Home 2018 January (Page 2)

Month: January 2018

Normandeau Technologies Embraces a New World of Communication

By
Sections Technology

Call Forward

Brett Normandeau

Brett Normandeau says hot communication technologies like business texting are providing new opportunities for his nearly 30-year-old company.

Brett Normandeau recalls the early days of the company his father started 28 years ago, when installing telephone systems was simpler, and even voice mail seemed revolutionary. Those days are long gone, and companies, like NTI, that succeed in the world of business communication are navigating some fast-moving waters. But they’re also making work easier and less expensive for their clients, and those are goals that never go out of style.

After eight years in its headquarters on Riverdale Street in West Springfield, Brett Normandeau said he’s looking to move into a smaller space.

Simply put, while his company, Normandeau Technologies Inc. (NTI), is growing — to seven employees at present, after three recent hires — his space needs are shrinking, since technicians are performing more work remotely than ever before.

It’s one example of how NTI reflects the very business trends that impact the services it provides to customers.

The company has been been selling, installing, and servicing telephone systems for 28 years, with voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology — which uses the Internet to exchange various forms of communication that have traditionally been carried over land lines — serving as its main service focus over the past decade-plus.

It’s a technology that allows businesses to stay connected even when employees are far-flung — whether they’re working from home or in an office across the country.

Smartphones, however, are changing the game when it comes to phone systems, and newer developments like business texting and mass notification services — two niches Normandeau is particularly excited about — again evolving the way employers and employees communicate.

Kevin Hart is excited too — enough to return last year to the company he worked for many years ago, this time as director of business development.

“We’re looking to grow as a company. There’s a big market right now, and we’re ready for it,” he told BusinessWest, before noting that, as technology has evolved, so have client expectations. “We’re excited that we can do this more efficiently now than ever before. Customers appreciate that. They want their stuff fixed. The industry standard used to be two to three days response time, and now sometimes it’s within the hour.”

When my father started 28 years ago, all we did was run cable and service some telephone systems. That was even before voice mail. I remember that change, and thinking, ‘are we going to take this voice mail on?’ We started doing that, and it just progressed from there.”

So, while the company continues to make a name for itself in the fields of IP telephony, IP surveillance, data cabling, and cloud services, newer technologies continually shake up the game and provide plenty of opportunity for growth.

“What attracted Kevin to come back were the products and technologies we’re offering, and the opportunities he’s got to develop our business,” Normandeau said. “Business texting is huge, and so are emergency notification systems, as well as our traditional cloud and telephone systems, which have been the bread and butter of our business.”

While traditional phone systems are slowly changing over to cloud-based systems, plenty of companies are still behind the curve, he added, noting that such systems offer more integration, functionality, and control — and lower costs — than ever before. In short, it’s a good time to be in this business.

Beyond the Simple Phone

At its heart, Normandeau communications has been trading in phone systems since Ray Normandeau launched the enterprise in Florence in 1990, using money from an early-retirement package offered by a streamlining AT&T.

As Ray built his business on word of mouth and a few loyal customers, his son Brett started working alongside his father, having been licensed as an electrical journeyman shortly before Ray launched the company. He took over as president when his father retired about 16 years ago.

At the start, clients were mainly residential, but gradually, the emphasis turned to business customers, which today comprise the vast majority of the client base.

“When my father started 28 years ago, all we did was run cable and service some telephone systems. That was even before voice mail,” Normandeau said. “I remember that change, and thinking, ‘are we going to take this voice mail on?’ We started doing that, and it just progressed from there.”

NTI’s featured partners include LG-Ericsson, whose iPECS-LIK product further streamlines communication within any size business, from small offices to large corporations with thousands of users, managing all kinds of communication — phone calls, e-mails, texts, etc. — across multiple sites, under a single user interface. It’s a useful product for multi-site organizations, such as banks and their multiple branches.

Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart, standing in front of a phone from a different era, says customer expectations have evolved along with the technology.

Hart said businesses are starting to turn away from internal server networks that need occasional upgrading or replacing.

“Cloud-based systems today are effective, and they work, where 10 years ago they were heavily contingent on bandwidth,” he told BusinessWest. “The second-generation cloud-based systems at this point are not only reliable, but they’re usually cheaper than your current telephone bill.”

Added Normandeau, “it’s an operating expense as opposed to a capital expense, and that’s very attractive to businesses.”

On the business-texting front, Normandeau uses a platform called Captivated. On one side, a company’s contacts text it on a landline or published text number the business promotes. On the other side, a text comes into Captivated and the company handles it or easily transfers it to the right department or individual.

The benefit, Normandeau said, is that people don’t answer phone calls as often as they used to, particularly from numbers they don’t recognize, scared off by the proliferation of robocalls — but they will look at texts, especially if the sender’s number is familiar.

In addition, service providers in all kinds of industries can use the system to reach customers if they’re running late for an appointment, while an auto mechanic working on a vehicle who sees additional problems can quickly get in touch with the customer and start working on the second problem — all of this, again, predicated on people being more likely to respond to texts than calls. “It’s a huge scheduling convenience,” Normandeau said.

In addition, all texts are centralized and saved in the cloud, providing a permanent record that isn’t available when technicians use their personal cell phones to contact customers.

In the realm of mass notification — a related but different technology than regular business texting — Normandeau uses the StaffAlerter platform, which was originally developed originally for the K-12 market, for campus security and other reasons. It uses templates by which messages can be sent out quickly to an entire subscriber list with the touch of a button.

“In an emergency, a schook teacher can automatically send an alert, a mass notification to all staff, that can also tie into their paging system throughout the school, so teachers can lock down the classrooms,” he explained.

But the applications are endless, Hart added, from sending alerts to snowplow drivers during the early-morning hours as a storm looms, to contacting large groups of off-duty nurses or police officers if a shift suddenly opens up. “Before, you’d have to call 30 people to get someone to come over and cover.”

Growth Pattern

Staff growth at NTI includes its new operations manager, Lindsey McGrath, who has 20 years of experience on the carrier side of the business, and Russell Diederich, a technician who spent 30 years at Verizon.

Those are the moves a company that knows it has opportunities to grow, Hart said.

“The lion’s share of companies still use legacy systems,” he noted. “Especially after the economic downturn in ’08 and ’09, they held on to what they had and were reluctant to make changes, but it’s no longer cost-effective to do it that way.”

He said he recently sold a new system to a client he had services 21 years ago, noting that “he got his money’s worth.”

“Truth be told,” Normandeau was quick to note, “a lot of those old phone systems still work. There’s a New England mentality of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’”

That said, he added, there are plenty of opportunities for companies to streamline their communications and save money if they’re willing to look into them.

Especially companies like NTI itself, which is scaling up its staff while downsizing its space because working remotely is the wave of the future.

“It makes far more sense when technicians and sales staff don’t have to come to a central point,” Hart said. “It saves a lot of ‘windshield time’ for sales and service techs when we have this platform. It’s better for customers and better for employees’ quality of life.”

That said, NTI isn’t resting on its laurels, Normandeau said, noting that he takes part in IT networks and conferences with an eye on the next big thing in communications. “I’m going to the IT Expo in Florida next month to check out the latest and greatest,” he said — and bring that knowledge back to a company that has evolved significantly since the days when voice mail was all the rage.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Willys-Overland Property Might Become a Growth Engine

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Commercial Real Estate Sections

Vehicle for Growth?

The Willys-Overland building on Chestnut Street

The Willys-Overland building on Chestnut Street has a proud past, and developers now believe it has an intriguing future as market-rate housing.

Chuck Irving says the property at 151 Chestnut St. in Springfield — known to the well-informed as the Willys-Overland Building because the long-defunct car maker had a showroom on its first floor and a 1,000-car garage above — caught his attention some time ago, after it was damaged and then abandoned after the natural-gas explosion in late 2012.

And he thought it had some potential.

But what really opened his eyes was the rebirth of an almost identical property in Detroit also built by Willys-Overland.

Irving recalled googling ‘Willys-Overland Lofts,’ the name of the housing complex the site was converted into (just as BusinessWest did, and you can) and seeing headlines about relatively small but well-appointed units selling for north of $500,000. And going fast.

“We started reading the articles about the same building in Detroit,” recalled Irving, a principal with Boston-based Davenport Properties. “We went online, looked at the pictures … and it was an incredibly attractive property. And so we started looking at this building, thinking, ‘if it’s structurally sound, this is a great opportunity, because it comes with parking.’”

Indeed, seeing what happened in Detroit and coupling that with what readily appears to be a growing need for market-rate housing as the countdown to MGM Springfield’s opening hits eight, maybe nine months, the Springfield property’s potential soared in Irving’s eyes.

Enough to make the 70,000-square-foot, four-story structure Davenport Property’s latest investment in the City of Homes and the region as a whole. Others include the Springfield Plaza, the Hadley Mall, and the Walmart in Westfield.

“Our company is involved with MGM,” said Irving, noting that the company considers itself MGM’s development partner in Springfield. “And we’ve been watching the employees of the company come into the area, especially the young ones, and looking at their perception of the inventory of available apartments. Through their eyes, it became really clear that there was a need for more market-rate housing in Springfield.”

Whether the Chestnut Street property in Springfield can follow the lead of its twin in Detroit is a huge question mark, one that will hopefully be answered by extensive cost-benefit analysis work in the weeks and months to come, or what Irving called “calibrating Springfield’s market rents with construction costs.”

But he believes the property is certainly a sound investment and that the building will play a key role in the revitalization of the city and especially the area that has come to be known colloquially as the ‘blast zone.’

Kevin Kennedy, Springfield’s chief Development officer, agreed. He said the Willys project, if it develops as Davenport believes it could, might become a catalyst for the blast zone, an area bordered, roughly, by Lyman Street to the north, Dwight Street to the west, Pearl and Hillman streets to the south, and Spring Street to the east.

“There are other investors looking into that area, which we’re calling the ‘next frontier’ in Springfield,” he told BusinessWest, adding that the conditions are favorable for more housing initiatives and related businesses in that zone.

These conditions include everything from MGM and other job-creating ventures in and around downtown to the revitalization of Union Station, just a block or so to the north of the Willys building, to an interest among Millennials and also some retiring Baby Boomers in what Kennedy called “urban living.”

“When you calculate all the jobs that are going to be happening in the downtown and the Springfield area in general, and also take into account the fact that urban living is making a comeback, as well as the growing entertainment options in that area … all these things make this project viable and add up to something good for Springfield,” he said.

A new life as housing would only be the latest chapter in the intriguing history of what has come to be known as the Willys-Overland Block Local Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Built in 1916 as an automobile sales, service, and garaging area, the property became part of what would later be described as an auto-industry legacy in Springfield. Indeed, the Duryea brothers created the first marketable auto in Springfield — there’s a statue depicting their creation near Stearns Square — and Rolls-Royce located a plant in the city to capitalize on its highly skilled workforce.

But Willys-Overland, like the others, did not enjoy a long history in the city. Indeed, it closed its property here in 1921 due to slumping sales, and it has seen a number of uses since.

It was a primarily a parking garage for some of the downtown hotels before they were converted into condominiums, said Irving, and after that, it served as home to a host of businesses, ranging from Square One to a construction company.

These operations were forced out by the gas explosion in late November 2012, he went on, adding that the building was completely gutted and has been vacant, with most of the windows covered with plywood, ever since.

willys-overland-building-union-sept-24-1916

Above, a news story announces the opening of the Willys-Overland building in 1916. At right, the Willys-Overland property in Detroit, which has been transformed into lofts selling for more than $500,000.

Below, a news story announces the opening of the Willys-Overland building in 1916. At right, the Willys-Overland property in Detroit, which has been transformed into lofts selling for more than $500,000.

The previous owner applied for a demolition permit in January 2015, but the city sought and won a delay of that move due to the property’s historic significance.

It was this delay that essentially gave the property a reprieve — time for more progress to take shape in Springfield, time for a recognized need for more market-rate housing to emerge, and, yes, time for the Willys-Overland Lofts project to catch fire — and catch Davenport’s attention.

As noted, the Springfield Willys-Overland property is an intriguing addition to an already large and diverse portfolio of properties in Western Mass.

Perhaps the most visible is the Springfield Plaza, which has undergone an extensive facelift and added new tenants ranging from a trampoline complex to a new home for Springfield’s Registry of Motor Vehicles office, which, said Irving, has brought a significant surge in traffic to the plaza.

The portfolio also includes a retail complex across the street from the Eastfield Mall and what’s known as Davenport Square in Springfield, at the corner of Union and Main streets across from MGM Springfield. The development will include MGM’s daycare facility as well as some retail.

As for the Willys-Overland building, the next steps in the process of writing the next chapter in its history are finalizing designs, crunching the numbers, as noted earlier, and requesting support for historic tax credits, said Irving, adding that redevelopment is dependent on such tax credits and other forms of assistance.

While the reuse plans are still in their infancy, Irving anticipates perhaps 60 units of relatively small size, with a portion of the building to be used for parking.

“It’s got great bones, and it’s absolutely perfect for apartments with the column spacing,” he noted. “What we’re trying to go after is small — really small units for young professionals who don’t want the price of having a big space.

