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Year: 2016

Cutting Off the Opioid Crisis at the Root

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Opinion

Opinion

By Maura Healey

It’s been nearly two years since the state declared prescription-drug and heroin addiction a public-health emergency. Since then, we’ve had an all-hands-on-deck approach from lawmakers, police and fire chiefs, health professionals, and community groups.

But our collective efforts haven’t been enough. Until we change the culture around how opioids are prescribed and dramatically reduce the number of pills available, people will continue to die.

Since 1999, the number of prescription painkillers sold in the U.S. has nearly quad-rupled. In 2014, there were 4.6 million opioid prescriptions written in Massachusetts alone — enough for nearly every adult in this state to have a bottle of pills. Meanwhile, overdose deaths have risen by more than 300%.

We won’t solve this crisis until we cut it off at its root, by reducing the use of prescription opioid painkillers like OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet. Cheap heroin is not a new problem; it’s been around for decades. What is new is that four out of five heroin users report having previously used a prescription opioid. These powerful drugs are a synthetic version of opium. They’re heroin in a pill.

The opioid epidemic is the direct result of years of overprescribing painkillers to everyday people, who get hooked on an extremely addictive substance, then turn to heroin when they can no longer afford to sustain an expensive pill habit.

While heroin is certainly a problem, three times as many Americans are hooked on opioids. Pharmaceutical companies told us for years that they weren’t addictive, but we know better now. Medical studies have shown that up to a third of long-term opioid users meet criteria for addiction, and that physical dependence can happen in as few as five days.

While the vast majority of prescribers are trying to do the right thing, we must end the illegal prescribing we know is taking place. My office has formed an investigative group to identify practitioners who are illegally prescribing opioids to people who shouldn’t have them. This partnership will allow state and federal law-enforcement agencies to share information about individuals who run ‘pill mills’ or prescribe to people with a history of substance abuse.

But to combat the opioid crisis more fully, we need societal change. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has proposed nationwide guidelines to help medical professionals across the country understand when and how opioids should be used, particularly for chronic pain. The pharmaceutical lobby and some sectors of the medical community have pushed back against these guidelines, calling them too restrictive. But here’s my view: thousands are dying, and something desperately has to change. Thirty-six other state attorneys general share that view and recently wrote a similar letter in support of the guidelines.

There’s another simple solution that can be put in place immediately. We need prescribers to check the state’s prescription-monitoring program every time they write a prescription for highly addictive drugs. The program can flag when a patient is receiving multiple prescriptions, doctor shopping, or showing signs of addiction. Right now, only one in four doctors checks. Gov. Baker has proposed that all prescribers check the prescription-monitoring program every time they write one of these prescriptions. When New York State passed a similar mandate in 2012, it saw a 75% drop in doctor shopping. This modest step can save lives and is time well-spent.

Those who continue to push back against safeguards like these should spend time with any of the thousands of parents across this state who have lost a child to opiate addiction. All too often, theirs are stories of high-school athletes and honor-roll students who became hooked on opioids after an injury. Others began by experimenting at a party — but if our medicine cabinets weren’t full of prescription painkillers, our kids wouldn’t have such easy access to them.

We can’t hear those stories any longer and fail to act. Other countries have figured out how to manage pain without releasing a flood of dangerous drugs into their communities. We need to do the same. If we don’t, the deaths will continue.

Maura Healey is the attorney general of Massachusetts.

Substance-abuse Issues Pose Stern Challenges for Employers

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Addiction 0216bFeature
Employment Sections

Addiction in the Workplace

WokrplaceAddictionArt
One of many things the ongoing opioid crisis has brought to light is that addiction, of all kinds, knows no boundaries. It impacts people of all races and income levels, those who live in cities and those residing in the suburbs, the young and the not-so-young. Because of this, it also impacts businesses of every size and across every sector. And, in many cases, it’s a problem employers are not fully aware of and are not adequately equipped to handle. Experts on the subject strongly suggest that they educate themselves on all aspects of this issue, because they could pay a steep price — in many different ways — if they are not properly prepared.

Rene Pinero says antiquated beliefs persist about individuals who become addicted to alcohol or drugs, despite recent headlines and ample evidence to the contrary.

“People think they’re homeless, don’t work, and have a low level of education,” Pinero, clinical director for Outpatient Behavioral Health at the Center for Human Development (CHD), told BusinessWest. “If you ask someone to describe an addict, they may paint that picture, but they don’t realize it can happen to anyone, and they don’t think about professionals such as doctors and lawyers.

“Addiction is a medical condition, like diabetes or hypertension,” he went on. “And well-educated people who have good resources are able to hide their problems better than those who don’t.”

Amy Royal agreed. “There are high-functioning people with addiction problems who are really good at concealing it,” said the founding partner of Royal, P.C. in Northampton, whose law practice deals exclusively with employment law and representing businesses.

But whether addiction is obvious or goes unnoticed for a long period of time, it has a profound effect on the workplace. Studies show addiction costs employers roughly $250 billion annually in lost productivity, absenteeism, attrition, safety issues, worker’s compensation claims, and hidden healthcare expenditures.

The National Business Group on Health reports that employees with substance-abuse issues often fail to fulfill major work obligations at work, home, or school; use substances in situations where it is physically hazardous to do so, which can include operating or working on machinery and driving company vehicles while impaired; and have recurrent legal or financial problems. In addition, they continue to abuse substances in spite of persistent or interpersonal difficulties.

Related statistics are certainly eye-opening. The American Council for Drug Education reports that 70% of substance abusers are employed, and 75% of workers have used drugs within the past year.

Although the belief persists that people are responsible for their addiction and can choose to stop their drug or alcohol use at any time, experts say people with the problem often suffer from a mental illness and initially try to alleviate symptoms with drugs or alcohol. However, as their tolerance to alcohol or the drug rises, they need to use more and more to combat their troubling symptoms, which causes side effects such as hangovers and depression.

“The majority of clients we see with an addiction problem also have a mental-health problem,” said William Davila, vice president of clinical services for CHD, the Springfield-based social-service agency that boasts 70 programs, many of which focus on the broad issue of substance abuse in some manner.

William Davila, left, and Rene Pinero

William Davila, left, and Rene Pinero say many people who struggle with addiction also have mental-health issues.

Pinero agreed, telling BusinessWest that, when clients come to CHD’s Pine Street Clinic in Springfield, it’s not uncommon to find that life situations led to their addiction. “Many have a co-occurring disorder and are dealing with anxiety, depression, or a past trauma. It’s rare to see someone who only has a problem with substance addiction.”

For example, someone with post-traumatic stress disorder who suffers from anxiety, depression, frequent nightmares, or disturbing memories may self-medicate so they can stop thinking about these issues, while a person with undiagnosed bipolar disorder may try to cope with the mood swings that accompany it by using alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine purchased on the street, or medications that have been prescribed for them.

“It’s a more severe form of what occurs when someone says they had a bad day at work and need a stiff drink,” Davila said. “These people are looking for a way to alleviate stress, exhaustion, or fatigue, and many times they start with one drink or one pill and it snowballs. The problem is often magnified when someone has a mental-health issue.”

Pinero agreed. “A lot of the clients we see are trying to cope with serious issues and are at the point of desperation,” he told BusinessWest, adding that many fear admitting to the problem due to the stigma associated with substance abuse and fear that they will lose their job if anyone finds out.

But they are often unable to focus while they are work due to their preoccupation about how or when they will be able to use the drug again and whether people will notice their condition. “It adds pressure, and the increase in stress can actually cause the person to use more,” Pinero said.

For this issue and its focus on employment, BusinessWest wades into the tide of addiction, what employers need to know, and how they can equip themselves to cope with this issue.

Dose of Reality

Massachusetts has initiated a so-called State Without Stigma campaign in response to statistics showing that about four people in the Commonwealth die every day as a result of their addiction to opioid painkillers. The goals of the initiative include creating new pathways to treatment, reducing the stigma that prevents people from seeking help, acknowledging addiction as a chronic medical condition, and a host of concrete measures.

“If someone fell and broke their leg on the way to work, they would not be embarrassed to seek medical treatment,” Pinero told BusinessWest. “But people with an addiction problem think they have to keep it under wraps. Eventually, it starts to consume their life.

“And if they don’t get the support they need, they are absent from work more often, late more often, and can engage in unsafe behavior,” he went on. “People with addictions are five times more likely than their co-workers to have an injury at work or injure others.”

Davila said signs that indicate an employee may have an addiction problem are many and are usually recognizable to those who know what to look for. They include unexplained absences, mood swings, changes in attitude, difficulty relating to others, a decrease in productivity, lack of focus or concentration, and work that fails to meet expectations.

On the other hand, there are people who drink excessively during lunch or during the workday and are skilled at hiding it. “By the time it’s discovered, many people have been using for months or years,” he explained.

An Opioid Task Force was created in Greenfield to cope with growing numbers of people in the Franklin County and North Quabbin regions of Massachusetts who are addicted to heroin and opiates, and it’s an example of what’s being done in many regions and cities.

The list of participating agencies and healthcare groups is lengthy, but the mission is clear: to prevent heroin and prescription-drug addiction and help people who are already hooked.

And there are many reasons to help people with addiction issues, starting with the fact that employers care about the people who work for them and value them for what they are — real assets, but also human beings.

“Employers want to do the right thing and support someone who is having a tough time,” Royal said. “There really is a desire to preserve employment, especially if someone has been a good employee and is well-liked.”

There are financial considerations as well, specifically the large investment employers have made in searching for, selecting, and training personnel.

But, since they know being under the influence at work presents liabilities and potential exposure to lawsuits, employers must conduct a delicate balancing act as they attempt to both help their employee and protect themselves from liability.

Amy Royal

Amy Royal says employers often want to protect employees, but need to consider liability issues if they let addiction-related problems fester.

Royal cited a case in which a nursing home was sued after something went awry with a resident due to an employee’s irresponsible behavior. After the incident occurred, other employees told the family they had observed the person working in an altered state in the past, and, as a result, management was found negligent because it failed to do something about the problem.

“It can be a dilemma,” Royal explained. “An employer may really like the employee and want to help, but they need to weigh that against the risk of liability.”

She added that, in an office setting, concerns manifest themselves that have less to do with safety and more with the company’s reputation or the way it is perceived. For example, a receptionist who slurs his or her speech and has glassy eyes can be detrimental to interactions with the public or with clients.

However, the main concern for many employers is safety, which can be critical in a factory where machinery is involved, or when the person works for a nonprofit and engages in one-to-one care with a vulnerable population, as in the example of the nursing home.

Addressing the Issue

Royal gets a lot of questions about when, if ever, to insist that an employee undergo drug testing, but she says Massachusetts does not have a drug-testing statue.

“However, there is a privacy statue that is very broad and is utilized in the employment context,” she noted, explaining that mandating a drug test can be considered an invasion of privacy. However, the courts have implemented a balancing test where they weigh privacy against legitimate business interests.

Safety is considered a legitimate reason to test, but Royal noted that any employer who mandates a drug test needs objective criteria it can present to a court if it is challenged.

“I suggest that front-line supervisors document their observations in a concrete way,” she told BusinessWest, adding that evidence cannot be subjective, and she has worked with clients to prepare a checklist of behaviors that include odor, the way someone walks and speaks, erratic behavior, shakiness, and whether the employee’s eyes appear glassy. “But first, I try to find out what an employer’s concerns are and whether or not they want to preserve the employee.”

Regardless of their goal, it’s important to provide supervisors with training regarding the legalities of what constitutes suspicious behavior.

“A supervisor needs to be able to recognize and document it, and a company shouldn’t assume the person is armed with these skills without some type of training,” Royal went on. “The supervisor also needs to understand that their role includes being accessible and present in the workplace.”

If an employer decides to confront an employee, Pinero said, they should be understanding and tell the person they want to do whatever it takes to help them keep their job and address their addiction.

“One of the best things employers can do is to establish a policy and an employee-assistance program to handle these problems,” he told BusinessWest, adding that employers should emphasize that any information shared with employee-assistance counselors is confidential.

Davila has been a manager for many years, and says there have been times when he suspected something was wrong with an employee. But he added that erratic behavior does not always result from addiction.

“The employee may have suffered a loss in their family, have financial problems, or problems with housing that can be as distracting as addiction,” he said. “Employers don’t want to police their staff, but they need to be vigilant and proactive so they can help.”

He suggests explaining to an employee that changes have been observed in their behavior that can include mood, self-care, or asking colleagues for money. “Tell the person you are concerned, there is a program that can help, and you recommend they try it,” he advised. “You should also emphasize that you are happy to talk to them about any of their concerns.”

However, experts admit that addiction can be a lifelong struggle, and in some cases, the person isn’t ready to admit they have a problem.

Bottom Line

Addiction in the workplace is a complex issue, and despite all the media attention focused on it, outdated notions persist.

“People with addictions are not held in high esteem,” Royal said. “But it is a disease, not a conscious choice, even though people may perceive it that way.”

And there are definite benefits to helping someone recover.

“It’s a win-win situation for the employer, the person’s family, and the community,” Pinero said. “Some people start with outpatient services or peer-support programs, while others have to go to a detox program to deal with the physical aspects of addiction. But recovery is a process, and they will continue to need treatment.”

Which means employers need to be alert to potential problems and deal with them in a manner that is caring, but also addresses issues of liability.

“Just don’t be judgmental,” Pinero suggested. “Most people with an addiction want treatment, but often feel ashamed, and are waiting for someone to ask them to get help.”

Millennials and Your Business

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Employment Sections

This Generation Is Already Making a Seismic Statement

By JAMES T. KRUPIENSKI, CPA

James T. Krupienski

James T. Krupienski

Every 20 years or so, there is a generational shift in the workplace.

The most recent group — known as the Millennial generation — is currently integrating itself into the workplace. And by integrating, they are making a seismic statement. Recent studies show that Millennials now make up approximately 25% of the total workforce and that by the year 2020 they will comprise almost 50%. Given that this generation is generally defined as those born between 1980 and 2000, they are now at a point in their careers where they are taking on leadership roles.

If your leadership and management group, like many businesses, is made up of Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers, it is imperative that you understand what drives this next generation, because they will be the workforce and customer base that carries your business into the future. Millennials are different in so many ways from the Boomers and Gen X that it will require a shift in the way your business is managed. This article will help by focusing on the motivational factors and differences that set this generation apart and the impact Millennials will have on your workforce and their interaction with other employees.

Motivational Factors

At first glance, some of the more experienced generations may have certain negative perceptions about the Millennial generation — specifically, that they are entitled, require a lot of hand-holding, need constant encouragement, and don’t want to put in long hours. Stepping back, these are really just misconceptions due to a lack of understanding of what is driving them and how they grew up differently.

While the Boomers and Gen-Xers tend to value compensation and the need to work long hours to affirm their loyalty, this was born as a result of growing up in a period of limited resources and technology, with the need to focus on sweat equity as a result. Through this hard work, parents of Millennials were able to offer things to their children that were not available previously. As such, in a changing effort to push their children, parents tended to help them along the way, focusing on the social aspect of their value to society. The so-called ‘everyone gets a trophy’ mentality was created.

With this shift in how Millennials were raised, so to came a shift in what they value most and what they are looking for in a career. First and foremost, work-life balance is generally regarded as more important than how much they are making. They saw how hard and how many hours their parents and grandparents had to work to get to where they are and would like to avoid getting burned out over time. Additionally, they feel that, with the way technology has improved, it can help them better manage their time and complete tasks in a more time-efficient manner.

Other motivating factors include buy-in to the culture and mission of their employer, as well as the ability to receive continuous training and development. They also want to be heard. They are often not content with just coming to work and punching a clock. Rather, they are looking to provide ideas and be part of the solution.

How Will This Affect Your Workforce?

With a shift in these motivational factors, the way you hired and retained employees in the past may not work going forward. Millennials don’t look at a job, even one early in their career, as one where they will need to ‘pay their dues.’ They know their value and want to be treated as a valued member of the organization — part of the team. This holds true whether it is your new front-desk receptionist or your newest design-team member. Where this can become difficult is in a company’s ability to influence the interaction between those Gen-Xers who have worked at a location for some time and those Millennials that were recently hired. Often the ability to manage these interactions can make all the difference in maintaining a successful business.

Additionally, it is important to always remember that Millennials keep a pulse on social media and, as a result, have networking skills exceeding those of many seasoned professionals. This leads to two different forces that need to be managed.

First, it is imperative to have a documented social-media policy at work. The speed in which words and thoughts can spread on the Internet cannot be overlooked.

Second, other business opportunities do arise. And Millennials are aware that they are out there. If they feel that they’re in a place where their personal values aren’t being satisfied, they are more apt to move to the next job than older generations would have been. A recent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 25% of Millennials expect six or more employers during their career, and 38% feel that senior management doesn’t relate to them. These statistics must not be ignored.

So, what is a business owner or manager to do in order to retain top talent? Some suggestions include providing them with regular training and holding frequent staff meetings. The creation of group idea-sharing sessions would afford them the opportunity to suggest ways the business or processes can be improved.

At work, Millennials want to have fun. This doesn’t mean there needs to be a pizza party every Friday afternoon, but the work environment needs to be lively with a sense of camaraderie. Finally, you need to listen — meet with them, seek feedback, mentor them, and take what they have to say seriously. While an idea or suggestion may seem off the wall to you, the fresh perspective may just be what your business needs.

The Millennials are here, and they are here to stay. As their numbers continue to grow and they continue to take on additional leadership positions within your business, it is important not to take them for granted. They are, after all, going to become your succession plan.

James T. Krupienski, CPA, is senior manager of the Health Care Services niche at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. in Holyoke; (413) 536-8510; www.mbkcpa.com

Ruling Sets a Tome on Tape-recording Workplace Conversations

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Employment Sections

For the Record

By STEFANIE RENAUD, Esq.

Stefanie Renaud

Stefanie Renaud

In December, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) struck down a Whole Foods policy banning employees from secretly recording conversations in the workplace as an unfair labor practice (ULP).

The NLRB concluded that the policy violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) because it infringed on employees’ right to engage in concerted activity, which is protected by Section 7 of the NLRA. Concerted activity includes the ability to form, join, or assist a union; choose representatives to bargain with the company on employees’ behalf; and act together with other employees for mutual benefit and protection.

The NLRA applies to all employers, unionized or not, and all employees have the right to file a ULP charge with the NLRB if they believe a company policy interferes with their protected rights.

Whole Foods’ challenged policy was designed to foster open communication between employees and management by ensuring that conversations, phone calls, images, and company meetings were not recorded without prior authorization by management or consent of all recorded parties. Whole Foods’ goal was to “eliminate [the] chilling effect on the expression of views that may exist when one person is concerned that his or her conversation with another is being secretly recorded.”

Despite noble intentions, the NLRB concluded the policy was overbroad and had to be struck, because an employee could reasonably conclude that it infringed on his or her Section 7 rights. Under Section 7, photography, audio and video recording, as well as posting photographs and recordings on social media, are considered protected activity if employees are acting in concert for their mutual aid and protection, and there is no overriding employer interest. An employee acting alone may be engaged in protected activity if he or she makes the recording to further a group action, is attempting to enforce the terms of a collective-bargaining agreement, or is attempting to initiate or induce group action.

