Home 2017 (Page 23)

Year: 2017

Opinion: A New Era for Tower Square

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Daily News

When a property like Springfield’s Tower Square comes onto the market — as the property’s owner, MassMutual, announced Monday — the common reaction is to think that something is wrong, and that such a development is bad news.

Maybe that is the case here, but MassMutual is certainly spinning things a different way, and maybe the rest of us should be thinking in those terms as well.

In acknowledging that Tower Square, opened as Baystate West in 1971, was on the block, a MassMutual spokesperson said this action is being taken because of all the positive developments taking place in Springfield and the realization that commercial real estate downtown is ‘hot,’ or at least much hotter than it has been in some time. Selling now, he said, is a wise move from an investment perspective.

And it is hard to argue with that thinking. Indeed, it only makes sense that this iconic property is worth more now than it has been at perhaps any point in the past 30 years or so. And what’s that old adage about real estate, stocks, and just about everything else — ‘buy low, sell high.’

Thus, this news should be greeted enthusiastically on a number of levels. First, it should be taken as a sign that Springfield’s recovery, or renaissance, as some have called it, is real, and that, as MGM Springfield moves ever closer to opening its $950 million casino, even better times are coming for the City of Homes and its long-struggling downtown.

The news could also be taken as perhaps the start of a new era in the history of Tower Square, which has perhaps been the best mirror on the city’s health and well-being that we’ve had.

Indeed, when Springfield and its downtown were much healthier, Tower Square, or Baystate West, as it was called before 1996, was the unofficial symbol of success and vibrancy.

When it opened to considerable fanfare (it was Springfield’s first building of more than a dozen floors), it was the place to be. Its storefronts were full, and its ground floor and mezzanine were packed with people. Oldtimers (meaning people over the age of 50) can and often do tell stories about spending an entire Saturday in a two- or three-block area downtown, starting at Johnson’s Bookstore, moving on to Baystate West, then going to Steiger’s and Forbes & Wallace.

Almost all of those destinations are now gone — victims, some say, of the Holyoke Mall’s ascendance, but certainly victims of changing shopping habits and changing fortunes downtown.

By the mid-’90s, Tower Square had become, in essence, a symbol of Springfield’s decline. Most storefronts were empty, others were occupied by discount retailers, and the mall itself was eerily quiet and mostly devoid of people except for those lined up at Dunkin’ Donuts. When proponents of a downtown casino wanted to press their case for how the city needed a spark, they started by pointing to Tower Square and what wasn’t happening there.

So maybe Tower Square is once again becoming a symbol for Springfield, a symbol of its rebirth, of its soaring fortunes in the wake of the casino, Union Station, and a host of other developments.

Time will tell, obviously. No one really knows what kind of market will develop for this still-challenged property — many of its storefronts remain vacant, although occupancy remains solid.

Across this region and across the country, there are worries that traditional shopping malls will soon be obsolete, if they have not reached that state already. Whoever acquires the Tower Square property will have to be imaginative and diligent as they go about trying to build additional vibrancy and foot traffic.

For now, though, the sale of Tower Square should be taken as a positive development, and perhaps a sign that an exciting new era is set to begin for this landmark.

Blue Sox Partner with Mercy to Host Free Community Clinic June 25

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Valley Blue Sox announced their makeup date from the previously scheduled Mercy kickoff clinic. The Sox will be hosting a free pre-game clinic for players age 8-12, presented by Mercy Medical Center and the Transforming Communities Initiative, at Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke on Sunday, June 25 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Attendees will learn the basics of fielding, throwing, and hitting from Blue Sox coaches and players prior to Sunday night’s 5:05 p.m. game against the Mystic Schooners. They will also get to hang around for Blue Sox pre-game batting practice and warmups, as well as receiving a free ticket to that evening’s Military Appreciation Night.

Players are required to wear activewear and sneakers or cleats, and bring their own hat, glove, and bat. The camp is open to the entire region.

“It’s a great opportunity early in the year for some kids to come out, get some work in, meet the new players, and have some fun learning the game,” said Blue Sox General Manager Hunter Golden. “Our community clinics are always a hit, and we’re very thankful that both Mercy Medical Center and Live Well Springfield have stepped up to make this possible.”

The Blue Sox will begin their pre-game routine at 2:30 p.m., and the stadium gates will be open, allowing campers to come in early and watch the Blue Sox take infield, outfield, and batting practice, as well as see some bullpen sessions up close. Campers will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the players at various stations throughout the night, which will cover all the basics of baseball, including hitting, fielding, throwing, and pitching.

One station in particular will be presented by the Transforming Communities Initiative and feature healthy snacks for the players to grab for a break, and a prize wheel from Fruits & Veggies (FNV).

Mercy and Live Well Springfield have partnered for the Transforming Communities Initiative to improve health by making healthier choices more accessible for all Springfield residents. The Blue Sox baseball clinic gives kids an opportunity to enjoy physical activity and healthy eating, while inspired by local heroes and national FNV celebrities.

“This collaboration provides an opportunity to promote healthy eating and active living while we work to increase access to healthy options for all Springfield residents,” said Doreen Fadus, vice president of Mission Integration and Community Health and Well Being, Mercy Medical Center. “Together with Live Well Springfield, we are making structural changes to the places where we live, work, play, and learn in an effort to support the healthier choices advocated by FNV.”

East of the River Five Town Chamber Honors the Gaudreau Group

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Daily News

WILBRAHAM — The East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce (ERC5) awarded its inaugural Business of the Year honor to the Gaudreau Group.

The award recognizes an ERC5 business or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the Massachusetts communities of Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Hampden, and Ludlow. In addition to exhibiting a commitment to excellence, the chamber said, the Gaudreau Group has made the Five Town footprint a better place to live.

“We are deeply honored to be the inaugural winner of this award. Everyone at the Gaudreau Group cares about the communities we serve. We’re proud of our efforts to make Western Mass. a better place to live and work,” said Jules Gaudreau, president of the Gaudreau Group.

Founded in 1921 and headquartered in Wilbraham, the Gaudreau Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned, independent insurance and financial-services firm that employs 30 professionals and insures more than 6,000 businesses and families in 14 states.

Hollywood Homecoming Announced for Springfield’s John Shea

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, June 29, the Basketball Hall of Fame will turn Columbus Avenue into Hollywood Boulevard for a premiere of Grey Lady, a new film by Springfield resident John Shea. This is a one-time, exclusive event, and Shea hopes to reconnect with local luminaries and old friends.

Shea will be present at 6 p.m. for a benefit cocktail party before the audience moves into the theater at 6:45 p.m. He will also host an exclusive party after the film, and will take questions from the audience. Shea wrote and directed the film, and also plays a small role as an island police chief. This event is sponsored by Florence Bank. The bank’s president, John Heaps, has known Shea since the third grade at Holy Cross School.

It was Shea’s idea to bring his film home to Springfield (he is a Cathedral High School graduate) and donate the proceeds to local charities. Tickets to the benefit are $100, and proceeds will go to Gray House, the Bing Arts Center, and the Community Foundation’s Dr. John V. Shea Scholarship Fund. Party entertainment will be provided by the Eric Bascom Trio.

“The reason I’m doing this is to return as much as I can to the town where I grew up. I’m looking forward to renewing relationships with many of my Springfield friends,” said Shea, who calls Los Angeles home today. He has returned many times; he helped with the campaign to establish the new Dr. Seuss museum, has been a marshal in Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and sang with the Springfield Symphony.

Tickets are available online at the Bing Arts Center at www.bingartscenter.org. For mail orders, send a check to Keith Sikes, 61 Texel Dr., Springfield, MA 01108. Checks should be made out to the Bing Arts Center. The Bing Arts Center box office will also be open Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Providence Ministries Names Shannon Rudder Executive Director

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. (PMN) board of trustees named Shannon Rudder executive director of PMN’s multi-human-services agency. First appointed interim director in May, Rudder previously served as executive director for MotherWoman Inc. in Hadley for four years. Prior to that, she was associate director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal Inc. in Buffalo, N.Y.

“Shannon’s leadership, contagious enthusiasm, solid business acumen, strong operational skills, team-building focus, and dedication to building strong community relationships will advance our mission into the bright future ahead,” said Jean Zaleski, board chair.

Rudder is currently on Springfield Technical Community College’s Foundation board; Mama’s Voice, a community-based participatory research project with Holyoke Community College; the grant review committee for United Way of Pioneer Valley; and United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council, and is an instructor at Bay Path University and Cambridge College. In addition, she has served as a guest lecturer at Springfield College, Smith College, and UMass School of Regional Planning. BusinessWest included Rudder in its 40 Under Forty class of 2016.

“We are thrilled to have Shannon as our new executive director,” said James Wall, chair of PMN’s personnel committee. “She brings a great breadth and depth of experience that will help take Providence Ministries to the next level.”

PMN is a member of the Sisters of Providence Ministry Corp. and is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization serving the Holyoke community with programs to feed, clothe, and shelter the poor and marginalized. These include Kate’s Kitchen, foodWorks at Kate’s Kitchen, Broderick House, Loreto House, McCleary Manor, Margaret’s Pantry, and St. Jude’s Clothing Center.

Deborah Jordan of Shamrock Financial Honored by Realtor Assoc.

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Deborah Jordan of Shamrock Financial in Wilbraham was named 2017 Affiliate of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcment was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held June 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

As the highest honor given to an affiliate member, the award is bestowed upon the one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the organization during the past 17 months in the areas of affiliate-related association activity, community service, and business activity.

A member of RAPV for five years, Jordan has served on the affiliate/Realtor, Education Fair & Expo, and community service committees. Her committee involvement includes the annual Benefit Golf Tournament, Playhouse Build for the Boys and Girls Clubs, and blanket and book drives to benefit Shriner’s Hospitals for Children – Springfield.

Jordan’s additional community activities include serving as president-elect for the Ludlow Rotary Club, volunteering with Revitalize CDC, and serving on the Buy Springfield Now Committee to promote home ownership.

Markens Group Brings Governance Lawyers Association to Springfield

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Markens Group Inc. (TMG), an association-management and consulting firm, announced its newest full-service client, the American College of Governance Counsel (ACGC). Under this arrangement, TMG will manage ACGC’s day-to-day operations, and the association’s headquarters will be re-established in downtown Springfield.

Founded in 2015, ACGC is the association for corporate governance lawyers in the U.S. and Canada. It promotes high standards within the profession and advocates for broader adoption of best governance practices within business organizations. Through programs like its annual Colloquium, ACGC addresses today’s major corporate governance issues, including challenges to traditional models of governance, risk management, shareholder engagement, and an increasingly complex regulatory and enforcement environment.

“Top North American governance lawyers formed ACGC to foster a better understanding of the role that sound governance plays in successful strategic decision making,” said Frank Placenti, founding president of ACGC and leader of the governance practice at the global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, LLP. “Having been embraced by both the legal profession and the governance community, the college is ready to optimize our operations and accelerate our success. We believe TMG can help with that.”

Added Ben Markens, president and founder of TMG, “we’re thrilled to partner with ACGC. Over the years, we’ve developed methodologies and frameworks for driving operational efficiency and growth, and we’ve already begun to implement those for ACGC. Plus, we’re proud to bring national connections and unique industry ties to our own backyard here in Springfield.”

The only association-management company in Western Massachusetts — and one of only 80 companies worldwide to be accredited under the Association Management Company Institute’s standard for management best practices — TMG has helped associations and other nonprofit organizations to grow and achieve their goals for more than two decades. Other national association clients include the Paperboard Packaging Council, the Flexographic Pre-Press Platemakers Assoc., and the American Assoc. of Homeopathic Pharmacists.

Downtown Springfield Road Work Continues

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield is advising of continued off-site road work in and around downtown Springfield to improve certain roadways, intersections, sidewalks, and traffic signals in advance of the resort opening in September 2018.

Last week, MGM Springfield stood alongside city officials to announce Main Street Refresh, a nearly $7 million combined project to prepare downtown Springfield for 10,000 people a day who will visit the new resort. Working in partnership, MGM Springfield is investing $5.5 million, and the city of Springfield more than $1.4 million in area improvements and enhancements. MGM will oversee work that includes intersection/signal improvements, utility upgrades, roadway reconstruction/paving, and pedestrian/bicycle enhancements (including handicap accessibility).

The road work planned for the weeks of June 19 and 26 is expected at the following streets and intersections: Dwight Street and I-291 off-ramp, Plainfield and Avocado streets, Plainfield Street (between Avocado and West streets), Plainfield and John streets, John Street (between St. George Road and Plainfield Street), and Union Street (between Main Street and East Columbus Avenue).

The nature of work to be performed at the streets and intersections listed above includes reconstruction of sidewalks and curbing, along with installation of wheelchair curb ramps, signal conduits, foundations, and pull boxes.

Additionally, at Union Street only (between Main Street and East Columbus Avenue), full-depth roadway reconstruction is expected to begin. During this work, Union Street will be closed to through traffic from Main Street to East Columbus Avenue. Access to Pride Gas Station, the Colvest Building, and 55 State Street will be maintained at all times. Typical construction hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Also, work is set to begin on Memorial Bridge to remove the concrete median and repave with asphalt.

“We are working hard to make sure every aspect of the community’s and our guest’s experiences will be top-notch,” said newly appointed MGM Springfield General Manager Alex Dixon. “These necessary traffic-flow upgrades will be worth any short-term pain they may cause, since the long-term reward will be the economic benefits a more accessible and welcoming downtown will achieve.”

Nominations Sought for Healthcare Heroes Awards

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Healthcare Heroes, an exciting recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched this spring by HCN and BusinessWest. Sponsored by American International College, Bay Path University, Elms College, and Renew.Calm, with additional sponsorships available, the program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and individuals providing that care.

Nominations are now being sought — and will be accepted until June 29 — in the following categories: Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider; Innovation in Health/Wellness; Community Health; Emerging Leader; Collaboration in Health/Wellness; Health/Wellness Administration/Administrator; and Lifetime Achievement. The nominations will be scored by a panel of judges to be announced in the coming weeks. The winners will be chosen in July and profiled in the September issue of HCN.

The guidelines to consider when nominating individuals, groups, or institutions in these various categories are available at healthcarenews.com and businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes.

Country Bank’s Employee Charitable Giving Program Donates $40,000

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Daily News

WARE — Country Bank’s Employee Charitable Giving (ECG) program recently donated more than $40,000 to two causes, raising more than $30,000 to support the Jimmy Fund in April and giving $10,000 to the Easter Seals “Walk with Me” program held at Elm Park in Worcester on May 13.

Employees donated raffle baskets, paid to wear jeans on casual Fridays, and joined the online fund-raising team to support the Jimmy Fund, along with a matching donation from Country Bank.

“I am in awe of the commitment from the team at Country Bank and their support of this great charity year after year,” said Bonnie Trudeau-Wood, chair of the Employee Charitable Giving Program and Jimmy Fund coach for Country Bank. “We are very proud to be the coaches for this team and know that our efforts make a difference. We really hit a grand slam this year.”

The Easter Seals donation was boosted by a whoopie-pie auction. Denise Walker, senior vice president of Retail Lending, donated a batch of whoopie pies to the highest bidder, which raised $3,102. Additional donations came from casual Fridays, direct donations from the staff, and Country Bank’s matching program, along with being a walk sponsor.

“As a proud supporter of Easter Seals, I am so grateful that our staff supports such exceptional organizations,” said Alison Shilinsky, senior vice president of Human Resources. “While attending the Easter Seals ‘Walk with Me’ event on May 13, we were fortunate to have witnessed the impact Easter Seals has on the Worcester community and on the individuals who benefit from their services.”

Massachusetts Adds 2,900 Jobs in May

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Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate increased to 4.2% in May from the April rate of 3.9%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts added 2,900 jobs in May. Over-the-month job gains occurred in education and health services; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; information; and construction. The April estimate was revised to a loss of 800 jobs.

From May 2016 to May 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 58,300 jobs. The May state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.3% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“During 2017, Massachusetts continues to experience large increases in the labor force,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said. “May’s labor-force participation rate of 66.7%, the highest rate since October 2008, allows for ongoing economic growth. As the pool of people actively searching for work increases, our workforce-development agencies remain focused on ensuring that the next generation of job seekers have access to next-generation job training.”

The labor force increased by 17,100 from 3,694,200 in April, as 4,900 more residents were employed and 12,200 more residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.8% in May 2016. There were 17,300 more unemployed people over the year compared to May 2016.

The state’s labor force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — increased two-tenths of a percentage point to 66.7% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased 1.7% compared to May 2016.

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in information; construction; professional, scientific, and business services; and education and health services.

EANE Compensation & Benefits Conference Set for July 20

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Daily News

AGAWAM — The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) announced that its annual Compensation and Benefits Conference, themed “The Game Has Changed,” will be held on Thursday, July 20 at the Publick House in Sturbridge. It will focus on trends in employee compensation and benefits.

