Month: September 2018

Insurance

Lines of Defense

While major data breaches at national companies justifiably make news, small businesses may not recognize that hackers target businesses of all sizes and types. But awareness is on the rise, especially as insurance companies hone their products aimed at protecting against cyber threats — and help clients understand that buying insurance is only one line of defense, and that complete protection requires in-house diligence, too.

When is cybercrime not cybercrime?

When it falls under the broad category of something called ‘social engineering,’ said Bill Trudeau, president and CEO of the Insurance Center of New England.

That term refers to a broad range of ways to manipulate people into giving up confidential information, or even money. It can include anything from phishing schemes to leaving a flash drive on the ground, hoping someone will find it and load it onto their computer out of curiosity, thereby installing malware on their company’s network.

Or say, Trudeau suggested, a CFO receives an e-mail he thinks is from the company CEO, reading, “we worked out a new deal with ABC Company. Wire them a $20,000 deposit; I’ll have full details when I return.”

“If they get your CFO to wire money to an unknown source, it’s not really theft because they did it voluntarily; it was a trick,” Trudeau said. More importantly, the loss would not be covered by typical cyber liability insurance, because it’s not technically a cybercrime, which involves the perpetrator physically hacking a network, not conning someone else into doing it. Instead, the client would need a fraud endorsement on its insurance policy.

“Social engineering is cropping up more, spreading like a pandemic,” Trudeau said. “Now, enough bookkeepers have been embarrassed or fired that, when they see an e-mail like this, they usually say, ‘wait, I’m not falling for this.’”

But the ones who do succumb to social engineering make it abundantly clear that, while cyber liability insurance is still an important part of a company’s defense against risk, just as important is a culture that trains employees in avoiding being conned.

SEE: List of Insurance Agencies

“Social engineering is a relatively new term that refers to illegal fund transfer or diversion,” said John Dowd Jr., president of the Dowd Insurance Agency. “You can also unwittingly introduce a virus to a third party. This virus may have been put on your website by someone without you knowing it, and when people go onto your website, they get infected … and it’s your fault.”

That’s not to say cybercrime the way most people understand it — a hacker breaking in and exposing confidential data, for example — isn’t still a major problem, one that companies need to work with their insurance agents to cover. While historic breaches like Target in 2013, with 70 million customer records exposed, make headlines, the reality is that most breaches occur in businesses with 100 or fewer employees.

According to the latest report by Cybint Solutions, which provides cybersecurity education and training solutions to businesses and organizations, a hacker attack occurs every 39 seconds, affecting one in three Americans each year.

Bill Trudeau says businesses need to take stock of exactly what data is at risk, and how damaging it would be to have it exposed, in order to craft a plan of defense.

In 2016, 95% of breached records came from three industries: government, retail, and technology. However, 64% of all companies have experienced web-based attacks, and 43% of cyberattacks targeted small businesses. Meanwhile, 62% experienced phishing and social-engineering attacks.

The threat is growing due to the increasingly interconnected nature of the world today, Cybint notes. According to a recent Symantec Internet Security threat report, there are 25 connected devices per 100 inhabitants in the U.S. By 2020, there will be roughly 200 billion connected devices.

The total cost for cybercrime committed globally has added up to $100 billion, Cybint adds. “Don’t think that all that money comes from hackers targeting corporations, banks, or wealthy celebrities,” the report notes. “Individual users like you and me are also targets. As long as you’re connected to the Internet, you can become a victim of cyberattacks.”

It’s concerning, the report notes, that only 38% of global organizations claim they are prepared to handle a sophisticated cyber attack.

“Many businesses, by and large, do not manage the threat as well as they should,” Dowd told BusinessWest. “This could be due to lack of understanding the true exposure and financial implications of a breach. Certain businesses have a greater exposure than others, but any business that stores personal information or uses a computer has the potential for a claim.”

Growing Costs

While the average cost for each lost or stolen record containing sensitive and confidential information increased 4.8% last year, to $148, according to IBM’s annual “Cost of a Data Breach” report, Trudeau said companies need to individually assess what they have at stake.

“You’ve got to look at this on a granular level,” he said. “What data do you have? What data-breach exposure do you have? Do you store information that’s a concern?”

The answer to that question could vary by quite a bit. “You might have blueprints or schematics, designs, but how critical is it? Some might shake their heads and say, ‘no one cares; it’s on the Internet, so it’s not top secret.’ But if a law firm’s files are stolen, there could be embarrassment and reputation risk. You have to decide what you’re trying to accomplish.”

Cyber liability coverage typically protects against a wide range of losses that businesses may suffer directly or cause to others, and these come in two forms: first-party and third-party losses. Third-party losses involve regulatory fines and lawsuits brought by affected customers, while first-party losses are what the business itself incurs up front, such as business-income loss, data-retrieval services, downtime, and notification of customers, to name a few.

The costs to businesses associated with a data breach, from lawsuits to regulatory fines to notification expense, can be staggering, Dowd noted, and insurance companies have responded with new policy forms that protect against many cyberthreats that customers may never have heard of.

“Policies today are much broader than they used to be out of necessity — the crooks keep coming up with unique ways to hack into your computers and steal information,” he said. “In some cases, they will charge you a ransom to return the information they stole from you. Insurance policies can cover all of the costs associated with a breach, including fines and penalties.”

When a data breach does occur, how a company responds up front — self-reporting to authorities and having a turn-key response — can reduce its liability. In fact, carriers that specialize in this type of coverage, like Beazley and Chubb, have turn-key response operations as part of the policy.

“Social engineering is cropping up more, spreading like a pandemic. Now, enough bookkeepers have been embarrassed or fired that, when they see an e-mail like this, they usually say, ‘wait, I’m not falling for this.’”

