2016 - Page 43 of 44 - BusinessWest

Mike Balise IS a Difference Maker

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Opinion

Editorial

A few months before he succumbed to cancer, ESPN anchor Stuart Scott stood at the podium at the ESPY Awards to accept the Jim Valvano Award for Perseverance.

In his moving remarks, Scott, in essence, told those assembled that, when someone’s cancer fight ends, we should refrain from saying that he or she “lost their battle.” That fight is often won, he went on, because the individual confronted the disease with courage, the conviction to live their life to their fullest, and determination not to let cancer dictate whatever time they had left.

Those words certainly rang true recently with the news that Mike Balise, co-owner of Balise Motor Sales, passed away at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute roughly 15 months after being diagnosed with incurable stomach cancer at the age of 50.

There is certainly no debate about who won this fight — Mike did.

He battled the disease with his indomitable humor and determination to continue, for as his long as he could, his work not only with the company, but within the community as well — efforts that ranged from raising awareness of the need for more cancer-treatment facilities in this region (and money to build those facilities) to buying winter coats for area young people in need.

Last September, BusinessWest talked with Mike and some members of his family about his fight, and his determination and courage certainly came through. So much so that one could easily make the argument that no story the magazine has published in its 32-year history resonated more with readers.

Indeed, there were countless calls and e-mails from individuals conveying the message that they were greatly inspired by Mike’s ability to battle a death sentence with poise, dignity, and a desire to focus not on his plight, but on how he could do even more to help others.

A common refrain from those who reached out was, “I’ve never met Mike, but reading this, I wish I could.’’

Those comments, as well as Mike’s long track record of philanthropy and community involvement, resonated with the decision makers at BusinessWest this fall when they convened to decide whom to honor with the magazine’s Difference Maker award next spring.

They considered and then chose to honor Mike, knowing fully well that it was very likely that his seat would be empty at the gala in March. But he will honored along with the others who will be announced in the Jan. 25 issue, because he has been, and remains, an inspiration in so many ways, and is thus clearly worthy of that title Difference Maker, and always will be.

And when his name is introduced to those gathered at the Log Cabin on March 31, it will not be through use of the past tense — because he isn’t done being a Difference Maker. His inspirational life — not simply those last 15 months or so — will ensure that this is the case.

As for that cancer fight, from the minute Mike was diagnosed, everyone knew how it would end. All those who knew Mike could also predict how the battle would be waged: with courage and conviction. And that’s why we shouldn’t say the fight was lost.

Because it wasn’t.

Jobs Will Be Top Local Story for 2016

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Opinion

By Jeffrey Ciuffreda

Jobs are coming our way, but are we ready? And what about the jobs already here?

As we start the new year, it is time to ask these questions and, more importantly, answer them. Actually, the process of doing so got off to a good beginning in 2015. However, there is much more to be done in 2016.

CNR Changchun Rail Vehicle Co. is coming to Springfield with between 150 and 300 jobs, many requiring skilled engineers and machinists. MGM Springfield is finally underway with construction, requiring 3,000 jobs upon its planned 2018 opening, and efforts are already underway to be sure that the vast majority of those workers will come from this region, an effort that requires training programs to be up and running soon.

These are the jobs we know are coming our way, and with these two internationally known companies coming here, you can be sure other companies will become more focused on our region and, therefore, its workforce.

The Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce is pleased to be working with the EDC of Western Massachusetts and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, along with our community colleges and others, to help ensure that we not only have a trained workforce ready to fill these positions, but that we have enough of those trained in the workforce to fill them and other positions that might be vacated by those moving from existing employers.

At the same time, we must acknowledge that far too many of our area resident, for one reason or another, do not have the skills necessary to take advantage of certain opportunities, but might have abilities suited for other types of jobs. What are those jobs?

The Springfield Regional Chamber is proud to have joined with a few other organizations in and around Springfield to hire an internationally known consulting firm to look at this specific area — not only what types of jobs we should try to attract, but what skill sets might already exist so that we could readily entertain specific businesses to locate here. While we will always strive to do better and attract higher-wage jobs, we should not overlook any opportunity to bring any employment to the area. The results of this study will be an invaluable tool for our future growth.

Speaking of the jobs that are already here, let us never overlook the fact that so many of our long-time businesses in this area have been here not only for years, but for decades. Let us also not overlook that many of those companies are small businesses, and by small I mean under 25 employees and in many instances under 10. These are the businesses that we count on year after year after year to employ our residents and that continually add jobs.

These are the same businesses that often get caught up in new legislation and new regulations ranging from mandating certain benefits to setting wages to regulating how they operate. While I am not saying every piece of legislation and regulation is bad, I am saying that these small businesses often struggle to comply with one, and then, just as they adapt, they find they are faced with another new one, two, or three new measures with which to cope.
Special efforts should be undertaken to ensure that no harm is done to these small businesses, which have been, and quite frankly always will be, the backbone of our economy.

The year ahead will be a time of growth as new businesses prepare to enter our market, but it should also be a year when great care is taken to not only not harm the businesses we already have here, but also take steps to assist them in their efforts to stay and expand here.

We all can do our part by supporting local businesses and products as well as our local teams and venues.

Jeff Ciuffreda is president of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce; (413) 787-1555.

Program Strives to Take Women from a Job to a Career

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Features

Entry Point

Dawn Creighton says ‘Foot in the Door’ was inspired by recognized needs within the business community and among women looking to become part of it.

They informally named the program ‘Getting a Foot in the Door,’ because that’s exactly what it can provide to area women who find themselves defined by those terms ‘unemployed’ and ‘underemployed.’

And while this initiative was conceptualized by officers with the Dress for Success (DFS) Western Massachusetts, it represents a broad and intriguing partnership between area institutions that provide an array of services to such women, train them — or someday might employ them.

Some of these institutions include DFS, early-education provider Square One, the YMCA, and employers such as Baystate Health, MassMutual, Columbia Gas, and others, who have agreed to collaborate in an effort to put more qualified individuals, specifically women facing a host of different challenges, in the local workforce pipeline.

Many of these women already have a job, or two, or even three, said Dawn Creighton, Western Mass. regional director for Associated Industries of Massachusetts and president of the DFS Western Mass. chapter, noting that several part-time positions are often needed to make ends meet. But what they don’t have is a career, a plan for how to forge one, or the skills necessary to even, well, get that foot in the door.

“The majority of women who will take part in this program hold low-paying and unstable employment, with a definite lack of upward mobility,” she explained. “What we want to do is help women look at long-term goals, not short-term goals, and realize that there are career paths, not just jobs.

“We want to empower women to look at a career trajectory,” she went on. “We want them to understand that, just because they start as a receptionist, they don’t have to always be a receptionsist.”

The unique program that begins later this month will address all that, said Jennifer Endicott, senior vice president for Strategy and External Relations at Baystate Health, adding that it won’t qualify individuals for technical positions that require a particular skill set. But it will help provide them with the soft skills and confidence that many area employers say are lacking in individuals they’re otherwise willing to train for those positions.

“It’s not really the technical skills that these individuals need — once they’re brought into our organization, or Smith & Wesson, MGM, or anywhere else, we’ll teach them the technical skills,” she explained. “They tend to fail on the soft skills, and a lot of programs out there will provide those soft skills, but no one’s really bringing it together in some kind of a comprehensive program.”

Bringing things together is the broad goal of this initiative, which is designed to improve the employability of participants, introduce them to resources across the region, and provide the tools for greater self-sufficiency.

Dawn DeStefano says the Foot in the Door program will provide women with something that has eluded many of them — a chance.

Here’s how it works: individuals chosen for one of 25 seats in the program will take part in a 12-week course of study that will yield a National Career Readiness Certificate through the Training & Workforce Options (TWO) program developed by Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College. Participants who earn that certificate are guaranteed an interview with a preferred employer, including Baystate, MGM, Smith & Wesson, and Columbia Gas, which made the pilot program possible with a $14,000 grant.

The interview is the only thing that’s guaranteed, said Dawn DeStefano, who spent 25 years with the YWCA and recently joined Square One as director of Resource Development, adding quickly that it’s often the break that can start someone down the road to a fulfilling career.

“What we’ve heard loud and clear from marginalized women, people who are just trying to make it in this world, is that they can’t get a call back — they don’t even know how to get an interview,” she said. “This program will provide an opportunity, a connection to employers in this area.”

Getting a Leg Up

Creighton told BusinessWest that DFS, while noted more for supplying clothes and shoes for women in need than for providing a foot in the door, has always had a workforce-development component within its mission statement.

But this pilot program represents a significant escalation of those efforts, she went on, adding that it was fueled by need — and on several levels.

For starters, there are the basic needs of the many who find themselves defined by those workforce terms ‘unemployed’ and ‘underemployed,’ she said, adding that there are many individuals who fall into these categories, despite vacancies at many companies, because they lack both hard and soft skills.

Elaborating, Creighton said the program will target two groups of women — those trying to re-enter the workforce and achieve a measure of work-life balance, and those who are juggling two or three jobs to make ends meet.

Meanwhile, there is a need for qualified help at businesses large and small, in seemingly in every sector of the economy, and at many levels, including ‘entry.’

The Foot in the Door program will address these issues through its 12-week program, the first of which — organizers are already undertaking the search for funding to ensure that there will be more — will begin Jan. 23, with classes at Square One’s facilities in Springfield.

Summing up what participants will learn, Creighton said “essential life skills.” By that, she meant everything from the basics on the responsibilities of being an employee to some technical skills and primers on the many resources available to them.

As for what the program will ultimately provide for its participants, organizers listed everything from a needed dose of confidence to an even-more-needed job interview.

“For a lot of these women, what they really need is a chance,” said DeStefano. “And we’re hoping to give that to them.”

As for area employers, the program should help fill a wide variety of entry-level positions, an overlooked but still-important piece of the current workforce puzzle, said Endicott, who gave Baystate’s perspective.

“Baystate has a number of pipelines for what I would call the professional trades — nurses, doctors, lab techs, medical assistants,” she explained. “But for that entry-level workforce, there’s no real, established pipeline, and we’re getting ready, in the not-too-distant future, to compete for that same workforce with MGM.”

Endicott said there are a number of positions program participants can interview for across several fields, including clerical, food and nutrition, environmental services, and transportation, among others.

And from there, well, there are certainly opportunities to advance within a system that employs more than 10,000 people across the region.

“Baystate is very committed to developing talent and promoting from within,” she explained. “We have a goal as an organization for 60% to 65% of promotions to be from within. So once they’re in Baystate and they develop the technical know-how, they can access all sorts of different programs to help them advance their career.”

And while it will obviously take some time to determine how successful this program is accomplishing its many goals, it is already drawing praise for the manner in which a number of diverse entities have come together in a way that expands each of their roles and also addresses a recognized need.

“This initiative is trying to take the good work that a lot of organizations are doing, like Square One, the YWCA, and Dress for Success, and bring them together to build a program that would create a workforce pipeline,” said Endicott, “and connect the programs in a more collaborative way than has been done in the past.”

Getting Pumped

A few weeks ago, Dress for Success Western Massachusetts received national recognition for the donations it logged during #GivingShoesDay on Dec. 1. Indeed, the group placed eighth in the country for total donations, and one of its contributors, the Westfield News Group, was the second-highest individual donor worldwide, with 200 pairs.

While obviously proud of that accomplishment, the DFS chapter has much bigger goals in mind. By partnering with a number of area groups, it wants to do much more than put a shoe on a foot.

It wants to get that foot in the door. And if this collaborative effort is successful, the area’s business community will take some real steps forward.

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

Fed Rate Increase Offers Mixed Impact for Banks, Consumers

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Banking and Financial Services Sections

Taking a Hike

When she announced last month that the Federal Reserve would raise its key interest rate by 0.25% — the first rate hike in nearly a decade — Fed Chair Janet Yellen stressed that the move reflected a number of positive trends for the U.S. economy.

“This action marks the end of an extraordinary seven-year period during which the federal funds rate was held near zero to support the recovery of the economy from the worst financial crisis and recession since the Great Depression,” she noted. “It also recognizes the considerable progress that has been made toward restoring jobs, raising incomes, and easing the economic hardship of millions of Americans.”

She admitted that further improvement in the labor market remains but with the economy performing well and expected to continue to do so, a modest increase in the federal funds rate target is appropriate.

But how does that move affect area banks and their customers?

The short answer is, not much — at least not in the short term.

James Sherbo

“The banking industry anticipated the Fed’s intention to raise rates. So the increase is already baked into the numbers, and I don’t think this announcement will have any effect,” James Sherbo, senior vice president, consumer lending at PeoplesBank, told BusinessWest.

“We’ve been expecting this for a long time,” he added. “We set mortgage interest rates, for example, by looking at the financial markets and bond interest rates. Neither of those have changed very much. We also price ourselves to be competitive in the market.”

The rate increase is a net positive for banks, which have been forced by seven years of low rates to make do with smaller margins between the interest rate they offer depositors and the rates they charge individuals and businesses for loans. And consumers will be affected depending on the types of debt they have.

“It is a very small move. It will be reflected in some changes in borrowing rates,” Yellen said. “Loans that are linked to longer-term interest rates are unlikely to move very much. For example, some corporate loans are linked to the prime rate, which is likely to move up with the fed funds rate, and those interest rates will adjust. There are some consumer borrowing rates, I think credit card rates, that are linked to short-term rates, that might move up slightly. But, remember, we have very low rates, and we have made a very small move.”

Generating Interest

Tami Gunsch

With the first Fed increase in more than years, there are a few ways consumers may see an impact in their financial lives, said Tami Gunsch, executive vice president, retail banking with Berkshire Bank. “The interest rates you pay and earn and the availability of credit are linked to the projections and judgments of Federal Reserve Board.”

The most immediate impact of the Fed rate hike will be on credit-card consumers because those rates are variable and will rise quickly in response to the Fed’s action. Before the move, the average rate on credit-card balances was 11.07%, according to James Chessen, chief economist of the American Bankers Assoc., but they are set to rise in parallel with the 0.25% Fed hike.

Greg McBride, senior vice president and chief financial analyst at bankrate.com, notes that the rate hike will also mean fewer credit-card promotions offering a 0% introductory-period rate. “But it’s not going to happen overnight. As rates go up, the rates on the offers you see will go up. Or, the promotional time period in which the offer is good will shrink.”

As for consumers thinking about buying a home or car, long-term fixed rates won’t change much in the next few months, analysts say, but they will begin climbing late this year and into 2017.

“Rates are pretty low, and they’re not going to change much” in the short term, Dean Croushore, a University of Richmond professor and former Fed economist, told CNN recently.

Historical context is important here, he added. The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage right now is 3.9% and expected to gradually increase. But the average mortgage rate was about 6.3% 10 years ago, and 7.2% 20 years ago. In other words, it’s still a good time to borrow, and will remain so even when interest rates creep up.

However, borrowers in adjustable-rate loans might want to speak with their lender about the benefits of refinancing into a fixed-rate loan before too long, McBride said.

“Be wary of variable-rate debts such as home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) or even some private student loans that carry variable rates,” he advised. “Pay those down now or look to refinance into a fixed rate. Some lenders will even let you fix the interest rate on the outstanding portion of your home-equity line to protect against a rising rate environment. And if you have an adjustable-rate mortgage that could adjust upward, now is a great time to unload it and refinance into a fixed rate. Otherwise, a series of interest rate hikes could produce some nasty payment increases a year or two down the road.”

In short, Gunsch told BusinessWest, “consumers may anticipate changes in the interest rate they are paying on outstanding credit-card balances on a monthly basis. On the home-mortgage side, consumers may see an impact on monthly payments if they are in variable or adjustable-rate loan product. If a consumer has a fixed-rate mortgage product, their rate will remain the same with no monthly impact.”

Little Impact on Savings

While those rates rise, however, depositors won’t see much improvement in the interest rates they earn on savings. While America’s largest banks have already said they will start charging more interest for loans, they also intend to sit on the additional income. For instance, a JPMorgan Chase spokesman told CNN, “we won’t automatically change deposit rates because they aren’t tied directly to the prime [rate]. We’ll continue to monitor the market to make sure we stay competitive.”