“The one-size-fits-all model no longer applies to employee compensation and benefits. Employers need to understand the demographic, legislative, and competitive dynamics that have created the trend toward personalization of employee benefits,” said Meredith Wise, EANE president. “Our conference this year is all about these outside influences that are game-changing.”

The full-day program will feature Lauren Stiller Rikleen, a nationally recognized expert on developing a thriving, diverse, and multi-generational workforce. She is the author of You Raised Us – Now Work With Us: Millennials, Career Success, and Building Strong Workplace Teams. Additional conference presentations will include “How to Survive High-deductible Health Plans,” “Is the 40-hour Work Week Dead?” and “The Trump Effect on Employee Compensation and Benefits.”

The cost for the program is $285 per person with discounts for three or more. Register at www.eane.org/special-events or by calling (877) 662-6444. The program will offer 6.25 credits from the HR Certification Institute and SHRM. Sponsoring the program are Johnson & Hill Staffing Services and the HR Certification Institute.

Thunderbirds Hire Charles Venezia as Account Executive

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds announced the addition of Charles Venezia to the front-office staff as an account executive.

Venezia joined the Thunderbirds upon graduation from Western New England University, where he played football and was named an All-Academic team member for his conference three years in a row. On the field, he helped lead the Golden Bears to two conference titles.

En route to graduating with his degree in sport management, Venezia spent the 2016-17 academic year interning with the Thunderbirds during the club’s inaugural season.

Springfield Officials Announce Downtown Streetscape Improvements

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Chief Development Officer Kevin Kennedy, and Public Works Director Christopher Cignoli announced several major streetscape improvements to downtown Springfield in the anticipation of the grand opening of Union Station and MGM Springfield.

“I am extremely pleased to be able to announce yet another milestone in the continuing transformation of Springfield’s downtown,” Sarno said. “As we get ready for the grand opening of these two transformative developments, it is important for the city to ensure that we provide the best pedestrian experience for those living, working, and visiting Springfield.”

The city’s Main Street Refresh Project will target Main Street from Union Station to Central Street. Work will include numerous sidewalk repairs, tree plantings, intersection and crosswalk improvements, and enhancements to the railroad underpasses along Main Street, Dwight Street, and Chestnut Street. The project will also include a new pedestrian wayfinding system currently in the final phases of design.

The project is designed to complement MGM Springfield’s significant investment in downtown infrastructure. That work just getting underway includes signal improvements at key intersections, major utility upgrades, new paving, curb and sidewalk work for improved pedestrian access, and more. MGM Springfield will distribute regular communications to the city and residents to give notice of where and when travel disruptions may occur.

“All work being proposed for the Main Street Refresh Project will be coordinated with the work currently being completed by MGM Springfield,” Cignoli said. “Through this coordination effort, we can ensure that this work will be completed in a timely manner and with as little disruption to traffic as possible.”

The project will have a total cost of $6.9 million, including approximately $5.5 million from MGM Springfield and $1.4 million from the city of Springfield.

“With our grand opening in sight, we want to ensure that every aspect of the MGM Springfield experience is enjoyable for both visitors and residents,” said Michael Mathis, MGM Springfield president. “Improved access and wayfinding to downtown is a critical component of the overall vision for a stronger Springfield. We thank Mayor Sarno and his team for their thoughtful coordination of our combined efforts. As the off-site improvements continue, we will distribute regular communications to the city and the community at large so all can plan accordingly.”

The project is anticipated to start work immediately and scheduled to be completed by late spring 2018.

“This initiative is part of the city’s continued systematic approach to build on and capitalize on the significant economic-development projects occurring not only in the downtown but throughout the city of Springfield,” Kennedy said.

Tracey Egloff Joins PNCU as Vice President of Residential Lending

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Daily News

CHICOPEE — James Kelly, president and CEO, announced that Tracey Egloff has joined Polish National Credit Union as vice president of residential lending.

Egloff has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of residential lending, including loan origination, processing, underwriting, compliance, secondary market sales, and loan servicing. She began her career in banking at Northampton Cooperative Bank in 1992 and held various positions in the loan department. She was most recently the vice president of residential lending with successor institution Greenfield Cooperative Bank.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College.

“Tracey’s strong background in all aspects of residential lending makes her a perfect choice for helping our members achieve their housing goals and objectives,” said Kelly. “We are extremely pleased to welcome her to the Polish National Credit Union family.”

Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley Names Lou Mayo Realtor of the Year

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Lou Mayo, office manager with Real Living Realty Professionals in Wilbraham, was named the 2017 Realtor of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcement was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held June 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

As the highest honor given to a member, the Realtor of the Year award is bestowed upon the one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the 1,650-member organization during the past 17 months in the areas of Realtor activity, community service, and business activity.

A Realtor since 1997, Mayo has been a member of the RAPV board of directors since 2012. He was RAPV president in 2016 and also served on the professional standards, strategic planning, and finance committees, as well as the forms and building task forces.

At the state level, Mayo is a member of the board of directors of the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors (MAR). He is the chairman of the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors professional standards committee, a forms committee member, as well as a former member the MAR young professionals network committee. He is a MAR Leadership Academy graduate, and is currently a member of the MAR website task force.

At the national level, Mayo has attended many National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR) conferences and trade shows and holds the professional designations of Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), and Certified Buyer Representative (CBR).

Mayo’s community involvement includes providing support through charitable giving to Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Salvation Army, as well as serving as a member of the Granby Bow & Gun Club. In conjuction with the RAPV community service committee, he also contrubuted to the development and construction of four playhouses that were donated to local Boys and Girls Clubs.

“I believe strongly in the code of ethics and strive daily to achieve its highest ideals as a Realtor,” Mayo said. “In both my personal and professional life, I desire to uplift the image of the Realtor by embodying the knowledge, character, and wisdom of a top professional.”

Governor Nominates Local Attorneys to Western Mass. Courts

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Daily News

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker nominated Ellen Randle of East Longmeadow to serve as an associate justice of the Probate and Family Court, Hampden County Division, and Karen Goodwin of Amherst to serve as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court. Randle has 32 years of legal experience and concentrates her practice in family law, probate disputes, and civil litigation, while Goodwin’s 31 years at the bar have focused on trial work in both the private and public sectors.

“Attorney Randle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Goodwin have, over the last three decades and throughout their impressive careers, demonstrated a strong commitment to serving Massachusetts’ families and their communities,” said Baker. “I am confident Attorney Randle’s and Assistant U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s experience will serve their respective courts well.”

The Probate and Family Court Department has jurisdiction over family-related and probate matters such as divorce, paternity, child support, custody, parenting time, adoption, termination of parental rights, abuse prevention and wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and changes of name.

The Superior Court is a statewide court of general jurisdiction, handling both criminal and civil actions. The court’s 82 justices sit in 20 courthouses in all 14 counties of the Commonwealth. The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in civil actions over $25,000, and in matters where equitable relief is sought. It also has original jurisdiction in actions including labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought, has exclusive authority to convene medical-malpractice tribunals, has appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings, and may hold sittings for naturalization in any city or town. The court has exclusive original jurisdiction of first-degree murder cases and original jurisdiction of all other crimes.

“I am pleased with the nominations of two well-respected and skilled women attorneys from Western Massachusetts,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. “If confirmed by the Governor’s Council, their respective courts and communities will benefit greatly from Attorney Randle’s and Assistant U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s judgment and wisdom.”

UMass Dining Chefs Capture Seventh Straight Gold at Competition

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Daily News

AMHERST — UMass Dining took gold for the seventh year in a row at the American Culinary Federation-sanctioned competition held June 9 during the 23rd annual Tastes of the World Culinary Conference at UMass Amherst.

UMass Amherst chefs Pamela Adams, Matthia Accurso, Anthony Jung, and Robert Bankert competed against 14 other culinary teams from across the U.S. and Canada. Teams from schools such as Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State used bronzino, grass-fed beef tri-tip, amaranth, Thai basil, fresh peaches, and raspberries to create their dishes.

The UMass Amherst team’s winning menu consisted of three courses and a buffet service. Their meal included a first course of chicken mousseline made with cauliflower cream, wilted arugula, charred red-pepper jam, and pickled cauliflower. Their second course of lemon-marinated, pan-roasted bronzino featured sweet potato-seafood croquette with sautéed snap peas, slow-cooked tomato, a red lentil-bacon puree and Jonah crab-mussel emulsion. For their third course, they delivered a contemporary pâte à choux swan with sautéed peaches atop vanilla kulfi in raspberry sauce garnished with candied cashews. The buffet service was tri-tip beef with mint and a Thai basil chimichurri, amaranth pilaf, sautéed Swiss chard, and charred carrots.

Skidmore College also achieved a gold for its menu.

“We’re extremely honored to be hosting this conference on campus this year,” UMass Amherst Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Andy Mangels said. “The culinary talent for the 52 schools and 398 attendees represented is truly a reflection of the excellent state of college and university dining throughout the United States and Canada. It’s great to see the collaboration and energy of all the chefs and managers in attendance during the week.”

Springfield College Partners with Canyon Ranch Institute on Program

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College has partnered with the Canyon Ranch Institute to implement and evaluate a public-health project on the Springfield College campus through June 28 titled Healthy Table. The goal of the program is to improve healthy eating, cooking, and shopping habits for individuals and families living in the vicinity of Springfield College.

“We are very excited about this partnership with the Canyon Ranch Institute because both Springfield College and Canyon Ranch Institute make healthy living and nutrition a top priority,” said Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper. “We are looking forward to utilizing our nutritional experts on campus to assist our neighboring community members with healthy-living opportunities.”

As part of the program, participants will be able to speak with experts regarding nutrition, learn how to cook nutritional meals, and shop for healthy meals on a budget.

“We’re really pleased to be partnering with Canyon Ranch Institute/Health Literacy Media to pilot this program with the Springfield community,” said Springfield College Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences Donna Chapman. “Everybody in the program has at least one risk factor for heart disease, and they are really eager to learn new approaches to healthy eating and cooking.”

In order to participate, individuals must be overweight, or at risk for or diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Each class is co-taught by a chef and a registered dietitian, and there is no cost to participate in the program.

“The college received very positive feedback that participants enjoy this combination of hands-on cooking and nutrition classes,” added Chapman. “During our sessions, several participants commented that they started to make some healthy changes in their eating right away. They learned how easy it was to make homemade broths and soups that tasted great, and were far lower in sodium than the canned soups they would typically eat.”

As part of the program evaluation, the college is collecting data at the beginning and end of the course on the participants’ nutrition knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, as well as clinical outcomes such as weight, blood pressure, waist and hip circumferences, and percentage of body fat. Researchers from Springfield College and Canyon Ranch Institute will analyze how these measurements change over time.

United Bank Supports Dress for Success Western Massachusetts

By
Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Bank donated $5,000 to support the mission of Dress for Success to help women gain economic independence. The contribution will be used to fund the Foot in the Door program, a workforce-readiness program provided by Dress for Success Western Massachusetts.

Foot in the Door is a 14-week training program in which participants receive training modules consisting of career pathway and exploration, workplace readiness, employability preparation, and financial literacy. This curriculum is delivered by Springfield Technical Community College, and was created to address workforce needs and promote strategic economic development in the region.

Dress for Success removes typical barriers by providing transportation and daycare, which in many cases prohibit women from participating. When the women complete the course, they are provided a national workforce-readiness certificate and guaranteed an interview, and a suit to wear to the interview, at key local employers Baystate Health, Smith & Wesson, Columbia Gas, MGM Springfield, and United Personnel.

“It’s because of community partners like United Bank we are able to offer these essential programs for our clients,” said Dawn Creighton, board president of Dress for Success Western Massachusetts. “Workforce and skills gaps are growing challenges to employers. Programs such as Foot In the Door help break down barriers of employment.”

HCC Gateway to College Program Graduates Largest Class Ever

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College’s (HCC) award-winning Gateway to College program graduated the largest class in its nine-year history June 6, presenting certificates to 33 high-school students who have been taking college courses at HCC.

Those students will now collect their diplomas from eight area high schools: Springfield, Holyoke, Westfield, Palmer, Longmeadow, Agawam, Minnechaug, and Belchertown. Among them, the students also amassed a total of 372 transferable college credits, or enough to fulfill the requirements for more than six associate degrees.

“What you achieved is nothing short of miraculous,” said Mark Guglielmo, the Gateway Fine Arts instructor and the keynote speaker for the graduation ceremony in HCC’s Leslie Phillips Theater.

Gateway to College is a national program that takes high-school dropouts or students at risk for dropping out and gives them the opportunity to earn their high-school diplomas as dual-enrolled college students.

“You gave us a second chance when you didn’t have to,” said student speaker Deborah Manus, from Holyoke. “This is the beginning of bigger and bigger things.”

Guglielmo, a visual artist who was new to HCC this year, told the graduates, their families, and guests how impressed he was with Gateway staff and how well the program works. “The one ingredient that has me coming back is love. The adults responsible love these young people. It’s so simple, but so hard for so many.”

The HCC Gateway to College program has consistently been one of the best-performing Gateway programs in the country, earning top marks for GPA, graduation rate, and retention rate. For the second year in a row, the program has received the Excellence Award from the national Gateway to College organization.

Since its founding in 2008, HCC’s Gateway to College program has helped 251 students earn their high-school diplomas while also getting an early start on college. More than half have continued onto college, and so far 30 have earned their associate degrees from HCC, and six have earned bachelor’s degrees. Six Gateway to College graduates earned their associate degrees from HCC on May 27.

“What I see in front of me are not the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today,” said student speaker J’Anthony Smith Sr. of Holyoke. “The country’s pretty divided, but there’s hope in every single one of you sitting here today.”

HCC Gateway to College graduate Eimy Holguin of Springfield was also the valedictorian for the Springfield Public Schools Alternative High School graduation, which was held on June 8.

MGM Springfield President Appoints General Manager, CFO

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis announced the appointments of Alex Dixon as general manager and Courtney Wenleder as vice president of Finance and chief financial officer. Dixon assumes responsibility for the resort’s day-to-day leadership and direction, including overseeing all operational aspects of MGM Springfield. Wenleder will direct and oversee the strategic financial planning, operational performance, and financial management of MGM Springfield.

Other personnel announcements include Marikate Murren’s promotion to vice president of Human Resources, and several additional senior management hires. Together, these positions will focus on strategic direction, workforce planning and development, and financial planning and oversight to help prepare for the resort’s September 2018 opening.

With 10 years of industry experience, Dixon was most recently the vice president and assistant general manager of the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore. There, he helped to open the Horseshoe property both ahead of schedule and under budget.

“We are delighted to welcome Alex to the team at MGM Springfield,” Mathis said. “He brings broad industry experience and a passion for delivering hospitality on the East Coast, which will be incredibly valuable to the leadership and operations at MGM Springfield. He has a proven track record for success that will be instrumental in planning, opening, and initiating activities that will undoubtedly further strengthen the performance of MGM Springfield.”

Wenleder most recently held the CFO position at New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where she served for nine years and oversaw significant capital investments and property enhancements, including the introduction of the new retail esplanade. Prior to that she was the vice president of Finance and chief financial officer at Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss., where she oversaw the reconstruction of the resort following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.

“Courtney’s extensive experience with our resort operations at two of our company’s signature resorts will be a tremendous asset as our team prepares MGM Springfield to join our expanding regional portfolio,” Mathis said. “She will be instrumental in ensuring MGM Springfield achieves our financial and business goals.”

In her new role as Vice President of Human Resources, Murren assumes responsibility for planning and directing all aspects of the talent and human resources functions, including ensuring adherence to labor laws, regulations, and HR corporate policies and procedures for MGM Springfield. She will design and oversee the property’s execution of comprehensive strategies, initiatives, action plans, and processes to improve critical organizational performance in the areas of employee engagement and guest service. She was most recently the director of Human Resources for the property, a role she assumed last June.

The MGM Springfield team also has welcomed several additional senior managers, both new to MGM and relocating from other MGM facilities: Michael Custodio has been named director of Property Initiatives, Arlen Carballo is director of Financial Planning & Analysis, and Meagan Lippmann is Learning & Development partner. Rounding out the newest senior-management hires is Jason Randall as director, Talent Acquisition & Development.

“I’m excited to have all these talented individuals join the MGM Springfield team,” Mathis said. “The breadth of experience, the leadership qualities, and values of this team gives me a high degree of confidence in our ability to lead MGM Springfield through and past the next phase of our strategic journey of delivering on our enlivened vision for the South End.”

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Blanchard Landscaping Inc., 31 Simpson Circle, Agawam, MA 01001. David Blanchard, same. Landscaping and snow and ice removal.

BELCHERTOWN

Center for Martial Arts & Fitness Inc., 450 North Washington St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Kenneth Goodrich, same. Engage in the practice of martial-arts fitness and training and training for students of all ages and abilities.

