Month: January 2016

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Falcons, in partnership with the Springfield Museums and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, announced Dr. Seuss Night, to be held on Saturday, March 12 against the Portland Pirates at 7 p.m. Dr. Seuss Night and the game will be sponsored by Berkshire Bank.

For the first time ever, Dr. Seuss Enterprises has partnered with the Falcons and the Springfield Museums in presenting this special night to honor Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, who was born and raised in Springfield. The Springfield Museums are preparing to open the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in 2016, an exhibit featuring interactive activities for children and a one-of-a-kind experience that will provide a look at the man behind the drawing board.

“We are excited to partner with the Springfield Museums and Dr. Seuss Enterprises in presenting this special night to honor one of Springfield’s most famous native sons,” Falcons President Sarah Pompea said. “We have been anticipating this night since the summer months and are excited to aid the launching of the new museum in support of a unique family entertainment night around a favorite children’s author.”

The night will include appearances by the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumed characters. In addition, specialty jerseys will be worn by Falcons players and auctioned off, with proceeds donated to the Springfield Museums to help support the creation of the new museum.

“We are thrilled that the Falcons are stepping up in support of our fund-raising campaign,” said Kay Simpson, president of the Springfield Museums. “It’s wonderful to have the support of one our best downtown neighbors.”

Greater Holyoke Chamber Announces Call to Artists for Design Contest

By BusinessWest Staff January 29, 2016

HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce announced an art design contest and invites artists from the Holyoke community to participate. A $300 cash prize will be awarded for the design that best represents the city of Holyoke.

The design will be on display at the chamber’s office and used in all of the chamber’s communication and marketing programs, including print media, online media, merchandise (mugs, T-shirts), signage (posters, banners) and television.

“The chamber has been fostering a sense of community, vitalizing the business district, and advocating on behalf of Holyoke businesses and residents for 125 years,” said Kathleen Anderson, chamber President.

Members of the chamber as well as Holyoke residents are invited to vote for their favorite designs via Facebook and the chamber’s website. Contestants should submit their artwork electronically to the chamber by 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 29 at [email protected]. Design specifications and other contest details are posted on the chamber’s website, holyokechamber.com. The top three designs will be on display at the chamber’s St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, and the winner will be announced on March 17.

Attorney Steven Schwartz Named Distinguished Advisor in Philanthropy

By BusinessWest Staff January 29, 2016

SPRINGFIELD — Local law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that attorney Steven Schwartz is the recipient of the Distinguished Advisor in Philanthropy Award.

The award is presented annually by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts in partnership with the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County and the Pioneer Valley Estate Planning Council. Each year, the award’s recipient may recommend a Hampden, Hampshire, or Franklin county charity of their choice to receive a $1,000 grant. This year, Schwartz has decided to recommend the grant be made to the Children’s Study Home in recognition of its 150 anniversary.

Schwartz concentrates his practice in the areas of family-business planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, and estate planning. His practice involves representation of principals in family-business planning (including exit planning for business owners), representation of individuals and corporations in the purchase and sale of business enterprises, strategic planning for the future of clients’ businesses, and providing advice on alternatives in financing through loans and venture capital.

Schwartz is a graduate of the Boston University School of Law and Babson College. He is regularly selected to both the Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America lists. He is a member of the Hampden County, Massachusetts, and New York State bar associations.

He is also a member of several civic and community organizations, including the William J. Gould Associates Inc. residential therapeutic community, Pioneer Valley Council Boy Scouts of America, Berkshire Hatchery Foundation, Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises, and Family Firm Institute. He previously served as a member of Springfield Technical Community College, major gifts campaign, steering committee; World Affairs Council Inc.; Parents Fund, Rhode Island School of Design (of which he is also a founder); Institutional Advancement Committee, Rhode Island School of Design; Western New England Enterprise Forum (of which he is also a co-founder); Springfield Tax Club; Urban League; Jewish Community Center; and South End Community Center.

“I am deeply humbled to have been selected for this award,” he said. “The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has continued to devote itself to promote charities and nonprofits and has enhanced the quality of life for many people in our region.”

Founded in 1991, the Community Foundation administers a charitable endowment consisting of nearly 600 separately identified funds serving Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties.

Westfield Bank  Grant Proposal Results in Award to Rachel’s Challenge

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank announced that a grant proposal it submitted to the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. Charitable Foundation on behalf of Rachel’s Challenge has resulted in a $2,000 award to that organization.

Rachel’s Challenge provides intervention programs designed to provide a safe, caring, and supporting learning environment and is named in honor of Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. in 1999.

The award will help fund local anti-bullying efforts in the Greater Westfield area, and is in addition to the $3,500 Future Fund grant Westfield Bank awarded Rachel’s Challenge in 2015.

“Bullying, harassment, and violence have no place in society — and especially not in our schools,” said James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank. “This generous grant from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. will help support local anti-bullying initiatives and assist the ongoing efforts of local educators and law-enforcement professionals to provide students with a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment. We are so pleased to have been part of this process.”

Berkshire Community College Welcomes Two New Trustees

PITTSFIELD — Kathleen McCormick and Peter Mirante have been appointed to the Berkshire Community College board of trustees.

McCormick is a partner with McCormick, Murtagh & Marcus, a law firm in Great Barrington. She joined the firm in 2004 and was named partner in 2009. Her focus is on residential and commercial real estate, land use and permitting, construction law, business law, and estate planning. She previously clerked for First Justice David Kopleman in the Norfolk County Probate and Family Court and later served as an associate with the litigation firm Herlihy, Thursby & Herlihy in Boston. She has worked for well-known companies such as the Boston Celtics, the Jane Blalock Co., and Reebok International.

McCormick holds a juris doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. She is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., the Berkshire County Bar Assoc., and the Real Estate Bar Assoc. of Massachusetts. She is dedicated to enriching the lives of disadvantaged youth and is an active community member serving on boards of numerous charitable organizations.

Mirante, who has worked in the banking industry for more than 20 years, is senior vice president of Branch Administration at Greylock Federal Credit Union in Pittsfield. He joined Greylock in 1998 and has served in numerous management positions. Prior to joining Greylock, he worked for Patten Corp. and then Berkshire Bank.

Mirante holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the former North Adams State College. He has a long history of community service and currently serves on the boards of the Northern Berkshire United Way, Berkshire Family & Individual Resources, Berkshire Compact for Education, and North Adams Parks & Recreation.

Darlene Rodowicz, who was recently reappointed board chair by Gov. Charlie Baker, noted that “the new board members bring a wealth of knowledge from their respective roles in the community. We are happy to have them join the BCC board of trustees as we continue to advance the mission of the college.”

Free Public Wi-fi Announced for Downtown Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Domenic Sarno and Chief Development Officer Kevin Kennedy announced upgrades to Springfield’s downtown technology infrastructure. The initiatives include providing free public wi-fi access beginning in the downtown area this spring, then expanding to other areas of the city, including public parks.

Working with city partners, the initiative will also bring high-speed fiber into buildings, which will provide the growing entrepreneurship sector with quicker, cost-effective, easier-to-access technology.

“Springfield has a history of innovation,” Sarno said. “These investments will keep us competitive in the market to attract entrepreneurs and to assist those here today in continuing to grow. This will also serve as a matter of convenience for residents and tourists who will be able to access Internet in our parks and public spaces.”

The initial investment will range between $50,000 and $100,000 and will ensure free wi-fi access throughout downtown.

The investment comes on the heels of the city’s announcement of a National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC) award, part of which will dedicate funding to a pair of key innovation projects in the district: DevelopSpringfield’s Springfield Innovation Center and an IT workforce-training program through Tech Foundry. Funding is expected to be $300,000 for each project.

All of these activities fall in the city’s Transformative Development Initiative district, a designation the city applied for and was awarded through MassDevelopment, which has since provided staff, an equity investment, and technical and financial assistance as the Worthington Street master plan continues to advance.

“This has all been part of a dedicated planning process to establish an innovation district in our downtown,” Kennedy said. “The private and nonprofit sectors have been doing their share in creating a great deal of excitement with programming; these key city infrastructure investments will only help further these efforts. It’s been a great partnership.”

Florence Bank Television Ad Earns Top-20 International Ranking

FLORENCE — Florence Bank, a mutually owned savings bank serving the Pioneer Valley through nine branch locations, has earned a spot on the Bank Innovation website for creating one of the 20 best banking videos of the year.

The commercial was produced by Sean Tracey Associates, Florence Bank’s advertising agency of record for the past three years and a key contributor to the bnk’s rebranding campaign.

As one of Bank Innovation’s top 20 video ads of the year, the Florence Bank commercial is in good company with banks from around the world, including such high-profile institutions as Capital One, PayPal, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, American Express, JP Morgan Chase, Lloyds Bank, Ally Financial, Bank of Scotland, Bank of Ireland, and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

The Bank Innovation website was launched in 2009 and is produced by Royal Media, a media company that has served the financial industry since 1995. Bank Innovation tracks and encourages innovative banking worldwide.

According to Sean Tracey, principal of Sean Tracey Associates, the 30-second video was a follow-up to a commercial produced two years ago in which local talent danced to the beat of Florence Bank’s theme music, titled “Always.” That year, professional singers were used on the music tracks.

“Since that was a hit market-wise, we thought it would be a great idea to follow up the dancing commercials with a series of singing commercials,” said Tracey. “Since the bank’s customer base is full of talented artists and musicians, we felt we could use all local singers, performing the bank’s theme music in their own style.”

The singing styles featured in the video range from country and jazz to pop and rock, with the 10 performers showcased culled from close to 50 who auditioned. Casting and pre-production spanned three months, with post-production and editing taking another month. Photography was shot over a two-day period on the Academy of Music stage in Northampton.

Music producer and writer Dan Serafini, a long-time friend of Tracey’s, produced the music for the ad.

“It was a dream-team production experience and extremely rewarding. As far as we know, this concept has not been done before, much less by a local bank — it was bold and daring,” Tracey said, thanking Monica Curhan, the bank’s senior vice president and marketing director, and President and CEO John Heaps Jr. “for their immense bravery and trust in our team to do something truly innovative and allow us to push the creative envelope. I think it paid off in spades.”

Heaps added, “we are thrilled at the attention our latest television spot is receiving and feel honored that it has earned a spot on the Bank Innovation website. We thank Sean Tracey Associates for their vision and remarkable work and also our talented customers for their contribution to this award-winning video.”

New Co-working Space Seeks ‘Parent-preneur’ Scholarship Applications

HADLEY — With the grand opening approaching for Cultivate and Nest, an innovative co-office space in Hadley that incorporates on-site child care, local entrepreneur Terra Missildine has designed a scholarship contest for what she calls ‘parent-preneurs,’ or parents who are entrepreneurs.

The winner of the contest will be granted a six-month membership to the co-office space; the nominee will be revealed at the grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 13. Missildine, the founder of Cultivate and Nest, plans to continue accepting nominations until Monday, Feb. 8.

Individuals must be nominated in writing by someone other than themselves. Nominations should be e-mailed to [email protected], and each must include a description of the individual, why they need the membership, and why they deserve the opportunity.

The cluster of offices dedicated to Cultivate and Nest are located on the first floor in the Hadley Crossing business park, with 1,650 square feet dedicated to Cultivate and Nest members. There is space for four dedicated desks with other work areas that will be rented on a ‘use as you need’ basis. Members will pay in cost tiers that range from $100 to $600 per month, depending on amenities and level of office access.

The grand opening will be held in the space in an all-day event on Feb. 13 that will also mark the 10th anniversary of Beloved Earth, the green cleaning business Missildine owns with her husband, David. Networking events will be held at 9 a.m., and the Beloved Earth celebration will be held from 1 to 5 p.m.

The grand opening event is co-sponsored by the Missildines and Lydia Irons, owner of the Flexible Farmer massage company and a Cultivate and Nest member.

Children are encouraged to attend the event. The ‘kid’s space’ at Cultivate and Nest will be staffed that day by an early-childhood care specialist, who will be available going forward from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so members and clients alike can bring their children to work.

Missildine explained that the idea to develop Cultivate and Nest came to her more than two years ago as a way to build a support system for working parents. “You shouldn’t have to choose between growing your business and being a great parent.”

Contest nominees will also have the chance to win other prizes, including an invitation to share their business story on the Cultivate podcast and website, and free day passes. In addition to the scholarship contest, Cultivate and Nest is offering charter pricing on memberships until the grand opening on Feb. 13. New members also have the opportunity to gift a free membership to anyone they choose, provided they are a good fit for the Cultivate community.

PeoplesBank Announces Nine Promotions, Appointments

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank announced the promotions and appointments of nine associates.

Matthew Bannister has been appointed to vice president, corporate responsibility. He possesses more than 30 years of brand management and corporate social-responsibility experience. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from UMass Amherst. His prior experience includes advertising, public relations, and event marketing for top advertising agencies and major nonprofit organizations.

Paul Hillsburg has been promoted to vice president, PeoplesFinancial and Insurance Services. With more than three decades of financial, sales, and business-development experience, he first joined the bank in 2008 and previously served as assistant vice president, PeoplesFinancial and Insurance Services. He holds an associate degree in business management from Springfield Technical Community College. He holds Series 7 and Series 66 licenses.

Kristen Hua has been promoted to vice president, secondary market. She possesses more than a decade of banking experience. She first joined the bank in May 2001 and previously served as assistant vice president, secondary market. She holds an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree from Providence College. She also is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies.

Craig Kaylor has been appointed to vice president, compliance. He brings more than a decade of banking and financial experience to his new position, where he will be responsible for overseeing all compliance regulations and policies. He holds a juris doctor degree from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and a bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany, SUNY.

Denise Lamory has been promoted to vice president, commercial loan administration. She possesses close to four decades of banking experience. She first joined the bank in August 1976 and previously served as assistant vice president, commercial loan administration. She holds several business and financial certificates from the Western Massachusetts Institute of Management Education Inc. and Holyoke Community College.

Trisha Leary has been promoted to vice president, internal control. She possesses more than a decade of financial experience. She first joined the bank in 2013 and previously served as risk oversight officer. She holds a master’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

Karen Sinopoli has been appointed to vice president, controller. She brings a decade of banking and audit experience to her new position, where she will be responsible for maintaining and supervising the financial record of the bank in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. She holds a master’s degree in accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at the UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Pennsylvania State University.

Donna Wiley has been promoted to vice president, regional manager. She possesses close to four decades of banking experience. She first joined the bank in 1979 and previously served as assistant vice president, regional manager. She holds an associate degree in business administration from Holyoke Community College and graduated with honors from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. School for Financial Studies.

Brian Rheaume has been promoted to assistant vice president, information technology. He possesses more than a decade of information-technology experience. He first joined the bank in 2002 and previously served as information technology officer supervisor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Westfield State University and is an A+ certified professional IT technician.

Brew Practitioners to Host Book Launch with Jim P. Spencer on Jan. 30

FLORENCE — Brew Practitioners announced it will host the launch of the book Family Lies, the second book in the Seven Knights series, written by Florence author Jim P. Spencer. The event will be held at Brew Practitioners’ brewery and taproom located at 36 Main St., Florence, on Saturday, Jan. 30 from 1 to 3 p.m.

WNEU School of Law to Host Open House Jan. 30

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University School of Law will host prospective students at an open house on Saturday, Jan. 30 from noon to 3:30 p.m. at the Blake Law Center. This free event is open to the public, but advance registration is encouraged. To register or for more information, call (800) 782-6665 or (413) 782-1406, or e-mail [email protected].

The open house will feature tours of the Blake Law Center conducted in small groups by current students, discussions about how to apply to and pay for law school, a mock law class conducted by a faculty member, and sessions on lawyering in law school. There will also be opportunities to speak informally with professors, students, and admissions officers.

Western New England University School of Law offers both full-time and part-time programs leading to the juris doctor (JD) degree, along with six dual-degree programs: a JD/MBA, a JD/MSA, a JD/MRP (with UMass Amherst), a JD/MSW (with Springfield College), a JD/MSOL, and a JD/MSEM. The School of Law also offers a master of laws degree in estate planning and elder law, and a master of science degree in estate planning and elder law.

Developers Ramp Up Plans at Historic Court Square Building

Commercial Real Estate Sections

A Changing Vision

Long touted as the potential site of a boutique hotel, the historic building at 13-31 Elm St., bordering Springfield’s Court Square, is now the focus of a different vision, due to MGM Springfield’s own hotel plans. Peter Picknelly’s OPAL Real Estate Group now sees the property as a mixed-use center for retail, office space, and market-rate housing, and is working with the city to make the $40 million project a reality — and yet another key element to Springfield’s downtown revival.

When Kevin Kennedy talks about the potential of the long-vacant building on Elm Street, across Court Square from City Hall, he doesn’t consider it in a vacuum, but as one more complementary piece in the evolving story of Springfield’s downtown.

“What’s important about downtown, if you look at a three- to five-year window, you should have a really vibrant, entertainment-centric complex with MGM Springfield, more market-rate housing, along with a first-class intermodal transportation complex at Union Station, and hopefully new east-west rail at some point. We’re really talking about a completely different dynamic downtown,” said Kennedy, the city’s chief development officer.

He was speaking specifically of how a planned rehabilitation of 13-31 Elm St. into a mixed-use center for retail, office space, and residential units will create added vibrancy in a central business district which will be anchored by Union Station to the north and MGM to the South.

“This is a key project in the city,” said Chris Moskal, executive director of the Springfield Redevelopment Authority (SRA), which owns the building. “When you look at Union Station and its reputation, and this building and its reputation, they’re amazing anchors to both sides. We’re moving forward, but we’ve got to put together a tremendous amount of financing in order to accomplish what will be a $40 million project.”

OPAL Real Estate Group, which has been the SRA’s preferred developer on the project since the summer of 2011, had originally wanted to convert the property to a boutique hotel, a project OPAL President Peter Picknelly’s father had advocated before his death in 2004.

But MGM Springfield changed its casino design four months ago, nixing a planned, 25-story hotel at 73 State St. and replacing it with a six-story hotel at Main and Howard streets — a location the casino operator had planned to develop market-rate housing, a requirement of its host-community agreement with Springfield.

So MGM was forced to look off site to develop market-rate housing, and has since been in talks with OPAL about some kind of partnership at the 13-31 Elm St. property. The plan that has emerged calls for retail space on the ground floor, office space on the second floor, and 56 units of market-rate housing on the top four floors.

“For the past four years, OPAL has done due diligence in terms of structural analysis and historical analysis of both buildings, and also a hazardous review based on age, asbestos, lead paint — all those issues have already been addressed professionally,” Moskal said. “They’ve looked at what kind of scenarios might work, not only financially but in terms of fitting into the downtown.”

Chris Moskal, left, and Kevin Kennedy say 13-31 Elm St. can be as much of an anchor for Springfield’s downtown as Union Station a few blocks north.

In his conversations with the SRA, Picknelly has said he wants to complement what’s already happening downtown,” Moskal relayed. “He sees the value of having the retail on the first floor; there was a unique mix there before — a snack bar, a barber shop, a jewelry shop on the corner. He feels those first two floors of retail and office space are an easy sell. And he also feels that 56 units of market-rate housing will have some charm and appeal for people.”

Those might include older people looking to downsize or young professionals drawn to the possibility of living in an entertainment center. The units will be rentals, not condos, because of requirements involved in using historic or new-market credits.

“We think they have some great ideas,” Moskal added, “and, again, it’s going to complement what we already have and not duplicate what’s across the street.”

Life and Work

As part of its mission, the SRA acquires buildings bedeviled by urban blight and sells them to developers looking to bring them back to life.

In 2009, Springfield took ownership of 13-31 Elm over delinquent taxes and called for requests for proposals, eventually awarding preferred-developer status to OPAL in July 2011. Since proposing the market-rate-housing piece, OPAL has partnered with Winn Development, one of the region’s leaders in housing development, to move the effort forward. That’s a positive, Moskal said, “given their history, not only with residential rehabilitation, but for using historic types of buildings in their projects.”

The property also includes the adjoining 3-7 Elm St., the oldest mercantile building in the city. The estimated $40 million development cost would include no new parking structure, just surface parking behind the buildings.

“They’ve been talking to MGM to contribute to the project,” Moskal said of OPAL. In addition, they have, over the past four years, already secured money in tax credits. They’ve qualified the property for $8 million in federal tax credits and already received $2.6 million in state historic tax credits. They are moving toward this year, applying for new-market tax credits, which, in a project of this magnitude and complexity, they feel they need. In addition, further down the line, [Picknelly] would like to talk to the city about tax-increment financing while under development.”

Click HERE to download a PDF listing of area commercial properties

Kennedy compares the effort to the city’s $88.5 million project to overhaul the long-dormant Union Station into an intermodal transportation center that will, hopefully, revitalize the area surrounding Springfield’s famous Arch. This multi-phase endeavor entails both new construction — especially a six-level parking garage and adjacent bus terminal — and historic renovation of both the station’s interior and exterior.

“In some ways, I compare [Elm Street] to Union Station in terms of the difficulty of rehabbing an old, historical building,” Kennedy said. “I would also compare it to the importance of Union Station in a sense, right in the city of Springfield’s town square and across the street from the $950 million MGM complex.”

This rendering shows OPAL’s vision for converting 13-31 Elm St. into a bustling, mixed-use complex.

However, it also comes with the same complexities Union Station has, he added. “It’s very difficult to do a rehab of that building that age, but you have to stay with it because it’s so important. With a mix of 35,000 square feet of commercial space, that’s really good for the downtown. It doesn’t dramatically affect the supply of commercial space downtown in terms of putting too much commercial space in. But it does finish a large swath of the central business district.”

City on the Rise

Kennedy said Picknelly believes the market-rate units will be an easy sell at this time in Springfield’s history.

“And we agree with him,” he went on. “We also recognize it will take a while to put all the tax credits together necessary for the project.”

When MGM announced last fall that a skyline-level hotel would no longer be part of its project, city officials were taken aback, and some residents felt like the company was scaling back its commitment to the city. But MGM Springfield President has since made an effective argument that bringing the hotel — with fewer stories but the same number of rooms — closer to the casino will be a net positive. Moving market-rate housing to 13-31 Elm may turn out to be another plus, Kennedy said.

“We would really like to position ourselves as an entertainment capital of Western Massachusetts at least, and also an innovation center for Western Massachusetts,” he said, positioning the city center as a destination where people will want to live and start businesses, and Court Square project fits into that vision. “Springfield’s host-community agreement with MGM also contains new policing strategy downtown, 15 new police officers, cruisers, surveillance cameras, new lighting downtown … we’re moving on all of this in a holistic, strategic way.

“The hard part,” Kennedy added, “is that all these fairly complex moving pieces have to work in relation with each other.”

If Union Station can come to life, Moskal added, there’s no reason why 13-31 Elm St. shouldn’t do the same.

“We started Union Station with $3 million, and have been begging, applying, doing anything we can get to where it is today, finally underway,” he told BusinessWest. “I see [Elm Street] as a private-sector Union Station project.”

In short, he concluded, “this is the right time for this project. Coming at the end of Union Station, we are thrilled with it.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.

His Career Has Been All About ‘Embracing the Challenge’

Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.
Leah Martin Photography

Since taking office back in January 1975, Michael Ashe has spent roughly 15,000 days as sheriff of Hampden County.

The one everyone remembers was that Friday in October 1990 when he led what amounted to an armed takeover of the National Guard Armory on Roosevelt Avenue in Springfield. It was mounted in response to what Ashe considered dangerous overcrowding at the county jail on York Street, built in 1886 to house a fraction of the inmates he was hosting at the time.

The incident (more on it later) garnered headlines locally, regionally, and even nationally, and in many ways it finally propelled Hampden County’s commissioners to move toward replacing York Street — although nothing about the process of siting and then building the new jail in Ludlow would be considered easy.

While proud of what transpired on that afternoon more than 25 years ago, Ashe, now months away from retirement, hinted strongly that he would much rather be remembered for what transpired on the 14,999 or so other days. These would be things that didn’t land him on the 5 o’clock news, necessarily (although sometimes they did) — but did succeed in changing lives, and in all kinds of ways.

Summing up that work, he used the phrases “embracing the challenge” and “professional excellence” for the first of perhaps 20 times, and in reference to himself, his staff, and, yes, his inmates as well.

Elaborating, he said professional excellence is the manner in which his department embraces the challenge — actually, a whole host of challenges he bundled into one big one — of making the dramatic leap from essentially warehousing inmates, which was the practice in Hampden County and most everywhere else in 1974, to working toward rehabilitating them and making them productive contributors to society.

This philosophy has manifested itself in everything from programs to earn inmates a GED to the multi-faceted After Incarceration Support Systems Program (AISSP), to bold initiatives like Roca, designed to give those seemingly out of options one more chance to turn things around.

Slicing through all those programs, Ashe said the common denominator is making the inmate accountable for making his or her own course correction and, more importantly, staying on that heading. And the proof that he has succeeded in that mission comes in a variety of forms, especially the recently released statistics on incarceration rates in Hampden County.

They show that, between September 2007, when there were 2,245 offenders in the sheriff’s custody — the high-water mark, if you will — and Dec. 31, 2015, the number had dropped to 1,432, a 36% reduction.

Some of this decline can be attributed to lower crime rates in Springfield, Holyoke, and other communities due to improved policing, but another huge factor is a reduction in the number of what the sheriff’s office calls “recycled offenders” through a host of anti-recidivism initiatives.

Like the Olde Armory Grille. This is a luncheon restaurant and catering venture (a break-even business) operated by the Sheriff’s Department at the Springfield Technology Park across from Springfield Technical Community College, and in one of the former Springfield Armory buildings, hence the name. It is managed by Cpl. Maryann Alben, but staffed by inmates engaged in everything from preparing meals to cashing out customers.

‘Bill’ (rules prohibit use of his last name) is one of the inmates currently on assignment.

He’s been working on the fryolator and doing prep work, often for the hot entrée specials, and hopes to one day soon be doing such work in what most would call the real world, drawing on experiences at the grille and also while working for his uncle, who once owned a few restaurants.

He said the program has helped him with fundamentals, a term he used to refer to the kitchen, but also life in general.

“I went from being behind the wall to being out in the community,” he said. “And now I’m into the community.”

Bill’s journey — and Ashe’s life’s work — are pretty much defined by something called the “Hampden County Model: Guiding Principles for Best Correctional Practice.”

There are 20 of them (see bottom), ranging from No. 4: “Those in custody should begin their participation in positive and productive activities as soon as possible in their incarceration” to No. 15: “A spirit of innovation should permeate the operation. This innovation should be data-informed, evidence-based, and include process and outcome measures.”

But it is while explaining No. 2 — “Correctional facilities should seek to positively impact those in custody, and not be mere holding agents or human warehouses” — that Ashe and his office get to the heart of the matter and the force that has driven his many initiatives.

“It is a simple law of life that nothing changes if nothing changes,” it reads.

By generating all kinds of change, especially in the minds and hearts of those entrusted to his care, Ashe is the epitome of a Difference Maker.

Coming to Terms

Sheriff

The old and the new: above, Mike Ashe at the old York Street Jail, which was finally replaced in the ’90s with a new facility in Ludlow, bottom.

Ashe told BusinessWest that, when he first took the helm as sheriff in 1975, not long after a riot at York Street, he was in the jail almost every day, a sharp departure from his current schedule.

Perhaps the image he remembers most from those early days was the white knuckles of the inmates. They were hard to miss, he recalled, as the prisoners grasped the bars of their cells, an indication, he believed, of immense frustration with their plight.

“There was a great deal of tension, and you see it in those knuckles.” he said. “Inmates had a lot of time on their hands; people were just languishing in their cells. I think the only program they had at the time was a part-time education program conducted with the Springfield School Department, an adult basic-education initiative. That was it, and it was only part-time.”

Doing something about those white knuckles has been, in many ways, his personally written job description. As he talked about everything involved with it, he spent most of his time and energy discussing how one approaches that work, using more words that he would also wear out: ‘intensity’ and ‘focus.’

Together, those nouns — as well as the operating philosophy “firm but fair, and having strength reinforced with decency” — have shaped a remarkable career, one that he freely admits lasted far longer than he thought it would when he took out papers to run for sheriff early in 1974. It’s been a tenure defined partly by longevity — since he was first elected, there have been seven U.S. presidents (he had his photo taken with one — Jimmy Carter); eight Massachusetts governors (nine if you count Mike Dukakis twice, because he had non-consecutive stints in office); and eight mayors of Springfield — but in the end, that is merely a sidebar.