Immediately notifying victims and paying for identify-theft-prevention services can help avoid the liability costs that typically outweigh the first-party losses, Trudeau added. “You need liability coverage, but you hope you’ll never have to use that if you handle everything correctly with the victims.”

Businesses need to have not only insurance against cybercrime, but a plan of defense in case something does occur, Dowd said. “Virtually no one is immune from this danger. The laws on the books today are very strict with regard to protecting personal information, whether it is your clients or your employees.”

In response, according to the Cybint report, approximately $1 trillion is expected to be spent globally on cybersecurity from 2017 to 2021. Meanwhile, unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide will reach 3.5 million by 2021. Even now, more than 209,000 cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. are unfilled, and postings are up 74% over the past five year. Clearly, it’s a threat that isn’t expected to go away.

Eyes Wide Open

Employers can take a number of steps to prevent data theft, such as protecting every computer connected to the Internet or the internal network with anti-virus and anti-spyware software; installing security-software updates promptly to stay ahead of hackers; securing the company’s wi-fi network by requiring passwords or even configuring the wireless access point or router to hide the network name; securing computers and network components and requiring log-on passwords for all employees; and continually educating employees on security guidelines for computer, network, database, e-mail, and Internet usage, as well as penalties for violating those guidelines.

And, of course, training employees on how to spot a scam.

“It’s not a data breach when you fool someone into giving up data,” Trudeau said. “In the last few years, insurance providers have seen a striking increase in people voluntarily parting with their money. We need to make sure we’re having the right conversations.”

He said he’s heard of someone posing as a technician visiting a business, and asking to use the bathroom. Once out of sight, he ducks into the first empty cubicle he sees and inserts a flash drive onto a computer to upload malware.

“Certainly prevention is important. A lot of little things can happen,” he told BusinessWest. “Awareness is important, to stay fully ahead of all the shenanigans.”

Some cybersecurity-insurance carriers pose a long series of questions on their application forms about the details of a company’s exposure to data risk, and if the underwriter isn’t satisfied with the answers, they may not write the policy until certain practices have been changed and safeguards put in place. Companies may also choose to hire a third party to poke around their computer systems and challenge their operations when necessary.

“Prevention is critical because the fallout from a breach is not limited to out-of-pocket expense,” Dowd said. “You can also lose clients and sales.”

Indeed, according to an Economist Intelligence Unit consumer survey conducted in 2013, 18% of respondents had been a victim of a data breach, and, of those individuals, 38% said they no longer did business with the organization because of the breach. Meanwhile, 46% said they advised friends and family to be careful of sharing data with the breached company.

“Having a good IT firm who knows how to protect your system on an ongoing basis is critical,” Dowd continued. “Going through the application-for-coverage process is very helpful and often eye-opening because it reveals what you may or may not be doing correctly from a prevention standpoint. I will often suggest to clients that they go through the process of applying in order to educate themselves, even if they ultimately choose not to buy the insurance policy.”

After all, the best policy against becoming a victim is knowledge and vigilance. But an actual insurance policy is a good idea, too.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Achieve TMS East Is Changing the Lives of People with Depression

Health Care

Deep Dive

Stacey Kronenberg (right), operations manager at Achieve TMS East, demonstrates the dTMS technique with technician Sara Pittman.

With data in hand showing that its signature treatment — known as deep transcranial magnetic stimulation — has a strong track record in battling depression, Achieve TMS East has seen significant growth in the region. Now it has further reason to be excited, with the technique showing great promise in treating OCD.

Margie Pierce understands the difficulty — and, yet, the importance — of tackling the problem of depression.

“It’s the leading cause of disability worldwide right now,” said Pierce, a licensed clinical social worker and director of operations at Achieve TMS East, a fast-growing chain of behavioral-health practices that employ an innovative approach to treating depression known as deep transcranial magnetic stimulation, or dTMS.

“We’ve had people who were chronically depressed for 20 years have a fabulous response to this, and we’ve had people chronically depressed who have not had a great response,” she told BusinessWest. “We can’t pigeonhole people when they come in, whether they’re going to respond or you’re not. It’s kind of hit or miss, just like with medications. Some people respond to certain medications, and others don’t.”

That said, however, dTMS has proven remarkably effective in most people who undergo it — in many cases, people who have tried a seemingly endless string of medications and therapies with little success. That explains why the organization has grown to 11 offices across Western Mass., with broader geographic expansion planned.

“We can’t pigeonhole people when they come in, whether they’re going to respond or you’re not. It’s kind of hit or miss, just like with medications. Some people respond to certain medications, and others don’t.”

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation, or dTMS, is a non-invasive technique that applies a series of brief magnetic pulses to the brain, by passing high currents through an electromagnetic coil placed adjacent to a patient’s scalp. The pulses induce an electric field in the underlying brain tissue and activates underactive areas in the brain associated with depression.

Dr. John Zebrun, senior medical officer with Achieve TMS East, said transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was developed in Europe in the 1990s, and the first machine to receive FDA approval in the U.S. was the Neurostar machine, in 2008, which reached two to three centimeters into the brain, unlike dTMS — developed by an Israeli company called BrainsWay — which reaches six to seven centimeters in, and earned FDA approval in 2013.

“It enables you to get deeper into the brain tissue, so the volume of brain tissue is larger,” Zebrun told BusinessWest. “We don’t miss the target, ever, and there’s more stimulation in that area.”

SEE: List of Behavioral Health Centers

The developers of the original TMS technique, he explained, wanted to discover if there were circuits or networks in the brain tissue they could stimulate to ease clinical depression. They targeted the left prefrontal area, which imaging scans suggested were underactive in patients with depression.