“Our take on it is that it’s a great investment,” he went on. “We’re not certain that the market rents will support the construction costs, and we’re still verifying that. But in the long run, we think Springfield is on the upswing, so whether it’s this year or next year, we’re convinced that this will be a great residential investment.”

As for the blast zone, or Springfield’s ‘next frontier,’ as Kennedy called it, progress has come slow to that area, with the gas explosion now more than five years in the rear-view mirror.

This can be attributed to several factors, he went on, including the slow pace of insurance settlements on many of the properties in the zone (including the Willys-Overland building) and a desire among investors to see how and in what ways Springfield continued its revitalization.

But Kennedy believes the Willys-Overland project could trigger other developments in that area and other housing initiatives as well. And Irving agreed.

“The Springfield market, in our mind, is about to blossom,” he told BusinessWest. “And so, this is a good place to be on the ground level.

“This is a small project at 60 units,” he went on. “If this tests out and verifies that market rates can support new construction, then this will be a catalyst for that entire area.”

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

HMC Adds Westfield Property to Growing Portfolio

By
Commercial Real Estate Sections

Progress in Site

An aerial shot of 70 Turnpike Industrial Park Road in Westfield.

An aerial shot of 70 Turnpike Industrial Park Road in Westfield.

Michael Grossman says his New York-based firm, HMC Real Estate Partners, looks at several hundred properties in the Northeast corridor over the course of a year — at least a few per week, by his estimate.

When asked what prompts he and partners Barry Lefkowitz and Brendan Kolnick to move beyond looking — or well beyond, as the case may be — and make an addition to their growing portfolio of properties, he said there are a number of factors that go into that equation.

These include everything from that time-honored first consideration in real estate — location, location, location — to the condition of the property, the condition of the local market, demand for the type of real estate in question, and a host of other variables.

And every one of those boxes could be checked when it came to a property now marketed as 70 Turnpike Industrial Road, known to most as the National Envelope site, because that was the tenant there for a number of years before it vacated the property in 2015.

“We saw great potential for value creation,” said Grossman. “The project represents an excellent opportunity to turn a non-performing property into a productive asset for the community as well as our investors.”

Elaborating on this potential, Grossman noted that the property is located roughly a mile from Mass Pike exit 3 (you can almost see the highway from the property), and also has rail accessibility. What’s more, it has size (238,575 square feet) and flexibility in that it is suited for both production and warehousing, and is in good condition, especially following more than $1 million in work to the roof, replacement mechanical systems, and more.

Add in a strong market for manufacturing and distribution space, fostered by dwindling inventory, and a city eager to replace the jobs lost when National Envelope left the city, and it’s easy to see why HMC pursued the property and thus greatly increased its presence in the region.

Indeed, this is the company’s second major acquisition in Western Mass. in 2017; the other was the fully leased, 187,840-square-foot warehouse building in the Agawam Regional Industrial Park, home to OMG and Vaupel.

Michael Grossman

Michael Grossman says acquisition of the Turnpike Industrial Park property represents an opportunity to turn a non-performing property into a real asset for the city and the region.

The company also owns a large industrial property in New Jersey, and the portfolio now boasts nearly 1 million square feet of industrial and distribution facilities.

Grossman joined fellow industry veterans Lefkowitz and Kolnick in creating HMC in 2016, with Grossman and Lefkowitz both having left Mack-Cali Realty Corp., a public, multi-billion-dollar real-estate investment trust, to start their own company.

HMC focuses primarily on acquiring multi-tenant industrial and office-flex properties, Grossman explained, adding that the company had developed a strong working relationship with many of the top real-estate-services firms, including Cushman & Wakefield, which put the Westfield property on HMC’s radar and is now its agent.

The company’s principals saw a property that needed some work — there was a considerable amount of deferred maintenance — but also great potential in what would be a new role, that of home to multiple tenants.

And Grossman, as he offered BusinessWest a tour and pointed out its open spaces, high ceilings (up to 36 feet in some portions of the facility), and 12,000 square feet of office space, envisioned up to four tenants.

“We’re looking at assembly, manufacturing, and straight distribution,” he explained. “The building lends itself to manufacturing because of the extensive power.”

The logo created to accompany marketing materials for the property does an effective job of highlighting some of its many assets, especially that strategic location part.

Indeed, curving their way around a large ‘70’ (the street address) are four lanes of highway and some railroad track. The roadway is the Turnpike, obviously, the west-bound lanes of which are less than 100 yards from the back of the property. The railroad track signifies the potential to create a spur that would connect the property to a rail line running through the north side of the city. National Envelope never used rail service, but the potential is certainly there for future tenants to do so, Grossman said.

Potential is a word you hear early and often in reference to this property, and Grossman and his partners are confident that it won’t be long before this potential is realized.

— George O’Brien

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of January 2018.

AGAWAM

Oak Ridge Golf Club Inc.
850 South Westfield St.
$15,000 – Verizon Wireless replacing three antennas with new models and adding three to existing cell tower

CHICOPEE

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
202 East Main St.
$69,000 – Code upgrades to Mary’s House of Prayer

DEERFIELD

Deerfield Academy
7 Boydon Lane
$2,490,000 – Erect roof over tennis courts

Deerfield Academy
1 Albany Road
$13,021 – Re-roof dining hall

Yankee Candle
16 Yankee Candle Way
$132,000 – Re-roof building, add insulation and sump at roof drains

EASTHAMPTON

Keystone Enterprises
122 Pleasant St.
$2,640 – Remove internal stairway, construct non-load-bearing demising wall

One Northampton St. Inc.
1 Northampton St.
$18,000 – Install replacement windows

Williston Northampton School
40-50 Park St.
$21,300 – Roofing on gymnasium

EAST LONGMEADOW

Dores Dental
281 Maple St.
$210,500 – Interior commercial renovations

First Congregational Church
239 Porter Road
$3,200 – Insulation

W.F. Young
302 Benton Dr.
$71,000 – Solar

GREENFIELD

CC MA Realty, LLC
7 Legion Ave.
$36,550 – Install new wet and dry sprinkler system

LONGMEADOW

Hair Studio One Inc.
20 Cross St.
$4,625 – Roof replacement

LUDLOW

Ludlow Fish & Game
857 Sportsmen’s Road
$2,100 – Commercial alterations

NORTHAMPTON

Atwood Drive, LLC
22 Atwood Dr.
$18,500 – Illuminated wall sign for Cooley Dickinson Health Care

Atwood Drive, LLC
22 Atwood Dr.
$16,500 – Illuminated wall sign for Cooley Dickinson Health Care

Atwood Drive, LLC
22 Atwood Dr.
$8,000 – Illuminated wall sign for Cooley Dickinson Health Care

First Church of Christ, Scientist
46 Center St.
$11,935 – Temporary egress stairs and porch deck

Florence Bank
491 Pleasant St.
$3,360 – Illuminated wall sign

Florence Bank
491 Pleasant St.
$3,360 – Illuminated wall sign

Lathrop Community Inc.
680 Bridge St.
$10,000 – Remove kitchen cabinets; install new cabinets, floor, and sink

Malvern PANalytical
22 Industrial Dr.
$7,000 – Replace windows on second floor

Smith College
84 Elm St.
$11,000 – Office renovation

Smith College
51 Belmont Ave.
$16,000 – Install new roof

PALMER

Camp Ramah of New England
29 Bennet St.
$9,500 – Repair floors in bathrooms in four bunks, remove and reset showers and sinks

SOUTHWICK

Lodestar Energy
63 Congamond Road
$3,692,333 – Solar

SPRINGFIELD

Boston Rd./Pasco Rt. 20 Retail, LLC
1300B Boston Road
$62,600 – Interior tenant fit-out

Mercy Medical Center
299 Carew St.
$85,630 – Create X-ray room out of two offices, remodel two offices

Phillips Edison & Co.
380 Cooley St.
$3,337 – Install horn strobes and initiating devices and connect to landlord’s fire-alarm panel

Springfield Redevelopment Authority
55 Frank B. Murray St.
$900,000 – Fit out third floor of Union Station for future Peter Pan Bus Lines offices

WARE

Country Bank
75 Main St.
$41,384 – Roofing

Country Corners Storage
50 Greenwich Road
$48,400 – Storage trailer

WESTFIELD

FRP Holdings Westfield, LLC
24 Main St.
$68,127 – Remodel store, new bathroom, add two offices

Noble Hospital
115 West Silver St.
$17,254 – Rework three office spaces to create IT server room

Tyrone Co.
14 Sycamore St.
$42,000 – Convert garage into apartment

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Albert Keinath
888 Main St.
$7,385 – Assemble exhaust duct

Saremi, LLP
442 Main St.
$3,500 – Repair due to fire

WILBRAHAM

McClure Insurance
2361 Boston Road
$2,400 – Replace sign

It’s Time to Think About the Next Healthcare Heroes

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — It might be a little too early to mark your calendars for the next Healthcare Heroes gala — Oct. 18 is nine months away — but it’s not too early to start thinking about nominating individuals who might be honored.

Healthcare Heroes, an exciting new recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest . 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.

Now, it’s time to start thinking about the next class of heroes, who will represent categories including ‘Lifetime Achievement,’ ‘Emerging Leader,’ ‘Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider,’ ‘Innovation in Health/Wellness,’ ‘Health/Wellness Administrator,’ and ‘Collaboration in Healthcare.’

Nominations are now being accepted, and will be until June 15. To nominate someone, visit healthcarenews.com or businesswest.com, click on ‘our events,’ and proceed to ‘Healthcare Heroes.’

Aelan Tierney Becomes President of Kuhn Riddle Architects

By
Daily News

AMHERST — On Jan. 1, Aelan Tierney became the third principal and the president of Kuhn Riddle Architects. Tierney joins Jonathan Salvon and Charles Roberts, who became principals in 2010 when Chris Riddle retired. John Kuhn passes the torch of leadership and ownership to these three, and he will continue to work on selected projects at Kuhn Riddle.

Kuhn Riddle Architects moves into the future as a woman-owned architecture firm as Tierney now owns the majority share of the company. She will continue to work on architectural project design, while also taking on a larger role in day-to-day management of the firm, focusing on business growth and maintaining a strong connection with clients and business partners.

“I see this transition as an opportunity to carry on the legacy of Kuhn Riddle Architects, as well as an opportunity for growth,” said Tierney, who has been an architect at Kuhn Riddle Architects since August 2005. “I am honored that the partners have put their faith and trust in me to take on such an important leadership role. We will continue the company culture and its legacy of good design, excellent service, commitment to the environment, and giving back to our community that John Kuhn and Chris Riddle have built over the last 40 years.”

Kuhn Riddle projects in which Tierney has played a lead role include Amherst Montessori School and Children First in Granby, the Kringle Candle flagship store and Farm Table Restaurant in Bernardston, the historic Easthampton Town Hall performance space for CitySpace, the Northeast Veterans Rehabilitation and Training Center in Gardner, Olympia Oaks multi-family affordable housing in Amherst, PVPA Charter School Theater in South Hadley, and projects at American International College, Western New England University, and Elms College.

Kuhn Riddle Architects has been in business since Riddle and Kuhn founded it in 1977, when they negotiated a $500 fee to produce a design for Northampton’s Armory building renovation and rented two drafting tables in a fellow architect’s office. Since that time, the firm has become a well-known architectural firm in the Pioneer Valley and designs commercial, educational, and residential projects throughout Massachusetts.

