Month: March 2016

SPRINGFIELD — Columbia Gas of Massachusetts has supported the USO of Pioneer Valley in its efforts to keep military families together. This year, as the USO celebrates its 75th anniversary, Columbia Gas continues its tradition by gifting the USO $2,500 in support of its programs for 2016.

According to the United Service Organizations (USO), America’s 1.3 million active-duty service members receive an estimated annual total of 10 million acts of connection from USO centers, services, and volunteers. The Pioneer Valley USO, located at the Westover Air Reserve Base, is one of those centers that has made a significant difference.

“Columbia Gas is proud to support the work of the Pioneer Valley USO, which provides an abundance of services to hundreds of families it serves from all branches of the military. As a company that actively recruits and employs veterans, we feel privileged to work with organizations such as the USO that focus on our military men and women as well as their families,” said Andrea Luppi, manager of Communications and Community Relations.

Added Allan Tracy, executive director of the Pioneer Valley USO, said the organization “is extremely thankful for the continued support from Columbia Gas. This partnership over many years has helped the Pioneer Valley USO continually meet the ever-changing needs of our local military and their families. As our military needs changed, so has the USO. We are proud to bring a touch of home to our military wherever they are.”

Literary Agent, Culinary Talent Agent to Headline PWC Luncheon

By BusinessWest Staff March 11, 2016

SPRINGFIELD — Lisa Ekus, founder of the Hatfield-based Lisa Ekus Group Inc. and a literary agent and national culinary talent agent, will keynote the Professional Women’s Chamber Headline Luncheon on Wednesday, March 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, sponsored by season sponsor BusinessWest and luncheon sponsor TD Bank.

Established in 1982, the Lisa Ekus Group Inc. specializes in “representing a world of culinary talent” consisting of authors, chefs, cookbooks, and food products. The agency consults on marketing and public-relations strategies for culinary businesses and acts as a multi-media placement service, matching food experts with corporations looking for product representatives, spokespersons, consultants, and recipe developers. It also offers nationally recognized media-training seminars and cookbook programs. Ekus’s workshops, seminars, and lectures have taken her around the globe, where she speaks about everything from culinary trends and building a brand to new media and how to go ‘blog to book.’

Launched in 2000, the Literary Agency division of the Lisa Ekus Group offers book-agent services and publishing consulting, currently representing more than 150 authors and working with numerous leading publishers.

The agency has received an Award of Excellence from the International Assoc. of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in the Small Business/Entrepreneur category. The company was also part of the team that won a Silver Edison Award from the American Marketing Assoc. for the introduction of Lipton’s Kettle Creations Soup Mix, and the media training program has been featured on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, as well as in national magazines such as Food Arts and Restaurant Hospitality.

Ekus has served on Share Our Strength’s National Leadership Council, the development team of the capital campaign (which she co-chaired) for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts (on whose board she served for 10 years), and the Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) executive board. She has also served as a member of the corporation of the Culinary Institute of America, the board of directors of the New England Chapter of the American Institute of Wine & Food, and the board of directors of the IACP, as well as being its past national public relations chairperson. She was also a founding member of the Society for Cuisine in America and Northampton Hospitality Inc.

She is an avid fund-raiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, PeaceTrees Vietnam, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and a member of IACP, WCR, Les Dames d’Escoffier, the Culinary Guild of New England, Southern Foodways Alliance, Slow Food USA, and the Women Presidents’ Organization. She is also a full member of the Assoc. of Authors’ Representatives (AAR).

Advance reservations for the luncheon are suggested. Tickets are $30 for PWC members, $40 for general admission, and free for PWC Headline Luncheon season-pass holders. Reservations may be made online at www.professionalwomenschamber.com or by e-mailing [email protected]. Season-pass holders must register for complimentary admission.

94.7 WMAS Radiothon Breaks Fund-raising Record

By BusinessWest Staff March 11, 2016

SPRINGFIELD — The 2016 94.7 WMAS Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon to benefit Baystate Children’s Hospital broke an all-time record last weekend, raising $343,377 over the three-day event.

“I’m so proud of the team,” said Cumulus Springfield Vice President Craig Swimm. “We’ve been doing the Radiothon since 2002, and since then have raised $3,096,424. The entire community came together to make sure local kids in the Springfield area have top-notch medical care. 94.7 WMAS would like to thank the entire community for their gracious support.”

Taylor Street Dental Offers Patients Free Lunch at Hot Table

SPRINGFIELD — In a new campaign, Taylor Street Dental is offering patients a voucher for a free meal at Hot Table restaurants when they make an appointment.

“For a lot of people, it’s hard to make time in their schedule for a dental appointment,” said Dr. David Peck, owner of Taylor Street Dental. “We thought we’d make their lives a little easier, in case they had to skip breakfast or miss their lunch break to come in.”

Peck established his practice on Worthington Street 30 years ago. In 2015, he moved to the historic Stacy Building on Taylor Street. He completely refurbished the building with the latest state-of-the-art technology and equipment, in addition to adding new dentists and associates.

“John Devoie from Hot Table and I are both committed to investing in Springfield and helping the city thrive,” Peck said. “Their Tower Square location is very popular with downtown businesspeople and local neighborhood folks, the same people who make up a large part of my patient base. This promotion is designed to make everyone happy.”

Patients must mention the Hot Table offer while making their appointment in order to claim the gift card when they come in. The gift card has a $20 value and is good at all Hot Table locations.

WMAS Welcomes Bridget Lynott Back to Airwaves

SPRINGFIELD — Cumulus Springfield announced that Bridget Lynott is back in radio and on 94.7 WMAS weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. She is also the promotion director for 94.7 WMAS and 1450 WHLL.

“I’ve been in love with music for as long as I can remember … that love of music brought me to radio,” said Lynott, whose previous stints on the region’s airwaves include time at 1250 WARE, 560 WHYN, and 97.9 WPKX. “Growing up a shy kid, it was a shock for others to hear me on the air … but like an actor that delivers lines every night without fear, radio is my stage, and I love it. It is such an exciting time to be back on the air in the Springfield market and working with an incredible team.”

Springfield Museums Seek Nominees for Ubora, Ahadi Awards

SPRINGFIELD — The African Hall subcommittee of the Springfield Museums is seeking nominations for the 25th annual Ubora Award and the seventh annual Ahadi Youth Award.

The African Hall subcommittee is a volunteer group comprising educators, business people, and community leaders from the African-American community. The nomination deadline for both awards is March 31. The awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Springfield Museums in September.

The Ubora Award is presented to an African-American adult who has demonstrated a commitment to the Greater Springfield area and exhibited excellence in the fields of community service, education, science, humanities, or the arts. The Swahili word ‘ubora’ means ‘excellence.’

Named for the Swahili word for ‘promise,’ the Ahadi Youth Award is presented to a young African-American who has excelled in academics and performed admirable service to the Greater Springfield community. Eligible candidates must be age 19 or younger, live in or have strong ties to the Greater Springfield area, and be currently enrolled in grades 10, 11, or 12. The Ahadi Award is not a scholarship and does not include a monetary award.

Nomination forms can be downloaded by visiting springfieldmuseums.org/ubora. Nominations may be e-mailed to Valerie Cavagni at [email protected] or mailed to African Hall Subcommittee, c/o Valerie Cavagni, Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards St., Springfield, MA 01103. For additional information, call (413) 263-6800, ext. 325, or e-mail [email protected].

Endangered Connecticut River Sturgeon Gets Its Own Beer

GREENFIELD — The People’s Pint Brewery and the Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC) are partnering to raise awareness of the shortnose sturgeon with a new beer, the Shortnose Stout.

The shortnose sturgeon is an endangered fish that lives and reproduces in the Connecticut River. The public is invited to learn more about this fish at CRWC’s open house on Wednesday, March 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. at 15 Bank Row, Greenfield and on Friday, March 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. at People’s Pint’s uncorking celebration at its pub on Federal Street, Greenfield. Both events are free and open to the public.

“Brewing the Shortnose Stout, and working with the Connecticut River Watershed Council, is a great opportunity to make a real difference with the beer we brew here at the Peoples Pint,” said Chris Sellers, People’s Pint brewer. “I am very excited to continue to use our brewery and restaurant as a platform and a tool to raise awareness of issues affecting both our local environment and our local community. So join us at the Peoples Pint, or buy a bottle at your local package store, and raise a glass of Shortnose Stout to helping increase awareness about improving the health of our local waterways and all the species who reside in them.”

Shortnose Stout is a traditional dry Irish stout. It has a light body with hints of caramel followed by a deep, roasted finish. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of this beer go to the Connecticut River Watershed Council.

CRWC works along the 410-mile Connecticut River basin to protect waterways and fish. “Over the years, we’ve created many obstacles for migratory fish to overcome as they return to our rivers from the ocean,” said Executive Director Andrew Fisk. “But there has also been lots of great work throughout New England to remove those obstacles and make our rivers more fish-friendly. Thanks to the support of our members and many great partners, we have been working on projects to benefit fish all along the Connecticut River basin.”

AIC Advertising Class Receives Invitation from Spirit of Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — Members of American International College’s (AIC) advertising class were treated to breakfast and a special recognition from Spirit of Springfield president Judy Matt for their creative talents at the recent celebration of the organization’s 25th anniversary.

The advertising class, working with their instructor, Carol de Carlo, put together a proposal that members will present later this month requesting corporate sponsorship for Spirit of Springfield’s upcoming Star Spangled Springfield event. “The idea is to have the class do real work for real people,” de Carlo said. “It’s inspired them.”

The Honey Team, as the group calls itself, initially presented the marketing proposal to Matt and the staff of Spirit of Springfield. They got the green light to go forward with their ideas and outreach. They will be taking their proposal on the road, making their pitch to the director of advertising at a major Springfield-based corporation later this month.

Amherst Area Chamber Calls for A+ Awards Nominations

AMHERST — The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce announced its call for nominations of individuals, businesses, and organizations throughout the Amherst area that have made a positive difference. The annual A+ Awards will be presented at the A+ Awards Dinner, presented by PeoplesBank, on Oct. 6 at the UMass Amherst Student Union Ballroom.

The A+ Awards, formerly the Millicent H. Kauffman Distinguished Service Awards and the Janet & Winthrop Dakin Community Service Citations, were renamed in 2010 to extend the chamber’s branding. These awards are designed and named to reflect the chamber’s mission; “to create, maintain, and promote a vital, thriving business climate throughout the Amherst area, and to initiate and support the civic, education, recreational and economic well-being of the Amherst area.”

A+ Awards are given in the following categories: Legacy, Most Valuable Player, Community Service, Lifetime Achievement in Business, and Young Professionals. The Legacy Award is given to an individual that has made an outstanding contribution to the Amherst area and has changed the lives of its citizens for future generations. The Most Valuable Player Award is given to an individual that has gone above and beyond the call of service in aiding, assisting, and promoting the chamber.

The Community Service Award seeks to recognize an individual, nonprofit, or business that has made a positive change in the lives of the citizens of the Amherst area through community work and outreach. The Lifetime Achievement in Business Award seeks to honor and recognize a chamber member business that has made an exceptional difference in the Amherst community. Finally, the Young Professionals Award, which was created last year, was created to recognize youthful businesses or individuals that are making a positive investment in the community.

“The A+ Awards are the most prestigious honor the chamber can bestow upon its recipients,” said Executive Director Don Courtemanche. “As you look through the list of past winners, you get an overwhelming sense of just how special this community is. This year’s crop of nominations will be no exception.”

Nominations may be made by e-mailing Courtemanche at [email protected]. Nominations must include the nominee’s name, short bio, and relevant facts that the awards committee should know. Nominations are due to the chamber office by April 15.

J. Polep Promotes Eric Polep to Executive Vice President, COO

CHICOPEE — J. Polep Distribution Services announced the promotion of Eric Polep to executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Polep has been with the company since 2002, most recently as director of sales. Over the last 14 years, he has worked his way up through the company, working in warehouse-control positions, cutting and stamping cigarettes, warehouse inventory, and as equipment delivery representative, field sales representative, and district manager.

He has also played a key role in building and transforming J. Polep’s technology marketing and sales capabilities, in the process simplifying store managers’ everyday duties.

Monson Savings Bank Promotes Kylie LaPlante, Clare Ladue

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank (MSB) announced promotions of Kylie LaPlante to branch manager of the bank’s Ware office and Clare Ladue to commercial loan officer.

LaPlante began her career at Monson Savings in 2011 as a customer service associate in Wilbraham and quickly rose to customer service associate supervisor. In 2015, she moved to the Ware branch as assistant branch manager and now to branch manager. She is a graduate of Assumption College with a bachelor’s degree in business management.

Ladue, formerly one of MSB’s retail banking officers, has more than 20 years of experience in banking. She is a graduate of the Mass Bankers New England School of Financial Studies, holds numerous professional certifications, and is active in several community organizations.

“I am extremely pleased to announce these promotions,” said Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank. “Kylie and Clare are both very talented and impressive young professionals who have already made significant contributions to the success of Monson Savings.”

Building Permits

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of February 2016.

CHICOPEE

Brixmor GA Chicopee Marketplace, LLC
591 Memorial Dr.
$280,000 — Interior renovations

Center Group, LLC
13 Center St.
$5,000 — Install new doors and walls

Conway XSX
84 New Lombard Road
$28,000 — Replace existing rooftop HVAC units

MDrive, LLC
1183 Memorial Dr.
$455,000 — Remodel of interior

Public Storage Inc.
31 Jamrog Dr.
$20,000 — Install new antennas

Revampit
43 Bonneville Ave.
$45,000 — Install new roof

US Tsubaki, LLC
106 Lonczak Dr.
$120,000 — Construct new concrete pit

LUDLOW

Ludlow Police Department
612 Chapin St.
$8,000 — Commercial alterations

SBA Towers, LLC
201 West Ave.
$15,000 — Cell tower alterations

Xu Sheng
221-223 East St.
$3,000 — Commercial alterations

NORTHAMPTON

Atwood Drive, LLC
8 Atwood Dr.
$140,000 — Interior build-out of first-floor office space

Coolidge Northampton, LLC
241 King St.
$19,500 — Construct new bathroom

Gerard Paquin
319 Pleasant St.
$88,000 — Renovations at Northampton Bicycle

Marney Electrical Services
175 Main St.
$54,000 — Renovate interior

Northampton Holdings
180 North King St.
$46,000 — Minor structural repairs to adjacent tenant space

Peter Whalen
49 Gothic St.
$47,000 — Install roof-mounted solar array

Smith College
46 College Lane
$87,000 — Renovate administrative area

Smith College
7 Neilson Dr.
$16,500 — Create secure area for book storage

Thornes Marketplace
150 Main St.
$85,000 — Renovate first floor men’s room

PALMER

Baystate Wing Hospital
40 Wright St.
$69,000 — Renovate basement into offices

Cumberland Farms
1472 Main St.
$27,000 — New roof

SPRINGFIELD

556 MJ Real Estate, LLC
556-562 St. James Ave.
$15,000 — Install three cell antennas

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$33,000 — Renovate welcome center

Burger King
400 Cooley St.
$9,500 — Repairs due to vehicle damage

Mercy Hospital
300 Stafford St.
$46,000 — Renovations to create medical office

Serv-U Locksmith
977 St. James Ave.
$85,000 — Repairs due to vehicle damage

Silverbrick, LLC
1623 Main St.
$7,500 — Interior renovations

Remote Monitoring Equipment Helps Patients Connect the Dots

Health Care Sections

Check Point

By KATHLEEN MITCHELL

Maura McQueeney says telemonitoring equipment is so compact, a nurse of yesteryear could have fit it in her briefcase.

Every morning at exactly 10 a.m., Barbara Kobak weighs herself, takes her blood pressure, attaches a clip to her finger that measures her oxygen-saturation rate, then answers a series of computerized questions specific to her condition, which are presented out of sequence from one day to the next to ensure she thinks carefully about her response.

Within two minutes, the results are transmitted electronically to a registered nurse at Porchlight Visiting Nurse Assoc./Home Care in Chicopee, who calls the 84-year-old if anything doesn’t fall within the parameters Kobak’s doctor set for her.

The service is called telemonitoring, and Porchlight brought the equipment to Kobak’s home in January after she was released from the hospital. She had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and after an initial meeting with a nurse liaison in the hospital, a registered nurse spent several days in her home making sure she understood how to use the technology.

Home visits were spaced farther apart as time went on, which is typical; the goal is to help the person learn to manage their disease by recognizing potentially dangerous symptoms, making changes in their diet, and taking all medications prescribed for them.

“The equipment is really easy to use; I depend on it and don’t know what I would do without it. It’s reassuring to have someone call me if my blood pressure is up,” she noted, adding that there have been days when her pressure has been high in the morning, but when she puts the cuff on later in the day, she is relieved to see it has returned to normal.

The Chicopee octogenarian is one of a growing number of people who are benefiting from telemonitoring services. The equipment is made by a variety of manufacturers, and it allows healthcare providers to keep a close watch on the patient from a remote setting.

“We call new patients every day until they become comfortable with the equipment,” said Sandra Peret, a registered nurse at Porchlight and associate director of intake/community service. “We tell patients to use it at the same time every day, but if they are not feeling well, they can recheck the values.”

Telemonitoring is typically used to treat people with congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can make it difficult to breathe, although an additional module can be added if the person is diabetic and doesn’t have another reliable method to measure their blood-sugar levels.

Experts say it is valuable because people who are newly released from the hospital can feel overwhelmed when they get home due to the trauma of their diagnosis, the amount of information presented to them, and the lifestyle changes they must make to keep their condition from exacerbating, which can lead to rehospitalization.

“These conditions require a lot of self-management and usually include dietary changes such as cutting down sodium intake,” said Melissa Pouliot, a registered nurse and Porchlight’s intake/telemonitoring manager, noting that telemonitoring helps the patient see a direct correlation between their behavior and their health. For example, if someone eats Chinese food, their weight is likely to rise the next day due to its high salt content.

When that happens, a registered nurse calls the patient and conducts an assessment by phone to determine if the doctor needs to be notified. In some cases, there is no need for alarm, while in other instances, the person’s physician may be called to see if medication changes are in order.

From left, Melissa Pouliot, Sandra Peret, and Kathleen Stezko say patients being telemonitored are given a finger clip that measures oxygen saturation.

However, patients sometimes don’t follow instructions given to them, which can have a direct effect on their vital signs. For example, they might fail to weigh themselves at the same time each day or wear heavy shoes or clothing while they are on the scale.

In any case, the patient is followed closely, and if the weight gain continues, the doctor is contacted. “The ultimate goal is keep the patient from having an acute attack,” said Sue Pickett, director of Mercy Home Care, adding that patients track their symptoms themselves on a calendar even though the results are stored in the computer.

“Telemonitoring is a wellness proactive measure that allows us to catch symptoms early before they exacerbate and become a crisis,” she told BusinessWest. “The reason why these programs are so important is because is because rehospitalization is very common for people with congestive heart failure. We have patients who have been in and out of the hospital every other week.”

Nuts and Bolts

Major advances have been made in telemonitoring equipment in recent years, said those we spoke with.

In the past, people needed a landline to transmit information remotely, but today Bluetooth, cellular, and satellite technology make it possible to provide the service whether or not the person has a phone in their home.

The equipment patients receive from the VNA or home-healthcare service usually includes a blood-pressure cuff, an oxygen sensor that is clipped onto a finger, and a scale, which is plugged into a monitor with a touchscreen that not only transmits the information, but stores it, although there are some variations according to the company producing the equipment.

Pouliot said people tap the screen on the monitor Porchlight uses, and when a voice asks them what they want to do, they hit the corresponding icon. When they are finished with their reporting, which takes less than 10 minutes, a voice on the monitor asks the patient a series of questions which can range from “has the doctor changed your medications?” to “do you want someone to call you?” as well as reminders to take their medication.

However, these systems are not appropriate for some, including people with dementia or individuals with a disability who don’t have a caregiver.

“The person has to want to do this and be able and willing to use the equipment every morning,” said Sheryle Marceau, manager of clinical practice for Mercy Home Care.

The remote monitoring is combined with education that takes place during visits to the person’s home. Mercy’s patients are given printed materials with valuable information including symptoms that should not be ignored by people with congestive heart failure. They include unexpected or rapid weight gain; weakness or fatigue; dizziness or faintness; swelling of the legs, ankles, feet, or abdomen; more frequent visits to the bathroom at night; chest pain; and other signs.