“The thought was to stimulate that area first and get it closer to a normal activity level, and that would help with depression — and it did. And that still is the primary target,” he said, noting that the device produces a magnetic field, not an electric current. “It’s getting groups of neurons in the circuit to fire together. As they get used to firing together, they’re more connected to each other.”

After a standard treatment of 36 sessions, he went on, those neurons become trained to fire normally. Treatment statistics show that 51% of patients who undergo the entire protocol get all the way to remission, while 75% get at least halfway to their goal. About one-third will need repeat, ‘booster’ treatments down the road, while two-thirds don’t.

Dr. John Zebrun says deep transcranial magnetic stimulation gets deeper into the brain than traditional TMS — and shows great promise for OCD as well.

In short, those are great numbers for a depression treatment, Zebrun said, and that success explains why Achieve has grown so rapidly across the region — and promises to become a more widely known name across the Northeast.

Long Time Coming

The breakthrough in TMS occurred in 1995, Zebrun said; that was when researchers first demonstrated that a magnetic field could stimulate the right neurons and get a response.

“So it’s been around a long time,” he said. “It varies from machine to machine, but they’re all operating within a certain range and certain power level to get the antidepressant effects.”

FDA approval was only one key development, however; insurances companies still needed to pay for the treatment if doctors hoped to reach a wide market. Medicare accepted it in 2015, and other payers soon came on board.

The FDA originally approved TMS for patients who had failed to find relief with another antidepressant treatment. “But insurance companies added extra layers, expecting to see about four medication and psychotherapy trials before they give this approval,” Zebrun said. “But a lot of people out there have already been through years of treatment and tried several medications.”

Dr. Thomas Bombardier, an ophthalmologist turned businessman, was involved with launching a chain of Achieve TMS businesses in California, Pierce told BusinessWest, and when he saw the benefits and how patients were responding out west, he decided to bring the model to his Western Mass. stomping grounds, teaming with two other owners to open Achieve TMS East.

Patients are referred to Achieve by their primary-care doctors, therapists, and psychiatrists, and some self-refer after hearing about the practice through social media or friends or family members.

“We’re very open to however they can get into the door to get the help they need,” Pierce said, noting that, while the majority of people who seek out tDMS are good candidates for it, some aren’t, due to medical contraindications, recent seizures, or even metal in the head that could heat up during the treatment. Everyone also gets a psychiatric consult to see if the treatment will be appropriate.

Stacey Kronenberg, operations manager at Achieve TMS East, demonstrated the dTMS technique for BusinessWest on Sara Pittman, a technician with the practice, although at a very low power level. Pittman put on a soft cap followed by the dTMS helmet, and Kronenberg set the device to a single-pulse mode, moving centimeter by centimeter until she found the motor area for Pittman’s hand, which twitched. From this process of ‘mapping,’ she could locate the right area to target for treatment.

The power setting isn’t uniform for each patient, and can be altered by the thickness of the skull, how much sleep the patient got the night before, even how much coffee they drank that morning. The process involves 36 ‘taps’ in two seconds as the neurons are stimulated, followed by a 20-second break, then another 36 taps in two seconds, then a 20-second break — a cycle repeated 55 times, totaling just over 20 minutes.

Initial treatments are run at lower power than later treatments to desensitize the patient to the sensation, which Pittman described as more of an annoyance — like a woodpecker tapping at her head — than anything. “It’s a tolerable discomfort,” Zebrun added. “I wouldn’t say it’s a breeze, but it’s tolerable.”

Margie Pierce says some people have come in after battling depression for 20 years — and finally found relief through dTMS.

Some patients pass the time by chatting with the technician, while others choose something to watch on Netflix, on the big TV hung on the wall beside the treatment chair.

“A lot of people, at the end, are like, ‘oh, I’m done already?’ They’re enjoying their conversation or their show,” Kronenberg said. “I think we should work for Netflix. A lot of people come in and are like, ‘I want to get Netflix.’”

That’s because they’re at the office often enough to binge a lot of TV — five days a week for six weeks, in fact, which is how long it takes to train the brain. “A lot of patients don’t want to leave when it comes to the end of their treatment,” she said. They tell us, “I’m so used to coming and seeing you. Who can I talk to now?’”

Beyond Depression

For starters, they can talk to their loved ones, in most cases, about how effective the treatment was. And depression isn’t the only use for dTMS. The FDA recently approved it as a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder. In fact, dTMS has been successful in trials for OCD in ways that traditional TMS cannot be, because the target area of the brain is deeper than for depression.

“The surface coils [of TMS] would need so much energy to get that deep, it would hurt. The surface area would get too much stimulation rather than area you’re targeting, and you’d risk a seizure. That wouldn’t happen with dTMS,” Zebrun explained.

He said he hopes to reach people who don’t find standard cognitive treatment for OCD effective. “It can devastate one’s life. You can get wound up into some of these compulsions, or your mind can be so caught up and obsessed with obsessive thinking that you can’t focus on anything else. You can’t get through a planned project because there’s too many interruptions from your loops of thought that come in. There’s a wide range of those obsessions and compulsions.”

Even milder symptoms of OCD can really bother people, he added. “They wish they could get rid of these images popping into their head that started from nowhere and have no relation to anything in their lives and are disturbing to them.”

“They’ll say, ‘why wouldn’t you try this? What do you have to lose, except maybe your depression?’ … For most people, it’s going to help.”

Kronenberg also hopes dTMS makes an impact on the lives of these patients, noting that OCD is one of the most thorny issues that therapists tackle. And, much like depression, she added, OCD can be a “hidden” disease because there’s some stigma and shame associated with it.