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

Apple Valley Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $514,995
Buyer: Gary Epstein
Seller: Robert L. Pratt
Date: 12/28/17

BERNARDSTON

808 Brattleboro Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Bradley J. Letourneau
Seller: Clifford C. Spatcher
Date: 12/28/17

61 Deane Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Robert A. Deane
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 12/18/17

COLRAIN

1 Church St.
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Megan N. Weller
Seller: Ann M. Martin
Date: 12/19/17

CONWAY

34 Academy Hill Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Josephine Lally
Seller: Nicholas Potter
Date: 12/19/17

38 Academy Hill Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Josephine Lally
Seller: Nicholas Potter
Date: 12/19/17

201 Maple St.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Scott Hoffman
Seller: William Sheehan
Date: 12/29/17

2701 Shelburne Falls Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $180,500
Buyer: Bear River Investments
Seller: Sara Logan
Date: 12/21/17

GILL

143 Barney Hale Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Nicole A. Coombs
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 12/29/17

GREENFIELD

12 Armory St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Claire Huttlinger
Seller: George R. Marchacos
Date: 12/26/17

117 Beacon St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Judith M. Maloney
Seller: Laurel J. Brocklesby
Date: 12/29/17

1 Harrison Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Jody P. James
Seller: PDV Inc.
Date: 12/29/17

22 Little Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Jodie L. Suhl
Seller: Kempf, Jean P., (Estate)
Date: 12/22/17

86 Meridian St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: James A. Hazel
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/29/17

125 Mohawk Trail
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,597,650
Buyer: Parmar Properties North
Seller: Shree Vinayak Inc.
Date: 12/29/17

33 Norwood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Dorothea L. Melnicoff
Seller: PDV Inc.
Date: 12/28/17

33 Norwood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $171,963
Buyer: PDV Inc.
Seller: Jason M. Thompson
Date: 12/20/17

69 Oakland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $259,500
Buyer: Nancy Y Conant
Seller: Jeffrey I. Scroggin
Date: 12/22/17

49 Phyllis Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Yuriy Kovrizhnykh
Seller: Kenneth J. Cook
Date: 12/28/17

30 River St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Christopher H. Martenson
Seller: Robert G. Wallitis
Date: 12/28/17

98 River St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Darren S. Schmidt
Seller: George M. Sanford
Date: 12/19/17

35 Sauter Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Silvio Lima
Seller: Michael S. Mota
Date: 12/21/17

204 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Patricia Simmons
Seller: Laurie A. Newsome
Date: 12/20/17

LEYDEN

West Leyden Road
Leyden, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: S. Lisa Hayes
Seller: Damon, Edwin H. Jr. (Estate)
Date: 12/29/17

MONTAGUE

14-16 3rd St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $323,000
Buyer: 108 Properties LLC
Seller: Steven W. Rossetti
Date: 12/27/17

79 7th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Jesse Hall
Seller: David W. Bartlett
Date: 12/29/17

6 Gunn Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Cameron T. Gray
Seller: Trevor J. Allenby
Date: 12/28/17

43 Hillside Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Steven S. Gochinski
Seller: PDV Inc.
Date: 12/22/17

74 Montague St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: James E. Adams
Seller: Balboni, Robert H., (Estate)
Date: 12/19/17

NORTHFIELD

54 Pine St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Walter A. Smith
Seller: Donald B. Randall
Date: 12/28/17

ORANGE

136 Brookside Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $493,000
Buyer: WM Realty Holdings NH LLC
Seller: BD Waterford Real Estate
Date: 12/22/17

53 Burrill Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Maureen D. Wright
Date: 12/22/17

167 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $493,000
Buyer: WM Realty Holdings NH LLC
Seller: BD Waterford Real Estate
Date: 12/22/17

3 Memory Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $164,500
Buyer: John A. Gallagher
Seller: Daniel Stoodley
Date: 12/22/17

SHUTESBURY

7 Oak Knoll
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Phil Potts Roaring Bluff
Seller: Aaron M. Snow
Date: 12/20/17

SUNDERLAND

41 South Silver Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Vincent J. Tran
Seller: Michael A. Wissemann
Date: 12/29/17

WENDELL

9 Davis Turn Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Aaron M. Snow
Seller: David M. Beck
Date: 12/21/17

WHATELY

63 Long Plain Road
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Ryan P. Bailey
Seller: Wilcox Builders Inc.
Date: 12/22/17

100 State Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: P&M Holding LLC
Seller: ALDT Realty LLC
Date: 12/29/17

31 Swamp Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: David J. Limero
Seller: Eileen Buckowski
Date: 12/20/17

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

84-86 Bridge St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $171,500
Buyer: Valley Building Co. LLC
Seller: Frederick D. Fusco
Date: 12/19/17

5 Elmar Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Devin T. Galloway
Seller: Mark R. Verville
Date: 12/29/17

Franklin St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Yegor Muravskiy
Seller: Shirley G. Drenzek
Date: 12/29/17

19 Horsham Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Mark L. Berthiaume
Seller: Robert L. Loomis
Date: 12/28/17

515 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Yegor Muravskiy
Seller: Shirley G. Drenzek
Date: 12/29/17

131-137 Moore St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Susan Grossberg
Seller: RAK Realty Assocs. LLC
Date: 12/29/17

703 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Andrei Klimov
Seller: Thomas J. Davis
Date: 12/29/17

326 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: William G. Grimaldi
Seller: Robert P. Ollari
Date: 12/22/17

51 Peros Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Marta M. Rodriguez
Seller: Teresa A. Frogameni
Date: 12/20/17

107 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Viktoriya Tikhomirova
Seller: Edward A. Walters-Zucco
Date: 12/29/17

521 South West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Breton
Seller: David J. Limero
Date: 12/20/17

371 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Southwick Street RT
Seller: Dion L. Berte
Date: 12/29/17

576 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: James K. Burghoff
Seller: Donna M. Santos
Date: 12/22/17

399-401 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Tina Nguyen
Seller: Geraldo V. Perez
Date: 12/20/17

1673 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Igor Banar
Seller: Carol J. Pananas
Date: 12/22/17

2 Westview Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $254,238
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Mikhail S. Sergeychik
Date: 12/21/17

17 Wilbert Terrace
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kathleen A. Klimoski
Seller: Kristen L. Buoniconti
Date: 12/29/17

BLANDFORD

6 Wyman Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: James Start
Seller: Ian T. McEwan
Date: 12/22/17

BRIMFIELD

167 Warren Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Gail L. West
Seller: Burnham, Patricia M., (Estate)
Date: 12/21/17

CHICOPEE

21 Academy St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Michelle R. Filiau
Seller: Suzanne Murphy
Date: 12/29/17

6 Dejordy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Eugene R. Lapierre
Seller: David Geoffroy
Date: 12/29/17

428 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: John R. Wolowicz
Seller: Edward S. Wolowicz
Date: 12/21/17

19 Freedom St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Marotte
Seller: Karen J. Chlosta
Date: 12/27/17

76 Lawndale St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Veniamin Telelyuyev
Seller: Vasiliy Telelyuyev
Date: 12/22/17

15 Leclair Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: O’Connor Rentals LLC
Seller: Peter A. Desrosiers
Date: 12/29/17

49 Mary St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Eirielle Granger
Seller: Adrien F. Goulet
Date: 12/26/17

665 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Dowd
Seller: Lemieux, Janet E., (Estate)
Date: 12/29/17

49 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Nzabandora Appolinaire
Seller: MS Homes LLC
Date: 12/26/17

17 Moore St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Stephen S. Storozuk
Seller: Lisa A. Lonczak
Date: 12/22/17

71 Nye St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Sylwia A. Boryczka
Seller: Deborah A. Kvarnstrom
Date: 12/29/17

7 Otis St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Adrian Cedeno
Seller: Jane M. Wysocki
Date: 12/28/17

40 Pickering St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: J. Townsend-Butterworth
Seller: David Abert
Date: 12/18/17

40 Plymouth St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Karen M. Boisjolie
Seller: Constance A. Houle
Date: 12/28/17

89 Royalton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Joshua Donohue
Seller: John E. Duda
Date: 12/29/17

35 Savory Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Todd A. Beaudoin
Seller: Kevin T. Laplante
Date: 12/22/17

22 Suzanne St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Steven J. Niedbala
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/18/17

58 Taft Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Gabriel Morales-Velez
Seller: Amy L. Guyott
Date: 12/22/17

164 Wheatland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Derek T. Topulos
Seller: Scott M. Haselkorn
Date: 12/29/17

EAST LONGMEADOW

Baldwin St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Baldwin Street LLC
Seller: D&C Properties Inc.
Date: 12/22/17

11 Crescent Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Sarah E. Metcalf
Seller: Peter D. Abel
Date: 12/21/17

5 Donamor Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Cynthia R. Palmer
Seller: Imogen Foster
Date: 12/20/17

14 High Meadow Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Robert A. Weishaus
Seller: Hal B. Jenson
Date: 12/29/17

6 Kelsey St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Michael C. Healey
Seller: Charles M. Healey
Date: 12/21/17

28 Kibbe Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Mark E. Evans
Seller: Brian M. McGrath
Date: 12/22/17

313 Maple St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Fairview Extend Care Services
Seller: Meadows Realty Holdings
Date: 12/28/17

7 Melwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $316,000
Buyer: Donna M. Prather
Seller: Victor Degray
Date: 12/22/17

Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Love Of FT
Seller: William F. Johnson
Date: 12/21/17

43 Pembroke Terrace
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Ruben Vaidya
Seller: R. Bruce Snyder
Date: 12/29/17

472 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Mariano Dross
Seller: Irving C. Ostrander
Date: 12/22/17

10 Silver Fox Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $323,839
Buyer: C&M Builders LLC
Seller: John F. Cassidy
Date: 12/19/17

23 Wilder Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Alan P. Coppolo
Seller: Dennis M. Welch
Date: 12/20/17

GRANVILLE

1572 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: David A. Burl
Seller: Anthony Melchionno
Date: 12/28/17

HAMPDEN

25 Kibbe Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $479,000
Buyer: Gregory W. Simonelli
Seller: Custom Homes Development
Date: 12/28/17

HOLLAND

10 Julia Ann Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Edward L. Fisher
Seller: David A. Lopez
Date: 12/29/17

HOLYOKE

94 Beacon Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Ileana M. Cruz
Seller: Donna W. Hoener
Date: 12/18/17

209 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Marcela Gebara
Seller: Melissa A. O’Connell
Date: 12/22/17

36 Elliot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Reinaldo Cruz
Seller: Steven J. Moran
Date: 12/21/17

25 Erie Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Philip A. Momnie
Seller: Wesley Lukas
Date: 12/29/17

81 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Ray A. Phillips
Seller: William T. Lyle
Date: 12/18/17

330 Mackenzie Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Kathryn J. Fleming
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 12/29/17

1655 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: Jane L. Rodrigue
Date: 12/21/17

1678 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Gallagher Properties LLC
Seller: Elizabeth A. Cartier
Date: 12/18/17

1698-1700 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Andrew R. Weibel
Seller: Champigny, Thomas R., (Estate)
Date: 12/22/17

158 Ontario Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Alexandro S. Laftsidis
Seller: Ernest E. Smith
Date: 12/20/17

9 Vadnais St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Ailin Borkowski
Seller: Maureen A. Connor
Date: 12/28/17

57 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $136,595
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Tina Leclair
Date: 12/28/17

44-46 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Max C. Hebert
Seller: Carolyn E. Henneman
Date: 12/20/17

LONGMEADOW

111 Captain Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $626,000
Buyer: Nehal P. Patel
Seller: Williams J. Dupont
Date: 12/18/17

71 Lawrence Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $557,000
Buyer: Gregory S. Diamond
Seller: Martin E. Upperton
Date: 12/22/17

863 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Chuan Lin
Seller: Timothy J. Bannon
Date: 12/29/17

270 Park Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $343,875
Buyer: Robert Kushner
Seller: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Date: 12/18/17

550 Pinewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $681,000
Buyer: JBSB 550 Pinewood RT
Seller: Patti G. Glenn
Date: 12/21/17

80 Primrose Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Jeffrey D. Katz
Seller: Lawrence B. Katz
Date: 12/29/17

LUDLOW

38 Circuit Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $176,278
Buyer: Melissa L. Smith
Seller: Mark J. Reilly
Date: 12/22/17

134 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $317,615
Buyer: Linda E. Bourcier RET
Seller: Artur D. Demoura
Date: 12/22/17

24 Holy Cross Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Colm E. Landers
Seller: Mary A. Driscoll
Date: 12/29/17

115 Howard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Kimberly A. Pellegrini
Date: 12/27/17

371 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Joseph S. Pio
Seller: M&G Investors LLC
Date: 12/26/17

630 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: E&G Joint Venture NT
Seller: Aimee Y Arizmendi-Pagan
Date: 12/27/17

36 Williams St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Hussein T. Alsammaraee
Seller: Lucille K. Hancock
Date: 12/20/17

MONSON

20 Chestnut St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Thomas A. Boyer
Seller: Michele D. Byrne
Date: 12/27/17

3 Country Club Lane
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Thomas D. Piendak
Seller: David Z Podworski
Date: 12/20/17

32 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: BG Real Estate Inc.
Seller: Robert S. Dix
Date: 12/29/17

PALMER

152-156 Bourne St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Robert A. Smus
Seller: Warren H. Spears
Date: 12/22/17

215 Burlingame Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Keith E. Leaning
Seller: Ronald G. Belling
Date: 12/29/17

7 Desimone Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $292,500
Buyer: Paul Eusebio
Seller: Peter D. Baruffaldi
Date: 12/21/17

61 East Palmer Park Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank USA
Seller: Kelly L. Robbins
Date: 12/28/17

153 Jim Ash Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Wess F. Jarvis
Seller: William W. Gravel
Date: 12/22/17

7 Kelly Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Collin Vartanian
Seller: Aram Vartanian
Date: 12/29/17

1427 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Gaoli LLC
Seller: David Chau
Date: 12/22/17

9 South St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Charles G. Nothe
Seller: James F. Kapinos
Date: 12/19/17

42-48 Stewart St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Edward J. Philbrook
Date: 12/29/17

SOUTHWICK

185 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Elizabeth Gomez
Date: 12/19/17

12 Hunters Ridge Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $379,900
Buyer: J. A. Santos-Villanueva
Seller: Richard D. Bossie
Date: 12/29/17

33 Miller Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $205,500
Buyer: Denise A. Dorazio
Seller: William W. Motyl
Date: 12/22/17

283 South Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Felix
Seller: Dorothy R. Cauthen
Date: 12/29/17

SPRINGFIELD

100-102 Abbe Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Luis G. Vergara
Seller: Edward Boczon
Date: 12/22/17

93 Agnes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Maxine D. Moultrie
Seller: Connie L. Johnson
Date: 12/28/17

6 Andrew St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $3,687,750
Buyer: BMG Holdings LLC
Seller: Lorilee 1 LLC
Date: 12/19/17