“Exacerbation can be prevented, but people need to know what they can do every day, which includes reading food labels, taking their medication, and eating foods low in sodium,” Marceau said.

She added that hospital stays are usually short, so the staff doesn’t have time to teach the patient all they need to know. In addition to the goal of keeping them from returning to the hospital, they want patients to be able to maintain their quality of life and stay active in the community.

So, while the technology is important, it’s what people do with the information gleaned from daily readings that makes a difference.

“It helps patients connect the dots,” said Maura McQueeney, president of Baystate VNA and post-acute executive.

For example, if a patient has a big holiday dinner and their blood pressure and weight rise the next day, it will trigger a call from the nurse who will discuss what they have eaten and determine whether the doctor needs to be involved.

Medication is critical, but unless patients understand the importance of each drug prescribed for them and know exactly what it does, they may take it inconsistently or fail to get it refilled, particularly if they are on a fixed income.

“We try to update each patient’s medication list because the physician may make changes during an office visit, and monitoring allows us to see if the new medication is working,” McQueeney told BusinessWest.

Baystate typically uses telemonitoring for patients who have experienced heart failure. They usually keep the equipment 30 to 45 days or until the nurse feels the patient is capable of caring for himself or herself and has learned the association between symptoms that may indicate their disease is getting worse.

Insurance doesn’t pay for telemonitoring, but local visiting-nurse associations find it so valuable, they do not charge patients for the equipment or the service.

“It’s a tool that provides us with consistent information,” McQueeney said, adding that Baystate began tracking the effectiveness of telemonitoring in high-risk patients about 18 months ago and found their rates of rehospitalization are lower than the national average.

“If a patient calls at 8 p.m., we can have them slip on the blood-pressure cuff and the oxygen clip and get on the scale, which gives the nurse valuable information,” she noted.

In many cases, people have more than one chronic condition, which complicates matters, but a registered nurse has the ability to discern whether pain from a surgery or anxiety is likely the cause of shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or other complaints.

It takes a long time for most chronic diseases to become apparent, but there are points at which the disease progresses.

“Without monitoring, it can seem that the disease got worse overnight, but when a patient can chart their vital signs on a daily basis and know they are being watched by a registered nurse, trends can be identified that alert them to changes that require the doctor to become involved,” McQueeney told BusinessWest. “Telemonitoring is a tool that helps keep people out of the hospital. It involves education and a collaboration with the patient, the registered visiting nurse, and their physician.”

As a result, the service can make a critical difference in a person’s life.

The American Health Care Assoc. reports that the majority of people with chronic heart disease or COPD are elderly, and being readmitted to a hospital increases the risk of complications and infections during their stay as well as the likelihood that their functioning will be decreased when they return home. In addition, every hospitalization exacts an emotional toll on the patient and increases the cost of Medicare, since people are living longer and the incidence of chronic diseases has increased dramatically over the last three decades.

Weighing In

Before nurses discharge patients from home-based services, Marceau said, they make sure they have absorbed what they need to know and have a blood-pressure cuff and scale so they can continue to weigh themselves daily. “We have purchased scales for people who are unable to afford them and teach people when to call their doctors,” she noted.

However, Porchlight has found some patients or their families opt to pay for the telemonitoring service even when the person no longer needs it because it gives them peace of mind.

“It’s great for family members who are concerned about a loved one,” Pouliot said, adding that the service costs about $100 per month, and people on fixed incomes can apply for reduced rates.

Kathleen Stezko agrees. “People get nervous and aren’t sure who to call or whether they should call anyone if they don’t feel well. But telemonitoring provides them with reassurance; they know someone is checking on them each day and will get in touch with them and their physician if it is necessary,” said Porchlight’s vice president of clinical services, adding that people using the equipment can call at any time of the day or night if they have concerns.

Indeed, the peace of mind and patient learning that results from telemonitoring is so important that most VNAs and home-care agencies that use it keep adding more equipment, which helps patients and also ultimately reduces the cost of healthcare.

Kobak can attest to the comfort it provides. “When my friends visit and see this,” she said, “they are so impressed.”

ERs Grapple with the Many Aspects of the Opioid Epidemic

Health Care Sections

On the Front Lines of a Crisis

Dr. Louis Durkin says heroin overdoses represent simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes the nation’s opioid crisis.

The nation’s opioid crisis has permeated every corner of the country and every facet of life, from the home to the workplace to the college campus. It is also much in evidence in hospital emergency rooms — the front lines of this epidemic in many respects — where caregivers confront everything from overdose cases to individuals desperate for prescription painkillers.

Dr. Niels Rathlev says it was maybe a year ago that he started hearing, anecdotally, that the emergency room at Baystate Medical Center was rumored to be a place where a visitor could quite easily get some prescription pain meds — if they were so inclined.

Fast-forward to just a few months ago, when, he noted with noticeable pride in his voice, he heard — this time directly from people who were so inclined — that this was no longer the case.

“We actually overheard a couple of people in a back hallway here talking,” said Rathlev, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baystate. “They were saying that it’s much more difficult to get opioids from the doctors here.”

This significant change in dialogue about Baystate’s ER — and the reasons behind it — speak volumes about the many ways in which the ongoing opioid crisis is impacting life in area emergency departments, which are, in many ways, the front lines in this battle, and how they are responding to this epidemic.

The most visible, or news-making, aspect of this crisis and the way it’s affecting ERs is the alarmingly high number of heroin-overdose cases reported across the region. Since last fall, BMC is averaging at least one case a day, and often there are several, said Rathlev, adding that, thanks to naloxone, a medication sold under the brand name Narcan, among others, many of those who overdose can be saved. Still, some do not arrive in time to be revived, he went on, as almost weekly reports from area media outlets make clear.

When asked how many have died, he said simply, “I don’t have a number … obviously, too many.”

But heroin overdoses represent just the proverbial tip of the iceberg with the opioid crisis, said Dr. Louis Durkin, an emergency medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center, noting that there are many manifestations of this problem that are far less headline-grabbing, but nonetheless concerning.

This is especially true of addiction to prescription pain medications, which for years has revealed itself in individuals with chronic pain wandering from ER to ER looking for a prescription to Percocet, OxyContin, or myriad other drugs — and, until recently, having generally good luck obtaining one.

It’s certainly not a new problem; Durkin says he’s dealt with it throughout his 20 years as an emergency-room doctor. But it’s one that has grown in scope because of the manner in which those drugs were prescribed — and over-prescribed — for years, leaving people addicted to them and often desperate to get them.

“We see far more people with opioid issues, especially addiction, than we do with opioid overdoses,” he explained. “And we’ve been working very hard over the past five or six years to mitigate that, because this is clearly a high-risk group for overdoses.”

Indeed, hospitals like Baystate and Mercy have responded with comprehensive programs — greatly assisted by the state Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), established in 2010 — that identify frequent visitors to ERs, and especially those who come in search of painkillers.

“We look at patients who are high-frequency users of ED services, and that is a pretty good screen, at least to begin with, and we track them,” Rathlev explained. “If you see someone who has been here 50 times in a year, that’s a good indicator.”

Dr. Niels Rathlev says Baystate, and all area hospitals, are working diligently to control the prescribing of addictive painkillers.

Such information is shared among the hospitals, said Durkin, adding that Mercy has a similar registry, if you will. There are now roughly 600 names on it, he went on, noting that care plans are developed for such individuals with the goal of treating their pain and reducing their risk of an opioid overdose.

In many ways, the region’s ERs serve as a microcosm of the opioid crisis — from the way it has permeated every region of the state, urban and rural, to the many ways the epidemic manifests itself; from the frustration that comes from reviving an overdose victim, only to see that individual back in the ER — or the morgue — just days later, to clear uncertainty about whether the crisis has peaked or is still getting progressively worse.

For this issue and its focus on healthcare, BusinessWest spoke with several ER administrators about the many faces of this crisis and how, in many ways, the ER has become ground zero in a war with many fronts.

Doses of Reality

Dr. Rakesh Talati says Greenfield is like many rural communities stung by the opioid epidemic — only there are some unique circumstances that make the situation there even worse.

Indeed, this city of 18,000 people sits right on I-91, the major north-south corridor for heroin trafficking, and is only a few miles from the Vermont border, where the opioid problem is especially acute, and a shortage of supply has prompted many entrepreneurial-minded individuals to energetically attempt to meet demand.

That makes heroin readily accessible and usually quite cheap, said Talati, chair of the Emergency Department at Baystate Franklin Medical Center (BFMC), adding that all this has also made it extremely, and alarmingly, popular.

“Our younger population seems to be using it quite a bit — heroin is the dangerous drug of choice in our area,” he said. “The problem is probably as prevalent here as it is in Springfield or Holyoke, because we’re just another stop off 91.”

Baystate Franklin sees only a fraction of the overdose cases that the Springfield-based hospitals do (maybe one a week) because it serves a wide but sparsely populated area, said Talati, but it handles its share, partly due to the aforementioned accessibility of heroin, but also because this is the only hospital in Franklin County, and those from the area who have overdosed can’t easily drive past it to get treatment somewhere else, which an individual might do if he or she lived in Northampton, Holyoke, or Westfield, also homes to community hospitals.

“When it’s 40 minutes to the next hospital, or to Springfield, people have a tendency to stop here,” he said, adding that this is also why the hospital sees a comparatively large number of stroke and heart-attack patients for its size. “We’re essentially the one shop in town, so we have to be ready for anything.”

This same geographic characteristic certainly limits the options for those seeking prescription painkillers, he went on, adding that BFMC sees every aspect of the opioid problem.

Dr. Rakesh Talati

And none of the them would qualify as recent phenomena, he stressed repeatedly, adding that heroin overdoses and patients coming to the ER in quest of powerful painkillers are problems addressed by generations of ER doctors.

But the scope of the problem continues to escalate, said Talati and the others we spoke with, noting that, while the huge amount of attention given the problem on the regional, state, and federal levels has certainly raised awareness of the issue, recent numbers would indicate that progress is elusive.

That is especially true when it comes to heroin overdoses, said Rathlev, adding that, while the effectiveness and improved accessibility of naloxone — one can now get it at Baystate’s pharmacy, for example, with only a $4 co-pay — have certainly made a difference when it comes to saving the lives of those who have overdosed, the number of cases continues to escalate, as does the number of deaths.

Quantifying the matter as best he could, Rathlev said Baystate saw roughly 150 overdose cases in the fiscal year that ended last Sept. 30. But in the first two months of the new year, it saw 109, and is on pace to more than double last year’s total and approach one case per day on average, with perhaps 60% of those cases involving men ages 15-30.

“Whether that was a blip, we don’t know,” he said of the start of the new fiscal year, “but we nearly tripled the rate of the year before for that same time period, and that is certainly concerning.”

Durkin agreed, and said there are many reasons for this rise, including those aforementioned efforts by all ERs — and the medical community in general — to curb the availability of prescription opioids.

“People are switching to heroin because it’s cheap and its available,” he noted, adding quickly that, nationally, overdoses of prescription opioids are still nearly three times as common as those involving heroin — roughly 28,000, compared to about 10,000.

Another reason for the rise in heroin overdoses is the potency of the products now being found on the streets. Some shipments, such as the highly publicized batches of ‘Hollywood’-stamped heroin that reached the area late last year, are quite lethal, he said.

But perhaps the biggest problem, he continued, is that users simply don’t know what they’re getting when they make a buy.

“The problem with an illicit drug is there’s no control,” he explained, “so the potency can vary by orders of magnitude — one batch can be 10 to 100 times more potent than another batch.”

Meanwhile, treating heroin overdoses is only part of the story, said Talati, adding that what happens after a patient is revived is becoming a growing source of frustration among ER personnel.

Such individuals require counseling, detox, and medication-assisted therapy, or MAT, meaning methadone or Suboxone, among other treatments for opioid dependency.

Often, they leave the ER and the hospital without any of the above, because they don’t want it or it’s not available.

“The majority of the patients that overdose on heroin that we revive are uninterested in treatment at that time and just want to go home, and they range in vocalness and belligerency concerning that,” he explained. “Addiction is a very difficult disease, and when they’re right in the midst of that addiction, even a near-death experience isn’t enough to shake them at that moment.”

Often, even for those who are shaken, securing proper treatment can be a challenge.

“What we really struggle with in the ER is that we can stabilize the patient, but then, if they want treatment, getting them into a center is not as easy as it should be,” said Talati. “So, oftentimes, we can’t get them the treatment they want.”

Bitter Pills

As Durkin noted, heroin overdoses represent only the tip of the iceberg with this crisis. Equally alarming is that problem of addiction to prescription painkillers, and efforts to use ERs as a dispensary.

Many chronic pain sufferers resort to the ER because, in most cases, there are few, if any, other options, he said, adding that many have essentially fired their primary-care physician — or been fired by that doctor — because they can’t get want they want there.

And what they’re finding, a trend verified by that conversation Rathlev overheard in the hallway, is that it is now increasingly difficult to obtain what they need in the ER, because those facilities are far more careful about how they dispense such medications.

The state PMP, which collects dispensing information on certain controlled substances, puts information in the hands of ER physicians, who then use it in efforts to control prescription drug abuse.

To explain the problem, and how ERs have responded, Rathlev cited a case that is in many ways typical of what ER doctors see on a regular basis.

“This was a young man who complained of back pain, and he had this pain for quite some time,” he told BusinessWest. “As I recall, he had seen an orthopedic surgeon, and surgery was either scheduled or had been postponed, and now he was in a lot of pain.

“Initially, I was prepared to give him opioids because he appeared to be in a lot of pain,” he went on. “As things unfolded, I checked with the PMP, I looked at his medical records, and I then called his primary-care physician, who said, ‘this is actually an issue for this patient, and you should be really careful what you prescribe.’ I think I did give him one dose of morphine, but I didn’t given him anything after that.”

Elaborating, Rathlev said incidents like this one — and the numbers of them are not declining — turn ER doctors into “sleuths” as they treat pain-related cases that come before them.

And, while such work is necessary, it is at times difficult because it collides head-on with any physician’s primary mission — to ease the pain and suffering of their patients.

“Our attitude is to try limit our prescribing as much as possible,” said Baystate Franklin’s Talati. “But we don’t want to swing in a direction so that some patient with true pain doesn’t get treated for that pain, either.

“It’s a very difficult thing to figure out sometimes,” he went on, adding that one compounding factor is the lack of quality dental care in some low-income populations, which often causes chronic pain — a problem prevalent in Franklin County.

Meanwhile, the new protocols can also lead to some stressful moments, said Durkin, adding that, while more patients seemingly understand why the ER doctor says ‘no’ when they ask for a painkiller, that is not the answer they are looking for.

“There are some very, very angry patients,” he explained. “It can be a difficult conversation, but it can be very rewarding, too, when you get someone into a better, safer place. But it’s not easy; it’s a challenge, and it’s going to be a challenge for a long time.”

Prescription for Progress?

When asked if the medical community, and society in general, had turned any kind of corner with regard to the opioid crisis, those we spoke with all expressed a desire to be optimistic, and to a large extent, they are. But they clearly conveyed the message that anything approaching real progress is still far off.

“I think we’ve hit the peak and are probably on our way down from the prescription-opioid problem — I think there’s now enough support for providers to try to limit, control, and decrease the amount of prescriptions we’re giving, which we didn’t have 10 years ago,” said Durkin. “A decade ago, the culture would be that, if a patient complained that you were not giving them pain medication, you’d be fired as a physician. Now, there’s much more support to limit the amount of prescribing.

“The problem, however, is that we have an incredible number of opioid-dependent people out there that we need to get into treatment, or they’ll turn to heroin,” he went on. “That aspect of the problem will continue to grow until we get a real handle on it.”

Talati agreed, and said there are many aspects of this crisis that would lead him to conclude that it has not peaked yet.

“The thing that concerns me is the age of the people we’re seeing who are using heroin and overdosing on it — people in their teens and early 20s,” he explained. “This means that the education for this has to be for preteens, and that’s a real challenge. Meanwhile, there’s a virtually unlimited supply of cheap, high-quality heroin, and until we can do something about that, it’s clear that we’re not going to make much progress.”

What is also clear is that the region’s ERs will continue to constitute the front lines in this fight, and they will continue to respond imaginatively and responsibly to a crisis defined by a host of stern challenges.

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

Backyard Kitchens Reflect a Greater Focus on Outdoor Living

Landscape Design Sections

Business Is Heating Up

Brian Campedelli says built-in kitchen appliances like these are often just the starting point for a backyard project.

For American families on the go, Brian Campedelli says, home should be an oasis from workplace stress and the general bustle of life.

“I think they’re looking for a general sense of relaxation in their yard. When they get home from work, they tend to be stressed out, and they want to kick their shoes off, throw on some flip-flops, head to their backyard resort, and forget about things for a while,” said the owner of Pioneer Landscapes in Easthampton, explaining why outdoor kitchens and living spaces are becoming more popular, and elaborate, in the Northeast.

“Some people are doing it because they want to entertain,” he added. “Some do pool installs and include an overhang [off the house] and fireplaces … a whole backyard development,” he went on. “They’re looking for a resort lifestyle, where they don’t have to go anywhere except their own backyard to get that feeling. It’s pretty nice.”

Outdoor kitchens — which can include anything from a simple built-in grill to expansive cooking surfaces, refrigeration, plumbing, audio-visual hookups, and more — are at or near the top of most lists of hot landscaping trends, along with firepits, water features, and architectural lighting, even in a region where people don’t want to spend much time outside for several months a year, the current mild winter notwithstanding.

“It’s definitely a growing industry, and it’s more than outdoor kitchens — it’s backyard living,” said Jason Harrington, manager of Ondrick Natural Earth in Chicopee. “Not only are people doing kitchens, they’re doing firepits, fireplaces, pizza ovens … basically a complete package of entertainment in the backyard. We’ve seen a real increase of these things in the past five years.”

He, like others BusinessWest spoke with, agreed the Northeast has lagged somewhat behind other regions of the country, particularly warmer climes, in expansive outdoor living spaces, he added, but that’s changing.

“People are focusing on their backyards in general; they’re creating a getaway in the backyard. Instead of going on vacation, they’re taking that money and putting it into a pool and patio space and creating a vacation feel in the backyard.”

Jason Harrington says homeowners are increasingly seeking a resort-type feel in their backyards.

According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Assoc., patios are consistently among the top three features requested by new home buyers, and most aren’t leaving them bare, opting for permanent cooking fixtures, refrigerators, and other amenities. Meanwhile, noted Rick Miller, owner of RJM Landscaping in Southampton, existing homeowners are increasingly itching to bring the indoors outside.

“It’s slowly catching on and moving up people’s to-do list, particularly in the past two to three years,” he said. “Kitchen spaces are more popular now, maybe because people are aware of what’s out there and realize they can do something really simple, or they can get really elaborate. There’s an option for everyone’s budget.”

Soaring Budgets

Indeed, Miller noted, “kitchens tend to be a little on the pricey side because of all the gadgets and such. Typically, a basic one will have a built-in grill and maybe a fireplace tied into either propane tanks or natural gas so you don’t have to deal with filling tanks. More elaborate spaces will have a built-in grill, refrigerator, sink, cabinet space — sometimes they’ll go as far as putting in a pizza oven.”

Justin Pelis, president of North Country Landscapes & Garden Center in Westhampton, said outdoor kitchens can run into serious costs on appliances alone, since they’re typically built into the stonework.

“You can’t take a normal grill and insert it into stone; it’s not meant for that,” he said. “So it can be just as costly as redoing your whole kitchen inside. You can spend easily between $40,000 and $50,000 just for an outdoor kitchen area, including the patio and everything else — the electrical hookups, the water hookups … it can get complicated.”

Those who opt for the higher-end designs tend to be committed to outdoor entertaining to justify the cost, Miller added.

“We’re seeing more people putting in outdoor kitchens, pools, large backyard spaces, because they want to entertain into the evening. That’s where I’m seeing the trend starting to go,” said Rob Larkham, owner of Illumascape Lighting in South Hadley, which benefits from that trend because homeowners then want to light those areas (see story, page 31). “They want well-lit spaces; some install under-counter lights. People are not just entertaining in the home, but trying to bring it into the backyard.”

Harrington said homeowners on a budget shouldn’t be scared off by the sheer range of amenities available for outdoor cooking and living spaces.

“You can actually find a backyard setup to fit a wide range of budgets; it doesn’t have to be on the extreme high end,” he said. “Part of our job as salespeople is to try to help them get as much as they can for their dollar.”