But there shouldn’t be, Zebrun said, especially when something like dTMS exists, with its strong track record and its minimal side effects, which may include facial muscle contractions and headaches, which are both temporary. Fewer than one patient in 1,000 may experience a seizure — a risk similar to that of taking an antidepressant medication at the maximum dose.

Because it’s tolerable, he added, patients can do it before or after work, or during their lunch break, and return to their normal activities.

And maybe a normal life.

“People who for 20 years were depressed say it’s life-changing for them,” said Anita Taylor, marketing director at Achieve TMS East. “When we hear those kind of stories, we’ll ask them, ‘what would you say to someone thinking about this?’ They’ll say, ‘why wouldn’t you try this? What do you have to lose, except maybe your depression?’ It’s worth it to give it a try, go in wholeheartedly, and, for most people, it’s going to help.” u

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Water Park Plans Bring Palmer Property Back into Focus

By George O'Brien September 18, 2018

Commercial Real Estate

Making a Big Splash

This rendering shows the many components of the planned $650 million resort and water park in Palmer.

More than five years after Palmer residents rejected a casino proposal for a huge tract of land just off Turnpike exit 8, the property is back in the news, this time as the planned site of a $650 million water park, resort spa, and sports complex.

It’s the most basic tenet in commercial real estate.

Location, location, location.

Since the Massachusetts Turnpike opened in 1957, the large tract of land sitting atop the hill overlooking the exit 8 ramp in Palmer has always possessed that coveted quality. But over the ensuing 60-plus years, little has been done to capitalize on it.

Indeed, among the more than 20 exits on the Pike, exit 8 is arguably the least developed. There’s a small gas station and attached convenience store just off the exit ramp, but one has to go a half mile left or right to find much commercial development, and even then there isn’t much.

Still, Northeast Development saw the enormous potential in the property more than 20 years ago, and first obtained an option on more than 200 acres owned by the late John Lizak — who owned several properties within the town — and later acquired it outright soon after casino-gambling legislation was passed in the Commonwealth.

An opportunity to place a casino, proposed by the owners of Mohegan Sun, at the site went by the boards in 2013, when Palmer residents rejected a casino referendum, but now the property is the focus of another high-profile initiative — one on almost the same scale as the MGM casino eventually placed in the South End of Springfield.

“I remember being at a meeting with them and hearing them say, ‘this is a hot idea — irrespective of the casino, water parks are hot commodities if they’re done right.’”

And, ironically, it’s a concept that actually became part of the rejected casino proposal — a water park.

Or a water park on a much, much larger scale, to be more specific. This would be a $650 million water park resort and spa, featuring everything from a man-made tubing river (if constructed as planned, it would be the longest in the country) to batting cages to athletic fields.

“As the casino competition started heating up, everyone was putting something new into what they were doing,” said Paul Robbins, president of Paul Robbins Assoc., a Wilbraham-based marketing and public-relations firm and spokesperson for the Palmer Sports Group. His firm has also represented Northeast Development for many years. “Doug Flutie was going to be part of Ameristar [one of the casinos proposed for Springfield], and MGM was touting its entertainment. That’s also when Mohegan introduced the concept of a water park.

“And I remember being at a meeting with them, and hearing them say, ‘this is a hot idea — irrespective of the casino, water parks are hot commodities if they’re done right.’”

Those at Palmer Sports Group obviously feel the same way.

Led by Winthop ‘Trip’ Knox, who has been involved with the design and construction of more than 3,000 water-related facilities for water parks, resorts, and deluxe hotels, and Michael D’Amato, who managed the construction of the later stages of the Foxwoods Resort Casino, including the Grand Pequot Tower, the group is thinking big.

As in very big.

Indeed, the complex will feature indoor and outdoor sports facilities, a resort hotel, and two indoor water parks, as well as an indoor hockey and basketball facility, an indoor sports bubble, a baseball complex, soccer and mixed-use fields, beach-volleyball courts, restaurants, and on-site townhomes.

There is demand for all of the above, said Robbins, adding that there isn’t anything like this in the Northeast, and the developers expect to draw visitors from a 300-mile radius and do so for at least 10 months out of the year; yes, the water in the tubing river will be heated.

“The developers believe there are 25 million people in the catchment area for this facility,” said Robbins, who used the phrases ‘Disney-esque’ and ‘think Orlando’ a number of times as he talked about just what is being proposed for the Palmer site.

Elaborating, he said there will be a large water park attached to the resort complex (again, like the Disney parks) that become part of the package of staying at that facility. There will also be second water park for day trippers, as well as a host of other facilities.

Robbins said the Palmer site, while somewhat remote (which explains the lack of development at and around the exit 8 interchange), lies roughly halfway between Springfield and Worcester and is easily accessible to several major population centers. And that has made it a hot property, as they say in this business, for some time.

“When Mohegan signed on, I had a number of meetings with them, and they absolutely loved that site,” said Robbins. “They loved it because [then-Gov.] Deval Patrick said he wasn’t thrilled about casinos going to urban areas; his vision was for a bucolic, ‘drive to the destination, stay a few nights’ type of resort, and that’s what Mohegan is. But the location is also ideal.”

So much so that Northeast pursued a number of different development opportunities for the site, but eventually returned to the concept that grew out of the casino proposal and may eventually replace it as Palmer biggest hope to replace the many manufacturing jobs that were lost there over the past few decades and bring new vibrancy to the community.

Preliminary estimates call for 2,000 jobs, said Robbins, adding that the project might well become a synergistic complement to the recently opened MGM Springfield, offering people from outside the region more reason to come to the Bay State, and specifically Western Mass., for an extended stay.

At present, there is no timetable for the development, said Robbins, adding that the Palmer Sports Group is working with town officials to secure the necessary approvals and make the project a reality.