41 Ansara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Jose Rivera
Seller: Michelle L. Bilodeau
Date: 12/20/17

90 Atwater Road
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: J. R. Villanueva-Figueroa
Seller: Nahabed L. Charkoudian
Date: 12/27/17

71 Avon Place
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Rawal Realty LLC
Seller: Glory Realty LLC
Date: 12/29/17

73-R Avon Place
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Rawal Realty LLC
Seller: Glory Realty LLC
Date: 12/29/17

34-36 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $3,687,750
Buyer: BMG Holdings LLC
Seller: Lorilee 1 LLC
Date: 12/19/17

65 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $1,012,250
Buyer: 65 Belmont Holdings LLC
Seller: Lorilee 1 LLC
Date: 12/19/17

102-104 Blaine St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Anthony Thornton
Seller: Mark B. Pease
Date: 12/28/17

819 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Christopher C. Walker
Seller: Timothy Flouton
Date: 12/29/17

45 Burnside Terrace
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Omotunde M. Bailey
Seller: Randy E. Nick
Date: 12/19/17

122 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $4,800,000
Buyer: 3 Chestnut LLC
Seller: 122 Chestnut LLC
Date: 12/29/17

151-157 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Chestnut Acquisitions LLC
Seller: Ciocca Construction Corp.
Date: 12/28/17

32-34 Continental St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Edid T. Figueroa-Santiago
Seller: Henry J. Vargas
Date: 12/19/17

31 Cottonwood Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Matthew P. David
Seller: Catherine E. Adornato
Date: 12/28/17

79 Dana St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Felix Rosado
Seller: Lisa Santaniello
Date: 12/19/17

11 Derryfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Shavone L. Gauthier
Seller: Bryar, Phyllis H., (Estate)
Date: 12/28/17

178 Denver St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Amanda Duda
Seller: Chad Lynch
Date: 12/18/17

48 Drexel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Andrea Martinez
Seller: Richardo James
Date: 12/21/17

19 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Shelby R. Bouchard
Seller: Christian B. Wiernasz
Date: 12/21/17

42 End St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Firas I. Kotaich
Seller: Junior Properties LLC
Date: 12/28/17

33 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $3,687,750
Buyer: BMG Holdings LLC
Seller: Lorilee 1 LLC
Date: 12/19/17

80 Greaney St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Arelis Roy
Seller: Megazzini FT
Date: 12/29/17

141 Hadley St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Kari A. Stewart
Seller: Lori A. Blocher
Date: 12/29/17

16 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Katie E. Byrne
Seller: Tina Forbes
Date: 12/22/17

44 Herman St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Elsie M. Rodriguez
Seller: Ethep P. Donahue
Date: 12/29/17

26 Huntington St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $145,500
Buyer: Nicholas R. Dejesus
Seller: Christopher Michniewicz
Date: 12/22/17

125 Ithaca St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Amanda J. Hill
Seller: Ting Chang
Date: 12/29/17

45 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $124,100
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Patrick Gonzalez
Date: 12/19/17

7 Lancaster St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: David A. Rivera
Seller: Donald H. Ayotte
Date: 12/22/17

17 Leyfred Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $1,012,250
Buyer: 65 Belmont Holdings LLC
Seller: Lorilee 1 LLC
Date: 12/19/17

288 Locust St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $3,687,750
Buyer: BMG Holdings LLC
Seller: Lorilee 1 LLC
Date: 12/19/17

75 Lyons St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: C. M. Fernandez-Garcia
Seller: Kavork M. Merigian
Date: 12/19/17

3111 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Zahoor U. Haq
Seller: GDK Spring Realty LLC
Date: 12/27/17

79 Maplewood Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Michael P. Riggins
Seller: Constance H. Ryder
Date: 12/22/17

206 Marsden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $116,450
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Nikia M. McCoy
Date: 12/20/17

24 Michigan St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Noel Twagiramungu
Seller: Tiara L. Warren
Date: 12/26/17

70 Mooreland St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Vaycheslav Foksha
Seller: Sean F. Curran
Date: 12/21/17

N/A
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Maria C. Lopez
Seller: Joan Lupa
Date: 12/21/17

7 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Edwin Torres
Seller: Franciso Bruno
Date: 12/29/17

17 Northway Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $147,900
Buyer: Roger Francis
Seller: Agnes Kearon
Date: 12/21/17

39 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Drama Studio Inc.
Seller: Episcopal Missions of Western Mass.
Date: 12/22/17

752 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $1,250,000
Buyer: Kasa Springfield Realty
Seller: H&S Olson Of Springfield
Date: 12/27/17

69 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Lazy Valley Winery Inc.
Seller: WN Management LLC
Date: 12/27/17

11-13 Pauline St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Extremely Clean 2 LLC
Seller: Michael Paton
Date: 12/29/17

66 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Rosemary Perez
Seller: Sigmund C. Barnes
Date: 12/22/17

25 Redstone Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Anthony Santiago
Seller: Tooker, John S. Jr. (Estate)
Date: 12/19/17

42 Redstone Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $210,900
Buyer: Ashley M. McFarlane
Seller: Jacob P. Goodin
Date: 12/22/17

304 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Lisa A. Folvi
Seller: Kenny Nguyen
Date: 12/28/17

120 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Miguel Acosta
Seller: Chappella Hernandez
Date: 12/19/17

118 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $116,300
Buyer: Brett A. Staples
Seller: Nelson Santos
Date: 12/22/17

17 Sherwood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jonathan A. Goldman
Seller: Pamela A. Greaney
Date: 12/27/17

81 Signal Hill Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $378,000
Buyer: Ryan Walsh
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 12/29/17

17 Silvia St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Mohamed Smaili
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 12/29/17

886-892 State St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $3,687,750
Buyer: BMG Holdings LLC
Seller: Lorilee 1 LLC
Date: 12/19/17

50-52 Stebbins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: John E. Harley
Seller: Gihad A. Awkal
Date: 12/22/17

73-75 Sterling St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Jens Martinez
Seller: Richard Decoteau
Date: 12/22/17

76 Strong St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Chatherine Y. Brantley
Seller: Mirna Chennaoui
Date: 12/22/17

1179 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $121,600
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Beneficial Mass Inc.
Date: 12/29/17

14 Taber St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Debra Deleon
Seller: Errol L. Holloway
Date: 12/29/17

249 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $157,350
Buyer: Travis A. Greeley
Seller: James Fiore
Date: 12/26/17

Timothy Circle
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Mario Nascimento
Seller: Wendy S. Mascaro
Date: 12/22/17

110 Treetop Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Nelson Santos
Seller: Kristin Wampler
Date: 12/22/17

104-106 Washington Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Gerson Souza
Seller: Nancy Conway
Date: 12/28/17

71 Wexford St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: William Hollwedel
Seller: Joel T. Senez
Date: 12/19/17

114 William St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Isidoro R. Sanchez
Seller: Fernando J. Lucio
Date: 12/29/17

98-100 Woodside Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Fabian L. Holness
Seller: Onyx Investments LLC
Date: 12/20/17

183 Woodside Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $3,687,750
Buyer: BMG Holdings LLC
Seller: Lorilee 1 LLC
Date: 12/19/17

614-616 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Field Group Holdings LLC
Seller: Sylvia M. Maynard
Date: 12/29/17

177 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Hawa N. Busolo
Seller: Joseph L. Harris
Date: 12/29/17

WALES

10 Shaw Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $268,900
Buyer: Steven E. Frank
Seller: Tatyana Y Komarova
Date: 12/28/17

32 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Ricky J. Mustion
Seller: Wendy V. Johnson
Date: 12/29/17

24 Woodland Dr.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Diblasi
Seller: Edward L. Fisher
Date: 12/29/17

WEST SPRINGFIELD

13 Alderbrook Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Heritage Ventures LLC
Seller: Bank Of New York Mellon
Date: 12/21/17

60 Armstrong St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Tek Gautam
Seller: Sean L. Poirier
Date: 12/28/17

17 Blossom Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $162,100
Buyer: Stephen Buynicki
Seller: William F. Bennett
Date: 12/29/17

16 Bonair Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Murat Selim
Seller: Justin H. Carr
Date: 12/22/17

7 Bond St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $347,500
Buyer: Peter A. Slepchuk
Seller: Ryan M. Walsh
Date: 12/29/17

89 Burke Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Marc H. Gendron
Seller: Naura C. Lutat
Date: 12/21/17

63 Elm Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $151,672
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Tammy Lamountain
Date: 12/19/17

25 Fox St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Abdul AlQaisy
Seller: Brian W. Clark
Date: 12/22/17

29 Neptune Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Christopher McRobbie
Seller: Kevin P. Malloy
Date: 12/18/17

130 Pine St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Mykola Persanov
Seller: MHFA
Date: 12/28/17

176 Woodbrook Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: John A. Peterson
Seller: Joseph C. Kelley
Date: 12/21/17

WESTFIELD

76 Alexander Place
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Stephen L. Thomas
Seller: Amanda R. Collins
Date: 12/29/17

189 Barbara St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Suzanne M. James
Seller: Stephen F. Cook
Date: 12/29/17

Birch Bluffs Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: DDLP Development LLC
Seller: Edward F. Szuba
Date: 12/21/17

289 Buck Pond Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Alexandr Botyan
Date: 12/27/17

30 Cara Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Paul G. Piquette
Seller: Dawn L. Obitz
Date: 12/18/17

16 Casimir St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,144
Buyer: Nicholas A. Maratea
Seller: Terence P. Bray
Date: 12/22/17

12 Cortez St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Damon A. Blanchette
Seller: Stephanie M. Marotte
Date: 12/21/17

193 Falley Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Kim E. Clifton
Seller: Helen Vardakas
Date: 12/29/17

23 Family Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Jacob T. Allen
Seller: Nicholas Johnson
Date: 12/21/17

120 Franklin St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Sanaa Oprecht
Seller: Jeffrey W. Jason
Date: 12/22/17

40 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Bruce Scott
Seller: Gary E. Russolillo
Date: 12/29/17

204 Hillside Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Szalankiewicz
Seller: Mark A. Szalankiewicz
Date: 12/22/17

340 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: City Of Westfield
Seller: Patricia A. Madamas
Date: 12/20/17

50 Loomis Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jessica Kelso
Seller: Luis E. Santos
Date: 12/28/17

20 Malone Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $124,500
Buyer: Kyle M. Amberman
Seller: Jason M. Seybold
Date: 12/27/17

33 Morningside Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Alexandrea M. Rees
Seller: Jeffrey W. Gilmer
Date: 12/22/17

77 Moseley Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Ruslan S. Kravchenko
Seller: Craig A. McRobbie
Date: 12/18/17

20 Myrtle Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Carolyn M. Wall
Seller: Tina M. Benson
Date: 12/28/17

North Westfield St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Michael J. McElligott
Seller: John D. West
Date: 12/29/17

27 Noble Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $130,001
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Angelo Rivera
Date: 12/27/17

119 Northridge Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Nadine M. Cignoni
Seller: Jesse Babcock
Date: 12/28/17

68 Plantation Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Mark C. Bydlak
Date: 12/18/17

15 Smith Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Tina Benson
Seller: Jessica Kelso
Date: 12/28/17

700 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $145,800
Buyer: Mount Tom Properties LLC
Seller: Michael F. Szenda
Date: 12/26/17

89 Sunset Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Ellen M. Unsderfer
Seller: Matthew B. Osowski
Date: 12/20/17

WILBRAHAM

36 Decorie Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: David Z Podworski
Seller: Mark A. Butterfield
Date: 12/20/17

11 Grassy Meadow Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $468,000
Buyer: Jeffrey B. Iafrati
Seller: Miriam J. Siegel
Date: 12/29/17

9 Millbrook Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $323,000
Buyer: Maureen L. Obrien
Seller: S. Bertolacini & B. Mann TR
Date: 12/28/17

115 Soule Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $347,500
Buyer: Shaughn Dermody-Cadieux
Seller: Pamela S. Wallace
Date: 12/22/17

47 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Miriam Siegel
Seller: Melissa A. Donohue
Date: 12/29/17

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

16 Alpine Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $255,500
Buyer: Alicia K. Kuzia
Seller: Lauren A. McCarthy
Date: 12/29/17

870 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Alexandra Bradspies
Seller: Snyder, Mary S., (Estate)
Date: 12/22/17

99 Chestnut St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Owen Shufeldt
Seller: Freiband, Evelyn, (Estate)
Date: 12/21/17

156 Columbia Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $264,610
Buyer: Sonja Kadziolka
Seller: Catherine E. Bell
Date: 12/18/17

160 East Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $494,000
Buyer: James Cuomo
Seller: Alka Indurkhya
Date: 12/29/17

23 Owen Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Arya Mazumdar
Seller: Chun I. Song
Date: 12/22/17

109 Potwine Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Robert W. Adair
Seller: Elizabeth G. Horvay
Date: 12/21/17

870 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $437,500
Buyer: Karl E. Zimmerman
Seller: Margaret A. Riley
Date: 12/18/17

258 Strong St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Boyoung Seo
Seller: Sun-Hee Kim
Date: 12/22/17

2 Wintergreen Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Natalie McKeon IRT
Seller: John A. Tesauro
Date: 12/22/17

BELCHERTOWN

99 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jeffrey W. Stpeter
Seller: Byron L. Miltz
Date: 12/22/17