That said, customers who can afford more than a grill and fridge often look to cabinets, trash disposal, bar areas, pizza ovens, and fireplaces, he went on. “And fireplaces don’t even have to use wood; you can hook gas into it. For people who want to spend real money, we can basically custom-design something of any size.”

Campedelli agreed. “We’ve done all sizes, from poolhouses with full kitchens in them to just built-in barbecues. Mostly, around here, what people are doing is nice, built-in barbecues set up for convenience, with a little refrigerator, things like that.”

Some customers intend to start there but expand their plans to larger seating areas, firepits, and patio extensions as they catch the vision of outdoor living, he went on. “We usually do one or two large projects a year like that. Some go as far as adding an overhang off the back of the house or a pool house. For people who don’t want to go that far, most of what we hear is there’s not enough time in the [warm] season to use it, but others don’t have a problem with that at all, and really go to town.”

Feeling at Home

Miller has tracked the same statistics known across his industry, how Americans, over the past 15 to 20 years, have increasingly chosen to forgo travel and invest in their homes and yards.

“People are going away less and less, with what’s been going on with travel costs and such, staying close to home, utilizing their backyards more,” he told BusinessWest. “So kitchens have absolutely become more popular. We call them outdoor living spaces because not everyone does a kitchen, necessarily; some people just want a larger-than-usual patio with seating, walls, and lighting. Two of my more recent projects also had pavilions installed to create a little shade if it’s rainy or too hot.”

This Pioneer Landscapes project features a fireplace as the centerpiece.

Harrington added that he’s seeing more business at existing homes than at new construction. “Generally, when someone has been in their home for a while, built up some equity, been there long enough to get their savings back up, they want to invest back in their homes.”

And it’s not just for the adults, he added.

“We’re finding people are building backyards for their kids. I’ve seen it get as elaborate as movie theaters in the backyard with screens coming out of the ground. They’re building areas for their kids to play in and have friends over. They want to make an outdoor area for everyone.”

The bottom line, Pelis said, is that homeowners are increasingly seeing not only the potential aesthetic value of their yards, but the functionality, and kitchens and other outdoor-living features are a big part of that.

“People want to have more experiences in their yards and spend more time there, as opposed to just mowing the lawn and trimming the shrubs,” he added. “They want quality time with their family, and they want to get more use out of their yard.”

Harrington agreed. “It can be as simple as the family wanting a patio and a firepit to sit around at night, or something more complex. Everyone has their own vision.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

The Certification Process Poses Challenges, but There Are Rewards

Sections Women in Businesss

The Women’s Business Enterprise

By KRISTINA DRZAL-HOUGHTON, CPA

So, you’re a woman, and you run a business. In the pool of privately held small businesses in this country, being a woman business owner actually has many advantages.

Kristina Drzal-Houghton

Most public corporations, as well as local, state, and federal government purchasing agencies, have programs for allotting a certain percentage of business to women-owned companies. Getting certified as a women’s business enterprise (WBE) can make the difference between landing that business or not. However, the certification process is not without its challenges, and owners often get discouraged during the process because they lack the proper guidance or misunderstand how the process works.

Certification validates that the business is 51% owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women. Ownership is just a small part of the equation. The term ‘ownership’ goes beyond numbers in this case. A woman must also hold the highest position at the company and be active in daily management and the strategic direction of the company.

So, before moving forward, make sure that you have several ways of proving that you are leading the company, from doing the hiring and firing to any planning documents. In addition to being a majority owner, the woman must also be a U.S. citizen.

If you are puzzled about the many types of certification, you are not alone. Much confusion exists, and to fully explain each is beyond the scope of this article. However, with just a short explanation, most people can determine which certification is probably right for them to pursue.

• Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) certification is gender-based for woman-owned businesses;

• Women-owned Small Business (WOSB) certification is required for a specific federal purchasing program that has a set-aside for women-owned businesses. There is also a disadvantaged component to this program, which is called EDWOSB;

• The 8(a) designation is actually a business development/mentoring program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a company that has been disadvantaged, and 8(a) certification is part of that program;

• Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) certification is for businesses that are disadvantaged but are not participating in the 8(a) development program;

• Disabled Veteran (DV) certification is for the business owner who is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces and who has been disabled in action; and

• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification is race-based for minority-owned businesses.

The U.S. Small Business Administration can be contacted regarding participation in the 8(a) program, or to obtain the SDB certification as well as the DV certification.

MBE certification is done through the National Minority Supplier Development Council (formerly known as the Minority Supplier Council, or MSC). WBE certification, as well as WOSB and EDWOSB certifications, can be obtained through the government or third-party certifiers.

Third-party certification is geared to the private sector. If you are interested only in being a vendor/supplier to any government entity, it is recommended that you contact each specific agency to obtain their requirements. If you are more interested in doing work in the private sector, particularly with large, publicly traded companies, WBE certification by a third-party certifier is recommended.

There is a long list of documents that you will need to get together for your application. This is probably the most arduous part of the certification process, and if you’re not organized or haven’t kept track of important business documents, getting everything together can be even more time-consuming and challenging.

You don’t have to be going through the application process before you get organized. If you think that getting certified is something that you will eventually want to do, it is wise to start putting aside the necessary documents and paperwork as early as possible.

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a national, Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that also provides an avenue for women-owned enterprises to get certified, has a list of required documentation on their website.

Here is typically what to expect in the certification process:

• The applicant sends the completed application to the certifying agency;

• The certifier checks to ensure that the application is complete with supporting documentation;

• The application is forwarded to one of the national review committees;

• If the committee has questions arising from the documentation in your application, they will contact you for clarification;

• A visit to your place of business will be arranged and conducted by one of the certifier’s trained site visitors. Results of the site visit are sent to the review committee;

• The review committee meets again to make final decision;

• The applicant is notified of the decision, and, if certified, a certification packet is sent. If the application has been denied certification, a letter is sent stating the reasons and stating the appeal process; and

• You must renew your company’s certification annually, whether you have WBE, WOSB, or EDWOSB certification. However, the process is a relatively simple one after the initial certification, especially if there have been no ownership changes.

Once you make it through the certification process, it’s time to use the distinction to your advantage. According to business owners who have their certification, there is a lot of potential to grow your business through this avenue, but you can’t just sit back and expect the business to come to you. The best way to get word out that you are certified is to contact local, state, and national certification agencies and ask to get put on their mailing list.

Additionally, mention that you are a certified women-owned enterprise on your marketing and promotional materials, which is an easy way to let potential customers know about this important distinction.

Kristina Drzal-Houghton, CPA, MST is the partner in charge of Taxation at Holyoke-based Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 536-8510.

Match Displays How Both Sides Benefit from Such Pairings

Sections Women in Businesss

A Case Study in Mentoring

By KATHLEEN MITCHELL

Karen Buell (left) says her career and her mentor, Mary Meehan.

Karen Buell (left) says her career and work/life balance have both benefited from the help of her mentor, Mary Meehan.

Janice Mazzallo calls it a “perfect match.”

The executive vice president and chief human resources officer at PeoplesBank was referring to the mentoring relationship between Karen Buell and Mary Meehan, which began eight years ago, after Buell came to her and asked if she would allow Meehan to serve in that role.

Buell had completed a management-training program, participated with Meehan in strategic planning sessions, and identified her as an ideal role model.

“Mary is intelligent, polished, professional, and successful,” Buell told BusinessWest, adding that she wanted to follow in her footsteps.

The bank didn’t have a mentoring program of that specific type in place, but when Mazzallo presented the idea to Meehan, she readily agreed.

“I was honored to be singled out and hoped I could make a difference,” said the first vice president of commercial lending.

Since that time, Buell has had two children, completed her MBA, and been named vice president of the bank’s customer innovation lab. And she credits Meehan with playing a significant role in helping her achieve a successful life/work integration and thus accomplish all of the above.

In fact, the two women have worked so well together that last year they participated in the Bay Path University Women’s Leadership Conference, titled “Celebrating Sisterhood,” where they shared their mentoring experiences during a panel discussion.

Their experiences — on both sides of the equation — present an effective case study in the importance of mentoring and how both the mentee and mentor benefit from the experience.

Meanwhile it also shows the many roles mentors take in their work, everything from presenting what Meehan called “reality checks” to Buell — a self-described perfectionist, reluctant delegator, and professional prone to come down hard on herself — to simply acting as a reliable sounding board.

“I told her she has to let her husband or a friend help her, that having other people assist you is OK,” Meehan recalled, adding that young people face a number of challenges today, and too often they feel they must take them on alone.

Said Buell, “there are times when I set my expectations too high because I want to be able to do it all. But I can always go to Mary and run things by her, ask her if I am off base or whether I should shoot for the stars.”

For this issue and its focus on women in business, we shine a spotlight on this relationship, which serves as a model for how mentoring can — and should — work.

Credit — Check

Buell didn’t have children when this relationship began, but the difficulties of balancing her personal and professional life were already becoming apparent. And after giving birth to a son and a daughter, who are now 4 and 2, there were times when she felt overwhelmed.

But Meehan’s guidance has proved invaluable, and she has urged Buell to be her own advocate when she felt it was appropriate.

For example, when Buell told her mentor she wanted to be able to pick up her son from school and work at home in the evenings to make up the time, Meehan supported the idea, even though flex schedules were not a common practice at the bank at that time.

“I thought, if anyone could do it successfully, it was Karen,” she noted, citing a long list of Buell’s accomplishments.

Meehan could certainly relate to Buell’s challenges and thought processes. Well, sort of.

She could relate to the part about desiring work/life balance and wanting to be with her children for important moments in their lives — or even a ride home from school every day. But not to the part about seeking — and then attaining — a flex schedule.

That’s because such thoughts were mostly foreign concepts when she broke into this business.

That was in 1975, after she graduated from college and completed a management program at Citibank. The institution didn’t have a formal mentoring program in place, but she noticed that networking took place naturally among the male employees.

“The women in the training program did connect with each other, but there were only a few in the commercial lending area,” she told BusinessWest.

A mentor might have helped her find solutions to difficult situations she encountered in her career, but she has never had one, and struggled with sacrifices she felt she needed to make during a stint in the insurance industry. Meehan had a young daughter and was working in a position that required a great deal of travel, and because her peers devoted untold hours to the job and took calls on weekends, she didn’t think flexibility was an option.

But she has never forgotten the day the sacrifice of being away from home became too much. She was working in Mexico City while at Cigna, and couldn’t return home in time to take her 4-year-old daughter trick-or-treating. And although her husband planned to do it, the idea that she would miss out on an event that meant so much to her was so upsetting that she made the decision to seek a job with more regular hours, left the insurance industry, and returned to banking.

“I never discussed my feelings with the people I worked with,” she noted, adding that doing so was certainly not accepted practice three decades ago.

Balance Statement

Times have certainly changed, and today, mentoring is an accepted practice. As part of that practice, those being mentored are encouraged to openly discuss their feelings about what’s happening with their lives and careers.

For these reasons and many others, PeoplesBank now has two mentoring initiatives. The first is a peer-to-peer program that matches every new hire with a high-performing employee to help them acclimate to the workplace. The mentor takes the person out to lunch on their first day on the job, then continues to meet with them for six months. Matches are based on two factors — personality and the person’s position at the bank — and are not gender-specific.

Mentoring was also added as an enhancement to the bank’s management program. After Mazzallo reintroduced the training, and graduates indicated they felt having a mentor would be advantageous, the practice of assigning one to each participant was established.

It has been especially appropriate because Mazzallo hires two candidates each year from the UMass Isenberg School of Management. They typically have a degree in accounting or finance and spend 12 to 18 months working on special projects in different departments before advancing to a management position.

“I felt it was very important to assign these people to a mentor who could offer them support,” she noted. “We have many seasoned professionals who are able and willing to help these graduates and also help internal candidates in our Leadership Development Program who have the potential to become managers.”

Buell told BusinessWest that she feels mentorship is valuable whether someone is just beginning their career or facing new challenges.

“If your company doesn’t have a program, you should ask for one. It amounts to self-help and is well worth it,” she said. “Mary has given me many nuggets of wisdom and helped me get a better perspective on things, as she is able to look through a different lens.

“And although younger people don’t always take the time to look for a mentor, there is something to be said for life experiences that you just can’t Google,” she went on. “We are all very busy, but it’s important to have someone who can just sit down and listen.”

Buell acknowledged that approaching a person in a high position and requesting help can be uncomfortable.

“But if someone can see the value, they may be more apt to take a stance,” she said, citing her own success as an example.

“It has made a world of difference to have someone further down the road who I can talk to, and I produce more for the bank because of this relationship. It’s been life-changing and has helped me identify my strengths, be less critical of myself, and be better able to acknowledge my accomplishments.”

Meehan has also found it rewarding. “When you give of yourself, you get a lot back,” she explained. “I have had a lot of pleasure watching Karen grow, and someday, when I look back on my career, being a mentor will definitely be one of the highlights. It has been a very nice experience, and we have become friends.”

Change Agents

Friendship would be considered a bonus — an industry term of sorts — when it comes to such relationships, but they are commonplace.

And they are just one of many rewards to be garnered by those on both sides of mentoring, which, as this model shows, brings benefits for the participants, the company, and its customers.

That would make this a win-win-win-win situation, an eventuality that brings value in a number of ways.

LIPPI Compels Women to Broaden Their Comfort Zones

Sections Women in Businesss

Stepping Up

Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper says LIPPI helped empower her to move aggressively up the department’s career ladder to the top rung.

Women who participate in LIPPI (the Leadership Institute of Political and Public Impact), a program launched by the Women’s Fund of Western Mass., use many terms to describe how it has impacted their lives and careers. Most eventually say the experience left them empowered — to seek public office, to apply for a job a few rungs higher on the ladder, or to take on a challenge they once thought was beyond them. In short, LIPPI helped take them far out of what had been their comfort zone.

It’s called the ‘impostor syndrome,’ a.k.a. the ‘impostor phenomenon’ and the ‘fraud syndrome.’

The term was originally coined nearly 40 years ago by clinical psychologists Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes, who contrived it to describe high-achieving individuals who possess an inability to internalize their accomplishments and, as those above names suggest, live in what amounts to persistent fear that they will be exposed as an impostor or fraud.

Dr. Valerie Young, after first realizing that she suffered from that syndrome and that she was hardly unique in that self-diagnosis, would go on to become one of the world’s leading experts on the subject and write perhaps the definitive book on the matter: The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It.

She has also taken her work regarding the syndrome on the road, speaking before hundreds of groups of various sizes and demographic breakdowns. One of them was a gathering last fall of the 2015-16 cohort of the Leadership Institute of Political and Public Impact, or LIPPI, as it’s more commonly called.

Created by the Women’s Fund of Western Mass. in 2010, LIPPI has hosted a number of speakers, like Young, who have helped change careers and lives by giving women of all ages something — or many things — to think about, insight that would stay with them long after the talk ended.

Jody Kasper, Northampton’s police chief, can recall one specific speaker — although she states with regret that she can’t remember her name — who certainly helped put her career on the path to the title that now graces her business card and office door.

“She said that a big difference between men and women becomes apparent when there’s an opportunity for a special assignment or promotion,” recalled Kasper, who was a detective with the force while participating in the 2012-13 LIPPI class. “She said a male candidate may — even if he didn’t know the material — say, ‘I’m going to put in for it, and I’ll figure it out once I get the job.’ And she said women candidates would be more likely to say, ‘I don’t really know how to do the job, so I’m not going to put in for it now; I’ll learn, and then, in a few years, I’ll put in for it when I feel more ready to do it.’

“That really stuck with me for some reason — that attitude holds women back,” Kasper went on, adding that those words were resonating with her when the post of detective lieutenant, one she admits to feeling not totally ready to seek at that time, came open — and she became an eventually successful candidate. The same attitude prevailed when the captain’s position came open.

“I had that same thought process … ‘should I be putting in for this? It’s a big job with a lot of responsibility; have I mastered what I’m doing now?’” she said of her eventual candidacy for captain. “And the answer was that I hadn’t mastered what I was doing; I was still in the learning stages of the detective lieutenant’s position. But I had the confidence to go for it.”

There are many similar stories to be told by LIPPI graduates, as they’re known. Indeed, while, as the name of the program implies, it puts emphasis on introducing women to careers in public service and helping them take on such challenges, it can — and does — provide women traveling down, or contemplating, a wide variety of career paths with more and deeper leadership skills.

When participants leave the stage with their diplomas in May, LIPPI organizers want them to take two things with them, said Ellen Moorhouse, who, as program officer for the Women’s Fund, has administration of LIPPI on her job description.

“The first is sisterhood,” she said, adding quickly that classmates form relationships that go on for years. “And also some tangible business skills — what it takes to write a professional e-mail, how we conduct ourselves in a meeting … what we call the nuts and bolts.”

For this issue and its focus on women in business, we take an in-depth look at how LIPPI provides not only nuts and bolts but the tools to use them, and how it leaves participants empowered to take on — and overcome — the many challenges their lives and careers will throw at them.

Learning Experiences

When asked what she considered her best takeaway from her LIPPI experience, Kasper, who was named chief last summer, paused for a moment, as if to indicate there were several aspects to be considered.

“I’m much more inclined to say ‘yes’ to things that are outside my comfort zone,” she said eventually, adding quickly that, because of this, that zone is now much larger and, thus, fewer challenges lie outside it.

While it’s not actually written down on a mission statement or anywhere else, providing women with a broader comfort zone is essentially what LIPPI is all about.

It accomplishes this through a series of monthly programs that essentially run along a typical college year — September to May with a break in December, said Moorhouse.

She told BusinessWest that the topics covered at those sessions speak volumes about what LIPPI was designed to provide for its participants.

Valerie Young’s program last October, for example, covered ‘Resilience, Public Speaking, and the Impostor Syndrome.’ In November, the subjects for discussion were ‘Social Justice, Race, and Equality.’ In January, it was ‘Mentoring and the Power of Your Network,’ and for February, the topic was ‘Conflict Resolution.’

Still to come are a broad March program focused on everything from communications and marketing to debating. Final presentations are in May, followed by an elaborate graduation ceremony at the Log Cabin on May 23.

Several of the monthly programs drive home one of the unique aspects of this leadership program — its focus on encouraging women to seek public service and helping them succeed if they do.

In late September, for example, the program was called ‘Performance Nuts & Bolts; Policy Advocacy; and Fund-raising Part 1.’ Part 2 came in March, along with a focus on personal finances, campaign finances, and ‘boardroom basics.’ In April, the program will be ‘Nuts & Bolts of Campaigning; Digital Tools and the Campaign,’ and on May 7, state Treasurer Deb Goldberg will be among those leading a discussion called ‘Women in Local, State, and National Politics — After the Campaign.’

It’s always a diverse group of women taking in these sessions, said Moorhouse, adding that this year’s class is especially so, with participants ranging in age from their early 20s to their mid-60s, and from a wide variety of backgrounds.

“This is our most diverse class yet — we have people coming from up and down the I-91 corridor and even New Bedford, and one of the women is almost 70 years old,” she noted, adding that the program draws women from the four Western Mass. counties, who must apply for the available seats — usually 30 to 40 a year.

When asked what the committee that weighs those applications is looking for, Moorhouse said simply, “passion.”

“And in whatever focus that might be,” she went on. “It could be political, or higher education … whatever their passion may be, it just has to shine through.”

The diversity of the LIPPI program, but especially the all-women nature of the program, makes it unique among the many leadership programs in the area and attractive to many potential candidates, Moorhouse went on, adding that many participants enjoy sharing common experiences, challenges, and approaches to business and problem solving.

Linda Tyer

Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer, a member of the LIPPI class of 2013-14, agreed. She told BusinessWest that, while mixed-gender leadership programs certainly have value, and women in every field must work alongside men, there are many benefits to having only women in the room.

“I’ve always been an advocate for advancing women in politics and in business, and this was an opportunity to participate in that pipeline, not only for myself, but for the women around me,” she explained. “And what happens when you participate in leadership programs for women is that you start to recognize yourself in others, and this enables you to learn from their experiences.

“Women have a collaborative nature versus a competitive nature,” she went on, listing another reason why she LIPPI’s program is valuable. “And you learn that collaborations do lead to success — everything isn’t a competition.”

Positions of Strength

Over the years, LIPPI has not only inspired women to consider and then pursue public service, but helped hone the skills and, yes, broaden the comfort zone of those already in office.