— George O’Brien

Enfield Continues to Diversify Its Profile

Community Spotlight

Once a dominant retail force, Enfield Square Mall has struggled in recent years.

While Laurie Whitten doesn’t think the recent opening of MGM Springfield, a few miles north over the Massachusetts border, is a negative, neither is she convinced the incoming traffic does much for nearby Enfield, Conn. The same goes for a casino expected to open in East Windsor, Conn. in the spring of 2020.

“For the most part, casinos are pretty much on their own,” said Whitten, Enfield’s recently appointed director of Development Services. “A lot of people think if you’re across the street, you’ll get all sorts of business, but for the most part, people leave and don’t go shopping or out to eat.”

The way she sees it, any benefit to nearby towns, like Enfield, might be in housing or hotel development, as workers new to the area might be looking for somewhere to live, and casino visitors increase demand for hotel rooms. “That’s where the trickle-down would be when it comes to development.”

But Enfield isn’t looking to surrounding towns for energy, she added; instead, it’s busy creating its own — and she’s excited about the future.

Take the planned transformation of the Thompsonville neighborhood on the Connecticut River, with an intermodal transit center as the centerpiece of a walker-friendly village.

Part of this effort is a river-access project to be funded through a $3.4 million Federal Highway Administration grant. The bulk of the money is being used for riverfront improvements, including the construction of a biking and walking path from Freshwater Pond to the riverfront.

In addition, last year, Eversource signed an access agreement with the town to allow environmental site assessment work to be done to determine the extent of contamination on its North River Street property near the station. TRC Solutions is under contract to perform the work.

Depending on the results of that survey, if the site needs to be remediated or capped, the transit center could be looking at a three- to five-year timeline. In the meantime, the state will build a basic rail station, with an elevated, double-tracked platform on each side. Later on, the town will build in some parking, bus facilities, and outdoor recreation, including walking trails and overlook areas so people can enjoy the view of the river.

Enfield at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1683
Population: 44,654
Area: 34.2 square miles
County: Hartford
Residential Tax Rate: $33.40
Commercial Tax Rate: $33.40
Median Household Income: $67,402
Median Family Income: $77,554
Type of Government: Town Council, Town Manager
Largest Employers: Lego Systems Inc., MassMutual, Retail Brand Alliance, Enfield Distribution Center
* Latest information available

“There are a lot of different things happening down there,” Whitten said. “We’re certainly working toward being prepared for a new train station and focusing on some adapted reuse of dilapidated buildings down there. We will also be adopting new regulations for downtown Thompsonville, promoting mixed use and higher densities in that area.”

Meanwhile, a Complete Streets plan with new bike paths is under consideration, and renovations at the former St. Adalbert School, which stood vacant for 12 years, are almost complete as developer William Bellock turns it into an apartment building with 20 one-bedroom units, less than a quarter-mile from Town Hall.

“When you’re developing transit-oriented development, the idea is to create higher density,” Whitten said. “Millennials, especially, like to live someplace where they don’t need a car. With high density, they can walk to the train station or ride a bike.”

Moving In

Speaking of housing, development in that sector is on the rise, Whitten noted. “We have some high-end apartments under construction on the north end, and we just adopted some new regulations to allow apartments in transition zones along the I-91 corridor — that would be the transition between commercial, industrial, and residential.”

Meanwhile, a design-district overlay was approved for the Hazardville area of town to promote some historic-style achitecture and mixed use, Whitten said. “We’re also working with developers about the reuse or expansion of some of the larger buildings in downtown, and we just approved a large industrial warehouse distribution center on the south end of King Street, in Metro Park North.”

Enfield has seen an influx of manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution businesses over the past few years, which is a positive for a town that continues to diversify away from its traditional reputation as a retail center. The corridors of Routes 220 and 190, bordering Enfield Square Mall, continue to be a bustling mix of restaurants and retail, but the mall itself, heavily buffeted by store departures over the past decade, doesn’t draw nearly the traffic it used to.

An example is Panera Bread, which was recently approved for an outbuilding in the nearby Home Depot plaza — but will be leaving the mall to get there.

“We’re going to be working diligently to promote smart growth and customer-friendly service, which will probably include some new software; we want to streamline the development process.”

Still, Enfield’s growth in the manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution sectors, as well as a strong uptick in small and sole-proprietor businesses over the past few years — reflecting an entrepreneurial wave the entire region has experienced — remain positive signs.

So are community-building events like the popular Enfield Regional Farmers Market, which runs every Wednesday from July through mid-October, featuring farm-fresh fruit and vegetables, artisan goods, musical entertainment, and a food truck.

Meanwhile, the Thompsonville Community Garden, established a decade ago by the town of Enfield, the University of Connecticut Master Gardener Program, and a grant from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, has been a popular program as well.

The garden features 50 raised garden beds, which are rented for the planting season; the rental includes use of tools, seeds, starter plants, compost, water, and educational sessions — and a sense of community for Enfield gardeners who want to grow their own organic vegetables.

Location, Location, Location

Organic growth is something Whitten would like to see on a town-wide basis, of course, noting that Enfield is an attractive location for a number of reasons, including its location between Boston and New York, along I-91, and close to Bradley Airport. “I think there’s a lot of potential in our location,” she told BusinessWest.

That said, she called Enfield a town in transition in some ways, especially when it comes to economic development. “We have a lot of new members on the Town Council, and there’s been a complete reorganization of the Land Use Department. They lose a lot of their top people, so we’re trying to get reorganized and get some good people in there and work as a team.”

Meanwhile, “we’re going to be working diligently to promote smart growth and customer-friendly service, which will probably include some new software; we want to streamline the development process.”

And the development potential is there, she added, pointing again to Enfield’s surplus of available land and possible reuse sites. To that end, officials will be looking at establishing some tax-abatement policies to help businesses access some of those opportunities. “We’re going to be here to help them through the process.”