While the Whole Foods policy did not explicitly restrict or chill protected activity by prohibiting employees from engaging in protected activities, the NLRB nonetheless concluded that an employee could reasonably understand the policy to prohibit Section 7 activity. Aiding this conclusion, Whole Foods’ sole witness admitted that the policy would apply even if an employee were engaged in protected activity. Whole Foods’ policy also required employees to seek management permission to make recordings on non-working time, another infringement on employees’ Section 7 rights.

The NLRB distinguished this case from those where an employer had a compelling privacy interest that merited upholding a recording ban. For example, in Flagstaff Medical Center, 357 NLRB No. 65 (2011), enfd. in relevant part, 715 F.3d 928 (D.C. Cir. 2013), the NLRB upheld a hospital policy banning secret recordings because it protected patients’ health and privacy information. Outside of patient care, however, it is unclear what employer interest would be compelling enough for the NLRB to uphold a ban on secret recordings.

The consequences of a ULP finding are serious. The NLRB ordered Whole Foods to print and supply an insert regarding the illegality of the policy to every employee, at significant cost. The NLRB also ordered Whole Foods to post a notice in all facilities nationwide stating that “the [NLRB] has found that we violated federal labor law” and that employees have the right to “form, join or assist a union; choose representatives to bargain with us on your behalf; and act together with other employees for your benefit and protection.”

Clearly, even a small mistake can have huge consequences for the employer.

Massachusetts employers should also be aware that a recording that may deserve protection under the NLRA could still be illegal in the Bay State. Massachusetts is an ‘all party consent’ state, meaning that audio recordings (video recording and photography are not covered) made without the knowledge or consent of all parties involved violate the wiretap law. A violation of the wiretap law is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison or two and a half years in jail, fines up to $10,000, or a combination of fines and imprisonment.

The statute also provides a civil cause of action for any person ‘aggrieved’ by illegal wiretapping, but an employer cannot be considered an ‘aggrieved person.’ Only the individual whose voice was recorded could bring a lawsuit against the employee who made the unauthorized recording, even if the recordings were made at work. So there are few remedies available to employers when a worker secretly records a conversation.

To comply with the NLRA, the NLRB recommends that any policy against secret recordings specifically reference the applicable state wiretap laws. In Massachusetts, employers may want to include a provision that states that the policy applies only to those recordings that do not comply with Massachusetts law.  In addition, the NLRB suggests that any recording policy explicitly state that it does not apply to recordings made as part of protected activity or to recordings made on non-working time.

Because a mistake in this area can create huge liability, Massachusetts employers should revisit their policies and handbooks with their labor and employment counsel to ensure compliance with both Massachusetts and federal law.

This column is not intended as legal advice related to individual situations. If your business is facing a specific legal problem, consult your labor and employment counsel for legal advice and planning.

Stefanie Renaud, Esq. is an associate with the law firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., which exclusively represents management in labor and employment matters. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]

The Need for Cyber-liability Insurance Keeps Rising

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CyberInsurance
Insurance Sections

Everyone’s a Target

HackInsurance

While major data breaches in the world of retail make the splashiest headlines — understandable, when, like the 2013 Target hack, they compromise the records of tens of millions of customers — the truth is, the vast majority of cybercrime incidents are aimed at businesses with fewer than 100 employees. That’s where cyber-liability insurance comes in — products that not only protect companies from the myriad financial effects of a breach, but help them understand where their risks may lie, and how they can close the more dangerous gaps.

Bill Grinnell said he recently spoke with the owner of a construction-related business who was hit with a malicious program that froze his company’s computers and followed up with an extortion demand.

“More hacks are happening every day,” said Grinnell, president of Webber & Grinnell Insurance in Northampton. “You wouldn’t think of him as the type of business that might traditionally need cyber-liability insurance, and now he’s facing all these costs — having a company come in to get the computers up and running, potential lost business income if they can’t perform their jobs without what’s stored on the computers, then the cost of the extortion and potentially notifying people, all the customer-relations issues.

“That was eye-opening to me,” he went on. “Any business out there that has any type of sensitive records critical to the running of the business potentially needs this type of coverage.”

The good news, Grinnell said, is that businesses are more aware than ever about the threats that lurk behind seemingly safe computer screens.

Bill Grinnell

Bill Grinnell says cyber-liability insurance used to be a hot topic only in certain industries, like financial services, healthcare, and retail — but that’s changing.

“It’s a relatively new insurance coverage, and it’s still evolving. We certainly talk a fair amount about it with clients interested in purchasing coverage, and demand is definitely increasing,” he went on, noting that, until recently, cyber liability wasn’t a hot topic outside of the retail, medical, and financial-services industries, but it’s becoming clearer that many other types of enterprise are at risk.

In a recent article on its website, Ross Insurance Agency in Holyoke noted that incidents like the Target breach in 2013 (70 million customer records exposed) and the Neiman Marcus breach around the same time (1 million customers affected) won plenty of headlines, yet a 2012 Verizon study revealed that 71% of breaches occur in businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Meanwhile, according to cybersecurity company McAfee, almost 90% of small and medium-sized U.S. businesses don’t use any form of data protection.

“This is one of the most forefront issues we have, something we talk about all the time,” Kevin Ross, vice president of Ross Insurance, told BusinessWest. “Coverage is becoming more widely available and broader in scope. We have not experienced any losses here with our clients, but we do know it’s a serious threat that can cause serious financial harm. Just because you haven’t had a fire doesn’t mean fire insurance isn’t important. We protect the financial integrity of clients from loss, and those losses could be severe.”

Indeed, cybercrime costs American businesses more than $100 billion per year, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“Lack of an incident can breed complacency. Companies think they’re OK, but lack of an event doesn’t mean they’re OK; it doesn’t mean they’ve done a good job,” said Bill Trudeau, president of the Insurance Center of New England (ICNE) in Agawam, adding that, while certain organizations have more to lose because of their customer exposure, almost all companies save employee data digitally.

Bill Trudeau

Bill Trudeau says hackers are always thinking up new ways to breach systems, and employers have to be prepared.

“Even in a small company, one that makes widgets and gets paid with checks, you could have some data-breach exposure with your employees, so it’s worth reviewing what kind of access you have,” he said. “If it happens to your 200 employees, it’s not going to be a heartwarming experience for you and your employees. You need to take a hard look at your computers and how you transmit information.”

Hefty Cost

According to the Ponemon Institute, which has been reporting on the cost of cybercrimes for the past several years, the cost to a company that falls victim to a data breach is $188 per record breached. Yet, business- and property-insurance policies typically exclude data risks from their terms, which has contributed to the emergence of cybersecurity insurance as a separate, standalone line of coverage.

That coverage typically protects against a wide range of losses that businesses may suffer directly or cause to others, and these come in two forms: first-party and third-party losses. Grinnell explained that third-party losses involve regulatory fines and lawsuits brought by affected customers, while first-party losses are what the business itself incurs up front, such as business-income loss, data-retrieval services, downtime, and notification of customers, to name a few. On average, first-party losses average about one-third of a breached company’s expenses.

“In a lot of small data breaches, say in a small store or a doctors’ office with 10 doctors, most costs are first-party costs,” Trudeau explained. “Then, later, you’re going to have liability claims because maybe someone did get injured, their identify got stolen, you may owe them compensation, or they could end up suing you, despite all your efforts. So a good cyber policy or data-breach policy has both coverage for first-party costs and a liability component that pays for these different injuries that have occurred.”

Some cybersecurity-insurance carriers pose a long series of questions on their application forms about the details of a company’s exposure to data risk, Trudeau said, and if the underwriter isn’t satisfied with the answers, they may not write the policy until certain practices have been changed and safeguards put in place.

Go HERE to download a PDF chart of the region’s Insurance Companies

“When it comes to a data breach which has occurred, a lot of what you do to take action up front can reduce your liability. If you self-report to authorities and if you have a turn-key response to it, that’s good,” he went on, noting that carriers that specialize in this type of coverage, like Beazley and Chubb, have turn-key response operations as part of the policy. “They’ve got forensic computer analysts that get into the system and see what went wrong, public-relations people who understand this issue — it’s not their first time trying to calm customers and the public as to what went wrong with your organization — and they also have third-party notification operations.”

Trudeau recommends that businesses hire a third party to poke around their computer systems and challenge their operations when necessary.

“People get used to their own surroundings and don’t know what they don’t know,” he said. “Just because you think your business isn’t super attractive to hackers doesn’t mean they’re not going to pick you. I think it’s important that people are always challenging their IT department or IT vendor, saying, ‘is this the best form of firewall?’

In fact, he added, ICNE works with a company that will provide an ethical hacker, which is someone not out to steal data, but to break into a system and then show the business what they found and how they got in.

“There has to be a discussion with the client about what they’re doing, how they’re identifying threats,” Ross added. “Everyone needs to be aware of it. Any time you’re dealing with any type of customer information, especially dealing with credit cards, Internet sales, anything that has to do with the web in any form or fashion, you could be exposed to liability should you be hacked and clients’ information be exposed. That’s the threat.”

Knowledge Is Power

The impact on businesses can be severe and long-term, the report noted, citing an Economist Intelligence Unit consumer survey conducted in 2013. It found that 18% of respondents had been a victim of a data breach, and, of those individuals, 38% said they no longer did business with the organization because of the breach. Meanwhile, 46% said they advised friends and family to be careful of sharing data with the breached company.

However, data breaches don’t always have malicious origins. According to the data breaches it serviced in 2013 and 2014, Beazley reported that the two most common sources of breaches are unintended disclosure, such as misdirected e-mails and faxes (31%), and the physical loss of paper records (24%), which is particularly prevalent among healthcare organizations.

Breaches due to malware or spyware represented only 11% of breaches in 2013 and 2014, but they have been increasing, the firm reported, with the total number of breaches in this category growing by 20% between 2013 and 2014. Due to heavy forensics costs — money spent to find out exactly how the breach occurred — these breaches are on average almost five times times more costly than unintended disclosure.

Still, considering the sheer number of cases of accidental data exposure, employers can take steps to prevent data theft, Ross noted. These include protecting every computer connected to the Internet or the internal network with anti-virus and anti-spyware software (including any laptops that connect wirelessly); installing security-software updates promptly to stay ahead of hackers; securing the company’s wi-fi network by requiring passwords or even configuring the wireless access point or router to hide the network name; securing computers and network components and requiring log-on passwords for all employees; and continually educating employees on security guidelines for computer, network, database, e-mail, and Internet usage, as well as penalties for violating those guidelines.

“The bad guys are always thinking up new things. It’s important to stay on top of it,” Trudeau added, noting that data breaches may not be doubling or tripling in frequency year over year, but they are rising slowly. The financial industry alone saw 642 incidents in 2014.

As a result, “the  number of people willing to buy data-breach insurance continues to increase year after year, as more customers start seeing it as something that should be part of their insurance portfolio,” he went on. “You need to be vigilant of the fact that someone may have come up with some way to hurt your organization that you’re not aware of yet.”

Grinnell told BusinessWest that there’s still too many holes out there, due to nothing more complicated than complacency.

“A lot of people think it it’s big businesses getting hacked — ‘they won’t get me.’ I think that’s beginning to change, but there’s a long way to go,” he said. “We need to get the word out and let people know the exposures that lurk out there and help them address them, both through insurance means and making sure they have the proper firewalls in place to prevent attacks as much as possible.”

In other words, anyone can be a Target, and there’s ample evidence that some common-sense precautions — and perhaps a well-written insurance policy — can go a long way.

Joseph Bednar can be reached a  [email protected]

Soaring Drug Prices Continue to Burden Consumers

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Insurance Sections

No End in Sight

Maura McCaffrey

Maura McCaffrey says health plans work with drug companies to negotiate prices and with community physicians to assess patient needs, but rising costs continue to be a concern.

It’s a well-publicized issue in an election year, so it’s no surprise that lawmakers — including several presidential candidates — have been teeing off on soaring drug prices.

“Americans pay, by far, the highest prices for prescription drugs in the entire world,” Bernie Sanders recently noted. “A life-saving drug does no good if the people who need it cannot afford that drug.”

He pointed out that nearly one in five Americans between ages 19 and 64 did not get at least one prescription filled last year because they did not have enough money.

“There is no question that medicines help millions of people live healthier and longer lives, and can also prevent more expensive illnesses and treatments,” Sanders continued. “However, it is unacceptable that the United States now spends more than $370 billion on prescription drugs, and spending is rising faster than at any point in the last decade.”

Rising drug prices are having tangible effects on consumers, including those in Massachusetts. Among 16 carriers that recently testified before the state Division of Insurance, the first quarter of 2016 saw an average rate increase of 6.3%. They were asked to present the data used in determining their proposed rate filings for small-group plans in the second quarter of 2016. There are other reasons behind the increases, including the cost of expanding coverage under the Affordable Care Act, but drug prices are universally cited as a driving factor.

Meanwhile, even amid ever-louder complaints from lawmakers and the media, Pfizer, Amgen, Allergan, Horizon Pharma, and other manufacturers have raised U.S. prices for dozens of branded drugs since late December, with many of the increases between 9% and 10%, according to the Wall Street Journal. Overall, prescription-drug spending rose 12.2% in 2014, after just 2.4% growth in 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported.

What’s Happening?

There are a number of factors at play, ranging from the fact that the U.S. government doesn’t regulate drug prices to rising development and production costs; it can take more a decade and more than $1 billion to get a new drug approved. Still, there’s plenty of opportunity, industry critics say, to bring relief to patients.

“Their argument is we can — we can raise prices on this, the market will bear it, people like this drug, they rely on it, their physician will write it,” Marco Rubio recently told an audience on a campaign stop, blasting drug companies. “And so, because we can, we do. And it’s just pure profiteering.”

Insurance companies are feeling the pressure, Maura McCaffrey, president of Health New England (HNE), told BusinessWest. “Health plans have a responsibility to manage the pricing of these pharmaceuticals.”

They do this in two major ways, she explained. The first is to work with a pharmacy benefit manager, a third-party liaison between drug companies and insurers, to negotiate the drug prices. “Over the past year, Health New England did a very large renegotiation with its pharmacy contracts, and that has been very beneficial to members in Western Massachusetts.”

The second strategy is HNE’s clinical care assessment committee, which includes both primary-care and specialty physicians and meets eight times a year to discuss new medications — how they compare with current offerings and who the most appropriate patients would be.

“We come up with clinical criteria to make sure the right people have access to the right medications,” McCaffrey said, adding that, if the drug in question treats an uncommon condition, the committee will go into the local medical community to find additional specialists who can speak to that topic.

Difficult Spot

At the gathering before the Division of Insurance, Elin Gaynor, HNE’s assistant general counsel, cited several recent examples of unsustainable drug prices, including $259,000 per year for a drug treating cystic fibrosis, $118,200 per year for a breast-cancer medication, and more than $100,000 annually for a new hepatitis C treatment.

“As a community, we must be willing to tackle some very tough questions,” added Michael Caljouw, vice president of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. “What is the right price for new drugs and therapies? What is the appropriate use of them? Who decides? How can we achieve a better balance between medical advances and affordability?”

In making coverage decisions, McCaffrey told BusinessWest, safety and effectiveness always trump cost. “Then, if it looks to be a safe and efficacious medication, we look at what else is on the market and compare the safety profiles and efficacy profiles. The last thing we do is compare the cost profiles. We do this every time.”

Dr. Peter Bach, a physician and director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, recently explained in the New York Times that drug manufacturers are hamstrung by the complexity of biology, government regulations, and shareholder expectations for high profit margins.

What they’re not saying, he went on, is that they take advantage of laws that force insurers to include virtually all expensive drugs in their policies, and an industry philosophy that demands that every new healthcare product be available to everyone — no matter its cost or how little it actually helps.

In late 2014, the New England Journal of Medicine detailed a number of ways drug companies take advantage of this system. For instance, they buy up the rights to inexpensive generic drugs, lock out competitors, and raise prices. In one example, albendazole, a drug used to treat certain kinds of parasitic infection, was approved 20 years ago and, as recently as 2010, had a wholesale cost of $5.92 per day. Three years later, it was $119.58.

“Many of these drugs remain key therapeutic tools. The number of prescriptions for albendazole has increased dramatically in part because the drug has increasingly been used to treat parasitic infections in refugees,” explained the report’s authors, Drs. Jonathan Alpern, William Stauffer, and Aaron Kesselheim.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends presumptive treatment of refugees arriving in the U.S. if they have not had prior treatment,” they went on. “Because the people who need albendazole are generally disadvantaged, the costs resulting from the enhanced demand and associated price increases are largely borne by the patients themselves through substantial out-of-pocket payments or by taxpayers through public insurers such as Medicaid and the Refugee Medical Assistance program.”

The albendazole situation is hardly unique, they added. “It is well-known that new, brand-name drugs are often expensive, but U.S. healthcare is also witnessing a lesser-known but growing and seemingly paradoxical phenomenon: certain older drugs, many of which are generic and not protected by patents or market exclusivity, are now also extremely expensive.”

For example, the price of captopril, which is used for hypertension and heart failure, increased by more than 2,800% between November 2012 and November 2013, from 1.4 cents to 39.9 cents per pill. Similarly, the price of clomipramine, an antidepressant also used for obsessive-compulsive disorder, increased from 22 cents to $8.32 per pill, and the price of doxycycline hyclate, a broad-spectrum antibiotic introduced in 1967, increased from 6.3 cents to $3.36 per pill.

The practice infuriated a number of U.S. lawmakers, who teed off on drug companies last month during a session of the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

“I find it so disturbing and unconscionable that a company would buy up a decades-old drug that it had no role in developing … and then would hike up the price to such egregious levels that it’s having an impact on patient care,” said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who chairs the committee.

Beyond the Status Quo

Solutions have been difficult to come by, but Bach suggests one: what if insurance companies weren’t required to cover all drugs? He explained that, in Europe, many countries reject a handful of drugs each year based on their high cost and relatively low effectiveness — so companies are forced to offer their products at attractice prices.

As a result, prices in Europe for prescription drugs are typically 50% below what U.S. consumers pay. The pharmaceutical industry might argue, he went on, that drug spending accounts for just 10% of all healthcare spending, but that equals around $300 billion per year — no small number.

And those costs are being passed on to patients. The Wall Street Journal noted that Lilly’s drug Cyramza will cost the average Medicare patient $2,600 per month without supplemental insurance — more than most Medicare-age people earn each month, before taxes.

It would make sense, Bach argued, to do one of two things: free insurers and government programs from the requirement to include all expensive drugs in their plans, or demand that policymakers set drug prices in the U.S. equal to those seen in Europe. “Either approach would be vastly superior to the situation we have today.”