So too, at least figuratively speaking, are the takeover of the Armory and the building of a new Hampden County jail, although the former was huge news, and the latter was a long-running story, as in at least 20 years, by most accounts.

Recalling the Armory seizure, Ashe said it was a back-door attempt — literally, the sheriff’s department officials gathered at the front door while the inmates were brought in through the back — to bring attention to the overcrowding issue, because all other attempts to do so had failed to yield results.

“We were trying to get people to listen, because it was clear to us that they weren’t listening,” he explained. “We went to the Armory that Friday afternoon and basically evoked a law that went back to the 1700s. Getting into the building was key; once we did that, we knew we’d get everyone’s attention.”

No, the sheriff’s story isn’t defined only by the Armory takeover or his long tenure. It involves how he spent his career working to give his staff less work to do — or at least fewer inmates to guard.

To explain the philosophy that has driven the many ways Ashe has worked to lessen that workload, one must go back to guiding principle No. 2.

“If incarceration is allowed to be a holding pattern, a period of suspended animation, those in custody are more likely to go back to doing what they have always done when they are released,” it reads, “because they will be what they have always been. The only difference may be that they have more anger and more shrewdness as they pursue their criminal career.”

Elaborating on what this principle and the others mean in the larger scheme of things, Ashe said most inmates assigned to his care have been given sentences of seven to eight months. Relatively speaking, that’s a short window, but it’s an important time. And what the sheriff’s office does with it — or, more importantly, what that office enables the inmate to do with it — will likely determine if the individual in question becomes one of those recycled offenders.

So we return once more to the second principle for insight into how Ashe believes that time should be spent.

“Most inmates come to jail or prison with a long history of social maladjustment, carrying a great deal of baggage in the form of histories of substance abuse; deficits in their educational, vocational, and ethical development; and disconnectedness to the mores and values of the larger community,” it reads. “Given the time and resources dedicated to corrections, it is absolute folly in social policy not to seek to address these deficit areas that inmates have brought to their incarceration.”

And address them he has, through programs that have won recognition nationally, but, more importantly, have succeeded in bringing down the inmate count by reducing the number of repeat offenders.

Sentence Structure

As he talked about these programs, Ashe began by offering a profile of his inmates, one of the few things that hasn’t changed much in 40 years.

“Roughly 90% come there with drug or alcohol problems,” he explained. “You’re looking at a seventh-grade education, on average; 93% of them lack any kind of marketable skill; and 70% of the people are unemployed at the point of arrest.

“Everyone knows that, in the state of Massachusetts, no one just happens to end up in jail — they land there after a long period of what I call irresponsible behavior,” he went on, adding that, likewise, no one just happens to correct that behavior and rehabilitate themselves.

Instead, that comes about by addressing those gaps he mentioned, or doing something about addiction, the lack of an education, the shortage of marketable skills, and the absence of a job.

In a nutshell, this is what the sum of the programs Ashe and his staff have created — both inside and outside the prison walls — is all about.

“What I’m most proud of, I think, is that we never waved at those gaps,” he told BusinessWest. “We put together strategies to deal with these issues.”

And as he likes to say — in those principles, or to anyone who will listen — re-entry to society begins on the first day of incarceration.

That’s when an extensive, seven- to 10-day orientation program and testing period begins, one designed, as Ashe said, to let staff “get to know the inmate — let’s find out who this guy is.”

Such steps are important, he went on, because even amid all those common denominators concerning education, addiction, and lack of job skills, there is still plenty of room for individualization when it comes to correctional programs.

Orientation is then followed by a mandatory transitional program, during which the sheriff says he’s trying he capture the inmate’s heart and mind. Far more times than not, he does, although sometimes it’s a struggle.

And as he said, the work has to begin immediately.

“I didn’t want them to languish,” he explained. “In years past, we would have programs, but they would have a beginning and an end, so you had waiting lists; to get into the GED program would take three weeks, to get into anger management would take four weeks, and I didn’t want that.

“If they come in and just languish in a cell for four, five, or six weeks, I’ve lost them,” he went on. “The subculture wins out — the inmates take over.”

There are always those reluctant to enter the mandatory transition program, the sheriff noted, adding that these individuals are sent to what’s known as the ‘accountability pod,’ a sterile environment where there are fewer rights and privileges. In far more cases than not, time spent there produces the desired results.

“Inevitably, what happens is, at the end of two to four weeks, they say, ‘Sheriff, I get it,’” Ashe told BusinessWest. “They say, ‘this is a coerced program … mainstream me; I’ll go to your programs.’ Not all the time, but a lot of the time, inmates will look back and say, ‘Sheriff, I’m glad you forced me to go through this.’”

Elaborating, he said ‘this’ is the process of addressing the various forms of baggage identified in principle 2 — addiction, lack of education, and a lack of job skills. Initiatives to address them include intense, 28-day addiction-treatment programs; GED classes; an extensive vocational program featuring graphics, welding, carpentry, food service, and other trades; and more.

Many of those who take part in the culinary-arts program will then move on to work at the Olde Armory Grille, an example — one of many — of how the work that begins inside the walls can lead to a productive life when one moves outside those walls.

Indeed, roughly 80% of the women who work in various capacities at the grille — and statistics show women enter the county jail with even fewer marketable skills than men — are finding work in the hospitality sector upon release, said Ashe.

To find out how that specific program works, and how it exemplifies all the programs operated by the Sheriff’s Department, we talked to Alben and Bill.

Food for Thought

The grille, which opened its doors in 2009, is in many ways an embodiment of that line explaining principle 2 regarding change. Indeed, there was a good deal of apprehension about this initiative at first, the sheriff recalled, adding that those attitudes had to change before the facility could become reality.

Over the years, it has become one of the most visible examples of the Sheriff’s Department’s focus on providing inmates with a fresh start — and a popular lunch spot for the hundreds of employees at the tech park and the community college across Federal Street.

Sheriff Ashe with Maryann Alben, catering and dining room manager at the Olde Armory Grille.

The restaurant is designed to provide real work experience and training for participants returning from incarceration as they re-enter communities, said Alben, adding that it involves inmates from the Ludlow jail, the Western Mass. Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee, and the Western Mass. Correctional Alcohol Center. These are inmates in what is known as ‘pre-release,’ meaning they can leave the correctional facility and go out into the community and work.

When asked what the program provides for its participants, who have to survive a lengthy interview process to join the staff, Alben didn’t start by listing cooking, serving, making change, or pricing produce — although they are all part if the equation. Instead, she began with prerequisites for all of the above.

“Self-esteem is huge,” she said. “When most women come in here, they have slouched shoulders … many of them have never had a job before,” she explained, adding that this is reality even for individuals in their 40s or 50s. “You bring them in here, and you try to build them up. Some of them will catch on sooner than others; some of them worked in restaurants way back when.

“We help them understand how to work with customers and leave the jail behind them,” she went on, adding that inmates don’t often exercise their people skills inside the walls, but must hone those abilities if they’re going to make it in the real world.

And many do, she went on, adding that there are many employers within the broad restaurant community who are able and, more importantly, willing to take on such individuals.

In fact, roughly 87% of those who take part are eventually placed, usually in kitchen prep work, she said, a statistic that reflects both the need for good help and the quality of the program.

Bill hopes to be a part of the majority that uses the grille as an important stepping stone.

“This is the next step in getting back into the community 100%,” he explained. “Not only with getting up early with a job to go to five days a week, but in the way it prepares me mentally and fundamentally for the next step into the real world.”

Such comments explain why an inmate’s final days at the grille involve more emotions than one might expect.

Indeed, the end of one’s service means the beginning of a new and intriguing chapter, which translates into happiness tinged with a dose of apprehension. Meanwhile, there is some sadness that results from the end of friendships forged with customers who frequent the establishment. And there is also gratitude, usually in large quantities.

“We’re giving them a chance to prove themselves,” said Alben. “And when they leave here, most of all them will say, ‘thank you for believing in me.’”

If they could, they would say the same thing to Sheriff Ashe. He not only believed in them, he challenged them and held them accountable, a real departure from four decades ago and what could truly be called white-knuckle times.

No Holds Barred

When asked what he would miss most about being sheriff of Hampden County, Ashe paused for a moment to think back and reflect.

“I think I would have to say that it’s the challenges, embracing the challenges,” he said one last time. “I’ll miss the work of recognizing the problems that our society faces and trying to come up with solutions.”

That answer, maybe as much as anything that he’s done over the past 41 years and will do over the next 11 months, helps explain why Ashe will be remembered for much more than what happened at that National Guard Armory.

And why he’s truly a Difference Maker.

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

Guiding Principles of Best Correctional Policy

(As developed by the Hampden County Model, 1975-2013)

1. Within any correctional facility or operation, there must be an atmosphere and an ethos of respect for the full humanity and potential of any human being within that institution and an effort to maximize that potential. This is the first and overriding principle from which all other principles emanate, and without which no real corrections is possible.

2. Correctional facilities should seek to positively impact those in custody, and not be mere holding agents or human warehouses.

3. Those in custody should put in busy, full, and productive days, and should be challenged to pick up the tools and directions to build a law-abiding life.

4. Those in custody should begin their participation in positive and productive activities as soon as possible in their incarceration.

5. All efforts should be made to break down the traditional barriers between correctional security and correctional human services.

6. Productive and positive activities for those in custody should be understood to be investments in the future of the community.

7. Correctional institutions should be communities of lawfulness. There should be zero tolerance, overt or tacit, for any violence within the institution. Those in custody who assault others in custody should be prosecuted as if such actions took place in free society. Staff should be diligently trained and monitored in use of force that is necessary and non-excessive to maintain safety, security, order, and lawfulness.

8. The operational philosophy of positively impacting those in custody and respecting their full humanity must predominate at all levels of security.

9. Offenders should be directed toward understanding their full impact on victims and their community and should make restorative and reparative acts toward their victims and the community at large.

10. Offenders should be classified to the least level of security that is consistent with public safety and is merited by their own behavior.

11. There should be a continuum of gradual, supervised, and supported community re-entry for offenders.

12. Community partnerships should be cultivated and developed for offender re-entry success. These partnerships should include the criminal-justice and law-enforcement communities as part of a public-safety team.

13. Staff should be held accountable to be positive and productive.

14. All staff should be inspired, encouraged, and supervised to strive for excellence in their work.

15. A spirit of innovation should permeate the operation. This innovation should be data-informed, evidenced-based, and include process and outcome measures.

16. In-service training should be ongoing and mandatory for all employees.

17. There should be a medical program that links with public health agencies and public health doctors from the home neighborhoods and communities of those in custody and which takes a pro-active approach to finding and treating illness and disease in the custodial population.

18. Modern technological advances should be integrated into a correctional operation for optimal efficiency and effectiveness.

19. Any correctional facility, no matter what its locale, should seek to be involved in, and to involve, the local community, to welcome within its fences the positive elements of the community, and to be a positive participant and neighbor in community life. This reaching out should be both toward the community that hosts the facility and the communities from which those in custody come.

20. Balance is the key. A correctional operation should reach for the stars but be rooted in the firm ground of common sense.

Mike Balise (1965-2016)

His Legacy of Generosity, Inspirational Living Will Carry On

Mike Balise, September 2015

Kathleen Sullivan was doing fine, talking in calm, measured — you might even call them precise — tones about Mike Balise and his many forms of support for the Homer Street School, which she serves as principal, until…

Until the conversation turned to the events of last fall — specifically, Mike’s latest, but certainly not last, gesture regarding what has become known simply, and famously, as the ‘coat thing.’ That’s when the dam holding back the emotions broke.

And with very good reason.

To explain, one needs to go back two more Octobers. That’s when Mike first entered the Homer Street School as a celebrity reader with the Link to Libraries program. As he walked down the main hallway, he noticed a number of winter coats, department-store tags still on them, hung on hooks along one wall.

Upon asking what this was all about, he learned that many students’ families cannot afford winter coats, so the school has long been proactive in soliciting donations of coats and money to buy more. But need had traditionally exceeded supply, he was told.

According to Homer Street School lore, Mike then asked what he could do to help close the gap, and soon commissioned a check for $2,000 — much more than was requested.

A year later, and a few weeks after he was diagnosed with incurable stomach cancer, Mike was back at the school — to read and present another $2,000 check for coats. And last October, after already living longer than his doctors told him he probably would, he was back again, to read and do a lot more than cover another year of coats.

“He said to me, ‘I might not be here next year, but those kids will be here, and some of them will need coats, so I want to give the students at Homer Street School $2,000 for an additional five years,’” said Sullivan, her voice cracking before she had to stop for a minute and compose herself. “And later, he wrote me an e-mail a few days before he passed away to thank me for an inspirational message I had sent to him, and for allowing him to be part of something special here at the school.

“That’s the kind of person he was,” she went on. “He was always thinking of others and how he could help, even while battling cancer.”

The coat thing is one very literal example of how Mike’s generosity, his ability to make a difference, will live on long after his passing. There are many others, from the donation the Balise company made to the expansion of the Sister Caritas Cancer Center in Springfield, to his work supporting efforts to assist autistic children and their families (one of his daughters has autism).

Mike Balise began his relationship with Homer Street School as a celebrity reader with Link to Libraries; it soon evolved into much more.

Indeed, Mike made Community Resources for People with Autism, an affiliate of the Assoc. for Community Living, the primary beneficiary for those wishing to honor him following his death. Jan Doody, the recently retired executive director of the center, said it’s far too early to know how the funds received in Mike’s memory will be used, but she does know they will certainly advance the agency’s mission for years to come, and help fill recognized gaps in support for individuals with autism.

While effectively filling such gaps is certainly one reason to call Mike a Difference Maker, another was the inspiration he provided to those across the area through the courageous manner in which everyone says he fought cancer and the death sentence he was given.

Everyone, that is, except his brother, Jeb, who took a departure from the rhetoric that usually accompanies such a battle, and offered a different, quite profound take on what went down over the 15 months after Mike was diagnosed.

“What he did, and I think he did it better than most people in that situation, is that he didn’t really battle cancer,” Jeb explained. “What he did was focus on positive things, enjoying life, and making a difference.

Jeb Balise says his brother, seen here with his family, didn’t battle cancer; rather, he fought to get the most out of every day.

“His battle was making sure that he got the most out of every moment, and not allow himself to fall into the trap of ‘how much longer do I have?’ and ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” he went on. “He had one very bad day, as I recall, but otherwise he did an amazing job of focusing on life, not his condition. And that’s what I mean when I say that he didn’t really fight cancer.”

By focusing on life, not only for those 15 months after his diagnosis, but for all 50 of his years, Mike Balise remains an inspiration to all those who knew him. For that reason, and for spending much of that time devoted to finding ways to help others, he was — and indeed always will be — a true Difference Maker.

Warm Feelings

Mike died early in the evening on Dec. 23, roughly a week after entering hospice care, and several days into Homer Street School’s two-week winter break.

Thus, the staff at the facility didn’t have a chance to collectively grieve until a meeting after school let out on Jan. 4, their first day back. It was an emotional session, said Sullivan, noting that there was literally not a dry eye in the room. People shared their thoughts on the many ways he supported the institution, she went on, and initiated talks on how best to honor him.

A statue of a man reading a book to children — a non-personalized model that Sullivan had seen on some Internet sites — was one early proposal, but the concept now gaining serious traction is a plan to name the school’s library after him.

That would certainly be fitting, because although he actually read to students there only a few times, Homer Street, a nondescript school in the city’s Mason Square neighborhood that opened its doors in 1896, and is thus the city’s oldest elementary school, has become a kind of symbol of Mike’s work within the community.

The building itself is slated to be replaced over the next few years, said Sullivan — work to identify a site in the area, near American International College, is ongoing — and there will very likely be a new name as well.

But the ‘coat thing’ and the way in which Balise attached himself to the needs of the students at the school will long outlive both the man and the structure.

Indeed, in many ways, his work there epitomizes not just what he did, but how, and the enthusiasm and tireless energy he brought to such endeavors, said Susan Jaye-Kaplan, co-founder of Link to Libraries (LTL) — she was among BusinessWest’s first Difference Makers in 2009 in recognition of her efforts — and a self-described friend of Mike’s.

Upon that first visit to Homer Street School in late fall 2013, she recalled, he adopted the facility in a manner that went well beyond reading on the rug at the front of a third-grade classroom.

“He told me that he would read at other schools over the course of the year,” she said, “but he said, ‘I have to go to Homer Street in the fall for the coats.’”

And the need for such items there was acute, as poignantly explained by Nancy Laino, the school’s instructional reading specialist, who was happy to use the past tense as she talked.

“Kids wouldn’t come to school when it was very cold outside because they didn’t have a coat,” she told BusinessWest. “And sometimes, two siblings would share a coat; one would come to school one day, the other would come the next day.”

This reality explains why teachers would pitch in money themselves and work with a host of service agencies to purchase coats — and why Mike saw several along the wall of the main hallway on his first visit to the facility.

But, eventually, his commitment to the school went behind the coat thing. Indeed, last fall, Mike told Jaye-Kaplan he wanted Balise to sponsor the school as part of LTL’s Business Book Link program. She told him it already had a sponsor, albeit one on a one-year contract, a reply that drew a response she said she won’t ever forget.

“He said, ‘I don’t care if there’s six sponsors at Homer Street; we want to sponsor them,’” she recalled. “He said it had nothing to do with the coats, that they would take care of themselves. He said the company wanted to sponsor a school and he would have members of his team read there.”

And this aggressive form of attachment to a cause was hardly isolated, she went on, using the word ‘humble’ and ‘committed’ frequently as she talked about him.

“When he saw a need, he was always quick to act,” Jaye-Kaplan recalled. “There was no hesitation, and he always followed through. When he said he was going to do something, you could count on him to do it.”

Wear There’s a Will…

Mike Balise, second from left, presents a check to Community Resources for People with Autism to, from left, James Foard Jr., former president of the board of directors of the Assoc. for Community Living, parent of Community Resources; Jan Doody, recently retired director; Nancy Farnsworth, educational advocate; and Kaitlyn Holloway, projects manager.

Such character traits explain why, even though the Balise company’s many and diverse philanthropic efforts were and are undertaken by a team, and Mike was simply a part of that team, he nonetheless stood out when it came to work in the community, said Jeb.

He was, in most respects, the face of the company — even if it was his voice, heard on countless Balise radio commercials, that most people knew, Jeb went on. But his work at Homer Street School and many other places went well behind that.

“When Mike saw the ability to make a meaningful difference, he would step in and do it,” Jeb explained, adding that his contributions often came with causes that fell between the cracks, groups that could use his organizational — and entertainment — skills, and with filling gaps in funding.

He cited a number of examples, starting with the many requests the company receives for donations of vehicles to help individuals, families, or nonprofits in various types of need. Summing up the corporate response to such requests, he said there are many social-service agencies that, among their many other responsibilities, handle such matters, and Balise will step in only if such needs can’t be met through such channels.

“There are so many great services that will handle such requests,” he explained. “It takes time, there’s bureaucracy, and you have to go through paperwork, but there are agencies that meet these needs. If we believed the system provided for these people, we would tend to say ‘no.’

“But quite often, Mike would give a vehicle to a person who didn’t fall into any of those categories,” he went on. “It would be a mom whose husband died … she had four kids … one of the kids has a job but now he’s going to lose his job because he has no transportation to it, that kind of thing. It was people like this, people who fell under the radar screen, that he sought to help — and he helped a lot of them.

“That’s what Mike was good at — finding people who really needed the help,” Jeb continued, adding that one of the causes he attached himself to years ago was autism.

This work has taken many forms, from working with his friend Doug Flutie to stage a free-throw-shooting competition at the Basketball Hall of Fame to raise money for Flutie’s foundation, which assists those with the condition, to taking an autistic child to visit New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick last fall.

But the main beneficiary (literally and figuratively) of his time, talents, and desire to help was Community Resources for People with Autism.

Founded in 1989 by a group of parents with autistic children, this state-funded organization, as the name suggests, is focused on providing resources to a host of constituencies. These range from individuals diagnosed with the condition to their families to the school systems tasked with providing them with an education.

The resources provided by the Easthampton-based agency, one of seven across the state with the same mission, vary as well, from information and referrals to a resource library; from training and education to educational advocacy.

It is with the last item on that list that Mike (whose family received various forms of support from the agency), acting as part of that aforementioned team at Balise, decided to step in and fill another critical gap.

Indeed, educational advocacy, which involves guiding parents though the individualized education program (IEP) and special-education processes, is the only service not funded by the state. But it’s something many parents need, said Doody, adding that it is very difficult for them to articulate and then fight for all the services their child needs and is entitled to.

“It’s hard for a parent to know how the law works, let alone possess the negotiating skills needed, to advocate for their child in front of school officials,” she explained, adding that Nancy Farnsworth, the agency’s educational advocate, has both parts of the equation covered.

The rate for her services generally runs about $45 per hour, although there is a sliding scale, Doody went on, noting that families sometimes need help meeting such costs. Various forms of support have been secured over the years, she explained, but, as with the coats at Homer Street School, there was a gap between need and the help available.

“Sometimes we would try to divert some of our fund-raising toward that project and cobble money together somehow,” she told BusinessWest. “But it was always underfunded.”

It was roughly 16 months ago, or just after Mike was diagnosed with stomach cancer, that the Balise company was first approached by the agency about helping to close that gap.

The $20,000 the company eventually donated last fall — Mike presented the ceremonial check at one of the company’s dealerships — will provide scholarships and assistance for roughly 10 to 15 families, said Doody, making this a substantial gift that will have a lasting impact.

The same can certainly be said for Mike’s decision to name the agency his beneficiary of choice.

“We were surprised but very pleased that they chose Community Resources as the beneficiary,” she said. “Knowing how many people he was connected to and the many ways he was involved in the community, this is a real honor, and I’m imagining that a lot of people will want to remember him with a gift.”

Doody placed herself in that category, noting that she dropped off a check in Mike’s name early this month.

She said it certainly isn’t known yet how her gift and all the others will be put to use by the agency to support its mission. But there is already some sentiment toward using at least a portion of those funds to expand the educational-advocacy program — Farnsworth currently works part-time — and provide more help to those who need such services.

If that is what transpires, it will be just one example of how Mike and the Balise company will be closing gaps long after his passing.

Clothesing Thoughts

There is just one coat hanging in the hanging in the hallway at Homer Street School, said Principal Kathleen Sullivan, because everyone who needs one has one.

Today, there is just one winter coat, a large blue one with gold accents, hanging in the main hallway at Homer Street School, just a few feet from a large collection of hats, mittens, and gloves.

And it’s been there for a while, said Sullivan, adding that this is because every student who needs a coat has one, a departure from years past.

Mike Balise saw to it that this was the case, and he will continue to see to it, even though his fight with cancer has ended.

This is an example of how his work as Difference Maker continues to live on. And there are many more where that came from.

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

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Changing Lives, One ‘Little,’ One ‘Big’ at a Time

From left, David Beturne, Danielle Letourneau-Therrien, and Renée Moss.
Leah Martin Photography

Angela Smith-LeClaire was relatively young (age 8) when she became involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) as what that organization calls a ‘little.’

So the memories of her time spent with Lisa, who spent five years as her ‘big,’ are scattered, somewhat selective, and certainly not as complete as she would like. She admits, with some embarrassment in her voice, that she knows she and Lisa went to one of the organized events staged by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County years ago, but couldn’t say exactly when, where, or even what it was.

What she clearly remembers, though, and always will, are the dinners she shared at the home of Lisa and her husband, and the air of stability that warmed the room, something decidedly missing from her own home, where alcoholism was taking a heavy toll on day-to-day life.

What she remembers also is at some point making a kind of pledge — that one day she would seek to bring that same sense of stability to a young girl who lacked it in her life. That day came a few months ago, not long after Smith-LeClaire and her husband, Anthony, purchased a home in Millers Falls.

Angela Smith-LeClaire fulfilled a promise she made to herself years ago by becoming a big sister to Abby.

Today, following a lengthy matching process, she is the ‘big’ for Abby, whose family life has been scarred by drug addiction. And one of the things they share is dinner in Angela’s home. They’ve also gone bowling, made Christmas cookies and tree ornaments, cooked a Thanksgiving turkey, and gone on lengthy walks with Angela’s dog, Cooper.

And only three months into this relationship, she feels comfortable saying that it is more — in every sense of that word — than she imagined it could be all those years ago.

“Abby has brought so much joy into my life, and I get so excited being able to hang out with her, knowing that there’s so many things she hasn’t done so far in her life,” she said. “I want to bring some joy into her life, because she’s already bringing a lot of happiness to me.”

Scott Howard can relate.

His story is somewhat different, but there are several common threads between his, Angela’s, and that of almost everyone who becomes a ‘big.’

Scott Howard, seen here with Noel, or ‘Macho,’ as his friends call him, wonders why he waited so long to become a big brother.

Now serving as associate dean of students at Amherst College, Howard was in another job and another life situation years ago, when he first started thinking about becoming a ‘big.’ He decided that he should wait until a time when he could better handle what he thought would be a huge time commitment.

Now, five years into his relationship with Noel, or ‘Macho,’ as his good friends (including Howard) call him, he’s wondering why he waited so long. He could have had perhaps a few more years enjoying a friendship he described thusly: “Let me put it this way: I’m not close to getting married, but if I was, Macho would be one of the groomsmen.”

Like Howard, Brian Ortiz said he’s long thought of becoming a big brother, and the time became right this past fall, soon after he became residence director at Magna Hall at American International College.

He said his own brother is 13 years older than he is, and thus was not around when he was growing up. Ortiz said he had plenty of mentors, though, and has long desired to become one himself as a way of giving back. Today, he’s the ‘big’ to Desmond, and believes he’s getting at least as much out of this relationship as his ‘little.’

“It’s been a great experience for me, and I think it’s been the same for him,” he explained. “I honestly didn’t think I’d be as involved in it as I am; I enjoy serving as a role model.”

The tireless work of generating these kinds of matches is what BBBS has been all about since 1904. It is an assignment replete with a host of challenges, from the increasingly daunting task of finding young men willing to be ‘bigs’ to raising the money needed to make and administer the matches.

Brian Ortiz says there are many rewards that come with being a role model for Desmond.

The three area chapters have responded to those challenges with creativity and determination, and the fruits of their efforts can be seen in the photos that accompany this story. They depict bigs and littles sharing time and enriching one another’s lives.

And as you read how the three chapters make it all happen, it will become clear why they were chosen as Difference Makers for 2016. But in a way, all those involved with this nonprofit are making a difference — from the corporations and schools that support the organization to the local offices that create the matches; from the mentors who provide stability to those being mentored, who provide their ‘big’ with friendship and so much more.

It’s All Relative

In many ways, Howard’s story represents about the best kind of PR that BBBS could ever hope for.

Indeed, he is a young male professional, the type of individual that this organization has struggled to recruit in adequate numbers since day one; recruiting women is also a challenge, but less so than men. Also, he throws a large bucket of cold water on the argument that young people don’t have time to be a mentor — for whatever reason — or often need to wait until a better, more stable time in their lives to take part.

Not only that, when he talks about his experiences with Macho, he says things like this: “I don’t feel like I’m doing service; I just feel like I have a friend who is a really good friend, with whom I do a lot of things that my other friends don’t do. I get to be with someone who brings a lot to my life, helps me feel young, and gives me a perspective on the world that I would never see otherwise.”

And the story just keeps getting better from a PR perspective. Indeed, it drives home the point that poverty and struggling families are harsh realities in every community, even one named Paradise City, which both Howard and Macho call home.

“He and I live half a mile from each other, but it’s like our worlds couldn’t be more different,” Howard explained, adding that this experience opened his eyes to that other world as much as it has opened Macho’s — and both individuals are wiser and better for it.

But convincing more people like Howard to become ‘bigs,’ and persuading all young professionals that they’re not too busy to change a child’s life, are only a few of the myriad challenges that BBBS chapters around the world — and in the 413 area code, for that matter — face as they attempt to secure proper matches.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been making fulfilling matches since 1904.