With the Thompsonville transit center on the horizon and the town continuing to leverage its location and amenities, this community that lies between what will eventually be two casinos is betting big on its future as a business and lifestyle destination.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Jennifer Calheno Leads LUSO to Stunning Growth

By George O'Brien September 18, 2018

Women in Businesss

Giving Credit Where It’s Due

Jennifer Calheno was tasked with taking LUSO Federal Credit Union from $36 million assets to $100 million in 10 years. She did it in seven.

Jennifer Calheno started working at LUSO Federal Credit Union as a teller when she was just 17 — actually, a much different LUSO than the one that exists today.

Back then, this was a tiny operation — three teller windows, a handful of employees, and a small back room in a nondescript building on East Street in Ludlow. There were just a thousand members or so, all of them part of the town’s large and very proud Portuguese community.

At the time, the credit union closed mid-afternoon on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and reopened in the evening; Calheno, daughter of one of the institution’s board members, would work that 6-to-8 shift, not ever thinking that her very part-time job would become a career.

Today, as noted, it’s a much different LUSO, with more than 6,000 members, $220 million in assets, a gleaming new 15,000-square-foot headquarters building further down East Street, a second branch in Wilbraham, and more than 40 employees.

And Calheno, working in concert with an ambitious, forward-thinking board and that growing staff, has a lot to do with all that growth. If not the architect of that transformation — and she took on that role to some extent as well — she was certainly the builder. Taking full advantage of a spate of mergers and acquisitions within the financial-services industry and new regulations that have allowed credit unions to move well beyond their original charters and customer bases, she put LUSO on a strong growth trajectory.

And kept it on that path over the past 20 years.

When hired, she was charged with taking the credit union from $36 million in assets to $100 million in 10 years, and without diluting capital. She did it in seven years, primarily through much more aggressive marketing and building name recognition.

“I do not find myself to be an expert in everything, because then I wouldn’t be good at anything. I bring in people who are good at what they do and I listen to what they have to say, and I take their opinions into value.”

“Marketing was my focus while earning my bachelor’s degree, and I always thought that was something that was weak here,” she recalled. “We had to get over that stigma of being just the Portuguese credit union because of our name, and we did that.”

Specifically, LUSO, which originated with the Portuguese-American Club in Ludlow, changed and expanded its charter to serve anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Hampden County.

“That was the pivotal changing point for us,” she noted. “That allowed me to expand my marketing, expand my targeting, and to really get out of that mindset that we were the Portuguese credit union serving the Portuguese community; slowly but surely, the message caught on.”

And while LUSO has grown in terms of assets, members, employees, the use of cutting-edge technology, and every other suitable measure, Calheno says she’s grown as a manager and a leader, learning, among other things, about how to manage work and life, grow a thick skin, listen effectively, and surround herself with individuals whose talents complement, but don’t necessarily duplicate, her own.

“I do not find myself to be an expert in everything, because then I wouldn’t be good at anything,” she explained. “I bring in people who are good at what they do, and I listen to what they have to say, and I take their opinions into value.”

In doing all that while growing assets and membership, Calheno has also raised the institution’s profile and gotten the credit union and its employees more involved within the community, especially with young people and the all-important realm of financial literacy.

Indeed, every Wednesday, without fail, Calheno returns to her teller roots and sits behind a small desk at St. John the Baptist School (which she attended as a child), taking deposits from the students — and teachers — there.

She says these duties represent equal parts role modeling for employees who are also active within the community and simply giving back to the town that has been her lifelong home.

“It gets me out of the office, and it’s really fun,” she said, referring not only to her banking duties, but her work teaching classes for Junior Achievement.

For this issue and its focus on women in business, we talked with Calheno about LUSO and its profound growth, but also the many roles she takes as president and CEO of the credit union, including mentor, role model, and yes, teller at St. John the Baptist School.

By All Accounts

Calheno remembers the considerable amount of flak she received from the community when plans for LUSO’s new headquarters building were announced back in 2005.

It wasn’t the bank’s expansion that had people riled up, but the chosen location — the long-time home to the Double D Dairy Bar, a small mom-and-pop restaurant and local institution.

“They made the best ice cream … everyone loved the Double D,” said Calheno, who placed herself firmly within that constituency.

What the general public didn’t know, but Calheno did, was that the mom and pop behind the Double D were quite ready to call it a career, and the landmark’s days were numbered anyway.

Today, it’s home to a start-of-the-art facility that clearly speaks to how far the credit union has come over the past 20 years, or since Calheno decided to take her career back to where it started not quite a decade before.

Jennifer Calheno says she honed a number of skills over her 20 years at LUSO, especially the ability to effectively listen.

By that time, Calheno, just 26, had earned her MBA from Northeastern, spent some time in banking — as manager of one of WestBank’s in-store branches in Chicopee — and taken a job with the Secretary of State’s office, one that didn’t have much growth potential, as she recalled.

Meanwhile, the manager of LUSO at that time, someone Calheno worked for during her teller days, was getting ready to retire. While looking to replace her, the credit union’s board was also looking to grow the institution — and also for someone who could make that growth happen.

“The board had come together with a strategic plan — they wanted to grow the member base, they wanted to grow the asset size, and they felt they needed a new organization chart, a new structure, in order to that; they wanted to bring in a CEO,” she recalled, adding that, because she had an MBA and some experience in the business, she was asked to put together a job description for this CEO in waiting.

She did so, and while drafting it, she began to see a match between the board’s needs, her own skills, and her desire to find employment that challenged her professionally and personally.