The New England Journal of Medicine report offered another strategy for bringing prices under control. The authors suggest that substantial increases in the price of an unpatented drug could trigger the FDA to issue a public announcement seeking other manufacturers for generic versions of the product. Companies responding to such a request could receive expedited reviews of their manufacturing processes, and generic-drug user fees could be waived to further increase incentives for potential competitors.

Meanwhile, they concede, there is little that consumers can do.

“Some patients seek to acquire these drugs in other countries, since many of them are widely and inexpensively available outside the U.S., but such foreign sources may be of variable quality. Until regulatory and market solutions are implemented to reduce prices for these older drugs, patients requiring such drugs and the physicians treating them will continue to be faced with difficult choices.”

McCaffrey said Health New England is trying to maintain as much consumer choice as possible, but not at the expense of ballooning rates.

“Going into 2016, one of our top priorities is to make sure people have access to the medications they need,” she noted, “but at the same time make sure we can control premiums for them so they can afford the health insurance that gives them access to the medications they need.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

As Dementia Population Rises, Memory-care Facilities Hone Their Mission

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Memory Care
Business of Aging Sections

Peace of Mind

Anne Thomas (left) and Joelle Tedeschi

Anne Thomas (left) and Joelle Tedeschi say it’s critical that the Garden at Ruth’s House tailors programs to the individual interests and abilities of residents.

While researchers have hope, so far there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s and many other forms of dementia — conditions that currently affect some 5.3 million Americans but could soar in frequency as the massive Baby Boom generation heads into the golden years. That trend places greater importance than ever before on memory-care units, specialized neighborhoods in assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities that seek not only to care for residents with dementia, but strive to give them back as much of their old lives as possible.

It’s not always easy to walk in someone else’s shoes, especially when that person suffers from dementia. But at Loomis House in Holyoke, they’re trying.

The training program for Loomis employees who work in the memory-care unit includes a mandatory activity called a ‘virtual dementia tour.’ They’re put through a sensory simulation including shoe inserts to make their feet uncomfortable, hazy goggles that mimic macular degeneration, headphones pumping in white noise like a ringing phone and an ambulance siren, and gloves to impair sense of touch.

“Then we ask them to do tasks. They quickly understand the frustration,” said Lori Todd, Loomis House administrator. “What we try to teach them is, you’re experiencing this for 10 minutes; imagine this all day long. Some people call it sundowning, but after eight hours, I’d be frustrated.”

A perceived need for better training led to the adoption two years ago of new regulations for Massachusetts nursing homes. Specifically, workers in specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia-care units are now required to undergo at least eight hours of initial training to care for such residents, and four additional hours annually. Proponents noted at the time that increased training is critical because roughly 60% of nursing-home residents have some form of dementia.

Lori Todd

Lori Todd says Loomis House works to counsel and reassure families, who are often dealing with wrenching emotions around their loved ones’ dementia.

At Loomis House, which maintains two separate memory-care units totaling 41 residents — there’s always a waiting list — administrators have taken staff training seriously for much longer than that, Todd said. In fact, the way staff assesses and engages its Alzheimer’s and dementia population is indicative of a wider trend in senior care, one that acknowledges that dementia is not going away as the Baby Boom generation continues to stream into its retirement years.

For example, while many facilities place residents with dementia into one of three categories of memory function, Loomis uses seven, in order to develop as individualized and specialized a care plan as possible. “If you’re stage three, you may be able to do a 100-piece puzzle for an activity,” Todd said. “In further stages, you may still be able to do a puzzle, but it may be a four-piece puzzle so you’re not frustrated.”

That said, the goal is to maintain as much independence as possible for residents through an individualized plan that determines what activities will keep them active and engaged. “We have to get an understanding of who they were and what made them tick — basically utilize that information to develop a plan that will be of interest to them.”

Similar strategies are put into play at Ruth’s House in Longmeadow, an assisted-living residence operated by JGS Lifecare. It features the Garden, a 30-bed memory-impaired unit with a central kitchen and living area and an enclosed, secured outdoor courtyard.

“It’s very home-like, which is really important,” said Anne Thomas, vice president of residential health. “But the one thing that distinguishes us from others is our exceptional programming structure, which is really important to people with dementia. If they’re not given some structure, they don’t do well. They need that schedule, that routine.”

Joelle Tedeschi, executive director of Ruth’s House, explained that every new resident is evaluated by the resident care director to determine how they fit into the site’s programming, which includes sensory activities, art and cooking groups, cultural-enrichment programs, and much more.

“We try to find out as much as we can about each person and craft programs based on that,” Thomas added. “It’s about engagement, but also creating an environment as much like their real home as possible. All the things a person enjoyed before should continue here — it shouldn’t change.”

Like Todd, Thomas noted that the population is aging, and the number of Americans living with some form of dementia — currently 5.3 million — is only expected to rise, meaning more nursing homes and assisted-living facilities are making a commitment to taking care of this population.

“With dementia, unfortunately, there’s no cure in sight; we don’t see the disease going away,” Thomas said. “Our responsibility is to create a wonderful program. Boomers are very discerning; they have disposable income, and they expect a lot, and they should. We’re designing things that we as Boomers would want for ourselves and our parents.”

Individual Focus

That begins with meeting each resident where they are, Todd said.

“There’s a lot of emphasis on understanding that we are guests in the home of the people who move in here. When people come to the dementia unit, they stay here; this is their home,” she said, explaining Loomis’ long-time philosophy of person-centered care. “So, if they want to get up at a certain hour, they can have their medicine when they wake up, rather than right at 8 in the morning. The satellite kitchen is open 24 hours a day, and they can eat when they want.”

Tedeschi said the Garden provides a similar sense of autonomy, including no set times for going to bed or waking up, and a kitchen where eggs can be cooked to order at any time. “Some folks don’t want to be up early for breakfast, so we’ll make them breakfast right before lunch if that’s their preferred time.”

The touches of home — and even pampering — continue with amenities like a full-service salon, live entertainers who get residents singing and dancing, and rules that allow residents to bring their pets with them. In addition, family members often volunteer to lead enrichment programs.

“Just today, one of the resident’s families brought in some old tools, and the residents sat around and reminisced about their lives. There were tools there I couldn’t identify, but some of our residents worked on farms as children and worked all day with these tools, and they talked about it. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”

The Garden also recently introduced holistic-wellness activities including Reiki, aromatherapy, and reflexology, all conducted by student volunteers, said Mary-Anne DiBlasio, sales manager at JGS Lifecare, who has a background in alternative health. Meanwhile, a small activity room is being converted to a sensory meditation room.

In addition, JGS Lifecare takes part in the Music and Memory program, which works with residents’ families to develop a personalized playlist of meaningful songs, which they can play on donated iPods.

“We’ve seen some remarkable success stories with it,” said Alta Stark, director of marketing and public relations. “One woman’s daughter said she could tell immediately if her mother had her music therapy that day because she could have regular conversations with her. She said that had not happened for such a long time — it was like getting her mother back.”

Thomas is equally effusive. “I witnessed something walking through one day on the weekend — a resident in memory care was weepy, crying, and she wanted to go home. A life-enrichment person came over and consoled her, reassured her, got her iPod and earphones … and it calmed her down immediately.”

Tedeschi said it’s always a challenge to customize individualized programs when dementia has such a wide range of stages. Some residents can live relatively independently but need to be in a secure environment, she noted, while others wouldn’t even know how to press an alert pendant if they need help. “We need to anticipate what their needs would be. We have to customize a program for everyone and continue to add services according to their care needs.”

The complexity of caring for this population is why the Department of Public Health pushed for the new mandatory-training rules two years ago. In order to comply, staff members must be trained in the foundations of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, communication and connecting with these residents, techniques and approaches to care for this population, the components of person-centered care, working with families, the dietary needs of residents with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, social needs and appropriate activities in the care of such residents, recognizing and responding to caregiver stress, and preventing, recognizing, and responding to abuse and neglect of residents.

“Everyone who works here — even maintenance and housekeeping — has to have 12 hours of training,” Todd said. “And I’ve seen the benefits in training, retraining, and sensitizing. The regulations are strict, but it benefits the residents; it really does.”

Family Burdens

No one wants to admit their parent has dementia, Todd said, but the services provided in a specialized memory-care unit are critical when that decision looms.

“Most people who live here are a little more advanced than you see at home, and they’re at risk being in the community. Really, it’s a safety issue, and the caregiver can’t do it anymore,” she explained, noting that Loomis House provides a continuum of care that includes hospice services near the end of life.

It’s emotionally wrenching, she added, when someone understands that their loved one doesn’t recognize them in the same way anymore, but noted that Loomis provides a social worker to help families process that experience, and family support groups that help each other through the transition.

“At first, there’s a lot of fear, guilt, and anxiety,” she went on. “Then they begin to trust us. They see they can go home at night and their parents will be cared for. They have to trust that our people are caring for their parents because their parents can’t always tell them.”

Thomas agreed. “Sometimes it’s harder on the family than on the person who has this illness, to see that person changing before their eyes. That’s why we offer support groups for families.”

In addition, as part of the admissions process, Tedeschi said, families help residents assemble a shadowbox of photos and memories, to hang outside their room. Not only do the boxes help residents identify where their rooms are, they give the staff a better idea of what that person is all about. Families also fill out a profile about their loved one’s likes and dislikes, interests and hobbies, to help the staff build a satisfying daily routine.

Once they’re comfortable in their new home, DiBlasio said, “family members don’t have to be full-time caregivers anymore. We let sons be sons, daughters be daughters, and we become the caregivers. If we know the idiosyncrasies of the person, we can become part of the family, and they look at us as part of the team.”

The worst feeling a loved one can have, Thomas said, is the idea that “‘this is my mother; there’s nothing left to her.’ We want to demonstrate that this person has a lot left, and we want to bring that out in them. That’s our job, to bring out the best in the person so the family can experience that as well. The employees that work here find it gratifying that they can make a difference in many small ways, just by getting to know the person.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Drafting a Road Map for Defeating Cancer

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Business of Aging Sections

Emperor of All Maladies Author Says the Pieces Are in Place

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee says the so-called ‘cancer moonshot’ will provide a road map for advancing the fight against the ‘emperor of all maladies.’

As he delivered his talk, “The Changing Landscape of Cancer,” to a large audience at CityStage earlier this month, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee had a PowerPoint presentation running on a large screen behind him.

In a way, it represented a seriously condensed but still highly informative version of his book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, for which he won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction, and it led with what amounted to a trailer for the Ken Burns-produced PBS film documentary based on the book.

One of the slides, kept on the screen for several minutes, depicted one of the now-famous full-page ads that ran in newspapers across the country in December 1969 with the screaming headline: “Mr. Nixon: You Can Cure Cancer.”

While one might debate whether those spots legally constituted false advertising, Mukherjee implied, they certainly amounted to wishful thinking — very wishful thinking.

Indeed, neither the nation’s president nor anyone else could cure cancer 47 years ago, he explained, because the scientific community simply didn’t know enough about the disease to remotely approach that ambitious goal.

Mukherjee said those ads, inspired by and paid for by Mary Lasker, the noted health activist, philanthropist, and champion of medical research, were a prime catalyst for what he called “the war on cancer 1.0” — a war declared far too early to result in even partial victory, but one that set the stage for later triumphs.

“We had no understanding of the physiology of a cancer cell, let alone what caused it to turn cancerous, and yet a war on cancer was launched without that understanding,” he told his audience, there, as he was, to celebrate the expansion of the Sr. Mary Caritas Cancer Center. “People have often said that this is like saying, ‘we’re going to the moon’ without having seen a jet engine; that’s what the situation was like.”

Nearly a half-century and seven U.S. presidents later (many of whom have declared what amounted to their own versions of a war on cancer), the situation is much different, said Mukherjee, because the world knows exponentially more about the physiology of a cancer cell and why a cell becomes cancerous.

And this new landscape certainly provides more optimism for the latest declared war on this disease — the so-called ‘cancer moonshot’ (a term that only reinforces Mukherjee’s analogy) — that was announced in January.

“We understand cancer at a cellular and molecular level that we didn’t understand before,” Mukherjee told BusinessWest prior to his talk. “We understand what causes cancer, we understand its progression, we understand some, but not all, of its risk factors, and we have not one, not two, but really several dozen important breakthrough therapies for several forms of cancer.

“The question now is how to deliver those therapies carefully, how to deliver them to the right people, how to pay for them, and much more,” he went on. “Meanwhile, there are many cancers that are difficult to cure and difficult to treat, and they will remain frontiers.”

In essence, the cancer moonshot is expected to yield a road map (a term Mukherjee would use early and often) — actually, several of them — for crossing those frontiers and answering all those questions, he went on, adding that this initiative will bring new layers of progress to what he called a “transformative impact” on understanding and treating the many cancers seen over the past half-century.

For this issue and its focus on the business of aging, BusinessWest took the opportunity to talk with one of the world’s leading cancer physicians about the stunning progress achieved to date and how the next chapter in cancer’s biography will unfold.

A Hard Cell

Reducing a few thousand years of conflict between humans and cancer down to a 55-minute presentation wasn’t easy, but Mukherjee, an assistant professor of Medicine at Columbia University and staff physician at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, managed by focusing on basic science, the milestones in the history of cancer treatment, and the people who made them possible.

Thus, his powerpoint featured slides on everything from surgeon William Halsted’s 19th-century “radical mastectomy” to Mary Lasker’s newspaper ads, and on everyone from Rudolph Virchow, often called the father of modern pathology and noted for his early work on leukemia, to Sidney Farber, considered the father of modern chemotherapy, to Barbara Bradfield, a pioneer (she was patient zero) in the development of Herceptin, a treatment for breast cancer.

His lecture on the history of the disease and mankind’s attempts to cure it focused on several stages he detailed in his 594-page book. They include, more recently, ‘cancer as a disease of cells’ — the period roughly from 1860 to 1960; ‘cancer as a disease of genes’ (1970-1990); ‘cancer as a disease of genomes’ (1990-2010); and the current stage, ‘cancer as a pathway disease.’

He brought his audience from the first identification of cancer some 4,600 years ago by the Egyptian physician Imhotep to current events, including groundbreaking initiatives to rapidly determine the sequencing of genes in tumor cells, leading to new treatment platforms.

Describing what’s been accomplished to date, he used words such as “remarkable” and “unprecedented,” words he says are fitting given the resilience, complexity, and sheer uniqueness of the disease and each case of it.

“Every single cancer, at the genetic level and the genomic level, is its own cancer, and every single patient is its own patient,” he explained. “We knew this 100 years ago, but we really learned this 100 years later.

“There is no disease — and I will argue that there are few problems in human history — where the level of diversity of the problem, the level of complexity of the problem, is equal to the number of people who have the problem,” he went on, urging his audience to consider the magnitude of what he just said. “Cancer is that problem … and that makes it different than any other disease, and that’s what makes it the emperor of all maladies.”

But while his book, and his lecture, amounted to history lessons, Mukherjee said his current focus is obviously on what comes next, and this brings him back to the cancer moonshot.

“This is an incredibly important effort,” he told BusinessWest before his talk. “It clarifies what the goals are, and that is to have a transformative effect on cancer care over the next 100 years.”

When asked what the initiative, officially named Cancer Moonshot 2020, might accomplish by that date, he said simply, “a line in the sand,” before elaborating and returning to that analogy of drawing a road map.

“What will happen over the next four years is that we will clarify that road map, which will hopefully stay with us for the next 80 to 100 years to remind us what the big goals are and whether we met the goals or didn’t meet the goals,” he explained. “We may at times go off the road because we don’t understand something, but as long as we have a sense of what that landscape is like, we can stay on track.”

Again, there will likely be several road maps drawn, he went on, adding that there are, indeed, several fronts in any war on cancer.

One is obviously treatment, he said, noting that considerable progress has been made with some cancers, including blood cancers — leukemia and lymphomas — as well as lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer.

Another front is prevention, which of course plays a huge role in the larger effort to stem the tide of the disease and greatly reduce the numbers of individuals who will die from it. And within the discussion concerning prevention lies the overarching question concerning whether cancer — or specific cancers — can indeed be prevented.

Some carcinogens, such as smoking, have been identified, said Mukherjee, adding that great uncertainty remains about how many more are still to be recognized. And this is a huge issue moving forward.

“That’s an open question on the table and a very important question: are there still out there major preventable chemical carcinogens — have we missed some?” he asked rhetorically.

“And if we haven’t missed some, what do we do about the fact that the rest of it is spontaneous errors, accidents when cells divide?” he went on. “That has many, many, many consequences, and there have been four or five highly controversial papers back to back in major scientific journals, one claiming the former, the second claiming the latter, one saying it has to do with cells making errors when they divide, the other making the claim that the environmental impact has been underappreciated, and there may be some hidden, unknown carcinogenic input.

“We need to sort that answer out,” he continued, “because it’s a fork in the road, whether we move in one direction or the other.”

There will be several similar forks to confront in the years to come, he said, adding that, beyond treatment and prevention, there are other large issues to be addressed, such as handling the cost of this battle, deciding how resources are to be committed, and drafting a plan for making this a truly international moonshot, not a solely American initiative.

Prescription for Progress

Almost immediately after Cancer Moonshot 2020 was announced, skeptics said it is as unlikely to achieve its stated goals as the initiative launched by President Nixon nearly five decades ago.

Mukherjee is far more optimistic. He notes that the pace of progress has greatly accelerated in recent years as more becomes known about the disease, and that enough will soon be known to not only draw a map, but enable society to reach its destination, one where cancer is far less the killer that it is now.

And he should know. After all, he wrote the book on the subject — a biography for which there are many chapters still to write.

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

Access to Clinical Trials Expanding in Western Mass.

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Business of Aging Sections

New Frontiers

Dr. Matthew Richardson (left) and Dr. John McCann

Dr. Matthew Richardson (left) and Dr. John McCann say Baystate’s clinical-trials program both helps current patients and advances research down the road.

When Linda Tedone was diagnosed in September with multiple myeloma, it wasn’t long before her oncologist at Baystate Medical Center, Dr. Syed Ali, came across an opportunity not available to many patients — yet.

It was a national clinical trial, one of dozens in which Baystate patients are enrolled at any given time. In Tedone’s case, her chemotherapy includes a drug, carfilzomib, that was FDA-approved in 2012, but only for relapsed patients who had undergone other therapies. Now, researchers are studying its effectiveness for first-time diagnoses.

“They explained it to me and my family, and we talked about it and were very interested,” Tedone told BusinessWest. “I have a lot of confidence in Dr. Ali. Being in a clinical trial, not only do I have him and his expertise, but lots of other great minds are involved in this, all watching my progress. And I’m reacting well to the medication; the chemotherapy is doing exactly what Dr. Ali wanted it to do.”

A robust clinical-trials program at Baystate — patients are currently participating in about 60 different ones — is available for both adult and pediatric patients, depending on need and what’s available, said Dr. John McCann, a medical oncologist at Baystate who works with adult cancer patients.