Tyer falls into both categories, actually. She was the city’s clerk when she became part of the LIPPI class of 2013-14, and prior to that served on the City Council.

She said the LIPPI experience helped provide her with the will and confidence needed to seek the corner office.

“I had an aspiration to become mayor, and participating in the program gave me more confidence in my leadership abilities to take that big step forward,” she noted, adding that several factors, including everything from her family situation to her collective experience in city government, collided to convinced her it was time to seize the moment.

And since taking office in January, she said there have been many times when situations and challenges have prompted her to summon lessons learned during her LIPPI sessions.

“I carry with me important lessons about public speaking and giving yourself a presence in a room,” she explained, adding that these represent just a few of the many ways in which LIPPI continues to influence her life and career.

Denise Hurst, a Springfield School Committee member, tells a similar story.

Denise Hurst

She had been on the board a short time when she was asked to be part of LIPPI’s inaugural class, and admits to having doubts about whether she really needed it.

Just a few sessions in — and actually before the cohort began its work — those doubts were completely erased.

“I sat on a panel that the Women’s Fund held as a kickoff for LIPPI, and it was probably then that it became readily apparent to me that I needed to go through this,” she recalled, “because there was so much that I didn’t know about being an elected official.

“I didn’t come from a political family — I had no real experience in politics or elected office,” she went on. “So I felt very much behind the curve with respect to my colleagues on the School Committee, but the types of training and workshops provided by LIPPI were extremely helpful.”

Elaborating, she described her LIPPI experience as an internship of sorts, one that provided hands-on training and many types of invaluable experience. And, like others we spoke with, she said that what LIPPI helped provide, above all else, is that priceless commodity known as confidence.

“You can listen to all the speakers in the world about how you build confidence and how you should be confident and how you shouldn’t be scared, but the reality is that, when you walk into the School Committee chambers or the City Council chambers or state government, you’re there alone … your mentor is not there,” she told BusinessWest. “You have to be quick, you have to be able to think on your feet, and LIPPI helps you do that; it helps you strategize.”

Speaking of Empowerment…

A visitor to Pittsfield City Hall would quickly learn that the mayor’s LIPPI diploma is not the only one proudly displayed.

Indeed, several members of what would be called the Tyer administration were part of the class of 2013-14, and Roberta McCulloch-Dews, director of Administrative Services, is one of them.

A former journalist who later started her own communications company and then held several positions, including assistant to the president, at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, McCulloch-Dews said she wasn’t really thinking about a shift into public service when she participated in LIPPI.

What she was thinking about was taking advantage of any opportunity that would expand her horizons.

“I’m a knowledge seeker — I love to learn,” she explained. “And I love to challenge myself with new ways of thinking. So when I heard about LIPPI and how it encouraged women to think about public service as another outlet, I thought it was important to learn about this area — even though moving into that realm wasn’t really feasible at that time.”

Roberta McCulloch-Dews

Or so she thought. Indeed, McCulloch-Dews said one of the many thoughts she took home from her LIPPI experience was the notion that one doesn’t have to wait until the conditions — especially a proper balance of work and family — are perfect to take a step into public service, or any other arena, for that matter.

“I would say that I came away from LIPPI empowered to know that I didn’t need to have everything fit perfectly to make the decision to go into public service,” she told BusinessWest. “I didn’t know at the time that I would be in public service now, but I think it was fitting to have that foundation, because it served to enrich what I’m doing now.”

Katherine VanBramer, Tyer’s executive assistant, was another member of that class of 2013-14, and she was technically already in public service while attending those sessions.

In fact, she was working for Tyer, as senior clerk.

Last November, Mayor-elect Tyer asked her to stay with her and become her executive assistant. This role would present a new set of challenges and even more work directly with constituents. But she credits LIPPI with helping to impart her with not only the confidence to make the shift, but the desire to take on a role where she would often be a liaison between the mayor and city residents.

“LIPPI definitely provided me with more self-confidence in dealing with the public,” she said. “And it really inspired me to appreciate how important it is to help people navigate their government, because it can be a tricky process sometimes. If there’s anything I can do to make the process more simple or more understandable, I’m happy and willing to do that.”

While all those we talked with related how LIPPI provided them with confidence and empowerment, they also talked with one voice about the power of mentoring, learning from others who have been through similar experiences, and how the relationships forged during their year certainly didn’t end when the diplomas were handed out.

They spoke also about how the program left them determined to mentor others and share collective knowledge and experience with those who are younger and walking where they were years ago.

“LIPPI has caused me to be more thoughtful about mentoring young women who are interested in getting into non-traditional fields,” said Kasper, noting that police work certainly falls into that category, and few women look in that direction simply because they lack role models — something she has become, and takes quite seriously.

“I’m in a position where I have a great opportunity to be a mentor,” she went on. “It’s an attitude I had before LIPPI, but that program really strengthened it.”

Moving Forward

Experts on the impostor syndrome say it is quite common, difficult to completely cure, but, in most cases, quite manageable.

The process starts with recognizing the condition, understanding that many others suffer from it, and addressing it. The last part of that equation generally amounts to building confidence and thus erasing those nagging doubts about one’s abilities, and developing a strong support system that can help keep them from coming back.

All of that isn’t on LIPPI’s mission statement, either, but that’s exactly what this unique program does.

That, and providing women across Western Mass. with a much bigger comfort zone.

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

How Do the New Computer Chip Credit Cards Work?

Banking and Financial Services Sections

FAQs About EMVs

By SIENNA KOSSMAN

The nationwide shift to EMV is well underway.

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

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

For merchants and financial institutions, the switch to EMV means adding new in-store technology and internal processing systems and complying with new liability rules. For consumers, it means activating new cards and learning new payment processes. Most of all, it means greater protection against fraud.

ThinkstockPhotosCreditCardChip Here are some frequently asked questions to help explain the changes.

Why Are EMV Cards a More Secure Option?

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

The magnetic stripes on traditional credit and debit cards store contain unchanging data. Whoever accesses that data gains the sensitive card and cardholder information necessary to make purchases. That makes traditional cards prime targets for counterfeiters, who convert stolen card data to cash.

“If someone copies a magnetic stripe, they can easily replicate that data over and over again because it doesn’t change,” said Dave Witts, president of U.S. payment systems for Creditcall, a payment gateway and EMV software developer.

Unlike magnetic-stripe cards, every time an EMV card is used for payment, the card chip creates a unique transaction code that cannot be used again. If a hacker stole the chip information from one specific point of sale, typical card duplication would never work “because the stolen transaction number created in that instance wouldn’t be usable again and the card would just get denied,” Witts explained.

EMV technology will not prevent data breaches from occurring, but it will make it much harder for criminals to successfully profit from what they steal. Experts hope it will help significantly reduce fraud in the U.S., which has doubled in the past seven years as criminals have shied away from countries that already have transitioned to EMV cards, Conroy said. “The introduction of dynamic data is what makes EMV cards so effective at bringing down counterfeit card rates in other countries.”

How Do I Use an EMV Card?

Just like magnetic-stripe cards, EMV cards are processed for payment in two steps: card reading and transaction verification. However, with EMV cards, you no longer have to master a quick, fluid card swipe in the right direction. Chip cards are read in a different way.

“Instead of going to a register and swiping your card, you are going to do what is called ‘card dipping’ instead, which means inserting your card into a terminal slot and waiting for it to process,” Conroy said.

When an EMV card is dipped, data flows between the card chip and the issuing financial institution to verify the card’s legitimacy and create the unique transaction data. This process isn’t as quick as a magnetic-stripe swipe.

“It will take a tiny bit longer for that transmission of data to happen,” Witts says. “If a person just sticks the card in and pulls it out, the transaction will likely be denied. A little bit of patience will be involved.”

Some EMV cards can also support contactless card reading, also known as near-field communication (NFC). Instead of dipping or swiping, NFC-equipped cards are tapped against a terminal scanner that can pick up the card data from the embedded computer chip.

Will I Still Have to Sign or Enter a PIN?

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

Chip-and-PIN cards operate just like the checking-account debit card you have been using for years. Entering a PIN connects the payment terminal to the payment processor for real-time transaction verification and approval. However, many payment processors are not equipped with the technology needed to handle EMV chip-and-PIN credit transactions. So it is not likely you will have to memorize new PINs anytime soon, according to Conroy.

“There aren’t going to be many issuers requiring a PIN,” she said. “A vast majority will be issuing chip-and-signature cards, which aren’t all that different from how credit cards work now.”

As with a magnetic-stripe credit card, you sign on the point-of-sale terminal to take responsibility for the payment when making a chip-and-signature card transaction.

U.S. chip-and-PIN cards will be transitioned in slowly, according to Ferenczi. “The card production demand today is really based on chip-and-signature cards. It will probably take two to three years to fully convert to chip-and-PIN.”

Despite a slow transition overall, those who get chip-and-PIN cards will be able to use them right away. “If a terminal doesn’t have the ability to accept a PIN, it will then step down to accepting a signature,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. “There will always be a secondary option.”

If Fraud Occurs, Who Is Liable for the Costs?

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

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

Consider the example of a financial institution that issues a chip card used at a merchant that has not changed its system to accept chip technology. This allows a counterfeit card to be successfully used. “The cost of the fraud will fall back on the merchant,” Ferenczi said.

The change is intended to help bring the entire payment industry on board with EMV by encouraging compliance to avoid liability costs.

Today, any parties not EMV-ready could face much higher costs in the event of a large data breach. Automated fuel dispensers will have until 2017 to make the shift to EMV. Until then, they will follow existing fraud liability rulings.

Is the Transition to EMV Technology Complete?

Not exactly. Although the deadline was strong encouragement for all payment-processing parties to become EMV-compliant as soon as possible, not everyone has made the transition yet.

“It’s going to take a little time to adapt,” said Doug Johnson, vice president of risk management policy for the American Bankers Assoc.

EMV debit cards in particular are rolling out at a slower pace. While 90% of financial institutions began issuing EMV debit cards in 2015, only 25% of U.S. debit cards (about 71 million cards) were expected to be chip-equipped by the end of 2015. The percentage of EMV debit cards in consumers’ hands is expected to reach 73% by the end of 2016 and 96% by the end of 2017.

So far, the large majority of chip cards going into the hands of cardholders are coming from larger issuers like Bank of America and Chase, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The cost of this EMV transition is causing smaller banks to convert their cards more slowly.

EMV debit cards may be issued at an even slower pace as banks have to prep their software to accept those new cards as well, according to Ferenczi.

“Different companies will have different rollout strategies,” Johnson said. Some will base their actions on card expiration dates; others will work to get chip cards into consumers’ hands as soon as possible.

Can I Use My Card at a Retailer That Doesn’t Support EMV Yet?

Yes. The first round of EMV cards — many of which are in consumers’ hands — will be equipped with both chip and magnetic-stripe functions so consumer spending is not disrupted and merchants can adjust. If you find yourself at a point-of-sale terminal and are not sure whether to dip or swipe your card, have no fear. The terminal will walk you through the process.

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

And vice-versa. “If a consumer tries to swipe a chip card instead of inserting it, an error will appear, and they will be prompted to insert the card for chip processing instead,” Vanderhoof said.

If chip-card readers are not in place at a merchant at all, your EMV card can be read with a swipe, just like a traditional magnetic-stripe card. “You can still conduct transactions, you just lose that extra level of chip security,” Johnson said.

Many large retailers, such as Walmart, Target and Costco, have upgraded their POS terminals and are activating them for chip-card acceptance, but smaller businesses may be lagging when it comes to upgrading their payment technology.

Will I Be Able to Use My EMV Card Outside the U.S.?

Yes and no. The U.S. is the last major market still using the magnetic-stripe card system. Many European countries moved to EMV technology years ago to combat high fraud rates. That shift has left many U.S. consumers who have magnetic-stripe cards looking for other forms of payment when they travel.

Since many foreign merchants are wary of magnetic-stripe cards, consumers who hold some type of chip card may run into fewer issues than those without one, according to Ferenczi.

However, chip-and-PIN cards are the norm in most other countries that support EMV technology. So consumers with chip-and-signature cards may find some merchants who are unwilling or unable to process their card, even though it does have an embedded chip.

Still, despite any difficulties in the transition, Ferenczi says the change is a step in the right direction.

“Nobody likes to think that his or her card is being secretly used for other purposes,” he says. “So I think regardless, there is a level of comfort knowing that it will be far more difficult to counterfeit EMV cards.”

‘Cadillac Tax’ Would Have a Deep Impact on Employers

Banking and Financial Services Sections

New Rules of the Road

By BOB CUMMINGS

Although many provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have already been implemented, a few major ones are still to come. None are as far-reaching as the proposed ‘Cadillac tax’ on employer-sponsored health benefits.

Originally scheduled to take effect in 2018, the Cadillac-tax implementation was recently pushed off to 2020. If implemented, the IRS will impose a 40%, non-deductible excise tax on certain employer-sponsored health benefits that exceed a dollar threshold of $10,200 for an individual and $25,500 for a family. Health-insurance companies and self-insured plan sponsors will have to pay the tax on excess dollar amounts for benefits provided above this threshold. After 2020, the limits are to be adjusted for future changes in the consumer price index.

The thresholds will be increased in certain situations if the majority of covered employees are engaged in specified high-risk professions such as law enforcement and construction, and for group demographics including age and gender. For pre-65 retirees and individuals in high-risk professions, the threshold amounts are currently $11,850 for individual coverage and $30,950 for family coverage.

The Obama administration has stated that the purpose of the tax is to reduce the tax-preferred treatment of employer-provided healthcare benefits and raise revenue to help finance the expansion of subsidized health coverage under the ACA. Most experts believe that, contrary to what the name might imply, the Cadillac tax is going to directly impact the majority of employer-sponsored plans.

Many union plans and municipal plans could be impacted right out of the gate, and employers in high-healthcare-cost states like Massachusetts are going to be hit hard if the law goes into effect in its current form. If you thought your healthcare benefit plans were just a Chevy or a Buick, you are in for a big surprise.

As written, the tax is 40% of the cost of health coverage that exceeds these predetermined threshold amounts. Cost of coverage includes the total contributions paid by both the employer and employees, but not cost-sharing amounts such as deductibles, co-insurance, and co-pays when care is received.

Unfortunately, it’s not just the premiums for the employer health plans that are counted toward these thresholds, either. Currently, the Cadillac tax would also include contributions under certain pre-tax, account-based plans such as flexible spending accounts and health-savings accounts or health-reimbursement arrangements, as well as most wellness programs.

The calculation includes any contributions made by the employer or employees pre-tax. Employers are going to be responsible for calculating the total dollar value of benefits for each employee on a month-by-month basis and apportioning this among the benefits providers.

Cadillac-tax payments are not deductible for federal tax purposes. Consider what this might mean for an employer offering a health plan with a flexible spending account (FSA) or health-savings account (HSA) with the average total cost of coverage at $12,000 per year for self-only coverage. A $12,000 individual plan would pay an excise tax of $720 per covered employee: $12,000 – $10,200 = $1,800 above the $10,200 threshold; $1,800 x 40% = $720.

The tax on family coverage could be even higher. A $32,000 value of benefits provided to employees with family coverage would pay an excise tax of $1,800 per covered employee: $32,000 – $27,500 = $4,500 above the $27,500 threshold; $4,500 x 40% = $1,800.

On Feb. 23, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service issued a notice covering a number of issues concerning the Cadillac tax and requested comments on possible approaches that could ultimately be incorporated into proposed regulations. No new regulations have been issued to date.

How are employers responding to these looming changes? Many have yet to digest the impact, but the biggest trend is the migration to high-deductible health plans (HDHPS), and health-savings accounts. Recent statistics show that 60% of employers are contemplating or already have moved to implement new high-deductible health plans with companion HSAs. These HDHP plans have upfront deductibles of at least $1,300 single and $2,600 family and out-of-pocket cost sharing of up to $6,550 for a single and $13,100 for a family in 2016. As compared to traditional health-benefits plans, HDHP plans typically have dramatically lower premiums, as much as 40% lower.

Employees covered under a qualified HDHP plan can contribute (as can the employer) to an HSA either through pre-tax payroll or a direct, tax-deductible contribution to an individually owned tax-preferred accumulation account that can be used to pay for any qualified out-of-pocket health expenses during one’s lifetime with tax free dollars.

While downgrading health benefits to higher upfront deductibles is not the most popular solution for all employees, if paired with a health-savings account including some employer contributions into the HSA, it could be more palatable. This next-generation ‘consumer-directed healthcare’ is forcing consumers to assume more risk and responsibility in how they spend money on healthcare decisions.

While there is a growing movement in Congress and among business groups to repeal or significantly amend the Cadillac tax before it takes effect, we can be certain that no action will be taken until well after the 2016 election. However, given the broad-based impact, this is a topic that will likely stay high on the radar for Congress and our next president.

Bob Cummings is president of Northampton-based American Benefits Group; (413) 727-7211.

Bank Branches Evolve to Meet 21st-century Needs

Banking and Financial Services Sections

Not Business as Usual

PeoplesBank’s new Northampton branch models some of the latest innovations, from ‘green’ construction to two-way video in the drive-up lanes to iPad stations.

When innovations like online and mobile banking began to emerge, banking leaders pondered how they would impact the role of brick-and-mortar branches. Specifically, would customers simply have no need to stop by? The answer to that question, at least so far, has been a resounding no. However, that doesn’t mean branches should stop evolving, say area bank executives who have seen their institutions alter customer interaction in ways both big and small, aiming to provide a more high-tech, yet still highly personalized, experience.

When customers engage the drive-up tellers at PeoplesBank in Northampton, they’re communicating via a video screen. That in itself may not be innovative, but the bank is intrigued by what it could eventually lead to.

“We still have drive-up like a traditional bank, but we have two-way video,” said Stacy Sutton, senior vice president, retail administration. “It’s almost a stepping stone for a future technology — a remote teller. This would be the first step in that process. The customer is getting the personal touch by seeing a teller, but the teller is not necessarily there — they could be back at corporate headquarters in Holyoke, but serving customers here.”

Matthew Bannister, the bank’s vice president, corporate responsibility, compared the idea to how the NFL runs instant replay from one location in New York, with referees from multiple cities around the country communicating with that site.

“It would allow us to have longer branch hours and, from a staffing point of view, more tellers without having to spread them around the area,” he noted.

That’s just one way the bank is looking to the future, discussing concepts and testing out ideas in its customer innovation lab, ideas that may someday be instituted in the branches.

“Technology is always changing, and we’ve got to stay at the forefront of that,” Sutton said. “Of course, not everything we throw against the wall is going to stick or be the best thing for customers or the bank.”

In recent years, questions have arisen in the banking industry about the need for new branches, given the emergence of online and mobile services for customers. But the way PeoplesBank and others see it, branches may be evolving in how they’re designed and what the customer experience is like, but they’re not going away.

“Every customer survey we do says that branches are important to the customer,” Sutton said. “They feel that the brick-and-mortar presence is important. And we do find that they like to come in and see people, have that conversation. That’s why we’re making these offices more inviting places they’ll want to come and stay.”

For example, newer PeoplesBank branches have eliminated teller lines in favor of smaller teller ‘pods’ for a more personal touch. In addition, a quick look around the Northampton branch on King Street — the bank’s newest — reveals refreshment and coffee stands and iPad stations for customers to use, drawing on the facility’s Wi-Fi.

Berkshire Bank has adopted many modern branch-design elements, including teller pods to eliminate counters and lines.

Berkshire Bank has incorporated similar changes in its new branches, said Tami Gunsch, executive vice president, retail banking.

“We’ve enhanced our branch design over the past five years; the new design includes smaller square footage, which allows for a more-personalized experience, greater site-selection opportunities, and overall lower operating costs,” she noted, adding that kiosk-like pods allow customers and tellers to interact quickly without the physical barrier of a teller line. Also like at PeoplesBank, Berkshire customers take advantage of in-branch cafés for coffee and refreshments.

“We have seen the needs of our customers change, with the desire to bank when and where it is convenient for them,” Gunsch noted, explaining why it’s important to make branches more inviting spaces. “Customers want to take advantage of multiple channels to do their banking inclusive of online, mobile, ATM, and branch visits. Meeting their needs is an important component in driving the relationship.”

Checks and Balance

When Connecticut-based Farmington Bank moved into the Western Mass. market, it incorporated some of the same trends adopted by PeoplesBank and Berkshire Bank, including open floor plans and replacing counters and lines with personal bankers serving customers at pods. Its first two offices in the region opened in the fall in West Springfield and East Longmeadow.

