and budgeting based on career choices and lifestyle decisions. “I feel strongly that students need to be exposed to financial literacy earlier and more often. We need to teach these skills so they can be used every day, so individuals can make sound financial decisions about their future,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “I am pleased that the Division of Banks is joining the Treasurer’s Office in promoting future Credit for Life fairs.” Massachusetts school districts are not required to teach financial education, and these courses are taught on a voluntary basis. Approximately 50 high schools in the Commonwealth currently offer money-management events to their students. Initially, $50,000 will be allocated to the Innovation Fund from the Division of Banks to support a pilot financial-education program. High schools throughout the Commonwealth that may not otherwise be able to sponsor this type of program may apply for funding to conduct a Credit for Life fair. This financial-education initiative will be funded with monies received by the division in settlement of alleged unlawful lending practices. For the first year, up to 15 schools will be selected to receive funding from the Innovation Fund. Schools must submit a completed application to the Treasurer’s Office by June 30 for consideration of an Innovation Fund award of up to $5,000. Award grantees will be notified in August, and financial-education events will be conducted by Dec. 31. “The Division’s goal of consumer protection goes beyond the implementation and enforcement of laws and regulations,” said John Chapman, undersecretary of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. “It is also our responsibility to provide consumers of all ages the proper information to make wise financial decisions.” The application for the Innovation Fund initiative is available at www.mass.gov/treasury/financial-education/innovation-fund. The Division of Banks is an agency within the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation that oversees state-chartered banks and credit unions, check sellers, debt collectors, foreign transmittal agencies, mortgage lenders, and brokers. For more information, visit www.mass.gov/dob or call (800) 495-2265.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Local law firm, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that partner Steven Weiss has been chosen as a panelist for a Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) seminar about the issues real-estate professionals face when encountering a foreclosure.

“How to Dissect and Scrutinize a Foreclosure” will be held Monday, July 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the MCLE Conference Center located at 10 Winter Place in Boston. The session will also be broadcast live via webcast and recorded for purchase.

The program is designed to help real-estate practitioners and conveyancers better understand changes to case law, statutory enactments and revisions, and regulatory changes that have altered the Massachusetts foreclosure landscape. Attendees will be able to recognize how what they do — or don’t do — at the closing table may come back to haunt them.

The panelists, including Weiss, will focus on how to review documents from a current foreclosure or a foreclosure in your back title to ensure that the appropriate documents are, or have been, obtained. They will also review common pitfalls conveyancers must avoid in closing transactions, as well as the role of the bankruptcy trustee in the foreclosure process.

Topics to be covered include foreclosure checklist, deed in lieu as an alternative to a foreclosure, key court decisions and statutory enactments in the foreclosure world, common title issues that arise during the foreclosure process and how they may be addressed, and the role of the bankruptcy trustee in the foreclosure process. There will be an ‘ask the experts’ question-and-answer session.

The cost of the event is $245 and includes “Massachusetts Mortgages, Foreclosures and Workouts,” a comprehensive, practical guide to the mortgage and foreclosure issues facing Massachusetts attorneys today. Cost for MCLE sponsor members is $220.50. A 50% discount of $122.50 is available for new lawyers admitted to practice after 2012. Attendees can earn up to three CLE credits. To register, visit www.mcle.org/product/catalog/code/2150336P01.

Weiss concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial and consumer bankruptcy, reorganization and litigation. He supervises the firm’s bankruptcy, reorganization, and workout practice, and represents creditors, debtors, and others in both commercial and consumer bankruptcy cases throughout Massachusetts.

Daily News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Based on median age, the U.S. Census Bureau recently reported on which counties in Massachusetts had the oldest populations and which had the youngest. The U.S. median age ticked up from 37.6 on July 1, 2013 to 37.7 on July 1, 2014.

These estimates examine population changes among groups by age, sex, race, and national origin, as well as in all states and counties, between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2014.

The counties in Massachusetts with the highest median age on July 1, 2014 were Barnstable at 52, Dukes at 46.7, and Berkshire at 46.1. This means that half the population was older than this age, and half younger.

The youngest counties — that is, those with the lowest median age — were Suffolk at 32.4, Hampshire at 35.7, and Middlesex at 38.4.

As the nation aged, so did most counties in Massachusetts, with the exception of Norfolk, Essex, Nantucket, Hampden, and Middlesex, where the median age remained the same between 2013 and 2014.

Nationally, non-Hispanic, single-race whites represented the largest group in 2014, at 197.9 million. Hispanics were next, with a population of 55.4 million, followed by blacks, at 45.7 million, Asians (20.3 million), American Indians and Alaska natives (6.5 million), and native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (1.5 million).

In Massachusetts, there were 3,144,704 non-Hispanic single-race whites. Other races, alone or in combination, included 731,206 Hispanics, 639,843 blacks, 475,356 Asians, 69,207 American Indians or Alaska natives, and 14,205 native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders.

Unless otherwise specified, the statistics refer to the population who reported a race alone or in combination with one or more races. Censuses and surveys permit respondents to select more than one race; consequently, people may be one race or a combination of races. The sum of the populations for the five ‘race alone or in combination’ groups adds to more than the total population because individuals may report more than one race.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey filed final regulations on June 19 regarding the new Earned Sick Leave Law that will take effect tomorrow, leaving employers with only eight business days to make payroll and policy changes to stay in compliance of the law.

The final regulations addressed questions about the law’s ambiguities that have been raised throughout the Commonwealth, including several by local employment-law attorney Kimberly Klimczuk, partner at Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. Klimczuk testified before the attorney general during the public hearing in Springfield in May, advocating for employers.

“This public-notice and comment period offered by the attorney general was our opportunity to gain clarity on behalf of employers,” said Klimczuk. “Over the last six months, I have presented to almost a dozen groups of human-resource professionals and clients that had questions not clearly answered within the law or previously issued regulations.”

Klimczuk brought the questions to the attention of the attorney general so that ambiguities could be addressed within the final regulations. The final regulations clarified several issues, such as whether sick leave can be used concurrently with leave taken pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act or other leave laws, whether differential pay would be included in sick pay, and whether policies that condition holiday pay on attendance the day before and the day after the holiday would be acceptable under the non-retaliation provisions of the law.

“I was impressed with how responsive the attorney general and her staff were to employer concerns,” she said. “Many of the issues I raised at the public hearing were explicitly addressed in the final regulations, such as the provision about holiday policies, which was a huge relief to many of my clients. While not everything was resolved in exactly the way we had hoped, in many areas, we at least have the information we need to provide a definitive answer to our clients’ questions.”

Still, given the short period of time between the issuance of the final regulations and the effective date of the law, many employers are scrambling to make the policy changes necessary to come into compliance by the July 1 effective date. To assist employers in this endeavor, Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. attorneys Susan Fentin and David McBride are presenting a seminar this morning on the new Earned Sick Leave Law and the final regulations at the Sheraton Springfield. The firm is also planning a seminar in Worcester, date and time to be announced.