“Basically, we’re an academic medical center, so we’ve had a clinical-trials program here for quite a few years,” he explained. “The newer clinical trials are focusing on the specific molecular features of patients’ individual cancers and bringing new treatments to the cancer center that we can use. Because we have an entire team of clinical researchers working with us, we’re able to do sophisticated clinical trials right here at home, so patients don’t have to travel to go to another academic medical center.”

He cited, as one example, a new trial that seeks to evaluate three immunotherapy drugs given simultaneously for patients with advanced melanoma. “It’s very important that patients get really leading-edge clinical trials right here in Western Mass.,” he added, noting that Baystate’s clinical-trials division accesses national trials through organizations like the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and pharmaceutical companies.

And Baystate isn’t alone. When Cooley Dickinson Hospital merged with Mass General Hospital in 2014, it opened up a referral pipeline for oncology patients being treated at CDH to enroll in the kind of clinical trials Mass General has been involved in for decades.

“We joke that doctors frequently have hallway conversations, and we have the same thing, except the hallway is Route 90,” said Avital Carlis, administrative director of the Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, which opened last fall. “And these relationships are where our connections to clinical trials emanate from.

“I’m very excited that the Mass General Cancer Center will be integrated with the clinical trials available there,” she went on. “Our doctors constantly review cases, and if a patient has unique circumstances, they’ll reach out to their colleagues in Boston, and the doctors in Boston might say, ‘great trial available,’ or ‘perfect match’ or ‘we really should get them in this,’ and we can get our patients involved in these clinical trials. There is a huge spectrum of trials open to us.”

Mercy Medical Center, like Cooley Dickinson, will soon be able to access trials through a new affiliation — in its case, with Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, with which is has signed a letter of intent to pursue a relationship that will enhance cancer care at Mercy.

The partnership with Smilow will create new opportunities for patients in Western Mass. to enroll in clinical trials for a wide variety of cancers, said Dr. Philip Glynn, director of medical oncology at the recently expanded Sr. Caritas Cancer Center on the Mercy campus.

Dr. Philip Glynn

Dr. Philip Glynn

“Trials are really important because people get a chance to see if a new treatment can help them — or help a population of patients in general,” he explained. “It’s almost like having a built-in insurance policy; you know you’re getting the most recent treatment. It’s been reviewed by experts, and you’re being very carefully monitored by your doctor.”

The downside, of course, is that previously unknown side effects may arise, and the treatment simply may not work.

“Ideally, you’re being carefully monitored so you can be taken off if it becomes clear it’s not working and there are another alternatives,” Glynn said. “Another downside is that some of these trials have placebos, and people don’t necessarily get the treatment they hoped they’d get.”

With more hospitals joining Baystate locally in providing access to clinical trials available nationwide, it’s a decision patients will increasingly have to answer.

Put to the Test

Simply put, Glynn said, a clinical trial is a research study, and patients participate to answer a question or help improve or advance treatment of a disease.

“In my field, oncology, patients volunteer for clinical trials that test new treatments, to see how they compare with current treatment standards. Sometimes they test lifestyle changes to see if it lowers the chances of getting cancer. Sometimes they test new ways of finding out if people have cancer — diagnostic studies.”

Typically, trials are divided into three types, he explained. Phase 1 trials, which are most commonly conducted in a university setting, aim to answer questions about safety in terms of timing, dosage, and side effects. Phase 2 — the type of trial most-often available locally — delves further into safety but focuses more on effectiveness. Phase 3 trials compare the new treatment with the current standard, by placing patients randomly (and blindly) into one group or the other.

Not everyone who wants to take part in a trial may do so, Glynn noted, due to any number of contraindication factors. “There are times people may want to be in a study but are excluded based on pre-existing conditions.”

But plenty are able to enroll, McCann said, noting that some patients inquire about what opportunities are available to try new therapies, while others are steered toward trials by their doctor.

“If a patient is eligible for a trial, we go through the process in detail and talk about risks and potential benefits,” he explained. “Then the patient makes the decision whether or not they wish to participate in the trial.”

Which means they’re well-informed of all known risk factors, he went on. “Every clinical trial has risks associated with it. We are committed to the highest standards in terms of minimizing risk and also explaining very clearly to patients what risks are associated with the treatment.”

In many cases, however, patients have reached a point of desperation, said Dr. Matthew Richardson, a pediatric oncologist with Baystate Children’s Hospital.

“For some conditions, where the prognosis with traditional medicine is poor or at least not optimistic, I think people are motivated to try new things,” he told BusinessWest. “They also realize it may help other children in the future. I think that appeals to many patients — that ability to help other families and other people’s children in the future.”

The goal of any clinical trial, particularly in phase 3, is to compare new treatments or tests to standard tests, and that can’t be done with just one or two patients; researchers need hundreds — and because certain pediatric cancers are so uncommon, no single center will be able to provide that, he explained. That’s why Baystate is part of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), which gives patients there access to the same trials offered at other children’s hospitals across the country.

Richardson is one of several doctors — as well as pharmacists and people not directly involved in the medical community — who sit on an institutional review board (IRB) that evaluates clinical-trial opportunities to make sure they’re appropriate for Baystate, that the science is sound, and that potential risks are not worse than the standard treatment — or, if the risks are high, that the potential benefit outweights the risk.

“We conduct a very thoughtful analysis, through very extensive discussions, before a clinical trial even begins at the hospital,” he said. “And if a member of the IRB is involved in the clinical research, they’re not allowed to weigh in on approval.”

Expanding the Pipeline

An added benefit to clinical trials, Glynn noted, is that people feel gratified to be able to help advance new types of research.

“That’s absolutely true,” said Tedone, the Baystate patient. “I mean, this is definitely my journey, and I want to have success, but at the same time, I also know that, if this is going to work for me, it will work for other people and make their journey easier, too. I’m all about research, and we need to get rid of this horrible disease — get rid of all these cancers.”

Patients intrigued by opportunities to participate in this type of research have to be gratified by the new opportunities cropping up in Western Mass., from Mercy to CDH to, yes, a widening pipeline at Baystate.

We’re referring to UMMS-Baystate Health, a campus of UMass Medical School expected to open in Springfield in the fall of 2017. The project — a collaboration between the medical school, UMass Amherst, and Baystate Health — is intended to meet three goals: increasing access to students in Massachusetts seeking an affordable medical education, responding to the healthcare needs of the Commonwealth by increasing the number of Massachusetts physicians trained in urban and rural primary care, and applying academic research to improve population health, reduce health disparities, and make healthcare better integrated, more efficient, and more effective.

“It’s really a game changer for the region,” said Dr. John Schreiber, chief physician executive for Baystate Health, and one of the reasons is access to new avenues for clinical trials through UMass Medical School. “We’ll be able to offer patients in the Pioneer Valley much more than we have previously.”

And one of the goals for physicians coming out of the program is that they understand how to be part of a clinical trial and how to connect patients with experimental therapies. “We want to be able to access that across the Baystate system, not just in Springfield. The outlook is bright.”

With all the optimism over clinical trials, CDH’s Carlis stressed that eligibility criteria can be narrow. “What’s nice about our relationship with our colleagues in Boston is, many of these physicians are world-renowned experts in their field; they know these criteria backward and forward. So, if we think a patient might be eligible, there’s no assumption made until they speak with the people in Boston for a full criteria check.”

That said, the big picture is important. “Through clinical trials, we’re trying to identify where care is going in the future, what are the best combinations of drugs. It opens opportunities for patients they would not otherwise have access to.”

Glynn agreed. “Clinical trials are designed by experts to answer specific questions about therapies,” he explained. “It’s very important, especially today, because there are so many new therapies available for patients in oncology. We want to be able to offer patients as broad a spectrum of potential treatment options as we can.”

Seeking Answers

After all, Richardson concluded, these are matters of life and death.

“We’ve gone from acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children being a uniformly fatal disease to having some types of leukemia with a 90% cure rate,” he said. “And that’s only been through cooperative clinical trials.”

Tedone, who has been active in her trial for more than four months, tracks other cancer research as well.

“In the past few months, three new medications came out for my specific cancer; the FDA has approved them,” she told BusinessWest. “They’re making progress on my specific cancer by leaps and bounds, which is good news for me, that’s for sure.”

In the meantime, she said, “I’m being positive. I feel like I’m getting great care, and if I have lots of scientists watching me, that just more people on my side.” n

Joseph Bednar can be reached at

[email protected]

Certain Laws Can Help When You Become a Senior Citizen

By
Business of Aging Sections

Age-old Arguments

By ANN I. WEBER, Esq.

Ann Weber

Ann Weber

When you become a ‘senior,’ defined variously as 60 to 70 or older, you become eligible for legal benefits that are not available to your younger compatriots.

While many of these laws are needs-based, some are not — for example, Social Security, Medicare, and others which are available to all of us. The following is a non-exclusive list of some of these laws which might be of interest.

Timing Social Security Benefits

When you turn 62, you become eligible for early withdrawal of Social Security benefits, and this is a great benefit for people who for one reason or another cannot continue to be employed or who do not have a long life expectancy. However, for individuals born between 1943 and 1954, the monthly benefit at age 62 will be 75% of the full monthly benefit at age 66.

If you can wait for benefits until you are 70, there is an additional 8% increase every year for the four years between 66 and 70. So, before making a decision about when to start collecting these retirement benefits, consider the differences, taking into account your estimated life expectancy and your financial situation. For people who can afford to wait or who are worried about outliving their resources, waiting to file might be a good option to consider.

Medicare Hospice

As you probably know, for beneficiaries who are 65 and older, Medicare pays not only for medical and hospital services, but also for some home services and medical equipment used in the home. Less well-known perhaps are the hospice services available to anyone with a prolonged, life-threatening diagnosis.

Although the diagnosis must state that death is likely within six months, hospice now allows not only palliative but curative care, with the result that many individuals end up renewing their eligibility for the program in six-month installments, sometimes multiple times, or graduating from the program entirely.

Hospice services include scheduled in-home care and emergency 24/7 care, which can often obviate the need for routine medical appointments and some emergency-room visits. In addition, Medicare hospice assigns a licensed, professional social worker to beneficiaries to help the patient and family deal with the social and emotional ramifications of an end-of-life illness. It is a comprehensive home-healthcare program, and it’s free.

Charitable Giving from Retirement Funds

As a general rule, any withdrawal from a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) results in income taxation of the full amount withdrawn. However, if you are 70 1/2, you can make charitable gifts from your IRA up to $100,000, receive a full charitable deduction, and have the amount contributed count toward your required minimum distribution.

If you are charitably inclined and meet the age requirement, this is a great way to partially fund your charitable gifts with money that would otherwise be going to Uncle Sam.

Declaration of Homestead

In Massachusetts, a homeowner receives automatic protection from unsecured creditors up to $125,000 so long as the owner or covered family member occupies or intends to occupy the property as his or her principal place of residence. With a declaration filed on the land records, this protection is increased to $500,000 in total for the property.

However, for individuals 62 or older, a homestead may be filed on each individual’s behalf, so, for example, for two homeowners 62 or older, the aggregate protection increases to $1 million.

Reverse Mortgages

A reverse mortgage is similar to a purchase mortgage in that it is a loan from a bank or mortgage company to an individual. However, instead of using the funds advanced by the bank for purchase of a residence, a senior homeowner (62 or older) can use a portion of his or her home equity as collateral and receive cash in return.

Reverse-mortgage payments are not taxable, nor are the payments considered countable income for purposes of MassHealth (Medicaid) eligibility. However, reverse mortgages have fees due upon origination and servicing fees annually which can be substantial, and the loan will have to be repaid with interest which has accumulated over the life of the loan when the homeowner dies or no longer lives in the home as his or her principal residence.

In the right situation, these loans can be life savers, but, because of the fees and technical provisions, it may be wise to consult with a knowledgeable attorney before committing.

Durable Powers of Attorney

Durable powers of attorney are used to allow one person, the agent, to act for another, the principal, in financial matters. These provisions can take place immediately or be triggered by incapacity. Though powers of attorney can be utilized by people of all ages, signing a durable power of attorney can be one of the most important steps you can take if you are getting older to make sure your financial affairs are handled by the person you want and in the manner you would choose.

Under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code enacted in 2012, power of attorney was given additional muscle.  Specifically, in the event of an unreasonable refusal of a third party to honor the authority of a valid durable power of attorney, the agent can sue for damages.  This can be really helpful if the failure to honor an agent’s directions — for example, in a sale or purchase of property — results in a loss to the principal.

There are many other laws and programs which are available to seniors on a needs-based basis which have not been covered here. Additional information can be found at local senior centers and various government agencies, or by contacting an elder-law attorney. n

Attorney Ann I Weber is a partner at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., and concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, probate, and elder law. She is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and past president of the Hampden County Estate Planning Council, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Top Fifty Women Attorneys in Massachusetts, and Best Lawyers in America; (413) 737-1131; [email protected]

Bounce! Provides a Lift for Old Cinema Complex

By
Commercial Real Estate Sections

Getting a Jump on the Competition

Bill Merrill, center, with fellow managing partners Rob Doty (left) and Greg Morgan

Bill Merrill, center, with fellow managing partners Rob Doty (left) and Greg Morgan, expect things to be hopping at Bounce!

It was property basically slated to go dark. That was the fate awaiting the closed cinema complex at the Springfield Plaza … until a group of entrepreneurs with some imagination commenced a process to make it a part of a new wave in business and recreation — trampoline sports. Early returns suggest the facility known as Bounce! was a leap worth taking.

Bill Merrill couldn’t help himself.

When asked how many young people — and some maybe not so young — he expects to see at his new venture, Bounce! Trampoline Sports, on a given day, week, or month, he started by saying, “well, when the place is hopping…’” in a voice that would indicate that he’s used the pun many times before.

Which he probably has. In fact, Merrill would be considered a veteran in this still very young business of trampoline sports — this is his second franchise with the firm Bounce! — and that experience helps explain why he endeavored to bring this concept to Springfield.

And it certainly helped him answer that earlier question. Indeed, Merrill would go on to do that math a little later — he’s anticipating perhaps 150,000 to 200,000 ‘jumpers,’ as they’re called, on an annual basis. In the meantime, he speculated that this establishment, carved out of roughly half the old cinema complex at the Springfield Plaza, will in fact be hopping.

That’s because there isn’t a facility like it in Western Mass., and there are only a few within a 50-mile radius. Meanwhile, a detailed demographic analysis revealed that the Greater Springfield area has the requisite large population of individuals ages 6-18 to make something like this work.

So the $1.5 million investment Merrill and several partners made was not exactly a huge leap from an entrepreneurial standpoint — pun fully intended.

However, it was, and is, a highly imaginative and rather involved reuse of some underperforming commercial real estate, and a gambit that became reality soon enough to keep the competition from … well, jumping in ahead of him.

Merrill, who is also a franchisee with the third Bounce! location, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., told BusinessWest that trampoline sports — another of those entrepreneurial trends that has moved from the West Coast to the Northeast — had been gaining considerable steam in New York and New England over the past several years. And he certainly wasn’t the only one scouting sites in the Springfield area, which was among the largest metropolitan areas in the Northeast that did have such a facility at the time.

Those searches were essentially called off, though, when Merrill and his partners went public with their plans at the closing on the lease last June.

Go HERE to find a listing of available commercial properties in Western Mass.

That was just as preliminary design work at the site was beginning, to be followed by extensive interior demolition and new construction that commenced in August and took five months to complete. Bounce! opened its doors on Jan. 29 and staged a grand opening a week later.

Early returns have been solid, and when he talked with BusinessWest, Merrill was looking ahead to the February school vacation as an effective barometer when it comes to whether his math — and his instincts — were right.

He thinks they’re on the money — literally and also figuratively — and he believes the Springfield complex has the facilities, location, and demographic footprint to be among the most successful trampoline centers in the country.

“I can say that because I’ve been to a lot of these parks,” he said. “This one is truly exceptional.”

For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest takes a look at this different kind of business and how it has brought new life to a piece of property that was slated to go dark and sit idle.

Predicting an Early Spring

Bill Low, a broker with the Springfield-based commercial real-estate firm NAI Plotkin, said Merrill first approached him about finding a location for a trampoline-sports facility more than a year ago.

He didn’t appreciate then just how difficult it would be to secure a home for such a business, but it didn’t take him long to grasp the magnitude of the challenge.

It would come in several parts, but center on three main ingredients — location (that’s a priority for any retail business), parking, and finding the requisite open spaces and, especially, high ceilings — at least 20 feet is required.

“You need a specific type of property for this,” he noted. “And we launched an extensive search across this area. But there just weren’t many locations that fit the profile.”

Obstacle course at Bounce!

Obstacle course at Bounce!

In other parts of the country, and even Eastern Mass., warehouses have been successfully transformed into trampoline centers, said Merrill, and a few of those were considered in this region.

But, generally, they either lacked the proper dimensions, were located in out-of-the-way industrial areas, had insufficient parking, or a combination of the above. Other than that, they were ideal.

Other types of facilities were considered, such as the former Circuit City location at the corner of Parker Street and Boston Road in Springfield, as was the prospect of building to suit, said Merrill, adding that none of the apparent options on the table were very attractive, pricewise and otherwise. And that’s when another alternative emerged, seemingly from out of nowhere.

Actually, it emerged in the view out the window of the 99 Restaurant at the Springfield Plaza, where the various players in the bid to bring Bounce! to Springfield were having lunch and discussing various options, including the possibility of building a facility on a pad site at the plaza across the street from the restaurant.

That’s when the subject of the cinema complex came up, with Merrill soon learning it had just been acquired by Cinemark, owner of the theater complex on Riverdale Street in West Springfield and others in the region, with plans to place a deed restriction on it to essentially keep additional competition from entering the market.

“They told me the plan was to have that building go dark, and my jaw dropped,” said Merrill, adding that he was dismayed at the prospect of opening a new business next door to such a dormant hulk.

Fast-forwarding a little, the discussion shifted to perhaps leasing a portion of the former theater complex, which, with this use in mind, was eventually sold back to Springfield Plaza owners the Davenport Companies and Albany Road Real Estate as a site for Bounce!

Working with Shelburne Falls-based architect Joe Mattei, Merrill and fellow managing partners Rob Dory and Greg Morgan soon took their concept from their imaginations to the drawing board, and then to the big screen — well, nine of them, actually, comprising roughly 35,000 square feet of jumping space.

That’s how many of the old theaters were leveled, in every sense of that construction term, to make way for a host of different experiences for those aforementioned jumpers.

There are several party rooms, for example, which, as that name implies, are smaller rooms designed to host birthday parties — a few dozen have already been booked — and other gatherings. There are also larger, general bouncing rooms, carved out of the larger theaters, including one with three basketball hoops set at various heights to test those who can now dunk thanks to a lift from a trampoline.

There is a room for younger children, complete with a bounce house, and two so-called Xtreme rooms. There, visitors can find American Ninja Warrior-style obstacle courses of varying levels of difficulty. There are also spaces for dodgeball games on trampolines, an activity that is growing in popularity, said Merrill.