Susan-(Big)-and-Juleima-(Little) In rural Franklin County, statistically the most impoverished county in the Commonwealth, for example, basic transportation is an issue, said Danielle Letourneau-Therrien, executive director of that office, noting that, once outside Greenfield, mass transit is hit or miss at best. Meanwhile, reliable Internet service, something most now take for granted in Greater Springfield, is a foreign concept in places like Rowe, Heath, Charlemont, and Ashfield, a fact of life that often makes it difficult to communicate with ‘bigs’ and ‘littles’ alike.

These two factors, among others, makes the process of enrolling families and creating matches more time-consuming and more complicated, because BBBS has to go to those families, instead of the families going to BBBS.

Still another obstacle is the loss of a number of manufacturers in the region, which moved south or offshore. These large employers were financial supporters of BBBS, and their workforces were solid sources of ‘bigs.’

“Over the past 15 or 20 years, we’ve lost access to people at many workplaces — companies that were run by someone who lived locally. You could say, ‘I need to see the boss,’ and they’d let you in,” she said. “It’s different now, and I think the people who work in those places don’t have the time, like they did years ago, because the world is crazy and life is busy.”

Meanwhile in Hampshire County, as mentioned earlier, it’s often a challenge simply to convince young professionals that there is a need for big brothers and big sisters on that side of the ‘Tofu Curtain,’ a region known for its colleges, arts, restaurants, and trendy downtowns, but where poverty and troubled young people can certainly be found, and without looking very hard.

“One of my challenges is making sure people understand what life feels like for those in our community who are living with a lot of invisibility,” Renee Moss, director of CHD/Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, explained. “A lot of families and kids are marginalized in their own communities — they’re isolated and very invisible. The reality is that places like Amherst and Northampton have these apartment complexes on the periphery of Main Street and what appear to visitors to be these hip, trendy downtowns.

“For our kids who live in Florence Heights in Northampton, most of them have never been to the city’s downtown,” she went on. “They have no sense of entitlement in their own community; in Amherst, 50% of the kids entering school have free or reduced lunches. The poverty is there, but the towns manage to keep it pretty invisible. Things are not what they seem.”

And in Hampden County, well, the overwhelming issue has been, and always will be, need and meeting it, said David Beturne, executive director of that office, adding that it handles two of the state’s most impoverished cities — Springfield and Holyoke — as well as two of its wealthier communities, Longmeadow and Wilbraham, and the need for ‘bigs’ exists at both ends of the spectrum.

That’s because the issues that create need for big brothers and big sisters, including everything from incarceration to opioid abuse; from bullying to alcoholism, don’t discriminate along family-income levels, he told BusinessWest.

And his county, like the others, is dealing with the loss of some major employers over the past few decades, as well as an ongoing spate of mergers and acquisitions that have left fewer businesses in the hands of local ownership that lives in the communities being served by BBBS.

Thus, need has always exceeded not only the supply of ‘bigs’ in the pipeline, but the ability to simply make more matches because of budget and, therefore, staffing constraints.

“I can’t match any more kids than I’m currently matching at the pace I am, because my staff would kill me right now,” Beturne said, noting that, even if he could find an adequate number of willing ‘bigs,’ he simply doesn’t have the infrastructure to coordinate matches.

“You can’t just say to someone like me, ‘go match 20 more kids than you’re already serving,” he went on. “Our product, the end product, is our match, but we’re not selling a product. Instead, we’re changing lives; that takes money, time, patience, and creating effective matches, not just more of them.”

On to Something Big

Meeting need and overcoming this large assortment of challenges requires persistence, imagination, and relationship-building skills — in equal quantities. And because they’ve been able to display those qualities on a consistent basis, and literally change lives in the process, the three chapters can definitely be considered Difference Makers.

The persistence is required because the need never stops. It is, as all three directors indicated, a constant, because there will always be young people who lack stability and a role model in their lives. And imagination is necessary for that same reason, but also because need doesn’t come in one flavor — and, as Bertune said, BBBS isn’t focused on simply making matches; it’s dedicated to making matches that work.

As for relationship building, it goes hand-in-hand with the first two components in the equation and goes a long way toward explaining how that mission is accomplished.

Examples of imaginative response and relationship building can be found with each area office.

In Hampshire County, for example, there is an initiative that matches young people who have been adopted with students at UMass Amherst who were adopted, the only such program of its kind in the country, said Moss, adding that it was conceptualized out of both need and a valuable resource at UMass — the Rudd Adoption Research Program, which is affiliated with the Center for Research on Families.

“The Amherst schools had identified this as a need because a lot of their kids were adopted,” she explained. “They were seeing these students start to have a lot of issues once they reach middle school, and they reached out to see if there was something we could do to address that specific need.”

The initiative is simply one example of how the Hampshire County BBBS works to tap what is easily that region’s best asset, its colleges — specifically, in this case, UMass, Amherst College, and Smith College.

“We don’t really have a corporate base, so probably 50% of our mentors are college students,” Moss explained, adding that some take part in the traditional community-based model of service, while others are involved in site-based programs on the campuses.

“In Hampshire County, a lot of our ‘littles’ come from families where no one has ever graduated from high school, let alone gone on to college, and they’re growing up in the shadows of higher ed,” she explained. “So, once a week, the school bus drops them off on the campus, where they meet their big brother or big sister, use the facilities on campus — the basketball court or the pool, for example — and then they’ll get together as a group and have dinner in the dining halls.

“We’ve had kids say, ‘I’m going to college here because the food is great,’” she went on. “That’s a very specialized program for us because we’re using a tremendous resource that we have.”

Similarly, the Franklin County chapter has tapped into its respected private schools, Deerfield Academy and Northfield Mount Herman School in Gill, for mentors, said Letourneau-Therrien.

A modified but still strenuous screening procedure is used in the matchmaking process, she said, noting that these students, roughly halfway through their junior years when the matches start, are still teenagers for the most part.

The ‘bigs’ and ‘littles’ meet on Friday nights, use the facilities at the school, and eat in the dining commons, she explained, adding that the institutions have been involved for many years, and the ratio of men to women who take part is far better than that in the so-called real world.

And in Hampden County, that office has met that aforementioned enormous need through a host of partnerships, with large corporations like MassMutual and colleges such as Bay Path University. But even with those more traditional relationships, there are unique twists.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been changing lives for all those involved in their programs.

Indeed, MassMutual’s program, called Pathways, which involves employees across a host of departments mentoring students from Putnam and Sci Tech high schools, has its own spinoff.

“Those high-school students receiving mentorship from a MassMutual employee are turning around and being mentors at STEM Academy,” he explained. “It’s a sort of third-generation thing going on, where high-school students are mentoring fifth-graders, because that transition from middle school to high school is extremely difficult; it’s been identified as a case where it’s not a matter of ‘when you get to high school, are you dropping out,’ it’s ‘are you getting to high school.’

“So who better to share that experience and tell people what it’s like than someone who’s being mentored, and someone who’s also in high school?” he went on. “So that’s working out very well for us.”

The fruits of all this persistence, imagination, and relationship building are the matches themselves, which are the real story at BBBS and the most visible manner in which it is making a difference. And our three stories are perfect examples.

The ‘Little’ Things

Macho is one of those young people from Florence Heights who hadn’t seen downtown Northampton — until he became matched with Scott Howard.

And making that introduction, if you will, is only one of the ways Howard says he’s been able to broaden the horizons of his mentee and take him well beyond his historic but impoverished neighborhood — literally and figuratively.

As he listed them, he started with hiking and mountain climbing, two of his passions, as was explained to Macho by those who made the match between the two.

“So the first time I met him, he was trying to be cool, trying to impress me, trying to get me to think he was cool — and he is cool, so it worked,” Howard recalled. “So I said, what are you into?’ He said, ‘climbing mountains.’ When I asked him where he likes to go, I thought he was going to say, ‘something in the [Holyoke] range’ or ‘Mount Sugarloaf.’ Instead, he pointed to the snowbank at the end of his street and said, ‘I climb that mountain every day.’”

Their first official time out together was spent on the Mount Sugarloaf access road in South Deerfield, which was an eye-opening experience for Macho, to say the least.

“He didn’t know that kind of thing existed, let alone was right in our own backyards,” said Howard. “That was not a life experience that he had.”

Generating new life experiences, for both the ‘big’ and ‘little,’ is just part of what the program is all about. There’s also that stability factor that Smith-LeClaire mentioned, as well as that role-modeling work that Ortiz described.

Indeed, while Ortiz has taken Desmond to Interskate 91 and to see Goosebumps, and plans to take him to see The Force Awakens — he needs to see the first six Star Wars movies himself first so he can understand what’s going on — he’s also taken him to the art museum and the library, and lent a hand with homework.

“I think one of the biggest things is trying to be a good role model,” he said. “I enjoy helping him with homework, and teaching him little things here and there about reading, writing, and math, and also class behavior, how to take notes, and things like that.”

And while that constitutes a learning experience for Desmond, it’s the same for Ortiz, who said he’s learned a lot about himself and the fine art of giving back through this process. In the meantime, he’s doing a lot of the things he didn’t get to do as a kid.

As for Smith-LeClaire, when asked if she thought she was providing Abby with that same calm, stable environment that Lisa gave her, she said simply, “I hope so.”

Elaborating, she said that Abby’s mother’s wish is that this experience with BBBS helps her child “act like a kid,” said Smith-LeClaire, adding that she sees a lot of herself in her mentee and can associate with every experience and emotion she’s witnessed.

“In a lot of ways, I can relate to Abby because I grew up with an alcoholic parent and a really unstable environment,” she noted. “I know what her personality is like, and I want her to be able to have fun with me, but also feel close enough to me to talk about things I can relate to and have a different perspective on than other people.

“For kids who are going through a lot in their lives, having that stable environment is really important,” she went on. “If I can help provide her with that, then I’m doing something very worthwhile.”

A World of Difference

Continuing his unofficial role as BBBS pitchperson, Howard said that, if the program were to “somehow evaporate tomorrow,” he and Macho would still be good friends and still hiking on Mount Sugarloaf together.

Perhaps there’s no better testimony to the power of these matches and what they bring to both parties involved. As Howard said, it’s not about service, it’s about making a friend — one who would be standing next to him the day he got married.

It’s also about bringing stability into lives where that precious commodity is in short supply — as Lisa brought to Ashley, and Ashley now brings to Abby 20 years later — and about opening eyes and experiencing different worlds.

That’s why all those involved with making matches like those described here are true Difference Makers.

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

Carol Leary, President of Bay Path University

This Inspirational Leader Isn’t in the Community; She’s of the Community

Carol Leary, President of Bay Path University
Leah Martin Photography

Carol Leary says the executive search firms, the headhunters, don’t call very often any more. In fact, she can’t remember the last time one of them did.

She still gets e-mails gauging her interest in various positions, but they’re almost always of that variety that goes out to hundreds, if not thousands, of people. “Are you interested in, or would you care to nominate someone for, the job of president of ‘fill-in-blank college’” is how they usually start.

But not so long ago, Leary, who took the helm at Bay Path University in Longmeadow in late 1994, was getting calls all the time, most of them related to attractive opportunities within the broad realm of higher education. She declined to get into specifics, but said one of them was “very, very flattering.”

Still, it met with the same response as all the others — no response.

When asked why, Leary offered an answer that went on for some time. Paraphrasing that response, she said she was in a job — and in a community — that she was very committed to. And she had, and still has, no intention of leaving either one.

“Noel and I are not dazzled by big or prestigious; we’re dazzled by mission, vision, and making an impact,” said Leary, referring to her husband of 43 years. “We really love this community. We think you can make an impact here; you can make a difference.”
And the evidence that she has done just that is everywhere.

It is in every corner of the Longmeadow campus, starting with the brick sign at the front gate, which declares that this nearly 120-year-old institution, once known as a junior college, is now a university.

Carol Leary is where she always is — the middle of things — after a recent Bay Path commencement exercise.

It also exists in the many other communities where Bay Path now has a presence, including Springfield, where the school located its American Women’s College Online in a downtown office tower in 2013, and East Longmeadow, where it opened the $13.7 million Phillip H. Ryan Health Science Center a year ago.

It’s also on the recently unveiled plaque at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts at the Quadrangle, the one that reads ‘The Carol and Noel Leary Gallery of Impressionist Art’ in recognition of their $300,000 contribution to that institution, which Noel has served as a board member for many years.

And, in a way, it’s in virtually every business and nonprofit in the region — or, to be more specific, any organization that has sent employees to the Women’s Professional Development Conference, which Leary initiated amid considerable skepticism (even at Bay Path) soon after her arrival.

When the conference was first conceptualized, organizers were hoping to draw 400 people; 800 turned out that first year. Today, the event attracts more than 2,000 attendees annually, and over the years it has welcomed keynoters ranging from Margaret Thatcher to Barbara Walters to Maya Angelou.

But Leary is best known for the turnaround story she is very much still writing at Bay Path, a school that was struggling and suffering from declining enrollment when she arrived.

Over the past two decades, she has led efforts that have taken that enrollment from just under 500 to more than 3,000 when all campuses and all programs, including online offerings, are considered. When she arrived, the school offered 14 associate degrees and three baccalaureate degrees; now, it offers 62 baccalaureate degrees and 20 graduate and post-graduate degrees.

In 2015, for the second year in row, the Chronicle of Higher Education included Bay Path on its list of the fastest-growing baccalaureate colleges in the country, and just a few months ago, Leary and Bay Path were ranked 25th in the 2015 ‘Top-100 Women-led Businesses in Massachusetts’ compilation sponsored by the Boston Globe and the Commonwealth Institute.

The sign at the main entrance explains just how far Bay Path has come under Carol Leary’s stewardship.

Such growth and acclaim didn’t come overnight or very easily, said Leary, who attributed the school’s success to vision, assembling a focused, driven team (much more on that later), and a responsive boards of trustees — all of which have facilitated effective execution of a number of strategic plans.

“Let’s see … there was Vision 2001, and 2006, and 2011, which we had to redo halfway through because of the crash, so there was 2013, and Vision 2016, which ends in June, and then we just launched Vision 2019,” she said, adding that she would like to be around for its end.

“I’ll do it only as long as my board wants me and the faculty and staff feel I can be effective as their leader,” she explained. “And as long as I can get up every day and say ‘wow, it’s great to go to work today.’”

She’s said that since day one, and it’s an attitude that only begins to explain why she’s a Difference Maker.

Making a Course Change

Leary told BusinessWest that, with few exceptions, all of them recently and schedule-related, she has interviewed the finalists for every position on campus, from provost to security guard, since the day she arrived on campus, succeeding Jeanette Wright, who passed away months earlier.

And there’s one question she asks everyone.

She wouldn’t divulge it (on the record, anyway) — “if I did, then someone might read this, and then they’d be prepared to answer it if they ever applied here” — but did say that it revealed something important about the individual sitting across the table.

“To me, that’s the most important part of any CEO’s job — the hiring of the individuals who will be working in the organization,” she explained. “Beyond the résumé and the skill set, I dig a little deeper. And my question tells me what that person cares about; it tells me what motivates them.”

The practice of interviewing every job finalist — but not her specific question of choice — was something Leary took with her from Simmons College, where she spent several years in various positions, including vice president for Administration and assistant to the president, the twin titles she held at the end of her tenure.

But that’s not all she borrowed from that Boston-based institution. Indeed, the Women’s Conference was based on an event Simmons started years earlier, and Leary has also patterned Bay Path’s growth formula on Simmons’ hard focus on diversity when it comes to degree programs.

She applied those lessons and others while undertaking a turnaround initiative at Bay Path that almost never happened — because Leary almost didn’t apply.

“I sent in my letter of interest and résumé on the last day applications were due,” she told BusinessWest, adding that she was encouraged to apply by others who thought she was ready and able to become president of a college — especially this one — but very much needed to be talked into doing so.

“I was nominated for this job — I wasn’t even looking for a presidency,” she went on, adding that, while she had her doctorate and “six years in the trenches,” as she called it, she wasn’t sure she was ready to lead a college. “I loved Simmons, I loved my job, I loved the mission, and I loved working in Boston; it was great.”

It was with all that love as a backdrop that she and Noel, while returning to Boston from a vacation in Niagara Falls that August, decided to swing through the Bay Path campus to get a look at and perhaps a feel for the institution. Suffice it to say they liked what they saw, heard, and could envision.

Indeed, what the two eventually found beyond the idyllic campus located in the heart of an affluent Springfield suburb was a college that possessed what Leary described using that time-honored phrase “good bones.”

And by that, she meant that it still had a sound reputation — years earlier, it was regarded as one of the top secretarial schools in the Northeast, if not the country — and, perhaps more importantly, a solid financial foundation upon which things could be built.

“I knew that Bay Path had been challenged with a decrease in its enrollment over several years,” she recalled. “But all the presidents had kept the institution financially strong; they kept deferred maintenance down, and the endowment was healthy for such a small school of 500 students. I looked at their programs, and I saw the challenges they were facing. But I looked at the balance sheet, and we both said, ‘we can see ourselves here; this has incredible potential as a women’s college.’”

When asked about those struggles with enrollment, Leary said they resulted in part from the fact that there was declining interest in women’s colleges, fueled in part by the fact that most every elite school in the country was by that time admitting women, giving them many more options. But it also stemmed from the fact that Bay Path simply wasn’t offering the products — meaning baccalaureate and graduate degrees — that women wanted, needed, and were going elsewhere to get.

So she set about changing that equation.

But first, she needed to assemble a team; draft a strategic plan for repositioning the school; achieve buy-in from several constituencies, but especially the board of trustees; effectively execute the plan; and then continually amend it as need and demand for products grew.

Spoiler alert (not really; this story is well known): she and those she eventually hired succeeded with all of the above.

To make a long story short, the college soon began adding degree programs in a number of fields, while also expanding geographically with new campuses in Sturbridge and Burlington, and technologically. It’s been a turnaround defined by the terms vision, teamwork, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Milestones along the way include everything from the establishment of athletics (there are eight varsity sports now) to the first graduate-degree program (Communications and Information Management), launched in 2000, a year ahead of schedule; from the introduction of the innovative One-Day-a-Week Saturday College to those new campuses; from the launching of the American Women’s Online College to the school’s being granted status as a university in 2014.

Add it all up, and Leary and her staff have accomplished the mission she set when she arrived — to make Bay Path a destination.

That’s a great story, but the better one — and the reason why all those executive search firms were calling her — is the manner in which all this was accomplished.

Study in Relationship Building

And maybe no one can explain this better than Caron Hoban.

She didn’t work directly with Leary at Simmons — they were assigned to different campuses but served together on a few committees — but certainly knew of her. And when Leary went to Bay Path, Hoban decided to follow just a few months later.

“I knew her a little bit, and I was looking to make my next move just as she had been made president at Bay Path; they had a position open, and I applied for it,” said Hoban, who now holds the position of chief strategic officer.

When asked to summarize what Leary has accomplished at the school and attempt to put it all in perspective, Hoban obliged. But is doing so, she focused much more on how Leary orchestrated such a turnaround and, perhaps even more importantly, why.

And as she articulated these points, Hoban identified what she and others consider Leary’s greatest strengths — listening and forging partnerships.

“One of her greatest gifts is relationship building,” Hoban explained. “So when she came to Bay Path and the Greater Springfield area 21 years ago, she really committed to not just learning more about the college, but really understanding the whole region. She met with hundreds and hundreds of people and just listened.

“At my first meeting with her, she said, ‘what I’ve really been trying to do in my early days is listen to people and understand what the college needs and what the region needs,’” Hoban went on, adding that from this came the decision to create a women’s professional conference modeled on the one at Simmons, and a commitment to add graduate programs in several areas of study.

“She knew that the way to grow the campus and move from 500 students, which is what we had when she arrived, to the 3,000 we have now is by adding master’s-degree programs,” Hoban went on. “And these came about by her going out and listening to what the workforce needs were in the community.”

But Hoban said Leary’s listening and relationship-building talents extended to the campus community, the people she hired, and her own instincts, and this greatly facilitated what was, in every aspect of the word, a turnaround that was critical to the school’s very survival.

In 2007, President Leary welcomed poet, author, and civil-rights activist Maya Angelou to the Women’s Leadership Conference.

Indeed, in 1996, Leary recalled, she essentially asked the board for permission to spend $10 million of the $14 million the school had in the bank at the time over the next several years to hire faculty, add programs, and, in essence, take the school to the next level.

“I remember the conversations that were had around the table, and there was one member of the board, the chair of the academic committee, who said, ‘if we don’t do this, there might not be a future for Bay Path,’” she recalled. “I recommended that we make that investment — it had athletics in it, the Women’s Leadership Conference, and much more; that was Vision 2001.”

As it turned out, she didn’t have to spend all the money she asked for, because those degree programs added early on were so successful that revenues increased tremendously, to the point where the school didn’t have to take money out of the bank.

Looking back on what’s transpired at Bay Path, and also at the dynamics of administration in higher education, Leary said turning around a college as she and her team did is like turning around an aircraft carrier; in neither case does it happen quickly or easily.

In fact, she said it takes at least a full decade to blueprint and effectively execute a turnaround strategy, and that’s why relatively few colleges fully succeed with such initiatives — the president or chancellor doesn’t stay long enough to see the project to completion. And, inevitably, new leadership will in some ways alter the course and speed of a plan, if not create their own.

But Leary has given Bay Path not one decade, but two, and she’s needed all of that time to put the school on such lists as the Chronicle of Higher Education’s compilation of fastest-growing schools.

In keeping with her personality, Leary recoils when a question is asked with a tone focusing on what she has done. Indeed, she attributes the school’s progression to hiring the right people and then simply providing them with the tools and environment needed to flourish.

“I got up every day and knew I had to hire the best possible staff, people who believed in the mission,” she recalled. “And when people ask why Bay Path has been so successful, I say it’s because I hired the right people at the right time, and they just threw themselves into their jobs.”

While giving considerable credit to those she’s interviewed and hired over the years, Leary saved some for Noel and his willingness to share what she called “an equal-opportunity marriage.”

Elaborating, she said she agreed to uproot and follow him to Washington, D.C. and a job in commercial real estate there decades ago, and he more than reciprocated by first following her to Boston as she took a job at Simmons, then making another major adjustment — trying to serve his clients in the Hub from 100 miles away — when she came to Bay Path. He did that for more than a decade before retiring and taking on the role of supporting her various efforts.

“Noel has been a tremendous, tremendous support to me,” she explained. “He basically said, ‘this is an important job, I love what you’re doing, and I enjoy being a part of it.’”

And she implied that what he meant by ‘it’ was not simply her work at the campus on Longmeadow Street, but her efforts well outside it. They are so numerous and impactful that Hoban chose to say that Leary isn’t in the community, “she’s of the community.”

And perhaps the best example of that has been the women’s conference and how the region’s business community has embraced it.

Learning Curves

Dena Hall says it’s a good problem to have. Well … sort of.

There are more people at United Bank, which Hall serves as regional president, who want to go to the conference than the institution can effectively send.

Far more.

And that has led to some hand-wringing among those administrators (like Hall) whose job descriptions now include deciding who gets to go each spring and who doesn’t.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we have too many who want to go — we just can’t accommodate everyone, because we can’t have 50 current or emerging leaders out of the company at one time,” she explained. “So we’ve put it on each of our managers to identify one or two women in their business line who they believe should attend the conference and who will really benefit from what they see and hear.”

But these hard decisions comprise the only thing Hall doesn’t like about the women’s conference, except maybe finding a parking space that morning. That, too, has become a challenge, but, for the region as a whole, also a great problem to have.

Because that means that 2,000 women — and some men as well — are not only hearing the keynoters such as Walters, Angelou, and others, but networking and learning through a host of seminars and breakout sessions.

“You always learn something,” said Hall, who has been attending the conference for more than a dozen years. “Last year, I participated in the time-management workshop, and it changed the entire way I look at my schedule from Monday through Friday; the woman was fantastic.

“And there’s tons of networking,” she went on. “We use the conference here as a coaching and development tool for the more junior women on our team. There’s a lot of value in it, and for us, the fact that it’s five minutes away makes it so much easier than sending someone to Boston or New Haven or anywhere else.”

The conference is a college initiative — indeed, its primary goal beyond the desire to help educate and empower women is to give the school valuable exposure — but it is also a community endeavor, and one of many examples of how Leary is of, not just in, the community.

Others include everything from her service to the Colony Club — she was the first woman to chair its board — to her time on the boards of the Community Foundation, the Beveridge Foundation, WGBY, and United Bank, among others. She was also the honorary chair of Habitat for Humanity’s All Women build project in 2009.

And then, there was the support she and Noel gave to the museums and the current capital campaign called “Seuss & Springfield: Building a Better Quandrangle,” a gift that Springfield Museums President Kay Simpson described as not only generous, but a model to others who thought they might not be able to afford such philanthropy.

“One of the motivating factors for Carol and Noel,” she noted, “is that they wanted to demonstrate that, even if you don’t think you can make a substantial gift, with planning, you can do it.”

Leary said planning began years ago, and was inspired by a desire to preserve and expand a treasure that many in this area simply don’t appreciate for its quality.

“We really believe in the museum — we absolutely adore it,” she said. “I said to my niece and nephew at the gala [where the gift was announced], ‘this is your inheritance; you might be in the will, but there isn’t going to be any money in it — it’s going right here, so you can bring your children and your children’s children here decades from now.’

“Noel told the audience that night, ‘we have some big birthdays coming up, but forget Tiffany’s; we’re giving it to the museums,’” she went on. “That’s how much we think of this region; there are so many gems, like the museums, the symphony, CityStage, and others that need support.”

From left, Donald D’Amour, Michele D’Amour, Carol Leary, and Noel Leary at the ceremony marking the naming of the Gallery of Impressionist Art.

And looking back on her time here, she said it has been her mission not only to be involved in the community herself, but to get the college immersed in it as well. She considers these efforts successful and cites examples of involvement ranging from Habitat for Humanity to Big Brothers Big Sisters; from Link to Libraries to the college’s sponsorship of the recent Springfield Public Forum and partnerships that brought speakers such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and author Wes Moore.

“You can’t be an ivory tower,” she told BusinessWest. “We have to be part and parcel of the good, the bad, and the ugly of any community.”

As she talked about the importance of involvement in this community, Leary made it a point to talk about the region itself, which she has chosen to call home. She said it has attributes and selling points that are easier for people not from the 413 area code to appreciate.

And this is something she would like to see change.

“People underrate this area, and the negativity has to stop,” she said with twinges of anger and urgency in her voice. “The language and the perception has to start changing from all of us who have a voice; we have to talk more positively.”

A Class Act

When asked how long she intended to stay at the helm at Bay Path, Leary didn’t give anything approaching a specific answer other than a reference to wanting to see how Vision 2019 shakes out.

Instead, she conveyed the sentiment that was implied in all those non-responses to inquiries from executive search firms: she’s not at all ready to leave this job or this community.

As she said, one can have an impact here. One can make a difference.

Not everyone does so, but she has, and in a number of ways.

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

Agenda

Agenda Departments

‘Better Angels’ Exhibit

Through July 10: In the months prior to 9/11, firefighter Peter Freund had been considering a career change after 23 years with the FDNY. One week after he perished at the World Trade Center, Freund’s family received a letter confirming his acceptance to teach high-school mathematics. Described by some as “a living saint,” chaplain Mychal Judge was the first FDNY casualty listed on 9/11, entry number 0001. His helmet was later presented as a gift to the Pope. A proud first-time uncle, firefighter William Johnston, had been looking forward to the baby shower on Sept. 30. His remains were found at Ground Zero that afternoon. These are just a few of the stories that await visitors who come to view “Better Angels: the Firefighters of 9/11,” a new traveling exhibit at the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History opening Tuesday, Jan. 12 and running through July 10. The exhibit features 343 portraits by artist Dawn Howkinson Siebel, one for every New York City firefighter lost in the World Trade Center attacks. Together, the images create a wall measuring 21 feet long, allowing visitors to come face to face with men who made their living running toward danger and saving lives, even at the risk of their own. Siebel, a current resident of Easthampton, was living in Colorado at the time of the attacks, but had been a longtime resident of Manhattan in the years prior. Inspired when the New York Times printed photos of all 343 fallen FDNY members, Siebel set out to paint a portrait of every firefighter lost on that fateful day. Over the next few years, she painstakingly hand-painted each portrait onto a block of charred wood. In total, the exhibit took 3,000 hours and over six years to create. In her artist statement for the exhibit, Siebel said, “these 343 firemen represent New York, the FDNY, their selfless profession, and also — in the way of heroes — the possibility that each of us may rise to the ‘better angels’ of our own nature.”