30 Brandywine Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $312,500
Buyer: Rachel Mandel
Seller: Robert T. Beauchamp
Date: 12/28/17

884 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: American Advisors Group
Seller: Robert C. Follette
Date: 12/26/17

175 Jabish St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: H. Scott Grondin
Seller: Gary L. Brougham
Date: 12/21/17

166 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Katherine R. Polanco
Seller: Alfred A. Benoit
Date: 12/29/17

328 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Capell
Seller: M. T. Bergeron-Cichaski
Date: 12/18/17

160 Sargent St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Shawn M. Harris
Seller: Jackson Brothers Property
Date: 12/26/17

245 Ware Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Alexandra M. Weigel
Seller: George B. Jackson
Date: 12/28/17

350 Warren Wright Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Whiteley
Seller: Musaddak J. Alhabeeb
Date: 12/29/17

60 Warren Wright Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Kenneth P. Slate
Seller: Cynthia K. Schneider
Date: 12/27/17

EASTHAMPTON

13 Bayberry Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $423,000
Buyer: Stanley Gajda
Seller: John J. Hasper
Date: 12/28/17

7 Hannum Brook Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Bacis
Seller: Samora, Eunice M., (Estate)
Date: 12/22/17

6 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Bernhard K. Kober
Seller: Kober, Bernhard W., (Estate)
Date: 12/22/17

13 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $381,500
Buyer: Martin W. Fleming
Seller: Shirlee B. Williams
Date: 12/19/17

15 Wilton Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Gregory R. Blackburn
Seller: Thomas E. Whiteley
Date: 12/29/17

GOSHEN

25 Aberdeen Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Mary C. Colwell
Seller: Luanne B. Knox FT
Date: 12/29/17

GRANBY

143 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Leonard Camano
Seller: Mark L. Drapeau
Date: 12/22/17

131 School St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Dennis
Seller: 131school Street NT
Date: 12/21/17

HADLEY

9 East St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $394,835
Buyer: Michael J. Lengieza
Seller: East Street Commons LLC
Date: 12/22/17

152 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Lynn C. McKenna
Seller: James V. Foley
Date: 12/29/17

HATFIELD

28 Linseed Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Francis C. Lyman
Seller: Matthew N. Lyman
Date: 12/18/17

8 School St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $451,407
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Carla J. Brannan
Date: 12/19/17

117 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Wind River Properties LLC
Seller: Ursula M. Donaldson
Date: 12/28/17

HUNTINGTON

15 Bromley Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: 15 Bromley Road Land TR
Seller: Charles A. Blackman TR
Date: 12/22/17

114 Goss Hill Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Christofer Thrasher
Seller: Andrew B. McCaul
Date: 12/26/17

208 Norwich Lake
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Sarah E. White
Seller: Richard W. Wiernasz
Date: 12/28/17

NORTHAMPTON

50 Avis Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Timothy R. Johnson
Seller: Michael J. Dibrindisi
Date: 12/29/17

65 Baker Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: David Butts
Seller: Josland & Associates PC
Date: 12/22/17

36 Beattie Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Matthew T. Donovan
Seller: Phyllis J. Maggiolino
Date: 12/19/17

20 Bridge Road #25
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $675,513
Buyer: Roy G. Jinks
Seller: Bridge Road LLC
Date: 12/22/17

93 Cahillane Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $170,300
Buyer: Matthew A. Motamedi
Seller: Elise M. Russell
Date: 12/18/17

76 Gothic St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Melnik
Seller: Roger A. Walaszek
Date: 12/20/17

44 Graves Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $730,000
Buyer: Black Dogs LLC
Seller: Noho Partners LLP
Date: 12/28/17

41 Henry St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Nancy L. Bak
Seller: Bak 2008 RET
Date: 12/22/17

7 Higgins Way
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $641,568
Buyer: Patricia J. Aslin
Seller: Sturbridge Development
Date: 12/22/17

28 Maple Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Kysa Nygreen
Seller: Mark A. Sayre
Date: 12/20/17

12 Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $233,174
Buyer: V. Mortgage REO 2 LLC
Seller: Monica T. Toomey
Date: 12/22/17

110 Market St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: Timothy S. Cotton
Date: 12/18/17

256 Pleasant St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,055,000
Buyer: Lumber Yard Northampton
Seller: Valley Community Development Corp.
Date: 12/28/17

193 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Ilene Berezin
Seller: Dora M. Onhilevich
Date: 12/20/17

282 Spring St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Steven M. Sanderson
Seller: Roger P. Clark
Date: 12/19/17

65 State St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: APE Realty LLC
Seller: Josephine F. Cavallari TR
Date: 12/29/17

88 Village Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Denmark Property Group
Seller: Hospital Hill Development
Date: 12/19/17

54 Washington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $644,000
Buyer: Andrew S. Leland
Seller: Charles Mick
Date: 12/19/17

101 Washington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Trysquare LLC
Seller: Edward J. Grady
Date: 12/28/17

38 Willow St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $296,500
Buyer: Marvin Cable
Seller: Lucille R. Crowther
Date: 12/20/17

SOUTH HADLEY

16 Berwyn St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $174,500
Buyer: Ryan Kennedy
Seller: Moore, James J. Sr., (Estate)
Date: 12/22/17

16 Doane Terrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Christopher P. Guilmette
Seller: Durand, Mary K., (Estate)
Date: 12/22/17

281 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Robin D. Giroux
Seller: Rehm Family Properties
Date: 12/28/17

2 Hillside Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Thomas G. Poole
Seller: Casey Belieu
Date: 12/28/17

9 Hillcrest Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Stephen S. Templeton
Seller: Gail B. Fitzgerald
Date: 12/20/17

20 Meadow Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Rondeau
Seller: Nelen FT
Date: 12/22/17

3 Tigger Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $439,000
Buyer: Brendan P. Cronin
Seller: Matthew T. Lapinski
Date: 12/29/17

SOUTHAMPTON

43 Coleman Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $255,250
Buyer: Kevin J. Evelti
Seller: Roger E. Jette
Date: 12/29/17

46 High St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Caryl J. McPherson
Seller: Janet L. Johnston
Date: 12/28/17

45 Pleasant St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Wynter H. Howland
Seller: William D&E A. Schaffer TR
Date: 12/29/17

Valley Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Bacis
Seller: James R. Labrie
Date: 12/19/17

6 Woodmar Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Howard A. Koski
Seller: David Garstka Builders
Date: 12/27/17

WARE

16 Coldbrook Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Michael Messier
Seller: Benchmark Custom Homes
Date: 12/20/17

7 Kelly Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Collin Vartanian
Seller: Aram Vartanian
Date: 12/29/17

WILLIAMSBURG

7 Laurel Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $125,500
Buyer: Jason C. Harder
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/28/17

100 Petticoat Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Brian Moriarty
Seller: Richard A. Barnard
Date: 12/21/17

6 Williams St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Brittany Superba
Seller: Greenwood, Richard E., (Estate)
Date: 12/29/17

WESTHAMPTON

177 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Brian McLain
Seller: Sequoia Properties LLC
Date: 12/29/17

Pine Island Lake #46
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Laura A. Pompei
Seller: Hart FT
Date: 12/22/17

Pine Island Lake #46A
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Laura A. Pompei
Seller: Hart FT
Date: 12/22/17

Pine Island Lake #47
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Laura A. Pompei
Seller: Hart FT
Date: 12/22/17

26 Pine Island Lake
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Michael D. Tiskus
Seller: Stanne, Anthony J., (Estate)
Date: 12/28/17

Union Station Wins National Prize for Brownfields Redevelopment

By
Daily News

WESTFIELD — Springfield Union Station has won the prestigious Phoenix Award grand prize for the best brownfields-redevelopment project in the nation. Announced during the December National Brownfields Training Conference in Pittsburgh, the Union Station project also won the Region 1 Phoenix Award. Both awards recognize exemplary brownfield redevelopment and revitalization.

These awards highlight the critical environmental cleanup phase at Springfield Union Station, as well as the demolition and removal of a massive baggage warehouse and the remediation of the former site of the Hotel Charles. It also celebrates the redevelopment of a long-vacant historic train station into a state-of-the-art intermodal transit center.

Built in 1926, the original Union Station was boarded up for 44 years before taken over by the Springfield Redevelopment Authority in 1989. After many fits and starts, the $94.1 million redevelopment project was funded by numerous federal, state, and local sources. This included grants from the EPA Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup program, MassDevelopment, the Federal Transit Administration, state transportation bond funds, a state parking grant, and more. Tighe & Bond provided extensive hazardous-building-material evaluations, abatement monitoring, building demolition design, and the assessment and remediation of widespread areas of subsurface contamination.

After almost 10 years, Union Station has been transformed and repurposed into a LEED-certified building that opened last June, and is the new headquarters for Peter Pan Bus Lines. It has also spurred a new, adjacent, $15 million, 265-unit housing redevelopment. Besides the Phoenix Award, the project has already won other statewide awards for historic preservation, including the Preservation Massachusetts Paul & Nikki Tsongas Best Then & Now Award for 2017.

Unemployment Rate Drops to 3.5% in Massachusetts

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 3.5% in December, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts lost 300 jobs in December. Over the month, the private sector lost 200 jobs; gains occurred in construction, manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, and financial activities. The November estimate was revised to a gain of 7,800 jobs.

From December 2016 to December 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 63,000 jobs. The December unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Throughout 2017, the Commonwealth continued to experience steady economic growth, adding 63,000 jobs, over 64,000 additional residents participating in the labor force, and closing out the year with a low unemployment rate of 3.5%. While much of these job gains continue to be in sectors like professional, business, and scientific services, manufacturing also posted a preliminary 2,800 over-the-year job gain, the first over-the-year over job gain in that sector in 18 years,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said.

The labor force decreased by 500 from 3,647,500 in November, as 1,900 more residents were employed and 2,500 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.1% in December 2016. There were 17,900 more unemployed residents over the year compared to December 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 — decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 65.3% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased by 0.7% compared to December 2016.

The largest private sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; professional, scientific, and business services; other services; and leisure and hospitality.

Health & Wellness Expo to Feature Cutting-edge Genetic/DNA Test

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — One of the most comprehensive genetic/DNA tests available will be offered to the public at Tower Square’s Health & Wellness Expo on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

A simple swab of the mouth, this test, conducted by True Blue Health & Wellness, can offer insight into cardiac health, cancer detection, carrier status, response to medications, as well as weight and diet analysis. The results are 100% confidential, and the test is covered by most health insurance plans. While walk-ins are welcome, those interested in having the testing done are encouraged to pre-register at www.truebluehw.com/schedule (select Tower Square).

The genetic/DNA test site is just one of more than 20 professional healthcare stations available to residents and office workers at Tower Square’s food court on Jan. 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Other vendor stations include eye screenings, weight loss and hypnosis, sleep disorders, posture screenings, kidney-disease treatment, allergy and immunology, yoga and meditation, massage therapy, CPR and first aid, home healthcare, and more.

The public is invited to attend this free health expo and enjoy live music and giveaways, including free gluten-free snacks by Bakery on Main. The snow date for the event is Jan. 25.

MGM Springfield to Host Information Sessions for Casino Jobs

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield, the Commonwealth’s first luxury resort and entertainment destination, set to open later this year, will host a series of informational sessions to provide details on casino jobs and the training required to start a career as a table-games dealer.

MGM Springfield representatives and staff from the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute (MCCTI) will be on hand to provide details on how to register and enroll for gaming classes at the new MCCTI Gaming School, opening Monday, Feb. 26 in downtown Springfield. Classes are scheduled to run Feb. 26 through July 13 and cost from $199 to $599 for a single specialized game class. Anyone who successfully completes two table-game courses gets an automatic job interview with MGM Springfield.

“My best advice to people curious about these exciting career opportunities: don’t just think about the possibilities; act on your interest,” said Robert Westerfield, MGM Springfield’s vice president of Table Games. “Energetic job seekers who have a desire to work for the industry leader in hospitality and entertainment should engage with us now to be ready to apply for a job and be part of the show later this year.”

Attendees will hear from Westerfield about his personal story starting out in the industry at 22 and rising through the ranks to become vice president of Table Games in Springfield. They also will hear what it takes to be a successful dealer, the skills required, the opportunities available, and how the Gaming School can help people secure these skills. MGM and Holyoke Community College representatives will outline class instructions and preparations, and explain what to expect on day one.

MGM Springfield anticipates hiring more than 450 table-game dealers. Mass hiring is expected to begin this summer.

Information sessions will be held at the MGM Springfield Career Center, 1259 East Columbus Ave., third floor, on the following dates:

• Saturday, Jan. 20, 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m.;

• Wednesday, Jan. 24, 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m.;

• Saturday, Feb. 3, 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m.;

• Wednesday, Feb. 7, 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m.;

• Wednesday, Feb. 14, 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m.; and

• Friday, Feb. 16, 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m.

These sessions are free and open to the public. To learn more and to register in advance, visit www.mccti.org/upcoming.html.

Seminar Slated on Tapping the Power of Digital Recruitment Marketing

By
Daily News

AGAWAM — On Wednesday, Nov. 28, the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) will host a presentation by GCAi digital marketing analysts Darcy Fortune and James Garvey titled “Increase Results: Digital Marketing For Recruiting & Hiring Success.”