CHESHIRE

C. Walsh Builders Inc., 1245 West Mountain Road, Cheshire, MA 01225. Christopher Walsh, same. General contractor, construction services.

CHICOPEE

Complete Cleaning Solutions Inc., 111 Artisan St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Joanna Giec, same. Cleaning services.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Berkshire Working Dog Club Inc., 18 Phillips Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Kandace Jacopino, same. Nonprofit social club for friends to gather and train their dogs.

HADLEY

Berk Chiropractic and Sports Care, P.C., 234 Russell St., Hadley MA 01035. Dr. Eli Zachary Berk, same. Chiropractic care.

Communication Therapy Associates Inc., 2 Bay Road, Suite 202, Hadley, MA 01035. Marcil Boucher, 194 Lathrop St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Speech and language therapy.

NORTHAMPTON

Circles for Jewish Living Inc., 2 Highland Ave., Northampton, MA 01060. Alison Morse, same. Nonprofit designed to build community through educational and cultural programs based in Jewish values, welcoming people of all backgrounds, and to further its educational mission.

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire M Eateries Inc., 10 Wendell Ave. Ext., Suite 4, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Mark Martin, 24 Greenings Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Restaurant.

Christ’s Church Inc., 340 West St., Apt. 105, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Stacia Wright, same. Church.

SPRINGFIELD

Consolidated Waste Services Inc., 15 Signal Hill Circle, Springfield, MA 01118. Pasquale D’Arco, same. Waste-management services.

WARE

Chantel Bleau Accounting Services Inc., 228 West St., Ware, MA 01082. Chantel Bleau, 42 Coffey Hill Road, Ware, MA 01082. Accounting, tax preparation, and payroll preparation.

Doing Business As Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2017.

AMHERST

Blade Logic
10 Gatehouse Road
Old School, LLC

Eco Tech Management
463 West St.
Haim Gunner

Electrolysis by Athena & Lorraine
48N Pleasant St.
Lorraine Barbieri

Old School Productions
10 Gatehouse Road
Old School, LLC

Paciulli Consulting
141 Columbia Dr.
Melissa Paciulli

Passport Press
257 Shutesbury Road
Lisa Lieberman

CHICOPEE

Gallagher’s Olde Fashioned Service Inc.
1095 Chicopee St.
Robert Galica

Paper City Art Kids
89 Front St., Apt. 15
Natasha Ortiz

RJ’s Outdoor Power Inc.
460 New Ludlow Road
Robert Jennings, Judith Jennings

Speedy Garage Door Services
50 Austin St.
Michael Barrasso

DEERFIELD

Au Bon Pain
16 Yankee Candle Way
ABP Corp.

HELD Doula Services
11 Juniper Dr.
Virginia Nowakoski

Johnson Farm
42 Hoosac Road
Edward Johnson

EASTHAMPTON

Bulldog Transport and Recycling
21 Wright St.
David Meunier

Edward Jones Investments
180 Pleasant St.
Michael Markiewicz

Lucky Nails
30 Cottage St.
Thom Lieu

Public Health Masters Collaborative
9 Taft Ave.
Paul McNeil

Valley Paddler
52 Williston Ave.
Katie MacCallum, Melanie Salvaggio

EAST LONGMEADOW

Ludlow Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
141 Allen St.
Donald Marchand

Peoples Skin Care / Peoples Massage
145 Shaker Road
Stephanie Barry

Pyncheon House
41 Hampden Road
John Thurner

GREENFIELD

Antique Revival
322 Deerfield St.
Eric Webster

Main Street Bar & Grille
94 Main St.
Christina Guevin-Gurney

Meadow Green Nail Center
5 Park St.
Patricia Semb

Mighty Clean Mutt
52 French King Highway
Megan Edson

MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts, LLC
137 Federal St.
Kimberley DeSousa

Naps Auto Sales and Service Inc.
151 Federal St.
Walter Williams

New Fortune Restaurant
249 Mohawk Trail
Wah Seng Inc.

Planet Gas
109 Mohawk Trail
Goe Greige, Melissa Holzhauer

Real Pickles Cooperative Inc.
311 Wells St.
Tamara McKerchie

Terrazza
244 Country Club Road
Abaz Cecunjanin

Tognarelli Heating & Cooling
85 Pierce St.
Kristie Tognarelli

HOLYOKE

Classic Custom Muffler
54 Commercial St.
Anatoliy Purshaga

Jessie’s Home Improvement
303 High St.
Efrain Vasquez Jr.

Juan Deli Mini Market
551 South Bridge St.
Juan Perez

Karaoke Social Club Inc.
54 Adams St.
Candy Villaronga

Kebab House
50 Holyoke St.
Seymur Musayev

Nick’s Nest
1597 Northampton St.
Jennifer Cheateauneuf

Shahan, LLC
46 Franklin St.
Muhammad Khawaja

Springdale Grocery
845 Main St.
Diomedes Chavez

Star Dancers’ Unity
1719 Northampton St.
Alexcelin Saldana

LUDLOW

Budget Pest Solutions/Construction
264 Moody St.
John Boudreau

Performance Rehabilitation of Western New England, LLC
483 Holyoke St.
Robert McDonnell, Dylan Bates, Robert McKenzie

Tony Nails
263 East St.
Anh Giang Tran

NORTHAMPTON

Abba Motors
30 Norrth Maple St.
Stephen Brackett

Cricket Wireless
90 King St.
Evan Morowitz

Cry, Cry, Cry
9½ Market St., Suite 3A
Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell, Dorothy Williams

H2O Consulting
27 Winter St., #2
Alec Bernstein

Hair, Etc.
52 Conz St., #8
Rebecca Brooks, Robin LaFleur

Kelly’s Nails
13 Bridge St.
Thiet Thanh Son

Kristy’s Nails
137C Damon Road
Hang Tngoc Le

Lia Toyota of Northampton
280 King St.
Michael Lia

Trump Dharma Dream
82 Stone Ridge Dr.
Randy Kaplan

PALMER

Blue Star Farmers Market
3090 Palmer St.
Cassandra Weglarz

JDC Pest Control
41 Mt. Dumplin Road
James Chadwick

Paramount Pizza
1620 North Main St.
Ali Boluk

Premier Communications
11 Hobbs St.
Robert Lucier

Quick Flow Drain & Sewer
2028 Pleasant St.
Rehman Chaudhray

SOUTHWICK

Donald’s Devil Dogs
38 Congamond Road
Donald Elton

Southwoods Magazine & Signs
610 College Highway
Carole Caron

SPRINGFIELD

10th Planet Jiu Jitsu
321 Albany St.
Pioneer Valley Jiu Jitsu

ARM Carpentry Co.
137 Webber St.
Richard Ottani

ATS Landscaping
34 Berkley St.
Andre Blanton

Achievement Network Ltd.
1 Federal St.
Natasha Williams

Boyd’s Bistro
91 Wilbraham Ave.
Boyd Paul

Bytes Knight Technology
68 Cleveland St.
Irma Alvarado

Clean Rite Janitorial
229 St. James Blvd.
David Douglas

Jean Sylvia’s Hair Salon
17 Lombard St.
Jean Bussolari

Joseph Anthony Handyman
2358 Wilbraham Road
Joseph Monzillo

Kims Jewelry Inc.
1624 Main St.
Donghee Kim

Mike Williams Management
20 Maple St.
Michael Williams Jr.

Painting Beyond
118 Catalpa Terrace
Jeancarlo Marchese

Persona
174 Massachusetts Ave.
Khaifani Forbes

Phil’s Remodeling
40 Noel St.
Philbert O’Brien

SHE Studios
101 Beacon Circle
Amelia Adams

Severino Construction Services
175 Walnut St.
Luis Roberto-Severino

Trendz Unlimited
258 Gilbert Ave.
Latrenda McMillian

Trumpf Medical
120 Carando Dr.
Hill-Rom Co. Inc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Brian’s Drywall Co.
41 Sprague St.
Brian Klein

Choice Consultants, LLC
4 Shady Brook
Karen Sikora-Bernard

Davis Chiropractic
900 Elm St.
Marjorie Davis

Dirk Kidwell, Electrician
100 Front St.
Dirk Kidwell

GBS Brows & Skincare
1313 Riverdale St.
Pramod Sarraf

Hair and Nail Co.
1346 Elm St.
Maria Sepulveda

Maids Made Affordable
24 Hampden St.
Christina LaRosa

Main Auto Sales
842 Main St.
William Matte

Needham Electric Supply Co.
91 Union St.
John O’Connell

Omega Cleaners of West Springfield
1238 Riverdale St.
Joo Lee

Randstad
1111 Elm St.
Ranstad Professionals

Toomey-O’Brien Funeral Home
1043 Westfield St.
Francis O’Brien

WESTFIELD

Full Plate Fitness
88 Notre Dame St.
Steven Czerniejewski

JP’s Totally Baked Goods
18 School St.
Patricia Patridge

J.S. Smith & Assoc., Law Offices
166 Elm St.
Jeffrey Smith

Marisol Franco Realty Group
72 Mill St.
Marisol Franco

Millie’s Kitchen Deli & Pizza
1029 North Road
MKDP Inc.

WILBRAHAM

All American Gymnastic Academy Inc.
65 Post Office Park
Joseph Saimeri

Cuddles Pet Sitting
586 Main St.
Sonya Flynn

The Lawn Ranger
11 Railroad Ave.
Kris Breudy

Metallurgical Perspectives
4 Meetinghouse Lane
James Grochmal

NEPM – A Division of AM-DA Inc.
15 Main St.
Amy Smith

Seyler Retrieval
278 Mountain Road
John Seyler

Wilbraham Candle
38 Manchonis Road
Deana Gore

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Allen, Ernest
Harvey-Freeman, Lisa M.
53 Tilton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/17

Ansah, Mensah K.
Ansah, Alberta
21 Ryan Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/17

Bajrami, Adem
57 Russell St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/17

Bates, Donna L.
110 Somers Road #N205
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Bile, Emmanuel Toffe
a/k/a Emmanuel, Bile Toffe
Bile, Hortense Yvonne
a/k/a Malan, Hortense Yvonne
9 Garfield Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/08/17

Blakes, Calvin D.
1026 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/17

Bonenfant, Matthew L.
13A Chestnut St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/17

Briggs, Angela M.
140 Hermitage Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/01/17

Calabrese, Joseph T.
8 Powder Mill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/17

Ceccarini, Debra A.
47 Howard St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/17

Chretien, Paula
49 Ely Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/17

Chudy, Lynn A.
1246 Calkins Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/17

Class, Emanuel
127 Slater Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/17

Colon, Luz Daisy
1279 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/17

Crafts, Kelly L.
P.O. Box 935
Bondsville, MA 01009
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/17

Cupillo, David
75 Thomas St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/10/17

Demetropoulos, Erik J.
Demetropoulos, Stacie A.
378 N Brookfield Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/17

Dombrowski, Christopher A.
71 Bartlett Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/17

Ely, James O.
1020 Park Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/09/17

Farrington Contracting
Farrington, Mark Joseph
378 West Main St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/17

Gauvin, Michael R.
136 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/17

Hoar, Kathryn
49 Howard St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/08/17

Hunter, Allison
150 Gilbertville Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/17

Jasienowski, Judith A.
15 G St., Apt. 1
Turners Falls, MA 01376-1006
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/17

Johnson, Lorenda Paulette
37 Rosevelt Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/17

Jourdain, Kyle Matthew
Jourdain, Kimberly Marie
a/k/a Lanty, Kimberly Marie
19 Knollwood Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/17

Kotarski, Sarah
a/k/a McCaul, Sarah
24 Twiss St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/03/17

L & L Wheel Repair
Provost, Alphonse L.
Lisa Provost cleaning
Provost, Lisa F.
32 Lazarz St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/17

Lind, Michael A.
29 Main Blvd.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/17

Lopes, Marco R.
Lopes, Elisabete M.
a/k/a Magalhaes, Elisabete
5 Maynard Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/17

Marchese, Yelena P.
a/k/a Romashka, Yelena
259 Millers Falls Road, Lot 7
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/17

Molina, Alberto L.
Molina, Vanessa F.
a/k/a Rodriguez, Vanessa
29 Farnsworth St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/17

Morais, Antonio V.
a/k/a Morais, Tony
117 Woodland Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/17

Morin, Steven J.
88 Cora Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/08/17

Neylon, Melissa J.
794 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/17

Neylon, William M.
465 Old Field Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/17

O’Neill, Steven E.
16 Miner St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/17

Parent, Patricia
123 Strong St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/12/17

Parkins, Daniel T.
a/k/a Story, Daniel Thomas
32 West Union St.
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/17

Pope, Tonya Ann
a/k/a Stanko, Tonya A.
37 Lathrop St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/17

Quintin, Jesse M.
319 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Quiterio, Rafael L.
a/k/a Quiterio, Ralph
32 Northwood Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/17

Rivera, Josephine
11 Center St., Apt. 1
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/17

Sanchez, Iberika Lee
a/k/a Rodriguez, Iberika Sanchez
87 Fern St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/17

Santiago, William
82 Alderman St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/17

Schultski, Edward L.
166 Beekman Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/17

Sigall, Edward J.
15 Holmeswood Terrace
Lenox, MA 01240
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/17

Soja, Catherine F.
54 D Paul Revere Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/17

Vieira, Mary C.
a/k/a McCann, Mary C.
185 North St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/17

Wallace, John A.
33 Broad St. #2
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/17

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

1266 Bug Hill Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $302,500
Buyer: Drew N. Pantermehl
Seller: Gilbert & D. Roberts IRT
Date: 05/05/17

CHARLEMONT

48 Main St.
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Berkshire Rafting LLC
Seller: William J. Schaefer
Date: 05/04/17

COLRAIN

Foundry Village Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Hartshorn Family LLC
Seller: Call INT
Date: 05/05/17

295 Jacksonville Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $147,392
Buyer: Greenfield Savings Bank
Seller: Heidi M. Wellman
Date: 05/01/17

York Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Hartshorn Family LLC
Seller: Call INT
Date: 05/05/17

CONWAY

3102 Shelburne Falls Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Jennifer Menendez
Seller: John A. Siano
Date: 05/12/17

DEERFIELD

110 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Samantha Colarusso
Seller: Sarah A. Lusardi
Date: 05/08/17

40 Thayer St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Erica L. Francks
Seller: Elizabeth Clarke
Date: 05/05/17

GILL

276 Mountain Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Sarah R. Watsky
Seller: Thomas E. Dorsey
Date: 05/05/17

GREENFIELD

53-55 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Heather Greene
Seller: George E. Miller
Date: 05/04/17

23 Graves Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $264,900
Buyer: Scott A. Briere
Seller: Christopher L. Gagnon
Date: 05/05/17

12 Holland Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Lillian H. Winseck
Date: 05/12/17

28-B Old Albany Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Alexander M. Gilbert
Seller: David T. Damery
Date: 05/01/17

65 Shattuck St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Barbara Hadden
Seller: Edmond F. Byrne
Date: 05/08/17

100 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Katherine Buttolph
Seller: Debra J. Dehoyos
Date: 05/01/17

22 Sunrise Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Kristyn E. Bates
Seller: Jay A. Brooks
Date: 05/11/17

LEVERETT

73 Long Plain Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Susan D. Montgomery
Seller: Christian Friedrick
Date: 05/12/17

MONTAGUE

172 Meadow Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Mount Grace Farm LLC
Seller: 172 Meadow Road NT
Date: 05/01/17

184 Meadow Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Mount Grace Farm LLC
Seller: 172 Meadow Road NT
Date: 05/01/17

16 North St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Terry Gaberson
Seller: Judith Ingham
Date: 05/12/17

30 Stevens St.
Montague, MA 01301
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: John T. McGuigan
Seller: Jean G. Donovan
Date: 05/05/17

NORTHFIELD

1 Capt. Beers Plain Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Brian A. Vanguilder
Seller: Jeffrey N. Kratz
Date: 05/05/17

11 Lyman Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Gregory S. Hale
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 05/05/17

109 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Dorothy Koda
Seller: Michael L. Dibari
Date: 05/08/17

882 Old Wendell Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Philip J. Calabria
Seller: Eleanor J. Goodman
Date: 05/02/17

ORANGE

76 Brookside Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $161,500
Buyer: Jason W. Hubbard
Seller: Ryan D. Prentiss
Date: 05/12/17

15 Cloukey Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Scott C. Muth
Date: 05/08/17

SHUTESBURY

58 Old Egypt Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Caleb G. Truesdell
Seller: Adam C. Drollett
Date: 05/01/17

SUNDERLAND

410 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Paul B. Stewart
Seller: David J. Cary
Date: 05/05/17

WHATELY

66 Long Plain Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Michael T. Palmer
Seller: Sarah Eddy
Date: 05/08/17

Route 5
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Pre-Cast Properties LLC
Seller: Robert T. Bartlett
Date: 05/09/17

Route 8
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Pre-Cast Properties LLC
Seller: Robert T. Bartlett
Date: 05/09/17