The Springfield location hopes to draw from a wide area ranging from Northern Connecticut to New Hampshire; from the Berkshires to the western fringes of Worcester County, he went on, adding that, while young people and families comprise the primary target audiences, the facility is also hoping to draw students from the many colleges and universities across the area.

He notes that both geographic location and the quality of the venue are factors that will play into those expectations.

“Bounce! is really the Cadillac of this business,” he said. “There are several people doing this now, but these facilities set the standard.”

Uplifting Experience

Whether that standard will translate into business success remains to be seen, but all signs seem to indicate that this facility will indeed be hopping.

And if that’s the case, then it will mean a much different fate for a location that had seen the lights go out and was looking at a fairly dark future.

George O’Brien can reached at [email protected]

Mercedes Dealership Planned for Site Off Turnpike in Chicopee

By
Commercial Real Estate Sections

At a Crossroads

Mercedes LogoWhen Peter Wirth and his business partner, Rich Hesse, commenced their search for a site to locate a Mercedes dealership that would serve Western Mass. and Northern Conn., they started, well, where one might think they would start — Riverdale Street in West Springfield.

There are more than a half-dozen dealerships already on that stretch for a reason — actually several reasons, he told BusinessWest, listing everything from traffic counts to accessibility (I-91 and the Mass Pike both have exits on or just off that road) to the fact that the bevy of brands there acts as a magnet for car shoppers.

But while their search started on that throughfare, it didn’t end there. Indeed, upon riding up and down Riverdale Street a few times, the partners came away unimpressed with available options and disenchanted by obvious challenges — from holiday-season bottlenecks to the long drives needed to turn around and get on the desired side of the street.

So they turned their attention elsewhere, and eventually found a site far less obvious, but with all or most of those aforementioned amenities found in West Side.

Indeed, Wirth and Hesse will soon close on the property just off Turnpike exit 6 and at the tail end of Route 291, which has been home to hotels with a succession of names, most recently the Plantation Inn, which closed several years ago. This is the site known to many as the long-time home of white statue known colloquially, and simply, as the ‘Country Ford guy,’ because it previously graced that dealership for many years.

By June, the partners expect to complete demolition and then start construction of a 35,000-square-foot facility that will bring a Mercedes dealership back to Western Mass. for the first time in more than a decade.

This is an $11.8 million undertaking when one factors in the purchase of the property, demolition, and new construction, Wirth — co-owner, with Hesse, of Mercedes Benz of Nanuet, N.Y. — told BusinessWest, adding that he believes this constitutes a sound investment.

And the location they eventually chose is a big reason why.

“It’s at the intersection of two highways, and it couldn’t be any easier to get to,” he said, adding that the site is convenient for most everyone living or working in the dealership’s large territory — from just west of Worcester to the New York line; from the Vermont border into the Northern Conn. region.

Wirth told BusinessWest that he and Hesse were approached by Mercedes about bringing the brand back to the 413 area code — the closest dealership is in Hartford — and the partners, after some research, concluded this was a market in which they and the German carmaker could thrive.

“Mercedes recognized that the Western Mass. and Northern Connecticut markets were somewhat underserved, and that there is an opportunity there for the brand,” he explained. “They asked us to partner with them to bring the brand back to the area.”

Those talks started roughly 18 months ago, he went on, adding that the search for a location commenced soon afterward, and it took most of 2015 to seal a deal. There were several priorities involved with that search, he said, adding that the dealership requires a minimum of four acres (the Plantation Inn site has six). Accessibility is also a major factor, as well as visibility, which this location also possesses.

It doesn’t have any other dealerships, he observed, adding that Mercedes is such a powerful brand, it doesn’t need help from other makes to draw people to the door.

“We decided fairly early on that we didn’t need to be there, and that there were actually several advantages to not being there,” he said of what amounts to an auto mile on Riverdale Street. “The Mercedes brand has enough attraction, enough pull, so that you don’t have to be where everyone else is.”

Wirth said the timetable, as currently constituted, calls for having the dealership open for business by the second quarter of 2017, and maybe the first quarter if everything falls into place smoothly.

As for the Country Ford guy, Wirth said it was still in residence on the property when the partners first looked at it, and they actually considered making it a part of the dealership.

But it now has a new owner, forever, and this Mercedes store will need a different identifier.

Wirth believes the Mercedes sign that adorns the property will be more than enough.

— George O’Brien

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the months of January and February 2016.

CHICOPEE

35 Center St., LLC
35 Center St.
$3,000 — Interior renovations

CIL Realty of MA Inc.
1230 Burnett Road
$427,000 — Construction of a 24’ x 40’ addition

City of Chicopee
927 Sgt. Tracy Dr.
$55,000 — Construction of handicap ramp

Deerfield Commons
180 Beauchamp Terrace
$48,000 — Strip and re-roof

Main Street Property Management, LLC
340 McKinstry Ave.
$85,000 — Renovations for gym and training facility

Padgette Street, LLC
150 Padgette St.
$150,000 — Build out of offices in existing warehouse

LUDLOW

C.A. Smith & Lumber
84 Hubbard St.
$5,000 — Install new siding

Lupa Game Farm
62 Nash Hill Road
$93,000 — New construction

Ronald Chiasson
570 Holyoke St.
$30,000 — Replace roof

NORTHAMPTON

Cooley Dickinson Hospital
30 Locust St.
$170,000 — Renovate cafeteria

Emerald City Paper
17 New South St.
$116,000 — Add walls to create four offices

Harry McColgan
518 Pleasant St.
$3,500 — Divide into two office spaces and add doors

New England Deaconess Association
25 Coles Meadow Road
$5,050,000 — Construct three-story residential building

Northampton Four, LLC
338 King St.
$95,000 — Redesign and modernize fascia and alter vestibule

Smith College
11 Arnold Ave.
$13,000 — Exterior repairs

Thornes Marketplace
150 Main St.
$110,000 — Renovations for Herrell’s

Thornes Marketplace
150 Main St.
$10,000 — Replace two damaged rafters

Unitarian Church
220 Main St.
$12,000 — New metal roof

PALMER

L.N. Berneche Inc.
2002 Calkins Road
$22,000 — New roof

Palmer Motorsports Park, LLC
58 West Ware Road
$20,000 — Construct 20’ x 120’ carport

SPRINGFIELD

Memorial Square Apartments
2295 Main St.
$6,545,000 — Full MEPF renovations

Memorial Square Apartments
2718 Main St.
$1,634,000 — Full MEPF renovations

Memorial Square Apartments
17 East Hooker St.
$1,634,000 — Full MEPF renovations

Springfield Water and Sewer
71 Colton St.
$383,000 — Office renovations

Walmart, Inc.
1105 Boston Road
$400,000 — General remodel

WD 2025, LLC
2025 Roosevelt Ave.
$230,000 — Construct 30’ x 100’ soil canopy building

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

91 West Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $260,831
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Mark Healy
Date: 01/04/16

BUCKLAND

4 Clement St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jesus Salgado
Seller: Patricia A. Donohue
Date: 01/06/16

27 Orcutt Hill Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: John R. Holden
Seller: Ruth M. Bosch
Date: 01/07/16

CONWAY

500 Graves Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: William J. O’Neil
Seller: Pamela M. Fisk
Date: 01/11/16

59 Shelburne Falls Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Gregory D. Smith
Seller: James Boehmer
Date: 01/08/16

DEERFIELD

16 Crestview Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Jocelin Cesar
Seller: Shaohua Chen
Date: 01/11/16

10 Jones Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $235,900
Buyer: David B. Grace
Seller: Phillip W. Cole
Date: 01/12/16

ERVING

8 Union St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Chase
Seller: Jason T. Liimatainen
Date: 01/05/16

GILL

89 Franklin Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Dominic A. Pugliese
Seller: Edwin W. Niedbala
Date: 01/14/16

33 French King Hwy.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $196,500
Buyer: Joseph C. Yukl
Seller: John E. Doleva
Date: 01/15/16

GREENFIELD

16 Peabody Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $258,500
Buyer: Christopher H. Klosson
Seller: Julie C. Beaudoin
Date: 01/13/16

30-32 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Grinnell Properties LLC
Seller: Greenfield Savings
Date: 01/06/16

52 Verde Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Joseph P. Klepadlo
Seller: Greenfield KMW LLC
Date: 01/12/16

55 White Birch Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $131,500
Buyer: Darlene A. Holland
Seller: US Bank
Date: 01/04/16

35 Wildwood Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $159,050
Buyer: Laura Luker
Seller: Michel W. Lafantano
Date: 01/15/16

LEVERETT

79 Hemenway Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Patrick R. Jernigan
Seller: Roberts, Doris H., (Estate)
Date: 01/08/16

ORANGE

124 Drew Blvd.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $187,145
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Joanne Rancourt
Date: 01/15/16

SHUTESBURY

21 Sand Hill Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Edward P. Mikalunas
Seller: Deborah J. Campbell
Date: 01/14/16

SUNDERLAND

346 North Main St.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Martin Nystrom
Seller: Shirley P. Tower
Date: 01/14/16

WHATELY

223 River Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Timothy Viens
Seller: Mindy T. Thach
Date: 01/04/16

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

138 Elmar Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Gina G. Daniele
Seller: Eric J. Vieu
Date: 01/06/16

71 Garden St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: ASDA LLC
Seller: Rosemarie E. Kieffer
Date: 01/13/16

69 Randall St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Robert H. Greany
Seller: Thelma U. Troie
Date: 01/08/16

216 School St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Wehr
Seller: Marlene Lovely
Date: 01/13/16

1004 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: 1004 Springfield St. LLC
Seller: Ellsworth W. Smith
Date: 01/08/16

31 Strawberry Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $317,581
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Richard J. Santore
Date: 01/15/16

124 Witheridge St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Beth J. Kanjau
Seller: Joseph Kot
Date: 01/15/16

BLANDFORD

43 Otis Tolland Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $365,000
Seller: James W. Lafleur
Date: 01/15/16

CHESTER

74 Kinnebrook Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Schwartz
Seller: Douglas L. Rockwell
Date: 01/15/16

CHICOPEE

311 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Gabriel Martinez
Seller: Costas D. Anamisis
Date: 01/13/16

88 Edmund St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Casey J. Roginski
Seller: James M. Szczur
Date: 01/15/16

342 Front St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: NAP Properties LLC
Seller: K&A LLC
Date: 01/05/16

101 Holyoke Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Sydney J. Roy
Seller: Nathan T. Baker
Date: 01/08/16

55 Julia Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $157,782
Buyer: Karen Ayers
Seller: William J. Ayers
Date: 01/15/16

18 Nash St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $173,500
Buyer: Ramon Alvarez
Seller: Brett A. Civetti
Date: 01/15/16

65 Pondview Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $139,500
Buyer: Maura M. Livingstone
Seller: Mary L. Coalson
Date: 01/06/16

74 Saint Jacques Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Ronald J. Pete
Seller: Anthony A. Grasso
Date: 01/14/16

24 Wilfred St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Matthew Turner
Seller: Vladimir Romanchenko
Date: 01/13/16

EAST LONGMEADOW

76 Brookhaven Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Melanie Bliss
Seller: Antonio Truoiolo
Date: 01/08/16

61 Evergreen Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $371,500
Buyer: Michael J. Carney
Seller: Chaula K. Vora
Date: 01/15/16

Glynn Farms Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Sugar Magnolia RT
Seller: David R. Baker
Date: 01/12/16

94 Maple St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $1,750,000
Buyer: Oh Hey Beth LLC
Seller: 94 Maple Street LLC
Date: 01/11/16

186 Mapleshade Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Beth E. Fratini
Seller: Judith L. Kelliher
Date: 01/15/16

520 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Cafe CT LLC
Seller: Antonio Coelho
Date: 01/06/16

7 Odion St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $218,900
Buyer: German Garcia
Seller: Kevin M. Reed
Date: 01/06/16

21 Oxford Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Antonio Truoiolo
Seller: Thomas P. Hanifan
Date: 01/08/16

Pondview Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Custom Homes Development Group
Seller: Joseph Chapdelaine & Sons
Date: 01/07/16

235 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Reid Hunter
Seller: Debra J. Hunter
Date: 01/14/16

518 Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Dennis A. Chaffee
Seller: JP Rentals Inc.
Date: 01/15/16

GRANVILLE

272 Silver St.
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: John P. Yeakley
Seller: Travis A. Gaffey
Date: 01/08/16

25 Sodom St.
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Alexander N. Bineault
Seller: Gail P. Fitzgerald
Date: 01/11/16

HAMPDEN

77 Carmody Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Marth-E LLC
Date: 01/13/16

11 Maple Grove Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $378,500
Buyer: Mark Tobias
Seller: Jerry Ago
Date: 01/04/16

365 South Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $338,900
Buyer: Robert Vanwart
Seller: James K. Quackenbush
Date: 01/07/16

198 Stafford Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Johnny J. Johnson
Seller: Jeffrey N. Schneider
Date: 01/11/16

66 Woodland Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Mary Persaud
Seller: O’Donnell, William J., (Estate)

HOLLAND

242 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Scott Alexander
Seller: Daniel J. Shea
Date: 01/11/16

HOLYOKE

8 Bayberry Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $223,500
Buyer: Kenneth R. Allen
Seller: Phillip A. Lees
Date: 01/15/16

173-175 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Angel L. Rodriguez
Seller: Raymond F. Turgeon
Date: 01/04/16

17 Holly Meadow Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Ryan Hamel
Seller: Adele M. Stiles
Date: 01/15/16

7 Thorpe Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Yarland Properties LLC
Seller: Hilltop Garden Apartments
Date: 01/08/16

222 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Marisol Figueroa
Seller: Elizabeth Rivera
Date: 01/06/16

330 Walnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $128,284
Buyer: Miriam Villa-Ayala
Seller: Jeffrey Ocampo
Date: 01/07/16

LONGMEADOW

275 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $268,250
Buyer: Brendan Fitzgerald
Seller: David Trenkner
Date: 01/05/16

429 Frank Smith Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Yisroel Gesin
Seller: Joseph A. Garofalo
Date: 01/04/16

1069 Frank Smith Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: Douglas Ferro
Seller: Ira Smolowitz
Date: 01/08/16

119 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Kylee C. Granfield
Seller: Erin E. Carney
Date: 01/15/16

57 Maplewood St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Esther M. Kim
Seller: Carl W. Janovsky
Date: 01/05/16

227 Sheffield Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $344,500
Buyer: David F. Czaporowski
Seller: Matthew C. Szostkiewicz
Date: 01/15/16

97 Tecumseh Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Buyer: Shambhu Rana
Seller: Sodi Inc.
Date: 01/04/16

LUDLOW

68 Amherst St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Stanley P. Ryczek
Seller: Catherine L. Benoit
Date: 01/15/16

163 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Fernando L. Ribeiro
Seller: Arthur A. Flanagan
Date: 01/08/16

8 Daisy Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Susan A. Theriault
Seller: Carlos Genovevo
Date: 01/11/16

105 Kirkland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Manuel Palatino
Seller: David A. Fontaine
Date: 01/13/16

653 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $775,000
Buyer: Tarpon Towers 2 LLC
Seller: Charter Communications
Date: 01/13/16

MONSON

East Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Craig Levesque
Seller: Heriberto Flores
Date: 01/15/16

35 Elm St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Erica M. Brunell
Seller: Bayview Loan Servicing
Date: 01/06/16

24 Old Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Keith M. Ostrander
Seller: William J. O’Neil
Date: 01/05/16

MONTGOMERY

244 Main Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $120,900
Buyer: Geoffrey J. Boisjolie
Seller: Alan L. Blair
Date: 01/15/16

PALMER

251 Boston Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Adam L. Norton
Seller: James J. Mooney
Date: 01/14/16

24 Breton St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $170,300
Buyer: Jessy I. Salsbury
Seller: Barnes, Joyce M., (Estate)
Date: 01/06/16

37 Ford St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Stacey Gould
Seller: Wilga, Mary A., (Estate)
Date: 01/15/16

1060 Overlook Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Kimberly Bailey
Seller: Ryan M. McMullen
Date: 01/06/16

2118-2120 Palmer Road
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Alyson Hann
Seller: James F. Shea
Date: 01/04/16

RUSSELL

368 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $181,600
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Diane Raczkowski
Date: 01/14/16

SOUTHWICK

300 College Highway
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: TSC Enterprises LLC
Seller: David B. Spillane
Date: 01/08/16

194 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Dale T. Lafayette
Seller: Lynn K. Mcmullin
Date: 01/08/16

15 Overlook Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Alla Burkovskiy
Seller: Pinnacle Estates At Ranch
Date: 01/12/16

4 Pearl Brook Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $356,000
Buyer: Gary R. Allen
Seller: Thomas A. Wood
Date: 01/15/16

285 South Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Rebecca M. Joslin
Seller: Dale T. Lafayette
Date: 01/08/16

24 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Robert Dale-Brodhagen
Seller: Stephen H. Couture
Date: 01/15/16

28 Woodside Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: James W. Lafleur
Seller: Francisco J. Sole
Date: 01/15/16

SPRINGFIELD

68 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Debra A. Gomes
Seller: Penniman, Mildred M., (Estate)
Date: 01/08/16

26 Burnside Terrace
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jolene Alexander
Seller: Jackson H. Williams
Date: 01/07/16

169 Cambria St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Joseph F. Marrin
Seller: Patricia Fahey
Date: 01/11/16

13 Campechi St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Robert J. Gronstalski
Seller: Bryce G. Menninga
Date: 01/15/16

19 Chalfonte Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $169,500
Buyer: Lauren Dembek
Seller: Robert M. Wood
Date: 01/06/16

88-90 Cherrelyn St.
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Corey A. Elias
Seller: City Joe LLC
Date: 01/15/16

14 Chesterfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Denault
Seller: William Raleigh
Date: 01/07/16

7 Dana St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Sergul Durdu
Seller: George S. Elias
Date: 01/07/16

43 Dana St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Rafael Carrasquillo
Seller: Timothy P. Dunn
Date: 01/14/16

26 Delano Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Christina Dacruz
Seller: Timothy Clark
Date: 01/08/16

95 Fenimore Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $169,500
Buyer: Tyrus T. Ferguson
Seller: Wendy M. Crews
Date: 01/11/16

Florence St. #26
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Bennie E. Nieves
Seller: Viva Development LLC
Date: 01/12/16

42 Francis St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Andrew P. Condino
Seller: Helen Banas
Date: 01/15/16

37 Grenada Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Octavio Mendez
Seller: Matthew J. Turner
Date: 01/13/16

217 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Lee Dutil
Seller: Deborah Tracy
Date: 01/06/16

12 Jimmy Court
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Jose Colon
Seller: Henry P. Garcia
Date: 01/15/16

67 Jordan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Aaron R. Goncalves
Seller: Pszczyna RT
Date: 01/07/16

64 Joseph St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $290,679
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Regina Torres
Date: 01/12/16

16 Kay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Maurice P. Tillman
Date: 01/11/16

36 Lumae St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Duc T. Le
Seller: Le T. Le
Date: 01/14/16

53 Murray Hill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $147,300
Buyer: Richard R. Wilkins
Seller: Robert J. Smith
Date: 01/05/16