‘How to Talk to Kids About Therapy’

Feb. 9: The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, a program of Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice that provides support to grieving young people and their families, announced a free workshop with Sarah Abel, LICSW. This workshop, titled “How to Talk to Kids About Therapy,” will take place from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice offices at 168 Industrial Dr. Geared toward adult caregivers, the purpose of the workshop is to provide an understanding of child therapy and to prepare parents, caregivers, and teachers to talk about therapy with kids. Participants will be able to discuss children’s behaviors and what they reveal about underlying feelings. Participants will also consider when to consult with a therapist around concerns about a child. Abel has been a psychotherapist since 1994 and aims to help families prepare their children to enter into therapy and face this vulnerable moment for both parents and children. She is a graduate of New York University School of Social Work and the Institute of Child, Adolescent and Family Studies, and completed a post-graduate fellowship in psychoanalysis at the Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis. She has taught child development at Smith College School of Social Work and currently treats children, adolescents, and adults in her private practice in Northampton. This event is free, and the snow date is Thursday, Feb. 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. To RSVP, contact Shelly Bathe Lenn, coordinator at the Garden, at (413) 582-5312.

Heart Walk Kickoff Breakfast

Feb. 12: The American Heart Assoc./American Stroke Assoc. invites the public to the 2016 Pioneer Valley Heart Walk Kickoff Breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Delaney House, 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke. The free event includes a hot breakfast. Team captains or those interested in leading a team are encouraged to attend to receive their team-captain kits, hear a panel of guest speakers, and learn more about the Heart Walk and new 5k Run, set for Sunday, May 1 at Look Park in Florence. To attend the breakfast, RSVP by Tuesday, Jan. 26 with Traci Heath at (413) 262-3223 or [email protected]. For more information, visit www.pioneervalleyheartwalk.org.

Academy of Music Historic Tour

Feb. 24: The Academy of Music will offer a free tour of the historic theater at 5:15 p.m. Led by Academy of Music Development Coordinator Kathryn Slater, the tour will provide insight into the history behind this Northampton mainstay, including details about the organization’s founder and interesting notes about the many revitalizations. Built in 1891, the Academy of Music was the first municipally owned theater in the U.S., and home to the first stock theater company in the nation, the Northampton Players, formed in 1912. For nearly 125 years, the Academy has hosted an impressive array of performers, and the building holds the tales. See for yourself the century-old hole cut in the stage floor for Houdini’s disappearing act; Cole Porter’s grandfather clock; dressing rooms used by Sarah Bernhardt, Boris Karloff, Ethel Barrymore; and more. Step on the stage and see the Academy of Music from a whole new perspective, and take in the results of the 2014 restoration that refurbished the 800-seat auditorium, which earned a Mass. Historical Commission Preservation Award. This walking-and-talking tour begins promptly at 5:15 p.m. in the main lobby and is expected to run approximately 45 minutes. Admission is free, but reservations are required, as attendance is limited to 20. Reservations may be made through the Academy of Music Box Office by calling (413) 584-9032, ext. 105, Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., or by e-mailing [email protected].

Difference Makers

March 31: The eighth annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House. Tickets cost $60, and tables of 10 are available. For more information, go HERE. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. This year’s class is profiled in this issue HERE. Difference Makers is sponsored by EMA Dental, First American Insurance Agency, Health New England, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C., Northwestern Mutual, PeoplesBank, Royal LLP, and Sunshine Village.

40 Under Forty

June 16: The 10th annual 40 Under Forty award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, honoring 40 of the region’s rising stars under 40 years old. The magazine will continue to accept nominations for the class of 2016 until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12. The nomination form, which can be found HERE, requests basic information and can be supported with other material, such as a résumé, testimonials, and even press clippings highlighting an individual’s achievements in their profession or service to their community. An independent panel of judges will choose the winners, and their stories will be told in the April 18 issue. More details on the gala will be revealed in upcoming issues.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook Departments

WNEU Business Students Partner with White Lion

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University College of Business students recently collaborated with White Lion Brewing Co. to create an in-depth market-research report to help the company expand its reach outside of the Pioneer Valley. White Lion Brewing, the first craft brewery in the city of Springfield, recently cracked the Valley Advocate Beerhunter’s “Must Try Craft Beers” list. The university students began their research last spring, culminating in their final report in December 2015. White Lion was part of Valley Venture Mentors’ inaugural accelerator cohort last year, and a finalist for competing in the Accelerator Awards in April, winning seed money with data collected by the Western New England University student team. “I was very impressed by the level of detail and amount of research the students conducted,” Berry said. “We walked away with a complete analysis on what is working, where we can improve, and what differentiates us from other breweries in our region. It was a pleasure and an honor for me to work with them over the past year.” In addition to working closely with Berry and holding several meetings, the students employed a second team of marketing students to help develop promotional ideas and concepts for White Lion craft beer. With the assistance of Table & Vine stores, the students were permitted to administer surveys to customers for their market research, and provided Berry with a variety of insights for the future growth of his company. “There is nothing more fulfilling than helping students shine among business professionals and helping them carve their reputation in the business community as up-and-coming graduates of Western New England University,” said Janelle Goodnight, professor for both the market-research and marketing-management courses.

Elms College Announces Program Accreditations

CHICOPEE — The MBA program at Elms College has been accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). This accreditation also includes a reaccreditation for the college’s undergraduate business program. “This is exciting because IACBE accreditation not only validates the quality of our business education and our commitment to program excellence, but also enhances the employability of our graduates and offers significant value to their employers,” said Kim Kenney-Rockwal, MBA program director at Elms College. IACBE accreditation of a higher-education institution is mission-driven and outcome-based, and indicates the business program’s effectiveness. The process of accreditation involves a comprehensive self-study in which the school demonstrates that it meets the IACBE’s evaluation criteria. Following the self-study, an independent team of professional peer reviewers conducts a site visit, and then the IACBE’s board of commissioners reviews the site-visit report and delivers its decision. Only eight schools in all of Massachusetts are IACBE-accredited. These schools demonstrate “a commitment to continuous improvement, excellence in business education, and advancing academic quality,” according to the IACBE website. “Accreditation means that the academic business unit’s programs are sufficiently strong to be considered as high-quality programs, and that the academic business unit is functioning effectively (e.g., is producing excellent student-learning outcomes).” Walter Breau, vice president of Academic Affairs at Elms, noted that “our undergraduate business and MBA programs are already recognized in the community as student-centered with a focus on quality, rigor, and ethics. IACBE accreditation of all of our business programs — accounting, management and marketing, sport management, healthcare management and the MBA — reinforces that reputation. The business programs at Elms College will be eligible for reaccreditation in seven years, Kenney-Rockwal said. “During that time, we will submit interim progress reports on what we are changing and enhancing every couple of years.”

Springfield College Students Receive Humanitarian Award

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College communication sciences and disorders students, who are members of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Assoc., recently received the WillPower Foundation’s University/College Humanitarian Award. The WillPower Foundation provides financial support that empowers Western Mass. families and individuals with different abilities to meet their unique needs. “We are extremely honored to have received this award in our first year as an official National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter,” said Springfield College student and National Student Speech Language Hearing Assoc. treasurer Abbie King. “The Springfield College communication sciences and disorders program was given the award in recognition of the program’s commitment to assisting the WillPower Foundation with fund-raising and advocacy work. The college hosted multiple fund-raising events over the last year for WillPower, and we plan to have another large fund-raising event for the foundation in the spring.” The WillPower Foundation provides grants for items such as mobility equipment, therapeutic recreation, advocacy costs, attorney’s fees, private tutoring, and personal-care needs. “I witnessed first-hand how important the WillPower Foundation is in the community,” said King. “At my internship with Communicare, I noticed that many of the clients we worked with had been awarded grants to purchase communication apps on their iPads, which gave these children a voice that they otherwise would not have had.” The National Student Speech Language Hearing Assoc. has approximately 13,000 members at more than 300 independently operated chapters located on college and university campuses in the U.S. and abroad.

Country Bank Promotes Financial Literacy in Local Middle Schools

WARE — Country Bank recently sponsored an educational presentation called “The Brain Show.” Students from Ware Middle School, Charlton Middle School, Knox Trail in Spencer, and Converse Middle School in Palmer were asked to participate in a game-show-like presentation which tested the students’ knowledge in history, math, science, art, music and financial education. “The Brain Show presentation allowed us to promote financial education as well as many other subjects in a way that speaks directly to students, all while working together as a team,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, financial education officer at Country Bank. “Principals and students acknowledged this show as the most exciting presentation they had seen in years. Students were not the only ones dancing and learning; the teachers had a blast too.” Country Bank also sponsors the Savings Makes Sense program and the award-winning Credit for Life program in area communities.

Blue Heron Featured in New Cookbook

SUNDERLAND — Blue Heron Restaurant and its executive chef, Deborah Snow, are featured in The Berkshires Cookbook, a new work by Jane Barton Griffith, author of Knead It! The chapter on the Blue Heron includes a brief history of the restaurant and its owners, as well as recipes for three of the restaurant’s signature dishes: pan-seared sea scallops, housemade ricotta with local honeycomb, and pomegranate custard. The Berkshires Cookbook explores the stories behind the rich culinary traditions of Western Mass., a region known to many as a food hub and a leader in the sustainable-food movement. Of the 88 recipes showcased in The Berkshires Cookbook, 60 are the author’s original creations, while the rest were donated by farmers and chefs from across the region. Griffith’s text is accompanied by photographs by Barbara Dowd, which reflect the rich colors and textures of the region’s landscapes and food. Other local restaurants and producers featured include Bistro Les Gras, Pierce Bros Coffee, Hungry Ghost Bread, Blue Hill Farm, and Coco and the Cellar Bar. Copies of The Berkshires Cookbook are available for sale at the Blue Heron, as well as many local booksellers and online. The list price is $24.95.

Chamber Corners

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Feb. 2: After 5, 5-7 p.m. The UMass Athletics Department presents a night out for chamber members and non-members as the UMass Minutemen take on the Rhode Island Rams. First 80 registrants receive an inclusive basketball game ticket, compliments of the UMass Athletics Department. Sponsored by Brian Analysis Neuro Development Center, LLC and IGS Solar. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.
Feb. 10: After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Central Rock Gym, 165 Russell St., Hadley. Come mix and mingle with the community and test your strength and agility while climbing up the rock walls. Light appetizers and adult beverages will be served. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• Jan. 27: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Masse’s American Bistro, 1329 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Sponsored by the Greater Chicopee and South Hadley/Granby chambers of commerce. Network with members from both chambers. Enjoy some delicious appetizers from Masse’s American Bistro. Sponsored by Berkshire Bank. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members pre-registered.

• Feb. 2: Community meeting with mayor and police chief, noon to 1 p.m. All are invited to the community room at the Chicopee Public Library on Front Street to learn about what is going on in the downtown area and express any concerns to Mayor Richard Kos and Police Chief William Jebb.

• Feb. 11: CEO Luncheon with Maura McCaffrey of Health New England, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. As president and CEO at HNE, McCaffrey leads the premier locally owned health plan serving this region. Health New England, headquartered in downtown Springfield, employs more than 340 people and provides health coverage for more than 225,000 members. Sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank, First American Insurance Agency Inc., Holyoke Medical Center, and PeoplesBank Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members. To reserve tickets, call Lynn Morrissette at (413) 594-2101.

• Feb. 17: February Salute Breakfast & Annual Meeting, 7:15-9 a.m., Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr. Chicopee. Cost $23 for members, $28 for non-members.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• Feb. 11: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., sponsored by Canon Realty. Join area business professionals for networking. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com
(413) 534-3376

• Jan. 28: Winner Circle Government Reception, 5-7 p.m., Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St., Holyoke. Sponsored by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce board of directors and corporate leaders. An enjoyable evening where we honor our local and state elected officials. Cost: $23. Call the Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376 or visit holyokechamber.com to sign up.

• Feb. 3: Ask a Chamber Expert: the Art of Networking, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Mel’s Restaurant, 490 Pleasant St., Holyoke. Series Sponsors: PeoplesBank, the Republican/MassLive/El Pueblo, and Hadley Printing. Do your eyes glaze over when your boss asks you to attend a networking event? You’re not alone. There’s an art to networking. Jeremy Casey, founder and president of Name Net Worth, will share his expertise at this workshop. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Visit www.holyokechamber.com to sign up.

• Feb. 17: Economic Development Breakfast: Growing Businesses 1×1, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Delaney House, Country Club Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by Holyoke Community College. A breakfast focusing on entrepreneurism with keynote speaker and local entrepreneur Delcie Bean, president of Paragus Strategic IT, along with graduates of the SPARK Entrepreneurial Launch Program. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members, which includes a hot breakfast buffet. Call the Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376 or visit holyokechamber.com to sign up.

• Feb. 17: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., sponsored and hosted by Slainte, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Call the Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376 or visit holyokechamber.com to sign up.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Feb. 3: February Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Union Station, 125A Pleasant St., Northampton, sponsored by: Keiter Builders Inc. and others to be announced. Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Feb. 1: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 p.m., hosted by Tighe & Bond Inc., 53 Southampton Road, Westfield. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.
Feb. 10: Chamber After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Armbrook Village, 551 North Road, Westfield. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Feb. 3: Springfield Regional Chamber Speed Networking Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by the Colony Club, 1500 Main St., Springfield. Sponsored by United Personnel. Special guest speakers. Networking in a fast-paced, round-robin format. Cost: $20 for members ($25 at the door), $30 for general admission.

• Feb. 10: Springfield Regional Chamber Lunch ‘n’ Learn, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., location to be determined. Sponsored by the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members.

• Feb. 11-March 17: Springfield Regional Chamber Leadership Institute, TD Bank Conference Room, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Sponsored by MassMutual Financial Group and supported by the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation. Special guest speakers. The institute is directed by Julie Siciliano, dean of the Western New England University College of Business, and Jack Greeley, executive in residence. Participants will actively explore best practices of leaders; analyze their own leadership, learning, and and problem-solving styles; and experience the synergies that result from high-performing teams. Cost: $885 per participant, which includes a day trip to Beacon Hill and graduation dinner.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• Feb. 3: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted By Partners Restaurant, 485 Springfield St., Feeding Hills. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events hosted by various businesses and restaurants. Cost: free for chamber members, $10 at the door for non-members. For more information, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

• Feb. 18: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Lattitude in West Springfield. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief sales pitch. Only members or guests of members may attend. The only cost to attend is the cost of lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. For more information, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

• Feb. 24: Legislative Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. The Breakfast will feature a panel of various legislatures, including state Sen. James Welch, state Sen. Donald Humason, State Rep. Nicholas Boldyga, state Rep. Michael Finn, Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen, and West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. For more information on ticket sales, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

Springfield Regional Chamber Adopts Energy Position

SPRINGFIELD — The board of directors of the Springfield Regional Chamber voted this week, on behalf of its members, to take a position on energy in the state of Massachusetts and to support a balanced energy portfolio, including the expansion of the supply of natural gas.

“Energy is a critical issue for our members. While they acknowledge that regional investment in the transmission infrastructure has increased the reliability of our grid, they see that demand for natural gas continues to rise and the infrastructure is not in place to support such demand,” said chamber President Jeffrey Ciuffreda. “This not only increases their already-high costs of electricity, but causes constraints on the infrastructure and supply. Combined, they tell us it significantly impeded their continued economic development and the economic development of our region.”

As a result, Ciuffreda said the Chamber, on their behalf, has adopted the following position:

“The Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce (SRC), through its members, has long identified the high, and increasing, cost of energy as a major issue to address and more recently has identified the constraints on the supply of natural gas as a major deterrent to economic development in the region.

“Therefore, the chamber supports the expansion of the supply of natural gas, especially to the Western Massachusetts region, as a means to assist in economic-development efforts as well as to reduce the cost of electricity. The chamber acknowledges that two pipeline expansions are in various stages of development, the Spectra project as well as the Kinder Morgan project, and encourages the development of each. The chamber believes that there are sufficient permitting and regulatory rules in place to ensure the safety of these projects and the protection of lands in and around these projects.

“While endorsing the increased supply of natural gas, the chamber also reiterates its support for the goal set by the state for the development of solar energy and encourages swift action on a comprehensive energy bill that will further bring on line other alternative energies such as wind and hydro.

“Finally, the chamber is encouraging its members to take advantage of the programs available, many funded through electricity charges, for conservation and efficiencies. There is no better way to lower the cost of electricity than through those efforts.

“Moving toward this balanced portfolio of energy sources and recognizing the conditions and constraints about being in New England will ensure a better future for all — businesses and residents alike.”

Ciuffreda said the chamber will work with local and state officials, utility companies, and developers to continue to advocate on behalf of its members for the programs and capital necessary to lower these escalating costs and improve the region’s infrastructure, and will be an active participant in reviewing any legislation on this issue.

HMC Names Phillip Candito Vice President of Business Development

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) announced the appointment of Phillip Candito to the position of vice president of Business Development, where he is leading marketing and development efforts and focused on growing the organization.

Candito worked as director of Business Development at the Eastern Connecticut Health Network in Manchester, Conn. for 10 years before coming to HMC. Previously, he served St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Conn. as director of Rehabilitation Services and Occupational Medicine, and as a physical therapist.

Earlier, he earned a degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut; worked in television, video, and stage production for 10 years in Connecticut and New York City; re-enrolled at UConn and earned a degree in physical therapy, which he practiced for 10 years; then attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to earn his graduate degree.

“Holyoke Medical Center is committed to expanding our reach further into the community, in order to best serve the needs of our patients,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of HMC and Valley Health Systems Inc. “Phil brings an impressive track record for starting projects and seeing them through to successful outcomes, ensuring Holyoke Medical Center will continue to take a leading role in developing healthcare initiatives throughout Western Massachusetts and beyond.”

Among plans for expansion are the opening of a medical weight loss center at HMC, staffed by bariatric surgeon Dr. Ioannis Raftopoulos, which will offer medical and surgical weight-management programs in collaboration with dieticians, exercise physiology, and psychologists, Candito said.

“My chief goal is to grow Holyoke Medical Center and communicate what a gem of a community hospital HMC is,” he added, noting that he is was impressed with the friendly and positive culture at HMC. “It was evident from the moment I walked through the front door.”

Increasing accessibility to HMC’s programs through new physician’s offices, laboratories, physical-therapy services, and medical imaging in Chicopee, South Hadley, and other bordering towns is also a priority, he said.

“We want to let people know there is high-quality care with a smile, within a short distance of their homes and businesses. Over the course of the next few years, people will start to see the HMC brand more readily available in their communities.”

He added, “it’s always exciting to start new things — designing them, launching them, and watching them grow.”

Pope Francis High School Appoints John Goda Athletic Director

CHICOPEE — Pope Francis High School announced that John Goda, athletic director for Holyoke Catholic High School, has been appointed to the athletic director position for Pope Francis High School.

The creation of Pope Francis High School was announced in 2015 when Springfield Bishop Mitchell Rozanski revealed that Cathedral High School and Holyoke Catholic High School would merge into a new school, named in honor of the current Pope. While the official merger will take place to coincide with the next academic year, 2016-17, there has already been a joining together of the athletic programs.

Goda, a 1987 graduate of Cathedral, started his career with Holyoke Catholic as a teacher in 1994, and took over as athletic director in 2003. Since the merger of Cathedral and Holyoke Catholic was announced, Goda has worked alongside Cathedral Athletic Director Joe Hegarty to oversee the combined athletic programs for Pope Francis High School. Hegarty recently vacated his position at Cathedral, and Goda will assume the role.

“We are grateful to Joe for all of his hard work throughout his years with Cathedral, which involved continuing and developing the Cathedral High athletic program under the difficult conditions of being in a school without a gym or playing fields. He did an extraordinary job in the last five years as our athletic director, and we wish him well in his future endeavors,” said Principal John Miller. “We welcome John aboard as the full-time athletic director for Pope Francis High School and look forward to the future development of our athletic program.”

Goda said he appreciates being offered the position full-time. “I never considered not remaining on as athletic director for next year. I was here when we moved from Holyoke to Granby and then when we moved from Granby to Chicopee; I know how difficult the transition can be and how much work goes into it. I always felt like I’d stay on if possible to help out with the process.”

With regard to the new Pope Francis High School facility now in the design phase, Goda said he is most excited about a new gym and the planned athletic fields, which he believes will positively impact the athletic program.

“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to continue to work with the athletes and coaches of Pope Francis High School as we move forward into the future,” he said. “I’m excited about forging a new athletic identity, while honoring and remaining true to the history and traditions of athletics at both Holyoke Catholic and Cathedral.”

Doing Business As Certificates

DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of January 2016.

AGAWAM

ARK Builders
32 Marlene Dr.
ARK Builders

Henry & Sons Landscaping
15 Melrose Place
Matthew Henry

M.F. Bay
47 Kensington St.
Thomas Supinski

Next Fitness
491 Springfield St.
Anthony Liquori

Sultan Family
270 Maple St.
Javat Azizov

GREENFIELD

Elle T. Photography
45 Congress St.
LMN Enterprises, LLC

Jim’s Tree Service
275 Wells St.
James Elwell

Shaws Mart
239 Main St.
Nafees Niazi

Sigda Flowers & Gifts
284 High St.
Sarah Reloj

HOLYOKE

3 Brothers Auto Sales & Repair
522 Maple St.
Elisandro Cuevas

Friendly Variety Store
1373 Dwight St.
Olga Lopez

Holyoke Deli & Butcher
502 Westfield Road
Matthew Frazier

Hot Oven Cookies
92 Race St.
David Coon

SPRINGFIELD

EG Home Improvement
100 Wait St.
Kelvin Lopez

EWS Masonry
57 Leavitt St.
Eric Swett

Fabulous Cuts Barber Shop
373 Worthington St.
Joe Long

Family Mart, LLC
253 Pasco Road
Asad Mahmood

Gonzalez Family Transport
80 Vail St.
Edgar A. Gonzalez

Grounded Services
91 Pinevale St.
Charley L. Jackson

Jani King
104 Yale St.
Johnas Wilborn

Jericho Commercial Construction
90 Waldorf St.
Tonya Hall

KB Construction Service
274 Abbott St.
Kenneth Bisi

Latina’s Nails
178 Euclid Ave.
Rose Ortiz

Little Eagle Cleaning
35 Upland St.
Carmen Lindsay

Main Street Convenience
469 Main St.
Emmanuel K. Owusu

Mema’s Learning Center
57 School St.
Lakisha Marie

Mia Cafe
394 Dickinson St.
Hai Hong

Nice Cars, LLC
523 St. James Ave.
Daniel Daigle

Omnia Build
933 Boston Road
Tamara Hill

Royal Cuts
494 Central St.
Ivan Deleon

Sara, LLC
679 Main St.
Zahoor Haq

Silly Goose Photography
51 Garland St.
Denise Bouchard

Superior Tax and Accounting
1593 Main St.
William Lefebvre

Tax Smart Enterprise
667 Dickinson St.
Huy Le

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Agri-Mark Inc.
958 Riverdale St.
Alan Dibenedetto

ANV Boutique
753 Union St.
ANV Family Boutique

Berkshire Janitorial
1000 Riverdale St.
Denise Langevin

Casino Designs
1084 Memorial Ave.
Paula Costanza

David’s Bridal Inc.
953 Riverdale St.
David’s Bridal

Delisioso Latin Restaurant
903 Main St.
Horaida Cardona

George Photography
110 Christine Dr.
Daniel George

Graphical Computers
7 Upper Church St.
Miguel Hill

People on the Move

Departments People on the Move

Baystate Health recently announced changes and consolidations in leadership positions in its Eastern Region:
• Effective Jan. 29, Michael Moran will become the interim president and chief administrative officer for the Baystate Health Eastern Region. Moran has been at Baystate Health for 14 years and currently serves as the organization’s Vice President for Clinical, Facilities and Guest Services. Moran’s new role combines the responsibilities of two current positions in the region, the president and the chief operating officer;
• The region’s current president, Dr. Charles Cavagnaro III, will depart Baystate Health to pursue other opportunities. Before joining Baystate Health, Cavagnaro served as president and CEO of Wing Memorial Hospital and Medical Centers for 15 years;
• The region’s current chief operating officer, Dr. M. Shafeeq Ahmed, will return to practicing medicine full-time at Baystate Health. Ahmed has been a physician-leader at Baystate Health since 2003;
• Dr. David McGuire will become the region’s chief medical officer.
“Our goal, in considering these changes, is to ensure that our Eastern Region can successfully deliver care that matters to the community in a responsible and sustainable way,” said Nancy Shendell-Falik, Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations for Baystate Health. “To survive and thrive in the contemporary world of healthcare, we continue to make changes that ensure long-term stabilization, system integration, and a consistent model for delivering quality, safety, patient experience, and value.”
Added Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, “Drs. Cavagnaro and Ahmed have made major contributions to the integration of Wing into Baystate Health and to our organization as a whole. We thank them for their leadership, and we wish them the very best.” Three other management positions in the region are being eliminated and their work consolidated into other positions. At Baystate Health, Moran has been responsible for a broad spectrum of services including cancer, behavioral health, neurosciences and rehabilitation, food and nutrition, facilities, and more. Moran is known for building high-performing teams, fostering engagement, and serving as executive leader for Baystate Medical Center’s complex heart and vascular and emergency-room expansion projects. He led the building of the orthopedic surgery and cancer centers in Springfield and the surgical center under construction at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. He has co-led the health system’s largest and most complex Lean project, which saved more than $5 million and improved patient flow at Baystate Medical Center.

•••••

PeoplesBank has announced the promotions and appointments of four associates:

Brian Canina

• Brian Canina has been promoted to senior vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer. He possesses more than 16 years of financial experience and first joined PeoplesBank in 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bryant College and is a certified public accountant. He is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and is a recipient of the Wharton Leadership Certificate. Canina is president of the Finance and Accounting Society of New England and an officer of the Financial Managers Society, Boston Chapter. He serves on the boards of directors for the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Children’s Study Home;

Stacy Sutton

• Stacy Sutton has been promoted to senior vice president, retail administration. Boasting more than two decades of banking experience, she joined the bank in 1992 and previously served as first vice president, retail administration. She holds an associate degree in accounting from Springfield Technical Community College and is a graduate of the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. School for Financial Studies. She serves on the board of directors for Springfield Partners;

Joseph Zazzaro

• Joseph Zazzaro has been promoted to senior vice president and chief information officer. He possesses more than three decades of information technology experience with a focus in financial services. He joined the bank in 2006 and previously served as first vice president, information technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems from the University of Phoenix and an associate degree in management information systems from Holyoke Community College. He also is a graduate of the New England School of Financial Studies. Zazzaro was a 14-year member of the Greater Westfield Boys and Girls Club board of directors and continues to volunteer to provide technical support for the club. He has also volunteered his technical and leadership skills at other local organizations, such as the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, the Red Cross, and the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club; and

Russell Fontaine

• Russell Fontaine has been promoted to first vice president, retail sales. Boasting more than a decade of financial experience, he first joined the bank in 2009 and previously served as vice president, sales and service manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and a certificate from the Wharton School of Business Leadership at the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He serves on the board of the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.

•••••

John Dowd Jr

The Dowd Insurance Agencies announced that John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies, was selected to serve on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Assoc. of Insurance Agents (MAIA). Membership in the MAIA is open to independent, licensed insurance agencies doing business as individuals, partnerships, corporations, or other forms of business organizations in Massachusetts. With 1,300 agency members, MAIA is one of the largest state and regional associations of independent insurance agents in the country. The new board of directors began their term on Jan. 1. The board as a whole establishes positions on various industry issues and advocates for the agency community before government bodies. Individual members of the board of directors are the official representatives of the MAIA members in their geographical areas. “The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents has a long track record for consistent support for the insurance-agency community,” Dowd said. “I am very pleased to serve among this group of dedicated insurance professionals.” A 1980 graduate of St. Michael’s College, Dowd is an accredited advisor in insurance (AAI) and a licensed insurance advisor (LIA). He began his career as an underwriter for the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. and joined Dowd Insurance Agency in 1982.