82 State Road
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Pre-Cast Properties LLC
Seller: Robert T. Bartlett
Date: 05/09/17

State Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Pre-Cast Properties LLC
Seller: Robert T. Bartlett
Date: 05/09/17

52 Webber Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Mary StGermain
Seller: Rachel L. Lawrence IRT
Date: 05/02/17

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

401 Garden St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Hamid Palo
Seller: Ashley M. Graveline
Date: 05/10/17

414 Pine St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Rivers
Seller: Donna Dragan
Date: 05/01/17

37 Porter Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Christine M. Morgan
Seller: Lisa M. Daniels
Date: 05/12/17

BLANDFORD

7 Sunset Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $162,250
Buyer: George N. Cyr
Seller: Janice Cardona
Date: 05/05/17

BLANDFORD

14 Beulah Land Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $371,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Jones
Seller: Frank Z. Wronski
Date: 05/10/17

CHICOPEE

69 Allen St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Anna Daymon
Seller: Cynthia Zack
Date: 05/05/17

233 Blanchard St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Dawn M. Sanders
Date: 05/09/17

196 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $145,935
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Marlene Spillane
Date: 05/08/17

63 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: John E. Freeman
Seller: Glen P. Lesiege
Date: 05/01/17

609 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Kash Reddy LLC
Seller: White Birch Garden Apartments
Date: 05/05/17

138 Cochran St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Nelson Vega
Date: 05/02/17

72 Haven Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Rozlyn Sellez
Seller: Fournier, Harvey L., (Estate)
Date: 05/09/17

10 Highland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: William F. Pauze
Seller: Lisa M. Boutin
Date: 05/11/17

38 Keddy Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Kelsey K. Davey
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 05/09/17

42 Lemay St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Rafael J. Sierra
Seller: Vladimir Shevchenko
Date: 05/12/17

13 Madison St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Yasir Allami
Seller: Anne Circosta
Date: 05/12/17

609 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Peter J. Martin
Seller: William E. Martin
Date: 05/11/17

440 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $3,900,000
Buyer: Chicopee Hospitality LLC
Seller: Chunida Inc.
Date: 05/02/17

450 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $3,900,000
Buyer: Chicopee Hospitality LLC
Seller: Chunida Inc.
Date: 05/02/17

331 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Radoslaw Bralski
Seller: Michael R. Ostrowski
Date: 05/12/17

32 Morris St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Shelby A. Seymour
Seller: Christopher R. Brown
Date: 05/05/17

21 Oliver St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Elizabeth R. Gaspari
Seller: Sara A. Shewchuk
Date: 05/01/17

24 Shaw Park Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Shah MA Realty LLC
Seller: Bernashe Realty Inc.
Date: 05/04/17

95 West St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,566,800
Buyer: PMG SLB 1 LLC
Seller: Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
Date: 05/12/17

113 Wheatland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Roger S. Bouffard
Date: 05/10/17

32 White Birch Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $168,900
Buyer: Koehler FT
Seller: Kyle I. Dieters
Date: 05/09/17

EAST LONGMEADOW

228 Braeburn Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: Daniel Misco
Seller: David Kucharczyk
Date: 05/12/17

223 Hampden Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $268,900
Buyer: Thomas J. Menard
Seller: Richard E. Baker
Date: 05/03/17

190 Mapleshade Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: John Sheehan
Seller: Dennis A. Matulewicz
Date: 05/05/17

12 Marci Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Richard E. Baker
Seller: Adam L. Oliveri
Date: 05/03/17

105 Melwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Janessa M. Torres
Seller: Thomas J. Mazza
Date: 05/01/17

273 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Danielle Fafard
Seller: Anthony F. Desimone
Date: 05/03/17

21 Redstone Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $273,900
Buyer: Vincent S. Pafumi
Seller: AEM Property Investment
Date: 05/05/17

15 Rogers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Robert M. Shoen
Seller: Bickleyhelen, J., (Estate)
Date: 05/05/17

84 South Brook Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Constant Ogutt
Seller: Mohammed I. Ahmed
Date: 05/12/17

Silver Fox Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: John F. Cassidy
Seller: C&M Builders LLC
Date: 05/10/17

197 Tanglewood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Natalee Shea
Seller: Bryan M. Blair
Date: 05/12/17

44 Worthy Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Nicholas Gioiosi
Seller: Launa Wentworth
Date: 05/10/17

GRANVILLE

10 Crest Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Matthew A. Bowen
Seller: Brian J. Ingledue
Date: 05/01/17

HAMPDEN

171 Ames Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Frederick A. Warren
Seller: Goodwin, Shirley A., (Estate)
Date: 05/12/17

172 Ames Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Keith L. Pixley
Seller: Dorothy F. Neff
Date: 05/01/17

9 Brookside Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Joseph Lafleur
Seller: PD Developments LLC
Date: 05/03/17

HOLLAND

19 Williams Lane
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Barry Price
Seller: Joan A. Dusoe
Date: 05/08/17

HOLYOKE

133-135 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: 133-135 Beech St. Assocs.
Seller: Brennan Properties LLC
Date: 05/03/17

42 Bray Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Property Keys LLC
Seller: CIT Bank
Date: 05/04/17

123-125 Cabot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Hilda Marina Real Estate
Seller: Louis J. Luchini
Date: 05/01/17

78 Elmwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Erin L. Hederson
Seller: John J. Griffin
Date: 05/02/17

77 Fairmont St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $166,500
Buyer: C. O. Martinez-Santos
Seller: Daniel P. Christian
Date: 05/12/17

143 Jackson St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Maxwell Perez
Seller: Roseleen Dupre
Date: 05/05/17

225 Mountain View Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Murray T. Smith
Seller: Robert K. Berger
Date: 05/08/17

408 Rock Valley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Gary Godbout
Seller: Cerruti, Jessie, (Estate)
Date: 05/03/17

243-245 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jennifer E. Adams
Seller: Linda M. Beauregard
Date: 05/08/17

135 Sheehan Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Christopher R. Brown
Seller: Derek R. Martinelli
Date: 05/05/17

496 Whitney Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: K&I Realty LLC
Seller: John Conner
Date: 05/02/17

LONGMEADOW

275 Chestnut St.
Longmeadow, MA 01104
Amount: $1,566,800
Buyer: PMG SLB 1 LLC
Seller: Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
Date: 05/12/17

155 Deepwoods Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Konrad S. Karolczuk
Seller: Gail Peck
Date: 05/12/17

106 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Thomas Anthony
Seller: Steven Weiss Bankruptcy TR
Date: 05/05/17

70 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Sianshu Tczin
Seller: Katherine Brush
Date: 05/01/17

455 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Cabot P. Raymond
Seller: Michelle A. Garvey
Date: 05/01/17

58 Meadowbrook Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Bryan R. Picard
Seller: Malina T. Yotova
Date: 05/03/17

227 Shaker Road
Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $1,566,800
Buyer: PMG SLB 1 LLC
Seller: Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
Date: 05/12/17

130 Westmoreland Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Trevor P. Dorian
Seller: Jacqueline E. Seabury
Date: 05/02/17

LUDLOW

251-253 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $302,500
Buyer: Brett M. Merrill
Seller: Meftune Cetin
Date: 05/10/17

27 Elm St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Nerman Hodzic
Seller: Garcez, Alcide Leitao, (Estate)
Date: 05/01/17

69 John St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Michael Lentowski
Seller: Josephine T. Lentowski
Date: 05/01/17

15 Loopley St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Vigneault
Seller: Sorcinelli, Helen A., (Estate)
Date: 05/12/17

109 Pine Knoll Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Nelson Z. Tereso
Seller: Kelly Smith
Date: 05/11/17

268 Sewall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Pio
Seller: Cmaro Properties LLC
Date: 05/01/17

MONSON

2 Bethany Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Craig R. Harper
Seller: Brad M. Richardson
Date: 05/01/17

11 Bridge St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Peter Welch
Seller: Henry L. Padden
Date: 05/04/17

24 Butler Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $245,900
Buyer: David S. Bracetti
Seller: Terence G. Lewis
Date: 05/08/17

2 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Matthew Rourke
Seller: Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity
Date: 05/01/17

PALMER

3005-3007 Hill St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Kyle North
Seller: JNB Property Investment
Date: 05/08/17

21 Oakland St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $173,784
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Kellie L. Gallo
Date: 05/11/17

180 Thompson St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Warren R. Thompson
Seller: Gordon H. Christiansen
Date: 05/05/17

1040 Wilson St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Carlos R. Furtado
Seller: Deborah K. Smola
Date: 05/05/17

RUSSELL

345 Dickinson Hill Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $265,100
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Zinaida Sidorenko
Date: 05/12/17

81 River St.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Sean P. O’Connell
Seller: Heather Washington
Date: 05/12/17

SOUTHWICK

42 Deer Run
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $437,000
Buyer: Jason M. Pajak
Seller: Mahyar Assadi
Date: 05/10/17

14 Hunters Ridge Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Deborah Malita
Seller: Leaman C. Martin
Date: 05/01/17

3 Nicholson Hill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Michael B. Desrochers
Seller: Ronald B. Danforth
Date: 05/01/17

137 North Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Paul Moran
Seller: Jason M. Pajak
Date: 05/10/17

382 North Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Erica L. Paton
Seller: Meares, Corinne J., (Estate)
Date: 05/12/17

3 South Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Timothy J. Baker
Seller: Mikaela M. Spence
Date: 05/01/17

21 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Christopher D. Harris
Seller: Erica L. Burns
Date: 05/05/17

7 Secluded Ridge
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Paul M. Kowal
Seller: Parchinskiy, Andrey, (Estate)
Date: 05/05/17

8 Tree Top Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: Darin E. Burniske
Seller: Christopher J. Pratt
Date: 05/04/17

11 Wood St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: William J. Dougherty
Seller: William G. Dougherty
Date: 05/12/17

SPRINGFIELD

35 Acrebrook Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $131,500
Buyer: Jenna M. McCarthy
Seller: Maria Yacovone
Date: 05/02/17

772 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Seth Dupuis
Seller: Shalisa Keyes
Date: 05/01/17

116 Atherton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Jayne A. Leigh
Date: 05/12/17

65 Bangor St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Ian McCollum
Date: 05/02/17

1487 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $410,451
Buyer: PMG New Jersey 2 LLC
Seller: Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
Date: 05/12/17

938-940 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $410,451
Buyer: PMG New Jersey 2 LLC
Seller: Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
Date: 05/12/17

82-84 Benton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Joshua Rosemond
Seller: Anita Smith-Christopher
Date: 05/12/17

135 Breckwood Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Jalissa Alicea
Seller: Michael P. Pelletier
Date: 05/05/17

91-93 Brunswick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Kenny Nguyen
Seller: Doris F. Peltier
Date: 05/05/17

11 Bushwick Place
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Nathaniel L. Johnson
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 05/12/17

107 Catalpa Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Nicolas E. Castano
Seller: Dennis Bertelli
Date: 05/12/17

53 Chauncey Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Carmelinda M. Menas
Seller: Jennifer Baribeau

115 Cherokee Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: North Harlow 4 LLC
Seller: AJN Rentals LLC
Date: 05/04/17

76 Clayton St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Rosa L. Garcia
Seller: R2R LLC
Date: 05/08/17

118-120 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Melanie Shepard-Skutnik
Seller: R2R LLC
Date: 05/02/17

91 Dewitt St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Luz M. Cotto
Seller: Mary Dillon
Date: 05/11/17

134 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Alexandr Carapunarli
Seller: Paul A. Moran
Date: 05/10/17

244 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $118,089
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Angel G. Sostre
Date: 05/05/17

73 Emerald Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Alec Bewsee
Seller: Plumtree Associates Inc.
Date: 05/05/17

108 Fenwick St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Albert J. Sanchez
Seller: Clinton R. Stonacek
Date: 05/05/17

463 Gifford St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Mortenson
Seller: Kimberley A. Breil
Date: 05/09/17

67 Grover St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Imus N. Lytle
Seller: Rayan Abdulbaki
Date: 05/04/17

14 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Robert N. Sullivan
Seller: Stephanie Cisler
Date: 05/05/17

132 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,157
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Lilliam Lopez
Date: 05/05/17

190 Laconia St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Bretta Construction LLC
Seller: Robert Stabach
Date: 05/01/17

19 Madison Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Robert A. Wood
Seller: Naefia Padi
Date: 05/03/17

38 Maebeth St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Quashawn Branch
Seller: Justin A. Casey
Date: 05/11/17

31 Mazarin St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Adam L. Grandchamp
Seller: Kevin S. McNamara
Date: 05/05/17

297 Memorial Ave.
Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $1,637,000
Buyer: Laura Coudrey MDPC
Seller: GF Enterprise 2 LLC
Date: 05/05/17

221 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Tommy Son
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 05/08/17

31 Newhall St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,700
Buyer: Jessica C. Williams
Seller: Janet E. Hicks
Date: 05/12/17

79 Oak St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jesus M. Roman-Diaz
Seller: Firmino A. Sousa
Date: 05/11/17

105 Old Brook Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Richard A. Bruso
Date: 05/12/17

60 Oregon St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $138,561
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: S. G. Meyer-Pistorious
Date: 05/08/17

139 Overlook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Anthony J. McDowell
Seller: James J. Orciari
Date: 05/05/17

72 Parkerview St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Miguel Rodriguez
Seller: McM Capital Partners LLP
Date: 05/04/17

174 Patricia Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Brenda I. Heap
Seller: Lisa A. Pio
Date: 05/01/17

370 Pine St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $3,300,000
Buyer: Friends Veritas Preparatr
Seller: Maraline Development Corp.
Date: 05/03/17

31 Plumtree Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Rebecca A. Silloway
Seller: TRB Properties LLC
Date: 05/05/17

82 Prospect St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Martin Severino
Seller: Maximino Navarro
Date: 05/01/17

1412 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $134,500
Buyer: Vanessa M. Marrero
Seller: DellaRipa Real Estate LLC
Date: 05/12/17

66 Silas St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Patrick D. Moreau
Seller: Daniel Rimondi
Date: 05/02/17

28 Silvia St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Leon L. Edwards
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 05/08/17

32 Stony Brook Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Joshua Fuller
Seller: Melinda Montgomery
Date: 05/05/17

25 Stuart St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Geneva L. Santiago
Seller: Donald R. Baillargeon
Date: 05/05/17

34 Tyrone St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jessenia Perez
Seller: Margaret M. Odea
Date: 05/10/17

18 Wayside St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Alexander O. Berthiaume
Seller: Florence A. Hutchinson
Date: 05/12/17

55 Winthrop St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Peter Lang
Seller: Bacem I. Awkal
Date: 05/11/17

148 Wollaston St. #70
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Deandre S. Haughton
Seller: James Moylan
Date: 05/01/17

178 Wollaston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Bonnie Brooks
Seller: Tony Yousef
Date: 05/09/17

7-9 Woodmont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Carmen M. Rodriguez
Seller: Hussein Mourad
Date: 05/08/17

28 Wrenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: James H. Brown
Seller: James H. Brown
Date: 05/08/17

WALES

23 Reed Hill Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Karen L. Dematos
Seller: Steven M. Little
Date: 05/12/17

139 Union Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $141,250
Buyer: Tamara E. Gething
Seller: Alan Gamsby
Date: 05/05/17

WEST SPRINGFIELD

672 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Colin S. Ryan
Seller: Mario F. Ronghi
Date: 05/01/17

59 Ashley St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Gianna R. Russo
Seller: Asad Mahmood
Date: 05/04/17

64 Bosworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: CNF Realty LLC
Seller: CGS Realty LLC
Date: 05/01/17

734 Dewey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Michael J. Mitchell
Seller: Robert A. Olszewski
Date: 05/01/17

135 Garden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: B&B Properties LLC
Seller: Marvin V. Larivee
Date: 05/05/17

518 Memorial Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $6,629,307
Buyer: CH Realty 7&CG Mact Bird
Seller: F. L. Roberts & Co. Inc.
Date: 05/10/17

217-219 New Bridge St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $6,629,307
Buyer: CH Realty 7&CG Mact Bird
Seller: F. L. Roberts & Co. Inc.
Date: 05/10/17

27 Oakland St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Michelle A. Mirti
Seller: Edward E. Shibley
Date: 05/12/17

314 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $230,245
Buyer: V. Mortgage REO 2 LLC
Seller: Marcus D. Lynch
Date: 05/02/17

128 Silver St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Kaitlin E. Cote
Seller: Aleksey G. Kamyshin
Date: 05/11/17

148 Van Horn St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Mandy L. Velozo
Seller: Darleen Dubiel
Date: 05/11/17

2610 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,800
Buyer: Daniel P. Taibbi
Seller: Daniel D. Roy
Date: 05/08/17

4 Worthy Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Omar Matrood-Al Juboori
Seller: Sarah A. Ornelas
Date: 05/12/17

WESTFIELD

57 Crane Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Talia Scalise
Seller: Darin E. Burniske
Date: 05/04/17

23 High St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: John A. Devine
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 05/05/17