McBride agreed. “We are not going to see an improvement right off the bat,” he said. “A lot of banks are sitting on a pile of deposits, and their margins have really been squeezed by low rates. So the incentives for banks is to pass on higher rates on loans but not deposits so they can breathe some life into that margin.”

Still, the Fed’s action, by most accounts, portends additional increases over the next two years, which will eventually push up interest rates in savings.

Gunsch said depositors will indeed eventually benefit. “From a savings perspective, consumers will most likely experience an increase in the earnings they see on the funds they are saving each month in interest-bearing accounts such as savings and money market or certificates of deposit.”

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

Despite the mixed impact on consumers, Yellen reiterated that the Fed’s decision reflects its confidence in the U.S. economy, and that is an overall positive.

“We believe we have seen substantial improvement in labor-market conditions, and while things may be uneven across regions of the country and different industrial sectors, we see an economy that is on a path of sustainable improvement,” she said. “So, in thinking about their labor-market prospects and their financial prospects going forward, I hope they will take this decision as one that signals [the Fed’s] confidence that conditions will continue to strengthen and job market prospects will be good.”

Meanwhile, Gunsch said, consumers just need to pay attention to what’s happening so the changes don’t take them by surprise.

“Now is a time for consumers to review their finances,” she said, “and look for opportunities to save more and manage their monthly expenditures wisely.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Getting a Grasp on the New Health-benefits Reporting Rules

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Banking and Financial Services Sections

Delayed Reaction

By BOB CUMMINGS

Bob Cummings

For many employers, their first challenge with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may be compliance with the new reporting requirements.

Under the ACA, the Internal Revenue Code added IRS Section 6056, which requires ‘applicable large employers’ to file information returns with the IRS and provide statements to their full-time employees about the health-insurance coverage that the employer offered. Under the terms of the ACA, an applicable large employer generally means an employer that had 50 or more full-time employees (including full-time equivalent employees) in the preceding calendar year.

Last month, the IRS released IRS Notice 2016-4, which delays Sections 6055 and 6056 reporting for the 2015 reporting year. Forms 1095-B and 1095-C must now be distributed to employees by March 31, as opposed to the original due date of Feb. 1. If filing by paper, forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C must be filed with the IRS by May 31 (changed from Feb. 29). If filing electronically, the forms are due to the IRS by June 30 (changed from March 31). The extended deadlines apply to all filers automatically. In summary, the deadline for distributing forms to employees has been extended two months, while the filing deadline with the IRS has been extended three months.

The original due dates were aligned so that individual taxpayers could use the information contained in the forms to file their individual tax returns. Specifically, the information is needed by individuals to help determine whether they were eligible for the premium tax credit or subject to the individual mandate. The IRS has granted this automatic extension due to the fact that insurers, self-insuring employers, and other providers of minimum essential coverage need additional time to adapt and implement systems and procedures to comply with the reporting requirement.

As a result of this delay, if individuals have not received the information by the time they file their individual tax return, they may rely upon other information received from employers or coverage providers when filing their returns. They need not amend their returns once they receive the forms, but they should keep them with their tax records.

The IRS reinforced that an employer should make a good-faith effort with reporting. If an employer does not comply with the extended deadlines, the employer could be subject to penalties. Applicable large employers must report whether an individual is covered by minimum essential health benefits coverage, and that an offer such was made to each full-time employee.

Applicable large employers will need to file IRS Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns, and IRS Form 1095-C, Employer-provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage, to report the information required. These 1095-C forms are to be provided by Jan. 31 for the calendar year 2015 coverage periods. (The final versions of these forms will not available until February.)

What qualifies as an offer of ‘minimum essential health benefits coverage?’ Well, the IRS says it is an offer that satisfies all of the following criteria:

1. An offer of minimum essential coverage that provides minimum value and includes 10 minimum essential healthcare services: outpatient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity/newborn care, mental-health and substance-abuse services, prescription drugs, rehabilitation (for injuries, disabilities, or chronic conditions), lab services, preventive/wellness programs and chronic-disease management, and pediatric services;

2. The employee’s cost for employee-only coverage for each month does not exceed 9.5% of the mainland single federal poverty line divided by 12; and

3. An offer of minimum essential coverage is also made to the employee’s spouse and dependents (if any).

These new employer-health-benefits reporting forms and instructions look complicated even to benefits professionals, and they will require gathering quite a bit of information. For example, Form 1095-C is a form an employer is supposed to use to give employees the health-benefits information they need to fill out their own tax forms and insurance coverage applications, and to give the Internal Revenue Service, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the information they need to detect individual taxpayers’ violations of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) rules.

An employer is also supposed to send the IRS a 1094-C summary form, or report, on the information provided in the 1095-C forms, along with copies of the 1095-Cs.

The IRS and other agencies are supposed to use the 1094-Cs, together with the 1095-Cs, to detect any problems with employer compliance with the PPACA employer mandate rules described in Internal Revenue Code Section 4980(H).

This is a major new compliance burden for employers, and the IRS and other federal agencies will most likely show some compassion initially for employers who are making a good-faith effort to comply with the rules.

Most benefits-compliance professionals believe the IRS will begin a major enforcement initiative by this May, because as many as 50,000 employer-benefit plans may be audited over the first two years for compliance. Employers should do everything possible to avoid compliance traps that could trigger an audit.

Among the compliance challenges is the requirement that employers must track full-time-equivalent employees. Basically an employer must track all of their part-time employees, even if those employees may likely not get the 1095-C forms. If a part-time employee becomes full-time at any point in the year, even for only a short period, then the employer has to provide the 1095-C form for that individual.

One of the major challenges confronting employers who will have to comply is the fact that so many are still relying on a paper-based benefits-administration system. It will be virtually impossible to do the tracking and the reporting without an automated benefits-administration system. This really spells the end of paper-based benefits administration for employers subject to these new tracking and reporting requirements. Employers will have to adopt an online benefits-administration technology platform in order to perform both the tracking and reporting requirements under Section 6056.

The good news is that there are a number of outstanding benefits-technology solutions available for employers today. Forward-thinking benefits professionals are rapidly incorporating and delivering technology platforms across their client base.

The benefits business today is also a technology business. From ACA reporting to employee communications; benefits enrollment and administration to HRIS functionality like paid-time-off tracking or onboarding, an extensive array of software and employee services can be provided on one fully integrated platform. This means, as an employer’s benefits needs evolve, benefits professionals can provide added functionality, configurability, sophistication, and services.

Are you ready to navigate the new world of healthcare compliance and reporting? Ask your benefits consultant if they are ready to advise and assist you.

Bob Cummings is CEO and managing principal of Northampton-based American Benefits Group; (413) 727-7211.

Children and Adolescents Are Simply Not Getting Enough Sleep

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Health Care Sections

Waking Up to a Problem

Dr. Wendy Chabot says lack of sleep can cause behavior problems in children that range from temper tantrums to a lack of impulse control to hyperactivity.

Experts say many children and adolescents don’t get enough sleep.

The reasons vary from family to family, but since parents often work long hours and evening meetings range from Girl Scouts to sporting events, it can be difficult to establish and maintain the same bedtime every night.

But research shows that a lack of sleep or a schedule that is out of sync with the child’s natural biological rhythms can lead to short- and long-term problems that include behavioral difficulties such as acting out in school, as well as academic issues such as poor grades or an inability to remember as much as their well-rested peers.

“Kids are really not getting enough sleep, and this has significant consequences for their mental and physical health. It’s not an optional activity; it’s essential because it is the third leg on the stool to optimal health, which includes exercise and eating a healthy diet, ” said Dr. Wendy Chabot, pediatric coordinator for Sleep Medicine Services of Western Mass. in Amherst and Springfield.

She cited research that shows it only takes a sleep deficit of 30 to 60 minutes each night to affect behavior and result in poor thinking skills and problems with attention, memory, decision making, organization, and creativity.

“When I talk to parents and kids, I tell them sleep is important if they really want to bring their ‘A’ game to life, whether they are learning to walk or play the piano. I can’t think of any aspect of a child’s life that isn’t affected by lack of sleep, and although many people get by on less than they need, if it becomes routine, they do so at their own peril,” Chabot continued, adding that sleep restores the body and the mind.

Rebecca Spencer agrees. “Sleep is important for memory,” said the assistant professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at UMass Amherst, who conducts studies on sleep and cognition. “Our research shows if you teach preschoolers something in the morning and they take a nap, they remember all of it later on. But if they don’t have a nap, they forget 15% of what they learned. The same argument can be made for adolescents; the more sleep they get, the more they remember what they learned the previous day.”

She added that the law regarding naptimes for preschoolers in Massachusetts was modified recently, and children are now required to have a 45-minute “rest opportunity.”

“There used to be stronger language, and some preschool directors have told me the requirement used to be two hours,” Spencer continued, adding that the Montessori School in Amherst has a “no-nap room” for children who don’t want to sleep, and the Jewish Community Center Preschool in Springfield offers swimming or French lessons for children who don’t nap.

“The preschool curriculum has become very competitive, and there is not enough time for them to do everything they want, so they find ways to get around naptimes,” she told BusinessWest.

But napping — or not, as the case may be — at preschool is just one of many issues involved with the larger issue of children and sleep.

“If a child is sleep-deprived, they tend to have behavior problems; they may have frequent temper tantrums or be non-compliant and have poor impulse control,” said Chabot. “In younger children, the signs and symptoms of a lack of sleep resemble the signs of ADHD, and many children who are diagnosed with it actually have an underlying sleep disorder, which is their main problem.”

Chabot conducts sleep studies on children as young as age 3 when there is reason to believe they may have obstructive sleep apnea. The potentially serious disorder occurs when the person is sleeping and involves 10- to 20-second pauses in breathing that occur frequently throughout the night due to some type of airway blockage or obstruction, such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

“Although we used to think it was really rare in children, studies are showing it’s not uncommon in kids age 5 and older,” Chabot told BusinessWest.

She added that children who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to sleepwalk or have night terrors or nightmares, in addition to unwanted behaviors during the day.

The Rest of the Story

Experts say most adolescents are sleep-deprived.

“They live in a state of persistent jetlag,” said Spencer, adding that they need nine to 10 hours of sleep each night, but a 13-year-old’s biological clock isn’t set to allow them to fall asleep before midnight.

So even though they may have a 10 p.m. bedtime, their circadian clock won’t allow them to fall asleep that early, which bumps up against the time they need to start school.

“However, studies show if the school start time is delayed and they get more sleep, their grades improve,” she went on, adding that such data has led some school districts, including Northampton and Amherst, to hold discussions about having a later start time.

Rebecca Spencer says sleep is important for memory, which affects how well students retain what they learn in school.

But Spencer said many teachers don’t like the idea, and it can be difficult to implement due to sports schedules, although some cities, including Worcester, have made the change.

Williston-Northampton School in Easthampton also switched its start time, and students now begin classes a half-hour later than they did in the past.

“A year after they made the change, they reported more students were eating breakfast and taking medications they need,” Spencer said, explaining that since 50% of students live on campus, they need to get to the nurse’s office before school starts to get any drugs that have been prescribed for them.

Getting more sleep for adolescents is critical because research shows that those who don’t get enough also have less control over their emotions.

“They’re more temperamental, and it’s easier to set them off,” Spencer noted. “Plus, we also know that teens who sleep six hours are more likely to get the flu or colds than those who sleep eight hours, and as we get into cold and flu season, it makes a pretty big difference.”

Chabot concurred, and said sleep is more than a time for the body to heal and fight off infections; studies show young adults don’t respond as well to vaccines when they are sleep-deprived.

“Teens who miss out on one to two hours of sleep a night during the week can’t make up for it on the weekends; they need nine to nine and a quarter hours of sleep, but most get only seven hours, so they would have to sleep almost all weekend to make up the difference,” said Cabot. “There just aren’t enough hours in the day, and if they try to do it, their biological clock will get out of sync.

“When the biological clock keeps getting reset, it’s as if the teens have traveled to California and back,” she went on. “They have ‘social jetlag,’ which makes you irritable and causes headaches and stomachaches. But a lot of teens live like this.”

However, there are things that parents can do to help children get enough sleep, which is important, because habits formed at a young age often continue into adulthood.

The place to start is with learning how much shuteye your child should get.

Toddlers ages 1 to 3 need between 11 and 13 hours of sleep a night; preschoolers ages 3 to 5 need between nine and 11 hours of sleep; children ages 6 to 12 need between 10 and 11 hours of sleep; and adolescents age 13 to 18 need between nine and 9 ¼ hours of sleep.

Consistency is critical, and once a bedtime has been set, it shouldn’t differ more than an hour each night, whether it’s a weeknight or weekend.

“Many parents let adolescents go to bed super late on weekends and free sleep in the morning,” said Spencer. “But if they sleep from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m., when Monday morning arrives, the shift will be difficult for them, and they will feel jetlagged all day.”

Chabot agreed. “There are two main things that control sleep — one is the biological clock, and the other is called sleep drive, which simply means the longer you are awake, the greater your drive is to sleep,” she explained.

Experts say exercise can help children and adolescents fall asleep more easily, but exercising within a few hours of bedtime can interfere with a person’s ability to fall asleep, which is an unavoidable problem for teens who have sports practices and games in the evening.

Caffeine should be avoided late in the day, and children and adolescents shouldn’t go hungry, although eating a full meal an hour before bedtime is not a good idea either.

Maintaining a good sleep environment is also important. An ideal setting is a comfortable, dark, quiet, cool room. In addition, experts advise parents not to put TVs or computers in their children’s rooms because late-night television viewing, playing computer games, Internet use, and text messaging can result in problems falling and staying asleep.

“It’s important to have a media curfew,” Chabot said, explaining that, when there is a lack of bright light, the body begins to release the hormone melatonin, which helps the body sleep.

In the morning, shades or blinds should be pulled up right away because getting as much access to sunlight as possible stops the body from continuing to release melatonin and allows people to wake up.

As for preschoolers and changes in policies on napping, this is troublesome, said those we spoke with, because it plays into some of the myths surrounding sleep. For example, parents often assume that, if their child isn’t voluntarily taking a nap, they don’t need one.

“But research shows that if preschoolers are encouraged to take a nap, they will, and it’s important because many are not getting enough sleep at night,” Spencer noted.

Many parents also mistakenly think that, if their child takes a nap, they won’t be able to get to sleep at night, but research doesn’t support that belief. Spencer said the key is consistency: it’s only when naps are sporadic that it makes a difference, and if a child takes a nap at the same time every day, they will fall asleep as easily at night as they would without one.

“The extra sleep is so important, and it’s beneficial to memory, although it’s not something many parents are aware of,” she added.

In addition, young children who nap exhibit more control over their emotions than those who stay up all day.

“If they haven’t gotten enough sleep, they can become defiant and switch between being grumpy to aggressive. They can also become hyperactive and giddy due to a lack of sleep,” Spencer said, adding that children differ from adults, who tend to get lethargic when they are tired.

Field of Dreams

Chabot said sleep studies are relatively new in the field of medicine, and it was only after the first EEGs were performed in the ’50s that researchers began to realize that sleep is an active time for the brain.

“It’s taken a long time for knowledge to filter down into medical education and training,” she told BusinessWest, adding that, when she was in medical school at Tufts University between 1980 and 1984, the curriculum did not contain a single lecture about sleep.

But in subsequent years, research has shown there are consequences to not getting enough shuteye, which include increased risk for type II diabetes, obesity, depression, and anxiety.

“It’s important for families to make sleep a priority if they want their children to function at their best,” Chabot said, adding that it can be prudent to have a child cut down on activities if their schedules are really busy.

There’s an easy way to tell if your child is getting enough sleep, she continued.

“They should wake up on their own at the same time every day without an alarm clock, get out of bed right away, and be in a good mood and feel rested,” she said. “If you need to drag your child out of bed, they are not getting enough sleep.”

It’s a simple measure that’s easy to follow for parents who want to increase their child’s chances of excelling in all aspects of their life.

Social Media Poses Both Opportunities and Dangers for Teens

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Health Care Sections

Share Scare

Elizabeth Morgan says young people interacting online are “experimenting with their public persona.”

Worried parents have all kinds of reasons why their kids shouldn’t participate in social media, Elizabeth Morgan said. But perhaps it might be helpful for them to consider why they want to.