The breakfast seminar, slated for 8:30 to 10 a.m., is free for EANE members, but non-members can attend for $25.

Fortune is a video producer, director, and content creator with a background in production from ABC and FOX affiliates. Garvey is a certified Google AdWords qualified planner and Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn marketing expert.

“We matched the best practices of digital marketing to the candidate’s journey and came up with an amazing recruitment strategy,” said Mary Shea, vice president of Digital Strategy for GCAi. “Understanding their journey and this strategy will enable HR to better serve the needs of A-listers and be in an ‘always-recruiting’ mode.”

Fortune and Garvey will review each aspect of the candidate’s digital job-search journey and how brands can create a plan to serve each phase. Fortune will also discuss the importance of employer branding, the benefits of recruitment and culture, and tips and tactics for video planning and production. Finally, Garvey will unlock the secrets of social-media marketing and how it can be the most powerful, yet least understood, aspect of recruitment marketing.

For more information and to register, visit www.eane.org/special-events.

Solidago Foundation Hires New Director of Partnerships

By
Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — The Solidago Foundation, a Northampton-based national social-justice foundation, announced it has hired Megan Murphy Wolf as director of partnerships. A newly created position, the director of partnerships will focus on developing, supporting, and enhancing partnerships for the Solidago Foundation. Wolf will be responsible for the design and implementation of donor cultivation and engagement, as well as foundation partnership strategies.

“Megan joins our team with deep expertise in creating meaningful partnerships across unlikely actors, as well as a legislative background that will enhance our support of grassroots advocacy groups,” said Elizabeth Barajas-Román, CEO of the foundation. “We are happy to welcome her at this exciting time for the organization.”

Wolf brings a strong background in both development and public-policy work. Prior to joining Solidago, she worked as director of class campaigns and annual fund leadership giving at Amherst College. During her time at Amherst, she was successful in her personal solicitations, securing multi-year pledges and outright gifts, increasing the yearly totals by 300% and successfully breaking Amherst giving and participation records every year. She has also worked as legislative director for two congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“This is an incredible opportunity to be a part of an organization with a long history of impact within the field of social justice, sustainability, and the fundamental right to work,” Wolf said. “I have focused my career on these important issues, and I believe we have the ability to create positive social change through collaboration and collective support for shared goals. I’m honored to join the Solidago family and be a part of this impressive group of people dedicated to support for the common good.”

Throughout her career, Wolf has worked to create partnerships, both political in nature and as fund-building coalitions, to bring about positive social change. As director of partnerships, she will be responsible for working on developing programming and content for donor recognition and campaign-related programs and events for the foundation.

“I am thrilled to have Megan join our team and looking forward to working with someone with her expertise as we move forward with our new business model,” said Jeff Rosen, chief financial officer of the foundation. “Adding Megan to the team will enhance our ability to bring resources to the field and amplify our impact at an important time for our partners.”

Venue Changed for Western Mass. Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Due to a much higher demand than previously anticipated, the Western Mass. Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet on Thursday, Feb. 1 has been moved from the 12th-floor ballroom at La Quinta in Springfield to Hadley Farms Meeting House at 41 Russell St. in Hadley.

Cocktail hour for the event will still begin at 6 p.m., and the program itself will begin at 7 p.m.

“Well, the long and the short of it is we sold out before we even began to aggressively advertise,” said Western Mass. Baseball Hall of Fame committee member and Valley Blue Sox President Clark Eckhoff. “It’s a great problem to have, but we want to make sure folks have a chance to go. There’s been an incredible amount of interest in the program this year, and we want to make sure we’re meeting the demand. We’ll have plenty of new space in the new venue to host folks who want to come out and enjoy the evening.”

Tickets to the event are $45 for individuals and $425 for a table of 10. Baltimore Orioles General Manager Dan Duquette will be this year’s keynote speaker.

Tickets can be ordered online at www.valleybluesox.com or by calling the Blue Sox ticket office at (413) 533-1100.

Country Bank Assists Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp.

By
Daily News

WARE — Country Bank announced that it donated $50,000 to the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp. (QVCDC) to support its commitment to economic development and helping small businesses grow and prosper in the Quaboag Hills Region. The QVCDC offers many programs to help small businesses, including training programs such as computer courses, how to write a business plan, or individual consulting, in addition to offering small-business loans.

“We want to acknowledge and express our deep appreciation for this major donation. Country Bank’s support of Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation reflects their deep commitment to the community and support for activities that are designed to strengthen the business fabric of the region and improve the day-to-day lives of Quaboag region residents,” said Sheila Cuddy, QVCDC executive director.

To learn more about how the QVCDC might be able to assist your business, visit qvcdc.org.

BusinessWest Seeks Nominations for 40 Under Forty

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest magazine will accept nominations for the 40 Under Forty Class of 2018 through the end of the work day (5 p.m.) on Friday, Feb 16. The annual program, now in its 12th year, recognizes rising stars within the Western Mass. community, which includes Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.

This year’s group of 40, to be chosen by five independent judges, will be profiled in the magazine’s April 30 edition. The nomination form, which can be found online at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-nomination-form, requests basic information and can be supported with other material, such as a résumé, testimonials, and even press clippings highlighting an individual’s achievements in their profession or service to their community.

The winners will be toasted at the 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The lavish cocktail party, to be held on Thursday, June 21 starting at 5:30 p.m., will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2018. Also, the third Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced. Tickets will go on sale soon at $75 per person (tables of 10 available), and the event always sells out quickly. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

Speaker Sisterhood Announces Partnership with Baystate Health

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Twenty-eight female medical providers from Baystate Health are set to begin a six-month pilot of a public-speaking training program uniquely crafted for women in academic medicine. The program is a collaboration between Women Advancing and Achieving in Medicine, a Baystate Health organizational resource group, and Speaker Sisterhood, a public-speaking training company for women founded by CEO Angela Lussier and headquartered in Holyoke.

The program is focused on learning and practicing proven techniques to enhance participants’ communication so they are more effective and confident. The goal is for each participant to hone her own authentic voice so that she has greater impact both within her department and from behind the podium at major conferences. The program kicked off Jan. 10 and runs until June 6.

“For years, I have noticed a lack of female speakers at many high-profile medical conferences, and I figured that there had to be a systemic way to change this, and our pilot project is a first step,” said Dr. Jeannette Wolfe, associate professor of Emergency Medicine at UMass Medical School’s Baystate campus. “We have partnered with Speaker Sisterhood to develop a very unique curriculum that addresses some of the specific challenges many women in academic medicine face in becoming recognized as source experts within their fields. I’m very excited about the potential of the program because creating a group of polished public speakers not only benefits those speakers, but also increases the regional and national recognition of Baystate Health.”

Participants, who were nominated by their chairs and program directors, will meet monthly in a three-hour evening session. Each meeting will begin with a brief lecture covering topics ranging from effective storytelling to slide development to tips on how to break into conference speaking circles. Next, participants will move into their breakout groups of eight or nine women for hands-on experiential learning and practice giving speeches and feedback to each other. Each group has deliberately been created to include women from a mix of medical specialties and experience levels with the intention that this will help naturally facilitate beneficial networking and coaching within the groups.

The pilot program is built upon the Speaker Sisterhood’s signature speaker development program, “The Secret Life of Speaking Up,” which was crafted to help professional women enhance their speech-writing skills, build on presentation effectiveness, and grow confidence while speaking.

“We’ve been running this program for the last 18 months in various communities, and over 100 women have benefited from the Speaker Sisterhood curriculum. We’re excited to see the impact it will make in a hospital setting and in the medical community at large,” Lussier said.

The aim of the pilot is to demonstrate its success though participants’ objective and subjective reports so that it can be expanded throughout Baystate Health and used as a template to benefit women in other academic centers.

“We were pleased to be asked to speak about this program at the Massachusetts Medical Society Women’s Leadership Forum in the fall of 2017,” said planning committee member and course facilitator Dr. Deborah Hoadley. “The response was overwhelmingly positive, and we were excited to hear women from all across the state express an interest in offering similar programs at their own institutions.”

Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley Installs 2018 Leadership Team

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Edward Alford of South Hadley was installed as president of the 1,800-member Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley on Jan. 9. The installation of officers and directors took place at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. More than 100 people attended the organization’s 103rd annual installation ceremony. Donald Thompson, the association’s 2008 president, served as emcee for the event.

The other officers installed were Kelly Bowman as president-elect, Sue Drumm as treasurer, Elias Acuna as secretary, and Rick Sawicki as immediate past president. The directors installed include Shawn Bowman, Peter Davies, Janise Fitzpatrick, Sara Gasparrini, Sharyn Jones, Cheryl Malandrinos, Sue Rheaume, and Russell Sabadosa.

Alford was joined by Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors (MAR) President Rita Coffey, who served as the installing officer. Coffey’s leadership team from MAR was also in attendance, including Anne Meczywor, president-elect; Kurt Thompson, secretary/treasurer; Paul Yorkis, immediate past president; and Rob Authier, CEO.

Horace Smith Fund Offers Scholarship and Fellowship Funds

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Horace Smith Fund, now in its 119th year, is making scholarship and fellowship money available for graduates of Hampden County public and private high schools. Scholarships awards of $10,000 are distributed as $2,500 annually and renewable each year until graduation. Fellowship awards of $12,000 are distributed as $4,000 annually and renewable for two additional years. Students must maintain at least a B average in college.

Recipients are selected on a variety of criteria, including their college entrance exam scores, class rank, extra-curricular activities, financial need, recommendations, and a personal written account of why the student feels deserving of financial assistance. Fellowship applicants must also submit their transcripts and, if applicable, GRE or degree-specific test scores. All recipients must be full-time students and residents of Hampden County.

Last year, $216,000 was awarded to 21 individuals. Scholarships were given to 14 graduating seniors from 11 Hampden County high schools. Four scholarships were also awarded to college students to assist them in completing their undergraduate degrees. Three fellowships were given to college graduates who had graduated from Hampden County high schools.

The Horace Smith Fund was established in 1899 by the philanthropist Horace Smith, co-founder of Smith & Wesson. The scholarships and fellowships are named for Walter Barr, a West Springfield businessman, whose widow left the bulk of the family estate to the Horace Smith Fund in 1950.

Completed applications must be received either electronically or mailed to the Horace Smith Fund at 1441 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103, no later than March 1. Applications are available at local high-school guidance offices, college financial-aid offices, online at www.horacesmithfund.org, or by calling (413) 739-4222.

The Drama Studio Secures Permanent Home

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Drama Studio was founded in 1987 by Steve Hays and a group of educators and parents who envisioned an institution where youth could study acting as seriously as they could study music. Located at 41 Oakland St. in Springfield, in close proximity to Forest Park, the Drama Studio had been a 30-year renter of space from St. Barnabas & All Saints Episcopal Church when the call came from the diocese that the building was no longer to be utilized as a place of worship.

“When that call came, our board sprang into action,” Hays said. “Funds were quickly raised from a small group of generous donors, and thanks to the hard work of our board and the generosity of the diocese, we were able to negotiate a fair price. On December 22, 2017, we purchased the church and are thrilled to begin steps toward major renovation.”

The mission of the Drama Studio is to enrich and validate the adolescent experience in this diverse community via excellence in a conservatory-style acting training program. It serves more than 250 students annually from the region. One alum, Gregory Boilard, of New York City, was involved with the Drama Studio from grade 6 until he graduated from Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham in 2010. He credits Hays with “shaping his childhood” and enabling him to land his dream job working in publicity for the Disney Theatrical Group on Broadway. While many alums have gone on to have careers in theater, film, and television, others attribute their success as lawyers, surgeons, administrators, teachers, and other professionals to the confidence they gained as students at the Drama Studio.

The Drama Studio is one of a handful of after-school acting conservatories in the U.S. where young actors ages 6 to 18 can study intensively and advance through a theater curriculum before graduating from high school. It offers a coordinated program including both classroom and performance training with more than 25 after-school classes and six vacation camps. Two community outreach programs, DramaTours and TheaterReaders, currently serve more than 3,000 Springfield public elementary-school children each year.

Kate Kane Wins 2018 Distinguished Advisor in Philanthropy Award

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, in partnership with the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County and the Pioneer Valley Estate Planning Council, has awarded Kate Kane the 2018 Distinguished Advisor in Philanthropy Award. The award was presented by Katie Allan Zobel, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, and Amy Jamrog, wealth management advisor at the Jamrog Group, at a luncheon on Jan. 9.

The purpose of the Distinguished Advisor in Philanthropy Award is to recognize the important work that professional advisors (estate-planning attorneys, financial advisors, and accountants) do in encouraging their clients to engage in local philanthropy for the region.

As Zobel noted, “professional advisors play a quiet and often unsung role in advancing philanthropy. The Community Foundation has been working alongside local advisors for over 25 years, and we see first-hand the meaningful work they do by connecting their clients’ generous intentions to needs in our community. Their efforts have helped create a significant base of funding for scholarships and grants to nonprofits in our region.”

Zobel also said she is pleased to be giving this award to its first female recipient. Past awardees include George Keady III, Dick Gaberman, Dennis Bidwell, Jack Ferriter, and Steven Schwartz. Kane received a plaque and $1,000 to recommend as a grant to the charity of her choice.