26 Laflin St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Edward J. Forsell
Date: 05/10/17

439 North Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,566,800
Buyer: PMG SLB 1 LLC
Seller: Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
Date: 05/12/17

7 Princeton St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Sergio E. Adon
Seller: Adrienne W. Lacey
Date: 05/01/17

6 West Glen Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Joel S. Christofori
Seller: Darlene A. Grady
Date: 05/11/17

6 Wintergreen Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Tyler W. Humphrey
Seller: Patrick S. Sullivan
Date: 05/05/17

117 Yeoman Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Kelly J. Pitoniak
Date: 05/10/17

WILBRAHAM

8 Becker St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Louis Pepe
Seller: James Gianfelice
Date: 05/05/17

46 Monson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Keith Polci
Seller: Nancy S. Porter
Date: 05/01/17

6 Poplar Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Peter J. Andrusko
Seller: Judy A. Donofrio
Date: 05/05/17

11 Southwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: David J. O’Brien
Seller: Francesca Lynch
Date: 05/05/17

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

158 Flat Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $414,000
Buyer: Kristina Stinson
Seller: Jonathan P. Goldman
Date: 05/01/17

94 Flat Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $427,500
Buyer: Robert M. Churchill
Seller: Julia C. Frankel
Date: 05/04/17

45-47 Hallock St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Buyer: Historic Renovations
Seller: William A. Miller
Date: 05/09/17

112 High Point Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $284,000
Buyer: Abdourahmane Sarr
Seller: Ting FT
Date: 05/12/17

111 Logtown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: John B. Gulbrandsen
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 05/04/17

212 North East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Brian J. Berling
Seller: Brenda L. Flanigan
Date: 05/08/17

17 Palley Village Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Phillip G. Hu
Seller: Mark C. Prince
Date: 05/03/17

850 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $368,000
Buyer: Jamie Snyder-Fair
Seller: Todd M. Dunford
Date: 05/11/17

368 Shays St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $555,000
Buyer: Todd M. Dunford
Seller: Frederick Myers
Date: 05/11/17

40 Sheerman Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Mingxu You
Seller: Patrick V. Taylor
Date: 05/08/17

BELCHERTOWN

505 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Stephanie A. Cole
Seller: John B. Gulbrandsen
Date: 05/05/17

80 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: John P. Sullivan
Seller: Gary G. Decoteau
Date: 05/12/17

419 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Ronald E. Bernash
Seller: Brian M. Beauchemin
Date: 05/04/17

584 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Mark A. Fitzherbert
Seller: Deborah L. Wenzel
Date: 05/02/17

2 Overlook Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $406,500
Buyer: Jacob A. Hulseberg
Seller: Peter A. Roberts
Date: 05/01/17

44 Park St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $357,344
Buyer: Alexander G. Alvarado
Seller: John C. Workman
Date: 05/01/17

10 Pine Brook Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $240,707
Buyer: Luso FCU
Seller: David T. Scott
Date: 05/02/17

251 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Kelly Coxe
Seller: Bruce J. Lawler
Date: 05/01/17

EASTHAMPTON

11 Gula Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $167,440
Buyer: James G. Perrault
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 05/12/17

60-62 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: 60-62 Main Street LLC
Seller: Galaxy Design LLC
Date: 05/02/17

14 Matthew Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Robert C. Fedor
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 05/12/17

60-62 Parsons St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $234,780
Buyer: Joshua A. Staples
Seller: Susan Montgomery
Date: 05/12/17

75 Phelps St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Stephen Croft
Seller: Paul M. Kowal
Date: 05/05/17

Pomeroy St. #6
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: David A. Hardy Contractor
Seller: Cykowski RET
Date: 05/05/17

35 Union St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $282,500
Buyer: HKL FT
Seller: Gary R. Campbell
Date: 05/03/17

76 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $218,500
Buyer: Jamie A. Prevedel-Bowen
Seller: Ann E. Favorite-Lynch
Date: 05/12/17

GRANBY

104 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Harvey I. Lijek
Seller: Joseph F. McDowell
Date: 05/05/17

HUNTINGTON

127 Pond Brook Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Thomas A. Palavra
Seller: Patricia M. Arel
Date: 05/03/17

MIDDLEFIELD

Ryan Road (SS)
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Nature Conservation Non Profit
Seller: Kushi Management LLC
Date: 05/05/17

NORTHAMPTON

20 Bates St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Alexia Manin
Seller: Henre J. Andosca
Date: 05/03/17

197 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kerry M. Smith
Seller: Raymond L. Cashman
Date: 05/09/17

53 Clark Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $190,500
Buyer: Nancy Taylor-Roberts
Seller: John W. Nietupski
Date: 05/01/17

155 Grove St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $202,200
Buyer: April L. Cannon
Seller: Gold, William A., (Estate)
Date: 05/10/17

18 Hampden St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $332,500
Buyer: Katharine Arata
Seller: Jean Barr-Stevens
Date: 05/02/17

10 Ladyslipper Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Deborah A. Sherr
Seller: Richard Sherr
Date: 05/04/17

47 Ladyslipper Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Wool
Seller: Phillip S. Kick
Date: 05/10/17

116 North Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Sarah Lusardi
Seller: Donna Morrison
Date: 05/08/17

57 Woodland Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: April M. Igneri
Seller: Noah J. Epstein
Date: 05/08/17

PLAINFIELD

7 Bluff St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $395,675
Buyer: Judith M. Cole
Seller: Robert A. Corash RET
Date: 05/11/17

SOUTH HADLEY

64 Brigham Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Foster
Seller: Wojcik, Stanley J., (Estate)
Date: 05/09/17

15 Carlton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Scott M. StPierre
Seller: James L. Mytkowicz
Date: 05/08/17

45 Fairview St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Bassett
Seller: Joel C. Bertles
Date: 05/02/17

12 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Ann M. Morin
Seller: Pettengill FT
Date: 05/09/17

11 Valley View Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $489,900
Buyer: Conrad A. Marvin
Seller: Jill A. Mazurowski
Date: 05/05/17

WARE

68 Dugan Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Lee P. Haywood
Seller: Christine Pilch-Mancini
Date: 05/01/17

216 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Fischer
Seller: Scott Slattery
Date: 05/10/17

5 High St.
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Robert N. Dookhran
Seller: Jonathon J. Becker
Date: 05/12/17

21 Laurel Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: William Munsell
Seller: Leslie L. Wallace
Date: 05/01/17

WILLIAMSBURG

5 Goshen Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $342,595
Buyer: Jae J. Casella
Seller: Peter F. Lafogg
Date: 05/12/17

WORTHINGTON

24 Williamsburg Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Laurel F. Bean
Seller: Christina M. Guinasso
Date: 05/10/17

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2017.

AGAWAM

BMA Realty, LLC
11 Ramah Circle North
$19,000 — Re-roof building

FRP Holdings Agawam, LLC
7-19 Springfield St.
$49,064 — Re-roof half of Friendly’s and re-roof 180’ canopy

Springfield Water & Sewer Commission
190 M St.
$90,500 — Re-roof building

Town of Agawam
36 Main St.
$156,822 — Re-roof Town Hall

Town of Agawam
1347 Main St.
$23,300 — Re-roof maintenance building

AMHERST

Amherst-Pelham Regional School District
21 Mattoon St.
$359,450 — Remove and replace gym floor, basketball equipment, bleachers, and divider curtain at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School

The Common School
521 South Pleasant St.
$3,970 — Install new rubber roof on library

Grandonico Properties, LLC
23 North Pleasant St.
$2,400 — Install sign cabinet above restaurant doorway

Hampshire College
West Street
$60,000 — Interior renovation of portion of first floor of Johnson Library to create Knowledge Commons

CHICOPEE

E & R Realty
749 Meadow St.
$6,487.23 — Add eight horn strobes and one pull station to existing fire system

Elms College
291 Springfield St.
$92,700 — Re-roof building

Elms College
291 Springfield St.
$685,205 — Construct new offices on second floor of library building

Elms College
291 Springfield St.
$465,550 — Install new paneling and flooring in chapel of Berchmans Hall

UH Storage Ltd.
499 Montgomery St.
$56,950 — Re-roof building

DEERFIELD

University of Massachusetts
148 River Road
$7,960 — Re-roof tobacco barn

EASTHAMPTON

Interland Real Estate, LLC
180 Pleasant St.
$30,000 — Interior build-out for new office space

KC Tactical, LLC
412 Main St.
$926,586 — Interior build-out for offices and bathrooms

Keystone Enterprises
122 Pleasant St.
$34,222 — Interior build-out

EAST LONGMEADOW

Excel Dryer
357 Chestnut St.
$104,250 — Roofing

Power Clean Fitness
45 Baldwin St.
$4,760 — Security and fire alarm

GREENFIELD

Center for Human Development
102 Main St.
$3,159,000 — Remodel interior to create integrated healthcare facility with experior facade upgrade to front of building and small addition at existing loading dock

Rosenberg Property, LLC
311 Wells St.
$35,000 — Extend sprinkler system

TCB Leyden Woods Limited Partnership
Leyden Road
$3,400 — Install ADA swing door

HADLEY

Pizza Hut of America
424 Russell St.
$1,169,366 — Construct a new urgent-care facility

Thayercare Inc.
49 Middle St.
$500 — Install ductwork from two kitchen exhaust hoods vented outdoors

LONGMEADOW

GPT Longmeadow, LLC
714 Bliss Road
$234,547 — Alterations to interior for new bakery

Longmeadow Mall, LP
791 Williams St.
$5,430 — Re-roof canopy only at White Hut/Longmeadow Kitchen

PALMER

Camp Ramah of New England
39 Bennett St.
$2,000 — Repair floor

Palmer DG, LLC
2 Breckenridge St.
$457,273 — Build new Dollar General store

SOUTH HADLEY

AT&T Mobility
8 Industrial Dr.
$5,000 — Add three new remote radios to AT&T shelter

Berkshire Hills Music
48 Woodbridge St.
$3,750 — Install fire-suppression system

Loomis Village Inc.
246 North Main St.
$299,760 — Renovate Gardenside Pavilion

Mount Holyoke College
College Street
$13,300 — Renovate existing space into three baths and storage room

SOUTHWICK

Crestview Construction
25 Industrial Road
$50,000 — New storage building

Grist Mill Plaza
604-610 College Highway
$13,000 — Replace pillars

King Brothers Decorating Center
617 College Highway
$11,500 — Replace windows, repair porch

SPRINGFIELD

Amerco Real Estate
88 Birnie Ave.
$8,000 — Remove office partitions, ceiling tiles, floor and wall coverings

CBRE
1341 Main St.
$75,000 — Convert existing space into new AMT vestibule for Bank of America

City of Springfield
1550 Main St.
$29,994 — New office dividing wall to make two spaces, plumbing and electrical work

Gardening the Community
200-206 Walnut St.
$190,000 — Erect a wood-frame farm-stand structure

Joanny Quezada
453 Belmont Ave.
$1,200 — Replace vinyl siding

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$20,000 — Divide room into three offices in Alumni Hall, new acoustical ceilings, HVAC and electrical work

WEST SPRINGFIELD

66 West Springfield Realty, LLC
885 Riverdale St.
$4,266,000 — Construct 121-room hotel

180 Daggett Dr., LLC
180 Daggett Dr.
$100,000 — Facade alterations to existing building for conversion to multi-tenant property

EPT Nineteen Inc.
864 Riverdale St.
$1,800,000 — Renovate interior of cinema complex

Polonez Parcel Service
100 Doty Circle
$24,250 — Re-roof building

Eugene Rozenberg
758 Westfield St.
$29,500 — Re-roof building

WILBRAHAM

Northeast Auto
2423 Boston Road
$2,400 — New signvvv

UMass Awards $735,000 in Science and Technology Grants

By
Sections Technology

Banking on Breakthroughs

 

Three UMass Amherst campus research initiatives are among nine projects across the five-campus system that are sharing $735,000 in grants from the President’s Science & Technology (S&T) Initiatives Fund.

Announced by UMass President Marty Meehan, the projects showcase a range of cutting-edge faculty research being conducted across the UMass system, from enhancing clean-energy technologies to developing materials that can autonomously release drugs and precisely target tumors.

The Amherst campus projects include:

• The Center for Autonomous Chemistry, an initiative with UMass Lowell and UMass Medical School, and led by chemistry professor S. Thayumanvanan. The project will develop the molecular design fundamentals for autonomous chemical systems, inspired by the immune system. Fully developed, this will form the basis to develop materials that can autonomously release drugs in response to a specific trigger and precisely target tumors. The grant of $140,000 will be used to facilitate one or more proposed projects to federal research agencies.

• The UMass Unmanned Aerial System Research and Education Collaborative (UASREC), led by Michael Knodler of the UMass Transportation Center. A collaboration with UMass Dartmouth, UASREC is established to advance unmanned aerial systems, also known as drones, to advance interdisciplinary and collaborative research and education. With research already funded through the state Department of Transportation, $100,000 in S&T funds will help position UASREC to become the New England Transportation Center and develop other proposals to federal funding agencies.

• The Center for Smart and Connected Society (CS2), a project with UMass Medical School, is being led by Prashant Shenoy in Computer Science at UMass Amherst and David McManus in Cardiovascular Medicine at UMass Medical Center. The project, as part of the creation of the new interdisciplinary CS2, will focus on the advancement and application of smart and connected technologies. The smart-application domains include smart health and smart living, smart buildings and energy, smart and autonomous vehicles, and smart agriculture. The one-year, $25,000 S&T grant will advance the planning for CS2 and coordination with the medical school’s Center for Data Driven Discovery and HealthCare, which also received an S&T award.

Amherst campus researchers are also involved in another of the funded projects, the UMass MOVEment Research Center, which will explore the mechanics of movement and muscle function. Led by Matthew Gage of the UMass Lowell Chemistry department, the researchers will use the $25,000 grant to plan for a UMass system-wide research center for movement mechanics, focused on understanding movement in the aging population. Faculty from Lowell, Amherst, and the medical school will explore how to combine existing research strengths at all three campuses into a comprehensive program designed to approach research questions in the biomechanics of aging from a molecular to an organismal level.

“These funds empower our faculty, strengthen our research enterprise, and spur breakthroughs that boost the economy and improve lives,” Meehan said. “I’m proud to support our faculty while advancing our critical mission as a world-class public research university.”

Now in its 14th year, the S&T fund accelerates research activity across all five campuses, drives partnerships with state industry, and positions researchers to attract larger investments from external sources to expand the scope of their projects.

Since 2004, the fund has awarded nearly $12 million to faculty, helping to generate additional funding of more than $240 million in areas such as medical devices, nano-manufacturing, clinical and translational science, bio-manufacturing, data science, robotics, and personalized cancer therapy.

S&T awards have also helped to establish important research and development centers across the state, including the Center for Hierarchical Nanomanufacturing at UMass Amherst, the Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy at UMass Boston, the Center for Scientific Computing and Data Visualization Research at UMass Dartmouth, the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center and New England Robotics and Validation & Experimentation Center at UMass Lowell, and the UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science at UMass Medical Center.

“Since 2004, these grants have generated a tremendous return on investment to our campuses and to the Commonwealth, strengthening our engagement in key areas, including the life sciences, data science, climate science, and advanced manufacturing,” Meehan said. “This program underscores how critical a strong public research university is to the future of the state.”

The President’s Science and Technology Initiatives Fund is one of three sources of support that help advance the work of faculty members, along with the Creative Economy Initiatives Fund and the Technology Development Fund. u

NetLogix Aims to Reduce Stress, Keep Clients Focused on Growth

By
technologyfeature-0617a
Sections Technology

Human Touch

NetLogix President Marco Liquori

NetLogix President Marco Liquori

Information-technology solutions providers can easily get lost in a maze of technical jargon, but that’s the last thing Marco Liquori wants to throw at customers. Instead, the technicians at his 13-year-old company, NetLogix, are trained to communicate clearly with clients about their network needs — and then meet those needs, in the background, so businesses can focus on growth, not computer issues. A recent customer-satisfaction report suggests the Westfield-based firm is doing something right.

When Marco Liquori talks about how his IT company, NetLogix, sets itself apart, he doesn’t go right into technical jargon. In fact, he tries to avoid it.

“We have some business savvy; we’re a small business ourselves,” he told BusinessWest. “We take that knowledge to our clients, and, when we do talk to them, it’s not geek-speak, but business recommendations in plain English.”

That’s actually one of the points on a list he’s prepared called “10 Things We Do Better.” Some of them — delving into areas like network security, budgeting for IT services, and the difference between proactive maintenance and reactive response — get into the nitty-gritty of NetLogix’s services, but many are common-sense goals that wouldn’t be out of place in companies in myriad industries.

Take phone calls, for instance. “We answer our phones live and respond quickly,” he said, noting that callers will always get a human being, not a recording or voice mail, and those calls are followed up by a technician within the hour — actually, the average is 12 minutes.