“Researchers have asked teenagers this, and the typical reason is to connect with other people. Their primary motivation is to maintain connections, and establish new connections, with other people,” said the assistant professor of Psychology at Springfield College.

Teens with niche interests or unique challenges also benefit from social media, she said, because they might not find similar support locally.

“A lot of times, they’re using it to get information and learn about some experience they’re going through from people online who may not be in their immediate social network,” Morgan said. “That’s one of the positives. Think about a teenager with a chronic illness in Western Mass., where not many people experience that chronic illness. They can connect with people in Missouri, California, or Florida who are going through the same thing, to get information about what they’re going through.”

Still, whatever the reason, young people are also doing something developmentally important when they interact online — they’re experimenting with their public persona. And that can present social and emotional pitfalls.

“For some teens and tweens, social media is the primary way they interact socially, rather than at the mall or a friend’s house,” said Dr. Gwenn O’Keeffe, co-author of a clinical report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), called “The Impact of Social Media Use on Children, Adolescents, and Families.”

“A large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cellphones,” O’Keeffe added. “Parents need to understand these technologies so they can relate to their children’s online world — and comfortably parent in that world.”

Morgan said the idea of self-presentation in social media, on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and many lesser-known outlets, represent a developmental task. “Teenagers are always testing different identities, different personas face to face, and social media provides a way to do it in a safe place where they can manage their presence.”

But how safe is it, really?

“There are all kinds of risks, in the different choices kids make, in how they’re going to be seen and categorized by their peers,” said Dr. Barry Sarvet, chair of Psychiatry at Baystate Medical Center. “Kids have to deal with that anyway, but the online factor makes it quantitatively different; their choices potentially have bigger, broader consequences because of how viral things can get online. Misunderstandings happen more easily online; things are misconstrued.”

The preteen and teen years come with an array of hazards that aren’t exclusive to the Internet age, he went on, from character disparagement and low self-esteem to being stalked or threatened by truly dangerous people.

“Parents need to be aware of and help kids understand the dangers, but they’re not brand-new dangers; there have always been risks of kids being exploited, stressed, and depressed because they’re being stigmatized and misunderstood. And there have always been social networks, circles of friends, cliques. Social media is just another expression of that — but it’s got higher stakes in some ways, because of the permanence and irrevocability of what happens online.”

The solution, Sarvet says, isn’t necessarily to block teenagers’ access to the online world, but to become partners with them and help them manage it. Because social media, while a potentially valuable tool, poses some complex issues at a particularly vulnerable age.

Pursuit of Happiness

Morgan cited a study indicating that some people who use Facebook are happier than those who don’t — or, perhaps, happy people are more willing to share their lives on social networks — but, interestingly, excessive Facebook use may be linked with depression.

“Facebook can be a great experience that leads to connection, but it can also lead to depression, partly because of social comparison to other people who are presenting their best side,” she said, adding that those effects are not pronounced when people compare themselves to immediate friends and family, but spike when making comparisons to casual acquaintances, perhaps because that ‘best side’ seems more like reality.

When teens make the same comparisons to their peers, it’s even worse, she said, because social comparison is already a big issue in adolescence, so it makes them feel worse about themselves. “They might say, ‘look, he has 200 likes; I only have 100,’ or ‘she has 600 friends; I only have 550.’”

That said, it’s difficult to define exactly when young people should enter the social-media world because there’s such a broad range of personal development.

Dr. Barry Sarvet says the choices young people have when it comes to social media come with “bigger, broader consequences” than ever before.

“Some are late bloomers, some early bloomers,” Sarvet told BusinessWest. “Kids will say, ‘all my friends are on it, so I should be allowed.’ But parents have to consider how mature their child is and how vulnerable they might be and their level of judgment. One 13-year-old can have really good judgment and be very safe and be able to follow guidelines and understand why they’re important, and another 13-year-old may be completely unready to have that freedom and power.”

It’s natural, he went on, for kids to desire more freedom than they’re ready to have. “Parents have to constantly make those difficult decisions, how much freedom to give them. A lot of times, kids have to earn the trust. Parents may say to their kids, ‘I want to trust you, but you haven’t earned it because you haven’t been responsible or careful about things, so I don’t feel you’re ready right now.’

“We live in a world where a lot of personal sharing is going on, and kids don’t always understand the impact of what they put online or even just messaging with each other, not realizing things can be forwarded; even those Snapchat images can be captured and saved,” Sarvet added. “The complexity of people’s privacy, understanding the importance of privacy, is something that takes a lot of judgment, which kids don’t always have.”

Lapses in judgment can wreak havoc on young lives, O’Keeffe said, adding that young people can harm their reputations and safety by posting personal and inappropriate information. Meanwhile, information about sites they visit may be captured and used to target them with advertising.

“Cyberbullying happens as well. That’s the dark side of the situation,” Morgan told BusinessWest. “Really, it’s on the parents to try to help manage their children’s experience and be aware of what’s going on, so if there do happen to be instances of cyberbullying, the parents can help the child deal with it.”

Straight Talk

The AAP has issued a series of guidelines pediatricians can use to help families navigate the social-media landscape, including:

• Advise parents to talk to children and adolescents about their online use and the specific issues that today’s online kids face, such as cyberbullying, sexting, and difficulty managing their time;

• Advise parents to work on their own ‘participation gap’ in their homes by becoming better-educated about the many technologies their children are using;

• Discuss with families the need for a family online-use plan, with an emphasis on citizenship and healthy behavior; and

• Discuss with parents the importance of supervising online activities via active participation and communication, not just via monitoring software.

Some house rules can be as simple as using the Internet only in a common room of the house, or not logging on past a certain hour at night, as not to disrupt sleep, Morgan added. “There are so many ways to manage these experiences beyond saying, ‘no social media at all.’”

She added, however, that it’s just as important for parents to develop trust and strong communication with their children, so they feel comfortable approaching the adults with problems that arise.

“Be sure your child knows what can happen and, if it does, that you’re available to help them deal with it, whether that involves blocking a person from your network or pressing charges, if stalking is going on, or just learning how to respond to, or ignore, negative statements and emotionally cope with them. Parents can be a good resource for all of that.”

Sreedhar Potarazu, an ophthalmologist and CEO of VitalSpring Technologies Inc., recently wrote at CNN.com that young people are growing up to expect immediate response, gratification, and notification, all hallmarks of social media, and their brains no longer have time to evolve; instead, they must adapt to change in an instant.

“The results are distressing. The difficulties of growing up have never been so public,” he wrote. “Social technology provides a platform where things can run wild. Imagine the stress of high school — the competition for popularity, the pressure to fit in, the judgmental nature of social activities — at an accelerated pace.”

He suggests a number of steps parents can take to help their children navigate this world, such as:

• Create more structured forms of social media that prevent children from diving into, say, Snapchat right from the start;

• Provide a way for parents and administrators to get feedback on their kids’ online use without intruding on privacy and alert them to impending dangers;

• Add courses on social technology and responsibility to school curricula, teaching adolescents that what they do online exposes them to the whole world — sometimes forever, and perhaps affecting their job searches and choice of a mate; and

• Ease up on the pressure, and persuade teens that that they don’t have to market themselves constantly, and that social media can be a mechanism for fostering collaborative relationships, rather than competition, aggression, and irresponsible behavior that contributes to anxiety and depression.

A Question of Trust

Sarvet stressed, however, that the online world is not an intrinsically bad place.

“I think there’s still a lot of richness,” he said. “I tend to encourage parents to be open-minded about this stuff because I think a lot of parents are very suspicious and skeptical of it and focus more on the horrible things that can happen, and they’re also very unrealistic about their ability to control it.”

To wit, a recent Pew Research Center study found that 92% of teens go online daily, and 24% say they are online “constantly.” Common Sense Media reports that 90% of teens have used social media, and 75% of them have profiles on social-networking sites. In another study, CNN found that some 13-year-olds check their social-media feeds 100 times a day.

“I think it’s important for parents to recognize that their kids are in school, out in the world, and they should assume — even if they have a rule that their kids are not allowed to be on Facebook — that their kids might be on Facebook,” Sarvet said. “They should accept that they’re not in charge all the time of their kids’ use of social media, and they can’t be. If you accept that, the focus becomes less on having rules and more on helping them understand the complexity of what they’re doing online.”

Barring teens outright from social media, he suggested, only manages to destroy the lines of communication that might come in handy someday, whether dealing with serious issues like cyberbullying and sexting or simply learning more from one’s teens about the online world, which sites are popular, and what kids today are doing there.

“If they have a nice, respectful relationship with their kid, it allows the parent to have a guiding influence and an opportunity to learn what kids are doing and have an open dialogue about it,” Sarvet went on. “When parents are overly nervous and, in response to this nervousness, start making these strict rules, it just invites kids to find ways to get around the rules, and they no longer talk to their parents about it, knowing you’ll be mad at them.”

In short, he told BusinessWest, “control what you can control,” and the rest is building trust. No one said it would be easy, in a culture where positive connections and lurking dangers are both just a few clicks away.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Building Permits

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Building Permits Departments

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

AMHERST

Autozone Parts Inc.
373 Northampton Road
$574,000 — Construct a 7,381-square-foot structure

PCJ Riverside Partners, LLC
15 Montague Road
$88,000 — Remove old and install new roof

Summerlin Trust
11 East Pleasant St.
$3,500 — Commercial installation of a hood-exhaust system

Town of Amherst School Department
70 Southeast St.
$36,000 — Remove old roof and install new

William Russell
18 Main St.
$18,500 — Install roof, fascia, chimney, gutters

CHICOPEE

Sunshine Village
75 Litwin Lane
$70,000 — Metal retrofit for roof

WE 77 Champion Dr., LLC
77 Champion Dr.
$50,000 — Install 19 replacement windows

Whisperwood Realty, LLC
41-53 Lemuel Ave.
$25,500 — Install a fire sprinkler system

HADLEY

Advanced Auto
346 Russell St.
$25,000 — Install shelving and fixtures

Elements Massage
379 Russell St.
$40,000 — Interior renovation

Texas Roadhouse
282 Russell St.
$1,118,000 — Construction of a 7,163-square-foot restaurant

LUDLOW

Chapin Greene Condo Association
66 Chapin Greene Dr.
$1,400,000 — Commercial alterations

Ludlow Police Department
612 Chapin St.
$685,000 — Roof replacement

SML Industries
15 Dana Way
$134,500 — Roof replacement

Westover Golf Course
West St.
$685,000 — Roof replacement

NORTHAMPTON

Mananto Holdings, LLP
36 King St.
$8,000 — Replace cafe entry doors

Manhan Narrow, LLC
196 Pleasant St.
$10,000 — Install office-replacement windows

Pioneer Valley Photovoltaic
49 Gothic St.
$47,000 — Install roof-mounted solar array

Unitarian Church
220 Main St.
$12,000 — Strip south side of roof and install new metal roof

PALMER

James D. Smith
1384 Main St.
$8,500 — Remodel new location for spa

Little Rest Remodeling Company
2001 Calkins Road
$5,000 — Seal and wrap insulation

Mapleleaf Distribution Services
14 Third St.
$9,000 — Exterior renovations

Phillips B. Carpenter
1239 Park St.
$17,000 — New roof

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Health
3350 Main St.
$18,000 — Interior renovation to create office

Dan Rosow
1244 Boston Road
$10,000 — New roof

Opus Duram, LLC
1043 Sumner Ave.
$157,000 — Interior renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Mark Patel
50 Morgan Road
$51,000 — Re-roof

Scaper, LLC
120 Interstate Dr.
$20,000 — Add three antennas

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

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

GREENFIELD

40 Allen St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Deborah H. Squires
Seller: David J. Chula
Date: 12/08/15

629 Bernardston Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: David J. Donoghue
Seller: Christopher M. Goodwin
Date: 12/04/15

367 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $155,283
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Lois M. Sanders
Date: 12/07/15

113 Hastings St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Edith K. Drury
Seller: Virginia Pechin Keen IRT
Date: 12/09/15

284 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Green Man Enterprises LLC
Seller: Richard E. Sigda
Date: 12/03/15

55 White Birch Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $155,742
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Lance E. Mitchell
Date: 12/09/15

LEVERETT

11 Church Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Hannah L. Muszynski
Seller: Edith H. Riddle
Date: 12/04/15

118 North Leverett Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Adam V. Wellen
Seller: Ann J. Delano
Date: 12/03/15

MONTAGUE

46 High St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jacqueline M. Krzykowski
Seller: Catherine R. Balboni LT
Date: 12/04/15

57 Mormon Hollow Road
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Meagan L. Veith
Seller: Phillip J&N J. Szenher RET
Date: 12/07/15

ORANGE

25 Bartlett Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Aleesha C. Watson
Seller: Bassett RT
Date: 12/07/15

160 Chase St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Felicia N. Atherton
Seller: Jerry L. Aldrich
Date: 12/04/15

665 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Eliane B. Monteiro
Date: 12/03/15

17 Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Michael G. Morse
Seller: Blast Tech Inc.
Date: 12/08/15

SHELBURNE

1155 Mohawk Trail
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Pamela J. Miner
Date: 12/04/15

SUNDERLAND

44 Mount Toby Woods
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: John W. Campbell
Seller: Barry J. Gallerani
Date: 12/02/15

150 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: Frederick Weinberg
Date: 12/08/15

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

20 Allison Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Maria Spano
Seller: Drzal, Alice, (Estate)
Date: 12/07/15

64 Belvidere Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Courtney M. Barbieri
Seller: Steven W. Hershowitz
Date: 12/08/15

40 Cherry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Daniel Brady
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/02/15

67 Highland St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $174,300
Buyer: Melhem F. Salloum
Seller: Hanibal Technology LLC
Date: 12/09/15

119 Maple St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Kimberly S. Miner
Date: 12/07/15

627 North Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Charles Devins
Seller: Hillside Development Corp.
Date: 12/09/15

77 Parkview Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Matthew J. Maynard
Seller: Theodore J. Gingras
Date: 12/04/15

31 Ridgeview Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $124,339
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Michael J. Demars
Date: 12/08/15

18 Wildflower Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Dinesh B. Patel
Seller: Brian P. Mullins
Date: 12/02/15

BLANDFORD

22-R Birch Hill Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: James E. Stockseth
Seller: Allen, Thomas W., (Estate)
Date: 12/04/15

CHICOPEE

103 Acrebrook Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Paige L. Vandermyn
Seller: Frank Bogdanovich
Date: 12/02/15

104 Bardon St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $178,500
Buyer: Michael L. McKnight
Seller: Samantha T. Basnet
Date: 12/02/15

13 Brouillard Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jennifer Sibilly
Seller: Barry J. Brouillard
Date: 12/04/15

20 Concord St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Mary G. Corrado
Seller: James Newcity
Date: 12/08/15

503 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Gerard A. Leclair
Seller: Kevin P. Fontaine
Date: 12/04/15

66 Lagadia St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $216,500
Buyer: Brenda Kroeber
Seller: Frank Stefanik
Date: 12/01/15

22 Luther St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Ricardo C. Borges
Seller: Margaret B. Koziol
Date: 12/04/15

104 Madison St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Erik O. Cubi
Seller: Victor M. Felix
Date: 12/04/15

619 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Luis M. Torres
Seller: Wieslaw Szczubelek
Date: 12/04/15

161 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Pioneer Housing LLC
Seller: Keith G. Rudzik
Date: 12/04/15

476 Montcalm St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Michael J. Oparowski
Seller: Justin G. Constantilos
Date: 12/09/15

77 Nash St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $128,634
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Donald J. Dugas
Date: 12/07/15

123 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Jared S. Johnson
Seller: Peter P. Pavalyuk
Date: 12/01/15

53 Sanford St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Patrick Perez
Seller: Carrie L. Smith
Date: 12/01/15

35 Shirley St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $158,500
Buyer: Adam Bartusewich
Seller: Gail M. Boone
Date: 12/09/15

47 Victoria Park
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Rosa Guzman
Seller: Jeannine I. Lareau
Date: 12/09/15

EAST LONGMEADOW

6 Garland Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: William O. Kerr
Seller: Thomas A. Ryan
Date: 12/07/15

296 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $825,000
Buyer: Quercus Properties LLC
Seller: Pecousic Assoc. Ptnshp.
Date: 12/07/15