•••••

L. Alexandra Hogan

Local law firm, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that attorney L. Alexandra Hogan was selected to serve on the emerging insolvency professionals subcommittee of the American Bankruptcy Institute. “Alex has quickly become a rising star in our bankruptcy department. She is dedicated and is already helping other professionals establish themselves in the insolvency field,” said attorney Steve Weiss, supervisor of the firm’s bankruptcy division. As a new member of the emerging insolvency professionals subcommittee, Hogan will help bankruptcy professionals find different avenues to network and develop as experts. The mission of this new subcommittee is to create a forum for developing leaders to exchange ideas to better aid clients and further cultivate the insolvency field. Hogan graduated in 2008 with cum laude honors from Western New England University School of Law, where she was also appointed assistant editor and became a published author of the Western New England Law Review. She graduated from Bay Path University with summa cum laude honors in 1996. She has been selected by Super Lawyers to the Rising Stars list and as a Top Women Attorney (2011-15). Hogan concentrates her practice primarily in business, litigation, and bankruptcy law. She has an extensive bankruptcy practice that includes both debtor and creditor representation in individual and business cases, including Chapter 7 and Chapter 11. Additionally, she acts as counsel to Chapter 7 trustee Steven Weiss in bankruptcy litigation advanced in adversary proceedings. “I am honored to be a member of this new committee,” Hogan said. “It is very important for developing professionals to find ways to network with insolvency experts and to discuss emerging trends in the bankruptcy field.”

•••••

Richard Venne, president and CEO of Community Enterprises Inc., announced the election of new officers to one-year terms at the recent board of directors meeting. Elected to officer positions for one-year terms are William Donohue, Chair, Children and Family Law, Springfield; Donald Miner, Vice Chair, Loomis Communities, South Hadley; Joanne Carlisle, Clerk/Secretary, Stop & Shop Inc., Springfield; and Brittney Kelleher, Treasurer, Westfield Bank, Springfield. Deborah Omasta-Mokrzecki, Amherst College, was elected as a new member for a three-year term. Existing members elected to additional three-year terms include Donohue; Carlisle; Miner; Mary Beth Davidson, Travelers, Hartford, Conn.; Kate LaMay-Miller, Multi-Media Impact, Hadley; and Albert Lognin, HARC, Hartford, Conn. Community Enterprises is a human-service organization that provides employment, education, housing supports, and day supports for people with disabilities. It is headquartered in Northampton and maintains 27 service locations throughout the U.S.

•••••

Lou Mayo has been installed as president of the 1,700-member Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. Mayo, a Realtor since 1997, is the office manager with Real Living Realty Professionals, LLC in Wilbraham. As president, he will oversee the association’s activities and operations, including meetings of the board of directors, and act as a liaison to the association’s various committees. He is the official spokesperson of the association on issues related to the real-estate industry and the regional housing market. The other 2016 officers are Richard Sawicki Jr., president-elect; Edward Alford, treasurer; Susan Drumm, secretary; and Dawn Henry, immediate past president. Directors include Elias Acuna, Kelly Bowman, Shawn Bowman, Suzi Buzzee, Janise Fitzpatrick, Raymond Hoess-Brooks, Susan Rheaume, and Russell Sabadosa.

Difference Makers Class of 2016

Class of 2016 Cover Story Difference Makers

Their Contributions to Be Honored on March 31

BizDiffMakrsLOGO
The 2016 Honorees:

• Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.

• Mike Balise, Balise Motor Sales, Philanthropist (1965-2015)

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties

• Bay Path University President Carol Leary

• John Robison, president, J.E. Robison Service

The old line about pictures and how they’re worth a thousand words has been around seemingly since Mathew Brady poignantly documented the Civil War.

It usually doesn’t work effectively with business journalism, but in the case of this year’s Difference Makers, it certainly rings true.

This year’s special section features a number of pictures that could be called powerful, and that certainly tell the story at least as effectively as the accompanying words.

Start with the image of Homer Street School Principal Kathleen Sullivan standing next to a lone winter jacket hanging in the main hallway of that facility. It doesn’t have an owner, because every student at the school who needs a jacket — and there are many in that category because Homer Street is in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the state — has one because of Mike Balise.

He succumbed to stomach cancer late last month, but not before making sure his annual donation of money for coats, started two years ago, would continue after his death.

Then, there are the many images of big brothers and big sisters with their ‘littles,’ as they’re called. Individually and collectively, they effectively drive home the point of how this organization, and specifically the Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire County chapters, work to create matches that bring stability into the lives of young people and forge friendships that last a lifetime.

Meanwhile, the two images of Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. convey both the passage of time — he’s been in this post for more than 40 years — and how he’s taken corrections from one era, when inmates were essentially warehoused, to another, in which rehabilitation is the watchword.

There are other impactful images, including several involving Bay Path President Carol Leary. Two depict high-profile speakers who have keynoted the Women’s Professional Development Conference, and another depicts the sign at the front entrance declaring that this former junior college is now a university, one of many huge developments that occurred during her watch.

And then, there’s the image of John Robison posing near a half-million-dollar Italian sports car, a picture that depicts his success in business, as well as his determination to help others within the autism spectrum reach their full potential.

Meet the first seven classes of Difference Makers

Together, these pictures are worth several thousand words, and they collectively help explain some of the many ways in which individuals and groups in this region can make a difference.

The specific ways found and developed by members of the Difference Makers Class of 2016 are explained in far greater detail on the pages of this special section. And these contributions will be celebrated at the annual gala on March 31 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke.

The gala has become one of those not-to-be-missed events on the regional calendars. It is a wonderful networking opportunity, but more importantly, it is a chance to recognize those who have made a huge difference in the lives of countless others.

The March 31 gala will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, lavish food stations, a networking hour, introductions of the Difference Makers, and remarks from the honorees. Tickets cost $60 per person, with tables of 10 available.

For more information about the event or to reserve tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or go HERE.

Briefcase

Briefcase Departments

Grinspoon, Big Y Call for Farm Awards Applicants

WEST SPRINGFIELD — In partnership with Big Y, the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (HGCF) announced the second year of the Farm Awards, a program to support local farmers with projects that will help improve their farm businesses. The awards are for equipment and physical farm improvements. “Big Y has been supporting local farmers since we began 80 years ago,” said Charles D’Amour, president and COO of Big Y. “Through our partnership with the Grinspoon Foundation, we are providing one more way to help the local growers to thrive in our community.” In an effort to have the widest impact, the individual award recipients will be given up to a maximum of $2,500 per award, for a grand total of $100,000. Realizing the importance of local farms in the region, Grinspoon launched these awards last year. The 2015 awards were distributed to 33 of the 88 applicants. The two regional Buy Local farm advocates, Berkshire Grown and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), will continue to provide insight and assistance, which was essential to the successful launch of the program in 2015. “We are so pleased to continue to work with everyone involved in this unique Farm Awards program to support the vital role family farms play in our communities,” said Philip Korman, executive director of CISA. Added Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown, “we’re thrilled about the continuation of these financial awards for farmers in Western Massachusetts to strengthen their farm businesses. This helps build the local food economy in our region.” The deadline for applying is Jan. 31. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit www.hgf.org/farm-awards for more information.

MGM Springfield Begins Major Demolition

SPRINGFIELD — With a permit from the city of Springfield in hand, MGM Springfield began demolition of the Zanetti School on Jan. 12. This sign of construction progress follows the project’s recent state and city environmental and zoning approvals. The former elementary school suffered some of the worst damage caused by the 2011 tornado that tore through Springfield’s South End, and last year served as the backdrop for MGM Springfield’s groundbreaking. Demolition is expected to last up to several weeks. MGM Springfield, a more than $950 million resort, is slated for 14.5 acres of land between Union and State streets, and between Columbus Avenue and Main Street. For more information, visit www.mgmspringfield.com.

State to Issue $700,000 in Naloxone Grants for First Responders

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker and the Mass. Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that $700,000 will be awarded to police and fire departments in 40 communities heavily impacted by the Commonwealth’s opioid epidemic, facilitating the purchasing, carrying, and administering of the opioid-overdose-reversal drug naloxone. “This grant will help save more lives as our administration continues to pursue new and wide-ranging tools to combat the opioid epidemic, including the ability for medical personnel to intervene with those who have overdosed,” Baker said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to pass meaningful reforms, and are pleased to support our first responders’ access to immediate, life-saving resources.” Last year, the administration established a bulk purchasing fund allowing first responders in municipal entities to access the state rate for naloxone purchases and, when available, receive an additional discount. Baker has also filed legislation to provide medical personnel with the power to intervene with patients suffering from addiction, control the spread of addictive prescription opioids, and increase education about substance-use disorder for providers and in the community. “Today’s announcement, along with the creation of the bulk purchasing fund, will increase the amount of naloxone available in hot-spot communities where it is needed most,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. “These resources will help ease the costs of medication, enabling our firefighters and police officers to save more lives.” Grants for $10,000 to $50,000 are being awarded to the following communities: Attleboro, Barnstable, Beverly, Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Peabody, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Springfield, Stoughton, Taunton, Waltham, Wareham, Westfield, Weymouth, Winthrop, Woburn, and Worcester. “There is no faster and more effective way to reverse an opioid overdose than to administer naloxone,” said state Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “It is imperative we do everything we can to counteract the epidemic of opioid addiction by providing as many first responders as possible the opportunity to use this life-saving medication.”

State Launches $30M Solar Loan Program

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration recently announced the launch of a $30 million residential solar loan program, which will support Massachusetts lenders in providing loans between $3,000 and $60,000 with low, fixed-interest rates to homeowners across the state. The program is expected to deliver approximately $100 million in savings to residents who take advantage of it. “Massachusetts is a national leader in solar energy, and this program provides another way for residents to access solar energy while diversifying the Commonwealth’s energy portfolio and reducing our overall carbon footprint,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. For residents, Mass Solar Loan widens the range of energy financing available via low-interest solar loans and by making those loans also accessible to borrowers with lower credit scores or incomes. For local lenders, Mass Solar Loan opens up new lending opportunities. For solar installers, the program provides a long-term financing program for customers. Direct solar ownership of solar electricity keeps more energy dollars in Massachusetts, while keeping energy generation local and helping to achieve the Commonwealth’s goal of 1,600 megawatts of solar by 2020. “Helping residents own their own solar generation will expand the Massachusetts solar industry and help local lenders grow their business while moving Massachusetts closer to its statewide energy and environmental goals,” said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton. Mass Solar Loan is a program run in partnership by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). It is available for solar installations on single-family homes and residential buildings up to three units, with all lenders offering loans between $3,000 and $35,000 and some lenders offering loans up to $60,000. The program provides funding to Massachusetts banks and credit unions to incentivize lenders to make solar lending a part of their portfolios and to make solar loans available to borrowers with lower incomes or credit scores. To date, Bank Five, First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union, North Brookfield Savings Bank, Shrewsbury Federal Credit Union, UMassFive College Federal Credit Union, and Weymouth Bank offer Mass Solar Loans, with more due to begin participating over the coming weeks. “Residential solar has been a key component in the Commonwealth’s efforts to meet our ambitious clean energy goals,” said DOER Commissioner Judith Judson. “The Mass Solar Loan program will lower costs and increase the options for Massachusetts residents to benefit from owning solar.” Residents can visit www.masscec.com/programs/mass-solar-loan for a list of participating solar installers and lenders, tips on how to select a solar installer, and the steps for participating in the program. They may also call (617) 712-1121 for more information. Interested lenders or installers may contact MassCEC to participate in the program.

Sheriff Michael Ashe Joins Mental-illness Anti-stigma Effort

SPRINGFIELD — Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe is known across the Commonwealth as a leader and innovator in law enforcement. Now, he’s become the first sheriff in Massachusetts to join the NAMI Mass CEOs Against Stigma campaign, pledging to create a mentally healthier work environment for the employees of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. “As sheriff of Hampden County for over 41 years, with 900-plus employees and over 1,500 inmates in our custody, I know all too well the stigma surrounding mental illness,” Ashe said. “My staff is committed to treating these afflictions and removing the stigma that surrounds this critical issue in the workplace as well as in the community.” The campaign is designed to put an end to stigma in the workplace, employing top-down leadership to change misconceptions about mental-health disorders and encouraging people to open up and speak freely about the conditions that affect them and their immediate families. Mental-health disorders affect one in five adults and are the single greatest cause of lost productivity at work. “We all know the stigma surrounding mental-health issues prevents many from seeking treatment,” Ashe said. “That is why I’m committed to this effort.” Bernice Drumheller, president of NAMI Western Mass., noted that, “unlike physical conditions, mental illness is often not discussed in the workplace. Sheriff Ashe understands the importance and positive impact that the CEOs Against Stigma campaign brings to the work environment.” By signing the CEOs Against Stigma pledge, Ashe makes the commitment to open up dialogue about mental-health conditions without fear of disclosure as well as making employees aware of the benefits available to them. He will also bring into his workplace NAMI’s In Our Own Voice presentations, an effective anti-stigma program. The goal of CEOs Against Stigma is to have 250 chief executives — including elected officials — join the campaign and to reach a half-million employees. Any Massachusetts company or organization with at least 50 employees can take part. For more information about CEOs Against Stigma, visit ceos.namimass.org. To contact NAMI Western Mass., call (413) 786-9139.

Employers Assoc. Releases Business Trends Survey

AGAWAM — With close to 900 members concentrated in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) unveiled the regional findings from the 2016 National Business Trends Survey conducted by the Employer Associations of America. Results from this comprehensive survey of 1,242 organizations, covering 2,814 employer locations and 45 U.S. states, indicate that the majority of executives surveyed remain optimistic for 2016, are confident they will award pay increases, will provide a heightened emphasis on recruiting, and plan to increase training budgets that focus on developing their existing employees. “Here in the Northeast, we certainly understand that regulatory compliance is a concern, and we are heartened to see more companies looking to increase staff,” said Meredith Wise, president of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. “We are also encouraged by the commitment of businesses in the Northeast to technology, processes, and people.” The top three distinctions for the Northeast from the findings appear to be:
• Regulatory compliance is a bigger concern. In comparison to the national average, Northeast companies view the cost of regulatory compliance as a greater challenge, both in the short and long term. The data shows 32% of the Northeast regional responses expressing concern in the short term versus 27% of the national responses. On a long-term basis, 42% of the Northeast regional responses see regulatory compliance as a serious challenge, whereas nationally the average checks in at 34%.
• There appears to be a greater consensus on the part of Northeastern business to invest in technology equipment, lean and other process improvements, and training. All measures were responded to more favorably and at a higher rate than in comparison to the national norms. Overall, 70% of executives surveyed in the Northeast said they would be making new investments in people, facilities, and/or equipment in 2016 versus only 62% nationally.
• More companies are looking to add staff. While the majority of surveyed executives indicated that they would be increasing staff in 2016, a greater percentage of Northeastern executives — 59% — plan on adding staff when compared to the national norm of 52%.

Massachusetts Launches Digital-health Initiative

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and executives from the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership (MACP) joined leaders from across state government, healthcare, and the technology sector at Boston Children’s Hospital this week to announce a comprehensive public-private partnership designed to accelerate the competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s digital healthcare industry. “Our administration is committed to making Massachusetts a national leader in digital health by partnering with private industry, convening key stakeholders, and addressing market gaps,” Baker said. “This emerging industry cluster has the potential to become a powerful driver of job creation across the Commonwealth, while also unlocking new advances in improving patient care and lowering health care costs.” Digital health, or eHealth, is a rapidly growing sector at the intersection of healthcare and information technology and, according to a report by Goldman Sachs, represents an approximately $32 billion market opportunity over the next decade. The sector spans a variety of technologies including electronic health records, consumer wearable devices, care systems, payment management, big-data analytics, and telemedicine, among others, and has close connections to the state’s technology and life-sciences sectors. Massachusetts is well-positioned for success in digital health as host to world-class healthcare and academic institutions, a strong startup culture, significant venture-capital investment, a healthy life-sciences sector, and roughly 250 existing digital-health companies. The initiative will bring public, private, academic, and healthcare leaders together to build a stronger and more connected statewide digital-health ecosystem. To support digital health startups, the city of Boston, Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech, and MACP announced the establishment of a digital-health-innovation hub. The initiative will provide space, programming, and a strong industry network for digital health startups and will serve as a Boston hub for the industry. Programming through the hub will be managed and operated by MassChallenge. MACP also announced several private industry-led initiatives that will help accelerate growth in the digital health sector, including innovative approaches to provide private funds for digital healthcare companies that are starting up in, located in, or planning to re-locate to Massachusetts. MACP also facilitated the development of standardized software, technology, and sponsored research agreements and user guides to make it easier for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and the private sector to do business with academic institutions, including the UMass system, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and Partners HealthCare. MACP will also host a second year of its Mentorship Speaker Series, with a focus on digital health, connecting high-level, experienced industry leaders across the state with entrepreneurs of emerging companies to discuss how to start and grow a successful tech business in Massachusetts. “The innovation economy comprised of the life-sciences and digital-technology sectors is the future growth engine of our Commonwealth,” said Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, who led the Digital Health Initiative on behalf of MACP. “It has been a privilege for me to lead this outstanding group of public- and private-sector partners toward our shared goal of accelerating the growth of the digital-healthcare industry in Massachusetts. With the strengths of our universities, academic medical centers, and life-sciences companies, Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to succeed in digital healthcare, and I’m thrilled to be part of the team that will make it happen.”

Court Dockets

Court Dockets Departments

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

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Town of Montague v. Penta Corp.
Allegation: Costs incurred for correction of defects in construction at wastewater-treatment plant: $100,000
Filed: 10/9/15

Dovi, LLC v. Verizon Online, LLC
Allegation: Incidental claim for damages, lost rent, and utility costs: $3,000
Filed: 10/30/15

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Daniel Hammock v. Clarkdale Fruit Farms Inc. and Bostley Sanitary Services Inc.
Allegation: Negligence, carelessness, and breach of duty in maintenance of porta-potties, causing the plaintiff to be trapped inside when a porta-potty tipped and fell over, dumping human waste onto the plaintiff: $24,999.99
Filed: 12/28/15

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Colony Hills Capital Residential Fund, LLC v. Riverchase Holding, LLC and UC Riverchase, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contractual obligations and breach of fiduciary duties: $500,000
Filed: 12/9/15

Intercity Lines Inc. v. Ferris Auto Transport and Christopher Ferris
Allegation: Breach of a contractor non-disclosure agreement and non-compete provision: $75,000+
Filed: 12/10/15

Plimpton & Hills Corp. v. Dependable Heating and Cooling Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $45,666.39
Filed: 12/4/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

J. Polep Distribution Services v. Washington Square Package Store and Joseph Lobo
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $11,263.54
Filed: 12/17/15

J. Polep Distribution Services v. Star 50 Convenience and Sohrab Khan
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,410.63
Filed: 12/17/15

Janet Webster v. Aeropostale Inc.
Allegation: Over-filled display rack fell on plaintiff, causing injury: $24,999.99
Filed: 12/30/15

Kelley Robles v. Clinical Support Options Inc.
Allegation: HIPAA violation, causing emotional distress: $24,999.99
Filed: 12/30/15

Incorporations

Departments Incorporations

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

CHESTER

Chester Volunteer Firefighters Association Inc., 300 Route 20, Chester, MA 01011. Kathy Engwer, 104 Middlefield Road, Chester, MA 01011. Serve and protect the public safety and welfare of Chester citizens and the environment including protecting from injury, damage, and destruction; rendering medical assistance; educating the public; recruit and train personnel; acquire, handle, and dispose of public safety equipment and materials for Chester; monitor and maintain buildings according to codes.

CHICOPEE

DAA Express Inc., 88 Chestnut St., Apt. 2R, Chicopee, MA 01013. Diego Elias Alticimo, same. Transportation.

Davishing Divas Virgin Hair Inc., 144 Cabot St., Chicopee, MA 01013. David Gainey, same. Develop community business and promote growth within the Commonwealth.

EASTHAMPTON

Callie Rose Foundation Inc., 49 Campbell Dr,, Easthampton, MA 01027. Tracey Beth Durant, same. Charitable organization that identifies community needs that would benefit from charitable support; receive contributions, grants, donations, gifts, and other funds to support the foundation; accept, hold, invest, and administer funds for said purposes; enter into agreement with other charitable organizations/groups to carry out aforesaid purposes.

FEEDING HILLS

Acme Holdings LTD, 1349B Springfield St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Deborah Brown, 192 Captain Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Multiple service oriented businesses.

HOLYOKE

First Choice Home Health Care Services Inc., 187 A High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Benjamin Beaulieu, same. Home health care agency.

LENOX

Berkshire Design Center Inc., 150 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, MA 01240. Susan A Allegrone-Zaniboni, 124 Shore Dr., Hinsdale, MA 01235. Residential and commercial design services.

NORTHAMPTON

All Hands on Deck Network, Inc., 37 Kensington St., Northampton, MA 01060. William Wimsatt, same. National progressive policy advocacy and civic engagement organization to defend Dr. King’s dream of a beloved community and the American dream of liberty, justice, and opportunity for all including economic fairness, environmental sustainability, and fair treatment through grassroots organizing, direct lobbying, policy research and advocacy, alliance building, candidate questionnaires, voter guides, networking, community building, public communications, and social media.

PELHAM

Casagrande Enterprises Inc., 45 South Valley Road, Pelham, MA 01002. Rebecca M. Casagrande, same. Own and manage a restaurant.

PITTSFIELD

F Cleaning Services Inc., 125 Dan Casey Memorial Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Edcaros Lucio Ferreira, same. General janitorial and cleaning services.

SOUTH HADLEY

Cultivate and Nest Inc., 3 Amherst Road, South Hadley, MA 01075. Terra Missildine, same. Shared co-working and leasing services.

SPRINGFIELD

Clase Foundation Inc., 13 Quincy St., Springfield, MA 01109. Rosah Clase Tuarezca, same. Non-profit organization to develop and foster social, cultural, educational, recreation, and economic activities in the Spanish community; search for unity to bring Spanish community together to develop and implement techniques for understanding of the community problems.

Crossroads Springs Institute Inc., 117 Dewitt St., Springfield, MA 01129. Redempter Isiaho, same. “Serve the child, heal the nation” provide health, nutrition, care, and education to orphans in Kenya to prepare them for a better future and to become a source of economic and leadership strength.

FJR Towing & Transport Inc., 250 Albany St., Springfield, MA 01105. Francisco Roman, same. Towing and trucking services.

Does Plainridge Park Portend Trouble for MGM Springfield?

Features

No Jackpot

As the first facility opened in the Bay State’s new gaming era, Plainridge Park Casino launched to wild success — for the first month, anyway. Since then, revenues at the slots-only parlor have fallen well below first-year projections. While its general manager insists its long-term outlook is healthy — and others worry about a saturated casino market in the region — 90 miles to the west, development continues on MGM Springfield, whose leaders insist is a much different story than Plainridge Park, and will reap much different results.

On a recent Friday afternoon, a walk across the floor at Plainridge Park Casino — lined with 1,250 slot machines and electronic blackjack and roulette tables, as well as two restaurants and a food court — found hundreds of visitors dutifully anteing up and pressing brightly lit buttons, hoping for a big score.

Officials with the casino, just off I-495 in Plainville, a 90-mile trek from Springfield — and with Penn National Gaming, which owns the facility — were also counting on a big score when the long-time horse-racing venue relaunched as a slots parlor last June. And they did score, early on, with first-week revenues exceeding expectations.

But those revenues have fallen dramatically since, a cause for concern not only for Plainridge Park and Penn National, but for other casino developers in Massachusetts hoping to create the next big thing in regional gaming and tourism.

Plainridge Park’s general manager, Lance George, told BusinessWest it’s way too early to abandon optimism.

“It was a pretty standard opening — volumes incredibly high, then declining revenues, and a gradual ramp back up,” he explained. “It’s nothing this company hasn’t seen over its past four or five openings. In our industry and most industries, we look at year-over-year results, not short-term results related to seasonability.”

The big question is how significant that expected ramp-up will prove to be, and whether initial projections by the casino and the Mass. Gaming Commission were wildly off the mark.

Plainridge Park had projected revenues of at least $250 million during its first year of operations, an average of $456 per machine, per day. These were revised downward to $220 million just before the June 24 opening. But the average machine’s haul per day has plummeted from $585 in June to $256 in November, notes Paul DeBole, an assistant professor of political science at Lasell College in Newton, and an expert on the gaming industry.

“Plainridge isn’t as bad as everyone is making it out to be,” he said, arguing that its performance hasn’t been terrible, but the projections were.

He said a more plausible scenario for Plainridge’s revenues would consider the gross gaming revenue of the other four New England slot parlors (Twin River and Newport Grand in Rhode Island, and Hollywood Slots and Oxford Casino in Maine), which, on average, bring in $179.73 per machine, per day, or a tick over $82 million per year. Taking the average of just the two Rhode Island parlors raises those figures to $200 per machine, per day, and $91.3 million per year.

Paul DeBole

Under DeBole’s financial model, Plainridge’s first full year would bring in between $255 and $275 per machine, per day, and between $140 million to $150 million for the year. Revenues would gradually fall in subsequent years and plateau between $179 and $200 per machine, per day, with annual revenues in the $100 million to $110 million range, once Massachusetts’ full-service casinos, including MGM Springfield, begin to open their doors in 2018.

The bottom line, he said, is that early projections that Plainridge would bring in between $250 million and $300 million annually were way off base. “There was no way they were going to hit that, so the Gaming Commission revised it down to $220 million. And there was no way they were going to hit that, so they revised it again to $200 million. And there’s no way they’re going to hit that.”

Which is why the commission’s current projections are in the $160 million range — just north of what DeBole predicted. “Those numbers make a lot more sense. My feeling from the very beginning was that their numbers were overly optimistic.”

All of this certainly interests MGM, which is spending $950 million to create a gaming resort in Springfield’s South End.

“We’ve certainly been tracking the results to get a sense of what the larger market is doing,” MGM Springfield President Mike Mathis told BusinessWest. “I think Lance George and his management team are very strong, and I’m confident they will continue to tweak their model and figure out how to get closer to their projections and how it initially opened that first month.

“But that particular part of the state — the Southeast market — never factored into our competitive model, partly because it’s a slot facility, and because of the distance from our market,” he went on. “We don’t think their results, good or bad, necessarily dictate how well we’ll do here, with a fully designed resort with table games and all the amenities that come with a four-star hotel and high-end restaurants.”

Mike Mathis says Plainridge is so different from MGM Springfield — in size, amenities, and location — that its early worries shouldn’t be seen as a predictor of MGM’s level of success.

He added that MGM will be leveraging existing attractions in downtown Springfield, from conventions at the MassMutual Center to entertainment venues like Symphony Hall, CityStage, and the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Plainridge seems like a very different model for us, and we’re still really confident about how well we’ll do.”

Raised Stakes

Penn National spent $125 million to convert Plainridge, a long-time harness-racing track, to a slot parlor.

But Twin River Casino, just 11 miles away over the Rhode Island line, countered those plans by upgrading its facility, which now includes 4,000 slot machines, table games (Plainridge has no live dealers), and a large arena. As a result, as the Mass. Gaming Commission kept adjusting Plainridge’s first-year projections downward, Twin River recently increased its concurrent projection by $35 million.

That wasn’t supposed to happen.

Yet, it’s not like the Rhode Island and Connecticut casinos were going to take the new Bay State competition lying down, DeBole said. “That’s the nature of the market right now. We have Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun trying to open facilities along the I-91 corridor to take money out of MGM, and Newport Grand will be relocated 350 yards from the Massachusetts border,” near Fall River.

Still, George said Plainridge has its own advantages for Massachusetts gamblers. “The least sexy is location, but it’s certainly fortuitous; it’s the closest casino relative to Boston, so we’ve tried to capitalize on that. The second thing that differentiates us from our competitors is the horse-racing industry, which is something we’ve tried to ensure people are aware of. Unlike many states, that industry is growing in our state,” he explained, noting that race days will soon increase from 105 annually to 115, then 125 two years from now.

“The third advantage is, we are part of Penn National, which has 27 properties; they recently acquired the Tropicana in Las Vegas, and they’ve done a great deal of planning here,” he went on. “It’s a very well-respected company.”

George said Plainville officials have long been supportive of the racetrack and happy to forge a $4.2 million host-community agreement with Penn National — not to mention the additional tax revenues. “From an employment standpoint, we saved the existing 100 or so jobs already here from the racing side and added 500,” he added. “Those are the two most tangible benefits — financial and jobs. In addition, through six months of operations, we’ve purchased $6 million in goods and services — $4 million in the state of Massachusetts.”