Those touches are part of the reason why a third-party monitoring system, SmileBack, which tracks customer satisfaction for companies, reported that NetLogix scored a 99.4% favorable rating from clients in 2016 — the highest customer-satisfaction score it recorded last year.

netlogixbuilding

“That’s unheard-of in our industry; our competitors are unable to say that,” Liquori said. But it’s not a surprise, he added; it’s a goal the company works toward. “Our techs are incentivized to get high satisfaction scores; they’re compensated not on billable hours, but on efficiency and customer satisfaction.”

Of course, part of achieving high satisfaction scores is actually getting the job done, and this is where a shift in the company’s strategy several years ago has paid dividends and grown the Westfield-based firm — which Liquori describes as a network-management, cloud, and systems-technology integrator providing end-to-end solutions for clients — to a 12-employee operation, and why his plans to keep expanding the company look promising indeed.

Entrepreneurial Itch

Liquori had worked for several other computer and IT companies — “value-added resellers was what we called them back in the day” — but business wasn’t great in the years following the dot-com bust. In 2004, the firm he was working for decided to take his business in a different direction, focusing more on application development. In the transition, Liquori decided to set out on his own — even in that tough economic climate.

“I was on my own for a year, but we grew, slowly and steadily, and we’ve been growing ever since,” he told BusinessWest. “We were originally a break-fix service — when people had issues, they would call us, and we’d go out and fix them.”

During that time, he was developing a book of business focusing on a handful of industries in which NetLogix still specializes today, including insurance agencies, law firms, medical and dental practices, and professional services like accounting firms. But the business model needed tweaking.

We try to understand each client’s business need for technology and address it. We help them overcome challenges they may have with some new technology or new processes.”

“It was a more reactive model. As an issue occurred, we’d go out and fix the problem, and we’d bill for the time we worked,” he explained. “Over the past few years, we transitioned to a managed-services model that’s more proactive in nature. We’re constantly monitoring every system out there for our clients.”

That encompases everything from preventing cyberattacks and monitoring for malicious activity to installing Windows and third-party application updates to managing firewalls and developing disaster-recovery strategies.

“We try to understand each client’s business need for technology and address it,” he said. “We help them overcome challenges they may have with some new technology or new processes.”

Under the old system, the more hours NetLogix’s technicians worked, the more money the company made. But a managed-services model is a win-win for both sides on multiple levels, he explained. “With this, the overall objective is to make IT spending predictable for the client, which helps them them budget accurately. They pay a fee for unlimited support.”

That’s an advantage over many companies that hold fast to a more reactive model, he said, adding that clients like knowing exactly what they’ll be spending — no surprises — and can focus their energies outside the IT realm, on growing the core functions of their business.

defendingagainstcyberattacks

In fact, the fixed price, all-inclusive support plan includes a commitment to resolve any issues that arise in an expeditious manner. Since everything is included in one price, Liquori explained, NetLogix is highly motivated to use its time wisely and bring each situation to a successful completion — and clients aren’t nickel-and-dimed just at the time they need the most help.

“Our goal is to resolve issues as quickly as possible, and make sure their computers are back up fully and functioning normally as soon as possible,” he said.

But he kept coming back to the firm’s security-first approach. NetLogix’s first task is to evaluate a client’s network and explain any potential risks and exposures, and recommend adjustments to protect the network and client data — which is of massive importance for companies that store patient records or financial information, for example.

“With our full suite of multi-layered security in place, none of our clients were affected by the WannaCry ransomware attack — or any other ransomware,” Liquori said, referring to last month’s worldwide attack targeting computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, encrypting data and demanding ransom payments to free it. Within a day of the attack, more than 230,000 computers in 150 countries were affected.

“We keep all our engineers constantly trained in the latest technology that’s out there, and constantly go to security seminars and network-security training events,” he went on. “Security is the biggest thing, and we stay on top of it.”

Growth Pattern

At the heart of NetLogix’s services, though, is its strategic IT planning. Liquori said he considers himself a strategic partner with clients, listening first and offering solutions second.

“I really enjoy a challenging technical issue and being able to provide a solution that meets a business objective and saves the customer money by improving efficiencies and improving security,” he told BusinessWest. “Customers may be losing sleep over these things. I enjoy the fact that we can take that burden off them so they can focus on their business.”

Liquori said he’s certainly looking to grow beyond 12 employees, and geography isn’t the barrier it used to be in the IT world. “Most of what we do is remote, so we can work in almost any geographic area,” he explained, adding that the firm covers most of the Northeast. But face time is important, too.

“For our managed-services clients, we will engage with them proactively — quarterly or semiannually, depending on the size of the organization. We will sit with the business owner or office manager for strategic IT planning. We’ll talk about areas where they’re weak or vulnerable, get those adjusted and up to speed. It may be making sure they have a backup recovery solution, or a computer may be out of date, so we plan together for updating their computers to help them stay atop the curve.”

And sleep better at night.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Innovative Public-health Project Makes Use of ‘Social Investors’

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Health Care Sections

Home Is Where the Asthma Is

A

Sarita Hudson

Sarita Hudson says treating asthma patients is a frustrating exercise if they’re just returning to homes filled with environmental triggers.

nyone who has experienced an asthma attack, the chest-tightening, often panicky feeling of not getting enough air into the lungs, knows it’s not a matter to take lightly. Yet, it remains one of the most common medical conditions in Massachusetts, affecting some 10% of Massachusetts residents, according to the state Department of Public Health.

In Springfield, it’s even worse, with rates approaching 18%, making it one of the most asthma-aggravating cities in the U.S.

“Nearly one in five kids in Springfield has asthma, and the rate for adults is almost the same,” said Sarita Hudson, director of Programs and Development for Partners for a Healthier Community (PHC). “And we have health inequities when it comes to asthma — Latinos and the black community are more heavily impacted by asthma and more likely to end up in the hospital and the emergency room.”

This is more than an individual health issue, she noted. When kids miss school days because of asthma, their absenteeism can lead to poor academic performance. When parents have to stay home with them, they miss work, with all the financial implications that entails. Multiplied over hundreds of homes, that’s a region-wide economic and quality-of-life impact.

The region’s air quality is a factor, but so are its aging homes, Hudson noted.

“Springfield has old housing stock — more than 86% of the homes were built before 1978, and 40% were built before 1940,” she said, adding that elements of these homes, ranging from mold and moisture to rodents and poor ventilation, can trigger or exacerbate asthma attacks.

For the past decade-plus, the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition, a program of PHC, has worked with families to educate them about asthma triggers in the home, and has gone into schools to push environmental changes, like greener cleaning supplies.

“This is a nationally proven best practice,” she said. “The CDC recommends education around these problems with the goal of reducing ER and hospital visits. The problem is, for some of those kids, you can make behavioral changes — take care to keep pets out of the bedroom, wash bed covers — but there’s still a hole in the roof causing mold, or a pest problem. Or there are ventilation issues; they’re not getting good air supply. It’s a structural problem. So you can educate them, treat them, help them, but they’re going back to an unhealthy home.”

That’s about to change for hundreds of Springfield-area residents who will soon take part in a program, first modeled in Baltimore by the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, that pays for home improvements specifically related to asthma control — mold and moisture remediation, pest control, ventilation and air quality, removal of carpeting that harbors dust and other allergens — with the goal of keeping asthma sufferers out of the hospital.

“The Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition has looked at ways people are impacted by asthma, looked at ways we can reduce hospitalization and healthcare, reduce impacts on families, and keep people healthy,” Hudson said. “We’ve done work around outdoor and indoor air quality and worked with the school district here. Now we want to work on the homes.”

Risk and Reward

The intriguing aspect of the project, known as Pay for Success, is how it’s funded. Calling the model a “social-impact bond,” Hudson said private investors will pay the up-front costs to perform interventions for 600 families — 200 families a year over three years. Revitalize CDC and the Springfield Office of Housing are among the partners which will oversee the home improvements.

“If we show impact — if we do what we say we’re going to do, which is reduce healthcare utilization and healthcare costs and keep people healthier — the investors are paid back by the healthcare system: Health New England, the state Medicaid office, Mass Health,” she explained, noting that financing details are still being worked out. If it works, it’s a way for investors with a bent toward social good to earn a return — Hudson said between 3% and 7% is the goal — on their investment in a total stranger’s home and health.

It’s an innovative example of the intersection between clinical care and community-based care, said Frank Robinson, vice president of Community Relations and Public Health for Baystate Health, one of the program partners. “On the community side, we want to work outside the four walls of the hospital, to do what is necessary to make sure the patient doesn’t come back in. So how do we change our policies to support this prevention work?”

Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson calls Pay for Success an innovative example of the intersection between clinical and community-based care.

Jackie Spain, medical director for Medicaid at Health New England, another project partner, said Pay for Success deals with key housing issues that aren’t usually addressed in the healthcare arena. “The nice thing about this initiative is it finds a way to address those issues up front. It’s hard to get payers, like Health New England and others, interested in paying for housing renovations up front, for a lot of reasons; the savings are likely longer-term, and people change health insurance frequently.”

The downside, she said, is that it’s still unclear how to determine how much someone’s healthcare costs have decreased due directly to the housing improvements. Also, in a world where provider contracts often include shared savings, all providers expect a piece of that savings — so who determines what piece is carved out for the social investor, and when will they be paid?

Those details are still being worked out, Robinson said, but an external evaluation program will address those issues by comparing the families that receive interventions with those that don’t, so the partners will be better able to document where the intervention made a difference.

Spain did note that asthma is an ideal condition around which to launch a program like this because the cost savings can be recorded in the short term, as a patient might go to the emergency room at any time. With something like diabetes — which may result in blindness, amputations, or renal failure — the most significant costs won’t appear for years, maybe decades.

Just Breathe

Pay for Success is certainly not an end-all to the problem of asthma. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a number of interventions families can implement with little cost to reduce the risk and severity of asthma, from banning smoking in the home to reducing exposure to dust mites.

For the latter, allergy-proof encasings are available to cover pillows and mattresses, and all bedding should be washed in hot water every week or two. Stuffed toys should be removed from the bedroom, which should be vacuumed and dusted regularly. Dehumidifiers and HEPA filters help as well, although these are a bit more expensive, and pets can easily be barred from the bedroom, which, through all these suggestions, can be turned into a safety zone against asthma triggers.

But other interventions, from extermination services for persistent pest problems to mold remediation; from carpet removal to fixing leaky roofs and plumbing, can be out of reach of low-income families, and that’s where the Pay for Success program promises to make a difference. Once the financial details are finalized and investors lined up, the partners plan to contact the first cohort of beneficiaries. Additional project funding will be provided by the White House’s Social Innovation Fund, with technical assistance from the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative.

“We know the number of people who need help, we have a model deemed to be feasible now, and we’re at the point of starting,” Hudson said. “We’re excited about this partnership; we’ve been working on it more than a year.”

Robinson agreed. “We’re hoping this is a way of getting ahead of the curve and improving how we deliver care,” he told BusinessWest, adding that he hopes to see strong evidence that will make such interventional programs routine, not just a one-off. “It’s an exception to how healthcare currently conducts itself, with some of the risk contracting, but it’s a different way of looking at social determinants and not just medical procedures.”

And if more Springfield-area families find some relief from their asthma, plenty of regional healthcare stakeholders will be breathing a bit easier. u

Joseph Bednar can be reached at

[email protected]

Briefcase

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Briefcase Departments

Unemployment Down Across Most of Massachusetts in April

BOSTON — Local unemployment rates decreased in 13 labor-market areas, increased in three areas, and remained the same in eight areas in the state during the month of April, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported. Compared to April 2016, the rates were down in nine labor-market areas, increased in 10 areas, and remained the same in five areas. All 15 areas for which job estimates are published recorded seasonal job gains in April. The largest gains occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Springfield, Barnstable, Worcester, and Framingham areas. From April 2016 to April 2017, 12 of the 15 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the New Bedford, Barnstable, Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton areas. In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for April was 3.8%. Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.9% in the month of April. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 3,900 job gain in April, and an over-the-year gain of 58,600 jobs. The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates. The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodology specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Single-family Home Sales in Pioneer Valley Up in April

SPRINGFIELD — Single-family home sales were up 2.3% in the Pioneer Valley in April compared to the same time last year, while the median price fell 0.2% to $194,000, according to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. In Franklin County, sales were down 5.7%, while the median price fell 11.3% from a year earlier. In Hampden County, sales were up 6.7%, while the median price was down 1.3%. And in Hampshire County, sales fell 5.1% from March 2016, while the median price was up 7.9%.

Local Land Trust Offers New License Plate

AGAWAM — The Massachusetts Chapter of the Sportsmen’s National Land Trust (SNLT) is collecting pre-orders for a new Massachusetts license plate which it plans to have released later this year. The SNLT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Agawam, founded in 2003 to help conserve natural resources and wildlife habitat across the state. Proceeds from the plate will be used to acquire, maintain, and improve open land strictly within Massachusetts, which will be available to the public forever. The all-volunteer land trust has created a special plate with a deer-buck image created by local wildlife artist Ed Snyder. A limited number of low-number original issue plates are still available at the land trust website at www.snltmassachusetts.org, but quantities are limited. Further information about the SNLT can be found at the website as well.

AMA Study: Practice Owners No Longer Physician Majority

CHICAGO — Less than half of patient-care physicians had an ownership stake in their medical practice, according to a newly updated study on physician-practice arrangements by the American Medical Assoc. (AMA). This marks the first time physician-practice owners fell below a majority of the nation’s patient-care physicians since the AMA began documenting practice-arrangement trends. The share of patient-care physicians with ownership stakes in a medical practice declined 6% to 47.1% in 2016 from 53.2% in 2012. In contrast, the share of patient-care physicians with employed positions increased about 5% to 47.1% in 2016 from 41.8% in 2012. As a result, there were equal shares of physician employees and physician practice owners in 2016, while 5.9% of patient-care physicians were independent contractors. The preference of younger physicians toward employed positions has had a prominent impact. Nearly two-thirds (65.1%) of physicians under age 40 were employees in 2016, compared to 51.3% in 2012. The share of employees among physicians age 40 and older also increased between 2012 and 2016, but at a more modest pace than younger physicians. “Patients benefit when physicians practice in settings they find professionally and personally rewarding, and the AMA strongly supports a physician’s right to practice in the setting of their choice,” said AMA President Dr. Andrew Gurman. “The AMA is committed to helping physicians navigate their practice options and offers innovative strategies and resources to ensure physicians in all practice sizes and setting can thrive in the changing health environment.”

Company Notebook

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Company Notebook Departments

Berkshire Bank to Move HQ to Boston, Acquire Commerce Bank

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp, parent of Berkshire Bank, announced today that it plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Boston later this year, a move to support the bank’s continued strategic growth throughout the Northeast. The company also announced a definitive agreement to acquire Commerce Bancshares Corp. and its subsidiary, Commerce Bank, in Worcester, adding 16 new branches in Eastern Mass. and a well-established commercial team to capitalize on growth opportunities and further solidify its regional presence. The combined institution will be the largest regional bank in Massachusetts and the first regional bank headquartered in Boston in decades.  “Locating our corporate headquarters in Boston will not take us away from our roots in Berkshire County; we remain committed to all of our employees, customers, and communities,” said Michael Daly, CEO of Berkshire Bank. “Boston will offer our senior executives connectivity with government leaders, regulators, and decision makers, and provide the ability to attract broader workforce talent as the bank continues to grow. With the addition of the Commerce team, we will be able to leverage the strengths of both banks and capitalize on growth opportunities in the attractive, high-growth Eastern Massachusetts markets. This is not only important to Boston, but to all our local markets, to be the first regional bank with a Boston headquarters in decades.” The proposed acquisition provides significant scale in Eastern Mass. The combined franchise will operate its corporate headquarters, four branches, and three lending offices in Greater Boston, and an additional 15 branches in and around Worcester, with $3 billion in loans and $2 billion in deposits. On completion of the deal, Berkshire Bank will have 113 branches serving customers across the Northeast. Berkshire is committed to growing its operating model, levering its platforms such as the MyBanker concierge banking service, and expects commercial, wealth-management, and private-banking businesses to be focuses of its strategy in Greater Boston. Berkshire Bank’s operational center will remain in downtown Pittsfield, and the relocation will not have any impact on its employees. Additionally, its current regional hubs serving markets in New York’s Capital and Central regions, the Hartford/Springfield region, Southern Vermont, as well as operations around Princeton, N.J., will continue to be significant contributors. “Relocating our corporate headquarters to Boston’s financial district is a well-timed move that will make us stronger by driving value and adding jobs that will benefit our employees and customers across our footprint,” said Sean Gray, chief operating officer. “As a successful regional bank, having our headquarters in a strong hub for the financial-services industry provides economic value and takes advantage of the largest New England market to fuel growth and increase our ability capitalize on our investment in all of our communities.”