83 Nottingham Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $690,000
Buyer: William P. Garvey
Seller: William P. Laplante
Date: 12/07/15

23 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Donald J. Wiswall
Seller: Julie J. Drzymalski
Date: 12/07/15

GRANVILLE

23 Cross Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Daniel E. Franklin
Seller: Evans, Lorraine M., (Estate)
Date: 12/03/15

HAMPDEN

21 Allen Crest St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Raymond C. Bartolucci
Seller: Jeffrey D. Hecht
Date: 12/07/15

51 Ridgeway Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Erica M. Davenport
Seller: David J. Farioli

HOLLAND

24 Forest Park Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Charles Cloutier
Seller: Thomas A. Laplante
Date: 12/04/15

HOLYOKE

99 Meadowbrook Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Christopher Dangelo
Seller: Louis R. Redfern
Date: 12/07/15

43-45 Portland St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $132,360
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Lisa J. Robert
Date: 12/01/15

LONGMEADOW

39 Birchwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Deeba A. Zaher
Seller: Marjorie Farnan
Date: 12/03/15

72 Crescent Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Raymond Christensen
Seller: Jamie B. Quinn
Date: 12/08/15

37 Lynnwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Mutharasu Sivakumar
Seller: Jonathan M. Retchin
Date: 12/01/15

749 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $875,000
Buyer: VK Heritage LLC
Seller: IE Realty LLC
Date: 12/08/15

N/A
71 Roseland Terrace
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Frank A. Langone
Seller: Irene E. Beron
Date: 12/04/15

48 Silver Birch Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Alexander Cohen
Seller: Ellis Goldberg
Date: 12/08/15

58 Yarmouth St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,980
Buyer: USA HUD
Seller: Tripp, Thomas M., (Estate)
Date: 12/02/15

LUDLOW

34 Carmelinas Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $299,200
Buyer: Crown Castle Towers 9 LLC
Seller: Silva Real Estate Service
Date: 12/01/15

188 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $369,000
Buyer: Fuller Future LLC
Seller: Joaenn M. Grybosh
Date: 12/02/15

108 Loopley St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $257,500
Buyer: Selenia E. Cruz
Seller: Susan Y. Weinstein
Date: 12/04/15

295 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Robert E. Costa
Seller: Bogdan A. Mastalerz
Date: 12/02/15

MONSON

214 Bumstead Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jason P. Allen
Seller: Ralph J. Coolong
Date: 12/04/15

PALMER

2006 Calkins Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Joyce G. Campbell
Seller: Marcia A. Cichon
Date: 12/01/15

3037 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $136,900
Buyer: Joseph C. Harris
Seller: Toni J. Gunn
Date: 12/09/15

3003 Oak St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Richard A. Brown
Seller: Edmund J. Stokowski
Date: 12/07/15

1094 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Skowyra
Seller: Kenneth L. Fitzgibbon
Date: 12/08/15

RUSSELL

961 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Marcus Houston
Seller: Clarence S. Rowley
Date: 12/04/15

41 Westwood Dr.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Jay M. Smith
Seller: Charles R. Margarites
Date: 12/09/15

SOUTHWICK

196 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $417,000
Buyer: Richard M. Kellett
Seller: Ralph H. Ramsdell
Date: 12/01/15

26 Crystal Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Brian G. Kendall
Seller: Eugene F. Petit
Date: 12/04/15

307 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Michael J. Goneau
Seller: Matthew J. Maynard
Date: 12/04/15

7 Reservoir Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $323,100
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: Slawamir Kuzmicki
Date: 12/03/15

SPRINGFIELD

40 Audubon St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $194,764
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Jason S. Donaldson
Date: 12/08/15

624 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $316,500
Buyer: American Dream Estate LLC
Seller: Stoughton L. Smead
Date: 12/01/15

155 Carnavon Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Iris G. Rodriguez
Seller: Bennye N. Crawford
Date: 12/04/15

15 Dianna Dr.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Stephen Yankson
Seller: Sodi Inc.
Date: 12/03/15

115 Donbray Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Tiana M. Davis
Seller: David M. Murphy
Date: 12/01/15

93-95 Edgeland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: William Holmes-Murphy
Seller: Visionary Realty LLC
Date: 12/02/15

400 Forest Hills Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Julian S. Tenczar
Seller: Letendre, Jeannine M., (Estate)
Date: 12/07/15

63 Glenham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $133,900
Buyer: Cherie C. Burton
Seller: Linda B. Szklarz
Date: 12/04/15

236 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Kyle E. Velez
Seller: Francis J. Boudreau
Date: 12/04/15

33 Kittrell St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Justin K. Barroso
Seller: Steven M. Vigneault
Date: 12/04/15

26 Lorenzo St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Luz E. Santos
Seller: Mona A. Vancicni
Date: 12/04/15

22 Maplewood Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jose Aviles-Torres
Seller: Yehuda Dery
Date: 12/02/15

22 Mayflower Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $118,500
Buyer: Marcus J. Catlett
Seller: Andre E. Vaine
Date: 12/08/15

101 Miller St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $147,900
Buyer: Frank C. Salas
Seller: Attaford LLC
Date: 12/07/15

42 Perkins St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $166,777
Buyer: JJJ 17 LLC
Seller: Joseph Eadie
Date: 12/08/15

745 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Meghan K. Healy
Seller: Ronald J. Sullivan
Date: 12/08/15

37-39 Prentice St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Richard H. Cataldo
Seller: Lapa, Katherine J., (Estate)
Date: 12/08/15

66 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Samuel Delvalle
Seller: Joseph M. Marullo
Date: 12/04/15

5 Sedgewick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Jordan C. Leonard
Seller: Amanda M. Gonzalez
Date: 12/04/15

22-24 Somerset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Peter S. Ellis
Seller: Edward P. Cerrone
Date: 12/04/15

152 Wachusett St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $145,050
Buyer: Household Finance Corp. 2
Seller: Richard J. Sacco
Date: 12/01/15

51-53 Winthrop St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $138,971
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: George Kahi
Date: 12/08/15

143 Woodlawn St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Alan Rosario
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 12/04/15

106 Wrenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Jeffrey J. Kristek
Seller: Brian G. Kendall
Date: 12/04/15

WEST SPRINGFIELD

61 Bosworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Ramis Afrailov
Seller: CGS Realty LLC
Date: 12/01/15

15 Boulevard Place
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Benjamin J. Scott
Seller: Matthew B. Pioggia
Date: 12/04/15

70 Carriage Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Dan Le
Seller: Chidiac, Badui, (Estate)
Date: 12/04/15

57 Herrman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Tatyana V. Krasun
Seller: Steven P. Nicora
Date: 12/03/15

41 High St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $193,891
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Paul Jaeger
Date: 12/08/15

375 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Earl Burney
Seller: David H. Judge
Date: 12/04/15

112 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $174,740
Buyer: Aminata D. Diedhiou
Seller: Zenon Pardave
Date: 12/08/15

1183 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Peter B. Chlastawa
Seller: Anthony A. Hannoush
Date: 12/04/15

110 Old Barn Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Henry M. Mushi
Seller: Margaret R. Valentine
Date: 12/09/15

635 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $246,623
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Joseph L. Kitt
Date: 12/07/15

309 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Zenon Pardave
Seller: David W. Tourville
Date: 12/08/15

WESTFIELD

8 Columbia St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Scott Snyder-Perusse
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/04/15

32 South Maple St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Buyer: Mark E. Ethier
Seller: Gary A. Conroy
Date: 12/09/15

WILBRAHAM

24 Carla Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $409,900
Buyer: David Mahan
Seller: Custom Homes Development Group LLC
Date: 12/01/15

610 Glendale Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: George C. Pidgeon
Seller: David A. Gilfor
Date: 12/03/15

6 Lance Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Jose A. Vargas
Seller: Mark S. Szydlowski
Date: 12/03/15

468 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Brad J. Kane
Seller: Jeffrey Fontaine
Date: 12/09/15

8 Squire Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $489,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Fontaine
Seller: Suzanne F. Murphy
Date: 12/09/15

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

76 Chestnut St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Chestnut St Realty Partners
Seller: Cynthia J. Mussinan
Date: 12/04/15

384 Middle St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $507,500
Buyer: Dano J. Weisbord
Seller: Joel Ouellette
Date: 12/04/15

910 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $902,500
Buyer: Abida Adnan
Seller: Shaul Perry
Date: 12/04/15

682 Station Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Ekaterina D. Vavova
Seller: Abida Adnan
Date: 12/04/15

BELCHERTOWN

37 Fletcher Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Joseph C. Black
Seller: Steven D. Rose
Date: 12/04/15

85 Howard St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $191,500
Buyer: Scott E. Baronas
Seller: Marianne Burno
Date: 12/04/15

234 Michael Sears Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Ryan P. Johnson
Seller: Crane, Mary Rose, (Estate)
Date: 12/09/15

312 South St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: Gerald R. Maloney
Date: 12/02/15

EASTHAMPTON

15 Emily Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Kevin Slate
Seller: Elizabeth A. Armstrong
Date: 12/09/15

9 Fort Hill Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: James J. O’Malley
Seller: Ryna Russell
Date: 12/04/15

11 Strong St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $214,400
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Timothy J. Young
Date: 12/04/15

GOSHEN

124 Spruce Corner Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Lauren M. Culver
Seller: Richardson, F. D., (Estate)
Date: 12/01/15

GRANBY

32 East St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Moroney
Seller: Nathan A. Swistak
Date: 12/04/15

HADLEY

199 North Maple St.
Hadley, MA 01062
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: 199 North Maple NT
Seller: Zion Korean Church
Date: 12/04/15

HATFIELD

2 Prospect St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Hunter
Seller: Gratl, Barbara A., (Estate)
Date: 12/04/15

72 School St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $338,625
Buyer: Hatfield School St. Properties
Seller: Hatfield Properties & Storage LLC
Date: 12/09/15

MIDDLEFIELD

11 Clark Wright Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Scott T. McCoy
Seller: John J. Kozynoski
Date: 12/09/15

55 Town Hill Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: David C. Nurse
Seller: Jack I. Joseph
Date: 12/07/15

NORTHAMPTON

88 Bancroft Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $910,000
Buyer: Held RT
Seller: Patricia J. Walsh
Date: 12/01/15

117 Barrett St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Brent D. Visser
Seller: Edward J. Harvey
Date: 12/03/15

157 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Louise C. Humiston
Seller: Manuel T. Morocho
Date: 12/01/15

19 Columbus Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Samuel W. Craig
Seller: Peter A. Pacosa
Date: 12/08/15

41 Hillside Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Alan J. Irish
Seller: Shirley D. Tallent RET
Date: 12/07/15

201 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,350,000
Buyer: Sierros Family Ent. LLC
Seller: Elizabeth Hanson
Date: 12/03/15

60 Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $327,400
Buyer: KSM Properties LLC
Seller: Droescher Myers LLP
Date: 12/01/15

40 Ridgewood Terrace
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Amanda C. Dixon
Seller: Steliana Naumescu
Date: 12/03/15

205 South St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $429,500
Buyer: Anton M. Broekman
Seller: Lathrop Home Inc.
Date: 12/01/15

8 Westwood Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Tracy J. Lisewski
Seller: Francis T. Grover
Date: 12/07/15

PELHAM

66 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $133,673
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Stanley C. Wojtkielewicz
Date: 12/02/15

PLAINFIELD

120 Pleasant St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $301,888
Buyer: Brenda L. Light
Seller: Robert Baker
Date: 12/04/15

SOUTH HADLEY

434 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jesse S. Dubois
Seller: Collingwood, Evelyn M., (Estate)
Date: 12/04/15

25 Kimberly Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Michael R. Sobon
Seller: Patrick W. Laskey
Date: 12/04/15

WARE

93 Doane Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: David S. Desroches
Seller: Edward L. Lavella
Date: 12/03/15

20 Sherwin St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Scott E. Stuckenbruck
Seller: Lorraine M. Naglieri
Date: 12/01/15

WORTHINGTON

116 Huntington Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Buyer: Deborah Dreschnack
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/08/15

Bankruptcies

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Balcom, Thomas S.
201 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/15

Bean, Doris J.
6 Louise St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/15

Berthiaume, Yvonne C.
P.O. Box 533
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Bigelow, Evan M.
250 West St., Apt. 23
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Brown, Charles E.
30 Memory Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Campbell, Natasha D.
382 Pleasant St., Apt. 1
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/15

Canada, Wayne E.
Canada, Annie M.
20 Woodbridge Road
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Clark, Sandra
90 Brighton Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/15

Cruz, Wilfredo
12 Fairhaven Dr.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Dargie, Michael D.
150 Ashland St., Suite 411
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/15

DIY Brewing Supply
Bernier, Michael James
37 Hampshire St
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/08/15

Dussault, John A.
Dussault, Anita H.
22 East St. Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/15

Eveleigh, Christopher D.
153 High St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/15

Feliberty, Santo
207 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Gambino, Santo Salvatore
10 Old Thompson St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/02/15

Gourde, Kelly A.
a/k/a Crate, Kelly A.
64 Northridge Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/15

Gower, Douglas A.
92 Felix St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Greenough, Scott C.
Greenough, Eva D.
a/k/a Camp, Eva D.
101 Laurence St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/15

Griffin, Deborah L.
a/k/a Baronoski, Deborah Lynn
82 Stanton Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/04/15

Harris, James S.
Harris, Gail H.
45 River Road
Erving, MA 01344
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/14/15

Kiefer, Melissa D.
7 Parker Ave, Fl. 1
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/15

Kootnz, Mark Lehman
7 Salem Place, Unit 7
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Laferriere, Ronald Richard
Laferriere, Hazel Mary
69 Lathrop St. Apt. 15
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/15

Laquer, Maribel
50 Clifton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/15

Lee, Linda M.
a/k/a Sienko, Linda M.
133 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/15

Lewis, Francis M.
8 William St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/15

Lyons, Kelly P.
a/k/a Coyne, Kelly P.
54 Yorktowne Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/03/15

Mominee, DianaJo
149 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/15

Morley, Jeremy David
73 Squawfield Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/15

Mosier, Tessie Marie
4 Caroline Circle
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/15

Murphy, Timothy M.
23 Lake Ave.
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Nielsen, Scott J.
Levine, Elinor
171 Gray St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/05/15

Ouimette, Jerri A.
542 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/15

Package Machinery Company Co.
80 Commercial St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/15

Pelletier, Paula L.
Martinez, Annette
15 State Road
Whatley, MA 01093
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/15

Porter, Donald M.
Porter, Sara L.
10 Almon Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/15

Progressive Electric
Long, Michael Joseph
P.O. Box 0931
Northampton, MA 01061
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/15

Ringwood, Betty Ann
P.O. Box 96
Colrain, MA 01340
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/15

Robideau, Judith A.
6 Bush Ave., Apt 1
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/15

Roux, David J.
Roux, Jennifer L.
13 Leahey Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Sacchetti, Sylvia S.
230 Hungerford St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/15

Tuck, Jonathan Paul
25 Lee Road
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Valentine, David Rosario
372 West St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Voyevodina, Tatyana
5 Woodlawn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Waddell, Ann Thompson
P.O. Box 419
Stockbridge, MA 01262
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/15

Doing Business As Certificates

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

DBA Certificates Departments

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

AGAWAM

Abella’s Skin & Nail
159 Main St.
Jennifer Mallalieu

The Sharper Edge
99 Maple St.
Russell Scalise

AMHERST

Amherst Community Solar
326 Pelham Road
Lucas Krupinski

Amherst Hairstylists
15 Pray St.
Caren Bisbee

Amherst Healing Arts
409 Main St.
Karen Kerin

MT Taqueria Mexican
31 Boltwood Walk
Marleny Amaya

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Jiffy Lube
2017 Memorial Dr.
Steven Roberts

Daigle’s Truck Master
57 Fuller Road
Jeffrey Daigle

Elegance Salon & Spa
974 Chicopee St.
Myriam Vega

Krystle Kleen Inc.
235 Meadow St.
Michael Robare

Monro Muffler & Brakes
461 Memorial Dr.
Joshua Morrison

Tony’s Flooring
14 Simard Dr.
Anthony Lasorsa

HADLEY

JC Mattress Company
8 River Dr.
Justin Carlson

Leon’s Auto Sales
64 East St.
Leon Szymborn

Marshall’s
325 Russell St.
Marshalls of MA Inc.