“I thought to myself, ‘with my background and my experience, and knowing LUSO the way I do, I think this is something I can do,’” she recalled. “I looked at other opportunities, but I felt that this was a chance to come back to the organization that gave me a start, and I felt more confident coming into an organization I already knew so much about. I knew the culture, and I’d lived in this community practically my whole life.”

She recalled that she was probably the least experienced of the 15 eventual candidates for the position, at least when it came to management. But she also believed she would work the hardest to gain the respect and recognition of the board and achieve the aggressive goals spelled out in that aforementioned strategic plan.

Fast-forwarding a little, she was awarded the job, and took it with the expectation of still being in it 20 years later.

“I clearly recall a conversation I had with Mr. Dias at that time,” she said, referring to Joseph Dias Jr., founder of the credit union. “I told him I wasn’t looking for this to be a jumping ground to something else; I’m looking at this opportunity to be my career. I told him I wanted to succeed, and if I succeeded, then LUSO would succeed.”

To make a long story short, that’s exactly what’s happened; over the past 20 years, both she and the institution have grown immeasurably.

While only 26 when she took the helm, Calheno said she already understood that she was only as good as the team in place around her, and by team, she meant both the board and the employees she worked with.

“I don’t think that any opinion is not worth listening to. If that opinion jibes with where I was already going, excellent — then, it’s an immediate ‘awesome, let’s go with it.’ If it’s something different from what I’m thinking, I’m going to pursue it further.”

In both cases, there was passion for the institution and a shared vision, she said, adding that both are necessary ingredients in any success formula.

“They give me a lot of freedom, and they give me a lot of trust,” she said of the board, adding that she has taken full advantage of both to meet the ambitious goals for assets and memberships, build and open the new building, add the branch in Wilbraham, and, overall, take LUSO to a much higher plane, one she probably couldn’t have been envisioned when she was working the night shift while in high school.

In turn, she awards those working with and for her a large amount of trust — at least when she feels it’s been earned.

“I don’t micromanage — I don’t have time to micromanage,” she said. “And I do have a lot of trust in the people here. I wouldn’t have put the management team in place the way I have if I didn’t believe in them to do things the way I want them done.

“But if you start to do things not the way I want them done … then we have a problem,” she said. “If you were to ask people here about my management style, they would say, ‘the less we see of Jen, the better job we’re doing.’”

She said the most important skill she’s developed over the years is listening and valuing the thoughts and opinions being expressed.

“I don’t think that any opinion is not worth listening to,” she told BusinessWest, adding this constitutes sound advice for all managers. “If that opinion jibes with where I was already going, excellent — then, it’s an immediate ‘awesome, let’s go with it.’ If it’s something different from what I’m thinking, I’m going to pursue it further, and I’m never just going to disregard someone.”

As for work-life balance, this is for her, as it is for most women with ‘president and chief executive officer’ written on her business card, a real challenge, one that isn’t really mastered, but dealt with to the best of one’s ability.

“My family sometimes does say to me, ‘put the phone down’ or ‘get away from the computer,’ because my job is not a 9-to-5 job,” she said. “My job is 24/7, and I do tell my family that sometimes, LUSO has to come first. If I can do both, I will. Multi-tasking? That’s what I do all day, every day.”

Dollars and Sense

Calheno’s office in the new headquarters building is large, modern, and bright — there are four glass walls, after all.

Through those walls she can see the offices around her, Ludlow Country Club across the street, and the parking lot where the Double D once served up ice cream. Figuratively speaking, though, what she can see is how far she and LUSO Federal Credit Union have come in 20 years, and especially since she was a teller there in high school.

What she can see is how those remarks she made to Joseph Dias all those years ago — about how she wanted to succeed, and if she did, LUSO would succeed as well — have come to fruition.

From all angles, and in every way, it’s quite a view.

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

Berkshire Theatre Group Continues to Impact Generations

Creative Economy

Dramatic Effect

Following a $21 million renovation, the Colonial Theatre was reopened in 2006 after more than 50 years of inactivity.

Kate Maguire was out shopping recently, wearing a shirt that proudly celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Berkshire Playhouse in Stockbridge.

“The young girl at the register — she was probably 18 — was stunned. She said, ‘that theater is 90 years old? I had no idea!’ For her, it was ancient history. But she made me realize that, yes, 90 years of theater is a long time.”

As artistic director and CEO of the Berkshire Theatre Group, which puts on performances at venues in Stockbridge and Pittsfield, Maguire has witnessed quite a bit of that history first-hand since joining the organization 25 years ago.

“The facilities represent two iconic sites,” she said. “The Colonial Theatre is the center of Pittsfield — the center of the county.” As for the playhouse in Stockbridge, also known as the Fitzpatrick Main Stage, “considering that culture is the heart of the community in the Berkshires, that is as iconic a structure as any in Berkshire County.”

But while the buildings themselves are iconic, more importantly, each campus has brought countless people to see some of the most remarkable names in the history of American theater, as well as up-and-coming talent, Maguire noted. “It has created a sort of cultural destination for artists and audiences. That’s what the buildings represent.”

They’re also an economic driver, she added, currently drawing about 75,000 visitors a year and contributing almost $4 million to the local economy annually — as well as employing some 600 people in some capacity each year.

Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) was created in 2010 by the merger of the Berkshire Theatre Festival, housed at the main stage in Stockbridge, and the Colonial Theatre, built in 1903 in Pittsfield. One of the largest arts organizations in the region, BTG oversees the development, production, and presentation of theatre, music, and various other performing arts.

Kate Maguire says involving hundreds of children in productions each year is key to securing BTG’s future.

The Stockbridge campus presents work at two venues. The 314-seat Fitzpatrick Main Stage, designed by famed architect Stanford White, is a summer-only venue where classical theatre and world premieres are produced. Meanwhile, the 122-seat Unicorn Theatre, open year-round, is home for new and emerging artists, and a space where more experimental, provocative works often finds a receptive audience.