UMass Center to Offer Spanish Course for Healthcare Professionals

SPRINGFIELD — A new course coming this fall to the UMass Center at Springfield will help healthcare professionals enhance their language skills. “Spanish for Healthcare Professions” will be offered at the center beginning in September. “We have a significant Latino population in Western Massachusetts, and it’s essential that healthcare professionals be able to communicate with these residents,” said Daniel Montagna, director of Operations at the UMass Center. “Through a collaboration with the UMass Amherst Spanish and Portuguese program, we’re hoping to offer this as well as other healthcare and business language courses at the center in the future.” The course is designed to meet the needs of healthcare professionals who wish to increase fluency in Spanish through written and oral practices. The class is aimed at students with an intermediate level of Spanish (the equivalent of four or five semesters of college Spanish or of four years of high-school Spanish). Heritage speakers who can communicate in Spanish but want to develop a knowledge of the professional terminology of the health professions may also benefit from the class.

Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys & Girls Club Wins Award

LUDLOW — The Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys & Girls Club was recently presented with Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s prestigious MAC (Marketing and Communications) Award for Advertising at the National Conference in Dallas. Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s MAC Awards recognize Boys & Girls Clubs that have demonstrated significant achievements in the field of marketing and communications. The Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys & Girls Club was selected among thousands of clubs across the country for implementing the best marketing strategy for advertising. The club’s board of directors was actively engaged in developing and updating the club’s marketing and advertising materials since 2016. Board members were supported in the process by several entities, including Envisions Marketing, Off the Tusk, Ludlow Cable Access TV, and volunteers who served on the club’s marketing & communications, auction, and Fall Fest committees. The board of directors actively engaged these partners to develop and update the club’s website, Facebook page, and annual report, and create new videos, mission boards, and marketing materials. The goal was to produce quality marketing materials consistent with a theme that would be used going forward in all print, marketing, and social-media materials used by the club, including special events, the annual auction, and Fall Fest. Throughout the process, the focus was that these marketing materials center on the youth the club helps on a daily basis and its impact on them and their families.

Tru by Hilton Breaks Ground in Chicopee

CHICOPEE — Hilton recently broke ground on a new Tru by Hilton property located in Chicopee. The celebration marked the first groundbreaking of the company’s Tru by Hilton in Massachusetts. Attendees, numbering about 150, included a roster of dignitaries and executives who were instrumental in pushing the project forward, including state Sen. James Welch; state Reps. Michael Finn, Joseph Wagner, and Angelo Puppolo; and Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos. The 108-room, four-story hotel is located at 440 Memorial Dr. and is owned by BK Investments. It is expected to be completed in May 2018. “Tru is a game-changing brand, as evidenced by its statement-making entrance to the midscale category and now the Chicopee market,” said Alexandra Jaritz, global head of Tru by Hilton. “We know the brand will have broad appeal to Springfield-area travelers who span generations but share a similar ‘zest for life’ mindset. At its core, Tru is value-engineered to provide guests with a contemporary, consistent, and fresh experience in an affordable way, while at the same time being operationally efficient to our owners.” Added owner and developer Hershal Patel, “today’s groundbreaking in Chicopee demonstrates Hilton’s commitment to this new brand and, importantly, its owners. Tru fills a void in the midscale category, and we’re delighted to bring this exciting new Hilton brand to life. It will add to the offerings in Chicopee and provide a new option for travelers who believe that being cost-conscious and having a great stay don’t have to be mutually exclusive.” This project will mark BK Investments’ third project in Chicopee, following the 90-room Hampton Inn and the 115-room Residence Inn Chicopee.

Bacon Wilson Opens New Northampton Office

NORTHAMPTON — Bacon Wilson announced the opening of a new facility at 57 Center St. in downtown Northampton. On May 24, the firm welcomed clients, neighbors, and friends to a grand-opening reception. Also present was Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, who officiated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Bacon Wilson’s newly renovated, state-of-the-art office space at 57 Center St. features several striking design elements, including lots of natural light, an enclosed interior courtyard, and soaring ceilings. The main conference room has been christened the Fogel Room, in tribute to former partner Bruce Fogel, who passed away last year. Bacon Wilson has had a long-time presence in Hampshire County. The firm’s first Northampton office space opened in 2001, and expanded significantly with the 2005 acquisition of Morse & Sacks. In 2006, a merge with Monsein & MacConnell brought Bacon Wilson to the Amherst community. Earlier this year, the firm added another new location, on Russell Street in Hadley. The current move to 57 Center St. brings Bacon Wilson even closer to the heart of downtown Northampton, and reaffirms the firm’s commitment to the local Northampton community, and to the entire Pioneer Valley.

Mary Ann’s Dance and More to Relocate

EASTHAMPTON — Mary Ann’s Dance and More, a local dance apparel store, announced it will move to its new home on Route 10 in Easthampton on July 1. Mary Ann’s Dance and More will move to 396 Main St., the former home of Fit Body. The location offers easier parking, a more friendly shopping experience, better accessibility, and the ability to host more in-store events. Open since 2007, Mary Ann’s Dance and More offers customers dance supplies, including apparel and accessories, as well as novelty and gift items. An active business in the community, the store is recognized as a consistent sponsor of various local organizations. It was featured in Dance Retailer News as a “Retailer Spotlight,” twice on Mass Appeal on WWLP, and most recently in “Lifestyle/Balance Act” in Retail Minded.

Springfield College Career Center Wins Award

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield College Career Center has been named the winner of the 2017 Innovation in Program Development Award by the Eastern Assoc. of Colleges and Employers (EACE). Springfield College was chosen for its Peer Referral Program, which rewards students who are engaged with the Career Center, for serving as brand ambassadors and referring their peers. “I am exceptionally proud of the Springfield College Career Center for receiving this well-deserved recognition by EACE,” said Shannon Finning, Springfield College’s vice president for Student Affairs. “While our staff have always done and continue to do exceptional work with students who find their way to the Career Center, I am most proud of the fact that Career Center staff members are now engaging undergraduate student leaders as peer career mentors. The Peer Referral Program emerged from the partnership between our student leaders and the Career Center staff.” Finning noted that 150 new students were referred to the center this year, and now these students will also refer their peers. “I am excited by the continued innovation and evolution in the Career Center and know we will continue to well-serve our students, employers, faculty, alumni, and partners better each and every year by staying so closely connected and attuned to our student body.” By capitalizing on the idea that word of mouth and viral marketing are the best strategy for reaching this underserved demographic, the program accomplished its goals through an approach that includes utilizing two students as paid peer career ambassadors to hype services and events, rewarding engaged students for referring their friends and classmates, facilitating a raffle for first-time users, launching a T-shirt campaign, and implementing a Refer-a-Peer Day event. “We credit our wonderfully engaged Springfield College students for partaking in this exciting career-development initiative and for making the Peer Referral Program the great success it has become,” said Career Center Interim Director Scott Dranka. “From the launch of the Peer Referral program this semester, the Career Center counselors have been afforded the opportunity to work alongside newly referred students on their career-related endeavors.”

United Way of Hampshire County Announces Interim Director

By
Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — United Way of Hampshire County (UWHC) announced the appointment of Renee Moss as interim executive director. Moss replaces Jim Ayres, who resigned his position as executive director to serve as president and CEO of United Way of Pioneer Valley.

Julie Cowan, UWHC board chair, announced that Moss will serve as interim executive director while the board conducts a search to permanently fill the position. Moss, a UWHC board member, recently retired as longtime executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.

“Renee is well-respected in the community and will bring strong leadership skills to our United Way as we make the transition to a new director. We are grateful that she is willing to give her time and talents to United Way just as she was starting her retirement,” said Cowan.

Added Kate Glynn, UWHC board vice chair, “Renee brings impressive experience to the interim director role at UWHC, where she will work with the staff and board on a number of fronts, including the search for a permanent executive. The board of directors is extremely excited to have someone with such a strong nonprofit background and so well-known in the community.”

According to Cowan, “Renee was willing to step forward and serve in this capacity. She has been a tremendous board member and volunteer. Our organization is very fortunate to have her step in at this critical time as we prepare for the 2018 Community Campaign.”

Moss said she was approached by some United Way officers to see if she would be interested, and she was. “United Way is a great organization, and I’m looking forward to working with the incredible staff.”

Moss was with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County for 32 years. Her passion for community collaboration and creating new partnerships is what she enjoyed most about leading that organization. Before moving to Amherst in 1985, Moss taught in the New York City public schools for 10 years.

Moss will assume the executive director position on June 26 and is expected to stay until Sept. 22.

Bay Path’s Carol Leary Meets with Homeland Security Leaders

By
Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University President Carol Leary recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership.

The HSAAC provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland Security and its leadership on matters related to homeland security and the academic community. Since its formation, the HSAAC has delivered more than 120 recommendations resulting in new and expanded programs, resources, and initiatives to support the academic community.

“I am excited to see that the department is focused on engaging with colleges and universities across the nation,” Leary said. “I am proud to be a member of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council, which has been an invaluable asset to the Department.”

During the meeting, the HSAAC Academic Subcommittee on Countering Violent Extremism presented its report to council members. The report offered a number of recommendations for department consideration that were established through a joint effort of academic leaders and subject-matter experts.

DHS leadership also outlined the 2017 National Seminar and Tabletop Exercise (NTTX) event, which will take place Oct. 10-11 at the University of Utah. The two-day event will include workshop sessions, a tabletop exercise, and an after-action review session on preparing participants to respond to a campus emergency. This year’s tabletop event will focus on a failure in campus infrastructure caused by cyberattack. This recurring NTTX series is part of the DHS Campus Resilience Program. The program engages colleges and universities in an effort to foster resilience and bolster campus emergency-preparedness efforts.

Following the meeting, Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security Elaine Duke met with HSAAC members for an informational session on the department’s key priorities and challenges.

Springfield Regional Chamber to Hold Barbecue at the Boathouse

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Regional Chamber will hold a barbecue on Wednesday, June 14 at the Boathouse, Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, 121 West St., Springfield.

The after-hours networking event, slated for 5 to 7 p.m., is sponsored by Florence Bank and the Republican. Business and community leaders will gather to network, facilitate business connections and relationships, and enjoy entertainment from local guitarist and vocalist Aidan O’Brien.

Smith, Watson & Co., LLP to Open Additional Office in Pittsfield

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Smith, Watson & Co., LLP, with offices in Great Barrington, North Adams, and Lakeville, Conn., is expanding by adding a Central Berkshire County presence. The new office, at 7 North St. in Pittsfield, will open its doors in July.

“Our top priority has always been to meet the needs of our clients,” said Bryon Sherman, managing partner. Sherman, along with fellow CPAs Robin Markey, Kim Whalen, and Colin Smith, are partners in the firm. The firm will continue to serve its clients from its other three offices.

Smith Watson is a full-service accounting firm licensed in multiple states offering a broad range of tax, accounting, and consulting services. Smith Watson’s staff of 19 professionals, including seven CPAs, will expand to include several more senior accountants.

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Alayna Macleay v. Franklin Eye Care Associates, LLC d/b/a Eye & Lasik Center
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $35,000
Filed: 5/18/17

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

QualServ Corp. v. Euro Restaurant Group I, LLC d/b/a Wayback Burgers
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $24,813.15
Filed: 5/9/17

Sherri-Ann Wajda p/p/a Zachary McLeish v. First Student Inc. and Viviana Velazquez
Allegation: Negligent operation of a school bus causing injury to passenger: $3,616.40
Filed: 5/9/17

Kennely Curran v. Vehicle Transport, LLC d/b/a Borgatti Auto, et al
Allegation: Unfair and deceptive acts and practices in sale of used car: $5,000+
Filed: 5/1017

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Hoskin & Muir Inc., d/b/a Cardinal Shower v. Scott Bauer d/b/a B & B Glass & Mirror
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $65,119.07
Filed: 5/10/17

Louise D. Hannum v. Tzay J. Chiu, M.D.; John P. Frangie, M.D.; the Cataract & Laser Center West, LLC; and D & G Associates Inc.
Allegation: Medical malpractice
Filed: 5/11/17

Ruben Lagares v. Agri-Mark Inc. and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.
Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $195,530.92
Filed: 5/12/17

James L. Craig and Christine L. Craig v. Tzay J. Chiu, M.D.; John P. Frangie, M.D.; the Cataract & Laser Center West, LLC; and D & G Associates Inc.
Allegation: Medical malpractice
Filed: 5/15/17

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Complete Restoration Solutions Inc. v. Historic Round Hill Summit, LLC
Allegation: Money owed for services, labor, and materials: $633,447.63
Filed: 5/4/17

Bercume Construction, LLC v. SVE Associates, et al
Allegation: Breach of coverage, breach of express warranties, breach of implied warranties, negligence: $34,718
Filed: 5/5/17

Latisha Ealy v. Town of Easthampton
Allegation: Negligence; defective stove provided by Easthampton Housing Authority caught fire, causing permanent scarring and emotional distress: $50,000
Filed: 5/5/17

Mitchell A. Schilling v. Dr. Allison J. Bell, Psy.D.
Allegation: Negligence, malpractice: $875,000
Filed: 5/19/17

Agenda

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Agenda Departments

Old Post Road Orchestra Concert

June 16: Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield will host the Old Post Road Orchestra for a summer concert on the hospital’s front lawn from 7 to 9 p.m. The music is inspired by composers from New England. This event is free of charge, and light refreshments will be available for purchase. Attendees should bring their own lawn chairs. No alcohol, smoking, or pets will be permitted.

Bike to the Future Motorcycle Ride

June 17: Best known for special events involving tea, white gloves, dresses, fancy hats, and horse races, Square One is moving toward leather, helmets, and motorcycles for its next big fund-raising event. Hosted by the Springfield chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, the Bike to the Future Motorcycle Ride will begin at Square One’s offices on Main Street in Springfield. All riders are encouraged to participate with a donation of $20 per rider and $5 per passenger. Registration is currently open at www.startatsquareone.org. Proceeds from the ride will benefit the children and families of Square One. The ride is sponsored by Alekman DiTusa Attorneys at Law, Harley Davidson of Southampton, National Ambulance, Interstate Towing, and Haymond Law. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. “We couldn’t be more excited to be working with the Buffalo Soldiers on this very exciting opportunity,” said Kristine Allard, chief Development & Communications officer for Square One. “This event has enabled us to introduce Square One’s critical work to new partners who will help us continue to advance our cause.” Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the ride will start at 10 a.m. The 90-minute ride will wind through Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke and finish at 11:30 a.m. in Court Square in Springfield. An after-ride celebration will be held, including lunch and dessert provided by Frankie & Johnnie’s, as well as music and prizes. Children and families are encouraged to participate in the celebration. Tickets for the party are available for $12 per person.

Estate-planning Discussion

June 21: Attorney Michael Gove of Gove Law Office will offer an informative discussion about key issues that are important to understand when planning for the future or for the care of an aging loved one. The session will take place at Christopher Heights Assisted Living Community at 6 p.m. Gove will review various documents, such as healthcare proxy, trusts, power of attorney, last will and testament, declaration of homestead, and medical orders for life-sustaining treatment. Those in attendance should gain a better understanding of when and if these documents are necessary to complete. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided, and tours of the assisted-living community will be available after the program. Seating is limited, and reservations are requested by June 16 by calling (413) 584-0701 or e-mailing [email protected]. Parking is available on Village Hill Road, Moser Street, and in the Christopher Heights parking lot on the corner of Moser Street and Musante Drive.

40 Under Forty

June 22: The 11th annual 40 Under Forty award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, honoring 40 of the region’s rising stars under 40 years old. An independent panel of judges has chosen the winners, and their stories are told in the April 17 issue and at BusinessWest.com. The event is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Moriarty & Primack, Health New England, the Gaudreau Group, the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Six-Point Creative Works, Renew.Calm, Baystate Health, and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield. The event is sold out.

BFAIR Walk for Independence

June 24: Berkshire Family & Individual Resources (BFAIR) announced its second annual Walk for Independence. Last year, the inaugural walk along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail saw participation of nearly 100 walkers of all ability levels, with this year already set to exceed that number. A stroll to Cheshire and back (with or any distance in between), the walk will be a fund-raising event in which BFAIR participants, community members, and sponsors can get involved in through sponsored walking, lunch, bucket raffles, and entertainment. Starting and finishing at the Adams Visitors Center, the walk is a day of fun and helps BFAIR share its mission to enrich the lives of people of all ages and abilities by providing positive life experiences and advocacy through distinctive, individualized, quality services. As a local nonprofit, BFAIR relies on public funds to provide critically needed residential, vocational, habilitative, and clinical services for adults, adolescents, and children with developmental disabilities, autism, and acquired brain injury, as well as home-care services for the elderly. The registration fee for the walk is $25 for adults and $12.50 for children 10 and younger. Registration includes a picnic lunch and ball-cap giveaway. Interested walkers can register online at thedriven.net/bfairwalk, by calling (413) 664-9382 ext. 40, e-mailing [email protected], or visiting www.bfair.org. In addition to registering, walkers may seek individual sponsors by asking family and friends to support their walk. Donations are accepted via thedriven.net/bfairwalk, or donation envelopes can be provided for walkers. Corporate sponsorships are available for the trail, mile, bronze, silver, and gold levels, ranging from $100 to $2,500, respectively. Interested businesses should contact Jennifer Civello at [email protected] for more information. Current gold-level walk sponsors include Greylock Federal Credit Union, MountainOne, and the Print Shop Williamstown.