Mobile Robotics
110 North Maple St.
Charles Brown

Old Navy
339 Russell St.
Old Navy

Texas Roadhouse
280 Russell St.
Texas Roadhouse

TJ Maxx
454 Russell St.
TJX, Inc.

HOLYOKE

B & B Real Estate
59 Cherry St.
Edward Brunelle

Barbieri Express
12 Crescent St.
Kevin Barbieri

KW Property Management
97 Locust St.
Kenrick Williams

Western Mass College Nights
920 Main St.
Ryan Spence

NORTHAMPTON

Chasa Cafe Inc.
159 Main St.
Thondup Tsering

Happy Valley Auto Restoration
40 Williams St.
Gregory Goff

L & R Cleaning Services
21 Wilson Ave.
Richard Tucci

PALMER

Coin Pal
69 East Palmer Park Dr.
Edward Goodfield

Helping Hands
60 Randall St.
Paula Haley

Mayberry’s Portable Welding
229 Peterson Road
Peter Mayberry

Pioneer Stump Grinding & Plowing
1113 Thorndike St.
Kyle Tassineri

SPRINGFIELD

Ace of Blades Barber
932 Boston Road
Evangelo Gonzalez

Action Management
70 Monticello Ave.
Gary Michael

Always Drywall
199 Cabinet St.
Michael Sares

Amiracle Construction
225 Durant St.
Jonathan Hall

Baystate Home Infusion
211 Carando Dr.
Brian Simonds

Bealfire Stone
67 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Dashay Miles

Bhakta Pradan
33 Ruskin St.
Bhakta Pradan

Big City Builders
42 Arbutus St.
Steven J. Brantley

Breakthrough Fitness
481 Breckwood Blvd.
Shosana Porter

Busy Bee Store
494 Central St.
Mohammad Tanvir

Cardicci Couture
1 Allen St.
Craig Williams

Crafted in Style
96 Albermarle St.
Naomi Howard

Crystal Clear Home Cleaners
2141 Main St.
Ed Kostyuko

Evins Brantley Construction
91 Dunmoreland St.
Evins C. Brantley

Racing Mart
1037 St. James Ave.
Abbas Younes

Ron’s Oil Burner Service
97 Groton St.
Robert Alan

SISS
67 Wollaston St.
Alexander Buor

Spotless Office Cleaning
26 Lafayette St.
Juliet Davis

Springfield Auto Service
731 Liberty St.
Boris Altman

Truong Nguyen Cafe
392 Dickinson St.
Son Nguyen

Z Tech Towing
18 Kenwood Park
Rafael Zayas

WESTFIELD

Home Access Solutions
352 Shaker Road
Chadwick Berndt

Miha Welding
57 Tannery Road
Artem Girich

WEST SPRINGFIELD

AAA Xtreme Paintball
683 Westfield St.
Joseph O’Malley

AC Motor Express, LLC
339 Bliss St.
John Nekitopoulos

Cost Klippers
2260 Westfield St.
Kalie Kopezynski

Crayata, LLC
70 Windsor St.
Tammy L. Pierson

Gabriel Gladiator Training
130 Myron St.
Gabriel Goncalves

Toch Supply Company
104 Hillcrest Ave.
Aric Nunes

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Departments Incorporations

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

ADAMS

CT Plunkett PTG Inc., 14 Commercial St., Adams, MA 01220. Erin Mucci, 37 Upton St., Adams, MA 01220. Charitable and educational purposes; bring together persons interested in welfare of CT Plunkett Elementary School of Adams students; promote free-flow of ideas by teachers, parents, and children; assist teachers in programs for children to become good citizens; use meeting forum for suggestions or ideas by parents, teachers, and students to develop potential of children, community, and the school; support educational and arts enrichment activities and programs for the school and community.

AMHERST

Woodside Daycare Center Inc., 155 Woodside Ave, Amherst, MA 01102. Catherine Epstein, 90 Spring St., Amherst, MA 01002. Charitable and educational purposes to provide day care, nursery, child care, and related educational services in the greater Amherst area.

BRIMFIELD

Laser Converting Concepts Inc., 109 Brookfield Road, Brimfield, MA 01010. Gregory Flamand, same. Laser manufacturing.
CHICOPEE

Templo Misionero El Buen Smaritano, 48-C Riverview Terrace, Chicopee, MA 01013. Teresa Martinez, same. Preach the word of God; reach to those in need; teach the gospel.

CLARKSBURG

North County Church of the Rebellion Inc., 28 Cross Road, Clarksburg, MA 01247. Jesse Leydet, 17 Phelps Ave., North Adams, MA 01247. Printing, publishing, designing, creation, assembly and shipping of merchandise.

HOLYOKE

The Miracle League of Western Massachusetts Inc., 106 Chapin St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Ernest Fitzell Jr., same. Provide special needs children a chance to play baseball and other sports.

SHELBURNE FALLS

Charlemont Historical Society Inc., 7 Avery Brook Road, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Beth Bandy, 7 Avery Brook Road, Charlemont, MA 01370. Collect, preserve, and display objects, records, and folklore of historic significance of Charlemont’s earliest habitation, and maintain a museum for these artifacts; provide organization for those interested in preserving, researching, and maintain local history of Charlemont; familiarize citizens with Charlemont’s history, and increase interest in local history and traditions through exhibits, educational programs, publications, and historical records.

SPRINGFIELD

Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley Inc., 1500 Main St., Suite 2700 Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP, Springfield, MA 01115. Ira Bryck, 255 Strong St., Amherst, MA 01002. Charitable and educational purposes to provide educational programs for family and closely held businesses and opportunities for educational interaction among such business owners, and related charitable and educational purposes.

Real Estate Rehab Inc., 408 Sumner Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Gerald Beaulieu, same. Commercial and residential construction.

United Professional Horsemen’s Association Chapter 14 Inc., 1500 Main St., Suite 2700 Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP, Springfield, MA 01115. John Lampropolous, 99 Amesbury Road, Newton, NH 03858. Non-Profit organization to better the conditions of those engaged in the pursuit of equine related activities; support research to improve horses; promote development of higher degree of efficiency for its members in their efforts to improve general conditions of the show horse industry.

WARE

Your Deal Source Inc., 277 Palmer Road, Ware, MA 01082. Matthew Woodward, 20 Beach Dr., West Brookfield, MA 01585. Retail store.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

The Sangria Shack Inc., 15 Sagamore Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. Anthony Martone, same. Wine production.

WILLIAMSBURG

Girls on the Run of Western MA Inc., 10 North St., Williamsburg, MA 01096. Alison Berman, same. Religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Briefcase Departments

Pittsfield to Welcome MassDevelopment TDI Fellow

PITTSFIELD — MassDevelopment has selected Pittsfield, Brockton, and New Bedford for its second round of Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) fellows to advance local redevelopment visions in those cities’ TDI districts. The fellows, who will have experience in city planning, community partnership building, real estate, and economic development, will work in their host districts for three years in collaboration with local partnerships. These fellows follow the successful initial placements earlier this year in Springfield, Haverhill, and Lynn. “This grant is another recognition that Pittsfield is moving forward,” said state Sen. Ben Downing (D-Pittsfield). “Support through the TDI program will help revitalize the Tyler Street corridor and build on the great work of local business and community organizations.” MassDevelopment is accepting qualifications for these new fellows positions, which will begin in spring 2016, on its website. Staff members from Peabody and Worcester will participate in this round as adjunct fellows, joining cohort activities such as monthly meetings, skills building, site visits, and regional leadership development. Brockton, New Bedford, and Pittsfield are three of the 10 Gateway Cities selected in December 2014 as the pilot TDI districts in development, along with Haverhill, Holyoke, Lynn, Peabody, Revere, Springfield, and Worcester. As a part of the program, each will receive a range of real-estate-development services to support local visions for redevelopment, and to catalyze and leverage investments and economic activities. Everett and Malden are receiving directed regional planning and implementation assistance to advance their districts’ TDI visions. “The first three fellows have quickly become indispensable parts of the economic-development communities in Haverhill, Lynn, and Springfield by partnering with local organizations to create redevelopment opportunities,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones. “We look forward to the new faces that will arrive in Brockton, New Bedford, and Pittsfield to support those cities’ visions.”

State Adds 19 to Green Communities List

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration announced that 19 more cities and towns have been designated Green Communities by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and will receive more than $3.1 million for local clean-energy and energy-efficiency projects. The Western Mass. communities added to the list, and their funding, include Adams ($166,865), Bernardston ($131,290), Egremont ($138,570), Stockbridge ($139,625), West Springfield ($222,765), and Windsor ($137,880). “The Green Communities program demonstrates state and local governments can work together to save energy and taxpayers’ money, while making the Commonwealth a healthier place to live,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “These 19 communities will be able to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy, reducing energy costs and reducing their carbon footprints.” Added Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, “helping cities and towns reduce their energy consumption allows them to channel their financial savings into other municipal needs, like public safety, education, and municipal buildings. These grants further reiterate the Commonwealth’s ability to work with municipalities to ensure Massachusetts continues to be a leader in clean energy and energy efficiency.” The 155 Green Communities are cities and towns of all sizes that range from the Berkshires to Cape Cod and are home to 54% of Massachusetts’ population. All Green Communities commit to reducing municipal energy consumption by 20% over five years. “Through the Green Communities program, DOER is able to work with municipalities to find clean-energy solutions that reduce long-term energy costs and strengthen local economies,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “The commitment and hard work of these 19 communities to reduce their energy use and undertake clean-energy projects will help Massachusetts continue its leadership in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and emissions reductions.”

Holiday Sales Up 7.9% This Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The holiday shopping season isn’t quite over yet — many of those who received gift cards have yet to hit the stores — but a study has shown that it is already a solid one for retailers. Indeed, retail sales were up 7.9% between Black Friday and Christmas Eve compared to the same period a year ago, according to MasterCard SpendingPulse, which studies transaction and survey data on purchases made with credit cards, cash, and checks. The report found that e-commerce provided crucial holiday momentum this holiday season, with sales up 20% in that realm.

Defense-contract Work Contributed $20B to State Economy in FY 2013

AMHERST — The Commonwealth’s defense-contract work supported more than 88,000 workers and contributed more than $20 billion to the Massachusetts economy, while Massachusetts military installations directly or indirectly supported more than 57,000 jobs with a total economic contribution of more than $13 billion, in fiscal year 2013, according to two new UMass Donahue Institute reports. Massachusetts companies exemplifying the connections between the defense sector and small businesses include Holyoke’s Meridian Industrial Group, which does machining for portable MRI equipment; Southampton’s J&E Precision Tool, which produces components for Black Hawk helicopters, periscopes, and F-22s and F-35s; and CPI Radant Technologies Division in Stow, which develops components for military aircraft. “The Commonwealth’s six bases and defense-related firms continue to have a major impact on the Massachusetts economy, both in terms of jobs and dollars,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “Academia, business, and technology — three of the Commonwealth’s top sectors — play a role in our installations and defense contracts, helping this industry serve as an economic driver. We look forward to their continued growth and contribution to Massachusetts.” The Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force and MassDevelopment commissioned the reports. The first studied the impact of the Commonwealth’s six military installations — Barnes Air National Guard Base, Fort Devens Reserve Forces Training Area, Hanscom Air Force Base, Joint Base Cape Cod, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center, and Westover Air Reserve Base — and the Massachusetts Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. The second report studied the defense industry’s contribution to the New England economy, finding that, in fiscal year 2013, New England defense contracting generated nearly $49 billion and more than 218,000 jobs.

College Farm Market Project Launched with $25,000 Grant

GREENFIELD — The Rural Community College Alliance has awarded a $25,000 grant to Greenfield Community College (GCC), Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), and the Franklin Community Co-op (FCC) to fund a new collaborative College Farm Market Project (CFMP). GCC farm and food systems and business majors will work as interns with CISA and FCC to enhance and expand on existing opportunities with farmers’ markets in the Pioneer Valley. The project’s goal is to develop a replicable model for coordinating food- and farm-focused education, marketing, and sales that support the growing sustainable farm movement in Western Mass. The RCCA grant will fund six three-credit paid internships for GCC students while the costs of the credits earned are covered by other grants the college has won. Three interns will work at FCC, and three will work at CISA. The grant also provides funds to defray some of the partner-agency staff time needed for this project and for staff to attend national and regional conferences to share information about the project with other colleges and organizations. This grant brings together three organizations that have significant impact on regional farm and food systems and will enhance coordination around food justice and development of farmers’ markets. The internships housed at FCC will continue the work of fall 2015 GCC interns to create a mid-week farmers’ market in Greenfield, seeing its development from its opening this spring through the remainder of the summer and fall. At CISA, the GCC interns will focus on broader regional issues that affect farmers’ markets in general, further food justice and SNAP matching efforts, provide replicable templates for building market business structures, and expand the customer base for locally grown foods that promote sustainable models for farm viability. Staff and administrators from the three organizations will meet regularly to develop long-term structures for interorganization collaboration for strengthening agricultural cooperative supports in the region. “This project enhances the learning of our students in farm and food systems and in business through work experience in which they can apply their academic work,” said Christine Copeland, SAGE assistant and internship coordinator at GCC. “It’s great for their career prospects, and they also make professional contacts and network with people in their field.”

State Issues Grants to Three Area Farms

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration recently announced that five Massachusetts farms with land permanently protected from development through the state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program — including three in Western Mass. — have been awarded $400,000 in grant funding for infrastructure improvements. “These agricultural investments help create jobs and make Massachusetts’ farms more competitive in the national and global marketplace,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “Our administration is committed to supporting Massachusetts’ vibrant agriculture industry, which provides fresh, healthy food for the Commonwealth’s residents.” The local grantees include Burnett Farm in Adams, $50,000 for barn expansion; Luther Belden Farm in Hatfield; $100,000 for dairy infrastructure improvements; and the Kitchen Garden in Sunderland, $75,000 for produce packing and storage building. The APR Improvement Program, established in 2009, is funded by the federal Farm and Lands Protection Program and is administered by the Department of Agricultural Resources. The program also provides recipients with technical and business-planning assistance to identify the best use of funds to improve farm infrastructure and productivity. Since 2009, AIP has provided more than $3.5 million in total grants (average $66,509 per farm) and $330,150 in technical assistance (average $6,229 per farm) to Massachusetts APR farms that own a combined total of more than 7,000 acres of protected farmland.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Company Notebook Departments

Adam Quenneville Replaces Roof for Boy Scouts of America

SOUTH HADLEY — Adam Quenneville Roofing, Siding and Windows had the honor of replacing a roof for the Boy Scouts of America at the Moses Scout Reservation in Russell. Once the summer home of Horace Moses, the Manor House and the 1,200 acres of property were donated to the Boy Scouts of America Western Massachusetts Council in 1945, after its previous campsite was destroyed by a hurricane. The building is about 100 years old and is one of many buildings on the property. “The Manor House has not been used in about eight years,” said David Kruse, scout executive and CEO. “Thanks to Adam Quenneville and his team, we are excited to get it back up and running for this year’s summer camp.” The Manor House is just one of the many buildings on the Boy Scout property in need of repairs. With the help of community and volunteer donations for supplies, Quenneville — owner of Adam Quenneville Roofing, Siding, and Windows — was able to do his part by donating the labor to replace the roof. “As a father of three, two of which are young boys, this project was very important to me,” he said. “The Boy Scouts teach boys self-confidence, ethics, and leadership skills, which I believe are the foundation for great leaders.”

Elms College Athletics to Add Men’s, Women’s Outdoor Track Teams

CHICOPEE — The Athletics Department at Elms College will add men’s and women’s outdoor track teams in 2017. “I’m excited about the prospect of adding this new sport to the 15 other men’s and women’s sports we already sponsor,” said Ellen McEwen, director of Athletics at Elms. “This addition to our Athletics Department can be very successful in this geographical area, especially under the leadership of our cross-country coach, Matt Dyer, who has a very strong background in the area of track. He put together the program proposal for us, and will be coaching both the men’s and women’s teams.” The team will be about more than sport, according to Dyer. “We really care about giving back and carrying out the mission of Elms College and the Sisters of St. Joseph,” he said. “Our cross-country team does a multi-day, overnight service trip each fall, and I’m sure we will continue some similar mission and service work with our track programs. We really love and enjoy the process of working hard and growing together not only as students and athletes, but as people trying to serve a higher cause.” Dyer has just completed his fourth season as head coach of the men’s and women’s cross-country programs at Elms. Hired in August 2012, he has helped direct both teams to successful finishes in the New England Collegiate Conference; the women’s team came in second in 2013 and 2014, and the men’s team was third in 2015. He was named NECC Women’s Coach of the Year in 2013.