11 Newhall St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $121,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Deborah J. Hawley
Date: 01/11/16

271 Newton Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Murphy
Seller: Timothy J. O’Brien
Date: 01/12/16

2015 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Marianna S. Stack
Seller: Walter A. Kraftchick
Date: 01/11/16

59 Pinevale St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Raddy O. Nunez
Seller: KEM Management LLC
Date: 01/07/16

15 Pocantico Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Paul Nganga
Seller: Daniel R. Flexer
Date: 01/14/16

117 Portulaca Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Tamari J. Martinez
Seller: Nathaniel M. Murray
Date: 01/05/16

79 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Michelle D. Dechristopher
Seller: Tyrus T. Ferguson
Date: 01/11/16

163-165 Prospect St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Yeison Ramirez
Seller: Begaina Lopez
Date: 01/08/16

15 Rollins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $142,383
Buyer: Sergey Savonin
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 01/05/16

50 Rollins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Cassandra Martinez
Seller: Jonathan K. Willoughby
Date: 01/05/16

378 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Mark Szydlowski
Seller: John E. Moore
Date: 01/14/16

1385 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: James L. Lobik
Seller: Martin J. Lobik
Date: 01/15/16

6 Talcott St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Iglesia Bethsaida Inc.
Seller: Iglesia Pentecostal Fuent
Date: 01/12/16

100 Tallyho Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Sheena M. Zerfas
Seller: John J. Lyons
Date: 01/11/16

58-60 Wilmont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $122,900
Buyer: Luz M. Cartagena
Seller: Izzo, Filomena, (Estate)
Date: 01/14/16

24-26 Wolcott St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $128,200
Buyer: Tiffany S. Williams
Seller: Patrick M. Shea
Date: 01/15/16

WALES

14 Shaw Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Taylor D. Kibbe
Seller: Gary S. Pfisterer
Date: 01/12/16

WEST SPRINGFIELD

103 Herrman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Stephanie R. Dowers
Seller: Freshour, John H., (Estate)
Date: 01/04/16

39 Hillcrest Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: John R. Bowers
Seller: Ann E. Phaneuf
Date: 01/08/16

30 Kings Hwy.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Oliva V. Ricks
Seller: Camilo M. Cunha
Date: 01/15/16

111 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $218,500
Buyer: William J. Behler
Seller: Keith A. Supinski
Date: 01/15/16

44 Morningside Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Mandy C. Chan
Seller: Donald Pomeroy
Date: 01/08/16

39 Mulcahy Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $424,900
Buyer: Hassen M. Borhot
Seller: Francis Wheeler Constr
Date: 01/07/16

Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Country Club Partners LLC
Seller: Entrust New England LLC
Date: 01/12/16

294 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $189,900
Seller: Raymond M. Dutkiewicz
Date: 01/07/16

885 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $2,050,000
Buyer: 66 West Springfield Realty
Seller: Veerji LLC
Date: 01/07/16

75 Sagamore Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,500
Buyer: Gary P. Acebuche
Seller: Terence J. Hurlbut
Date: 01/06/16

WESTFIELD

56 Airport Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jarvis Surgical Inc.
Seller: Lawry Realty LLC
Date: 01/15/16

39 Crane Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Nadezhda Shlykova
Seller: Ruth M. Minkus
Date: 01/07/16

53 Day Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Kelli A. McLean
Seller: Antoinette M. McLean
Date: 01/13/16

78 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $357,920
Buyer: Jeffrey V. Cormier
Seller: Granville Road LLC
Date: 01/08/16

46 Holland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Roberto F. Deza
Date: 01/14/16

113 Lindbergh Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Michael P. Daly
Seller: Robert K. Walker
Date: 01/05/16

24 Llewellyn Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Johnny D. Hor
Seller: Robert R. Lees
Date: 01/15/16

69 Michael Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Keith A. Supinski
Seller: Debra A. Post
Date: 01/15/16

35 Northwest Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $194,500
Buyer: Amanda M. Leclair
Seller: Wanda L. Lafogg
Date: 01/04/16

74 Old Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: John E. Prenosil
Seller: Westfield Meadow Corp.
Date: 01/11/16

77 Ridgecrest Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Thomas E. McMahon
Seller: Steven Webersen
Date: 01/14/16

58 Ridgeway St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $153,729
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Raymond Brouillette
Date: 01/13/16

46 Vadnais St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $126,500
Buyer: Aaron M. Kline
Seller: Steve N. Spelman
Date: 01/05/16

86 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Stuart B. Markey
Seller: Marsha A. Hubbs
Date: 01/11/16

WILBRAHAM

464 Dipping Hole Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Jeffrey A. Pelletier
Seller: David P. Brooks
Date: 01/12/16

40 Dumaine St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Kids Dentist Realty LLC
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 01/12/16
Stonington Dr. #14
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Peter D. Martins
Seller: Silo Farm Associates LLC
Date: 01/08/16

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

415 Shays St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $161,500
Buyer: John G. Gummere
Seller: Kennick, William E., (Estate)
Date: 01/13/16

BELCHERTOWN

28 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $419,900
Buyer: Rebecca L. Flores
Seller: Ronald J. Chiasson
Date: 01/15/16

66 Chadbourne Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Carleen S. Sullivan
Seller: Deborah L. Dunbar
Date: 01/04/16

29 Emily Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $393,700
Buyer: David P. Krause
Seller: JP Builders Inc.
Date: 01/14/16

205 Orchard St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Sara B. Trowbridge
Seller: L. P. Audette Builders Inc.
Date: 01/05/16

131 Warner St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Loretta W. Lyons
Seller: Michele F. Critelli
Date: 01/04/16

CUMMINGTON

16 Jordan Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $246,500
Buyer: Nathan Buckhout
Seller: Gregory A. Jordan
Date: 01/04/16

EASTHAMPTON

10 Alden St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $208,500
Buyer: Jacqueline B. Siller
Seller: Brousseau, Barbara A., (Estate)
Date: 01/04/16

7 Allen St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Ruth A. Barrett IRT
Seller: Rita L. Bartlett
Date: 01/08/16

418 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Timothy J. Senecal
Seller: Julie K. Albetski
Date: 01/15/16

6 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Rambo Financial RET
Seller: Bernard W. Bostick
Date: 01/12/16

65 Maple St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: David P. Lang
Seller: Richard W. Koloszyc
Date: 01/08/16

22 Matthew Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Ryan W. Gaw
Seller: Edward A. Zmuda
Date: 01/15/16

171 Park St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: James M. Hewitt
Seller: Rabideau, Julia S., (Estate)
Date: 01/14/16

30 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Michael J. O’Connor
Seller: Herbert A. Peterson
Date: 01/08/16

119 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: John A. Deiling
Seller: Nancy F. Macdonald RET
Date: 01/05/16

HADLEY

65 Bay Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Ellen T. Miller-Mack
Seller: Robert J. Caporale
Date: 01/12/16

121 Huntington Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Earle Shumway
Seller: Gerard P. Goodsell
Date: 01/06/16

75 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Charlene L. Patenaude
Seller: Andre R. Laflamme
Date: 01/13/16

51 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: David Lavalle
Seller: C. V. Jr. & M. A. Wilda RET
Date: 01/12/16

36 Stockbridge Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Joan Zaskey
Seller: Zaskey, Frank, (Estate)
Date: 01/04/16

93 Stockbridge Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Servicenet Inc.
Seller: Eileen M. Reopel
Date: 01/12/16

28 Stockwell Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $348,500
Buyer: Andre R. Laflamme
Seller: William J. Kennedy
Date: 01/15/16

HUNTINGTON

10 Harlow Clark Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Carbone
Seller: Henry H. Wortis
Date: 01/15/16

29 Harlow Clark Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: James Waters
Seller: Wayne V. Brown
Date: 01/11/16

218 Norwich Lake
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jeffrey T. Prince
Seller: Albert K. Whitaker
Date: 01/15/16

99 Searle Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $202,500
Buyer: Kellie E. Riel
Seller: Stephan W. Manley
Date: 01/08/16

NORTHAMPTON

1135 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Hector L. Rivera-Delbusto
Seller: Powers, Sophie H., (Estate)
Date: 01/12/16

97 Locust St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Jaynjane LLC
Seller: 97 Locust Street RT
Date: 01/06/16

370 Spring St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $599,000
Buyer: Scott W. Remick
Seller: Robert G. Haxby
Date: 01/15/16

239 State St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $348,000
Buyer: Mary J. Price
Seller: Evelyn S. Berman
Date: 01/08/16

181 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: David I. Rosenfield
Seller: Charles T. Canalizo
Date: 01/08/16

850 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $191,250
Buyer: TNOP Inc.
Seller: William E. Groot
Date: 01/13/16

130 Woods Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Sarah H. Pacheco
Seller: Kari M. Nykorchuk
Date: 01/14/16

SOUTH HADLEY

119 Lathrop St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Aaron B. Sabbs
Seller: Jerold S. Laguilles
Date: 01/15/16

27 Ludlow Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Steve Aube
Seller: Fred W. Sroka
Date: 01/14/16

137 Old Lyman Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $149,688
Buyer: USA VA
Seller: Tracey A. Ryan
Date: 01/11/16

10 Spring Meadows
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Erin K. Regan
Seller: Joseph R. Marchetti
Date: 01/06/16

12 Valley View Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Jerold S. Laguilles
Seller: Lisa C. Gebhardt
Date: 01/15/16

SOUTHAMPTON

40 Coleman Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Michelle L. Swift
Seller: Kelly Cline
Date: 01/08/16

WARE

4 Gwen Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Robert L. Gould
Seller: David Sammataro
Date: 01/12/16

14 Laurel Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Clayton F. Jedziniak
Seller: Angela J. Lawrence
Date: 01/04/16

110 North St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Laura E. Gilmore
Seller: Scott Fershleiser
Date: 01/08/16

WESTHAMPTON

111 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $498,000
Buyer: Anthony A. Mone
Seller: Eric J. Potorski
Date: 01/15/16

WILLIAMSBURG

1 Kellogg Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Poverty Mountain LLP
Seller: Charles H. Edwards
Date: 01/07/16

142 Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: American Dream Realty LLC
Seller: Berkshire Bank
Date: 01/07/16

10 Mountain St.
Williamsburg, MA 01062
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Michael Whalen
Seller: Pandora C. Redwin
Date: 01/05/16

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Ayers, John A.
Ayers, Kristen Lee
a/k/a Ormsby, Kristen
34 High Meadow Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/16

Bergman, Avraham
a/k/a Bergman, Avi
1 Northwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/20/16

Boland, Dianne C.
395 Porter Lake Dr., #303
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/16

Capitanio, Matthew D.
30 Melrose Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/18/16

Colon, Alfredo
7 Grove St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/21/16

Cripps, Tina D.
77C Highview Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/18/16

Drake, Jason Eric
65R West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/16

Dutton, Darrin M.
115 Farnum St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/16

Egleston, Lisa J.
9 Ridgeway Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/16

Greeno, Michiko Elaine
4008 South Athol Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/16

Griswold, Penny L.
239 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/16

Hartshorn, William Wayne
5 Greenleaf Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/21/16

Holt, Tifani Lea
a/k/a Quinones, Tifani Lea
55 N. Loudville Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/16

Horn, Alfred
323 Houghton St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/16

Hurley, Terri-Lynn
a/k/a Lamarre, Terrilynn
a/k/a Superneau, Terri-Lynn
1 Conrad St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/16

Jones, Lakeisha Ann
122 Chestnut St., Apt. B
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/16

Jordan, Pamela A.
P.O. Box 586
West Springfield, MA 01090
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/16

Jusino, Elvis E.
567 Pleasant St., Apt. 2R
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/16

Kearns, Suzanne M.
103 West Calvin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/16

Labrecque, Holly A.
554 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/20/16

Lanfair, David Wesley
Lanfair, Donna Fay
116 Columbian Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/16

Lavo, Katherine Jean
855 Main St., Apt. 1L
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/16

Ljubicic, Paul M.
30 Mystery Lane
Phillipston, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/16

McDermott, Kyle J.
10 Sumner Ave., Apt. 25
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/16

McKeithen, Lisa
a/k/a Liborio, Lisa M.
36 North Main St., Apt. 1
Sherborn, MA 01770
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/16

Medina, James A.
147 Line St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/16

Milsap, Andre M.
75 Avon Place, Apt. 201
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/16

Montana, Brian P.
11 Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/16

Morin, Raymond E.
Morin, Ruth E.
11 Ludlow Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/16

Mroz, June E.
85 Tilda Hill Road
Florida, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/16

Murphy, Erin E.
107 West State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/27/16

Phan, Vuong
102 Garden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/27/16

Quink, Christine
42d Pheasant Hill Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/20/16

Raviele, Anita
21 Church St.
Lenox, MA 01240
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/16

Rivera, Felicia L.
64 Kane Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/16

Rivera, Jason Michael
24 Clark St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/16

Rivera, Magleny
53 Campechi St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/21/16

Rumore, Gino J.
33 Homer Ave., Apt. 3
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/16

Santos, Michael A.
19 Cherry St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/16

Skwira, Therese B.
16 Randall St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/16

Slocik-McLaughlin, Erin Elaine
36 Crocker Ave.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/26/16

Sumner, Mary A.
174 Houghton St., Apt. 1
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/16

Thomas, Kona M.
17 Ballard St., Apt. O
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/16

Tremblay, Donald J.
Tremblay, Grisel M.
13 Smith St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/30/16

Vermette, Joshua P.
172 Ludlow St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/20/16

Wilson, Dede A.
a/k/a Wilson, Andrea Acosta
a/k/a Acosta, Andrea
128 January Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/16

Wolf, Deborah S.
14 Gibson Dr.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/18/16

Doing Business As Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

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

CHICOPEE

School Deli Market
95 School St.
Jenny Concepcion

Da-Vi Nails
591 Memorial Dr.
Chin Pham

Element Repair Handyman
78 Wildwood St.
Anna Sosnin

Hood Pros Inc.
82 Bonneville Ave.
Scott Prystas

Pioneer Valley Auto Club
863 Montgomery St.
Stephen Brochu

Sheng Enterprises
28 Sheridan St.
Scott Smith

Tryba Oil Services
832 Meadow St.
Eugene Tryba

HOLYOKE

Lach Transport
3 Falardeau Road
Malgoraza Lach

Paper City Strength & Conditioning
208 Race St.
Thomas Reynolds

Reyes Income Tax
326 Appleton St.
Enrique Reyes

Sam’s Quality Motors
16 Charles Hill Road
Eric Rosa

The Vitamin Shoppe
239 Farms Road
Colin Watts

NORTHAMPTON

BP Productions
244 Grove St.
William Payne

Handyman Am
18 Denise Court
Alicia Stewart

HZ Electric
440 Pleasant St.
VS Electrical Services Inc.

Sacred Alchemy Wellness
52 Front St.
Donna Whyte

VBH Consulting
28 Park St.
Vicki Baum-Homes

PALMER

Commonwealth Bar
1618 North Main St.
Shane Bravetti

Dave’s Frame & Automotive
1316 South Main St.
David Muir

RPS Auto Inc.
1181 Park St.
Peter St. Andre

Tranquility Central Hair & Nails
1384 Main St.
Charlene Cavanaugh

SPRINGFIELD

Boylan Overhead Door
90 Tapley St.
Sean Boylan

Cafe Christo
513 Belmont Ave.
Christos Kaltidis

CT’s City Wide Towing
15 Vincent St.
Charles Thans

Design Dental Lab
128 Pine Grove St.
Diana Shveyko

Excellence Landscaping
661 Union St.
Jonathan Memendez

G & Y
74 Clifton Ave.
Guillermo Jimenez

Glass Rental Property
96 Florida St.
Jerrell Glass

Hierro Home Improvement
1655 Main St.
Alvin Hierro

Khan Transport
1238 Carew St.
Froq Tahir

Koj Entertainment
105 West Alvord St.
Barrington Johnson

Law Office of James Martin
1145 Main St.
James Martin

Leacs
53 West Bay Path Terrace
Luis Rosado

Pick Up Games
35 Westminster St.
Justin Cotton

Quality Renovations
74 Elm St.
Craig McCarthy

Shaili Love Inc.
500 Page Blvd.
Suresh Patel

Studio 4
2 Chestnut St.
Jeremy A. Gonzalez

United Business Directory
1 Allen St.
William Hannigan

Wags to Whiskers Pet Sitter
120 Timothy Circle
Christine Higgins

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Conri Construction, LLC
65 Cataumet Lane
David Duquette

Creative Fashion
920 Memorial Ave.
Barbara Williams

Discounted Soccer
212 Ely Ave.
Paul Klorer

Foxy Nails
589 Westfield St.
Thanh Huynh

Hazen Enterprises
61 Winona Dr.
Lawrence Hazen

Nina’s Beauty Salon
446 Main St.
Nina Boissoneault

PSA Healthcare
181 Park Ave.
Opal Ferraro

The Pink Zebra Artisan
1191 Piper Road
Mark Alfano

Western Mass Services
208 Labelle St.
Leonard Cowles

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Ronak Food Mart Inc., 650 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Mukesh K. Patel, same. Neighborhood convenience store.

CONWAY

The “V” Project Inc., 1352 Ashfield Road, Conway, MA 01341. David Donald Chevalier Sr., same. Organization for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes to combine veterans and volunteers to fulfill the needs of the less fortunate; reintegrate veterans and their families into civilian life.

EAST LONGMEADOW

MM Acquisition Inc., 35 Industrial Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Steven L. Graham, same. Real estate.

HAMPDEN

North Road consulting Inc., 379 North Road, Hampden, MA 01036. Jeffrey Smith, same. Accounting and bookkeeping consulting.

HOLYOKE

Ministerio Alimentando A Los Necesitados Inc., 156 Allyn St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Elsie Diaz, same. Assist needy, homeless, anyone else in need of support by providing spiritual and material needs; spread the word of Jesus Christ.

LENOX

Silver Sunami Inc., 19 Bolton Dr., Lenox, MA 01240. Kendra Macleod, same. Transitional and liquidation services.

LUDLOW

Shifa Comprehensive Health Center P.C., 185 West Ave., Ludlow, MA 01056. Shaukat Matin, same. To provide quality medical services to the local population.

NORTHAMPTON

Western Massachusetts Directors of Special Education Inc., 240 Main St., second floor, Northampton, MA 01060. Sharon Jones, 556 Mt. Hermon Station, Northfield, MA 01360. Organization for charitable, scientific, literary, and educational purposes for educational training and professional guidance to providers of special education.

SOUTH HADLEY

Mosier School PTO Inc., 101 Moshier St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Anita Montanez-Barcome, 45 Applewood Lane, South Hadley, MA 01075. Enhance the educational experience for the children who attend the Moshier School.

SPRINGFIELD

Senrab Seven Inc., 63 Orpheum Ave., Springfield, MA 01118. Catherine E. Kagan, same. Distribution of bread and bakery products.

Supreme Autobody and Collision Center Inc., 361 Taylor St., Springfield, MA 01105. Michael E. Freedman, 71 Woodsley Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Collision repair and restoration of vehicles.