Kane is managing director of Northwestern Mutual in Springfield, where she matches clients’ needs with innovative solutions utilizing insurance services and internationally recognized investment products.

“Financial advising is a business of words and stories,” she said. “The numbers are simply tools to further the pursuit of hopes and dreams for ourselves, our families, and our communities. We give our clients the gift of listening to their stories and helping them connect with the right decisions to fulfill their aspirations and leave a legacy.”

Well-known for her volunteerism and philanthropic spirit, Kane is a former board member (2008-15) and past board president of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts. She currently serves on the boards of directors for Elms College and Girls Inc. of Holyoke and is vice chair of the board of trustees for Springfield Museums. She co-wrote the original business plan for the local chapter of the Dress for Success, which supports the career and economic advancement of women, and she serves as a business mentor for many young entrepreneurs in the region.

Kane has been recognized with many awards in the past for her commitment to strengthening her community, including Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield’s Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year in 2015, Western Mass Women magazine’s Professional Woman of the Year in 2012, Professional Women’s Chamber Woman of the Year in 2011, and a BusinessWest Difference Maker in 2009.

Former CIGNA Health CIO Terry Ramey Joins VertitechIT

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — A seasoned chief information officer for some of the world’s largest healthcare payor organizations, Terry Ramey has joined Holyoke-based healthcare consultancy VertitechIT as an executive project officer (EPO). He will lead engagements with large healthcare systems as the company continues to expand operations throughout the East Coast and across the country.

Ramey previously held senior technology titles at PerformRX (a subsidiary of AmeriHealth Caritas), Penn Mutual Life Insurance, CIGNA Health Services, and Dendrite International.
 
As a nationally recognized healthcare technology executive, he says he was looking to make an impact on the provider side of the industry.

“At CIGNA, Penn Mutual, and other major payor organizations, my responsibilities were to leverage technology to positively affect the bottom line,” he noted. “At VertitechIT, I have the opportunity to help transform hospital IT departments with a direct impact on patient care. It’s not often that an IT executive gets to do that.”

VertitechIT CEO Michael Feld agrees. “Our work at work at major health systems goes far beyond designing and implementing cloud strategies, overhauling infrastructure, and streamlining operations. As an EPO, Terry will counsel clients on the IT initiatives that can literally change the way doctors do their jobs.”

Working at the executive level within a healthcare organization, EPOs oversee a collaborative office of the CTO (oCTO), implementing VertitechIT’s proprietary LeverageIT process. Working side by side with senior internal managers, the oCTO refines strategic directives and implements tactical solutions that make organizations more profitable and efficient.

Bay Path to Host Workforce Training Fund Information Session

By
Daily News

EAST LONGMEADOW — A Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund information session will be held on Feb. 2 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Bay Path University’s Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center in East Longmeadow. To register, visit workforcetrainingfund.org/events or call (413) 565-1555.

The Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP) helps address business productivity and competitiveness by providing resources to Massachusetts businesses to fund training for current and newly hired employees. In order to qualify, businesses must pay into the fund. All for-profit companies automatically pay into the fund. Nonprofit organizations can visit www.workforcetrainingfund.org and click on ‘programs’ for more information and to learn if the organization qualifies. Government agencies are not eligible to apply.

While available to businesses and organizations of all sizes, the WTFP focuses on small to medium-sized businesses that would not be able to invest in improving employee skills without the assistance of the Fund. As recently as October, the Workforce Training Fund Program awarded grants to 121 Massachusetts companies and organizations totaling $11.9 million. More than $17 million in grants were distributed in FY17.

Bay Path’s Strategic Alliances division, which offers customized talent and leadership programs, as well as specialized training, is hosting this event. The WTFP information session is part of “How to Build Company Loyalty Through Professional Development” and will include an overview of the features and benefits of each Workforce Training Fund grant program, the amount of available funding, program guidelines, and how to apply for each grant. Participants will have direct access to staff to ask questions about the WTFP and training opportunities.

Speakers on the event agenda include Kristen Rayne, outreach manager, Workforce Training Fund at Commonwealth Corp.; Stephen Brand, executive director of Global Learning, Strategic Alliances at Bay Path University; and two talent-development experts with vast experience in the Western Mass. region.

The Workforce Training Fund is a program of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, administered by Commonwealth Corp.

MGM Springfield Moves to New On-site Corporate Offices

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield has moved into new corporate offices at 95 State St., soon to be called One MGM Way. Located across from the Hampden County Superior Court, and adjacent to what will be MGM Springfield’s South End Market, the building will be home to members of the MGM Springfield executive and administrative teams.

“Moving on site is a great way to kick off the year of our opening,” said Michael Mathis, president and COO of MGM Springfield. “We have a growing workforce, and this office space better suits our ever-expanding needs as this momentous year unfolds. It’s an exciting transition for all of us.”

Like other elements of the property’s integrated downtown design, the 11-story building celebrates Springfield’s heritage while preserving its iconic past. Built in 1929, the building was designed in the classical revival style by Burton Geckler as an annex to 1200 Main St. It was formerly known as the MassMutual building at 95 State St., and has since undergone a complete renovation, including new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and finishes. MGM carefully conserved the exterior façade and maintained many of the lobby’s original features.

“I am proud of the effort and care that our first-in-class construction team has put into preserving Springfield’s history throughout the property,” Mathis said. “This building is just one example of the many that will be unveiled this year.”

Springfield firms Specs Design Group and Dietz & Co. Architects collaborated on the outfitting and design of the employee space with Las Vegas-based Friedmutter Group. Springfield-based Fontaine Bros. Inc. served as general contractor and stewarded the project through the construction phase.

“As a company that has called Springfield home for over 85 years, we were excited to oversee construction of this critical portion of the MGM resort, and we are proud to have played a role in helping bring this unprecedented economic-development project to our city,” said David Fontaine Jr., vice president of Fontaine Bros.

MGM Springfield’s new corporate offices boast collaboration and work areas, conference and meeting spaces, open cubicle areas, and private executive offices. The design scheme includes warm colors, reclaimed wood, and brick veneers throughout the space.

“With an inviting new layout and fresh faced finishes, this tired, 1930s office building becomes a hip, flexible environment for a young, energetic workforce,” said Elise Irish, principal of Specs Design Group.

The corporate offices will be located on floors two through eight. Approximately 50 employees have moved into the space. At full staffing, the area is expected to accommodate more than 300 employees. Activities at the approximately 85,000-square-foot employee offices will cover all aspects of the day-to-day operations for MGM Springfield.

Anyone interested in learning about career opportunities should visit MGM Springfield’s Career Center, which will be open 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 1-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. During those hours, an MGM representative may be reached at (413) 273-5052.

Marty Holmes Recognized for Success with Management Search Inc.

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Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Marty Holmes was recently named top corporate search consultant at Management Search Inc.

Holmes, president of the West Springfield division of the privately held recruiting firm, was recognized with the organization’s prestigious President’s Club Award for sales excellence in 2017. This year also marked Holmes’ 30th anniversary with Management Search Inc.

Throughout his tenure, Holmes has worked to perfect a time-tested recruitment process and, in the process, has established deep roots in the market with a diverse client base in manufacturing and a niche focus within the shooting-sports industry. His hands-on consultative approach, along with his extensive knowledge of the industries he works in, have worked together to build and strengthen his reputation among clients and candidates alike.

Headquartered in West Springfield with an office in Providence, R.I., Management Search Inc. has grown to become one of the largest privately held recruiting firms in New England, boasting 35 years of recruiting experience and 15 established consultants.

Dress for Success Graduates 14 from Foot in the Door Program

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SPRINGFIELD — The third cohort of the Western Mass. Dress for Success Foot in the Door program celebrated its graduation at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). Fourteen women recently completed the nine-week training. Graduates already have interviews scheduled with TD Bank, MGM Springfield, Sunshine Village, Baystate Health, and Smith & Wesson. One participant said she’s decided to return to higher education and get her bachelor’s degree. These women are ready for the workforce due to a grant from Baystate Health and Smith & Wesson.

“If you had told me two years ago, when we began building the Foot in the Door program, it would be this successful, I would have thought it was simply high expectations,” said Dawn Creighton, president of the board. “The caliber of the women coming out of this program, being workforce-ready, is amazing. We change their lives and their futures.”

The success of the Foot in the Door program lies in the partnership between Western Mass. Dress for Success and Training and Workforce Options (TWO), the workforce collaboration between STCC and Holyoke Community College, said Sharon Grundel of TWO. “As community-driven and supported entities, we share a vision to empower individuals to their highest ability.”

Currently, Western Mass. Dress for Success is accepting applications and grants to begin its fourth cohort this spring.

Study Connects Veterans’ Addiction Risk to Childhood Adversity

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AMHERST — Results of a national study led by public health scientist Elizabeth Evans at UMass Amherst, along with others at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and UCLA, suggest that risk for alcohol- and drug-use disorders among U.S. military veterans is increased by childhood adversity, and in ways that are different between women and men and different compared to the civilian population.

According to Evans, assistant professor of Health Promotion and Policy at UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, in the general population, fewer women than men have an alcohol- or drug-use disorder. “Veterans are different in that there is no gender difference in the prevalence of these problems,” she explained. “Among veterans, a similar proportion of women and men — about 37% — have ever had an alcohol or drug-use disorder. This finding that women veterans are similar to men veterans, and are so different from civilian women, is unexpected. Also surprising are the high rates of childhood adversity among veterans, especially among women; 68% of women veterans report some childhood adversity, and they have the highest rates of childhood sexual abuse.”

The study results appeared in a recent early online edition of Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology and will be in print this year.

“One of the implications of this study is the need to assess for childhood adversity, to help people recognize its relationship with substance use and cope with its health impacts,” Evans noted. “When people join the military or when veterans access healthcare at the VA or in the community would be good times to assess and treat childhood adversity, and we’re often missing those opportunities now.”

The researchers found that, with increasing exposure to adversity in childhood, risks of alcohol-use disorder among civilian men and women grew more similar, but for drug-use disorder, the gender differences in risk widened. By contrast, among veterans, more childhood adversity elevated men’s alcohol risk and increased women’s drug risk. The authors speculate that, among veterans with greater exposure to childhood adversity, men may be more likely than women to use alcohol, while women may be more likely than men to use drugs.

“In general right now, we don’t assess for childhood adversity until there’s a problem, in particular with alcohol or drugs, or attempts to harm oneself or others,” Evans said. “However, we know that childhood adversity is an early life experience that is associated with anxiety, depression, and other risk factors for later health and social problems. We in public health, along with others in the community, can do more to prevent childhood adversity altogether. Also, more can be done to assess and address childhood adversity when it does occur so that we mitigate or undo its harmful effects. The need for such efforts is especially critical now given the devastating impacts of the current opioid epidemic on families and communities.”

ICNE Announces Addition of Eastman & Davis Insurance

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AGAWAM — The Insurance Center of New England (ICNE) announced the addition of Eastman & Davis Insurance Agency Inc. in West Springfield to its growing company.

“We are thrilled to not only have the Eastman & Davis Insurance clients join our agency, but also to have longtime employee Marilyn Loudon join the ICNE team as a personal lines account manager,” said William Trudeau, president and CEO of ICNE.

Many ICNE clients have been with the agency for generations, Trudeau noted, so he understands what an important role Bill Eastman has played in the lives of his clients through the years. “I feel so honored that Bill trusts the ICNE team to take over the responsibility of caring for his clients.”

Over the past several years, Eastman had been seeking out a business partner to ensure that his business would continue to thrive and that his clientele would be well-taken care of for decades to come. While Eastman & Davis clients may experience a few minor changes in process and procedures, the ultimate goal is to make the transition seamless.

“When Eastman & Davis clients join ICNE, they will quickly learn that we are much more than an insurance agency,” Trudeau said. “We are a local team of insurance professionals who will get to know them personally and will always be there to answer their questions, review their policy, and help them make informed decisions to safeguard their family, home, car, and everything that is important to them.”

As part of the transition, Eastman & Davis’ West Springfield office will be closing. However, for the convenience of clients, Marilyn Loudon will move to ICNE’s main office in Agawam, just five miles down the road from the current West Springfield location.

“I can’t stress enough how happy our entire team is to welcome the Eastman & Davis clients to our agency,” Trudeau said. “We look forward to getting to know them and working together for years to come.”

Local Arts and Culture Partners to Sign Springfield Compact

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Central Cultural District, the Springfield Cultural Council, the city of Springfield, and the Mass Cultural Council will announce a new and formal cultural relationship with a compact signing on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall, Room 220.

The cultural compact is designed to increase collaboration and partnership. It includes basics, such as regular meetings and communication, but also Springfield-specific goals like integrating public art into the metro center. Springfield is one of six pilot cities for this initiative across the state of Massachusetts, and the first in the state to hold a signing ceremony.

Participants at the ceremony will include Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Anita Walker, executive director, Mass Cultural Council; Arreen Andrew, local cultural council program officer, Mass Cultural Council; Scott Hanson, principal planner, city of Springfield; Andrew Cade, chair, Springfield Cultural Council; Morgan Drewniany, executive director, Springfield Central Cultural District; and Eileen McCaffery, chair, Springfield Central Cultural District.