WNEU Engineering Students Finish Strong in Solar Decathlon

SPRINGFIELD — Engineering students from Western New England University (WNEU) traveled to the campus of the University del Valle in Cali, Colombia, in late November to complete construction of team PANAMASS’ 800-square-foot, fully solar-powered home, as part of the inaugural Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean 2015 competition. Team PANAMASS’ entry is called the SMART house, which is based on five characteristics in its design: sustainable, modular, recyclable, aesthetic, and tropical. After 10 days of intense evaluation by a several panels of judges, the SMART house was awarded first place in Energy Efficiency and third place in Energy Balance. This competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Colombian government, challenges university student teams around the world to design and build sustainable houses based on innovation and clean-energy technologies. Team PANAMASS is a partnership made up of students and faculty from Western New England University and Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá. There were 15 teams representing nine countries, including Panama, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Spain, Germany, England, and the U.S. WNEU was the only participant representing the U.S. Five Western New England University students and Engineering Professor Kenneth Lee were in Colombia for the construction phase of the house. Students include civil engineering senior Andres Otero and juniors Brian Wodecki, Jhonatan Escobar, Gabby Fosdick, and Katrina DiGloria. This competition provided the students with a unique international experience to work alongside with faculty and students from Tecnológica de Panamá and to experience Colombian culture for two weeks. This solar decathlon embraced a theme of social-justice housing and encouraged designs built for tropical climates in high-density urban locations, and the use of recycled materials, affordability, optimal energy production, and maximum efficiency. The SMART house is built with recycled shipping containers and includes three bedrooms and one bathroom.

DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology Honored by Modern Salon

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Modern Salon has named the 2015 class of Excellence in Education honorees in its sixth annual program recognizing leadership and best practices among cosmetology schools. DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology was chosen to represent excellence in the category of Community Involvement, Marketing Innovation, School Culture. “We received applications from cosmetology schools across the country and look forward to celebrating all the 2015 Excellence in Education honorees and sharing their stories. It is truly a great time to pursue a beauty education and career, and the program at DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology exemplifies that fact,” said Modern Salon Editorial Director Michele Musgrove. Paul DiGrigoli, president and CEO of the DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology, added, “I’m so grateful to have such a stellar faculty and team. They have supported and created an environment of positivity and energy that constantly and continuously helps take our students’ minds and careers to another altitude. I am proud to say that the future professionals who graduate from the DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology have received jobs from some of the best salons in our area. We will continue to reach for greater heights to provide all of our students with higher education, and we are so honored to be receiving this prestigious award for the fourth year in a row.”

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Departments People on the Move

The Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS) announced that three physicians have been named to expanded leadership roles for Mercy Behavioral Health Care and Providence Behavioral Health Hospital (PBHH) in Holyoke.
• Dr. Maria Russo-Appel, who has served as the chief medical officer of PBHH for the past year, has been appointed to the position of vice president of Mercy Behavioral Health Care. In this role, Russo-Appel will lead the psychiatric care and behavioral health service lines, including PBHH, for SPHS;
• Dr. Robert Roose, who has been serving as chief medical officer of Addiction Services of SPHS for the past the two and a half years, will have expanded responsibilities in a dual role as CMO/vice president of Addiction and Recovery Services, Mercy Behavioral Health Care, and will assume both medical and administrative leadership responsibilities for all addiction-treatment and recovery-service lines; and
• Dr. Gaurav Chawla, who has been serving as chief of Psychiatry, will assume the role of chief medical officer, Mercy Behavioral Health Care, and lead new SPHS initiatives in behavioral health, such as integration of behavioral health in both primary care and integration into population health management.

•••••

Partners for a Healthier Community (PHC) has confirmed Jessica Collins as its executive director. Collins is a nine-year veteran of the Springfield-based nonprofit, where she previously served as interim executive director and deputy director. She will be leading the institute’s expansion of services in research and evaluation, coalition building, and policy advocacy. “Communities of color, members of the LGBT community, and people with disabilities face significant disparities in health in our region,” Collins said. “Our mission is to address these inequities so that all people will have what they need to lead healthy lives.” PHC was recently awarded the contract to lead the Community Health Needs Assessment for the 10 regional hospitals in Western Mass. in collaboration with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the Collaborative for Educational Services. “This assessment documents the existing health needs of each community and provides the data necessary to develop effective strategies to address health inequities,” Collins said. Added Rev. Karen Rucks, PHC’s board chair, “having a local public-health institute to serve Western Mass. is invaluable. The staff of Partners for a Healthier Community bring an understanding of the context and communities in our region to their services. They are committed to building capacity in our region to better understand how to use data and to collect and report on specific issues that are worthy of collective attention.” Prior to coming to PHC, Collins led community-based participatory research projects including the Shape Up Somerville program focused on the prevention of childhood obesity in Cambridge and Somerville. Other nationally recognized community-health initiatives led by Collins include efforts to address substance abuse and suicide prevention, as well as preschool oral health. In addition, Collins announced the hiring of Jessica Payne as senior research associate. Payne brings 25 years of experience in program development, evaluation, and needs assessment. She has extensive knowledge of regional communities and public-health initiatives, and collaborates with partners and informants of varied backgrounds relative to age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, occupation, and region. Since 1988, her company, Jessica Payne Consulting, has provided research and evaluation services in the healthcare, education, community-development, marketing, and culture and arts industries.

•••••

Jules Gaudreau, president of the Gaudreau Group in Wilbraham, was recently inducted as president of his industry’s national trade organization, the National Assoc. of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). “It will be a great privilege and responsibility to lead an association of over 42,000 professionals who help American families achieve financial security,” Gaudreau said. “I look forward to advocating on their behalf in Washington and throughout the country as I have done for over 25 years here in Massachusetts.” One of the nation’s oldest and largest associations representing the interests of insurance professionals and financial advisors, NAIFA is the only organization that serves and represents insurance and financial advisors regardless of the products they sell or the focus of their practice. Members include insurance agents, financial advisors, multi-line agents, and health-insurance and employee-benefits specialists. NAIFA’s mission is to advocate for a positive legislative and regulatory environment, enhance business and professional skills, and promote the ethical conduct of its members.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Jan. 12: Chamber Annual, noon to 6 p.m., at Osteria Vespa, 28 Amity St., Amherst. Help us show our gratitude to our current chamber board President Nancy Buffone and welcome our new chamber board President Julie Marcus. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members.

• Jan. 13: Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m., at Energia Fitness, 173 Russell St., Hadley. This will be an evening of networking, mixing, and mingling. Light appetizers and adult beverages will be served. Cost: $10 for members; $15 for non-members.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• Jan. 13: Multi-chamber Lunch & Learn with Robert McDonald, noon to 1:30 p.m., at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Topic: “Run an Effective Meeting.” Learn how to provide common rules and procedures for deliberation and debate in order to place the whole room on the same footing and speaking the same language. Tickets: $35 per person.

• Jan. 20: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at Munich Haus Restaurant, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members.

• Jan. 27: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Masse’s American Bistro, 1329 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Sponsored by the Greater Chicopee and South Hadley/Granby Chambers of Commerce. Cost: $5 for members pre-registered, $15 for non-members.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• Jan. 21: Annual Meeting, 5-8 p.m., at The Delaney House, 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke. Join with your fellow Greater Easthampton Chamber members, 5-8 p.m., as we elect directors and officers for 2016, along with annual awards voted by members. Hosted by the Delaney House, 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by Easthampton Savings Bank. Business Person of the Year: Janel Jorda, Web-tactics Inc. Business of the Year: Duseau Trucking, LLC. Community Service of the Year: Greg Malynoski, Look Memorial Park and Garden House. Presidents Award: to be announced at dinner. New this year, Ambassador of the Year: to be announced at dinner. Tickets: $35 per person. Register online at easthamptonchamber.org.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holycham.com

• Jan. 13: January Coffee Buzz, 7:30-8:30 a.m., at Holyoke Medical Center, 575 Beech St., Holyoke. The Chamber Coffee Buzz is a networking event designed to help our members make connections before starting the workday, and is open to all members of the GHCC. The event takes place on a quarterly basis on the second Wednesday of the month at various member locations. Meetings will include networking and a continental breakfast, followed by introductions from each attendee, business presentations by the host (optional), and time to exchange business leads and information at the end of each meeting. We are fortunate to offer these events free of charge to our members thanks to our series sponsor, Lyon & Fitzpatrick, LLP. Although non-members are welcome to attend, non-members are limited to two Coffee Buzz events before joining the chamber.

• Jan. 14: Legislative Coffee Hour, 7:45-9 a.m., at the Summit View/Hamel’s Catering, 555 Northampton St., Holyoke. Join Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni as he discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the Commonwealth, Holyoke, and area businesses for the upcoming year. Cost: $25 for members with reservation, $35 for all others.

• Jan. 15: Leadership Holyoke, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A series of seven days comprise Leadership Holyoke 2015-16. Faculty members from Holyoke Community College will participate as instructors and facilitators, and community leaders will participate as speakers and discussion leaders. Tuition is by program and is due at the start of the course. The fee also covers continental breakfasts, the graduation luncheon, and a trip to the State House in Boston. Tuition costs $595.

• Jan. 28: Winners Circle 2015 Reception, 5-7 p.m., at the Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St., Holyoke. This event honors local and state elected officials. Cost: $27. Call the chamber for tickets or more information at (413) 534-3376.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

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

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Jan. 11: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Tiger’s Pride Restaurant, Westfield Technical Academy, 33 Smith Ave., Westfield. Free and open to the public. Call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 to register.

• Jan. 13: Chamber After 5 Connections, 5-7 p.m., at Roots Aquatics, 217 Root Road, Westfield. Refreshments will be provided. Join us for a great networking opportunity and don’t forget your business cards. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Jan. 25: Estate Planning & Asset Protection Workshop, 8-9:30 a.m., at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Presented by attorney Albert Gordon. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618. Coffee and pastries provided.

• Jan. 13: Multi-chamber Lunch & Learn with Robert McDonald, noon to 1:30 p.m., at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Topic: “Run an Effective Meeting.” Learn how to provide common rules and procedures for deliberation and debate in order to place the whole room on the same footing and speaking the same language. Tickets: $35 per person. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• Jan. 13: Multi-chamber Lunch & Learn with Robert McDonald, noon to 1:30 p.m., at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Topic: “Run an Effective Meeting.” Learn how to provide common rules and procedures for deliberation and debate in order to place the whole room on the same footing and speaking the same language. Tickets: $35 per person. Sponsorship opportunities avaiable. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or e-mail us at [email protected]

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

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

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

Agenda

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Agenda Departments

Springfield Museums January Lectures, Tours

Jan. 14, 21, 28: The Springfield Museums’ monthly lecture and tour schedule continues in January with the popular Museums à la Carte lectures, which take place each Thursday at 12:15 p.m. in the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. Admission is $4 ($2 for members of the Springfield Museums), and visitors are invited to bring a bag lunch (cookies and coffee are provided). For more information about Museums à la Carte, call (413) 263-6800, ext. 488. This month’s lectures include: Jan. 14: “Why, How, and the 343: Better Angels, The Firefighters of 9/11” in which Dawn Howkinson Siebel, artist and creator of the “Better Angels” exhibit, shares her personal journey in creating this fascinating and powerful exhibit; Jan. 21: “Leaving Our Mark: In Celebration of the Pencil — Artist’s Words and Views,” in which Steve Wilda, artist and organizer of “Leaving Our Mark,” will be joined by other artists featured in the exhibit, including Doug Gillette, Bill Simpson, Lesley Cohen, and Luciana Heineman; and Jan. 28: “The Klondike Gold Rush: A Chicopee Man Goes to the Yukon in 1898 (and Back),” in which Robert Romer, professor emeritus at Amherst College, brings to life the story of Chicopee’s John Gibson, an Irish immigrant who set out for the Klondike to seek his fortune. As part of the Museums’ members-only “Continuing Conversations” series, museum docent Jim Boone will lead a guided gallery discussion immediately following the Jan. 14 talk at the Wood Museum of Springfield History, and docent Pat McCarthy will lead a post-lecture gallery discussion on Jan. 28 at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Art.

Choking Prevention

Jan. 18: Cooley Dickinson Hospital is offering an educational program for anyone who would like to learn how to respond to a basic choking emergency. The course is appropriate for those who work in the food-service industry or anyone who wants to learn basic choking-relief skills. For those who work in food service, completion of this course satisfies 105 CMR 590.001 State Food Code requirements. The one-hour class costs $20 per person, and certification is good for two years. The class runs from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Dakin Conference Room at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. To register or for more information, call the Cooley Dickinson Professional Development Office at (413) 582-2400 or e-mail [email protected].

Difference Makers

March 31: The eighth annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House. Details on the event will be published in upcoming issues of the magazine. 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. The magazine’s editor and publishers have chosen this year’s class, which will be profiled in the Jan. 25 issue.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

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

Jose Rodriguez v. Ruby Tuesday Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of earned vacation time and lost wages: $20,840
Filed: 11/9/15

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Jaime Serrano v. Karen Kupfer, M.D. and New England Surgical Group
Allegation: Medical malpractice:
$1 million
Filed: 10/21/15

Rebecka St. Peter v. Baystate Gas d/b/a Columbia Gas of MA
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $31,500
Filed: 11/3/15

Schletter Inc. v. Bach Towing, James E. Lawrence, and Leonard Eremento
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $100,000
Filed: 10/23/15

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Energy Electric Co. Inc. v. James J. Welch and Co. Inc. and Cottage Square Apts., LP
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $78,000
Filed: 11/9/15

Nadine Mazard v. Gengras Motors Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $88,000
Filed: 11/25/15

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

American Express Bank, FSB v. Joanne Puc and Bar-Tini
Allegations: Default on balances owed: $8,673.06
Filed: 12/9/15

American Zurich Insurance Co. v. Dependable Drywall Inc.
Allegations: Recover insurance premiums and account annexed: $13,928
Filed: 12/5/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Charles Greenhaus v. NER Investments, LLC
Allegation: Failure to pay severance: $25,000
Filed: 12/9/15

Jose Reyes v. City of Springfield
Allegation: Negligence in road maintenance causing vehicle damage: $3,433.14
Filed: 11/9/15

UWM Holdings Inc. v. Consolidated Waste Water Services, LLC
Allegation: Failure to pay for use of transfer station and disposal services: $12,241
Filed: 11/5/15

Minore’s Meats Inc. v. Mason Market, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $10,146.93
Filed: 11/5/15

Berkshire Medical Center Recognized for Excellence in Several Areas

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Medical Center has been recognized for excellence in joint replacement and pulmonary care by Healthgrades, the leading national online resource helping consumers make informed decisions in order to find the right doctor, the right hospital, and the right care. For the second year in a row, Healthgrades gave BMC its Joint Replacement Excellence Award and ranked it among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement.

BMC has also received, for the eighth consecutive year, the Pulmonary Care Excellence Award. In addition, BMC achieved numerous five-star rankings for the treatment of illnesses and surgical procedures. A five-star rating indicates that BMC’s clinical outcomes are better than expected when treating the condition or conducting the procedure being evaluated.

BMC’s joint-replacement surgery and pulmonary-care services are among the top 5% in the nation as measured by lowest risk-adjusted mortality/complications, according to the evaluation from Healthgrades. Every year Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at over 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 33 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions.

“We are proud of the exceptional quality of care our physicians, nurses, and staff deliver to our community in all specialties,” said David Phelps, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. “The consistent excellent outcomes achieved by BMC and our clinicians and staff give our community confidence that the care they receive right here at home is equal to or better than the most elite hospitals in the nation.”