Click HERE to view a PDF listing of Banks in Western Mass.

Ken Burns, executive vice president at Farmington, said it was important to get the branch design right because physical locations are critical to a bank’s growth, particularly one new to a region.

“We find that well over 80% of our customers believe branch location in proximity to their house or their work is important for them,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s well-documented that it is very difficult to compete and grow through a geographic area and get new accounts — unless you’re a national competitor with a huge marketing budget — without some sort of physical location, some physical proximity to where your customers are. A lot of statistics drive that; it’s not just a guess.”

That said, Sutton noted, the customer experience is changing as the industry moves to online banking, mobile banking, mobile check deposit, Apply Pay, and other innovations, and those factors are influencing branch design — for example, with the iPad stations.

“We wanted to do something different, and we did a lot of research and looked at a lot of national companies; Apple was one of them,” she said. “We went to the West Coast to see what they’re doing; we took ideas from everyone and have tried to incorporate them into PeoplesBank. We want to be innovative, to introduce new technology to customers, make it inviting to them; we want them to come visit PeoplesBank.”

One shift that has more to do with training than technology is the concept of ‘universal bankers,’ who are able to help customers with a range of tasks, from deposits to loan applications, as opposed to the traditional model, which separates those roles.

“Any one of the employees can help with anything; it doesn’t matter who the customer sees here,” Sutton said, noting that the new Northampton branch is modeling the idea, and other concepts, that will eventually move to other locations. “We hope to take elements of this building and incorporate them in other buildings, such as teller pods, two-way video, anything we see coming down the pike in the future. That is the plan.”

Berkshire Bank has begun to adopt the universal-banker model as well, Gunsch said, emphasizing the need for 21st-century branches to be both high-tech and high-touch.

“The new branch design has evolved to leverage new technology to enhance the customer’s experience in conjunction with our shift to staffing our branches with more universal-banker roles who can address any needs a customer may have, versus needing to deal with multiple team members,” she noted. “This maximizes teamwork through an efficient floor plan.”

Another shift in branch design is actually one being incorporated in myriad types of business — going ‘green’ to maximize energy efficiency and minimize environmental impact. In recent years, PeoplesBank has opened three offices certified by the national LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.

Indoor and outdoor LEED elements at the King Street location include large windows allowing plenty of natural light, an energy-efficient HVAC system, carpeting and paint products that emit low levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), drought-resistant plantings, a rain garden directing water runoff back into the ground as opposed to drainage systems, and, car-charging stations free to anyone.

In addition, the bank built on an existing site instead of clearing trees from a new property, recycled 98% of all materials from demolishing the existing building, and brought in new building materials from within 500 miles. Other banks in the region have also targeted existing sites for new branches, such as Farmington Bank, which revitalized a landmark building in West Springfield once occupied by the West Springfield Trust Co.

Stacy Sutton says PeoplesBank’s customer innovation lab is always discussing ways to improve the customer experience.

For Peoples, the LEED efforts are part of its well-known environmentally conscious culture. “That’s a core value of PeoplesBank — to be sustainable and eco-friendly,” Sutton said. “It’s great for staff and customers who come into the building.”

She expects other banks to make similar efforts as time goes on, if only because building codes are moving toward green design as a baseline.

“We’ve had positive response to doing these offices,” she added. “I’m sure we’ll continue to ramp up, and we’ll see other people incorporate aspects of this type of building going forward.”

Earning and Learning

Finally, Sutton noted, some branch-design elements are aimed simply at making a bank a community meeting place of sorts. Moveable furniture in the Northampton branch allows the staff to conduct customer-education seminars on anything from first-time homebuying to financial strategies to, yes, environmental topics.

Similarly, Berkshire Bank has incorporated community rooms in many branch locations, available to be used for anything from PTA meetings to birthday parties to Little League sign-ups. “The community room is equipped with Wi-Fi, a large presentation monitor, a conference phone, and the newest gaming systems, all at no cost to the group,” Gunsch said. “This has been a differentiator in our local markets.”

It’s all part of efforts to get people into the branches, she noted.

“Customers have shifted away from being solely reliant on the branch to conducting their banking online. However, the majority of customers still visit a branch location at least monthly,” she told BusinessWest. “Person-to-person interaction remains important to the customer and the financial institution. We believe the branch still matters; we just needed to redefine the branch experience.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Are We on the Right Track with Rail?

Opinion

By Paul Peter Nicolai

The public needs a more complete and honest discussion of the likely costs and benefits of commuter rail service between Springfield and Greenfield.

Most of the advertised benefits for commuter rail service come from a 2009 feasibility study done to justify rebuilding the rails from Springfield to Brattleboro. Like most of these studies, the projections come from computer models. I was on the committee that issued the study.

Because we got money to rebuild the rails, we have actual numbers. The first phase of the feasibility study happened. The Vermonter now runs on the line. We can compare what is actually happening to what the computer model said might happen. It turns out the computer model projections are not even close:

• The ridership projection is 73% off;

• The projection of how many new people would be riding as opposed to how many people would be using trains instead of other transportation is 99.4% wrong; and

• The study’s capital cost projection was only 20% to 50% of the actual bill.

The study said moving the Vermonter to the new track would increase ridership by 98 passengers a day. The actual number is 26 passengers a day.

The study made assumptions about how many of the additional riders would be new riders — people new to the market. These new-rider numbers are the basis for projections on how many additional people would live in the towns on the line, how many additional new jobs would be created in those towns, and how many millions of dollars of new economic activity those towns would see.

What actually happened is there are practically no new riders. While the Vermonter picked up 788 new passengers a month, private-sector bus services lost 761 passengers a month. This means the actual number of new people is 27 a month.

When you use actual numbers to inform the computer-generated projection, what we could reasonably expect is commuter rail service would have 540 riders a day, not the projected 2,000. When you apply the experience of what is happening with people getting off other travel means and onto trains, we should reasonably expect about three new riders a day.

Three new riders a day have no economic impact. The 537 riders who stop using other transportation to use the trains do not create new economic impact. They are already here.

On the cost side, even at 2,000 riders a day, it’s projected that between $3 million and $4 million in tax dollars will have to be paid annually to run the trains. That is after $100 million in tax dollars to buy them.

Because we now know ridership is much more likely to be about 25% of the computer-generated projection, the tax dollars needed to support these trains is much more likely to be around $4.5 million a year.

The MBTA is going to run these trains. MBTA is funded by a combination of state money and contributions from communities where MBTA stations are located. When you apply what MBTA does in the rest of the state to this new service, Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield will have to contribute a total of around $1.7 million in property-tax dollars a year — somewhere around 7% of their total DPW budgets.

So, the bottom line is that Springfield/Greenfield commuter rail will:

• Have actual ridership of about 25% of what was projected;

• Create no new economic activity. It may actually be negative when you count the bus drivers and maintenance people who will lose their jobs; and

• Require an operating subsidy about 150% of what was originally projected, including $1.7 million a year from local property taxes.

Is it worth spending $100 million to buy trains and then $4.5 million a year to run them so an additional 90 people a month are attracted? Aren’t there more important things to do with scarce tax dollars?

Paul Peter Nicolai is president of the Springfield-based Nicolai Law Group; [email protected]

Creating a New Generation of Leaders

Opinion

Editorial

As everyone knows by know, the Baby Boom generation is already at or rapidly approaching retirement age. The oldest members of this huge constituency will hit 70 this year, and millions more will reach retirement age, be it 65, 67, or something earlier if they’ve done well for themselves, over the next several years.

This wave of retirements will pose myriad challenges for the region and its business community, especially when it comes to replacing experienced workers, especially in fields such as healthcare and manufacturing. Filling these voids will require diligence and imagination because the problem will surely impact virtually every sector and almost every business.

While the region must look upon this situation with a good deal of dread, we believe the same cannot be said for another realm, or void — that concerning leadership.

Indeed, if there is one thing our planning and economic-development agencies have done well over the past several years, it’s creating and expanding programs dedicated to preparing area young people for leadership roles — be they in business, government, or the nonprofit sector.

There are several programs and groups that fall into this leadership-prep category, among them the area’s young-professional societies; Leadership Pioneer Valley, which was created several ago as a result of a recognized need for more programs of this nature; the Springfield Regional Chamber’s Leadership Institute; and the Women’s Fund’s Leadership Institute of Political and Public Impact (LIPPI), the subject of a story on page 23.

That sounds like it might even be too many programs, but this region needs as many as it can get.

That’s because leadership is an attainable skill, and the more effective leaders we have in Western Mass., the better off this area will be.

As you read the story on LIPPI, you will note many participants saying the program has helped them take on more challenges located outside of their comfort zone, or words to that effect. And the same can essentially be said of the other programs listed above, and this bodes very well for the region, individual cities and towns, and the business community as well.

As comfort zones become larger, people become more willing and, usually, more able to take on challenges and become both problem solvers and innovators, things this region will need more than nurses and qualified precision machinists, although we’ll need them too.

The story on LIPPI also reveals that, through its various programs, many women have been able to reach higher and then attain what they’re reaching for, a very important consideration given that, in this region, as in most others, this is a constituency still defined by the phrase ‘untapped potential.’

Moving forward, we encourage more young people to take full advantage of the many opportunities now afforded them to develop and hone their leadership skills. Doing so will create opportunities for them and the communities they’ve chosen to live and work in. And it will ultimately (we hope) enable this region to remain competitive in what will be an increasingly global economy.

There are many challenges that will induce anxiety in the years to come, especially the retirement of all those Baby Boomers. Thanks to some forward thinking and imaginative new programs, finding qualified leaders shouldn’t be an issue that falls into that same category.

South Hadley Seeks Growth, Collaboration

Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

By JACLYN C. STEVENSON

With many key projects completed last year, Mike Sullivan says, the town is now assessing its next moves.

Town Administrator Mike Sullivan said 2016 is shaping up to be a transitional year for South Hadley, but not necessarily a quiet one.

“A lot of projects finished last year,” he said, listing completion of a new library, high school, elementary school, and two new parks among them. “Things are steady. Now we’re assessing where we’re at and where we need to go.”

Several avenues have already been pointed out for the Hampshire County town of 17,000, guided by an expansive, town-wide renewal plan with a focus on creating healthy environments, giving the overall commercial landscape a boost, and collaborating whenever possible with neighboring communities.

The latter has been a necessity for South Hadley since its incorporation in 1775, largely due to geography. It’s in a unique spot; bordered by Hadley, Amherst, Granby, and Chicopee, and separated from Holyoke and Easthampton by the Connecticut River, South Hadley is insulated by a series of canals, rivers, and reservoirs, and isn’t fed by any interstate highways. It’s long depended on cooperation with its neighbors, particularly Holyoke, but with the town on solid footing with some new, positive developments on the horizon, Sullivan said South Hadley is positioned to offer its neighbors plenty in return.

South Hadley formed an official redevelopment authority last year, which is now working out a plan for revitalization that will begin in the area of South Hadley Center — commonly known as ‘the Falls,’ a former mill village with historic industrial roots — and branching out across town from there.

“It’s been a detailed and aggressive endeavor,” he said, noting that the plan will be presented to town meeting this year and, if approved, must then also be accepted by the state in order to access grant funding and other opportunities.

“Like most mill villages, we’re looking to regenerate the community and adapt it to be a cool place. The attempt is not to gentrify the mill village by any means — the attempt is to make it more habitable, safer, and particularly more pedestrian-friendly.”

As arguably South Hadley’s largest presence, Mount Holyoke College — and the college-owned Village Commons and Orchards Golf Club — is an active presence in the town’s revitalization efforts. Kevin McCaffrey, director of Government and Community Relations in the office of the president at the school, said Mount Holyoke has ramped up its community-support efforts of late, ranging from collaborations with the town’s schools to planning assistance for a new network of recreational trails that extends the walkable-town concept across the community.

“Mount Holyoke has very close ties to South Hadley in terms of economic development and revitalization, and we work every day to strengthen our relationship to the community,” he said, noting that, most recently, the college contributed $300,000 toward the Bachelor Brook Stony Brook Conservation Area and constructed a new boathouse with a community-rowing component, among other projects.

“Mount Holyoke is closely involved with South Hadley in planning efforts around issues such as development of new bike- and hiking-trail opportunities to enhance the quality of life for residents and our students alike,” added McCaffrey. “Our local connections, already strong, have strengthened further under President Lynn Pasquerella, who is very committed to community outreach, and should continue to grow under acting President-elect Sonya Stephens.”

Jeffrey Labrecque, chief operating officer of the Village Commons, has a similarly positive view of South Hadley’s overall business picture and how it’s positioned for the coming years. Today, the town has an opportunity to tackle some key issues surrounding growth in the business sector, he said, including increasing the commercial tax base in hopes of reducing the residential tax burden.

“I see business in South Hadley as being very steady, with a sudden increased interest in commercial and retail opportunities and with restaurant growth exceeding expectations,” he said, noting that conditions at the Village Commons reflect this stability; the mixed-use complex with a focus on retail, restaurants, office, and residential space is currently at 98% occupancy.

“On the office side, interest has calmed down, but business is stable. South Hadley’s ‘big little village’ continues to thrive and brings in business from all over the Valley,” he went on. “Most importantly, we are here to stay, we are invested, and we voluntarily support the community, its events, and its goals on a variety of levels.”

The Commons is eyeing possible expansion opportunities of its own, perhaps in the areas of additional leasable space or parking. Any move on the part of the Commons or South Hadley at large, said Labrecque, should be made to ensure a strong position in the local market, and always with an eye toward what’s happening in adjacent towns.

“There is a lot of growing competition in neighboring communities, and the future may very well lead to shared departments and services with neighboring towns,” he said. “We would be remiss in our position to sit back and watch; we need to always be looking for new ways to improve growth.”

Making Paper Tigers

In that regard, Sullivan said South Hadley has recorded a few wins lately. One of the most heralded developments in the Falls recently was the arrival of Mohawk Paper, the largest family-owned producer of envelopes in the country. Mohawk’s plant moved into a group of buildings formerly known as the U.S. Gaylord properties last year, and makes more than a million envelopes a day.

“It was quite a coup,” said Sullivan. “They were looking at plants not only in this region — in Chicopee, Westfield, Holyoke — but also locations in other states, including New Hampshire and Connecticut. We see having them choose South Hadley as a big success.”

What’s more, the properties still have more than 200,000 additional square feet of space available that the town is now actively looking to fill. Labrecque said Mohawk’s arrival was exactly the kind of boon South Hadley was hoping for, and added that he sees several other hot spots for development, including the now-vacant Newton Shopping Plaza.

The Village Commons, a mixed-use complex of retail, eateries, offices, and apartments, is 98% occupied.

“We’re seeing some great growth on the commercial-industrial side, and I remain hopeful that will support additional commercial interest,” he said. “While there are many areas of concern, I hope that much of the focus goes to Bridge and Main streets and the corner of Newton and Lyman streets. Route 33 from Newton Street to Chicopee also has prime areas of opportunity.”

Labrecque noted that growth in the commercial sector is the ultimate goal, but he does see development in the housing market as one of the town’s most immediate opportunities.

“I foresee huge opportunities, especially in the area of rental housing,” he said. “For some 26 years, the Village Commons has maintained a residential waiting list that at times could exceed 30 anxious prospective tenants. Whether you add housing on Main Street or College Street, there will continue to be a need.”

Sullivan agreed that South Hadley’s residential base is solid, and improvements to its infrastructure are very much on the town’s to-do list, in order to continue to attract residents, visitors, and businesses alike.

“We need to improve the housing stock,” he said. “We’re hoping this spurs investment in other properties from people around them who haven’t invested in years but might start feeling a new level of confidence. We’ve been very aggressive enforcing codes and health and safety regulations, particularly among absentee landlords.”

Age-old Practices

Two separate condominium projects are now underway in town — six units in the former public library through a $1.8 million investment, and plans for a second condo development near the new library building have just been approved, raising that investment in housing to nearly $3 million.

It’s a move that goes back to the overall redevelopment plan for the town — “those are the kinds of gateways you want to make really inviting to have people see the value of the community right away,” noted Sullivan — but development in the housing sector is also one aspect of a larger effort to continue to cultivate South Hadley’s strong niche in the business of aging.

“South Hadley is not an aging community so much as it is a community that is investing in aging,” he said. “Whether the community recognized it or just through happenstance, they have positioned the town very well to be ready for that industry.”

Sullivan listed elder-care businesses including Loomis Communities, Wingate at South Hadley, and Hubert Place, a federally funded supportive housing development for residents 55 and older, as examples.

“There are also early talks happening now regarding the construction of a new senior center for the town,” he went on, “and of becoming a ‘dementia-friendly community,’ a commitment to working with issues around people with changing abilities due to diseases of the brain.”

To that end, April will be Dementia Awareness Month in South Hadley, and the town is now exploring AARP’s Age-friendly Communities program to develop practices for walking, biking, and other outdoor recreation opportunities that are suitable for users of all ages. If approved, South Hadley would be the first community in Western Mass. to hold the title, and Sullivan hopes the focus on creating walkable areas will resonate with residents of all ages.

One project underway is a shift in operations at the town-owned Ledges Golf Club. The course’s general manager will now serve as the town’s recreation director, with the goal of attracting more South Hadley residents to the property for myriad activities year-round, from walking to snowshoeing. Sullivan said he’s also keenly interested in creating a walking path to Holyoke’s train station, less than a mile away from the center of South Hadley.

“People could walk across a bridge and access transportation to New York or Montreal,” he said. “We think that’s one of those cool features that could be an economic catalyst for South Hadley.”

Stakes and Bonds

All of these endeavors demand collaboration within South Hadley and beyond, but Sullivan, McCaffrey, and Labrecque each told BusinessWest that the climate in town is one more accepting than ever of cooperative ideas aimed at cost savings, efficiency, and economic growth.

“We work with the college quite a bit,” Sullivan said, “and we get a lot of cooperation from many surrounding towns, including Granby, Ludlow, Hadley, Chicopee, and particularly Holyoke. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse understands the connection that exists between the city and South Hadley.”

McCaffrey said Mount Holyoke also sees that link and many others, and is actively creating programming aimed at the revitalization of South Hadley and economic growth region-wide.

“We’re very interested in discussing further opportunities,” he noted. “South Hadley’s economic health and our health as a college are intertwined, and we are always looking for opportunities to strengthen the bonds of South Hadley.”