Tina M. Chandler, EA Inc., 1205 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01119. Tina M. Chandler, same. Income tax services.

Trinity Auto Carrier Inc., 373 White St., Apt 1, Springfield, MA 01108. Andres Delgado, same. Auto transportation.

Z Ali Inc., 555 State St., Springfield, MA 01109. Zeeshan Ali, 47 Amherst Ave, Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Furniture and general merchandise.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Quick Transportation Corp., 284 Main St., First Floor, West Springfield, MA 01089. Ahmed Aljanabi, same.

WESTFIELD

MVK Corporation, 126 Union St., Unit 201, Westfield, MA 01085. Mikhail Kolesnichenko, same. Trucking.

WILLIAMSTOWN

U-A Fine Hair Studio Inc., 173 Water St., Suite 3, Williamstown, MA 01267. Karen Brown, 4 Doanes Lane, North Adams, MA 01247. Hair salon.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Demolition of I-91 Viaduct Deck Underway

SPRINGFIELD — MassDOT’s contractor, the joint venture of White-Schiavone, began demolishing the I-91 viaduct’s reinforced concrete bridge deck on Feb. 10. The work will take place in the inner northbound lane of the viaduct along the median, which is currently closed. The contractor will work a day shift (7 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and a night shift (4 p.m. to midnight) on Mondays through Fridays. Demolition of the inner northbound lane deck is expected to continue through April 2017. Demolition of other portions of the viaduct deck will continue through summer 2017. White-Schiavone will use several noise mitigation techniques during demolition. It has proactively installed noise curtains along the work zone in noise-sensitive areas. Additional curtains may be installed as required once initial noise readings are taken after demolition activities have started. In addition, all heavy trucks and equipment have been retrofitted with self-adjusting backup alarms, which limit the sound to a set volume above the ambient (background) noise. The JV has also taken initial readings of ambient noise in the work zone to establish a baseline for comparison. All equipment has been tested to ensure it is operating within the manufacturer’s specification. Those traveling through the area should follow the reduced speed limits and use caution. MassDOT encourages drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes to minimize delays. For more information about the project, visit www.mass.gov/massdot/i91viaductrehab. To report issues or concerns, or with questions about construction, e-mail [email protected] or call (617) 454-1839.

Ouimet-Rooke Nominated as District Court Judge

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker has nominated Michele Ouimet-Rooke, an attorney with more than 17 years of experience in Western Mass. courts, to serve as a judge in Springfield District Court. “Michele Ouimet-Rooke offers the court a great combination of experience in both civil and criminal legal matters drawn from her career in public service and private practice in Western Massachusetts,” Baker said. “I am pleased to recommend an individual with such broad experience to the Governor’s Council for their consideration.” Added Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, “the first two District Court openings our administration has sought to fill are in Hampden County, and we are pleased to make this second nomination to the Springfield District Court. If confirmed, we know that Ms. Ouimet-Rooke will serve her hometown with distinction.” Ouimet-Rooke, a native and resident of Springfield, joined the practice of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy in 2002 as an associate representing plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of litigations, including employment and discrimination law, premise and product liability, insurance defense, landlord/tenant issues, criminal defense, and business litigation, becoming a partner in 2012. She began her career in the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office as a victim/witness advocate for eight years before becoming an assistant district attorney and chief prosecutor. She obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Springfield College and her juris doctor from Western New England College School of Law in 1999. The Governor’s Council held a hearing on the nomination on Feb. 17, and a confirmation vote is scheduled for Feb. 24. There are 62 district courts throughout the Commonwealth hearing a range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental-health, and other cases, including all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, misdemeanors, and violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. Springfield is located in Region 6, which includes courts in Chicopee, Eastern Hampshire, Greenfield, Holyoke, Northern Berkshire, Northampton, Orange, Palmer, Southern Berkshire, and Westfield.

Governor Signs Bill to Reduce Minors’ Risk for Skin Cancer

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation last week to reduce the risk of skin cancer among minors by increasing the minimum age for the use of tanning facilities to 18 years old. During consideration of the bill, medical associations including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the Melanoma Foundation of New England, the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation, and the families of skin-cancer victims Glenna Kohl and Jay Farley testified in support of its passage. “With the number of minors diagnosed with skin cancer on the rise across Massachusetts and the nation, this legislation takes a critical step towards increasing awareness and protecting our most vulnerable,” Baker said. Added state Rep. Marjorie Decker, “this legislation is about protecting young people from carcinogenic UV rays that we know cause cancer. I am proud to have worked on legislation that will help save lives and want to thank Gov. Baker for signing this into law.”

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

Health New England Announces New Branding, Launches New Website

SPRINGFIELD — Health New England recently launched an all-new corporate brand, marked by a blue and gray logo and tagline, “Where you matter.” To coincide with the new brand launch, the company also released its new public website, healthnewengland.org. Health New England continues to offer health plans across three lines of business: commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid (its Be Healthy MassHealth plan). Although the company will begin using one logo to represent all lines of business going forward, the new branding will have no impact on the current plans or benefits available to members. “We have been meeting the health care needs of our communities for more than 30 years. And now, we’re renewing our commitment to our members and business partners through our all-new logo and brand promise,” said Steven Webster, director, marketing and digital strategy. “We have a new look, and our commitment to members and our communities is as strong as ever.” The new Health New England branding was developed after over a year of extensive research with brokers, employer groups, providers, and members, which revealed three key brand attributes: quality coverage, thoughtful service, and a human experience. Health New England’s new public website offers a contemporary design, updated content, and simplified navigation. Last fall, the company relaunched its member portal, my.healthnewengland.org, offering new tools and information to help members manage their healthcare. “It’s our goal to provide our members with a meaningful, simplified, and robust experience, working to help explain complex healthcare topics,” Webster said. Based in Springfield, Health New England is a nonprofit health plan serving members in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Baystate Health.

Montessori School of Northampton Launches Middle-school Program

NORTHAMPTON — Montessori School of Northampton (MSN) will open Northampton’s first independent middle school in September, aiming to take education well beyond the four walls of the classroom. “Our middle-schoolers will benefit from the unique materials, intensively trained teachers, and self-directed learning for which Montessori schools are known worldwide,” said Susan Swift, head of school. “But they will also work and learn at local farms, theaters, and businesses, and do service projects to benefit the local community.” To lead MSN’s middle-school program, the school has hired Corey Hadden, a Montessori-trained and experienced middle-school teacher. He is also an apprentice trainer on the staff of the Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teacher Education Program and has many years of experience with Outward Bound as well as mindfulness training. His goal as middle-school teacher is to help students understand themselves as part of a community — and part of a bigger world. “Our out-in-the-community curriculum was designed with the specific developmental needs of adolescents in mind,” he said. “As any parent of a 12-year old will tell you, these kids are in transition, changing from children to teenagers. Their bodies, their minds, their self-image are all in flux. The experience of doing meaningful work alongside adults and one another will help build a sense of self, with purpose, responsibility, and a love for learning that will help them succeed as they enter high school and beyond.”

Columbia Gas Supports Revitalize CDC Event

SPRINGFIELD — Columbia Gas of Massachusetts has awarded Revitalize CDC a donation of $5,000 in support of the 2016 Green-N-Fit event scheduled for Saturday, April 23. “We are so appreciative of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts’ ongoing support, now for the fifth consecutive year. Thanks to Columbia Gas, we are able to make the homes of low-income elderly and military veterans in need safe, healthy, and energy-efficient,” said Revitalize CDC President and CEO Colleen Loveless. Nearly 100 skilled and dedicated volunteer employees from Columbia Gas have tackled several projects over the past five years. Projects have included interior and exterior painting, upgrading a daycare outdoor play space, repairing bathroom and kitchen plumbing, planting a garden, and pitching in wherever there is a need. “Columbia Gas of Massachusetts is committed to working with nonprofit organizations such as Revitalize CDC where their mission to revitalize homes, neighborhoods, and lives through preservation, education, and community involvement aligns with ours to help create strong and sustainable communities where our employees and customers live and work,” said Andrea Luppi, the utility’s manager of Communications and Community Relations.

Berkshire Bank Donates $2.3 Million to Nonprofits

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced that its two charitable foundations awarded a total of $1,810,229 in grants to nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont during 2015. The grants supported education and community-development initiatives as well as health and human services and cultural programs. In addition, Berkshire Bank provided approximately $500,000 in community sponsorships, raising its total contributions in the community to more than $2.3 million. “Our philanthropic investments impacted more than 8 million individuals in 2015, helping to enhance economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for members of our community,” said Lori Gazzillo, vice president and director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation. “Thanks in large part to the work of our nonprofit partners, individuals improved their reading, writing, and math; graduated from high school; attended college; and visited local cultural organizations. Our partners also created affordable housing, revitalized downtown centers, and helped individuals gain employment. We are so pleased to continue our support of so many community initiatives throughout our footprint.”

Country Bank Makes Donation to Abby’s House

WARE — Country Bank recently Abby’s House with a check for $3,050. This donation was made possible through the Country Bank Employee Charitable Giving Program’s casual Fridays. Each week Country Bank staff are able to wear jeans in exchange for a $5 donation to the charity of the month. The total funds collected are then matched by Country Bank. The organizations chosen for this honor are suggestions submitted by the staff at Country Bank. Country Bank serves Central and Western Mass. with 14 offices. For more information, visit www.countrybank.com or call (800) 322-8233.

Pride Stores Donates $25,000 to CHD’s MaryAnne’s Kids Fund

SPRINGFIELD — Pride Stores recently donated $25,000 to the Center for Human Development’s (CHD) MaryAnne’s Kids Fund, which was established to provide opportunities for children in foster care that would otherwise be unavailable to them. This donation will help continue to provide these children the means to pursue special interests in music, dance, art, sports, summer camps, and extracurricular education, and an overall positive influence that will remain with them throughout their lives. “Pride does so much for MaryAnne’s Kids, helping foster children have opportunities that would not otherwise be available to them,” said Jim Williams, CHD’s Children and Families Program director. “We are grateful to have such a great partner in the community.” Every year, Pride Stores sells $1 ornaments in each of its 30 locations during the holidays to support MaryAnne’s Kids. “We are grateful to all the Pride customers who support this important fund-raiser.” said Marsha Del Monte, president of Pride Stores.

Monson Savings to Offer Free Tax Preparation Through VITA Program

MONSON — The Ware branch of Monson Savings Bank is participating in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which offers free tax preparation for those who qualify for this service. Monson Savings Bank volunteers will help people prepare their federal and Massachusetts state taxes starting every Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Those interested must call (413) 263-6500 to find out if they qualify and to make an appointment. The program is sponsored and funded by Springfield Partners for Community Action and United Way of Pioneer Valley.

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move
Brandon Mitchell

Brandon Mitchell

Chris Marini

Chris Marini

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) announced the promotion of Brandon Mitchell, CPA, MSA and Chris Marini, MSA, MOS to Senior Associate positions. Mitchell has been with MBK since 2013 and brings a strong technical skill set to his work, as well as a background in sales. “Brandon has demonstrated a strong understanding of our clients and their industries in his time with our firm,” said MBK partner Howard Cheney. “He is resourceful and often takes the initiative to educate himself on his clients beyond the scope of his technical work, allowing him to enhance his relationship with our client base and deliver an even higher level of client service.” Mitchell earned his MSA from Westfield State University. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. For more than two years, Marini has demonstrated a dedicated work ethic to both clients and the firm. He is a team leader within the not-for-profit, HUD, and pension-audit niches. “Since the very beginning, Chris has worked hard and demonstrated a commitment to growth and education,” Cheney said. “He is also an instrumental resource for computer and technology matters here at the firm, helping to spearhead a number of projects and initiatives as we continue to take our cloud-based computer environment to the next level. This has resulted in efficiencies which we are able to pass on to our clients.” Marini holds a BBA with a concentration in accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and earned his MSA from the University of Connecticut. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the board of trustees for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and serves as a mentor for the Westfield State University Accounting Club.

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PeoplesBank announced the following:

Beverly Farnham

Beverly Farnham

Amos McLeod III

Amos McLeod III

Nancy Robinson

Nancy Robinson

• Beverly Farnham has been promoted to Loan Service Officer. She possesses close to two decades of financial and banking experience. She first joined the bank in 1996 and previously served as loan service specialist. She has earned diplomas for financial services operations and consumer lending from the Center of Financial Training. She has been volunteering for the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Road Race for more than a decade;
• Amos McLeod III has been appointed Senior Credit Analyst Officer. He brings more than a decade of banking experience to his new position. He will be responsible for understanding and managing the credit risk and loan quality of the bank’s commercial real-estate and loan portfolios. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Springfield College and is a graduate of the School of Commercial Lending Program at Babson College. He serves as treasurer of Friends of the Huntington Public Library and volunteers for the United Way of Pioneer Valley; and
• Nancy Robinson has been promoted to Internal Audit Officer. She possesses more than a decade of banking and financial experience. She first joined the bank in 2012 and previously served as financial analyst. She holds a master’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England University. She serves on the board of the Connecticut River Valley Golden Retriever Club. She also volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, and Children’s Study Home.

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Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso, CFP, from the Connecticut Valley General Office of New York Life, is now authorized to offer AARP-branded life insurance and lifetime-income annuity products to AARP members. It is the first time these group-life-insurance products are offered by authorized-to-offer agents. Deliso is among a select group of New York Life agents who became authorized to offer her clients AARP Guaranteed Acceptance Life, AARP Level Benefit Term, and AARP Permanent Life Insurance, all from New York Life and New York Life’s Guaranteed Lifetime Income Annuity. She is a licensed insurance agent and passed courses specific to AARP. Deliso has been a New York Life agent since 1995. She serves on many boards in her community, including the Baystate Health Foundation and Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, and is chairman of the board of the Community Music School of Springfield. She is past chairman of the board of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, past board member of AAA Pioneer Valley, and past trustee of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the advisory council at Bay Path University. Since 1994, AARP group-life products from New York Life have been available via direct mail to AARP members. The company has also been the provider of group lifetime-income annuities to AARP members since 2006.

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The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts announced that Liz Feeley was named Director of Philanthropy. She brings a wealth of blended experience in education and philanthropy to the organization. Feeley received her bachelor’s degree in English from Lehigh University. After spending 21 years coaching intercollegiate women’s basketball at institutions such as Smith College, Princeton University, the University of Notre Dame, and Holy Cross College, Feeley took her penchant for building relationships into the field of philanthropy. She brings a background in strategic planning, team building, volunteer management, and designing sustainable programs to the Women’s Fund. Feeley’s work at both Smith College and Stoneleigh-Burnham School, a day-boarding school for girls in Greenfield, brought to the forefront of her consciousness issues that girls and women face each day. She looks forward to building relationships around the Women’s Fund’s mission of creating economic and social equality for women and girls in Western Mass. through philanthropy. Prior to arriving at the Women’s Fund, Feeley served as director of Development at Amherst Montessori School. Previously, as director of Development and Alumnae Relations at Stoneleigh-Burnham, she led a team that increased fund-raising by 133% and alumni participation in the annual fund by 50% in three years. As director of Development, she also launched an initiative that increased the number of major-gift donors by 35% in two years. In five years, her team took fund-raising at the school to an unprecedented level by implementing a strategy based on stewardship, cultivating relationships, brand identity, creating sustainable programs, social media, and in-person visits across the country and in Asia. While at Stoneleigh-Burnham, Feeley was instrumental in the planning and implementation of a $1.2 million two-year campaign. Her team coordinated and hosted a Leadership Symposium and Gala to launch the campaign that successfully raised money for a new student-center complex. She partnered with volunteer groups of parents, alumni, faculty, students, trustees, and others in an effort to advance the mission of the institution.

•••••

Keith G. Roy Construction Inc., a construction and contracting company serving Massachusetts and Connecticut since 1946, announced that Joshua David Roy has been appointed Vice President. “Joshua is continuing a legacy of leadership at a local family-owned and -operated company,” said President Keith G. Roy. Joshua developed his expertise by working side-by-side with both his grandfather, David, and his father, Keith, since his teenage years. He oversees and personally works on projects that include roofing; exterior builds, including decks and siding; as well as interior construction, including kitchens and baths. “I take particular pride in training our crew, project supervision, and customer service,” he said. For more information about the company, visit kgroyconstruction.com.

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The Gove Law Office announced that attorney Jaclyn Packard has joined the firm, focusing her practice on civil and criminal litigation and trials, real-estate transactions, and estate planning. “Jaclyn Packard is a wonderful addition to our growing law firm of professionals who represent the diverse practice areas Gove Law offers clients within the firm’s Litigation, Real Estate, and Estate Planning departments,” said Michael Gove, founding partner of Gove Law Office. Having graduated cum laude from the Florida Coastal School of Law, Packard holds a license to practice law in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Florida. In addition to being a practicing attorney, she is an active supporter of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event and a volunteer with the Lawyer for a Day program. The Gove Law Office, with offices in Ludlow and Northampton, is a bilingual firm with attorneys who provide guidance to clients in the areas of business representation, criminal and civil litigation, personal-injury law, commercial lending, residential and commercial real estate, estate planning, immigration, and bankruptcy.

•••••

Rob Poole

Rob Poole

Rob Poole has been named Director of Business Programs at American International College. He will oversee the undergraduate and graduate business administration programs. As part of his responsibilities, Poole will lead the faculty in upgrading the curriculum and managing internship opportunities. The internship program will integrate with the business community to create placements that are mutually beneficial to the industry, students, and the college. In addition, he will focus the MBA program for the non-business major. “Acquiring a technical area of knowledge as an undergraduate, while layering and applying business experience, significantly expands career opportunities,” he said. Poole’s areas of expertise include accreditation, assessment, and internship programs. In addition to working as a private consultant, he has served as an assistant professor at Richard Stockton College and Bellarmine University. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in economics, then received his master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California, and a PhD in production operations management from the University of North Texas.

•••••

Milly Parzychowski

Milly Parzychowski

United Bank announced the winners of its 2015 Mortgage Loan Officer (MLO) Sales Contest, the bank’s second annual internal awards program that recognizes its bankers for achieving excellence in mortgage production, and a local mortgage loan originator, Milly Parzychowski, is among the honorees. The final standings are based on the number of units and volume closed in 2015. Depending on an MLO’s production for a given year, they can be recognized in three categories: Chairman’s Club (including Chairman’s Club Champion), President’s Club, or Vice President’s Club. Parzychowski was named to the Vice President’s Club. Parzychowski, who joined United Bank in 2011, is based at the Westfield branch and covers Western Mass. Her more than 40 years in banking and mortgage origination included loan officer roles at Mortgage Master Inc. and Family Choice Mortgage Corp. Parzychowski was also a branch manager at American Home Mortgage and at CNI National Mortgage, a loan originator with National City and Source One, and started her banking career as a teller at Valley Bank in Springfield. She is currently an MBA candidate at Bay Path University.