BMC also achieved Healthgrades five-star ratings for sepsis, repiratory failure, treatment of diabetic emergencies, total knee replacement, total hip replacement, hip-fracture treatment, pneumonia, COPD, and bariatric surgery. It also earned Healthgrades’ Critical Care Excellence Award and Women’s Health Excellence Award, and was named among the nation’s top 10% for Critical Care and Women’s Health.

State Announces $9.2 Million Skills Capital Grants Program

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Baker-Polito administration recently announced the availability of $9.2 million in Skills Capital Grants for vocational-technical equipment investments to improve the quality of education and vocational training, provide career technical training to increase program capacity, and enable students to improve their skills to meet the needs of employers in the Commonwealth.

“The skills gap is real across the country, and many companies cannot find the talent they need to fill positions and further develop their local economic impact,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “By investing in capital equipment at vocational and technical schools that are focused on training, we will ensure more residents get the skills they need to get good-paying jobs in growing industries across the Commonwealth.”

State officials announced the availability of the Skills Capital Grants at the future site of Holyoke Community College’s (HCC) Center for Culinary and Hospitality Excellence, located in the heart of the Holyoke Innovation District, which is experiencing significant investment and growth. The center is being funded by a $1.75 million capital grant from the former Manufacturing Training Equipment Grant program, which is being combined with the Vocational Opportunity Challenge Grants to create the new Skills Capital Grant. The Holyoke grant was awarded from a prior funding round. High demand for career training programs like Holyoke’s led to the creation, and expansion in scope, of the Skills Capital Grant program.

“We are proud and excited to see the expansion of Holyoke Community College’s Culinary Arts program into a larger center which will provide critical skills to our residents for jobs available that are available now,” said Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse.

Added HCC President William Messner, “Holyoke Community College is committed to continuously improving our academic program offerings. We have invested $20 million in such efforts over the past few years in areas directly related to regional employment opportunities, including this culinary center, as well as healthcare, STEM fields, and adult literacy. We are pleased to be able to expand our culinary and hospitality program at a critical time for the region and look forward to increasing the educational opportunities for hundreds of local residents.”

The Skills Capital grants will range from $50,000 to $500,000, and while the grants do not require a match, applicants are encouraged to demonstrate cash and/or in-kind matches.

Eligible applicants include Massachusetts schools, institutions, and organizations that provide career/vocational technical education programs, including all Chapter 74-approved vocational tech schools, community colleges, and providers of training programs that meet the federal Perkins Act definition of career and technical education. Grant applications must be submitted by Jan. 29.

Wistariahurst Collection of Historic Holyoke Postcards Now Online

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — For the last 18 months, volunteer Matt Sheehan has been scanning and uploading more than 1,000 historic postcards of Holyoke to create a public online collection and exhibit hosted by Wistariahurst Museum.

The collection had been amassed over the years and housed in the archives at Wistariahurst. The cards, ranging in date from 1876 to 1990, illustrate the changing appearance of Holyoke over the years and highlight beloved attractions such as Mt. Tom, the Summit House, and Mountain Park. The scanned images may be viewed for free online at wistariahurst.org/postcard-collection.

Volunteer Matt Sheehan did not know what he was getting involved with when, in 2014, he was directed toward three plain-looking boxes by Penni Martorell, Holyoke’s city historian. As it turned out, the boxes housed approximately 1,900 Holyoke postcards. With an eye for organization and detail, Sheehan proved up to the task, sorting, cataloguing, and scanning each postcard. Today, two of the three boxes of vintage postcards have been made accessible on the Wistariahurst website, and he expects to finish by this summer.

“Matt has been phenomenal in his attention to detail and organization in getting the project done,” said Martorell. “I know the citizens of Holyoke and general public are going to really enjoy perusing this collection online. These will certainly bring you down memory lane.”

The online postcard collection reflects the diverse history of the immigrant industrial city of Holyoke. It is divided into three series: Mountain Park and Mt. Tom, landmarks, and Holyoke views. Of particular significance are the postcards pertaining to Mountain Park, one of several trolley-car amusement parks built adjacent to American cities just before and after the start of the 20th century; it closed in 1988. Many of the postcards include handwritten notes, offering a peek at voices from the past.

“I began my service to Wistariahurst while between jobs and seeking to expand upon my professional background,” Sheehan said. “Now my volunteer role here has gone far beyond gaining experience. It has been rewarding and fulfilling to be a part of the Wistariahurst community. I am especially proud that my work has led toward making some of our materials more accessible, navigable, and presentable in a 21st-century environment.”

WNEU College of Business Students Partner with White Lion

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University College of Business students recently collaborated with White Lion Brewing Co. to create an in-depth market-research report to help the company expand its reach outside of the Pioneer Valley. White Lion Brewing, the first craft brewery in the city of Springfield, recently cracked the Valley Advocate Beerhunter’s “Must Try Craft Beers” list.

The university students began their research last spring, culminating in their final report in December 2015.

White Lion was part of Valley Venture Mentors’ inaugural accelerator cohort last year, and a finalist for competing in the Accelerator Awards in April, winning seed money with data collected by the Western New England University student team.

“I was very impressed by the level of detail and amount of research the students conducted,” Berry said. “We walked away with a complete analysis on what is working, where we can improve, and what differentiates us from other breweries in our region. It was a pleasure and an honor for me to work with them over the past year.”

In addition to working closely with Berry and holding several meetings, the students employed a second team of marketing students to help develop promotional ideas and concepts for White Lion craft beer. With the assistance of Table & Vine stores, the students were permitted to administer surveys to customers for their market research, and provided Berry with a variety of insights for the future growth of his company.

“There is nothing more fulfilling than helping students shine among business professionals and helping them carve their reputation in the business community as up-and-coming graduates of Western New England University,” said Janelle Goodnight, professor for both the market-research and marketing-management courses.

Spectrum Home Health & Hospice Care Earns Quality Recognition

By BusinessWest Staff January 11, 2016

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Fazzi Associates, a national research firm specializing in serving the home-health and hospice industry, has named Spectrum Home Health & Hospice Care of JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow a national best-practice home-health agency.

Based on feedback from patients through Fazzi Associates’ HHCAHPS (Home Health Care – Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey system, Spectrum has been recognized for having consistent and excellent patient satisfaction survey results in 2014. Spectrum placed in the top 25th percentile of Fazzi’s National Patient Satisfaction database, and earned Fazzi Associates’ Patient Satisfaction Award of Distinction.

“Agencies named as national best-practice agencies are proven leaders and have excelled in one of the most important measures of an agency’s quality program — patient satisfaction,” said Gina Mazza, partner and HHCAHPS director. “This is a commendable accomplishment, demonstrating superior performance in patient satisfaction in 2014.”

Results are based on a comparative analysis of agencies involved in Fazzi Associates’ HHCAHPS survey system for a 12-month period. The goal of the survey is to help consumers make better decisions about their choice of a home-health agency.

“Achieving this recognition is a result of our team of dedicated nurses who give our patients 100% of their energy, attention, compassion, and expertise each and every day,” said Sarah Jackson, executive vice president of Spectrum Home Health & Hospice Care. “To be recognized for such outstanding outcomes is a tribute to their dedication and outstanding care.”

New Exhibit at Springfield Museums Honors Firefighters Lost on 9/11

By BusinessWest Staff January 11, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — In the months prior to 9/11, firefighter Peter Freund had been considering a career change after 23 years with the FDNY. One week after he perished at the World Trade Center, Freund’s family received a letter confirming his acceptance to teach high-school mathematics.

Described by some as “a living saint,” chaplain Mychal Judge was the first FDNY casualty listed on 9/11, entry number 0001. His helmet was later presented as a gift to the Pope.

A proud first-time uncle, firefighter William Johnston, had been looking forward to the baby shower on Sept. 30. His remains were found at Ground Zero that afternoon.

These are just a few of the stories that await visitors who come to view “Better Angels: the Firefighters of 9/11,” a new traveling exhibit at the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History opening Tuesday, Jan. 12 and running through July 10. The exhibit features 343 portraits by artist Dawn Howkinson Siebel, one for every New York City firefighter lost in the World Trade Center attacks. Together, the images create a wall measuring 21 feet long, allowing visitors to come face to face with men who made their living running toward danger and saving lives, even at the risk of their own.

Siebel, a current resident of Easthampton, was living in Colorado at the time of the attacks, but had been a longtime resident of Manhattan in the years prior. Inspired when the New York Times printed photos of all 343 fallen FDNY members, Siebel set out to paint a portrait of every firefighter lost on that fateful day. Over the next few years, she painstakingly hand-painted each portrait onto a block of charred wood. In total, the exhibit took 3,000 hours and over six years to create.

In her artist statement for the exhibit, Siebel said, “these 343 firemen represent New York, the FDNY, their selfless profession, and also — in the way of heroes — the possibility that each of us may rise to the ‘better angels’ of our own nature.”

To mark the opening week of the exhibit, Siebel will speak at the weekly Museums à la Carte lecture on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 12:15 p.m.

Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast Releases Business Trends Survey

By BusinessWest Staff January 11, 2016

Daily News

AGAWAM — With close to 900 members concentrated in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) unveiled the regional findings from the 2016 National Business Trends Survey conducted by the Employer Associations of America.

Results from this comprehensive survey of 1,242 organizations, covering 2,814 employer locations and 45 U.S. states, indicate that the majority of executives surveyed remain optimistic for 2016, are confident they will award pay increases, will provide a heightened emphasis on recruiting, and plan to increase training budgets that focus on developing their existing employees.

“Here in the Northeast, we certainly understand that regulatory compliance is a concern, and we are heartened to see more companies looking to increase staff,” said Meredith Wise, president of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. “We are also encouraged by the commitment of businesses in the Northeast to technology, processes, and people.”

The top three distinctions for the Northeast from the findings appear to be:

• Regulatory compliance is a bigger concern. In comparison to the national average, Northeast companies view the cost of regulatory compliance as a greater challenge, both in the short and long term. The data shows 32% of the Northeast regional responses expressing concern in the short term versus 27% of the national responses. On a long-term basis, 42% of the Northeast regional responses see regulatory compliance as a serious challenge, whereas nationally the average checks in at 34%.

• There appears to be a greater consensus on the part of Northeastern business to invest in technology equipment, lean and other process improvements, and training. All measures were responded to more favorably and at a higher rate than in comparison to the national norms. Overall, 70% of executives surveyed in the Northeast said they would be making new investments in people, facilities, and/or equipment in 2016 versus only 62% nationally.

• More companies are looking to add staff. While the majority of surveyed executives indicated that they would be increasing staff in 2016, a greater percentage of Northeastern executives — 59% — plan on adding staff when compared to the national norm of 52%.

MGM Springfield to Begin Major Demolition

By BusinessWest Staff January 11, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — With a permit from the city of Springfield in hand, MGM Springfield is set to begin demolition of the Zanetti School this week. This sign of construction progress follows the project’s recent state and city environmental and zoning approvals.

The former elementary school suffered some of the worst damage caused by the 2011 tornado that tore through Springfield’s South End, and last year served as the backdrop for MGM Springfield’s groundbreaking.

Final site preparations will begin today and include moving in construction equipment, reinforcing safety protocols, and general site set-up. On Tuesday, demolition will commence and is expected to last up to several weeks. Abutters received notice last week of the pending activity on the site.

MGM Springfield, a more than $950 million resort, is slated for 14.5 acres of land between Union and State streets, and between Columbus Avenue and Main Street. For more information, visit www.mgmspringfield.com.

Massachusetts Launches Comprehensive Digital-health Initiative

By BusinessWest Staff January 8, 2016

Daily News

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and executives from the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership (MACP) joined leaders from across state government, healthcare, and the technology sector at Boston Children’s Hospital this week to announce a comprehensive public-private partnership designed to accelerate the competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s digital healthcare industry.

“Our administration is committed to making Massachusetts a national leader in digital health by partnering with private industry, convening key stakeholders, and addressing market gaps,” Baker said. “This emerging industry cluster has the potential to become a powerful driver of job creation across the Commonwealth, while also unlocking new advances in improving patient care and lowering health care costs.”

Digital health, or eHealth, is a rapidly growing sector at the intersection of healthcare and information technology and, according to a report by Goldman Sachs, represents an approximately $32 billion market opportunity over the next decade. The sector spans a variety of technologies including electronic health records, consumer wearable devices, care systems, payment management, big-data analytics, and telemedicine, among others, and has close connections to the state’s technology and life-sciences sectors. Massachusetts is well-positioned for success in digital health as host to world-class healthcare and academic institutions, a strong startup culture, significant venture-capital investment, a healthy life-sciences sector, and roughly 250 existing digital-health companies.

The initiative will bring public, private, academic, and healthcare leaders together to build a stronger and more connected statewide digital-health ecosystem. To support digital health startups, the city of Boston, Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech, and MACP announced the establishment of a digital-health-innovation hub. The initiative will provide space, programming, and a strong industry network for digital health startups and will serve as a Boston hub for the industry. Programming through the hub will be managed and operated by MassChallenge.

MACP also announced several private industry-led initiatives that will help accelerate growth in the digital health sector, including innovative approaches to provide private funds for digital healthcare companies that are starting up in, located in, or planning to re-locate to Massachusetts.

MACP also facilitated the development of standardized software, technology, and sponsored research agreements and user guides to make it easier for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and the private sector to do business with academic institutions, including the UMass system, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and Partners HealthCare.

MACP will also host a second year of its Mentorship Speaker Series, with a focus on digital health, connecting high-level, experienced industry leaders across the state with entrepreneurs of emerging companies to discuss how to start and grow a successful tech business in Massachusetts.

“The innovation economy comprised of the life-sciences and digital-technology sectors is the future growth engine of our Commonwealth,” said Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, who led the Digital Health Initiative on behalf of MACP. “It has been a privilege for me to lead this outstanding group of public- and private-sector partners toward our shared goal of accelerating the growth of the digital-healthcare industry in Massachusetts. With the strengths of our universities, academic medical centers, and life-sciences companies, Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to succeed in digital healthcare, and I’m thrilled to be part of the team that will make it happen.”

Berkshire Bank Announces 2016 Scholarship Awards Program

By BusinessWest Staff January 8, 2016

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank has announced it will honor 30 high-school seniors in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont for their volunteer service through its foundation’s annual Scholarship Awards Program.

The program will award $45,000 in total scholarship dollars to students who have exemplified community service through their volunteer efforts, have succeeded academically, and demonstrate a financial need. Additionally, students must attend a high school that is located in a county with a Berkshire Bank office.

Through the program, 30 scholarships of $1,500 will be awarded to high-school seniors who will be attending a two- or four-year college in the fall. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and a family household income under $75,000 to be eligible to apply. Students must apply online at www.berkshirebank.com/scholarships by Wednesday, March 23. An independent team of more than 200 bank employee volunteers will review the applications and select this year’s recipients.

Scholarships will be awarded in the geographic regions where Berkshire Bank branches are located, with 14 available in Massachusetts, 11 in New York, two in Connecticut, and three in Vermont. Additional information about this year’s program can be obtained through the bank’s website or by contacting Berkshire Bank Foundation at [email protected].

Community Enterprises Elects New Board Officers and Members

By BusinessWest Staff January 8, 2016

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Richard Venne, president and CEO of Community Enterprises Inc., announced the election of new officers to one-year terms at the recent board of directors meeting.

Elected to officer positions for one-year terms are William Donohue, chair, Children and Family Law, Springfield; Donald Miner, vice chair, Loomis Communities, South Hadley; Joanne Carlisle, clerk/secretary, Stop & Shop Inc., Springfield; and Brittney Kelleher, treasurer, Westfield Bank, Springfield. Deborah Omasta-Mokrzecki, Amherst College, was elected as a new member for a three-year term.

Existing members elected to additional three-year terms include Donohue; Carlisle; Miner; Mary Beth Davidson, Travelers, Hartford, Conn.; Kate LaMay-Miller, Multi-Media Impact, Hadley; and Albert Lognin, HARC, Hartford, Conn.

Community Enterprises is a human-service organization that provides employment, education, housing supports, and day supports for people with disabilities. It is headquartered in Northampton and maintains 27 service locations throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Kentucky. The nonprofit organization, which started as a small program at Northampton State Hospital, has grown to a $22.5 million business.