All of that is positive, DeBole said, but he questions how many facilities the state can support. “Legislators mean well, and they’re trying hard, but they don’t get that there’s a finite amount of disposable gambling dollars out there,” he argued, adding that it’s unrealistic to expect much cannibalizing of well-established behemoths like Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.

He paused for a second before pondering what that means for MGM, then noted that the company has a solid track record, and the complex will likely draw visitors from a wide radius. “But I think they may not be as profitable as they’d like.”

More Than Slots

MGM Springfield certainly has one big advantage over Plainridge, DeBole said. Casino developers have long noted the growing importance of non-gaming revenue. Atlantic City, a gambling mecca that has fallen on hard times, currently brings in $5.2 billion in gaming revenues — about the same as Las Vegas, a destination on much stronger footing these days. However, Vegas casinos bring in $10.4 billion in non-gaming revenue — retail, dining, and entertainment — compared to $400 million in Atlantic City.

“That’s a really stark comparison,” he went on, noting that Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun have removed more than 25% of their slot machines after seeing slot revenue plummet by about $500 million since 2009.

Mathis knows these numbers as well, and says MGM Springfield — designed to be integrated with Springfield’s downtown, as opposed to how the nondescript Plainridge property seems positioned mainly to provide easy access to and from I-495 — will bring in a wide variety of visitors, not just slots enthusiasts.

“Generally, a diverse offering is always going to be a better attraction for the customer; that’s where the trends are,” Mathis said. “The non-gaming parts of our revenue in Springfield reflect what we do in other markets and other resorts. MGM has always been a leader, and continues to be a leader, in that area.”

While its slot machines get moderate action, Plainridge Park’s electronic table games often struggle for attention.

And, unless one of the Connecticut giants builds a competing casino north of Hartford, MGM Springfield — as well as the planned Wynn Massachusetts casino in Everett — may be in a better geographic position than Plainridge, which is competing more directly with the Rhode Island and Connecticut facilities.

But DeBole worries that a fourth casino license, this one earmarked for Southwestern Mass., may be one too many in a heavily saturated region — particularly with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe looking to open a casino in Taunton through the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, independent of Mass. Gaming Commission approval, and the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe fighting the state over gaming on its reservation lands on Martha’s Vineyard.

“In a market already showing the effects of saturation, that would have a huge adverse impact on the region as well,” he told BusinessWest. “If the Gaming Commission asks my advice — not that they would — I would tell them to defer awarding a license to see how this shakes out.”

Ante Up

DeBole has other issues with casinos in Massachusetts, one of which is the state taking up to 61% off the top of gaming revenues in regulatory fees and taxes, before the casino even pays its employees. “That’s a cause for concern. Lawmakers say it’s all about job creation, but we all know that’s not true.

“It’s a very uneasy situation for the state to be a majority partner in a gaming enterprise; you would think the average voter would have some doubt about how stringent the regulatory forces would be,” he went on, adding that he personally feels the gaming commissioners are people of integrity, but he’s talking about perception, not reality — and a reality Las Vegas, where government skims just 6.8% from casino revenues, doesn’t have to deal with. “When the state is taking more money than the people taking the entrepreneurial risk, I have a philosophical problem with that.”

But Plainridge Park in particular “was dealt a crappy hand by the statute, despite the best intentions,” he said, hampered by a narrow focus on slot machines and barring table games. Other barriers for some visitors include an age floor of 21 and a no-smoking policy (Twin River admits 18-year-olds and allows smoking).

George, obviously, with his experience in the industry, is an enthusiastic promonent of gaming in Massachusetts, pointing out the creation of some 10,000 jobs and the related tax revenues, adding that people worried about the unintended consequences — the social costs of gambling — forget that plenty of Massachusetts residents are already flocking to casinos, with the tax revenues benefiting other states.

He added that the Mass. Gaming Commission is ramping up efforts to promote responsible gambling, an effort that’s visible to all Plainridge visitors, who are greeted at the door from the parking garage with prominently posted information about GameSense, a program to prevent problem gambling.

As for his slot parlor’s economic health, George is convinced it will find its footing in the long term.

“The media here are covering it on a month-to-month basis, but that’s not the way we gauge the health of this business,” he said. “Once we get to the warmer months — March, April, May — as opposed to the dark, cold winter, we fully expect revenue to increase. There’s nothing unusual about that.”

DeBole agreed with George that month-to-month tracking doesn’t tell the whole story, and that warmer spring weather will increase turnout. Beyond that, he’s lukewarm.

“Over time, Plainville’s numbers will bump up a little bit, but I don’t see them making anywhere near the money they claimed they would last year,” he said. “They’ll be lucky if they hit $150 million this year, and eventually, they’ll probably be in that $92 million to $115 million range of annual revenues.”

Mathis, like George, would rather wait and see what the multi-year results are at Plainridge Park.

“I agree with him that it’s really too short a period right now to make any long-term observations about what the market is going to do,” he said. “In other businesses, it takes years to get to your normalized year. I really think those guys deserve — we all deserve — some time after opening to massage the models and see how the market is reacting and sort of fine-tune the business.”

Meanwhile, the clock continues to tick for MGM Springfield. And 2018 isn’t that far away.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

John Robison, President of J.E. Robison Service

His Efforts on Behalf of the Autistic Are a Global Phenomenon

John Robison, President of J.E. Robison Service
Leah Martin Photography

On the sill of the window in the front office at JE Robison Service, the one that offers a view into a long row of service bays that hosted Jaguars and Land Rovers, sits a display of the three books written by the company’s founder, John Robison, about Asperger’s syndrome and his life with that condition.

In chronological order, these would be Look Me in the Eye, which archives his life growing up; Be Different, which offers practical advice for Aspergians; and Raising Cubby, a memoir of his unconventional relationship with his son, who was also born with Asperger’s.

Near the middle of the display is a book with the title Wychowujemy Misiaka, which, says Robison, is the Hungarian version of Raising Cubby, only he doesn’t know if that’s a direct translation of those two words; a book will often take another title when published in a foreign country. For example, the Dutch version of Look Me in the Eye is titled I Always Liked Trains Better.

Meanwhile, there’s another book written in Russian; Robison thinks it’s Look Me in the Eye, but he admits he’s not sure and knows only that it’s one of his.

While the display creates some questions and confusion, it makes it abundantly clear that Robison’s efforts to raise awareness of disorders in what’s known as the autism spectrum, and advocate for the estimated 5 million people living with such conditions, are now a truly global phenomenon.

It’s an initiative with many moving parts — from the books to his numerous speaking engagements around the country; from a program at his foreign-car sales and service shop to train people with autism to be auto mechanics, to his participation on a number of panels created to help define the autism spectrum and improve quality of life for those who populate it.

John Robison says awareness that his differences stemmed from Asperger’s was empowering and liberating.
Leah Martin Photography

But, over the past few years, Robison’s efforts have moved well beyond the realms of awareness and advocacy, and this dynamic goes a long way toward explaining why BusinessWest chose him as one of its Difference Makers for 2016.

Indeed, Robison now represents the tip of the spear in a movement, for lack of a better term, that he and others are calling ‘neurodiversity,’ or neurological diversity, and all that this phrase connotes.

“This is the idea that neurological diversity is an essential part of humanity, just as racial, cultural, religious, or sexual diversity are,” Robison explained as he sat on a couch in that front office. “Those are all accepted things, and now we recognize that conditions like autism have always been with us, and we recognize that some autistic people are profoundly disabled — and indeed I’m disabled in many ways. But I’m also gifted in many ways, and that’s what people need to understand; autistic people have unique contributions to make to the world because of their difference, and the world needs that.”

While speaking on this subject, Robison also drives home the point that individuals within the spectrum — like those protected classes he mentioned — have a right, like those other groups, to be free from profiling and discrimination. And, at present, they are not.

As just one example, he cited one of the many mass-shooting episodes that have become commonplace in this country.

“The big thing about autism is how we’re treated related to other groups,” he explained. “I recall reading in the newspaper about how a bunch of people were murdered, and it said that the killer was on the autism spectrum.

“That’s a familiar headline for people, stuff like that,” he went on. “Can you imagine what would happen if someone went on the nightly news and said ‘seven people were murdered at a shopping center in Hartford today, and the killer was a Jew’? That guy would lose his job tomorrow. And yet someone can go on the news and say ‘seven people were killed in a theater, and the killer had autism.’

“Autism is no more predictive of mass murder than being Jewish,” he continued, adding that there is much work to do simply to make this fact known and fully understood, let alone prompt society to embrace neurodiversity, or the concept that society should accept people whose brains function in many different ways.

For doing that hard work, in many different ways, Robison can add the title Difference Maker to the several he already has.

Mind over Matter

There will soon be a fourth book competing for space on that shelf in Robison’s office.

It’s called Switched On, and its subject matter represents a radical departure from his previous works. This tome, finished several months ago, chronicles Robison’s participation in experiments at Harvard Medical School and Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital involving transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The treatment is aimed at changing emotional intelligence in humans by firing pulses of high-powered magnetic energy into the brain to “help it re-wire itself,” said the author.

Those experiments, conducted from 2008 to 2010, yielded a mixed bag of results, said Robison, who explained, in some detail, what he meant by that.

“I think it succeeded beyond their wildest hopes in some ways,” he said of the regimen. “But as much as it turned on abilities in me, that came at a cost. It cost me relationships, and it made me more up and down, where before, I’d been on kind of an even keel all along.

“Suddenly, I felt suffocated by my wife’s long-time depression, I felt like I was drowning, and then ultimately I wasn’t able to stay married anymore,” he went on. “And before, I’d been oblivious to what people thought and said when they came in here for service; suddenly I began to see that some people were contemptuous of me and the business, and I didn’t like that. So I dismissed a good number of people I didn’t want to do work for anymore.”

All things considered, he describes what’s happened as a good tradeoff; he says he’s more knowledgeable and has greater ability to engage people. He was going to say more, but essentially decided that, if people want to know more, they could, and should, read the book, which will be out in March.

While Robison has devoted much of the past few years to this latest tome, he’s devoted much of his adult life to many types of work involving the autism spectrum.

That work started roughly the day he found out he was part of that population, he went on, adding that he didn’t know he belonged until a self-diagnosis, if one could call it that, several years ago that was spurred by one of his foreign-car customers.

Before detailing that episode, though, we need to back up a little and explain how Robison arrived there, because doing so helps explain his passion for what you might call his ‘other work.’

John Robison says much of his current work involves the emerging concept of neurodiversity.

By now, many people know at least the basics of Robison’s story. When he dropped out of high school, he essentially taught himself electrical engineering, and soon found success in the rock ‘n’ roll industry designing sound equipment and items like smoke-bomb-equipped guitars, with Pink Floyd and KISS among those on what could be called his client list.

His career track then took a sharp turn, and he ventured into the corporate world, first as a staff engineer at Milton Bradley in the late ’70s, and later as chief of the power-systems division for a military laser company. But while he had the technical know-how to succeed in those environments, he was missing the requisite social, interactive skills, including the simple yet important ability to look people in the eye.

“I didn’t fit in at large corporations,” he explained. “I didn’t say the right things, I got into trouble, I would say inappropriate things, I was rude. But, at the same time, I was a good engineer; I look at the stuff that I designed in rock ‘n’ roll and the toy industry with Milton, and I think my engineering work speaks for itself, even today.

“But I had significant social problems, and therefore I felt that I was a failure in electronics because of those things and because I couldn’t read other people,” he went on. “So I decided that, if I was failing at electronics, I would start a business where I wouldn’t be subject to being just dismissed; that’s what made me turn to fixing cars.”

And, eventually, selling them, restoring them, and connecting people with them. Indeed, his venture deals in high-end foreign makes and hard-to-find vehicles. He started working out of his home in South Hadley, later moved into space on Berkshire Avenue in Springfield, and now has what amounts to a complex on Page Boulevard.

The business grew to the point where he hired mechanics to handle the cars, and his work shifted toward operations, ordering parts, and dealing with customers. One of them, a regular, was a therapist, and during one discussion with him, the subject turned to Asperger’s. The therapist eventually gave Robison a book on the subject, one of many he would soon devour.

It was that reading that opened his eyes and eventually brought him to what can only be considered a global stage when it comes to advocacy for those on the autism spectrum.

A New Chapter

“It was a remarkable thing,” he recalled of the events that led him to understand why he was the way he was, even though a formal medical diagnosis would come later. “I learned things like autistic people have difficulty looking other people in the eye; it makes us uncomfortable. So, all my life, people had said things like, ‘look at me when I talk to you.’ I would look up and then quickly down, and I had no idea that other people were different in that regard.

“I felt all my life I was complying with what other people said, and yet they continued to be after me about it,” he went on. “It was only after reading that book that I understood how certain things that I did, like that, were different from what other people expected, and it’s because I was neurologically different. No matter how smart you are, you can’t possibly just figure that someone else sees the world differently than you do. So that book was life-changing.”

And as he talked about the process of discovering the cause of his “own differences,” as he called them, Robison used the words ‘empowering’ and ‘liberating’ to describe the phenomenon.

“If you’ve been told that you’re lazy, stupid, retarded, defective, or no good, for you to learn that you are touched by a form of autism, that’s … an explanation, and that’s really good,” he said, adding that, with this explanation, he would learn the ways autistic people (including those with Asperger’s) were different, and “teach myself to behave more like people expected.”

This was a transformative change, he went on, adding that he became more accepted in the community and forged real friendships, and this helped inspire his gradual development as an advocate, work that could be summed up as efforts to provide others with those same feelings of empowerment and liberation.

He said ‘gradual’ for a reason, because this work has certainly evolved over the years.

It began with speaking engagements to groups of young people at venues like Brightside for Families & Children and youth-detention facilities. The talks focused on autism, but also on Robison’s childhood, one marked by various forms of abuse.

“I realized that I could be speaking to young people about having a good life despite having that in your background, too,” he explained, adding that eventually he sought to reach a broader audience.

That led to Look Me in the Eye, an eventual bestseller published in 2006, and later his other works, all of which are now sold around the world. He believes that, worldwide, sales of the three books have topped 1 million copies.

But the books and the speaking engagements are only a few manifestations of Robison’s advocacy for people on the spectrum.

There is also the training school he’s created at his business for young people with autism. Conducted in partnership with the Northeast Center for Youth and Families, the initiative has transformed three bays at the Page Boulevard facility into what amounts to an instructional classroom for young people with learning challenges.

It was created with the goal of steering participants toward good-paying jobs in the auto-repair sector, and reflects Robison’s broader mission of transforming how people with differences should be valued and treated by society, and seen as productive contributors to society.

Other forms of service — and they often represent opportunities and appointments created through the exposure generated by his books — include participation on several boards and commissions involved with autism treatment and policy.

Four years ago, Robison was asked by then-Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to serve on the committee that produces the strategic plan for autism for the U.S. government; that appointment has since been renewed by current HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell. He also serves on a panel that evaluates autism research for the U.S. Department of Defense as well as the steering committee for the World Health Organization developing ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health) core sets for autism-spectrum disorder.

He also served a stint on a review board with the National Institutes of Health, tasked with determining how economic-stimulus money appropriated in 2008 should be spent on autism research.

While doing all that, he also teaches a class in neurodiversity at the College of William & Mary, one of the first programs of its kind in the country.

Add all that up, and Robison has a lot of frequent-flyer miles. More importantly, he has an ever-more powerful voice — one he’s certainly not afraid to use — when it comes to the rights of all those within the autism spectrum, how those rights are not being recognized or honored, and how all that has to stop somehow.

It all starts with recognition of those rights, he said, adding quickly that discrimination against those in the autism spectrum is more difficult to recognize because most people don’t see it as discrimination.

As one example, he cited educational testing, a realm where discrimination against some classes has been identified — because of which questions are asked and how — and, in many cases, addressed. Not so when it comes to those with autism.

“You could administer a math or reading test to someone like me, and because I can’t do math problems in the conventional way, I would fail that test,” he explained. “Yet, I could solve complex problems in math in real life, like doing wave-form mathematics in the creation of sound effects when I worked in electronics.

“If you were to test a person like me in a culturally appropriate way, I’d be a bright guy,” he went on. “But if you tested me the way Amherst High School tested me, I was a failure, and there are a lot of autistic people who are like me today. That testing sets us up for future failure, and it’s a form of discrimination.”

When asked if, how, and when various forms of discrimination, such as those headlines involving mass shootings, might become a thing of the past, Robison said this constitutes a difficult task, because so many don’t even recognize it as discrimination.

Progress will only come if adults within the spectrum take full ownership of their condition. And, by doing so, they would also stand up for their rights, as he does.

“We need adults with autism to own it and to say, “I’m autistic, and I’m going to fight for my equality,” he explained, adding that is what the memnbers of various ethinic, racial, and religious groups have done throughout history.

“Autistic people need to do the same thing,” he went on. “They need to say, ‘I’m an autistic adult, and I’m here to say that we’re no killers, we’re not this, and we’re not that; we’re parts of your community everywhere.’”

Summing up what he’s been doing since his customer gave him that book all those years ago, he would say it comes down to getting other people on the spectrum to assume that ownership.

The Last Word

As he talked with BusinessWest, Robison had to stop at one point to take a call concerning flight options for an upcoming speaking engagement in Florida.

It’s fair to say he’s mastered the art and science of booking flights, finding deals, and filling a schedule in a manner that allows him to do all he needs to do.

And that’s only one example — the books on that shelf, as mentioned earlier, are another — of how his work is now truly global in scope.

He said that book he read long ago opened his eyes, empowered him, and liberated him. Helping others achieve all that and more has become a different kind of life’s work.

And another way to make a difference.

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

Elms College Programs Keep Pace with Community Needs

Education Sections

In Perfect Alignment

Elms College President Sr. Mary Reap

When Sr. Mary Reap took the helm at Elms College in 2009, she arrived with a reputation for identifying needs and building the partnerships necessary to meet them. She has done all that and more at Elms, launching a number of new degree programs, expanding enrollment and employment at the Chicopee institution, and maintaining the service- and community-oriented character that its students have long valued.

Some might regard Sr. Mary Reap’s inauguration as president of Elms College in Chicopee as, well, a godsend.

After all, the former president of Marywood University in Pennsylvania had retired after serving at the first Catholic women’s university from 1988 to 2007 and establishing a wide variety of new programs at every level, including majors in physician’s assistant, art therapy, aviation management, biotechnology, information sciences, sports nutrition, and exercise science.

She came out of retirement to take the helm at Elms amid expectations that she could, and would, do the same for that Chicopee institution.

Indeed, soon after her 2009 arrival, Reap began to initiate positive change. But at that point seven years ago — as well as today — she simply viewed the position as an opportunity to put her honed skills to work.

“I arrived just in time; when I took office, Elms needed some updates, including new programs and structural work to the facilities,” Reap told BusinessWest. “Nineteen years of experience allows you to see things that can be changed, and the college was not only ready, they trusted me.”

From the first day she set foot on the Chicopee campus, she was highly impressed by the integrity of the staff and faculty and their willingness to do whatever it takes to help students succeed. In fact, it was one area where no improvements were needed.

“I viewed the job as a wonderful opportunity to take a very dedicated, caring group of individuals and move forward,” Reap said. “Our faculty is really dedicated to student success; we have a high retention rate, and it really amazes me to hear stories of what people here have done,” she continued, citing examples that include faculty members who have purchased books for students who could not afford them, cafeteria and housekeeping staff who know every student by name and give them “a little hug when they need it or make special food for them,” and others who have shouldered the expense of clothing needed by graduates for job interviews when they couldn’t afford it themselves.

Reap said these acts of kindness are done quietly behind the scenes, and she hears about them from grateful students. She attributes the altruism to an attitude that pervades the campus and its many new satellite locations and is passed from staff to students, infusing them with the desire to make an impact.

“Our students often begin their Elms careers with a passion for positive change and leave with the tools necessary to make change happen,” she said.

Her initial goal was to help individuals and the community by making it possible for more people to earn a four-year-degree in subjects that met the requirements of employers who were recruiting outside the area due to a lack of qualified local candidates.

“I looked at the demographics and found that less than 20% of the population in Western Mass. has a four-year degree,” she recalled.

These goals were bolstered by Reap’s belief that it is critical for her to be a good steward of the college and its resources — a commitment she takes seriously.

Her efforts to increase the numbers of graduates with bachelor’s degrees has been successful, and today, enrollment has increased by 400 students. Every building on the Elms campus has undergone renovations to keep up with the changing face of education, and 40 new jobs have been created, thanks to new programs at every level that resulted from collaborations and meetings with business owners, healthcare providers, representatives from the state’s community colleges, and data culled from the government and surveys that have been conducted in the community.

“Every new program has filled a need,” Reap said, using a word that surfaced repeatedly throughout the interview. For this issue’s focus on education, BusinessWest takes a look at the expansion that has occurred at Elms since Reap’s inauguration and how new collaborations have led to success.

New Programs

Reap said that, after she arrived in Chicopee, she met with Holyoke Community College President Bill Messner and was pleased to discover he shared her vision of helping more HCC graduates earn a four-year degree.

“We formed a partnership in 2010-11 and launched our first completion program in the fall of 2010 in psychology, management, and accounting,” Reap recalled. “It’s a cohort model in which students start together and finish together on their own campuses. Classes are held on Saturdays, which makes things easier, and since that time, the program has expanded into other community colleges across the state.”

It is a popular program, and more than 90% of students who enroll graduate. “Right now, 230 students are enrolled, and we believe we have done a great service by making it possible for so many people to complete degrees, which enhances the workforce and puts graduates in line for job promotions,” Reap said.

Another new program instituted after Reap arrived at Elms allows registered nurses who are working in the field to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The RN-BS degree-completion program came about as a result of a partnership with Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) in Pittsfield, and was launched in 2007. Classes are held on the hospital ’s Hillcrest Campus.

Reap said more than 100 people have received their four-year degrees, enhancing the level of care patients receive, and since 2007, RN-BS programs have expanded and are in place at four community colleges.

Reap noted that the baccalaureate program at BHS led to a master’s program, then a doctor of nursing practice program that was launched in the fall of 2014. Students can choose from two tracks and become a family nurse practitioner or adult gerontology acute-care practitioner.

Sr. Mary Reap says the new Center for Natural and Health Sciences was built in response to needs for more graduates with science and nursing degrees.

The inaugural class included nine students from BHS and and nine from Baystate Medical Center, whose tuition was underwritten by the hospitals, and 22 additional students.

“We have helped fill the need for nurses with advanced degrees in a number of local hospitals,” Reap explained. “It was a natural area to grow, especially since the population here is aging. And these programs have an added value as many of the students are bilingual. It’s a great asset as there are so many Spanish-speaking people in the area.”

She noted that Elms received a $650,000 Health Resources and Services Administration grant to provide undergraduate scholarships for deserving, financially eligible Hispanic nursing students.

“We gave out eight awards last year, and 16 students will receive them this year in addition to other help they receive. It’s a wonderful way to meet the needs of the community,” she continued. “Last fall, we also began offering an undergraduate degree in Ethical Healthcare Management, which can be completed online or at some of our satellite sites.”

Elms College has also focused on expanding its science programs. “We know that more young people are needed today in these careers,” Reap said, adding that this knowledge spurred the construction of a new, $13 million Center for Natural and Health Sciences, which contains classrooms and laboratories.

And three years ago, the college responded to another need with a new post-baccalaureate science program for students who want to apply to medical or dental school. It can be completed in one or two years, depending on the student, and Reap said it attracts candidates from around the world in need of additional coursework.

“We’re drawing graduates from Ivy League schools, and they have been getting accepted at the best medical and dental schools in the country,” she noted. “It’s another area that was underserved where we think we are adding value.”

The needs of employers in the business community have also been addressed, and three years ago Elms launched an MBA program. Fifty students are enrolled this year, and they are taking classes on campus and online, which allows them the flexibility to work and earn a degree simultaneously. And, thanks to a generous gift from a benefactor, Elms is in the process of launching a new business center that will provide entrepreneurial and leadership programs at the certificate and degree level. Reap said the center will open officially next fall.

Download a PDF chart of the region’s colleges HERE

“There are many small businesses in the area, and more open every day, and we were getting requests from them for workshops,” she told BusinessWest, adding that slots in the MBA program filled quickly and the school felt it was important to provide other types of education to business owners and employees working in an entrepreneurial environment.

Elms has always had a strong social-work program, and in the spring of 2012, it launched a bachelor’s-degree program in criminal justice. It was created in response to requests from students and an increased need for people to fill crimina-justice positions in the area.

“We work closely with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, local law-enforcement agencies, and the governor’s office, and have a nice relationship with the Soldier On program in the Berkshires,” Reap said, noting that Elms also has a strong legal-studies program and takes an interdisciplinary approach to these fields of study.

“The need is increasing for homeland security, and there are new approaches to criminal justice,” she continued. “Our emphasis is on helping to lower the recidivism rate of people released from prison, and the programs were driven by our mission to have a system of education with our philosophy and values. Respect for the individual is paramount, and it’s important to teach these people how to gain dignity as well as the skill sets they need to enter society again.”

Mirroring the Community

Reap said the student body at Elms and its satellite locations is representative of the community. About 20% of their students are Hispanic, and close to the same number are African-American.

“We also have a lot of religious diversity on campus, and most women feel very comfortable here because it’s a place where they feel safe and respected; plus, they like the idea of coming to a school with a value system similar to their own,” Reap said. “And we have been very entrepreneurial and flexible in adapting, maintaining, and enhancing our reputation for quality and excellence.”

Core values at Elms include faith, community, justice, and excellence, and part of the college’s mission is to educate students and inspire them to help others. It’s a practice that starts at the top and filters down to students who absorb the value, then pay it forward.

“Staff members take turns providing meals for students who can’t go home for the holidays or come back to campus early; I’ve had them in my own home on Thanksgiving,” Reap said, citing just one example of the support the students receive.

“It’s part of our culture, our expectation, and our environment, and we have nursing students who volunteered to use their spring break to serve the poorest of the poor in Jamaica rather than going somewhere like Florida,” she said, noting that they will pay their own travel costs.

In fact, community outreach is such an integral part of the Elms nursing curriculum that, in January 2013, a new program to serve the homeless was launched by Br. Michael Duffy, an assistant clinical professor in the School of Nursing.

It’s called the Elms caRe vaN, and free healthcare services are administered by students in the bachelor’s-degree program out of a 32-foot van that contains two treatment stations, a full exam room, and a five seat-waiting area, which doubles as a warming area. The care is offered in conjunction with St. Stanislaus Basilica’s Sandwich Ministry in Chicopee, and free lunches are distributed every week during the van’s stop in Chicopee Center. In addition, traditional undergraduate nursing students work with Duffy at Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry every Tuesday.

Reap said the majority of majors at Elms College are service-oriented in keeping with the school’s tradition. For example, its communication sciences disorders program is very strong and was designed to serve the increasing number of children who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum or have speech-language problems.

“Every program we offer was developed in response to need,” Reap repeated. “Before we started our nursing-degree programs, Berkshire Medical Center was going to other states to recruit qualified nurses. We wanted to prepare young people who grow up here to take higher-level positions and raise their own standard of living, while meeting job requirements in the area.

“And we plan to add more flexible programs and formats,” she went on. “We will also continue to gather information from the Department of Labor and conduct needs assessments, surveys, roundtables, and talk to people, not only at the community colleges, but in the business world and at the Economic Development Council, which has been very helpful.”

Moving Forward

In short, Elms has done a good job keeping up with the times.

“We know where we are going, and I am confident that whatever we do will be done well and successfully because of our staff and the strong ethical and value-based approach to education that the college provides,” Reap said. “We continually seek out scholarships and grants for disadvantaged students as they comprise the majority of the population in our community; 90% of our student body gets some type of financial aid, and we’re always looking for assistance to help students, many of whom have financial challenges.”

She told BusinessWest that, when she asks students what makes Elms special, the answer is always the same. “It’s the strong sense of community we have here. Commencement can be difficult because this is a place they call home, and it’s hard to walk away from such a supportive setting.”

So, as Reap enters the spring semester of her seventh year at Elms, she feels satisfied with the growth that has occurred. It has aligned perfectly with her own goals, and she is confident that need-based growth will continue.