Chamber Corners

By
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 4: Shining Stars Gala, 6:30-10 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Honoring the following: Business of the Year – Marois Construction Co. Inc.; Citizen of the Year – Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.; Chamber Volunteer of the Year – David Malloy, United Personnel; Nonprofit Organization of the Year – Sunshine Village. This event is sponsored by presenting sponsor Zasco Productions, LLC; diamond sponsor Chicopee Savings Bank; platinum sponsors A. Crane Construction Co. and N. Riley Construction Co.; gold sponsors Elms College, Hampton Inn – Chicopee, Health New England, the Homebuilders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts, and Polish National Credit Union; and silver sponsor NUVO Bank & Trust Co. Cost: $60 per person.

• 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 2: Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., at Rockridge Retirement Community, 25 and 37 Coles Meadow Road, Northampton. Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can. A casual mix and mingle with colleagues and friends. Sponsors: Pro Terra Design Group, LLC, Highview of Northampton, and the Northampton St. Patrick’s Assoc. Friends of Forbes Library. Cost: $10 for members.

• 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 2: Business @ Breakfast, 7:15a.m.- 9 a.m., at Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Featuring 9/11 survivor Mike Jaffe. At the time of the attacks, Jaffe was vice president of Marketing at Marsh & McLennan Cos., an insurance and risk-management firm headquartered in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Today, Jaffe is a well-known speaker with a story to tell of how Sept. 11, 2001 and the days leading up to and after the terrorist attacks would change his life forever, referring to it as the “Human Wakeup Call.” Sponsored by United Personnel. Cost: $20 for members in advance ($25 at the door), $30 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• 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 2: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at V&F Auto, 443 Springfield St., Feeding Hills. Cost: free for chamber members $10 for non-members. Event is open to the public, but non-members must pay at the door. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• 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].

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

Academy of Music Historic Tour

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

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. “Research shows that 60% of highly engaged employees report that their work is not aligned with company goals,” said Meredith Wise, EANE president. “By aligning employees to business priorities and equipping them with skills to quickly sense and lead change, companies can improve their organizational performance. Our conference is about managers and supervisors learning how alignment, agility, and engagement contribute to corporate 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.

 

Celebrate Springfield Dinner

March 10: DevelopSpringfield will host its fifth annual Celebrate Springfield dinner event in celebration of the many accomplishments the community has achieved over the past year along with exciting new initiatives underway. The event will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Festivities will include a reception with live music by the Eric Bascom Trio, auction activities, a cash bar, and hors d’oeuvres, followed by dinner, a brief program, and award presentations. The platinum sponsor this year is MassMutual Financial Group. Many other local businesses and organizations are also supporting the event as sponsors and participants. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. DevelopSpringfield will once again present its Partner in Progress Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of three individuals toward revitalization in Springfield. Honorees are selected for their leadership and ability to motivate and inspire others. This year’s honorees are Brian Connors, Springfield’s deputy director of Economic Development; Maureen Hayes, president of Hayes Development Services; and Ira Rubenzahl, president of Springfield Technical Community College. In addition to the program and award presentations, greetings will be provided by Mayor Domenic Sarno followed by Jay Ash, secretary of the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. Jill Monson-Bishop of Inspired Marketing will serve as mistress of ceremonies. The celebration is a benefit event; all proceeds will support DevelopSpringfield’s redevelopment initiatives, projects, and programs. More than 500 attendees, including state and city officials, leaders from the business and nonprofit communities, and local residents, are expected to come together in support of ongoing efforts to advance development and redevelopment projects, to stimulate and support economic growth, and to expedite the revitalization process within the city. Tickets are $100 per person. Registration and sponsorship information is available at www.developspringfield.com or by contacting Paige Thayer at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected]. RSVP by Tuesday, Feb. 23.

 

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. 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 visit businesswest.com. 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 HERE. 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.

 

‘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 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke at Link to Libraries’ biennial fund-raising event. 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. 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.

 

5K Run & Walk for a Noble Cause

April 30: Registration is now open for Baystate Noble Hospital’s 32nd annual 5K Run & Walk for a Noble Cause, being held at Stanley Park in Westfield. The race begins at 9 a.m., with registration from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. near the Children’s Pavilion. The Baystate Noble 5K is a competitive road race for all levels of runners, from the novice to the serious athlete. The 3.1-mile course is flat out and back through Stanley Park and the surrounding residential area. A family-friendly, non-competitive walk follows the same route as the road race. Individuals, teams, wheelchair racers, and school groups are all encouraged to participate. After the race, refreshments, activities, and vendor tables will be located near registration, and awards will be given out. Early registration is encouraged. The registration fee for ages 13-59 is $35 through April 29 (seniors 60 and older are $25). The registration fee for ages 13-59 is $40 on April 30 ($30 for seniors). Children 12 and under participate free when accompanied by a paying adult. T-shirts in various sizes are available to registrants on a first-come, first-served basis while inventory is available. To register online, download registration materials, and read general information, visit baystatenoblehospital.org/5k.

 

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. Nominations are now closed, and an independent panel of judges will choose the winners; 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.

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Juan Ortiz v. Campagnari Construction, LLC
Allegation: No handrails on stairway causing fall: $3,793.32
Filed: 12/15/15

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Christy Real Estate, LLC v. YRC Inc.
Allegation: Breach of real-estate purchase and sale agreement: $60,000
Filed: 1/14/16

Concilio International de Iglesias Hora Zero, WLHZ 107.9, and Casa de Esperanza v. Baystate Gas Co. d/b/a Columbia Gas
Allegation: Gas explosion causing property damage: $1,500,000
Filed: 1/12/16

James Bruno v. Toyota Motor Credit Corp.
Allegation: Consumer claim for wrongful repossession: $9,200
Filed: 1/21/16

Kevin Augustino v. Subaru of America
Allegation: Breach of contract: $27,979.63
Filed: 12/30/15

Paul Giza v. Duravent Simpson Manufacturing
Allegation: Product liability causing property damage: $350,000
Filed: 1/6/16

Piano Distributors of Florida Inc. v. Falcetti Music Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered and services rendered: $555,335.71
Filed: 1/7/16

Sage Engineering and Contracting Inc. d/b/a Furrow Engineering v. Athena Healthcare Associates Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $68,114.83
Filed: 1/11/16

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Alberto Morales and Yaniris Fernandez v. Wyndham Hotel and Resorts, LLC
Allegation: Bedbug bites: $46,000
Filed: 1/6/16

Federated Capital Corp. v. Transmission and Engine Tech and Mark T. MacDonald
Allegation: Complaint to enforce judgment: $108,103
Filed: 12/17/15

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Travelers Insurance Co. v. East Baking Co. Inc. and David Serra
Allegation: unjust enrichment and conversion: $18,170.04
Filed: 1-21-16

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Blackwood Associates Inc. v. Five Star Building Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment for recruiting services: $24,222.64
Filed: 1/25/16

Marie Higgins v. Quynh Nguyen and Lien Luong d/b/a Nail Pro
Allegation: Negligent application of material during pedicure causing scarring and nerve damage: $1,620+
Filed: 1/29/16

Rexel Inc. v. Jeff O’Connor Electric
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,416.10
Filed: 1/29/16

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

American Express Bank v. Red Bridge Bait and Richard Rubner
Allegation: Breach of contract: $5,375.60
Filed: 1/4/16

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Century Center, LLC v. Karoun Yoga Inc.
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $7,990.23
Filed: 1/27/16

Picture This

By
Departments Picture This

Send photos with a caption and contact information to:  ‘Picture This’ c/o BusinessWest Magazine, 1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103 or to [email protected]

 

Community Pride

Community Pride Pride Stores

Pride Stores recently donated $25,000 to the Center for Human Development’s (CHD) MaryAnne’s Kids Fund, which was established to provide opportunities for children in foster care that would otherwise be unavailable to them. This donation will help continue to provide these children the means to pursue special interests in music, dance, art, sports, summer camps, and extracurricular education, and an overall positive influence that will remain with them throughout their lives. “Pride does so much for MaryAnne’s Kids, helping foster children have opportunities that would not otherwise be available to them,” said Jim Williams, CHD’s Children and Families Program director. “We are grateful to have such a great partner in the community.” Every year, Pride Stores sells $1 ornaments in each of its 30 locations during the holidays to support MaryAnne’s Kids. “We are grateful to all the Pride customers who support this important fund-raiser,” said Marsha Del Monte, president of Pride Stores. Pictured among CHD staff and volunteers are Karen Nystrom, Pride’s director of marketing (second row, third from left), Del Monte (fourth from left), and Williams (fifth from left).

 

 

Baystate Health to Address Proposed Hospital Changes on March 3

By
Daily News

WARE — Baystate Health invites the community to attend a question-and-answer session to address the changes planned to the inpatient unit at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware. The meeting will be held on Thursday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Ware Public School.

Among those participating will be Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO, Baystate Health; Nancy Shendell-Falik, senior vice president of Community Hospitals, Baystate Health; Jennifer Endicott, senior vice president of Strategy and External Relations, Baystate Health; and Michael Moran, interim president and chief administrative officer of the Baystate Health Eastern Region, which includes Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing hospitals.

Baystate Health has filed requests with the state Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission seeking to operate the facilities currently operating as Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer and Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware under one hospital license. Pending regulatory approval, this change would lead to the transition of Baystate’s regional inpatient services to Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer. On average, Baystate Mary Lane Hospital has fewer than 10 patients a day who remain in the hospital overnight. Baystate Mary Lane will continue to provide a range of medical services on an outpatient basis, and Baystate’s primary-care network is not affected by this change.

“Over the past several years, only about 20% of the care delivered at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital has been inpatient care, and that is the portion we seek to consolidate at Baystate Wing Hospital to ensure the highest-quality and most effective care for all our hospitalized patients,” said Moran. “Eighty percent of the care we now provide on the Baystate Mary Lane campus is outpatient care. Services not affected by the proposed change include the care provided in our emergency department, outpatient surgery, cancer services, radiology and lab services, and medical practices.”

The meeting is open to the public, and representatives from Baystate will answer any questions that area residents may have about the proposal and the future of services in the region. For more information, call Michelle Holmgren, Public Affairs and Community Relations manager for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region, at (413) 967-2296.

Greater Westfield Chamber St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast Set for March 18

By
Daily News

WESTFIELD — The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce will hold its St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast on Friday, March 18 at Westfield State University’s Scanlon Hall, located at 577 Western Ave., Westfield. Registration begins at 7:15 a.m., breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m., and the program will begin at 7:50 a.m.

The guest speaker is Ramon Torrecilha, the new president of Westfield State University. The chief greeter will be Mike Knapik. “We are so pleased and excited to have our business community hear from Dr. Torrecilha regarding his vision and relationship with our great community,” said Kate Phelon, executive director of the chamber.

The chamber will also recognize this year’s Sons of Erin Colleen, Victoria Weltlich, and her court, Samantha Dolan, Anna Grady, Alyssa Manna, and Grace Silva. Other invited guests include parade marshal Jim Madigan, Irishwoman of the Year Lynda Cavanaugh, and Irishman of the Year Dermot Hurley.

This event is sponsored by Westfield Bank, platinum sponsor; Westfield Gas & Electric, gold sponsor; and Prolamina, silver sponsor. Sunshine Village is the coffee bar sponsor. Entertainment will be provided by Cassin Academy of Irish Dance. There will also be a 50/50 raffle to support two Westfield & Southwick Dollars for Scholars scholarship awards.

The cost is $25 for members and $30. for general admission. To purchase tickets or donate a door prize, contact Pam Bussell by March 14 at (413) 568-1618 or [email protected].

MassMutual Laying Off 5% of Area Workforce

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual Financial Group is in the process of laying off 5% of its 7,200-employee workforce in Springfield and Enfield, or about 360 lost jobs, the Republican reported today.

The jobs cuts are across the board, company spokesman James Lacey said in a statement.

“MassMutual routinely and carefully examines all of its operations to ensure we are focused on activities that effectively and efficiently deliver the greatest value to our policyowners and customers,” he noted. “At times, this means making decisions that impact our staffing levels, and when they do, we are committed to a thoughtful and respectful process.”

City Council Approves MGM Springfield’s Revised Design

By
Daily News

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.

Stevens 470 to Host Program on ‘Training for the Digital Marketplace’

By
Daily News

WESTFIELD — Stevens 470 will host a three-week program called “Training for the Digital Marketplace:
 Develop Your Online and Offline Marketing Strategies” on April 1, 8, and 15 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 Friday mornings at Stevens 470 in Westfield. Limited space is available. For details, visit stevens470.com or call (413) 568-2660.

Mass Insight Education Honors 11 Area Teachers for AP Work

By
Daily News

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.

Billy Beez Indoor Playground Coming Soon to Holyoke Mall

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Billy Beez, an indoor play park for families, will soon open a new location at Holyoke Mall. In this jungle-themed facility, kids and kids at heart can run, jump, bounce, and climb in a space featuring slides, play zones, sports courts, obstacle courses, a toddler area, a café serving healthy and kid-friendly refreshments, and more.

The park, expected to open on the upper level across from Target in March, is designed so adults can play alongside their kids while supervised by the professionally trained staff.

“We’re revolutionizing the concept of family fun. Billy Beez offers families the opportunity to play together, while providing a safe and engaging environment for healthy activities and relationship building,” said Shaun Kriel, CEO of Billy Beez, adding that the center is an ideal spot for birthday parties, group outings, and community events, in addition to its daily entertainment offerings.

Billy Beez is now hiring about 60 experienced, responsible, and child-friendly staffers as play attendants, cashiers, cleaning crew, and party hosts. Résumés can be e-mailed to [email protected].

Sanders Invites Western Mass. to Feel the Bern at UMass Amherst Rally

By
Daily News

BOSTON — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will host a rally today at UMass Amherst. The presidential candidate will discuss a wide range of issues, including getting big money out of politics, combating climate change, and making college affordable.

The doors open at 4:30 p.m. for the “A Future to Believe In Rally” at the Mullins Center on the UMass campus. This event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are strongly encouraged. To RSVP, visit go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/rally/4sdg. Admission is first come, first served.

For security reasons, attendees should not bring bags and limit what they bring to small, personal items like keys and cell phones. Weapons, sharp objects, chairs, and signs or banners on sticks will not be allowed through security. Parking is available on-site.

Erin Joyce Named Special Assets Officer at bankESB

By
Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that Erin Joyce was named special assets officer at the bank’s recent quarterly meeting.

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.

Homewatch CareGivers Welcomes Deborah Epstein

By
Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — 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.

Polish National Credit Union Supports Chicopee High Food Drive

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE — Polish National Credit Union (PNCU) presented a check and food collected at its seven locations to Chicopee High School students during their annual spirit week food drive. The donations, which benefit Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, were made possible by the generosity of PNCU employees and members, who were encouraged to support the students’ efforts.

“We were pleased to be a food dropoff location for the Chicopee High School students,” said Jim Kelly, PNCU president and CEO. “We are proud of our employees who led this effort. Great things can happen when people rally together.”

With only a week dedicated to the drive, students were shifting their focus from accepting food donations to monetary contributions. “Monetary donations were used to purchase more cans in bulk than are typically donated by students. We are thrilled to have the sponsorship of Polish National Credit Union this year,” said Lauren Foley, a senior at Chicopee High School. “Hosting efforts like this are so important to helping us with collections.”

Jennifer Gallant, chief financial officer at the credit union and a board member at Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, noted that “the annual Chicopee High School canned-food drive is an extraordinary effort by students to raise money and collect food. Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen is extremely grateful for all the planning, dedication, and organization of the students every year.”

Tighe & Bond Opens New York Office

By
Daily News

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond, a Northeast leader in civil and environmental engineering and consulting, opened its doors this month to a New York office in Dutchess County. The workplace at 62 East Market St. in Red Hook, N.Y. provides a strong base of operations to better serve the company’s growing list of clients in New York. Tighe & Bond is providing services in New York through T&B Engineering, P.C.

Project Manager Erin Moore is providing leadership for the establishment of Tighe & Bond’s newest office. A lifelong resident of New York’s Hudson Valley, she is an environmental engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the municipal water, wastewater, and stormwater industry.

“We are a firm that is committed to our clients and the longstanding relationships we have developed,” said David Pinsky, president and CEO of Tighe & Bond. “Locating and growing an office within Dutchess County allows Tighe & Bond to more readily respond to growing client service demands. Plus, Erin Moore has a strong local knowledge of the region and years of experience providing comprehensive engineering and environmental services, which is sure to benefit both existing and new clients.”

Tighe & Bond currently has more than 260 employees. Its other office locations include Westfield (its headquarters), Pocasset, Westwood, and Worcester, Mass.; Middletown and Shelton, Conn.; and Portsmouth, N.H. Founded in 1911, the firm provides engineering and environmental services for clients in the government, industry, healthcare, education, real-estate, energy, and water/wastewater markets.

Sports Travel and Tours President Jay Smith Elected to Travel Board

By
Daily News

HATFIELD — 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. Smith and his staff have successfully worked with tens of thousands of travelers while fulfilling dreams and ‘bucket lists’ worldwide.

Sports Travel and Tours has been the official travel company of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum since 2007. To celebrate its 20th year, the firm will be celebrating through Oct. 2 with various trip promotions around a ‘20’ theme.

For more information, visit ntaonline.com or www.sportstravelandtours.com.

Hampden County Bar Assoc. Legal Help Hotline Serves Community

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, Feb. 25, Western New England University School of Law will host the Hampden County Bar Assoc. Legal Help Hotline call-in program. Residents with legal concerns and questions are encouraged to call for free legal advice. Volunteer lawyers from the Hampden County Bar Assoc. will answer all phone calls between 4 and 7 p.m.

“This program can assist people who have fallen through the cracks of the legal and criminal justice system,” said Noreen Nardi, executive director of the Hampden County Bar Assoc. “It helps provide equal access to justice for all segments of our diverse community.”

The Hampden County Bar Assoc. presents the Legal Help Hotline call-in program biannually. The most frequent types of calls are questions about criminal matters, domestic relations, consumer protection, housing, and employment law. Caller identity remains anonymous to the volunteer attorneys.

To use the Legal Help Hotline, call (413) 796-2057. Attorneys who would like to volunteer for the hotline should call (413) 732-4660.

Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding Wins Award from Astec Roofing

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Daily News

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 restored roofs, walls, and industrial surfaces.


“I would like to take a moment and thank my team,” Quenneville said. “I couldn’t have achieved this award or any of the success over the last two decades without them. It is very important to me that my team continues to learn the latest technology and trends, as well as continue to show dedication to our customers.”

Teri Anderson Named Executive Director of FHETC

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Daily News

GREENFIELD — 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.”

Added Steve Kravetz, head of the Arbors at Amherst and past chair of the REB, “she has experience in business development and technical assistance as well. This will be a great asset to the agency in responding to the demand-driven focus of the new Workforce Act.”

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.

“We find her smart, organized, diplomatic, thoughtful, and collaborative,” said Elsa Cline, past director of Finance for FHETC and a member of the interview team. “Those of us retiring feel the agency is in excellent hands.”