Elms College Announces Accreditations of Business Programs

By BusinessWest Staff January 8, 2016

Daily News

CHICOPEE — The MBA program at Elms College has been accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). This accreditation also includes a reaccreditation for the college’s undergraduate business program.

“This is exciting because IACBE accreditation not only validates the quality of our business education and our commitment to program excellence, but also enhances the employability of our graduates and offers significant value to their employers,” said Kim Kenney-Rockwal, MBA program director at Elms College.

IACBE accreditation of a higher-education institution is mission-driven and outcome-based, and indicates the business program’s effectiveness. The process of accreditation involves a comprehensive self-study in which the school demonstrates that it meets the IACBE’s evaluation criteria. Following the self-study, an independent team of professional peer reviewers conducts a site visit, and then the IACBE’s board of commissioners reviews the site-visit report and delivers its decision.

Only eight schools in all of Massachusetts are IACBE-accredited. These schools demonstrate “a commitment to continuous improvement, excellence in business education, and advancing academic quality,” according to the IACBE website. “Accreditation means that the academic business unit’s programs are sufficiently strong to be considered as high-quality programs, and that the academic business unit is functioning effectively (e.g., is producing excellent student-learning outcomes).”

Walter Breau, vice president of Academic Affairs at Elms, noted that “our undergraduate business and MBA programs are already recognized in the community as student-centered with a focus on quality, rigor, and ethics. IACBE accreditation of all of our business programs — accounting, management and marketing, sport management, healthcare management and the MBA — reinforces that reputation.

The business programs at Elms College will be eligible for reaccreditation in seven years, Kenney-Rockwal said. “During that time, we will submit interim progress reports on what we are changing and enhancing every couple of years.”

Ronald McDonald House of Springfield to Mark 25th Anniversary

By BusinessWest Staff January 7, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Ronald McDonald House of Springfield will hold a press conference to announce the celebration of its 25th anniversary serving families in need in Western Mass.

“We have been honored to have the ability to serve as a home away from home to the thousands of families who have stayed here,” said Craig Carr, one of the original founders of the facility. The press conference will discuss upcoming events taking place this coming year to help celebrate this historic milestone, while raising much-needed funds to help support the programs and services the House conducts on a year-round basis.

“Honoring our founders and donors will be the focus of our gala celebration, and the money raised will enable us to positively impact our House residents and support outreach efforts into neighboring communities,” said Margaret “Meg” Beturne, the organization’s current advisory board president. “A spring volunteer event will pay tribute to innumerable persons who have touched the lives of everyone connected with our House. An appreciation reception in May will pay tribute to the teen board and their advisors who have contributed countless volunteer hours and raised money through ongoing fund-raising efforts. Together, we will make a significant difference for those most in need of our caring services.”

Joined by Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno and other special guests, the press conference will take place at 34 Chapin Terrace, Springfield, at 10:45 a.m. Tours of the House and light refreshments will be provided.

Since 1991, when the Ronald McDonald House of Springfield opened its doors, families have received supportive services in the comfort of a home-like environment. The 21-bedroom house offers families the privacy of their own bedroom and bath, a large communal kitchen to prepare their meals, a large dining area, a TV room, a playroom, a laundry room, and a library.

Ronald McDonald House has a mission to provide a home away from home for families of children who are being cared for in local hospitals. Area hospitals served include Baystate Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital, Providence Behavioral Health Hospital, Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Mercy Medical Center, and Clarke School for Hearing and Speech, to name a few.

The Springfield facility serves not only families from the four counties of Western Mass. and Worcester County, but families from all over the world who have come to the Pioneer Valley to seek treatment at a local medical center. A donation of $15 per night, per family is requested, but the House never turns down families without the means to pay.

Blue Heron Restaurant Featured in New Cookbook

By BusinessWest Staff January 7, 2016

Daily News

SUNDERLAND — Blue Heron Restaurant and its executive chef, Deborah Snow, are featured in The Berkshires Cookbook, a new work by Jane Barton Griffith, author of Knead It! The chapter on the Blue Heron includes a brief history of the restaurant and its owners, as well as recipes for three of the restaurant’s signature dishes: pan-seared sea scallops, housemade ricotta with local honeycomb, and pomegranate custard.

The Berkshires Cookbook explores the stories behind the rich culinary traditions of Western Mass., a region known to many as a food hub and a leader in the sustainable-food movement. Of the 88 recipes showcased in The Berkshires Cookbook, 60 are the author’s original creations, while the rest were donated by farmers and chefs from across the region. Griffith’s text is accompanied by photographs by Barbara Dowd, which reflect the rich colors and textures of the region’s landscapes and food.

Other local restaurants and producers featured include Bistro Les Gras, Pierce Bros Coffee, Hungry Ghost Bread, Blue Hill Farm, and Coco and the Cellar Bar.

Copies of The Berkshires Cookbook are available for sale at the Blue Heron, as well as many local booksellers and online. The list price is $24.95.

Country Bank Promotes Financial Literacy to Local Middle Schools

By BusinessWest Staff January 7, 2016

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank recently sponsored an educational presentation called “The Brain Show.” Students from Ware Middle School, Charlton Middle School, Knox Trail in Spencer, and Converse Middle School in Palmer were asked to participate in a game-show-like presentation which tested the students’ knowledge in history, math, science, art, music and financial education.

“The Brain Show presentation allowed us to promote financial education as well as many other subjects in a way that speaks directly to students, all while working together as a team,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, financial education officer at Country Bank. “Principals and students acknowledged this show as the most exciting presentation they had seen in years. Students were not the only ones dancing and learning; the teachers had a blast too.”

Country Bank also sponsors the Savings Makes Sense program and the award-winning Credit for Life program in area communities.

Six Reasons to Update Your Employee Handbook in the New Year

By BusinessWest Staff January 7, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — According to Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., one of the best ways employers can improve business operations is by updating or creating an employee handbook. Just as a company grows and changes, so do federal and state laws, and employee handbooks should be updated annually to reflect these changes.

Each company is unique, and one of the biggest mistakes employers make is to print a generic employee handbook from the Internet. Businesses should consider developing a handbook that includes policies specifically tailored to the company’s industry. A company handbook also needs to carefully outline policies that will help decrease the risk of both litigation and liability. Properly drafted, an employee handbook can be a valuable document in the workplace, for both employers and employees.

Companies that already have an employee handbook must be sure that the handbook is completely up to date. Employers creating a handbook for the first time should carefully consider the structure and policies to incorporate into the handbook. Here are six reasons why your handbook needs an update in 2016:

• Changes to Massachusetts law. Paid sick time and domestic-violence leave are two of the major changes to Massachusetts law that have resulted in revisions to company handbooks. If your handbook does not include these policies, it’s out of date.

• E-mail, social-media, and technology policies. In this day and age, it is important for an employer to outline social media and technology expectations. Employers should properly delineate how to use electronic communications, and employees should be notified if the company plans on monitoring computers and phones. Although it is important for employers to outline best practices for social media, companies should not be overly restrictive, as this could potentially violate employee rights in the workplace.

• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Companies with 50 or more employees must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the birth and care of a newborn child of the employee, for placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care, to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition, or to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition. If a company is covered by the FMLA, it is important to properly outline employee eligibility requirements, procedures, and guidelines for when the employee returns to the workplace to make the transition well-organized for both the employer and employee. FMLA regulations changed in 2010. If your handbook has not been revised since then, your FMLA policy is out of date.

• At-will statements. All employment in Massachusetts is ‘at will,’ which means that either the employee or the employer can choose to end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice. But if the employee handbook doesn’t clearly indicate this important status at the beginning of the handbook, it can create problems down the road. Outlining at-will employment expectations in your handbook will help clear up any confusion about the nature of employment and potentially prevent costly litigation.

• Overtime, vacation, and sick time. It is also important for employers to clearly outline attendance policies in the workplace. The employee handbook should address which employees are eligible for overtime pay and also the internal process for approval of overtime. It is also important to stipulate that excessive absences are grounds for termination to avoid any ambiguity with the employee.

• Anti-harassment and discrimination policies. Not only is it vital that employers make it clear that no unlawful harassment will be tolerated in the workplace environment, but they should also clearly outline avenues for employees to report complaints of harassment or misconduct. Employees who have witnessed or experienced harassment should know there will be no retaliation for reporting complaints in good faith. Employers should specifically address this in employee handbooks to prevent being held vicariously liable.

“If your employee’s handbooks are collecting dust, updating them for 2016 is a perfect way to review policies new and old,” said attorney Marylou Fabbo, an active partner in the firm. “Not only does an updated employee handbook serve as an outline for managing employment conflicts, it can also serve as legal evidence that company policies are up to date.”

For more information and news about employment law, visit skoler-abbott.com.

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts Offers Winter Safety Tips

By BusinessWest Staff January 6, 2016

Daily News

WESTBOROUGH — Columbia Gas of Massachusetts is reminding customers of important safety tips during cold, snowy, and icy conditions this winter season.  To be safe and avoid hazards, customers should:

• Keep natural-gas meters clear of snow and ice to ensure they are visible and pathways are accessible at all times should you require maintenance by Columbia Gas employees.

• Keep natural-gas meters clear to ensure proper venting.

• Remove snow from the meter with hands or a broom. Never use a shovel or kick or hit the meter to break away the snow and ice. If the meter is encased in ice, contact Columbia Gas for assistance at (800) 677-5052.

• Keep fresh-air and exhaust vents for natural-gas appliances free of snow, ice, and debris to prevent equipment malfunction and the presence of carbon monoxide.

• Use care when removing snow and ice from your rooftop, and do not cover or bury the natural gas meter when doing so.

• Use caution when removing snow from flat rooftops, especially in commercial and industrial buildings, to prevent damage. There may be heating and cooling equipment and electric or fuel lines that may not be visible under the snow.

• Make sure all appliances and heating equipment are inspected annually by a licensed professional and are operating properly.

• Never use stoves, ovens, or outdoor grills as a source of heat.

• Check your carbon-monoxide detectors and smoke detectors to ensure they operate properly.

• If you smell natural gas, leave the area and call 911 from a safe location.

“The safety and comfort of our customers is the number-one priority at Columbia Gas, especially during the cold winter months,” said President Steve Bryant. “We ask that everyone take the time to check on their families and neighbors, particularly those who are elderly or in need of special attention.”

For more winter safety tips and information, visit www.columbiagasma.com.

Country Bank’s Employee-volunteer Program Evolves

By BusinessWest Staff January 6, 2016

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank has been supporting local communities for many years, not only through donations, but also with volunteers working at local community events, participating in parades and road races, serving dinner on Thanksgiving Day, feeding the homeless, collecting trash, and building houses for Habitat for Humanity, to name a few efforts.

In 2015, the volunteer program at Country Bank was taken to the next level with the implementation of the Country Bank Cares Community Volunteer Program. This new program offers volunteer opportunities at various events throughout the year to Country Bank staff. Each volunteer hour is logged, and at the end of the year, staff members who volunteered 10 hours or more are awarded a grant to a charity of their choice for either $100 or $250, depending on their total time volunteered.

A total of 109 Country Bank staff members participated in this new program for a total of more than 800 hours of volunteer service. Of those 109, 32 qualified for a grant, for a grand total of $4,100 donated by Country Bank.

“I couldn’t be more pleased at the success of our first year of the Country Bank Cares Program,” said Deb Gagnon, corporate relations officer. “Our staff really came forward and helped out at various events in our towns, and as a result, many nonprofits will benefit from the donation dollars. It is amazing to see the commitment from our staff members and the bank through this program.”

Balise Motor Sales Awarded Kia Motors America Franchise

By BusinessWest Staff January 6, 2016

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Balise Motor Sales has been awarded the Kia Motors America franchise for the Springfield Metro area.

The all-new Balise Kia is targeted to open for business by the end of the first quarter of 2016 at 603 Riverdale St. in West Springfield, next to Balise Mazda.

Kia is a rapidly growing brand with a full lineup of models such as the Optima, Sportage, and Sorrento. “Kia is one of the fastest growing brands in the U.S., and we’re excited to welcome the Kia franchise into the Balise family,” said Bill Peffer, president and chief operating officer of Balise Motor Sales. “This acquisition provides another great opportunity to strengthen the Balise portfolio throughout New England.”

State Announces $700,000 in Naloxone Grants for First Responders

By BusinessWest Staff January 6, 2016

Daily News

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker and the Mass. Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that $700,000 will be awarded to police and fire departments in 40 communities heavily impacted by the Commonwealth’s opioid epidemic, facilitating the purchasing, carrying, and administering of the opioid-overdose-reversal drug naloxone.

“This grant will help save more lives as our administration continues to pursue new and wide-ranging tools to combat the opioid epidemic, including the ability for medical personnel to intervene with those who have overdosed,” Baker said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to pass meaningful reforms, and are pleased to support our first responders’ access to immediate, life-saving resources.”

Last year, the administration established a bulk purchasing fund allowing first responders in municipal entities to access the state rate for naloxone purchases and, when available, receive an additional discount. Baker has also filed legislation to provide medical personnel with the power to intervene with patients suffering from addiction, control the spread of addictive prescription opioids, and increase education about substance-use disorder for providers and in the community.

“Today’s announcement, along with the creation of the bulk purchasing fund, will increase the amount of naloxone available in hot-spot communities where it is needed most,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. “These resources will help ease the costs of medication, enabling our firefighters and police officers to save more lives.”

Grants for $10,000 to $50,000 are being awarded to the following communities: Attleboro, Barnstable, Beverly, Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Peabody, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Springfield, Stoughton, Taunton, Waltham, Wareham, Westfield, Weymouth, Winthrop, Woburn, and Worcester.

“There is no faster and more effective way to reverse an opioid overdose than to administer naloxone,” said state Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “It is imperative we do everything we can to counteract the epidemic of opioid addiction by providing as many first responders as possible the opportunity to use this life-saving medication.”

Grinspoon Foundation, Big Y Call for Farm Awards Applicants

By BusinessWest Staff January 5, 2016

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — In partnership with Big Y, the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (HGCF) announced the second year of the Farm Awards, a program to support local farmers with projects that will help improve their farm businesses. The awards are for equipment and physical farm improvements.

“Big Y has been supporting local farmers since we began 80 years ago,” said Charles D’Amour, president and COO of Big Y. “Through our partnership with the Grinspoon Foundation, we are providing one more way to help the local growers to thrive in our community.”

In an effort to have the widest impact, the individual award recipients will be given up to a maximum of $2,500 per award, for a grand total of $100,000. Realizing the importance of local farms in the region, Grinspoon launched these awards last year. The 2015 awards were distributed to 33 of the 88 applicants.

The two regional Buy Local farm advocates, Berkshire Grown and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), will continue to provide insight and assistance, which was essential to the successful launch of the program in 2015.

“We are so pleased to continue to work with everyone involved in this unique Farm Awards program to support the vital role family farms play in our communities,” said Philip Korman, executive director of CISA.

Added Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown, “we’re thrilled about the continuation of these financial awards for farmers in Western Massachusetts to strengthen their farm businesses. This helps build the local food economy in our region.”

The deadline for applying is Jan. 31. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit www.hgf.org/farm-awards for more information.

Kathryn Dube Joins Berkshire Bank Wealth-management Team

By BusinessWest Staff January 5, 2016

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced that Kathryn Dube has joined the bank as first vice president and wealth business development leader.

Dube brings more than 30 years of banking and financial-management experience to her new role. She has held progressively responsible positions in retail banking and wealth management in the Western Mass. and Connecticut markets. Prior to joining Berkshire Bank, she served as senior vice president of private banking at TD Bank, where she was responsible for sales of wealth products and services and generating new assets. She served as senior vice president, regional retail market manager for TD Bank as well, for which she managed a network of 35 stores and $2 billion in deposits. She holds Series 7 and 66 FINRA licenses. She attended the University of Connecticut, New England College of Finance, and Bryant College.

Involved in numerous community endeavors, Dube is the current chair of the United Way Women’s Leadership Council in the Pioneer Valley, a member of the United Way of Pioneer Valley board of directors, and co-chair of the United Way’s endowment committee. Having previously served as chair and vice chair for the United Way of Pioneer Valley, she was selected as the organization’s Volunteer of the Year in 2014.

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