Which is, indeed, a true godsend to students seeking the education they need to get a job that pays well — and has helped establish a pipeline of new, local, well-educated graduates for employers.

HCC, STCC Begin Training Programs for Casino Careers

Education Sections

A Winning Hand

Jeffrey Hayden says HCC has expanded its hospitality and culinary programs to provide a needed pipeline of skilled workers to fill emerging jobs in Western Mass.

Robert LePage has lost track of how many times someone has told him, ‘I want to become a dealer.’

The pronouncements began long before MGM and Springfield were selected as the casino developer and city of choice in Western Mass., and LePage, executive director of Training and Workforce Options (TWO) at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), said they increase by the day.

His observation constitutes a reality check, because he knows that most people aren’t aware of what the job entails.

“I ask whether they like doing basic math, if they enjoy interacting with people all day, if it would bother them to stand on their feet for seven hours at a time, and if they realize they will have to work nights, weekends, and holidays because these are the busiest times in a casino,” said LePage.

STCC and Holyoke Community College (HCC) have formed a collaboration to provide knowledge about jobs, training, and qualifications that will be required by MGM Springfield when it begins hiring, and have joined forces with numerous local organizations that have a vested interest in filling the gap for the estimated 3,000 employees the casino will need.

Efforts began with TWO program, which was established by the presidents of the two community colleges with the goal of supporting regional workforce needs. Since its inception, a seemingly endless amount of work has been done to create custom-designed programs and provide employee assessments, skills training, and professional development, while strategically recruiting students for credit and non-credit programs.

“We have worked on joint projects in the industrial sector, manufacturing, IT, and hospitality, along with basic workforce literacy,” LePage explained.

Two years ago, TWO conducted a study with the largest hospitality/culinary employers in the area, including Sheraton as well Sodexho and Aramark, which provide food-service operations for local hospitals, schools, and colleges.

The study uncovered a significant finding: although the casino will need about 1,000 people to fill jobs in this sector, there is already a dearth of qualified individuals to meet the needs of local employers in the Pioneer Valley, where about 400 new positions open each year.

“We suspected this in the past and had talked about the need to expand our programs, but with the advent of the casino, the timing was finally right,” said Jeffrey Hayden, vice president of Business and Community Services for Holyoke Community College, adding that the hospitality/culinary field is one of the largest entry-level job markets in Western Mass. “MGM adds to the need, but it is the industry itself that is driving our new offerings.”

In the past two years, HCC has established a large number of new non-credit and credit courses in that field of study. In addition, as an offshoot of TWO, the colleges have taken the lead in establishing the Massachusetts Casino Training Institute, which will offer a gaming school in Springfield as well as hospitality and culinary training in Holyoke.

A tremendous amount of collaboration has taken place to get this off the ground between the colleges, the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, the area’s one-stop career centers, and local nonprofits and businesses whose clientele or employees could benefit from earning a certificate or advancing their hospitality/culinary and customer-service skill sets.

“We have also worked with our sister community colleges in the East and Southeast, and are trying to create a casino-training model that will be replicated across the state,” LePage said. “We have done a lot to figure out how to build this system. People have no idea how complex it is, but this gaming scale-up is the largest that has been done in decades. When MGM Springfield opens, it will be among the top five employers in Western Mass.”

Chipping In

STCC and HCC are working closely with MGM and the Mass. Gaming Commission to create the curriculum for a certificate program in gaming-related occupations, and a workforce plan that has taken several years to complete will be submitted to the commission within the next three to six months.

“Our goal is to assist in providing a labor pool and ensure the availability of training programs that will provide general instruction for careers, and specific training for licensed occupations such as table dealers, slot attendants, slot-repair technicians, and surveillance,” LePage explained.

Informational sessions are expected to begin as early as this summer, which will allow interested people to gain critically important information about gaming jobs and what is required to work at them. The sessions will include talks by employees from operating casinos, who will likely share the pros and cons of their positions to ensure prospective candidates know what to expect.

LePage said an announcement is expected next month that will let people know where the school will be located in Springfield.

“The courses held there will run about 20 hours a week and for six to 14 weeks, and will include basic competency skills, as well as technical training. There will also be simulated hands-on training stations where students will learn to deal cards as well as how to deal with customers,” he told BusinessWest, adding that the colleges are working with the state to provide free tuition to qualified applicants.

Robert LePage says a center will open in Springfield to teach people the skills they need for gaming-related occupations.

However, these sessions will not begin until about 90 days before MGM begins hiring to prevent a gap between learning and putting newly acquired skills to work.

Although these courses of study are still in the definitive stages, HCC has already begun to fill the existing gap of qualified employees in the hospitality/culinary industry that will grow when MGM begins hiring.

Hayden said the need is so great that HCC has been able to place close to 80% of its hospitality/culinary graduates into jobs, while incumbent workers who enrich their education have attained an 85% increase in pay, position, or responsibility.

“This is one of the largest occupational sectors in the Pioneer Valley,” he noted. “It employs about 30,000 people, so our goal is to provide basic training so people can get a job, get a better job, or be able to do their job better.”

New non-credit courses for restaurant, food-service, and hotel workers include “ServSafe Food Safety,” “Customer Service and Workplace Communication,” “Management and Leadership,” “Goal Setting and Productivity,” and a number of other professional-development offerings. There are also one-year certificate programs and associate-degree programs in hospitality and food-service management.

“We have the only post-secondary program for this field of study in the region,” Hayden said.

HCC plans to open a new Center for Hospitality and Culinary Excellence in January 2017 that will offer workforce and credit programs.

“It’s a highly anticipated investment by the college, the state, and the federal government because we recognize the need extends across the marketplace in Hampden County and the Pioneer Valley,” Hayden explained. “The new, 20,000-square-foot facility will have state-of-the-art hot and cold labs, a bakery, a dining area, a demonstration area, and a mock hotel room where people can learn skills like how to make a bed.”

Training is also ongoing in Springfield and Northampton, and may begin in Ware to accommodate people with transportation issues. In addition, two 14-week training sessions have been offered at Dean Technical High School in Holyoke in collaboration with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s part of the sheriff’s effort to have people leave with workplace skills,” Hayden said, adding that, although former inmates might not be able to work in the casino, they can enter many of the positions available in the area.

A significant amount of effort has also been expended to help people pay for their education. Over the last three years, HCC has received Rapid Response grants from the Department of Higher Education totaling $182,000 that have allowed more than 250 people to earn more than 300 certificates in these fields, and the college recently applied for a Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund grant to provide more scholarships.

“There are more than 400 new job openings in the Pioneer Valley every year, and employers are looking for people who have some kind of training or experience,” Hayden said, noting that one local employer recently pledged to hire people who completed a ServSafe Food Safety course.

The Stakes Are High

STCC kicked off a new, 14-week advanced customer-service credit program last October to help build a stronger pipeline of employees.

“The casino will present a significant opportunity in terms of jobs, and a good body of work has already been done, which is important because, to capitalize on these opportunities, we have to get people prepared to move in and up in the workforce,” LePage explained. “It’s a pretty large project, and shovels are growing in the ground.”

Which means the time is right for people to begin researching gaming occupations or take part in hospitality/culinary training if they hope to embark on an entry-level casino career, change careers, or advance in their own workplace.

Plainridge’s Slow Start Prompts Questions

Opinion

Editorial

This is not the way Massachusetts intended its long-anticipated foray into casino gambling to go.

After opening to considerable hype and huge crowds last summer, the Plainridge Park slots parlor in the southeast corner of the state is clearly struggling.

All you need to know is that gambling marketing consultants hired before Plainridge opened predicted as much as $300 million in revenues the facility’s first year. The worst-case scenario, they said, was $210 million. But in November, the Massachusetts state budget office cut that figure to $160 million. That’s right, half of what the experts forecast.

And that was before a holiday season at Plainridge that was even slower than what the industry usually sees for that time of the year.

Theories abound for this slow start — the facility is too small and doesn’t have table games; the payouts are not as high as other casinos (even though they’ve moved upward); it doesn’t have as much to offer as the nearby Twin River Casino in Rhode Island; that its intended audience — mostly seniors — is too limited.

All of this may well be true, but there might be much more to this story, and it doesn’t bode well for Springfield and the $950 million MGM casino slated to open in the city’s South End in 2018.

Indeed, the very slow start at Plainridge might be ample, and very disturbing, evidence that Massachusetts is getting into casino gambling way too late, that legislators might have erred when they approved two resort casinos and a slots parlor — with the possibility of a third resort casino — and that the Commonwealth was naive to think that neighboring states would sit by idly and watch Massachusetts take gamblers and revenue from them.

Yes, it’s early in the game, and, yes, Plainridge is just a slots parlor, or so we’ve been told by the braintrust at MGM many, many times, but there is something very unsettling about Plainridge’s start, and to explain, we need to go back roughly three and a half years, to when the proposals for casinos started to take shape, especially in Western Mass.

That’s when one company decided it was prudent to plunk down $16 million for the former Westinghouse complex in East Springfield, along Route 291. That proposal never got out of the gate, let alone to the first turn or the second.

That’s also when a proposal for a parcel near Mass Pike exit 8 in Palmer, one that had already been on the table for a few years, was gaining steam as a viable alternative to the urban casinos blueprinted for Springfield. But it never moved past the local-vote stage, even in a community desperate for jobs and economic development.

We bring up those episodes, among many others, because, from the beginning, one of the assumptions area residents and elected officials have been making is that those in the casino industry must know what they’re doing. Those failures, and Plainridge’s slow start, have to make us wonder: do they really know what they’re doing?

Lance George, general manager of Plainridge Park, argues that his facility’s start is following a typical pattern when it comes to facilities (at least the first few parts) — fast start, then a slowdown, then a gradual upward climb. He told BusinessWest (see story, page 6) that the state and the press should be focused on the long term and not tracking revenues on a monthly basis, looking for patterns and reasons to explain them.

We hope he’s right. Again, these are the people who have been in the business, people who, we are told, know what they are doing.

But the same can be said for those who made those original revenue projections for Plainridge. And that’s why the start to the casino era in Massachusetts is a cause for concern.

Downtown Investments Spark Growth in Chicopee

Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Mayor Richard Kos (right) and Mike Vedovelli say Chicopee has issued an RFP for the old library building adjacent to City Hall.

Mayor Richard Kos says Chicopee is well-poised for growth, thanks to what he called a multi-faceted approach to economic development.

“We’re trying to address the city as a whole to make sure we strengthen any areas where there are weaknesses,” he told BusinessWest a few days after being sworn into office for the second consecutive term and sixth term overall. “Although any urban environment has challenges, Chicopee has a great track record of addressing infrastructure needs in conjunction with development opportunities, and we continue to build on this in one of the strongest financial communities in the state.”

To that end, biweekly meetings are held to assess projects that are underway or on the drawing board. And there are several in those categories, as developers convert space in old mills and buildings downtown and a variety of neighborhoods for housing, business, or industrial use.

In turn, the city has done its part; in addition to initiating infrastructure improvements that encourage growth, it has a new middle school, is focused on improving its network of parks, and stays closely aligned with Westover Air Reserve Base, which has a significant economic impact on the city and region.

Revitalization is taking place in Chicopee Center, and Kos said two high-profile projects show that significant investments are being made downtown. The first is a $6 million conversion of the former John R. Lyman Mill building at the lower end of Front Street, situated next to the Chicopee River Canal, that has been vacant for several years.

A developer has purchased it and plans to convert the space into 80 market-rate live/work/loft apartments, Kos noted, adding that a groundbreaking ceremony is expected for March.

The second project is a $7 million renovation of the Kendall Building at 4 Springfield St., which has been purchased by Valley Opportunity Council. That agency plans to convert it into 39 apartments with $3.1 million in help from the state, Kos explained.

A request for proposals was also issued last month for Chicopee’s old library, which sits adjacent to City Hall.

“We’re looking to see what the private sector wants to do with the property,” Kos said, adding that the city secured a number of grants that allowed it to undertake selective remediation and resolve contamination issues in the building.

“Marketing this building is part of the emphasis we’re placing on our downtown,” he went on, noting that security cameras were installed downtown last year to help make it “a safe, secure, and convenient place to live.”

Michael Vedovelli said the city is fortunate to be working with developers in the old mills, and received a $2.6 million MassWorks grant to make utility, water, and sewer infrastructure improvements in the canal area.

“It’s a very competitive process, and they are difficult to obtain; there were 110 grant applicants, and only 37 were awarded,” said the director of Community and Economic Development. “But we constantly do all we can to create a vibrant downtown, and the projects in Chicopee Center are moving forward and will generate more activity.”

Tom Haberlin, the city’s Economic Development manager, agreed, saying these are the first investments that have been made in the area since 40 new apartments opened last year at Ames Privilege, a former mill and downtown complex that is home to several businesses and 120 apartments.

“When these projects are finished, the bookends [of the mills] will be complete, which leaves the middle of the sandwich to be developed, and we are hopeful that the owners of the mills will ramp up their plans,” he told BusinessWest, explaining that Ames Privilege and the Lyman building sit on opposite ends of the mill area that flanks the canal.

Private investment is being matched by public investments, and the city has demolished a six-family property on 296 Front St. that it plans to turn into a parking lot.

Kos said adding parking space is part of an effort to make City Hall more accessible, and earlier this month the City Council voted to fund an analysis of the building in hopes of turning the antiquated third-floor auditorium into a community meeting center. The council also allocated $500,000 to preserve stained-glass windows in the building that had deteriorated.

The well-known Munich Haus restaurant downtown is also making improvements, which include enlarging its parking area. Its owners purchased the former Ferris parking lot downtown and are awaiting final approval to reconstruct it, Kos said. The new lot will contain more than 50 spaces to complement the businesses’ beer garden and restaurant, and 15 will be designated as free public parking sites.

“Chicopee is one of the largest cities in the area that provides substantial free parking, which is part of the comfort and ease of getting into our downtown,” Kos noted, adding that Munich Haus also purchased the former Bank of Boston building and continues to invest in Chicopee.

Multitude of Projects

As Kos mentioned earlier, there are a host of economic-development initiatives taking place across Chicopee.

Cleanup efforts continue on the 27-acre Uniroyal property, for example, and last year the city not only secured a $200,000 grant to make improvements to the six-story historic administration building on the site, the City Council approved adding $186,000 to weatherproof and preserve it for the future.

The former Facemate site is also being addressed, and several acres are out for bid.

“We anticipate interest in building senior living there,” Kos said, explaining that the acreage abuts the new $10 million RiverMills Senior Center that opened in September 2014.

Progress is also taking place at the former Schine Inn. It was built in 1960 and decades later became the Plantation Inn, known for its 30-foot waving mascot that greeted travelers coming off Exit 6 on the Mass Pike. Kos said 194 motel units on the site have been demolished so a luxury auto dealer can fulfill plans to build a dealership there.

Developments are also taking place in Aldenville, and the former Racing Oil Service Center at 181 Front St., which has remained vacant since 2004 due to contamination issues, will be cleaned up, thanks to a $200,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The city also welcomed coffee-maker manufacturer Chemex to a location off James Street after the business moved from its Pittsfield location to Chicopee, said Kos, noting that many businesses move to or expand in Chicopee due to its accessible location. In fact, it has been marketed as the ‘Crossroads of New England’ because of its easy access to I-91, I-391, and the Pike.

Education ranks high on the list of Chicopee’s assets, and last year the 90-year-old former Chicopee High School building on Front Street reopened as the 1st Sgt. Kevin Dupont Middle School after undergoing a $38 million renovation. The building boasts a television production room and a number of new science laboratories, and Kos says half of the city’s middle-school students attend the new school.

Work on the city’s network of parks is ongoing, and last year, a $20,000 KaBOOM! grant paid for new playground equipment at Nash Park with the help of volunteer labor. And although the public outdoor pools were found in need of extensive repairs, the city was able to reopen the Rivers Park pool last summer after it received a $400,000 state grant to do needed work. And earlier this month, the City Council accepted another state grant that will pay for 70% of the cost of replacing Ray Ash Park pool located in the city’s center, Kos said.

Westover Air Reserve Base is a major entity that adds to the city’s economy, and the 2015 Air Show proved to be of its most successful public events. Nearly 375,000 people attended, and an economic-impact study estimated the air show had an $11.5 million economic impact in the area, Kos said, explaining that more than $9 million was spent on hotel stays, meals, gas, and other items. Meanwhile, he added, the fact that base commander Col. Albert Lupenski was recently promoted to general shows his leadership has captured attention in Washington, D.C.

In addition, eight of Westover’s C5-As are being retrofitted with the “quietest engines in the industry and will become C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft,” Kos noted.

Many military installations across the country have closed due to budget cuts, but the city has an innovative plan to help Westover remain open. Kos said 69 multi-family units of military housing on 26 acres that were purchased from the U.S. Navy in 2011 are being demolished to make way for a three-megawatt solar farm on the property with the aim of reducing Westover’s utility bills.

MassDevelopment agreed to provide $1 million to fund the project, and that grant was matched by $1 million from the state.

The base uses approximately $2 million of electricity each year, so this step will save the facility $100,000 annually, which equates to a 5% reduction, Kos said.

“The solar farm will also be a plus for the city because we are clearing up a long-abandoned property and developing it into a taxpaying entity; it will benefit Chicopee, Westover, and the neighborhood,” he noted, noting that roughly 70% of the acreage will contain the solar farm, while the remainder will be preserved for future development because it is contiguous with Westover AirPark North.

The park contains the former Avery Dennison Corp. building, which was purchased by investors after the plant closed two years ago. Yankee Candle now occupies 289,000 square feet of the building, Kos noted, adding that the company opened a distribution operation there.

Haberlin said the number of available commercial and industrial buildings in the city is one of its strengths because many communities lack the space that businesses need to expand. “Chicopee continues to have a supply of large industrial buildings that are being reabsorbed and reused. The cost is typically about $30 per square foot, which is 30 to 40% less than the cost of new construction.”

Celebrating Continued Success

The city is divided into distinct neighborhoods that include Chicopee Center, Chicopee Falls, Willimansett, Fairview, the Burnett Road area, and Aldenville, and last September the city held its first block party downtown.

“We received a $7,500 grant from MassDevelopment and had help from local businesses,” Kos said. “The streets were closed from noon to 10 p.m., and more than 7,000 people attended the family-friendly event that showcased food, entertainment, and the convenient assets of our city in a way that multiple generations could enjoy. We also have a Halloween event downtown which 3,000 families attended last October, and our annual Christmas-tree lighting that more than 1,000 people turned out to see. We are a substantial city that still has a small-town atmosphere and sense of community.”

Haberlin agreed. “Our neighborhoods complement each other and give the city its unique flavor,” he said, “making it a great place to live, work, play, and call home.”

Chicopee at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1848
Population: 55,795
Area: 23.9 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $16.91
Commercial Tax Rate: $31.17
Median Household Income: $45,763
Family Household Income: $58,118
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest employers: Westover Air Reserve Base; Chicopee City Hall; Ethos Energy; J. Polep Distribution Services

* Latest information available

Signs of Progress Abound in Springfield

Opinion

By Domenic Sarno

The New Year is an appropriate time to reflect on all of the important milestones that have been achieved in Springfield over the past year, and to prepare for a 2016 that promises to be even more prosperous.

It is clear that 2015 has been extremely significant in terms of our city’s economic development history. The city’s largest project ever, MGM Springfield, has progressed from an interesting concept several years ago to a fully realized $950 million project in 2015 with site preparation and demolition now underway. This project will result in 3,000 new, permanent jobs and will bring new amenities to our downtown that will help support and attract further development.

CRRC Corp. also made great progress in 2015, completing its site purchase and breaking ground on a $95 million railcar production facility that will bring state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly back to the historic former Westinghouse site. As many Northeastern cities deal with a continuing loss of industry, Springfield is welcoming 150 new, permanent jobs to the CRRC facility, with the possibility of many more to come as the company seeks additional contracts across the country.

While projects of this scale are incredibly important to our city and regional economy for many reasons, what is even more exciting is the spinoff that will be created. MGM Springfield will spend $50 million on local contracting each year, which means more small-business jobs, more tax revenue, and more activity than what happens just within the project footprint.

We’ve already seen a hospitality-driven company like Falvey Linen, an 85-year old Rhode Island business, making the largest investment in its history in establishing a new facility here in Springfield. CRRC Corp. will have a similar effect on our local small-shop manufacturing economy because its production will require a constant influx of specialized parts and products.

The positive impact of the rebirth of Union Station is obvious. Vacant since the 1970s, the station is now undergoing an extensive renovation, and many signs of progress are evident. With the former baggage building now fully demolished, the historic terminal building being fully restored, and a 377-space parking garage starting to rise, the future of transit in our city is starting to come into focus.

By the end of 2016, we will have reopened a gleaming new Union Station. Soon thereafter, we will welcome regular commuter service to Hartford, New Haven, and beyond, in addition to our regular Amtrak service. This project, too, will generate tremendous spinoffs of economic and real-estate development.

These two mega-projects, Union Station and MGM Springfield, will become thriving bookends for our very walkable downtown, which is itself experiencing a rebirth. Springfield Museums is working diligently on a new Dr. Seuss Museum that will become a major attraction. And Silverbrick Lofts, with assistance from the city’s market-rate-housing program, has become a huge success in redeveloping the former Morgan Square apartment complex into a place where young professionals have started to flock for urban living.

The city has also partnered with MassDevelopment to create a Transformative Development Initiative district, which has brought with it a host of tools for revitalizing the former Entertainment District as a fully functioning innovation and dining district.

Of course, innovation is nothing new to the ‘City of Firsts,’ and we have been steadily putting the pieces together to a downtown that is truly unique. From Valley Venture Mentors to Tech Foundry; from TechSpring to DevelopSpringfield’s Innovation Center, substantial momentum is building in Springfield. And this trend is attracting a wide range of entrepreneurs and innovators.

Ultimately, what this wide swath of economic activity means is we are entering a year when workforce readiness will be a priority. All of the exciting projects currently underway will not be successful if we cannot link our Springfield residents with appropriate skills-training programs to prepare them for the opportunities on the horizon. The city has already begun investing in workforce training related to these opportunities, and that focus will only become more intense as we move closer to fruition on so many of these projects.

The public sector, of course, cannot move forward on these projects and efforts alone. It will take the cooperation and participation of businesses, nonprofit organizations, higher education, neighborhood councils, and many others. It will be absolutely critical that we are all rowing in the same direction.

Domenic Sarno is mayor of Springfield.

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Accountable Care Associates
One Monarch Place, 10th Fl.
Springfield, MA 01144
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/17/15

AMC Childcare Center
Betts, Jacqueline Simmons
799 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/30/15

Arroyo, Luis D.
Collazo, Monica
11 Hendel Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/18/15

Brunelle, Christopher R.
Brunelle, Kimberly
140 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/17/15

Carofano, Joseph George
Carofano, Samantha
19 Preserve Way
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/29/15

Coupe, Peter Winchell
P.O. Box 51092
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/17/15

Deforge, John
100 Narragansett Blvd.
1st Floor
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/17/15

Eaton, Cheryl Ann
57 Mechanic St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/22/15

Ecology of Sound
Frota, Ricardo Fagundes
71 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/18/15

Farmer, Karen M.
a/k/a Senk, Karen
123 Beesley Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/31/15

Farrell, Katey Marie
21 Bobs Hill
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/22/15

Feliciano, Carrie L.
1 Berkshire Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/24/15

Feliciano, David
1 Berkshire Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/24/15

Flores, Agustin
353 Central St., Apt. 14
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/28/15

Gamble, Anthony Barnett
192 Marsden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/30/15

Gose, Eric N.
30 Emerald Place
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/18/15

Houghton, Theresa L.
a/k/a Haughton, Theresa L.
a/k/a Lamoureux, Theresa L.
45 King St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/23/15

Kinney, Todd D.
Kinney, Laura A.
10 Rockland Terrace
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/23/15

Lavallee, Jeffrey P.
357 Leadmine Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/30/15

Learned, Branden Robert
PO Box 162
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/31/15

Little, Jeanne E.
5 Hurley Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/18/15

Luciano, Otaniel T.
112 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/24/15

Mackey, Megan E.
181 Brown St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/22/15

Matos, June E.
87 Martin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/18/15

Norman, Diana Lynne
16 Harvey St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/21/15

Norman, Jon Eric
16 Harvey St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/21/15

Parenteau, Yolany
78 Lawler St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/24/15

Quiriy, David E.
P.O. BOX 15266
Springfield, MA 01115
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/22/15

Ryan, Maureen E.
76 Roseland Terrace
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/30/15

Taylor, Celestine
30 Merrick Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/30/15

Wood, Thomas A.
Wood, Elizabeth M.
304 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/21/15

Real Estate Transactions

Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

808 Brattleboro Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $222,500
Buyer: Clifford C. Spatcher
Seller: Jordan G. Brechenser
Date: 12/11/15

92 River St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jordan G. Brechenser
Seller: James P. Petrin
Date: 12/11/15

206 River St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Edith H. Riddle
Seller: William B. Deane
Date: 12/16/15

431 West Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Jeffrey K. Hubbard
Seller: Mary B. Whiton
Date: 12/15/15

BUCKLAND

45 Conway St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Lamson Properties LLC
Seller: Lamson & Goodnow Mfg. Co.
Date: 12/18/15

COLRAIN

331 Adamsville Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Timothy S. Daniels
Seller: Laurence P. Binney
Date: 12/18/15

DEERFIELD

13 Lee Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Eugin
Seller: Debora Lichtenberg
Date: 12/15/15

105 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $176,850
Buyer: Rachel Jackson
Seller: Paula Mcnee
Date: 12/18/15

38 Thayer St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Matthew F. Woods
Seller: Kevin L. Kruk
Date: 12/21/15

ERVING

10 Maple Ave.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Greenfield Savings Bank
Seller: Penny J. Hanks
Date: 12/17/15

GILL

401 Main Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $204,500
Buyer: David G. Cormier
Seller: Sarah E. Rury
Date: 12/11/15

GREENFIELD

242 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Alvaro Millan
Seller: Wayne L. Elie
Date: 12/21/15

11 East Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Andrea G. Curtis
Seller: Peter G. Sullivan
Date: 12/23/15

15 East Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Todd L. Draper
Seller: Paul Rotkiewicz
Date: 12/22/15

9 Ester Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Alexandr Bocharnikov
Seller: Johnson RET
Date: 12/17/15

30-44 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Howie RT
Seller: Federal Street Dining LLC
Date: 12/23/15

28-30 Lincoln St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: James Merrigan
Seller: Roger B. Cummings
Date: 12/22/15

27 Linden Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $143,550
Buyer: Derrick Rawson
Seller: Edward E. Rawson
Date: 12/16/15

16 Lovers Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Degen
Seller: Jeffrey Doak
Date: 12/21/15

10 Monroe Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Karl J. Mutchler
Seller: Ethel May Case TR
Date: 12/11/15

32 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $121,800
Buyer: Greenfield Savings Bank
Seller: Tina F. Kelley
Date: 12/17/15

28 Sunset Square
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Lindsey J. Pelc
Seller: James W. Taylor
Date: 12/18/15

HEATH

20 Knott Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: James Thane
Date: 12/11/15

MONTAGUE

166 Avenue A
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Tabbat Inc.
Seller: Stage 2 Enterprises Inc.
Date: 12/10/15

171 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: David A. Johnson
Seller: James E. Newcombe
Date: 12/11/15

34 Turners Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $150,847
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Mary Lovett
Date: 12/16/15

NORTHFIELD

12 Highland Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Sarah M. Leonard
Seller: Starmer INT
Date: 12/18/15

234 Old Wendell Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Michael F. Goesch
Seller: Bernice H. Tuttle
Date: 12/11/15

ORANGE

415 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Andrew M. Cloutier
Seller: Edward G. Day
Date: 12/21/15

SHELBURNE

130 Bridge St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Elizabeth C. Heck TR
Seller: Eugene A. Clark RET
Date: 12/11/15

Halligan Ave.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Perry INT
Seller: Doris C. Perry INT
Date: 12/23/15

SHUTESBURY

155 High Point Dr.
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Robin Swados
Seller: Cameron, Mary, (Estate)
Date: 12/21/15

SUNDERLAND

162 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: 162 Hadley Road RT
Seller: Greenfield Savings Bank
Date: 12/23/15

WHATELY

24 Grey Oak Lane
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $353,280
Buyer: Gregory W. Payeur
Seller: William F. Lemon
Date: 12/23/15