South Hadley at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1775
Population: 17,514 (2010)
Area: 18.4 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential and commercial Tax Rate: $19.85 (Fire District 1); $20.49 (Fire District 2)
Median Household Income: $46,678
median family Income: $58,693
Type of government: Town Administrator, Town Meeting
Largest employers: Mount Holyoke College, Loomis Communities, Mohawk Paper
* Latest information available

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.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

FedEx Techconnect Inc. v. Spectrum Crafts Inc., f/d/b/a the Janlynn Corp.
Allegation: Outstanding fees for shipping services: $11,520.28
Filed: 1/5/16

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Barbara A. Greco and Patrick A. Barnett v. East Coast Home Inspections, LLC and Mark Steven Roy
Allegation: Negligent performance of home inspection and failure to observe, discover, and report problems in the home: $180,000
Filed: 1/21/16

Frederick Revaz v. Smith & Nephew Inc.
Allegation: Defective manufacture and design of product: $165,882.16
Filed: 1/21/16

JL Construction Corp. v. Applied Underwriters Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $55,400+
Filed: 1/20/16

Tammy Brown v. the Horace Mann Cos. and the Gomes Co.
Allegation: Breach of insurance policy contract for death benefits: $640,000
Filed: 1/14/16

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Commonwealth of MA v. TC, LLC d/b/a Route 9 Diner, Chris Karabestos, Argiris Sideris, Steven Kwak, and Dimitrios Demos
Allegation: Employment discrimination and sexual harassment: $20,000+
Filed: 2/1/16

Connie Going v. Olde Tyme Stuff and Ronald G. Auteuil
Allegation: Non-payment of services and materials: $30,000
Filed: 12/28/15

Global Tech Talent Inc. v. Ready Electronic Data Exchange and Associates Inc., Charles J. Forest, and Andres J. Juarez
Allegation: Suit to recover amounts owed under a credit agreement: $104,855.25
Filed: 1/8/16

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Cole Cabinets Co. Inc. v. James J. Welch and Co. Inc. and Berkeley Regional Insurance Company
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $12,400
Filed: 1/6/16

Marcia Nickerson v. J.C. Penney Corp.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing injury: $6,371.54
Filed: 12/8/15

Patrick Presto v. Overlook Industries Inc.
Allegation: Violation of wage-and-hour law: $22,423.13
Filed: 1/20/16

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Matthew Matroni v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.
Allegation: Failure to pay plaintiff’s medical payments coverage: $8,224.12
Filed: 12/17/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Broadcast Music Inc. v. Pearl Street Nightclub
Allegation: Balance owed on music license agreement and arbitration award: $11,250
Filed: 1/8/16

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

BUCKLAND

66 Ashfield St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Deborah Diamond
Seller: Alexander Z. Nappan
Date: 01/29/16

4 Wares Hill Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Craig Sessions
Seller: Garofalo, John W., (Estate)
Date: 02/01/16

DEERFIELD

42 Captain Lathrop Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Pettinato
Seller: Charles H. Turner
Date: 01/29/16

315 Conway Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Kevin Shepard
Seller: Anthony J. Pettinato
Date: 01/29/16

GREENFIELD

383 Colrain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $133,500
Buyer: John A. Payant
Seller: Raymond Gallo
Date: 01/25/16

212 Davis St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Layne V. Floyd
Seller: Pioneer Coop Of Franklin
Date: 02/01/16

131 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,250
Buyer: Marvin I. Surkin
Seller: Shawn M. Kilcommons
Date: 01/29/16

341 Plain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Adam R. Martin
Seller: Robert W. Martin
Date: 01/29/16

12 Saphire Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Army Salvation
Seller: Michael A. Buoniconti
Date: 02/01/16

42 Scout Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jesse A. Snow
Seller: Susan Murdock-Lutz
Date: 01/29/16

60 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $143,500
Buyer: Ethan A. Jones
Seller: Janet E. Deneault
Date: 02/01/16

NORTHFIELD

26 Birnam Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Kathryn D. White
Seller: Carpenter, Ethel L., (Estate)
Date: 02/03/16

ORANGE

150 Drew Blvd.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Erik J. Rousseau
Seller: Alexander C. Graziano
Date: 01/26/16

16 Dusty Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Eric D. Glatczak
Seller: Beth A. Anderson
Date: 01/26/16

71 Memorial Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Suanne M. Elliott
Seller: John W. Ledoux
Date: 01/29/16

ROWE

33 Old Cyrus Stage Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $121,900
Buyer: Raymond Gallo
Seller: Norman I. Marchegiani FT
Date: 01/25/16

SHELBURNE

84 Mechanic St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Margit L. Walker
Seller: Erik H. Doty
Date: 01/29/16

88 Old Greenfield Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Corey D. Paul
Seller: Christopher J. Ethier
Date: 01/26/16

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

41 Belmont Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Ryan T. Kearney
Seller: Leonard Matz
Date: 02/01/16

51 Belvidere Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Kenneth Modzelesky
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 01/29/16

21 Blairs Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Suhem Soffan
Seller: Sherry S. Molta
Date: 01/29/16

172 Chapel St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $153,900
Buyer: Caira M. Dominguez
Seller: Sherri A. Quinn
Date: 02/03/16

16 Factory Place
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $159,900
Seller: Raymond F. Yarkey
Date: 02/01/16

28 Hendom Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Gallivan
Seller: Robert G. Gordon
Date: 01/29/16

68 Katherine Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: National Transfer Services
Seller: Brian M. Zaniewski
Date: 01/29/16

170 Meadowbrook Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $168,300
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Warren Williams
Date: 01/26/16

788 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Stephen Salem
Seller: Carl Ronca
Date: 01/29/16

43 Ridgeway Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $184,300
Buyer: Lauren A. Mendoza
Seller: Brittany A. McCabe
Date: 01/29/16

680 South West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Kevin T. Pagella
Seller: Thomas P. Pagella
Date: 01/29/16

87 Valentine Terrace
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Clara Scott
Seller: Luanne M. Caron
Date: 01/25/16

102 White Fox Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Kellee A. Grucci
Seller: Frank J. Montagna
Date: 01/29/16

BRIMFIELD

119 Little Alum Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Tobe L. Gerard
Seller: Sawmill Lane LLC
Date: 01/28/16

CHICOPEE

28 Beaumont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $217,000
Seller: Robert Scribner
Date: 01/28/16

23 Bonner St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Gabrielle Bey
Seller: George Vasquez
Date: 01/29/16

641 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Ana L. Artigas
Seller: James A. Robb
Date: 01/29/16

19 Hawthorn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kendra M. O’Neill
Seller: Wendy W. Fitzgerald
Date: 01/25/16

61 Lemuel Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Harry C. Brandt
Seller: Edward J. Trzepacz
Date: 01/26/16

87 Mount Royal St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Carlos T. Torruella
Seller: Terry L. Vanderwert
Date: 01/29/16

225 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $149,480
Buyer: Michael E. Fregeau
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 01/25/16

46 Nutmeg Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Larry C. Ball
Seller: Carleen M. Nahorniak
Date: 01/29/16

15 Pleasant St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Michael P. Fitzgerald
Seller: Edna D. Sebor
Date: 01/29/16

37 Reed St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Lisa Letendre
Seller: Bruce A. Leaper
Date: 01/29/16

38 Shepherd St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Marc A. Labrie
Seller: Richard P. Mienkowski
Date: 01/29/16

24 South St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Michelle Doiron
Seller: Cynthia A. Bisner
Date: 01/29/16

67 Wilmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Raymond L. Gagnon
Seller: Larry C. Ball
Date: 01/29/16

EAST LONGMEADOW

71 Bayne St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Frank J. Commisso
Date: 01/26/16

100 Hampden Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Dustin Humphrey
Seller: Douglas F. Blake
Date: 01/27/16

88 Harwich Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Jeremy B. Warren
Seller: Kent D. Anderson
Date: 02/01/16

315 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Marullo
Seller: A. Peter Swiderski
Date: 01/28/16

12 Pembroke Terrace
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Jennifer Neal
Seller: Andrew C. Bauer
Date: 01/27/16

217 Pleasant St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Michael A. Rossi
Seller: Steven K. Meher
Date: 01/26/16

HAMPDEN

Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Michael P. Harrigan
Seller: Janice Z. Gallivan
Date: 01/29/16

Mountain Road #3
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Bedrock Financial LLC
Seller: Joseph A. Dolben
Date: 01/25/16

Mountain Road #4
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Bedrock Financial LLC
Seller: Joseph A. Dolben
Date: 01/25/16

Mountain Road #5
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Bedrock Financial LLC
Seller: Joseph A. Dolben
Date: 01/25/16

240 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Mark Shumway
Seller: Frederick B. Shea
Date: 01/29/16

HOLYOKE

67 Arthur St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $117,313
Buyer: Matthew Peterson
Seller: Maria Padron
Date: 01/29/16

75 Lexington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Aaron G. Earls
Seller: Alice D. Klinge
Date: 01/29/16

378 Linden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Nathan R. Allen
Seller: Nancy Dusek-Gomez
Date: 01/26/16

103-105 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,001
Buyer: International Immobiliare
Seller: 85-105 Lyman Street LLC
Date: 01/29/16

93-95 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,001
Buyer: International Immobiliare
Seller: 85-105 Lyman Street LLC
Date: 01/29/16

239 Madison Ave., West
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Natalia Seng
Seller: Tait, Bruce M., (Estate)
Date: 01/29/16

40 Moss Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: David Morrissey
Seller: Eleanor M. Morrissey
Date: 02/03/16

21 Norwood Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Louis J. Wesolowski
Date: 01/26/16

427 South Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $720,000
Buyer: TDS Realty LLC
Seller: Windsor Realty LLC
Date: 02/01/16

LONGMEADOW

97 Ashford Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $795,000
Buyer: Adam Kramer
Seller: Richard B. Wait
Date: 01/28/16

61 Longfellow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: Elias Family LP
Seller: Melenkivitz Joseph E., (Estate)
Date: 01/26/16

50 Sunset Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $115,914
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Karen M. Largay
Date: 02/01/16

LUDLOW

218 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $176,275
Buyer: Adam R. Hawley
Seller: Nathan E. Zajac
Date: 01/28/16

Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: LFP Holdings LLC
Seller: Elizabeth A. Eisold
Date: 01/28/16

59 Fairway Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: David Cambio
Seller: John Pedro
Date: 01/29/16

392 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Buyer: Gary L. Courchesne
Seller: Margaret M. Dovalina
Date: 01/26/16

15 Longview Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Carlos Cortinhas
Seller: Alicinio M. Martins
Date: 01/29/16

38 Valley View Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Marc V. Andre
Seller: Stephen J. Provost
Date: 01/28/16

32 White St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Richard D. Ramsey
Seller: Webster First FCU
Date: 01/29/16

MONSON

36 Harrison Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $122,400
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: Patti Dineen
Date: 01/27/16

25 Lakeshore Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Walter D. Papsedero
Seller: Ian Lawson
Date: 01/29/16

8 Silva St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $161,050
Buyer: William M. Ladue
Seller: Robert F. Arbour
Date: 02/01/16

PALMER

18 Barker St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Billie J. Foskit-Nulph
Seller: Ronald J. Foskit
Date: 01/29/16

18 Memory Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Kenelma D. Rivera
Seller: Laura A. Wolcott
Date: 01/29/16

232 Thompson St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Susan C. Taylor
Seller: Piechota, Shirley A., (Estate)
Date: 02/01/16

SOUTHWICK

22 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Earl J. Murphy
Seller: Mary C. Freeman
Date: 01/25/16

48 Kline Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Dean M. Rankin
Seller: William Z. Derosia
Date: 01/29/16

14 Overlook Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Valiantsin Zhmaidziak
Seller: Pinnacle Estates At Ranch
Date: 01/27/16

87 Powder Mill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Todd M. Crevier
Seller: Xavier Cody
Date: 01/25/16

98 Vining Hill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Charles P. Lippert
Seller: James C. Stellato
Date: 02/01/16

SPRINGFIELD

206 Acrebrook Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Cynthia L. Bailey
Date: 01/25/16

103 Atwater Road
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Glenn E. Lafountain
Seller: Jean A. Omer
Date: 01/28/16

64 Audubon St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $191,184
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Jullian E. Spaulding
Date: 02/01/16

103 Barre St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Raheem D. Ovalles
Seller: Christopher J. Carabine
Date: 01/29/16

102 Bellamy Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: RHL Properties LLC
Seller: Christine M. Gotta
Date: 01/25/16

76 Brittany Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $163,900
Buyer: Alma R. Crane
Seller: Joseph R. Sleeper
Date: 02/01/16

52 Bronson Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Lalime
Seller: Marie T. Jablonski
Date: 01/28/16

120 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $182,725
Buyer: Abby L. Evers
Seller: Kelly Vo
Date: 01/27/16

21 Daytona St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Edson J. Navarro
Seller: Rosa N. Bonilla
Date: 01/29/16

30 Eckington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $139,500
Buyer: Frederick Bruce
Seller: Kamari A. Collins
Date: 01/28/16

117 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Iris A. Garcia
Seller: Jose Soto
Date: 01/29/16

161 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $157,400
Buyer: James A. Stotz
Seller: Fawzia M. Curley
Date: 01/29/16

264 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Brianna Santiago
Seller: Michael P. Harrigan
Date: 01/29/16

52 Granby St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Tina M. Ortiz
Seller: R2R LLC
Date: 02/01/16

18 Huron St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Theodore E. Denette
Seller: Patricia A. O’Sullivan
Date: 02/03/16

93 Jeanne Marie St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Karen L. Madden
Seller: Stephen Demorris
Date: 01/28/16

37 Judith St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Israel Maldonado
Seller: Brad Sheehan
Date: 01/29/16

10 Labelle Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: 21st Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Cynthia J. Krautler
Date: 01/25/16

9 Luden St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Giuseppe Leone
Seller: Mark Lepak
Date: 01/26/16

2150 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $2,480,000
Buyer: Memorial Square LLC
Seller: Memorial Square Medical Center Trust
Date: 01/29/16

19 Mattoon St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Ansel C. Erickson-Zinter
Seller: Philip S. Pohlmeyer
Date: 01/29/16

149-165 Mill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $950,000
Buyer: Mill Street Iconic LLC
Seller: Mill St. Innovative Housing
Date: 01/27/16

14-16 Milton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Neisha Nixon
Seller: Saw Construction LLC
Date: 01/29/16

107 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Alejandro Rivera-Colon
Seller: All Waste Management LLC
Date: 01/26/16

50-54 Orchard St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Parker
Seller: Sergey Shovgan
Date: 01/29/16

52 Orchard St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Parker
Seller: Sergey Shovgan
Date: 01/29/16

54 Orchard St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Parker
Seller: Sergey Shovgan
Date: 01/29/16

421 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Frank Golfieri
Seller: Colin J. Hetzko
Date: 01/29/16

198 Russell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Joel Quinones
Seller: Equity T Co.
Date: 01/29/16

330 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: TM Properties Inc.
Seller: TM Properties Inc.
Date: 01/25/16

81 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $140,500
Buyer: Justin W. Batchelor
Seller: J. Adams Investments LLC
Date: 01/29/16

265-267 Water St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Bianca A. Bonsu
Seller: Marcia L. Turner
Date: 01/29/16

28 Whitmore Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Kayla Nieves
Seller: Paul J. Zguro
Date: 01/29/16

110 Wilmont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 01/29/16

182 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $129,562
Buyer: James W. Fiore
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 02/02/16

WALES

9 Reed Hill Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Anthony R. Ardizzoni
Seller: Robert C. Ardizzoni
Date: 02/02/16

WESTFIELD

101 Birch Bluffs Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Kristen Jemiolo
Seller: Florence R. Godin
Date: 01/29/16

78 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $359,800
Buyer: Joseph F. Neale
Seller: Granville Road LLC
Date: 01/25/16

41 Heritage Lane
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Jason M. Worrell
Seller: David A. Amanti
Date: 01/25/16

110 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Crystal A. Hollister
Seller: Ann M. Polatol
Date: 01/27/16

78 Mountain View St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Edward J. Trzepacz
Seller: Carol R. Witherell
Date: 01/26/16

114 Old Farm Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Susan Joaquin
Seller: Jennifer P. Smidy
Date: 01/29/16

19 Railroad Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Westfield Riverside LLC
Seller: Able Industries Inc.
Date: 01/29/16

53 Scenic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $352,900
Buyer: Marsha J. Del Monte
Seller: Grant K. Moore
Date: 01/28/16

14 Sylvan Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jennifer P. Smidy
Seller: Debra L. Cigal
Date: 01/29/16

259 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kevin Irujo
Seller: William J. Brown
Date: 01/29/16

87 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Rebecca Knotts
Seller: Kenneth M. Brickett
Date: 01/25/16

43 Willow Brook Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Erin C. Cormier
Seller: Duane P. Desilets
Date: 01/25/16

WILBRAHAM

103 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Steven M. Harper
Seller: Mark W. Gardner
Date: 02/01/16

16 Stirling Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Michael Rust
Seller: David R. Bernstein
Date: 01/28/16

4 Sunset Rock Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Kathleen Demorris
Seller: Thomas E. Lamb
Date: 01/28/16

WEST SPRINGFIELD

14 Brightwater St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $147,900
Buyer: Kimberly A. Paske
Seller: Joshua O. Edwards
Date: 01/28/16

195 Butternut Hollow Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Patrick T. McNulty
Seller: Nancy G. Shields
Date: 01/25/16

136-150 Doty Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $543,750
Buyer: Tariff Realty LLC
Seller: JWS Inc.
Date: 01/29/16

158 Doty Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $181,250
Buyer: Tariff Realty LLC
Seller: JWS Inc.
Date: 01/29/16

604 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Keith J. Lafrance
Seller: Brad A. Whitaker
Date: 01/29/16

112 Wolcott Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Peter Pavalyuk
Seller: Barbara L. Sandman

329 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Bogumil Kazmierczak
Seller: Annette Lancaster
Date: 01/29/16

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

34 Dennis Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $320,500
Buyer: Scott D. Howard
Seller: Joshua Sugiyama
Date: 02/02/16

56 Sheerman Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Lorenzo Sorbo
Seller: Herschel Shohan
Date: 02/03/16

BELCHERTOWN

42 Clark St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Christopher C. Phelps
Seller: David C. Forton
Date: 02/01/16

171 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Stephen P. Glaszcz
Seller: Joan F. Geller
Date: 01/29/16

EASTHAMPTON

29 Clark St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $197,950
Buyer: James B. Stillwaggon
Seller: Vanderburgh RET
Date: 02/01/16

3 Lang Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Marie R. Doherty
Seller: Gary F. Golas
Date: 01/29/16

292 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Dar V. Cote-Houghton
Seller: Leah M. Finch
Date: 01/29/16

106 Lovefield St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Brian J. Murphy
Seller: FNMA
Date: 01/29/16

329 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $323,500
Buyer: Amy E. Markham
Seller: Ashtons Acquisitions LLC
Date: 02/01/16

24 Monska Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Ryan A. Hobson
Seller: John Deiling
Date: 01/27/16

52 Williston Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Katie L. Maccallum
Seller: William J. Mohr
Date: 01/29/16

GRANBY

6 Acrebrook Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $202,400
Buyer: Westover Metropolitan Development Corp.
Seller: Daniel J. Carr
Date: 01/28/16

NORTHAMPTON

48 Austin Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $184,500
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: Robert C. Gagne
Date: 02/03/16

88 Front St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Katharine A. Wagner
Seller: Valerie J. Vignaux
Date: 01/29/16

8 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Lyn Cadwell
Seller: Diane Lennox
Date: 01/27/16

66 Loudville Road
Northampton, MA 01027
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Alissa S. Marotto
Seller: Crescione LT
Date: 01/29/16

253 Spring Grove Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $246,670
Buyer: Hanuman E. Goleman
Seller: Gesiorek, Helen P., (Estate)
Date: 01/28/16

383 Spring St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Valerie J. Vignaux
Seller: Dorothy A. Cote-Houghton
Date: 01/29/16

2 Warfield Place
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Ruth Lounsbury
Seller: Kathleen A. McLaughlin TR
Date: 02/01/16

SOUTH HADLEY

81 Searle Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Jeremiah Beaudry
Seller: Richard E. Wojtczak
Date: 01/29/16

73 Woodbridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Joseph T. Lepper
Seller: David E. Turner
Date: 01/25/16

SOUTHAMPTON

9 Eastwood Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $417,000
Buyer: Arkadiusz Jaworski
Seller: William C. Weltlich
Date: 01/27/16

6 Montgomery Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Patrick Schnopp
Seller: Michael R. Wohlers
Date: 01/29/16

Old Harvest Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Dennis J. Aube
Seller: David M. Lepine
Date: 02/01/16

44 Valley Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jonathan P. Labrie
Seller: James R. Labrie
Date: 01/29/16

WARE

6 Hillside Terrace
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: John Chiaravalle
Seller: Valbona Lekani

2 Kingsberry Lane
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Donna Zacharie
Seller: Rachel C. Mace
Date: 01/27/16

WILLIAMSBURG

29 Mountain St.
Williamsburg, MA 01062
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Western New England Lodging
Seller: Karen J. Desalvio
Date: 01/29/16b

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Baran, Madonna J.
a/k/a Ulmer, Madonna J.
41 Chestnut St., Apt 3
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/06/16

Bigby, Robert A.
190 Frontenac St
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/03/16

Boucher, Bruce A.
55 Crest Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/16

Boutwell, Tammy L.
P.O. Box 558
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/10/16

Clark, Joan R.
147 Rosemary Drive
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/03/16

Dansereau, Kelley A.
63 Valley Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/01/16

Despres, Louis J.
2705 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/16

Franchere, Laura E.
24 Lemuel Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/03/16

Gifford, John Paul
PO Box 701
Chester, MA 01011
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/01/16

Gilman, William B.
Gilman, Deborah A.
a/k/a Clark, Deborah A.
475 Main Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/16

Grant, Robert C.
136 Riviera Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/16

Henriquez, Xiomara
525 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/02/16

Houck, Laura J.
8 Preserve Way
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/11/16

Ivers, Bruce F.
104 Forest Glen
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/05/16

Jones, Latoya Alexandria
1057 Worcester St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/01/16

Lamere, Crystal Amy
41 Maple St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/10/16

Laplante, Donna M.
19 Cornell Ave.
First Floor
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/16

Lewis, Ulysee G.
40 Montrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/05/16

Marvici, Anthony D.
89 Kensington St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/04/16

Mirror Image
Boutwell, Norman E.
P.O. Box 558
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/10/16

Moore, Francis W.
1110 Berkshire Ave.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/04/16

Morin, Jennifer Lynn
71 Pleasant St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/16

Paoletti’s Fruit Store, Inc.
PO Box 766
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/02/16

Perez, Evelyn
55 Central St., Apt. A
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/04/16

Rodriguez, Yelitza Ivette
209 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/01/16

Rosa, Maricel
59 New Ludlow Road, Apt. 16
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/02/16

Shiever, Savannah R.
15 Bradley St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/03/16

Shumans, Carol A.
101 State St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/04/16

Spillane, Deborah A.
58 Southworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/11/16

Walsh, Lawrence W.
245 Sand Springs Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/16

Wilson, Anthony
269 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/09/16

Bacon Wilson Names Kenneth Albano Managing Shareholder

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that Attorney Kenneth Albano will assume the role of managing shareholder, effective Jan. 1, 2017.