Higher Ed Commissioner to Discuss Latino Student Success at HCC

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HOLYOKE — Carlos Santiago, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, will be the keynote speaker at an event on Wednesday, Jan. 17, celebrating Holyoke Community College’s (HCC) federal designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

Santiago’s talk, scheduled from 9:10 to 10 a.m., will focus on improving the academic success of Latino students and the importance of this rising demographic in higher education and in Massachusetts. The talk will be followed at 10 a.m. by a faculty and staff panel discussion concentrating on HCC’s future as an HSI.

“Our goal for the day is to develop a common understanding of our Hispanic Serving Institution designation and collectively form a vision of HCC as an effective HSI,” said President Christina Royal.

Hispanic Serving Institution is a federal designation for colleges and universities where more than 25% of the student population is Hispanic. HCC received status as an HSI last year. As an HSI, HCC is eligible for federal grants that can be used to improve services and programs that benefit all students.

Santiago joined the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in April 2013 as the senior deputy commissioner for Academic Affairs and was appointed commissioner of Higher Education in July 2015. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University and brings more than 30 years of experience in public higher education, having served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM, Wisconsin’s second-largest research university), provost and chief operating officer at the University at Albany (SUNY), and professor of Economics at UWM and SUNY-Albany.

He is the author or co-author of six books and has published dozens of articles and book reviews, many of which focus on economic development and the changing socioeconomic status of Latinos in the U.S. In 1996 and 2011, Santiago was named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the country by Hispanic Business magazine.

Mercy Health ACO Announces State Certification for New Program

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SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Health ACO announced that the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) certified it as an accountable-care organization (ACO) in the HPC’s new, first-in-the-nation program. The HPC’s first round of ACO certification includes 17 HPC-certified ACOs and is a significant milestone for Massachusetts, making it the first state to implement statewide, all-payer standards for care delivery.

“We are pleased to take the next step in this important effort to improve care for MassHealth patients and reduce costs for the Commonwealth,” said Mark Fulco, president of Mercy Medical Center.

Mercy has formed an ACO partnership with Boston Medical Center (BMC) Health System, including its affiliate, BMC HealthNet Plan. The Mercy ACO will provide coverage, care, and services to MassHealth enrollees in Western Mass.

The HPC’s ACO certification program is closely aligned with efforts by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the MassHealth to improve health and reduce healthcare cost growth in the Commonwealth through ACOs. The goal is a healthcare delivery system that delivers coordinated, patient-centered health care that accounts for patients’ behavioral, social, and medical needs.

“The ACO program represents a significant change in the way MassHealth contracts with healthcare organizations throughout the state,” said Massachusetts Secretary for Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “The goal of the ACO program is to improve the care coordination and health outcomes for 850,000 MassHealth members, and we are pleased they all met the thorough certification standards.”

For the first year of the program, the HPC defined a set of criteria on which to assess ACOs for certification against that goal. However, unlike other state or federal programs, the HPC’s certification program evaluates ACOs on an all-payer basis, including for their Medicaid, Medicare, and commercially insured patient populations.

The HPC-certified ACOs include a diverse cross section of 17 healthcare organizations from across the Commonwealth. Importantly, the HPC will certify all organizations participating in the MassHealth ACO program.

“The ACO certification program will bring new transparency and information to the public regarding how ACOs are structured and operating today,” said David Seltz, HPC executive director. “The HPC expects to analyze the information received and identify best practices and areas of improvement for payers, policy makers, researchers, providers, and consumers.”

In order to be evaluated for certification, organizations were required to provide information for 15 standards, including patient-centered governance, performance-improvement strategy, experience in quality-based risk contracts, population-health management programs, and ability to coordinate cross-continuum care. Full certification is effective for two years, and organizations with provisional certification must apply for full certification within one year.

“Mercy Medical Center’s new ACO is big step forward for increasing access and affordability in Western Massachusetts,” said state Sen. James Welch. “I am excited to see this new and innovative program come into action and proud that Mercy is helping the Commonwealth carry the torch of healthcare delivery transformation to the benefit of our citizens and as an example to the nation.”

Springfield College Welcomes James Harnsberger

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SPRINGFIELD — After an extended national search, James Harnsberger has been named associate vice president for Graduate Education, Grants, and Sponsored Research at Springfield College. President Mary-Beth Cooper and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Martha Potvin recently made the announcement.

Harnsberger will join the college on Feb. 15, and will be responsible for elevating the status of graduate education at Springfield College as well as for increasing the college’s capacity to generate and support externally funded grants and sponsored funding.

“In both of these primary responsibilities, his thoughtful approach, his experiences in supporting students and the work of faculty, and his success in managing large contracts and overseas operations will serve him well,” said Potvin.

A linguist and speech scientist with extensive experience in experimental phonetics, forensic acoustics, and clinical applications, Harnsberger comes to Springfield College from the University of New Haven, having previously overseen the launch of an international branch campus as campus dean. His responsibilities included international grants and contracts, program development, and operations, as well as the inaugural Academic Bridge Program for international students at UNH.

Harnsberger earned his doctorate in linguistics from the University of Michigan, where he conducted research on cross-language variation in the perception of non-native speech sounds. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at Indiana University, he served at the Department of Linguistics at the University of Florida, conducting research on the perception of speaker characteristics such age, gender, emotion, dialect, stress, and deception. His research has been published in numerous academic journals and reported in the popular media, including ABC News Primetime, BBC Radio, and Science News.

He has served as a linguistic consultant in numerous criminal and civil cases in the U.S., as well as government agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Defense Academy for Credibility Assessment, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and the House Armed Services Committee.

VNA Care Welcomes Holly Chaffee as President and CEO

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BOSTON — VNA Care, a subsidiary of Atrius Health serving more than 50,000 patients each year as Massachusetts’ largest nonprofit home-health and hospice provider, recently welcomed Holly Chaffee as president and CEO.

The appointment of Chaffee, approved by the board of directors in December, was the result of a nationwide search. She replaces Mary Ann O’Connor, who is retiring after a 45-year career in the home-care and hospice industry, including the last five years as president and CEO of VNA Care. VNA Care includes VNA Care Network, VNA of Boston, and VNA Hospice and Palliative Care.

“We are delighted to welcome Holly, whose dedication and vision for providing patients with high-quality, compassionate care was instrumental to her selection as our new CEO. We are confident that VNA Care will continue to be a leader in the level of care that we provide to our communities,” said Rita Advani, chair of the board of directors at VNA Care.

A registered nurse with more than 30 years of experience, Chaffee has distinguished herself as an innovator in enhancing the quality of patient care industry-wide. For the past decade, she has been president and CEO of Porchlight VNA/Home Care, a five-star agency serving communities in Western Mass. She was recently recognized as a 2017 Healthcare Hero by BusinessWest and HCN, specifically being named Health/Wellness Administrator of the year. At Porchlight, a freestanding, not-for-profit organization, she oversaw the full rebranding of a 100-plus-year-old community organization, and a merger that allowed Porchlight to grow into new larger markets.

“I have great admiration for the work VNA Care does with Atrius Health to ensure patients receive the patient-centered care they deserve,” said Chaffee. “As healthcare continues to move into home and ambulatory settings, I look forward to collaborating in our collective mission to provide the right care with kindness and compassion to every person we serve.”

Country Bank Takes Customers on a ‘Ca$h Cab’ Ride

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WARE — To celebrate the holiday season, Country Bank decided to mix things up a bit and have some fun with customers. The Country Bank Honda Pilot was transformed into a ‘Ca$h Cab’ and provided an opportunity for customers and non-customers to take a virtual cab ride with various members from the senior management team. They were asked 10 financial-literacy questions for a chance to win some extra dough.

“This was just a little way for us to show our appreciation to our customers while having some fun and offering financial education. The extra spending money during the holiday season was also very much welcomed by our passengers,” said Shelley Regin, senior vice president of Marketing.

To continue its support of financial education, the bank is launching a new website on Jan. 17 that includes digital financial-literacy modules on a variety of topics, such as savings, retirement, budgeting, investments, mortgages, taxes, insurance, and more. “These modules will provide the knowledge and skills needed to develop stronger financial capability and gain a better understanding of how to use our products and services,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president of Community Relations.

Northampton Branch of Family Legacy Partners Changes Name

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NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton branch of Family Legacy Partners, led by Karen Curran and Molly Keegan, announced a company name change to Curran and Keegan Financial. The company’s office remains in Northampton.

This name change allows the company to better reflect a personal promise to help guide clients’ financial futures. Karen Curran and Molly Keegan offer a combined 22 years of service as independent financial advisors, sponsor numerous community events, and serve on several local boards. Keegan is chair of the Hadley Select Board, and Curran sits on the boards of Safe Passage and Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

“We have a strong reputation for personal stewardship, and our new name captures our commitment to our clients,” Curran said.

Additionally, the company is beginning its fourth year by adding a new client-services associate, Kori Ferris. Ferris has 12 years of experience in higher education, and she most recently led the Office of Financial Aid at Weill Cornell Medicine. A resident of Greenfield, she joins the company with a focus on helping clients and advisors during the financial-planning and investment process.

“Kori brings a wealth of experience to our office, and she understands that individuals’ financial circumstances are unique,” Keegan said. “Our clients will benefit from our increased capacity.”

Greenfield Savings Bank Promotes Tara Brewster

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GREENFIELD — Greenfield Savings Bank promoted Tara Brewster to vice president of Business Development. Her position includes developing long-term strategies for business development and outreach to perspective customers, including small businesses and individuals for lending and account services. She joined GSB as a Business Development specialist in late 2016.

“Tara’s efforts to expand the bank’s portfolio of small-business customers and individuals have been very successful,” said John Howland, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank. “Her more than 20 years of experience in small-business management has given her great insight into the needs of local businesses.”

In addition to her duties at the bank, Brewster is active in volunteering on the committees and boards of a wide range of community organizations, including Northampton Chamber of Commerce board of directors, Hampshire Regional YMCA board, Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board, Downtown Northampton Assoc. board, Northampton Redevelopment Authority committee, North Star Self Directed Learning for Teens development committee, Community Health Center of Franklin County marketing committee, as a Northampton Chamber of Commerce ambassador, and as chair of the Pedalmotion for Locomotion Look Park fund-raising event.

Before joining the Bank, Brewster worked for independent small businesses and multi-million-dollar companies, including seven years as owner of Jackson & Connor in downtown Northampton and in a wide range of management positions including manager, promotions director, buyer, regional sales manager, and East Coast account executive. She is a graduate of Smith College.

Hampden County Bar Assoc. to Offer Free Legal Help Hotline Feb. 8

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SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Assoc. will hold a Legal Help Hotline in conjunction with Western New England University School of Law on Thursday, Feb. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Western New England University School of Law, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield.

The volunteers will provide legal advice on a variety of topics, including divorce and family law, bankruptcy, business, landlord/tenant, and real estate. Additionally, in light of recent immigration developments, attorneys with immigration-law experience will be available to answer questions. Spanish-speaking attorneys will also be available. Individuals needing advice should call (413) 796-2057 to speak to a volunteer.

Robinson Donovan Promotes Kailee Wilson to Associate Attorney

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SPRINGFIELD — Robinson Donovan, P.C. promoted former law clerk Kailee Wilson to the role of associate attorney following her admission to both the Massachusetts and Connecticut bars.

Wilson is a 2017 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law. While attending law school, she also interned with the school’s Tax Clinic, gaining skills and insights that have proven invaluable to her current business practice. In addition, she is now a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., the Hampden County Bar Assoc., and the Connecticut Bar Assoc.

“Kailee had a very successful year at Robinson Donovan, P.C., and we are thrilled that she is expanding her role at our firm,” said Partner James Martin. “Kailee has been a real asset to our firm, and we look forward to her having a successful career here.”

Wilson assists clients in the areas of business and corporate counseling, commercial real estate, and estate planning. Outside of work, she channels her passion for advocacy into her role as a volunteer coach with the Special Olympics and in the Alumni in Admissions program for her alma mater, Bates College.

Theresa Curry to Direct Planned Giving at UMass Amherst

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AMHERST — Theresa Curry has been named executive director of Planned Giving at UMass Amherst. Curry, an attorney, has extensive experience in business and organizational development, nonprofit giving, and gift administration.

“We are delighted that Theresa Curry will be joining UMass Amherst’s development team,” said Vice Chancellor of Development and Alumni Relations Mike Leto. “She brings deep expertise in estate planning to this role, as well as her considerable impact and success in fund-raising for higher education.”

Curry comes to UMass Amherst from the University of New Hampshire Foundation, where she held several senior management positions in gift planning since 2012. Most recently, she served as assistant vice president for Gift Planning and Administration at UNH. She established UNH’s gift-planning program and played a major role in its recent $275 million fund-raising campaign.

Previously, Curry established gift-planning programs as regional director of Philanthropy at the ALS Assoc. and as the capital campaign manager for Merrimack College. She has worked as an employee, consultant, volunteer, and lawyer in gift planning since 1998. She holds a juris doctor degree from the William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, Minn., and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Minnesota. She is also a triathlete and distance runner.

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