180 River Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Michael F. Clark
Seller: Myron C. Orloski
Date: 12/23/15

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

123 Adams St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $160,797
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Elizabeth A. Harrington
Date: 12/22/15

137 Colemore St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Rebecca Stone
Seller: Richard J. Marcheselli
Date: 12/18/15

262 Colemore St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $172,283
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Lyli E. Stacy
Date: 12/22/15

476 Corey St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jason A. Larocque
Seller: Andrea Machia
Date: 12/18/15

108 Hastings St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Yuriy Vovk
Seller: Kenneth L. Vermes
Date: 12/14/15

66 Liberty St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Double D. Investments LLC
Seller: James H. Powell
Date: 12/21/15

122 Monroe St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $272,500
Seller: Todd V. Ruby
Date: 12/11/15

1056 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Casey S. Fuller
Seller: Judy A. Koralik
Date: 12/22/15

644 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $184,500
Buyer: Ryan Fields
Seller: Andrew M. Morrison
Date: 12/18/15

309 Poplar St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Andrey Nemchinsky
Seller: Joseph M. Parslow
Date: 12/17/15

83 Valley Brook Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $197,412
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Todd L. Bousquet
Date: 12/23/15

BLANDFORD

27 South St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Joseph Domingos
Date: 12/11/15

BRIMFIELD

1237 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Bernard L. Parker
Seller: Robert R. Runge
Date: 12/15/15

21 Little Alum Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Ryan D. Metterville
Seller: Joseph M. Beer
Date: 12/21/15

75 Monson Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Sarah J. Buzanowski
Seller: Jennifer Elmore
Date: 12/17/15

CHESTER

66 Lyon Hill Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Adrianne C. Johnson
Seller: Thomas L. Brisson
Date: 12/22/15

276 Skyline Trail
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Ryan P. Greener
Seller: Albert H. Reale
Date: 12/11/15

CHICOPEE

2 Access Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,771
Buyer: USA VA
Seller: Ricky E. Weaver
Date: 12/16/15

70 Arlmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: David Deslauriers
Seller: Barbara A. Deslauriers
Date: 12/17/15

84 Bell St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Eric P. Alicea
Seller: Ronald Gagne
Date: 12/18/15

63 Bemis Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Maryjane Kopie
Seller: Sara L. Raymond
Date: 12/21/15

16 Bolduc Lane
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Matthew 1128 Church Of God
Seller: Chrissys Corner LLC
Date: 12/16/15

36 Catherine St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $119,273
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Kathleen E. Moore
Date: 12/22/15

25 Gelinas Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $181,500
Buyer: Mary L. Laprade
Seller: Clayton J. Tomlinson
Date: 12/22/15

56 Longwood Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Christopher D. Sawa
Seller: Magdalene N. Eboso
Date: 12/17/15

107 Mandalay Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Kris C. Wojtowicz
Seller: Tran, Oanh N., (Estate)
Date: 12/18/15

151 Mayflower Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: David Lemieux
Seller: Raymond P. Authier
Date: 12/22/15

505 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Synergic Solutions Inc.
Seller: Jayanth Pasupleti
Date: 12/21/15

202 Old Lyman Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: DGL Properties LLC
Seller: Vevier, Robert W., (Estate)
Date: 12/16/15

7 Tardy Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,500
Buyer: David A. Bucalo
Seller: Carol A. Gomes
Date: 12/11/15

131 Ward St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jesus A. Andino
Seller: Jose Goncalves
Date: 12/11/15

49 Washington St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Nicole M. Beaupre
Seller: Robert E. McQueen
Date: 12/11/15

EAST LONGMEADOW

Canterbury Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Priscilla R. Diaz
Seller: Kevin P. Asher
Date: 12/11/15

11 Dawes St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Sammy Guilbe
Seller: Robert A. Gagne
Date: 12/18/15

106 Hampden Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Mitchell R. Galaszka
Seller: Leon Jangrow
Date: 12/21/15

42 Holland Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Gino Trolio
Seller: Mya Realty LLC
Date: 12/21/15

150 Kibbe Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Carla Lomangino
Seller: Laura J. Rollins
Date: 12/14/15

89 Mapleshade Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Kerry L. Valley
Seller: Emme G. Kuhn
Date: 12/21/15

241 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Christine Sousa
Seller: Mary A. Thibault
Date: 12/10/15

42 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $213,500
Buyer: Laura Stevens
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/11/15

Peachtree Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Carlos
Seller: Cabot Real Estate LLC
Date: 12/18/15

45 Sturbridge Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Robert-Thomas Construction LLC
Seller: Danny S. Larochelle
Date: 12/18/15

4 Veranda Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Saad Abduljabbar
Seller: Robert J. Villeneuve
Date: 12/18/15

HAMPDEN

210 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $1,100,000
Buyer: New Life International
Seller: Bethlehem Baptist Church
Date: 12/18/15

216 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $1,100,000
Buyer: New Life International
Seller: Bethlehem Baptist Church
Date: 12/18/15

62 Mountain Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Derek M. Gray
Seller: Timothy R. Connors
Date: 12/16/15

47 Old Coach Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Random Properties Acquisition Corp. 3
Seller: Clifford E. Keeney
Date: 12/17/15

113 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Donny Adorno
Seller: Derek M. Gray
Date: 12/16/15

HOLLAND

78 Hisgen Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Kevin P. Koslowski
Seller: Gerald J. Germaine
Date: 12/17/15

22 Union Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Robert S. Sheldon
Seller: Ryan J. Mulcahy
Date: 12/15/15

88 Vinton Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $171,500
Buyer: Cassie Leslie
Seller: Darell L. Mitchell
Date: 12/11/15

42 Wales Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Carolyn Morrison
Seller: Howard A. Fife
Date: 12/21/15

HOLYOKE

11 Anderson Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Rachel M. Davini
Seller: Shanahan, Kara E., (Estate)
Date: 12/21/15

357 Apremont Hwy.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings Fund Society
Seller: Jose A. Hernandez
Date: 12/16/15

73 Carlton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Alexander A. Wanczyk
Seller: Karen D. Warren
Date: 12/11/15

133 Central Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: James O’Brien
Seller: Lawrence V. Lajoie
Date: 12/18/15

80-94 Commercial St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Gandara Mental Health Center
Seller: 80 Commercial Street LLC
Date: 12/11/15

17 Hickory St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: David M. Picchi
Seller: Nora Mackay
Date: 12/15/15

23 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Elizabeth J. Scheurer
Seller: John H. Chwalek
Date: 12/15/15

233 Huron Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: John E. McMahon
Seller: James O’Brien
Date: 12/11/15

131-133 Locust St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Best4u RT
Seller: Lester L. Zyla
Date: 12/11/15

107 Meadowbrook Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Linda M. Beauregard
Seller: Richard D. Chartier
Date: 12/17/15

53 Mueller Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Dana B. Potter
Seller: Zachary R. Vozella
Date: 12/10/15

244 Oak St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Sarah B. Albright
Seller: Scott Tundermann
Date: 12/15/15

29 Orchard St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Patrick O. Britton
Seller: Matthew J. Craven
Date: 12/14/15

11 Ross Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: James R. Murphy
Seller: David P. Peloquin
Date: 12/21/15

25 Stanford St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $229,950
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: David J. Fitz
Date: 12/23/15

LONGMEADOW

215 Ellington Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $655,000
Buyer: Michael D. Caban
Seller: James Fitzpatrick
Date: 12/10/15

64 Franklin Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $195,500
Buyer: Ehdaa A. Tahoun
Seller: Katherine T. Duclos
Date: 12/18/15

33 Harwich Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Christopher R. Glass
Seller: Lloyd Mendes
Date: 12/15/15

117 Shaker Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $374,900
Buyer: Christopher J. Morgan
Seller: Charles N. Brinkmann
Date: 12/15/15

240 Shaker Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: Cary D. Rubman
Seller: Priscilla R. Diaz
Date: 12/11/15

LUDLOW

3 Auburn St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Laura Green
Date: 12/24/15

77 Elizabeth Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $371,500
Buyer: Christopher C. Arsenault
Seller: Antonio J. Bastos
Date: 12/21/15

N/A
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $121,777
Buyer: Cheryl A. Couture
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 12/11/15

95 Oakridge St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Evan W. Giana
Seller: Brett D. Bernardo
Date: 12/10/15

146 Piney Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: PNC Bank
Seller: Jamison A. Bolduc
Date: 12/17/15

63 Pond St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Alicia M. Moorhouse
Seller: Anne Norton
Date: 12/11/15

163 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jill M. Eskett
Seller: Diana M. Pires-Murphy
Date: 12/21/15

MONSON

400 Lower Hampden Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Ronald J. Gagne
Seller: Robert G. Horacek
Date: 12/18/15

11 Pine St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Thomas C. Brooks
Seller: Hashim, Amene, (Estate)
Date: 12/18/15

PALMER

46-48 Converse St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Skowyra
Seller: Lorraine T. Samson
Date: 12/11/15

14 Memory Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Howard A. Fife
Seller: Kyle M. Converse
Date: 12/21/15

166 Peterson Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $432,000
Buyer: Timothy Bedard
Seller: Carolyn Morrison
Date: 12/21/15

3051 Pine St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Michael B. Atwood
Date: 12/24/15

14 State St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $136,450
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Laura A. Hebert
Date: 12/24/15

SOUTHWICK

164 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Paul R. Vezina
Seller: Richard Saracin
Date: 12/11/15

27 Buckingham Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $175,900
Buyer: Eugene Petit
Seller: Christine A. Longo
Date: 12/14/15

36 Davis Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Brianna Lovechio-Rua
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/11/15

11 Foster Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $249,500
Buyer: Brian J. Morrissey
Seller: Ricky L. Disanto
Date: 12/21/15

139 Fred Jackson Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $323,000
Buyer: Renee L. Steese
Seller: Marc A. Wrobleski
Date: 12/16/15

SPRINGFIELD

27-29 Allison Lane
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Gandara Mental Health Center
Seller: James A. Pafumi
Date: 12/16/15

114 Arcadia Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Melinda Barry
Seller: Eleanor Vanhorne
Date: 12/18/15

208 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Tara M. Parrish
Seller: Amber Soto
Date: 12/11/15

34 Boyd St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Abdou Mourad
Seller: Joseph V. Costa
Date: 12/14/15

830-832 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jonathan Rodriguez
Seller: Itevaldo Cunha
Date: 12/15/15

175 Chalmers St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Vilenti D. Tulloch
Seller: Frank Garaughty
Date: 12/18/15

184 Ellsworth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Dimitrius Fox
Seller: James Manferdini
Date: 12/15/15

81 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Joyce G. Braithwaite
Date: 12/21/15

132 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $124,500
Buyer: Amanda C. Ledwith
Seller: Mary L. Koch
Date: 12/21/15

282 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Brenda A. Flores-Carrion
Seller: Gregory A. Granger
Date: 12/10/15

356 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $118,600
Buyer: Thomas Murphy
Seller: Kathryn Hewitt
Date: 12/18/15

77 Jerilis Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Marialie Maldonado
Seller: Raymond J. Larose
Date: 12/21/15

18-20 Leonard St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Fancy Living LLC
Date: 12/11/15

62 Lindsay Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Devenna Groves
Seller: Roberta T. Bennett
Date: 12/21/15

149 Louis Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $149,390
Buyer: Zachary D. Stambovsky
Seller: Lisa Santaniello
Date: 12/15/15

308 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $143,960
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Beverly Edwards
Date: 12/16/15

15 Merritt St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Natasha Nixon-Nekeisha
Seller: Carol E. Smith
Date: 12/10/15

14 Midway St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $123,600
Buyer: Diego L. Arvelo
Seller: Joanna Smigiel
Date: 12/21/15

115 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: David Gralton
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 12/10/15

253 Osborne Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Randy B. Haskins
Seller: William N. Daniel
Date: 12/21/15

100 Olmsted Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jonathan S. Edelson
Seller: Roberta L. Smith
Date: 12/10/15

64 Plumtree Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Ashley L. Baker
Seller: Exultant RT
Date: 12/18/15

521 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: David B. Bazer
Seller: Christian E. Faustmann
Date: 12/18/15

172 Redlands St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Magda Sepulveda
Seller: Nathan R. Plumb
Date: 12/18/15

571 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Tania M. Barber
Seller: Paul A. Hudson
Date: 12/22/15

153 Rosemary Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $125,500
Buyer: Shauna Anderson
Seller: Richard S. Harty
Date: 12/14/15

197 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Francisco Ramos
Seller: Brendan J. Kavanagh
Date: 12/11/15

80 Seneca St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Mark A. Rodriguez
Seller: John W. Riley
Date: 12/14/15

38 Slater Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Zelideth Tejeda
Seller: Sammy Guilbe
Date: 12/18/15

15 Sparrow Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $118,500
Buyer: Demetrios F. Sotiropoulos
Seller: Inge Plummer
Date: 12/10/15

26 Stuart St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $119,273
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Jennifer Torres
Date: 12/21/15

1093-1095 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Fitzroy D. Fearing
Seller: Ronald G. Lavoie
Date: 12/15/15

101 Sunapee St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Clarissa Borrero
Seller: Robyn Peloquin
Date: 12/15/15

168 Sunrise Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Christopher Reardon
Seller: Sarah L. Stein
Date: 12/11/15

56 Suzanne St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $136,900
Buyer: Zoraida Velazquez
Seller: Keem LLC
Date: 12/15/15

38-40 Sylvan St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Dexter Ainsley
Seller: Livingstone LLC
Date: 12/15/15

15 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Sasha O. Figueroa
Seller: Bourgeois Properties LLC
Date: 12/15/15

54 West Crystal Brook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Jeffrey S. Devine
Seller: Marybeth Meservey
Date: 12/11/15

37 Wells St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Victor R. Amaro
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 12/11/15

166 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Chicopee Savings Bank
Seller: Harry Borrelli
Date: 12/15/15

71 Willard Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Lasasha R. Lemons-Taylor
Seller: J&M Property & Development
Date: 12/22/15

78 Wilmington St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Richard Rivera
Seller: Peter K. Sacuta
Date: 12/18/15

TOLLAND

470 Colebrook River Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Shawn J. Eriole
Seller: Bryan J. Perry
Date: 12/10/15

WALES

44 Fountain Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $413,000
Buyer: Barbara Baratz RET
Seller: Kenneth J. Cook
Date: 12/18/15

8 Main St.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Thomas R. Black
Seller: Marc H. Colcombe
Date: 12/18/15

WEST SPRINGFIELD

105 Albert St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $134,000
Seller: F. William Maroni
Date: 12/16/15

420 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Joseph McCarthy
Seller: Steven M. Forni
Date: 12/16/15

89 Burke Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Naura C. Lutat
Seller: Jeffrey A. Brannkarr
Date: 12/18/15

49 Chester St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Anvar Bayramov
Seller: Prashanth P. Prabhakar
Date: 12/11/15

149 Circle Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $173,800
Buyer: Maureen T. Moriarty
Seller: Martyn G. Green
Date: 12/21/15

15 City View Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Mor Services Inc.
Seller: Adolf O. Kastel
Date: 12/11/15

39 Dion St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Crystal Boakye-Yiadom
Seller: Palka, Robert, (Estate)
Date: 12/18/15

45 Lynne Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Kristen L. Wanczyk
Seller: Pasquale A. Sterlacci
Date: 12/18/15

7 Park Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Toni B. Pudlo
Date: 12/14/15

414 Park St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: VTC Realty LLC
Seller: Lynn Ugolini
Date: 12/22/15

61 Peachstone Glenn
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Amberose L. Soto
Seller: Robert J. Goldberg
Date: 12/15/15

57 Summit St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Summit Group Properties
Seller: Smith, David W., (Estate)
Date: 12/11/15

Tiara Lane #4
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Anthony Deven
Seller: Kolodziej Enterprises LLC
Date: 12/18/15

Tiara Lane #8
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Korey J. Bell
Seller: Kolodziej Enterprises LLC
Date: 12/11/15

36 West St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $158,500
Buyer: Tara A. Barber
Seller: Kenneth B. Hedges
Date: 12/21/15

39 Wilder Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,500
Buyer: Allison Mercier
Seller: John D. Madrid
Date: 12/18/15

38 York St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $178,580
Buyer: Jamison J. Quist
Seller: Linda J. Anghilante
Date: 12/11/15

WESTFIELD

109 Apple Blossom Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Keith A. Goulet
Seller: Kathleen Mastromatteo
Date: 12/11/15

5 Ellsworth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings Fund Society
Seller: Michael S. Garwacki
Date: 12/14/15

37 Feeding Hills Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $4,230,000
Buyer: Westfield Gardens Holdings
Seller: CPL LLC
Date: 12/18/15

1130 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Nadezhda Karapunarly
Seller: Andrei Katykhin
Date: 12/14/15

22 Jefferson St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $183,500
Buyer: Thomas P. Flaherty
Seller: Brett A. Ralph
Date: 12/11/15

7 Kellogg St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Joseph C. Sampson
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/11/15

21 Lindbergh Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Rachael P. Bovat
Seller: Vaughn J. Willis
Date: 12/10/15

247 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $352,500
Buyer: David J. McManus
Seller: Bent Tree Development LLC
Date: 12/10/15

8 Noble St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Lori M. Moriarty
Date: 12/18/15

33 Noble St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Barry Gadbois
Seller: Nathan A. Cowles
Date: 12/14/15

29 Oak Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Christopher S. Ringer
Seller: Mary K. Johnson
Date: 12/18/15

10 Smith Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $133,070
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Vitaliy Gumenyuk
Date: 12/17/15

509 Southwick Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: 509 Southwick Road LLC
Seller: LMP Realty Partnership
Date: 12/17/15

WILBRAHAM

43 Bennett Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Randy P. Pascale
Seller: Julia L. Richmond
Date: 12/21/15

99 Bennett Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Laura Rollins
Seller: Robert C. Milne
Date: 12/14/15

14 Joan St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Kristin Szpakowski
Seller: Kathleen Alves
Date: 12/14/15

5 Kensington Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $545,400
Buyer: Josephine Iannelli
Seller: Gino Trolio
Date: 12/21/15

369 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Xueqing Wang
Seller: James A. Pafumi
Date: 12/11/15

548 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jason L. Dumke
Seller: Warren J. Rothschild
Date: 12/24/15

6 North Hills Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $387,500
Buyer: Jessica P. Coffey
Seller: Boston Road Properties LLC
Date: 12/18/15

396 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Luke E. Rottman
Seller: Sturbridge Development LLC
Date: 12/18/15

747 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Nicholas N. Dasilva
Seller: Michael T. Hassett
Date: 12/18/15

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

615 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $248,500
Buyer: Deep K. Chinappa
Seller: Thomas Ricci
Date: 12/18/15

53 Country Corners Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Ari Gnepp
Seller: Christine Denison-Bloom
Date: 12/18/15

35 Farmington Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $301,800
Buyer: Joel A. Ouellette
Seller: KSCBJ Properties LLC
Date: 12/18/15

60-62 Fearing St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $441,500
Buyer: John L. Hosp
Seller: Donna M. VanBoom RET
Date: 12/21/15

Henry St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: RGC LLC
Date: 12/10/15

10 Laurel Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: 5M Properties LLC
Seller: James A. Rosen
Date: 12/21/15

97 Logtown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Nathan D. Daman
Seller: Michael S. Lococo
Date: 12/11/15

828 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Douglas B. Macmillan
Seller: Deep Chinappa
Date: 12/18/15

Middle St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: David R. Sofield
Seller: Matthew W. Richardson
Date: 12/11/15

136 Old Belchertown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $133,300
Buyer: Kevin P. Divoll
Seller: Ventus Properties LLC
Date: 12/18/15

320 Pelham Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Thomas O’Brien
Seller: James L. Lobik
Date: 12/22/15

677 Station Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Patrick H. Shannon
Seller: Eric S. Kaufmann
Date: 12/22/15

87 Stony Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Eric M. Cave
Seller: Karl S. Allen
Date: 12/21/15

392 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Guo Bai
Seller: Timothy Tucker
Date: 12/11/15

BELCHERTOWN

531 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Jared A. Lavalle
Seller: Thiago Garcia
Date: 12/17/15

8 Carol Ann Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Edward J. Collette
Seller: Chin C. Liang
Date: 12/22/15

34 Emily Lane
Belchertown, MA 01002
Amount: $388,442
Buyer: Jeffrey R. St. Germaine
Seller: Homes By Leblanc Inc.
Date: 12/11/15

54 Hickory Hill
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $388,500
Buyer: Steven D. Rose
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 12/24/15

32 Jensen St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Roy
Seller: Dennis G. Rex
Date: 12/10/15

375 Warren Wright Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Nancy E. Skeels
Seller: Daniel R. Bernashe
Date: 12/16/15

CUMMINGTON

West Cummington Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Vanessa A. Lewis
Seller: Franklin Woods Investments LLC
Date: 12/15/15

EASTHAMPTON

14 Broad St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: W. Marek Inc.
Seller: Brian J. Campedelli
Date: 12/16/15

26 East Green St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Picam Real Estate LLC
Seller: Carla Lecompte
Date: 12/11/15

16 Kingsberry Way
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $379,900
Buyer: Carol D. Tudor
Seller: Crown Meadow Corp.
Date: 12/22/15

335 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $219,500
Buyer: Stephen G. Fortin
Seller: Patricia C. Parent
Date: 12/18/15

29 Mutter St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Diane C. Rossini
Seller: John A. Provost
Date: 12/18/15

152 Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: ANK LLC
Seller: Frederick K. & F. E. Fedor FT
Date: 12/17/15

132 Park St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Sarah V. Carlton
Seller: Barton, Virginia M., (Estate)
Date: 12/18/15

51 Park Hill Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Gene M. Friedlander
Seller: Barbara W. Spalding
Date: 12/11/15

25 Paul St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Ryna Russell
Seller: David Garstka Builders
Date: 12/21/15

7 Sterling Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: John A. Provost
Seller: Richard T. Stein
Date: 12/18/15

9 Water Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Brian J. Campedelli
Seller: Paul A. Martinbeault
Date: 12/17/15

GOSHEN

106 Sears Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Kelly A. Sturtveant
Seller: Carol A. Douglass
Date: 12/18/15

GRANBY

185 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jillian G. Barnard
Seller: Dayle M. Barnard
Date: 12/18/15

18 Deerbrook Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Richard E. Wojtczak
Seller: Patricia M. Faginski
Date: 12/15/15

17 Lynn Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Wendy A. Richard
Seller: Dana Ritter
Date: 12/11/15

HADLEY

6 Isabel Court
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Tenzin Gyaltsen
Seller: John A. Konieczny
Date: 12/23/15

HATFIELD

83 Main St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $605,000
Buyer: Timothy D. Boudreau
Seller: Joseph A. Lavallee
Date: 12/18/15

27 Prospect St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Stanley Atwood
Seller: Carl G. Burwick
Date: 12/21/15

18 Scotland Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $652,700
Buyer: Adele M. Stiles
Seller: Mitchell A. Matusiewicz
Date: 12/18/15

HUNTINGTON

6 Bromley Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Chad S. Groeber
Seller: Nancy L. Winn
Date: 12/11/15

MIDDLEFIELD

24 Alderman Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Cody P. Paschal
Seller: George J. Bedard
Date: 12/18/15

108 Town Hill Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $161,500
Buyer: William R. Dowd
Seller: Stephen J. Bouffard
Date: 12/14/15

NORTHAMPTON

55 Arlington St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Robert W. Schrader
Seller: Alice J. Baceski
Date: 12/21/15

20 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $380,230
Buyer: Thomas B. Gaudreau
Seller: Bridge Road LLC
Date: 12/22/15

10 Claire Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Craig B. Zaehring
Seller: Adriana M. Brown
Date: 12/23/15

43 Fair St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Joseph W. Jasinski
Seller: Marissa L. Elkins
Date: 12/17/15

757 Florence Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $203,500
Buyer: Jose A. Cornejo
Seller: El H. Assab
Date: 12/11/15

23 Gleason Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: John H. Gordon
Seller: Charlotte Richards-Morse
Date: 12/21/15

26 Hatfield St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: McCutcheon Development
Seller: Betsy P. MacDonald RET
Date: 12/21/15

31 Mary Jane Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $225,500
Buyer: Thomas I. Michel
Seller: Donald E. Buford
Date: 12/18/15

28 Myrtle St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Eli S. Dwight
Seller: San, Yulin, (Estate)
Date: 12/15/15

118 North Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Michael W. Flanary
Seller: Margaret Adams-Groesbeck
Date: 12/18/15

130 North Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Timothy Mathers
Seller: 130 North Main St. NT
Date: 12/11/15

26 Summer St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: CK Charlie LLC
Seller: Kathleen L. Richards
Date: 12/15/15

50 Washington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $680,000
Buyer: Marissa Elkins
Seller: Richard K. Winnick
Date: 12/21/15

PELHAM

11 Enfield Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Grace E. Nauman
Seller: Robert E. Stratton
Date: 12/23/15

SOUTH HADLEY

100 College St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Sandra M. Roy
Seller: Jeffrey Swenson
Date: 12/15/15

6 Edison Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Carol A. Richard
Seller: Kristen L. McNeish
Date: 12/23/15

146 Ferry St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jennifer Lester
Seller: Andrea K. Lacey
Date: 12/21/15

28 Grandview St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Patricia G. Johnson
Seller: John R. Hagberg
Date: 12/18/15

15 Kimberly Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $230,688
Buyer: Wilmington Savings Fund Society
Seller: James P. Nolan
Date: 12/21/15

14 Lloyd St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Stephanie A. Gibson
Seller: Jeffrey Labrecque
Date: 12/10/15

89 Mountain View St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $116,250
Buyer: Michael J. Poreda
Seller: USA VA
Date: 12/24/15

129 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Eric C. Capponcelli
Seller: Emma M. Connor
Date: 12/23/15

8 Ralph Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Aleksandr Verbetsky
Seller: Belisle, Gerard R., (Estate)
Date: 12/18/15

SOUTHAMPTON

26 Maple St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: William A. Fuller
Seller: Barbara M. Gauthier IRT
Date: 12/11/15

WARE

30 Beach Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Anliker IRT
Seller: Klem FT
Date: 12/10/15

35 Beaver Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Anne A. Stout
Seller: Michael Nallen
Date: 12/18/15

105 Gilbertville Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: James R. Robbins
Seller: Susan K. Demore
Date: 12/23/15

65 South St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $150,500
Buyer: Shelley A. VanEtten
Seller: Kenneth R. Massey
Date: 12/17/15

WILLIAMSBURG

1 Briar Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Paul C. Vidich
Seller: Crotty IRT
Date: 12/18/15

37 Hemenway Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Paul C. Vidich
Seller: Crotty IRT
Date: 12/18/15

WORTHINGTON

8 Harvey Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Laurin
Seller: Chrisoula Roumeliotis
Date: 12/15/15

Building Permits

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of January 2016.

AMHERST

Town of Amherst
70 Boltwood Walk
$103,000 — Bathroom renovations on the first floor

Yu Mei
485 West St.
$7,000 — Build vestibule entryway

CHICOPEE

333 Memorial Dr., LLC
333 Memorial Dr.
$22,000 — Roof repair

North Harlow, LLC
50 Linden St.
$16,000 — New roof

GREENFIELD

Baystate Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$4,000 — New ceiling in closet room

Baystate Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$57,000 — Renovate second-floor doctors’ suite for heart and vascular practice

Community Action of Franklin Regions Inc.
393 Main St.
$70,000 — Renovate flooring and walls in office 1 & 2

Lisa Alber
33 Riddell St.
$12,000 — Remodel of doctors offices

Salvation Army of Mass Inc.
72 Chapman St.
$30,000 — New roof

LUDLOW

John Pires
160-162 East St.
$5,000 — Alterations

Pride, LLC
478 Center St.
$7,000 — Commercial alterations

SOUTH HADLEY

Berkshire Hills Music
48 Woodbridge St.
$250,000 — Re-roof

GG’s Realty, LLC
785 New London Road
$125,000 — Renovations

Loomis Village Inc.
246 North Main St.
$18,500 — Install new deck

The Moynihan Realty
548 New Ludlow Road
$990,000 — New construction

Town of South Hadley
20 Woodbridge St.
$3,000 — Renovations

SPRINGFIELD

CHS Headstart
30 Madison Ave.
$30,000 — Second-floor conference room remodel

City of Springfield
1170 Carew St.
$6,000 — Interior renovations

Mass Development
1550 Main St.
$16,000 — Office renovations

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