For the remainder of 2016, he will share the role with Bacon Wilson’s current managing shareholder, Stephen Krevalin, who has led the firm for the past 15 years, during which time Bacon Wilson has become one of the largest regional, full-service law firms in Hampden and Hampshire counties.

“I am thrilled at the choice of attorney Albano as my successor,” Krevalin said. “Ken was the unanimous choice among the shareholders, and I have every confidence that he will do a phenomenal job as the firm’s next managing shareholder.”

Albano is a senior partner and a member of the firm’s corporate, commercial, and municipal practice groups. In addition to his legal practice, he is active in the community, chairing the board of the March of Dimes Western Mass Division and serving on the board of the New England Chapter of the March of Dimes. He is a board member with Behavioral Health Network, where he has served for over 20 years. He also works with the American Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish, and the ALS Assoc. Last June, Albano was honored with the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Community Service Award in recognition of his volunteer work.

Bacon Wilson, P.C. boasts total of 43 lawyers and approximately 60 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff. The firm’s offices are located in Springfield, Northampton, Amherst, Holyoke, and Westfield. For more information, visit www.baconwilson.com.

United Way of Pioneer Valley Wins Veteran Financial-literacy Grant

SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg announced that the United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) was one of five recipients of a grant that supports financial education to veterans and military families.

Known as the Operation Money Wise: Financial Education Opportunity Grant and funded through the Office of Economic Empowerment, these grants aim to increase the scope of financial education for military families by providing them with the tools they need to achieve financial stability. Many of these workshops will include strategy sessions on managing money, planning for college, preparing for retirement, and monetary decision making.

“These financial-literacy grants will further empower our military community to make informed financial decisions,” Goldberg said. “I am honored to support organizations that work to bring economic stability to the men, women, and families who help keep our country safe.”

With three Thrive financial-literacy centers up and running in Holyoke and Springfield, and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program flourishing throughout the region, UWPV is already a leader in improving fiscal education and responsibility among those it serve. The Thrive centers have served hundreds of student and seniors, helping them improve their credit ratings and open their first bank accounts. Last year, VITA helped 4,594 working families keep $2,462,549 through the Earned Income Tax Credit.

“This $5,000 grant will help us broaden our reach and make our financial-literacy offerings more robust and sustainable,” said Sylvia deHaas-Phillips, senior vice president of Community Impact at UWPV. “We are honored and grateful to be selected for this grant.”

Jennifer Butler Joins Team at Royal, P.C.

NORTHAMPTON — Attorney Jennifer Butler has joined Royal, P.C., the management-side only labor and employment law firm, and will focus her practice in labor law and complex employment litigation.

With her experience, Butler counsels companies on the multitude of state and federal employment laws impacting them, including employment discrimination and harassment, wage-and-hour law, disability and leave law, workplace safety, OSHA, affirmative action, and contract negotiations. Her other preventive work includes drafting employee manuals; preparing non-disclosure, non-solicitation, and non-compete agreements; and conducting management training.

Butler is a graduate of Norwich University and Western New England University School of Law.

Trinity Health Awards Grant for Mercy Medical Center Project

SPRINGFIELD — Trinity Health, the parent organization of Mercy Medical Center, has selected Mercy’s new community health project as a recipient of a grant under its Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI), a program that will result in the investment of $80 million in grants, loans, community-match dollars, and services in six communities over the next five years.

As one of the six initial grant recipients, Mercy Medical Center will receive up to $500,000 per year to support a collaborative program that will improve health and well-being in the local community.

The Springfield-based TCI partnership involves Mercy Medical Center and Live Well Springfield (LWS), a multi-sector, community-based coalition that includes more than 26 organizations working in the city. The program aims to provide services and improve policies that target low-income adults and children disproportionately impacted by health conditions related to poor diet, inactivity, tobacco use, and other social determinants. Specific strategies include enhancing early-education and care sites through nutrition and physical activity, school-nutrition improvements, Complete Streets infrastructure, and tobacco-use prevention.

Partners currently include Mercy Medical Center and LWS members Martin Luther King Jr. Center, HAPHousing, Square One, Springfield Food Policy Council, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and Partners for a Healthier Community, serving as co-conveners and evaluators. Expected community benefits for the Springfield community include reduced rates of smoking, reduced youth obesity rates, improved access to nutrition and physical activity opportunities, fewer health disparities, and enhanced community wellness and resiliency.

“The partnership between Mercy Medical Center and Live Well Springfield is truly a collaborative effort that brings numerous agencies together to improve the health of our community and each person we serve,” said Doreen Fadus, executive director of Community Benefit and Health, Mercy Medical Center. “It also reaffirms our commitment to population health management that calls us to identify specific individuals with particular needs within a given population, and then create care systems that work to improve the care and the health for individuals, particularly those at high risk or with chronic disease.”

Mercy Medical Center earned the grant after responding to an RFP that defined appropriate multi-sector partners for these funded community collaborations. Potential partners included community groups, businesses, social-service agencies, schools, and others. The collaboration is expected to leverage system, hospital, and community expertise, funding, and other resources to improve community health.

“We are delighted to be providing Mercy Medical Center and Live Well Springfield with this support,” said Dr. Bechara Choucair, senior vice president for Safety and Community Health, Trinity Health. “Mercy Medical Center and Live Well Springfield have a strategic collaboration and shared commitment to improving people’s lives. It’s a great investment.”

In addition to the partnership between Mercy Medical Center and Live Well Springfield, Trinity Health has selected community partnerships in New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, Idaho, and New York for participation in TCI. All of these programs will focus specifically on policy, system, and environmental changes that can directly impact identified areas of high local need and which can reduce tobacco use and obesity, leading drivers of preventable chronic diseases and high healthcare costs in the U.S.

Waterfront Tavern Re-opens in Holyoke

HOLYOKE — Last week, the Waterfront Tavern held a grand re-opening event at its newly renovated facility on Main Street, featuring Damn Yankee BBQ.

Events slated for the restaurant and nightclub include concerts, dancing, and comedy. Private events can be booked in one of the three banquet rooms, with capacities ranging from 50 to 300 people.

“Holyoke is a great spot to set up shop. We’re thrilled to be part of such a committed group of impassioned business owners,” owner Don Robert said. “The ease of obtaining the required permits went way above my expectations. This is definitely a business-friendly city.”

Robert, one of the partners at the Waterfront Tavern, has been in the restaurant business since he was 14, starting at Lacroix’s, his family-owned business in Willimansett. He is the owner of Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, which he acquired in 2004.

Waterfront Tavern’s restaurant partner is Rich Davieau, owner of Damn Yankee BBQ, a full-service barbeque catering company that has been in business, developing its own barbeque rubs and sauces, since 2010.

Agenda

Agenda Departments

Management Conference

March 10: The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) announced its 12th annual Management Conference will be held at the Springfield Marriott, with a focus on driving business performance. The full-day conference will address how managers and supervisors can create a culture of alignment, agility, and engagement to improve organizational performance. The program will feature Bruce Tulgan, an expert on leadership and management. He is the bestselling author of It’s Okay to Be the Boss, Managing Generation X, and his newest book, Bridging the Soft Skills Gap. The conference also includes breakout sessions, a presentation on “Building a Leadership Culture of Innovation and Energy” with Rich Trombetta of Innovation Is Easy, and an improv workshop by ConnectAnd about connecting your leadership to your team. The cost for the program is $325 per person, with discounts for three or more. Register and learn more at eane.org/12th-annual-management-conference or call (877) 662-6444. The program will offer 6.75 credits from the HR Certification Institute. Sponsoring the program are Johnson and Hill Staffing and the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Springfield Falcons Dr. Seuss Night

March 12: The Springfield Falcons, in partnership with the Springfield Museums and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, announced Dr. Seuss Night, to be held during a game against the Portland Pirates starting 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.”

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. To reserve a spot, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 10, or 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 was profiled in the Jan. 25 issue, and their stories can also be read online at businesswest.com. They include Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.; Mike Balise, Balise Motor Sales, philanthropist (1965-2015); Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties; Bay Path University President Carol Leary; and John Robison, president, J.E. Robison Service. 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.

‘Training for the Digital Marketplace’

April 1, 8, 15: Stevens 470 will host a three-week program called “Training for the Digital Marketplace: Develop Your Online and Offline Marketing Strategies” to show attendees how to maximize their marketing channels. This seminar is for business owners, marketing managers, entrepreneurs, and key marketing staff. As marketing channels continue to evolve, are you using them to maximize your business opportunities? This program covers the latest online and offline marketing channels including brand presentation, websites, SEO, advertising, social media, e-mail, and mobile technologies. During this hands-on program, participants will review their current messaging and marketing channels; learn the latest ways to use both traditional and new media channels; explore social media, online advertising, and search-engine optimization; outline plans for offline and online marketing campaigns; coordinate marketing channels to maximize their effectiveness; and determine methods for evaluating results. Each participant will complete the program by creating a specific plan for their online and offline channels that they can share and put into action with members of their business team. The program meets weekly on three consecutive Friday mornings at Stevens 470 in Westfield. Limited space is available. For details, visit stevens470.com or call (413) 568-2660.

‘A Night of Passion’ for Link to Libraries

April 5: They’re calling the event “A Night of Passion.” That’s a phrase that applies to both support for efforts to promote childhood literacy and a fondness for a particular food or beverage. These various passions will come together April 5 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke at Link to Libraries’ biennial fund-raising event. Proceeds from all ticket sales will go to Link to Libraries. More than 500 people are expected to attend the event, which will be a celebration of all that Link to Libraries has accomplished since it was created in 2008 — including the donation of nearly 500,000 books to area schools and organizations — and how it intends to continually expand its mission in the years to come. As for those passions for specific foods and drinks, they will be a focus of the night, provided by a host of area celebrities and business leaders, including Mike Mathis, MGM Springfield president and chief operating officer; Kevin Rhodes, Springfield Symphony Orchestra conductor; Spiros Hatiras, Holyoke Medical Center president and CEO; Delcie Bean IV, CEO of Paragus Strategic IT; Mick Corduff, executive chef and co-owner of the Log Cabin; Amy Royal, founding partner of Royal, P.C., and many more. As for their passions, well, those are carefully guarded secrets at this point. Those who would like to experience these passions and support Link to Libraries — which supplies books to schools and other organizations across Western Mass. and Northern Conn., and promotes read-alouds that put area business and civic leaders in area classrooms — can buy tickets for $40 each by sending checks to: Link to Libraries, Attn. Karen Blinderman, P.O. Box 958, West Springfield, MA 01090. All beverages are included in the ticket price. Food and beverages are donated by the Log Cabin. Sponsors for “A Night of Passion” include lead sponsors Health New England and Rediker Software, and event sponsors Bacon Wilson, Bank of America – U.S. Trust, the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation, the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, James Vinick and Moors & Cabot Investments, Monson Savings Bank, PeoplesBank, Peoples United Bank, the Springfield Falcons, and United Bank.

Not Just Business as Usual

April 14: The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation’s Not Just Business as Usual (NJBAU) event, a networking event for business leaders in Western Mass., will be held at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The event, now in its seventh year, is a celebration of innovative thinking giving participants the opportunity to learn from business experts while raising significant funding for the STCC WORKS scholarship program. A cocktail and networking reception will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with dinner and keynote speakers to follow from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This year, NJBAU will host a discussion of diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields with panelists Emily Reichert, CEO of Greentown Labs; Laurie Leshin, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and Frank Robinson, vice president of Public Health and Community Relations for Baystate Health. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are now available. Tickets are $175 each, and sponsorships begin at $2,500 for a table for 10. For additional information or to become a sponsor, contact Christina Tuohey, STCC’s director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at (413) 755-4475 or [email protected]. To purchase tickets online, visit www.stcc.edu/njbau.

Walk of Champions

May 1: The community is invited to come together at the Quabbin Reservoir to mark the 11th annual Walk of Champions to benefit the Baystate Regional Cancer Program at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware. The Walk of Champions, founded in 2006 by John O’Neill, field-hockey coach at Quaboag Regional Middle High School, began as a tribute to the compassionate care and comfort his mother received during her struggle with cancer. Since then, the Walk of Champions has grown into a collection of teams and individuals each walking for their own reason. There are friends and family members celebrating victory over cancer. Others are encouraging their loved ones in their personal fight over cancer, while others walk in memory of those who have lost their battle with cancer. The walk is a one-mile loop that allows walkers to choose the number of miles they complete among the comfortable walking terrain of the Goodnough Dike. Along the way, walkers will enjoy entertainment and refreshments, along with the peace and beauty of the Quabbin Reservoir. Since its inception, the Walk of Champions has raised more than $662,000. All funds raised remain local to support those cared for in the Baystate Health Eastern Region at Baystate Medical Center’s Mary Lane Satellite Unit and for things such as family-support counseling, educational outreach, pastoral care, medications, state-of-the-art equipment, and the Healing Garden located in the courtyard of the hospital. Overlooking the Healing Garden is the oncology suite, which provides access to comprehensive cancer care, clinical trials, and a multi-disciplinary team approach to cancer care. Pledge forms, fund-raising resources, giving opportunities, and more are available at www.baystatehealth.org/woc for businesses, community organizations, and individuals who wish to participate.

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. An independent panel of judges has chosen the winners, and their stories will be told in the April 18 issue. The event is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual and Paragus Strategic IT (presenting sponsors), EMA Dental, Health New England, Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Moriarty & Primack, and United Bank. More details on the gala will be revealed in upcoming issues.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• March 31: Margarita Madness 2016, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley. Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at TD Bank on Triangle Street or Greenfield Savings Bank on University Drive, as well as the chamber office. You must be over the age of 21 to participate. If you are interested in participating or sponsoring, contact the chamber office at (413) 253-0700.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• March 9: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Delaney House, 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• March 10: VIP Networking, 6-9 p.m., at Yankee Candle, 25 Deerfield Road, South Deerfield, co-sponsored by the Greater Easthampton and Amherst Area chambers. Enjoy an evening at Yankee Candle and take advantage of 25% off of your total purchases (excluding Alex & Ani, Pandora, and currently discounted merchandise). The evening includes cooking demos, scavenger-hunt appetizers, music, and cheer. Beverage sponsor: Hangar Pub & Grill. Menu sponsor: Chandler’s. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

• March 18: St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon 2016, noon-2 p.m., at Southampton Country Club. Join us for a feast of corned beef and cabbage as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Mayor Karen Cadieux joins us as our keynote speaker. We honor the Greater Easthampton Parade Committee Grand Marshal Coreen Foote. Congratulations also to: Sylvia Gallagher, Gallagher Walker Award; Erin Kelly and Anna Morrissey, Scholarship Award; and Kim Bush, Shamrock Award. Mihn Sullivan will be the guest of honor as the 2016 Distinguished Young Woman of Greater Easthampton. Event Sponsors: Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc., Taylor Real Estate, Easthampton Savings Bank, and Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

• March 16: St. Pat’s Business Breakfast 2016, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank, Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, and Hadley Printing. Tables reserved for groups of eight or 10 people. Join us as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Parade Committee award winners, the colleen and her court, and the following new chamber members: Creaciones Jahhai Boutique, Mr. Gio, Cultivate & Nest Inc., Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Underwood Photography, Hot Oven Cookies, NeWave Hydrographics, and Studio 20 Salon. Cost: $30 for members, $40 for non-members. Deadline to register: March 14 at noon. No walk-ins, please.

• March 23: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m. Hosted and sponsored by Marcotte Ford, 1025 Main St., Holyoke. Food, 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 if you would like to bring a door prize or if you’re interested in a marketing table for $25.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• March 10: Workshop, “Introduction to Google Docs and Google Drive,” 9-11 a.m., at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. The class is an introduction to Google Docs and Google Drive, the online storage location for Google Docs. Since this software is available at no cost, many organizations are using it extensively for collaboration purposes and to supplement Microsoft Office. In this two-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to set up a local Google Drive folder, create new documents in the Google Docs format, work with Word documents in Google Docs, and convert Word documents to the Google Docs format. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and follow along with the instructor, but this is not required. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. To register, e-mail [email protected]. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members.

• March 17: 36th annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Hotel Northampton Grand Ballroom. A parade to Fitzwilly’s follows the breakfast. Cost: $25 per person; tables of 10 are also available for $250.

• March 24: Workshop, “Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts in Microsoft Excel,” 9-11 a.m., at Greenfield Savings Bank, 325A King St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will present our favorite tips, tricks, and shortcuts that we have collected and developed over 15 years of teaching and using Microsoft Excel. Topics will include shortcuts for selecting ranges, using Autofill to create a series of dates or numbers, setting the print area, using page-break preview, adding headers and footers, using page-layout view, grouping spreadsheets in the same workbook in order to type or format more than one sheet at the same time, and creating 3-D formulas that calculate across several spreadsheets in the same workbook. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and follow along with the instructor, but this is not required. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. To register, e-mail [email protected]. Admission: $35 for members, $45 for non-members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• March 7: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., at Westfield News Group, 62 School St., Westfield. To register, call Pam at the Chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• March 9: Chamber After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m. at Alternative Health, 208 College Highway, Southwick. To register, call Pam at the Chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• March 14: Workshop, “A Purpose-driven Website,” 8:30 a.m., at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Presented by Bob Burch of Bright Cloud Studios. Registration is at 8:30 a.m., with networking from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Cost: free to chamber members, $30 for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• March 18: St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., at Westfield State University, 333 Western Ave., Westfield. To register, call Pam at the Chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• March 22: Small Business Legal Clinic, noon to 4 p.m., at the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, 16 North Elm St., Westfield. Sponsored by the Western Mass. regional office of the MSBDC. The event is free, but limited to chamber members only. Seating is limited. To register, call Lynn Shedd at (413) 737-6712, ext 100.

• March 25: Legislative Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., at Tekoa Country Club. Attendees will include state Sens. Don Humason and Ben Downing, and state Reps. Nicholas Boldyga, Peter Kocot, William Pignatelli, and John Velis. Cost: $30 for chamber members, $40 for the public (paid in advance). For more information and to register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER

www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• March 16: Professional Women’s Chamber Headline Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Storrowton Tavern, Carriage House, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Featuring literary agent and national culinary talent agent Lisa Ekus. Cost: $30 for chamber members, $40 for general admission.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• March 16: March Madness After 5, 5-7 p.m., at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 Hall of Fame Ave., Springfield. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• March 22: Pastries, Politics, and Policy 2016, 8-9 a.m., at the TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Featuring Attorney General Maura Healey. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• March 17: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., at Lattitude in West Springfield. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while social networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief sales pitch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately the day of the event. Please note, we cannot invoice you for these events. The only cost to attend is the cost of your lunch. You must be a member or guest of a member to attend.  For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

People on the Move

Departments People on the Move

Wolf & Co., P.C. announced the promotion of Ryan Gorman, CPA, to Member of the firm. He has 15 years of experience in providing audit, review, and business-advisory services to middle-market businesses within various industries and ownership structures. A significant focus of Gorman’s practice includes private-equity and family owned manufacturers, distributors, retail, and service organizations. In addition to his private-company practice, he also works with publicly traded companies and performs audits of employee benefit plans. Gorman, a graduate of Stonehill College, is a founding member of Wolf’s audit quality task force, a committee established to ensure the company is equipped with the appropriate training, tools, and techniques to deliver effective, quality services.