Nomination Deadline for Healthcare Heroes

June 29: Healthcare Heroes, an exciting recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched this spring by BusinessWest and Healthcare News. Sponsored by American International College, Bay Path University, Elms College, and Renew.Calm, with additional sponsorships available, the program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and individuals providing that care. Nominations are now being sought — and will be accepted until June 29 — in the following categories: Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider; Innovation in Health/Wellness; Community Health; Emerging Leader; Collaboration in Health/Wellness; Health/Wellness Administration/Administrator; and Lifetime Achievement. The nominations will be scored by a panel of judges to be announced in the coming weeks. The winners will be chosen in July and profiled in the September issue of BusinessWest. The guidelines to consider when nominating individuals, groups, or institutions in these various categories are available HERE.

Movie Premiere

June 29: The Basketball Hall of Fame will turn Columbus Avenue into Hollywood Boulevard for a premiere of Grey Lady, a new film by Springfield resident John Shea. Shea will be present at 6 p.m. for a benefit cocktail party before the audience moves into the theater at 6:45 p.m. He will also host an exclusive party after the film, and will take questions from the audience. Shea wrote and directed the film, and also plays a small role as an island police chief. Tickets to the benefit are $100, and proceeds will go to Gray House, the Bing Arts Center, and the Community Foundation’s Dr. John V. Shea Scholarship Fund. Party entertainment will be provided by the Eric Bascom Trio.“The reason I’m doing this is to return as much as I can to the town where I grew up,” said Shea, who calls Los Angeles home today. Tickets are available online at the Bing Arts Center at www.bingartscenter.org. For mail orders, send a check to Keith Sikes, 61 Texel Dr., Springfield, MA 01108. Checks should be made out to the Bing Arts Center. The Bing Arts Center box office will also be open Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Brightside Golf Classic

July 24: More than 200 golfers are expected to participate in the 37th annual Brightside Golf Classic at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield. “This event raises funds to continue Brightside’s mission to support our community’s most vulnerable children and their families,” said Allison Gearing-Kalill, vice president of Fund Development for Mercy Medical Center and its affiliated services. Two tee times are available. Breakfast and registration for the morning session begins at 7 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Lunch and registration for the second session will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The evening reception will be held immediately following the tournament from 5 to 8 p.m. Prices include green fees, golf cart, breakfast or lunch, a gift and swag bag, and reception featuring cocktails, food stations, auction, networking, and live entertainment. On-course food and beverages will be provided by event sponsors throughout the day. Golfers will also be eligible for a chance to win prizes and participate in raffles during the day. The 2017 Golf Classic chairs are Hank Downey, vice president and Commercial Loan officer, Florence Savings Bank; John Kendzierski, president, Professional Drywall Construction Inc.; Matthew Sosik, president and CEO, Easthampton Savings Bank; and William Wagner, Chief Business Development officer and vice chairman of the board, Westfield Bank. Brightside for Families and Children provides in-home counseling and family support to more than 650 children and their families throughout Western Mass. Services include resource coordination, parenting-skills development, behavioral-technique instruction, community-support programs, and other programs tailored to prevent hospitalization from occurring. Specialized assessments such as neuropsychological evaluations and testing are also available. For more information on sponsorships, donations, and attending the event, contact Gearing-Kalill at (413) 748-9986 or [email protected]. Information is also available at www.mercycares.com/brightside-golf-classic.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

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Chamber Corners Departments

1BERKSHIRE
www.1berkshire.com
(413) 499-1600

• July 19: Chamber Nite, 5-7 p.m., hosted by United Cerebral Palsy.

• July 25: Entrepreneurial Meet Up, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Shire Breu-Hous.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• June 17: Third annual Champions of Chicopee 5K and 2-mile walk, starting at the Portuguese American Club, 149 Exchange St., Chicopee. Registration is at 7:45 a.m., and race begins at 9:30 a.m. Cost: $25 per runner/walker, $15 for kids 12 and under. Each participant receives a T-shirt (if registered by June 3) and lunch at the Munich Haus. Part of the proceeds will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in memory of Nathan Dumas of Lucky Design + Media. Sponsored by Munich Haus, PeoplesBank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Westfield Bank, First American Insurance Agency Inc., Insurance Center of New England, and MedExpress Urgent Care.

• June 21: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Munich Haus Restaurant, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members.

• June 29: Business After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Valley Blue Sox, Mackenzie Stadium, Holyoke. Game time: 6:35 p.m. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• June 28: Speaker Breakfast: “Why Ping-pong Tables Do Not Define Your Business Culture,” 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Ave., Easthampton. Featured guest speaker: Tim Retting of Cincinnati-based InTrust. Sponsored by BusinessWest, Easthampton Savings Bank, Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc., Innovative Business Systems Inc., United Personnel, and Williston Northampton School. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members.

• July 13: Networking by Night featuring the Oxbow Water Ski Team, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Oxbow Marina, Old Springfield Road, Northampton. Sponsored by BusinessWest, Fleury’s Outdoor Equipment Inc., and American Boat Restoration. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

• July 28: The Chamber Island Golf Tournament, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway, Southampton. Sponsored by BankESB, Polish National Credit Union, Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc., Taylor Real Estate, Westfield Bank, Applied Mortgage, Green Earth Energy Photovoltaic, and Richards Fuel & Heating Inc. Registration and breakfast at 9 a.m., shotgun start at 10 a.m., Fun Island Feast to end the day. Breakfast and dinner catered by Myers Catering. Come in your best island attire. Cost: $135 per golfer, $540 for a team. Visit www.easthamptonchamber.org for additional information.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holyokechamber.com
(413) 534-3376

• June 14: Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Year in Review and Award Winner Announcements, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Wyckoff Country Club, 233 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Corporate Leaders. Networking, buffet, and announcement of 2017 Business Person of the Year and the Fifield Volunteer Award winners. Cost: $35. The public is invited to attend. Visit holyokechamber.com to register

• June 21: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., sponsored and hosted by Slainte Restaurant, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Mix and mingle with your friends and colleagues at this casual networking event. Refreshments will be available. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up at holyokechamber.com.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• June 23: “Microsoft Excel: Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., at the Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. To register, visit [email protected]. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members.

• July 12: Arrive@5, 5-7p.m., hosted by Three Sisters Sanctuary, 188A Cape St., Goshen. Sponsored by BusinessWest and People’s United Bank. Special guests: Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Hilltown CDC, and Shelburne Falls Area Business Assoc. Cost: $10 for members.

• Sept. 13: Arrive@5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Family Legacy Partners, 48 Round Hill Road, Suite 2, Northampton. Sponsored by Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• June 14: June After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Westfield Bank, 462 College Highway, Southwick. Our kickoff to summer is a celebration with a cookout. Refreshments will be served. There will be a 50/50 Raffle to benefit the chamber’s CSF – Dollars for Scholars fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: Free for members, $10 for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door). Online registration is available at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• June 14: After 5 on the Riverfront, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, North Riverfront Park, 121 West St., Springfield. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

• July 20: Annual Golf Tournament, 11 a.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, 281 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Registration and practice greens open at 11 a.m., followed by lunch and a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. The day concludes with a reception, buffet dinner, and awards ceremony. Cost: $600 per foursome, $150 for individual golfers.
Sponsorship opportunities are available. Register online for events at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• June 15: Annual Meeting and Business Grant Drawing, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Chez Josef, Agawam. The event will kick off with the welcoming of new Chairman Frank Palange and the incoming WRC board of directors. Two $500 business grants will be drawn the morning of the event. Guest speaker will be Drew Crandall. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. For more information and for tickets to this event, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
springfieldyps.com

• June 15: Ninth annual Great Golf Escape, hosted by the Ranch Golf Club. Cost: $95, including lunch and dinner. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m., shotgun start at noon.

• July 20: July Third Thursday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Dockside Restaurant at Brunelle’s Marina, 1 Alvord St., South Hadley, in partnership with Northampton Area Young Professionals and Young Professionals of Amherst.

People on the Move

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Departments People on the Move
Jane Albert

Jane Albert

Jane Albert has been promoted to the position of senior vice president for Marketing, Communications & External Relations at Baystate Health. She will report to Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, and serve as a member of the president’s cabinet. She will oversee the functions of marketing and digital strategy, government and public relations, community relations and public health, communications, and philanthropy. “Jane has been a trusted Baystate Health leader for 15 years in roles that have progressively increased in responsibility and scope. She has a breadth and depth of career experiences and skills that make her ideal for this senior leadership role,” Keroack said. When she joined Baystate Health as manager of Medical Practices Marketing, she presented the first marketing plan to integrate two legacy medical groups to become one organization as Baystate Medical Practices. She then served as manager of Corporate Marketing, overseeing Baystate Health’s marketing efforts, loyalty programs, and events, and developing marketing priorities based on the strategic objectives of the organization. Albert was promoted to director of Public Affairs & Internal Communications, developing metrics for the measurement of media activities while strategically building the community presence of Baystate Health and its entities. She then returned to Baystate Medical Practices, successfully launching the organization’s first physician referral office. Over the last four years, Albert has served as vice president of Philanthropy for Baystate Health and executive director of the Baystate Health Foundation. Among her accomplishments, she led the transformation of the foundation to diversify philanthropic support in alignment with a newly developed strategic plan and recently oversaw the completion of a $5 million capital campaign for the new surgical center at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield. “In all of her roles, Jane has helped advance the work of her teams by developing priorities that align with the mission and strategic objectives of the organization. She is a positive ambassador for our health system and has always been a driving force behind providing honest, timely communications to our constituents,” Keroack said. “She is an incredible contributor to Baystate Health on many fronts, and her energy, enthusiasm, and affection for our organization will serve her well in her new role.” Before joining Baystate Health, Albert served as vice president of Advancement and Marketing at Western New England College, with responsibility for national and regional marketing efforts and philanthropic efforts focused on engaging alumni, businesses, and foundations in support of the university. She holds an MBA from Babson College and a BBA in accounting from UMass Amherst. Active in the community, she has held leadership positions on many boards, including Spirit of Springfield, the National Conference for Community and Justice, the Jewish Community Center, Rotary Club, and chambers of commerce. She has been recognized as Woman of the Year by the Springfield Women’s Commission and as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary Club International.

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Lee Bank recently announced the promotion of three leaders within the company and the addition of a mortgage officer to support its continued growth in 2017.

Susie Brown

Susie Brown

Susie Brown has been named to the position of senior vice president, Human Resources and Administration. She has been employed at Lee Bank for more than 37 years and has worked in many areas of the bank, including operations, human resources, building and maintenance, security, and administration. She will continue to oversee human resources, administration and security, and management of board meetings and governance processes for Lee Bank and its holding company, Berkshire Financial Services;

Paula Gangell-Miller

Paula Gangell-Miller

Paula Gangell-Miller has been named to the position of vice president, Community Banking – Retail Operations. She joined Lee Bank 29 years ago and has been involved in many facets of the bank throughout the years, having held positions as teller, operations supervisor, community banker, branch manager, and area manager, in addition to her new role;

Paula Lewis

Paula Lewis

Paula Lewis has been named to the position of first vice president, Retail Lending. She joined Lee Bank in 2012 as vice president of Mortgage Loan Operations. In her new position, she will oversee residential lending and will sit on Lee Bank’s ALCO committee as well as its executive loan committee; and

Kathy Kelly

Kathy Kelly

Kathy Kelly has joined Lee Bank as a mortgage officer in its Pittsfield office. Kelly has been a mortgage professional for most of her banking career, with First Agricultural Bank, Legacy Banks, and most recently Berkshire Bank.

“I am pleased to announce these well-deserved promotions and to welcome Kathy Kelly to the Lee Bank team,” said President Chuck Leach. “I’m confident that Kathy will not only mesh with but also enhance our culture just as Susie Brown, Paula Lewis, and Paula Gangell-Miller have for many, many years. Lee Bank is very fortunate to have an extremely valuable culture of loyal, dedicated employees who are not only outstanding contributors in the workplace, focused on continued excellence in serving our customers, but also to our Berkshire community.”

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Ellen Freyman, attorney and shareholder with Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., was recently recognized by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) for her significant contributions to the local community. NCCJ was founded in 1927 in response to religious divides in the country at the time. The goal of the organization and its prominent founders — including social activist Jane Addams and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes — was to bring together diverse populations to combat social injustice, a mission perpetuated to this day. Freyman concentrates her practice in all aspects of commercial real estate: acquisitions and sales, development, leasing, and financing. She has an extensive land-use practice that includes zoning, subdivision, project permitting, and environmental matters. She is a graduate of the Western New England University School of Law (1988) and Pennsylvania State University (1977). One of the most highly awarded attorneys within the Pioneer Valley, she has been recognized or awarded by BusinessWest magazine (Difference Maker, 2010), the Professional Women’s Chamber (Woman of the Year, 2012); Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts (Pynchon Award, 2012); Springfield Leadership Institute (Community Service Award, 2011); Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (Top Women of Law Award, 2010); and Reminder Publications (Hometown Hero Award, 2010).

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Victoria Owen

Victoria Owen

Victoria Owen has joined United Personnel as the organization’s newest business development representative, as the company expands its team to better serve area businesses. Owen, former owner of Owen Employee Benefit Strategies LLC and past director of Employee Benefits at Northwestern Mutual, brings a wealth of knowledge about business operations and human-resources priorities to her current role at United Personnel. She leverages more than 20 years of industry expertise in employee benefits, strategic planning, and business development to support clients and candidates throughout Western Mass. Owen received her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, serves on the board of directors of the Home Builders and Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass., and is committed to building meaningful relationships within the business community.

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Sunshine Village announced several personnel changes as the organization continues to grow its programming footprint in the area.

Jenny Galat was promoted to program manager of the new Litwin Center Day Habilitation Program. Since 2013, Galat has worked for the organization as a developmental specialist, case manager, and program supervisor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in social work from Saint Anselm’s College. When it opens this summer, she will oversee the new program’s focus on innovative day services for adults aged 18-32 years old;

Nichole Chilson came on board as human resource generalist to assist with employee benefits, safety and health protocol compliance, and employee-relations initiatives. Chilson brings more than 25 years of human-resources and customer-service experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from Western New England University; and

Amie Miarecki was named director of community relations. She brings 15 years of experience working in health and human services, including marketing, community relations, and resource development. She will promote Sunshine Village’s mission to help everyone shine by engaging with community partners and employers. Miarecki holds a master’s degree in corporate and organizational communication with a specialization in leadership from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from UMass Amherst.

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Maria Mitchell, a graduate of Springfield Technical Community College’s newly accredited Health Information Technology program, is the first person from STCC to receive the MaHIMA Student Achievement award. The Massachusetts Health Information Management Assoc. (MaHIMA) offers the award to an outstanding student from any accredited health-information technology or health-information management program. STCC’s program received accreditation in December, making a graduate of the program eligible for the first time this year. Mitchell received a certificate of achievement and one-year membership to the national American Health Information Management Assoc. (AHIMA), free full-day registration for MaHIMA’s fall and winter meetings, and free MaHIMA webinars for one year. She is seeking a position as a health-information technician or coding specialist and hopes to eventually return to school and earn her bachelor’s degree. Graduates of STCC’s Health Information Technology program receive associate degrees. The program prepares students for certification and practice as registered health-information technicians, who typically work with patient medical records at healthcare facilities. Technicians focus in areas beyond coding, including data analytics, compliance, and more.

•••••

Duncan Mellor

Duncan Mellor

The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) honored Tighe & Bond’s Duncan Mellor with its 2017 Distinguished Lighthouse Community Service Award at its annual gala at the Nonatum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine on May 7. Every year, the organization honors one person who has contributed significantly to ALF’s mission. Since 2011, Mellor has donated his engineering and waterfront expertise to upgrade the Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine. This three-phase project included designing repairs for two granite breakwaters and a new docking system with walkways that achieved federal government approval and met ALF’s goals for public access and safety. “This is a well-deserved honor for Duncan — and just one example of his exceptional expertise and commitment to our coastlines and waterfronts,” said Tighe & Bond President and CEO David Pinsky. Mellor leads Tighe & Bond’s coastal engineering services with more than 30 years of experience in the profession. Clients throughout New England know him well for his role in complex coastal projects and solving all types of shoreline and waterfront challenges. Mellor has also overseen unique projects that have required highly creative solutions, such as tidal turbines, offshore structures, and lighthouses. A licensed engineer in New Hampshire and Maine, Mellor has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s degree in Ocean Engineering, both from the University of New Hampshire.