•••••

Howard Bruck

Howard Bruck has been named president and CEO of Farm Credit Financial Partners Inc. (FPI). With 30 years of experience in general business and financial services, Bruck was most recently chief information officer with Sterling National Bank in New York, responsible for information technology and banking operations. “The breadth and depth of Howard’s business and technology experience and expertise will bolster our collective and individual efforts to better serve our customers and continue to evolve our organizations,” said Bob Bahl, chairman of the board. “His vision builds on FPI’s 21-year history of providing technology to the Farm Credit System.” Bruck has an MBA in accounting from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Long Island University. He also served as an adjunct professor at Fordham University, teaching technology, information-management systems and security, and project and operations management for the past 10 years. He has also advised major corporations, investment managers, and technology providers in those areas. “FPI has an impressive history of providing important technologies to the Farm Credit System for over 20 years,” Bruck said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the organization as we embark into an exciting era of business-technology transformation. Realizing the opportunity to strengthen our products and services and support the business objectives of our customers will require us to be innovative, proficient, and competitive. A big part of my job will be to insure that we focus on creating and delivering great solutions and be recognized as thought leaders and valued partners.”

•••••

Greenfield Mayor William Martin and Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz announced the hiring of Teri Anderson as the new Executive Director of the Franklin Hampshire Employment & Training Consortium (FHETC) and the Franklin Hampshire Career Center. FHETC is the administrative entity established by the two mayors in 1981 to operate public employment services in the 50-community Franklin, Hampshire, and North Quabbin region. Utilizing federal and state funds associated with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the agency delivers services through one-stop career centers in Greenfield and Northampton, and a satellite office in the North Quabbin region. The previous director of the center, Michael Truckey, retired in May 2015 after 38 years with FHETC. An interview team including representatives of the mayors’ offices, the career center, the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board (REB), and the Mass. Division of Career Services conducted a thorough search process, looking for a person with the right combination of leadership, planning, and management skills to take on the job. Anderson is past economic development director for the city of Northampton and brings many years of experience in planning, project development, grants management, and economic development. Patricia Crosby, executive director of the Franklin Hampshire REB, which oversees workforce services in the region, quoted from the letter sent on behalf of the interview team to the mayors, saying, “we firmly believe that Teri has both the big-picture visioning and the day-to-day administrative skills needed for this important position, and that her deep knowledge of the Franklin/Hampshire region, planning expertise, and calm, steady presence will serve us well in this critical transitional period.” Anderson has recently has held positions with Common Capital and the Mass Broadband Institute. In addition, Crosby noted, she is no stranger to the workforce-development activities of the Career Center and the REB, having served in the past on the board as a representative of the former Northampton mayor’s office.

•••••

Eric Martinez

HUB International New England, a division of HUB International Limited, announced that Eric Martinez has joined the company as Personal Lines Account Manager. He will be based in the East Longmeadow office and will assist clients with their homeowner’s, auto, and personal-liability umbrella coverages. Martinez joins HUB International with more than 10 years of experience in the personal-lines field. His past job responsibilities have included supervising and scheduling staff, resolving client issues, working to maintain carrier relationships, and assisting in planning and implementing marketing programs. His role at HUB International includes assisting in the day-to-day needs of clients, reviewing and updating policies and certificates, maintaining existing client relationships, generating new business, and keeping abreast of the changing market. Timm Marini, president of HUB International New England, noted that “Eric’s personality and strengths will certainly be beneficial as we continue to expand into one of the largest agencies throughout New England.”

•••••

Peter Pan Bus Lines announced that Danielle Veronesi has been named Marketing Director. She will be responsible for overseeing Peter Pan’s Marketing Department, which includes but is not limited to creating digital advertising in multiple markets through multi-media platforms. Veronesi brings more than 15 years of experience in the marketing and promotions industry. She previously worked at iHeartMedia, where she served as the company’s Marketing and Promotions director.

•••••

Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced the following:

Kirsten Barkman

• Kirsten Barkman has joined the bank as Assistant Vice President, Portfolio Manager. Barkman most recently served as a portfolio manager at Chicopee Savings Bank, where she had been working since 2012. She has more than 15 years of experience in the financial industry. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tufts University. She has also passed Level 1 and Level 2 of the Chartered Financial Analyst examinations, and she is a Risk Management Assoc. member; and

Erin Joyce

• Erin Joyce has been named Special Assets Officer. Joyce joined the bank in October 2014 as special assets manager. She has had many years of banking experience within the local banking industry, the last six in the area of residential and consumer collections. She attended UMass and has completed numerous Center for Financial Training courses and received certificates and diplomas in many areas of finance, lending, appraisals, and compliance. Joyce is a volunteer tax preparer for the IRS Volunteers in Tax Assistance Program. She was a parent volunteer and fund-raising coordinator for the Northampton Youth Football League and Northampton High School Booster club. She has also served as treasurer for the John F. Kennedy Middle School PTO.

•••••

Jay Smith, founder and president of Sports Travel and Tours, has been named Vice Chair of the executive board for the board of directors of the National Tour Assoc. for 2016. NTA is the leading business-building association for travel professionals in the packaged travel and tour industry. Smith, whose sports-travel business entered its 20th year this fall, has served for four years on the NTA as a tour-operator board member and as its secretary last year. NTA was founded in 1951 and is now the leading business-building association for professionals serving customers traveling to, from, and within North America. Smith founded Sports Travel and Tours in 1996. Its mission is to offer hassle-free trip options to sports fans so they can attend games and other events across the U.S. and Canada.

•••••

Homewatch CareGivers announced the hiring of Deborah Epstein as business development manager for Hampshire and Franklin counties. She will work in tandem with Kate Tyler, who also works in those two counties. Epstein comes to Homewatch CareGivers with a skill set in public relations, program development, and administration. She has a master’s degree in public health from the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences with a focus in health policy management and community health education. This complements her dual bachelor’s degree in management and psychology from Simmons College in Boston. She also works as a marketing and health-promotion consultant for various organizations, including Orchard Medical Associates of Indian Orchard. She brings a wealth of experience through her work for Massachusetts General Hospital, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Baystate Medical Center, various senior centers, and as coordinator of the Franklin-Hampshire RSVP Osteoporosis Exercise/Nutrition Program. Epstein will begin her role immediately, seeking out partners in the medical community who can assist Homewatch CareGivers in building alliances to better serve Western Mass. residents in securing appropriate homecare options.

•••••

Berkshire Health Systems announced the appointment of Dr. Nina Molin, a board-certified internal-medicine practitioner, to the physician staff of Berkshire Osteopathic Health of BMC. A veteran of both private and academic practice in the Berkshires since 1995, Molin received her medical degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, and completed her residency in primary-care internal medicine from the University of Rochester. Molin is presently a fellow in the Integrative Medicine Fellowship of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, where she is the recipient of the Council for Responsible Nutrition scholarship. She has served as associate professor of Medicine at UMass Medical School. Molin served at Canyon Ranch in Lenox for 13 years as an integrative medicine specialist, lecturing and consulting in many areas, including integrative medicine, preventive medicine, women’s health, digestive wellness, inflammatory conditions, and Ayurveda. She has offered integrative-medicine consultations in her private practice, Ananda Health, and has offered primary care throughout the Berkshires since 1995, including as a volunteer physician at Berkshire Volunteers in Medicine.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook Departments

Mercy, SPHS Welcome RiverBend Medical Group

SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center and the Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS), members of Trinity Health – New England, have welcomed RiverBend Medical Group into their family of providers and network of services. This partnership positions Mercy, SPHS, and RiverBend to make significant strides in care delivery while continuing to focus on high quality, efficiency, access to services, and cost containment, said Dr. Scott Wolf, president of Mercy Medical Center. “The joining of these two clinically excellent and financially strong providers – one with expertise in the delivery of outpatient care and the other with expertise in inpatient care and related services – creates a strong clinically integrated network that will better meet the health care needs of the local community.” The plan is for RiverBend’s physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and staff members to continue practicing at RiverBend’s current locations in Agawam, Chicopee, Springfield, Westfield, and Wilbraham. “We welcome the opportunity to partner with Mercy Medical Center because of our shared vision regarding patient care. We remain committed to treating each patient with dignity, compassion, and clinical excellence, and doing so in a manner that will have a positive impact on our community,” said Dr. Richard Shuman, president of RiverBend Medical Group. This new arrangement also strengthens the longstanding collaboration between Mercy Medical Center and RiverBend Medical Group on patient care and patient-experience improvement. Patients will benefit from enhanced services through Mercy’s continuum of care options that focus on the ‘triple aim’ of better health, better care, and lower costs for the patient population, Wolf said. In addition to his role as RiverBend president, Shuman has been named senior vice president of the Mercy Physician Network Organization (PNO). In this position, he will be responsible for strategic and operating plans for RiverBend Medical Group and the managed practices within the PNO. He will also focus on promoting the delivery of quality healthcare services, providing leadership for the effective management of medical resources and staff, and ensuing clinical quality management and improvement activities for RiverBend, the PNO, and Mercy Medical Center.

Website Lists the Fort as Bucket-list Restaurant

SPRINGFIELD — When onlyinyourstate.com, a popular website that lists top attractions in every state in the U.S., ranked its “14 Restaurants to Visit in Massachusetts Before You Die,” the Student Prince Café and Fort restaurant came in near the top of the list. The article cited “sublime German food,” the ambience of the dining room, and the restaurant’s noted collection of steins among the aspects that make the Fort a must-visit on any restaurant lover’s list. “It’s great to see a national media outlet highlight what locals have known forever,” said Managing Partner Andy Yee. “This is exactly why we all came together last year to make sure this Springfield institution survived. We hope this article will help a whole new crop of people discover the magic of our restaurant.”

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Named National Medal Finalist

AMHERST — The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced that the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is among 30 finalists for the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries for service to the community. For 22 years, the award has celebrated institutions that demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service to make a difference for individuals, families, and communities. This will mark the second year that the Carle has been recognized with this honor. “The 2016 National Medal finalists make lasting differences in their communities by serving and inspiring the public,” said Kathryn Matthew, director of IMLS. “We proudly recognize these museums and libraries for their invaluable work to provide citizens with educational resources, 21st-century skills, and opportunities for lifelong learning.” Added Christopher Milne, the Carle’s chairman of the board, “it is hard to believe what the Carle has achieved in just 13 years. The museum’s exhibitions are traveling to major museums in the U.S., while our literacy and art programs are reaching as far as Asia and the Middle East. It just proves that people of all ages and cultures are deeply moved by the artwork and stories of childhood.” The National Medal winners will be named later this spring.

Greenfield Cooperative Bank Partners with Raymond James

GREENFIELD — John Houston, managing director of the Raymond James Financial Institutions Division, announced that the advisors at GCB Financial Services, a division of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, will offer investment and wealth-management services to its clients through Raymond James Financial Services Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. GCB Financial Services includes program manager and financial advisor Michael Johnson and financial advisor Edward Zadworny. The team previously partnered with MML Investors Services for third-party support. “We chose Raymond James as our new partner because it provides its clients with superior research, technology, and planning tools,” said Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its parent company, Greenfield Bancorp, MHC. “The breadth of the resources and the type of support available to its financial advisors will allow us to provide more in-depth service to our clients and, ultimately, to help them better achieve their financial goals.” Johnson has more than 20 years of experience in the financial-services industry, having begun his career in 1995 with A.G. Edwards and moved to Greenfield in 2003. He is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Zadworny has been in the financial industry since 1988, when he joined Prudential Insurance and Pruco Securities. In 2012, he moved to Greenfield, where he partnered with Johnson as part of the investment program at Greenfield Cooperative Bank. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Westfield State University.

Adam Quenneville Wins Award from Astec Roofing

SOUTH HADLEY — Adam Quenneville announced that his company, Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding, was awarded the 2015 Astec Roofing New Dealer of the Year award, which is presented to a dealer who has completed the most work in the Northeast region, as well as had the highest customer satisfaction. In addition, Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding was also named the number-one Astec dealer in the state of Massachusetts for 2015. “We here at Astec hold our dealers to the highest standards in providing our strict specifications on each and every job,” said Scott Transue, a sales representative at Astec. “Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding has outperformed even our strict standards of professionalism.” Astec is a fluid-applied roofing solution which takes the same durable, protective, and energy-efficient principles the NASA space program uses. Its mission is to solve industrial problems, improve appearance, and save energy, while adding to the weathertight sustainability of roofs, walls, and industrial surfaces.

Briefcase

Briefcase Departments

Council Approves Revised MGM Springfield Design

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield City Council approved MGM Springfield’s revised site plan Monday, voting 12-1 in favor of the $950 million casino project and changes that include the elimination of a 25-story hotel tower. Council President Michael Fenton was the sole vote against the altered proposal. MGM will replace the initially planned 25-story hotel tower on State Street with a six-story, 250-room hotel on Main Street. In another change, MGM’s host-community agreement with Springfield allows MGM to move about 54 proposed market-rate apartments from the casino grounds to a location near the casino. MGM Springfield has begun demolition and site preparation for the casino development, which is expected to open in September 2018 and bring thousands of construction and casino jobs to the city.

UMass Announces Progress on Renovations

BOSTON — The University of Massachusetts now spends three out of four capital dollars on renovation and repair and has significantly reduced its maintenance backlog in recent years, President Marty Meehan said this week. In a letter submitted to state government leaders, Meehan noted that UMass has gone through a building boom over the past 20 years, largely in response to enrollment and faculty-innovation booms, but said the university over the past decade has placed a significant emphasis on maintenance and renovation. “The building that has taken place across the UMass system has been critical to our ability to step forward and emerge as a great public university. While we have constructed new facilities, we have also recognized the need to repair facilities that aged over the years,” he noted. One of the fastest-growing universities in the nation, the five-campus UMass system experienced a 44% surge in enrollment in the past two decades and built academic buildings and student housing to accommodate the increase of 22,000 students. It also constructed laboratories and other facilities needed as it emerged as a global research university. But UMass also recognized that it had to repair as well as build, Meehan said, and has been guided in its efforts by Sightlines, a company that advises more than 400 colleges and universities across the nation and in Canada on facilities-management issues. In his letter to state government leaders, President Meehan said recent reports from Sightlines show that, between 2009 and 2015, UMass Amherst reduced its project backlog from $2 billion to $1.5 billion, achieving a 25% decrease. UMass Amherst saw deferred maintenance decrease significantly during this period, declining from $869 million to $596 million, for an even larger percentage reduction of 31%. This occurred at a time when backlog at public universities in the U.S. grew by nearly 20%, according to Sightlines. Meanwhile, Sightlines calculates that the UMass system is on course to reduce its current $1.45 billion in deferred maintenance by nearly 40% to $900 million by fiscal year 2019, when the university’s current capital plan concludes. It is also projected that the backlog for the UMass system will decline from $3.2 billion to $2.26 billion over the next three years. Backlog refers to those facilities projects that should be handled over the next decade, and deferred maintenance is the term for projects that need to be addressed within three years. “We are not declaring victory or minimizing the work that lies ahead, but I think it’s important to note that UMass has charted this prudent course,” Meehan said. Added Victor Woolridge, chairman of the UMass board of trustees, “the University of Massachusetts has taken the responsible course in addressing the needs of buildings that in some cases are 40-plus years old. We have taken on issues that we needed to confront in order to be able to provide really good students with the high-quality facilities they need to be able to compete in the contemporary environment.” Among other key points in Meehan’s letter, nearly three-quarters of the current UMass capital program is dedicated to projects that will reduce the five-campus system’s project backlog; since 2008, UMass has included a maintenance reserve for every new building constructed by the university; and enrollment at UMass has increased by 44.5% over the past 20 years, soaring from 51,044 to 73,761 students. Of the 22,717 students UMass has added, 14,673 are in-state students, while out-of-state students increased by slightly more than 8,000.

Mass Insight Education Honors 11 Area Teachers

BOSTON — Eleven teachers in Western Mass. have been honored with Mass Insight Education’s Partners in Excellence Award for helping students take advanced-placement (AP) courses with success as they prepare for college. The winners include Melissa Ferris and Patrice Latrell, Taconic High School, Pittsfield; Carla Comeau and Jennifer Gaudette, Pittsfield High School; Jill Keenan, Jennifer Levesque, and Tawnya Tiskus, Westfield High School; Michelle Fontana, Christopher Rea, and Diana Sands, Ludlow High School; and Marissa Lapointe, Springfield Central High School. The award recognizes 54 Massachusetts AP teachers for their outstanding contributions to student achievement and their dedication to college success during the 2014-15 academic year. The teachers were selected out of a pool of more than 600 AP teachers who participated in Mass Insight Education’s AP STEM and English program. “The teachers Mass Insight supports in AP partnerships across the state are the backbone of the schools’ role preparing students for college success,” said William Guenther, president, CEO, and founder of Mass Insight Education. “We’re very pleased to recognize the AP teacher partners who have produced especially outstanding results with their high-school students.” Mass Insight Education’s content directors selected the teachers based on their ability to increase their students’ access to AP classes, their students’ improved performance on the AP exams, and their students’ resulting college readiness. The award recipients will be honored at Mass Insight Education’s Partners in Excellence Award Celebration on Tuesday, April 5 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Seaport Hotel in Boston. Eric Waldo, executive director of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative, will be the keynote speaker. Each award winner will be recognized for his or her achievement and will receive a check for $1,000. Mass Insight Education (MIE) is a national nonprofit dedicated to improving student achievement and increasing college success through district restructuring and rigorous academic programs. This is particularly important within the urban ‘gateway’ communities in which MIE operates, as youth from economically challenged communities are not as typically afforded the personalized, high-caliber instruction that is provided in the AP environment. Mass Insight Education’s AP STEM and English program encourages more students to take AP classes in an effort to increase their confidence while providing them with the academic skills they need to succeed in post-secondary education. The AP STEM and English program is a key part of MIE’s innovative College Success Campaign. Annually, more than 10,000 students at more than 75 Mass Insight Education partner schools take part in the program. These schools typically double or triple their enrollment in AP classes, and double the number of students earning qualifying scores on the AP exam. To help students prepare for the AP exams, Mass Insight Education supports them in several ways, including hosting a series of weekend classes. The goal is to have students take an AP class as an introduction to the level of work they will need to do in college. The hope is that the experience inspires many to enroll in college who previously thought themselves incapable of that work. Getting a qualifying score earns them college credit, thus allowing them to finish college more quickly and at a lower cost. Statistics show that 78% of Mass Insight Education students who took at least one AP math, science, or English course in high school attended a two- or four-year college after graduating high school. Ninety-three percent continued with two years of college, and 82% either graduated or are still in school four years after graduating from high school. Mass Insight Education also provides extra training for AP instructors to strengthen their teaching skills.

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.

CHICOPEE

Amazon Foods Inc. 168 Center St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Ricardo Contrussi, 49 Azalea Lane, Marlboro, MA 01752. Manufacturing and distribution of sausages, meat products, frozen juices, and frozen foods.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Beauty Times Spa Corp., 16 Maple St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Nhac D. Troung, 40 Waterman Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Hair, nail, skin, and beauty care/salon.

GRANBY

American Legion Auxiliary, Granby Unit 266 Inc., 2 Circle Dr., Granby, MA 01033. Lorraine Uhlig, 101 Abbey St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Non-profit organization established to support the American Legion; support for our veterans, our military, and their families by shaping a positive future in an atmosphere of fellowship, patriotism, peace and security.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Allard.org Inc., 61 Blue Hill Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. David Allard, same. Provide a working structure for the formation and operation of a scientific and educational non-profit organization.

HOLYOKE

Auto Sales Center Inc., 1607 Northampton St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Ira J. Elfman, same. Auto sales.

B & T Laundromat Inc., 556 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Bo Wu, same. Coin-operated laundromat.

LONGMEADOW

China Access Inc., 86 Green Meadow Dr., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Baiqing Li, same. Cultural exchange program with people and organizations located in China.

NORTHAMPTON

Allen Restaurant Group Inc., 8 Crafts Ave., Northampton, MA 01060. Kimberly Allen, same. Restaurant.

PALMER

Azb Logistics Inc., 11 Flynt St., Palmer, MA 01069. Lance Bokowski, same. Transportaion company.

PITTSFIELD

Andromeda Research Inc., 15 Bartleit Ave., Apt. 4, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Robert Keyes, same. Research and development corporation.

SOUTHAMPTON

Castle Architectural Salvage Inc., 8 Pine Meadow Dr., Southampton, MA 01073. Ronald Pike, same. Architectual salvage and sales.

WILLIAMSTOWN

Balkrishna Inc., 824 Simonds Road, Williamstown, MA 01267. Hastinkumar Mehta, 213 Main St., Williamstown, MA 01267. Convenience store.

Doing Business As Certificates