Meanwhile, in Pittsfield, the 780-seat Colonial Theatre — built in 1903 and re-opened in 2006 following a $21 million restoration — hosts family entertainment, comedy, live music, and other events year-round.

Located in the lobby of the Colonial is the Garage, a name that pays homage to its former owner, Berkshire Auto Co. This newest BTG venue, complete with a stage, lights, and sound system, is a dedicated space for local and regional music, comedy performers, and more.

In short, Maguire said, there’s something for everyone.

“I want people to know they’re welcome here,” she told BusinessWest. “They can listen to acoustic musicians or hear a really funny comedian in the Garage, sit with friends, have a drink, then go into the majestic Colonial Theatre and have a completely different experience. Or they might see a rock band on stage, and the following week see an opera performed. It’s a space where people come together from all strata and all walks of life.”

Rich History

The Colonial Theatre opened its doors on Sept. 28, 1903. Built in five and a half months, it boasted pristine acoustics and classic Gilded Age architecture. As was sometimes the custom in that day, the exterior of the theater was designed by a respected local architect, Joseph McArthur Vance, who also designed Pittsfield’s Masonic Temple, the Christian Science building, the superstructure of the Wahconah Park Stadium, Mount Greylock’s Bascom Lodge, and the Mahaiwe Theatre in Great Barrington.

“I want people to know they’re welcome here. They can listen to acoustic musicians or hear a really funny comedian in the Garage, sit with friends, have a drink, then go into the majestic Colonial Theatre and have a completely different experience. Or they might see a rock band on stage, and the following week see an opera performed. It’s a space where people come together from all strata and all walks of life.”

From its early days, the space played host to some of the most notable lights in theater, including Maude Adams, Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Sarah Bernhardt, Eubie Blake, Billie Burke, George Cohan, Irene Dunne, Grace George, William Gillette, Walter Hampden, Helen Hayes, Al Jolson, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, Julia Marlow and E.H. Sothern, Will Rogers, Lillian Russell, Ted Shawn, Noble Sissell, Ruth St. Denis, Laurette Taylor, and Ed Wynn.

Following a $21 million renovation, the Colonial Theatre was reopened in 2006 after more than 50 years of inactivity.

To the south in Stockbridge, the Berkshire Playhouse was founded in 1928 when Mabel Choate sold the Stockbridge Casino to financier Walter Clark. An organization called the Three Arts Society remodeled the casino’s interior by adding a stage and seating for 450 people, and christened the new theatre the Berkshire Playhouse.

In 1937, the Colonial was renovated with a new marquee, projection room, and two retail stores added to the front of the building. With cinema on the rise, the venue operated primarily for the next decade and a half as a movie theater, although some community performances continued. In 1951, the Colonial closed due to the rise of TV and the decline of touring theatrical companies — and would remain closed for more than a half-century.

Down in Stockbridge, the Berkshire Playhouse was reorganized as a nonprofit organization in 1964 and renamed the Berkshire Theatre Festival. In 1976, the playhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1996, the Unicorn Theatre was reopened after a lengthy renovation and became BTG’s official second stage.

To the north, meanwhile, efforts to restore and reopen the Colonial were picking up in the 1990s. And organization called Friends of the Colonial Theatre Restoration was formed in 1994, and public tours in 1997 led to increased community awareness of the venue’s potential. A $2.5 million appropriation in state funding followed, and designation of the facility in 1998 as a National Historic Treasure by the Save America’s Treasures Program of the National Park Service only increased the momentum.

After years of design, planning, and community fundraising, the rehabilitation of the historic theater — and the extensive renovation of the adjacent Berkshire Auto Garage — were undertaken. In 2006, the $21 million restoration was complete, and the theater reopened. The 22-month construction process preserved and reinstalled all historically significant architectural and design features — from the vaulted, gilded entrance to the elaborately decorated boxes and balcony to the custom plasterwork — while creating a modern performance center.

“I feel it’s very important to make sure that the community recognizes the theater as their own,” Maguire told BusinessWest. “The doors were closed for 50 years, and the community got together and put in a lot of hard work and money renovate that theater.”

In a year when the Berkshire Theatre Festival marked its 90th summer season and the Colonial Theatre celebrated its 115th birthday, the community continues to show its support, she added. “We’ve been successful in fund-raising, and certainly a lot of people coming to our shows — we’re very grateful for the attendance.”

Kid Stuff

Maguire might be even more proud, though, of the way BTG engages with children, reaching about 13,000 students with cultural programs each year and putting many of them on stage in any given year; this past summer, about 100 Berkshire-area youth performed in Tarzan of the Apes at the Colonial.

“Imagine how many other kids are coming to these productions,” she said. “We are ensuring the vitality of the future of these buildings. Those 100 kids in Tarzan in the summertime — those kids are going to remember that experience, and make sure that building is here for the next generation.”

She believes that because it’s her own story. Growing up in Lowell, she used to attend performances of Boston Children’s Theatre.

“I was amazed at the quality of work, and it looked like an army of kids were working on these produtions,” she recalled. “Little did I know that, many years later, I’d have the opportunity to create such programming in the community I live in now. Every single doorway I’m walked through has been opened because of theater.”

Maguire wants to open those doors for others today — not just children who might feel a spark to follow a passion for theater, but area residents and Berkshires visitors who become part of a long, rich history every time they buy a ticket.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Coalition Aims to Make Community More Dementia-friendly

Health Care

In Search of Empathy

Catherine Williamson says empathy is at the heart of the dementia-friendly movement.

Empathy is a quality America can always use more of — and that’s especially true, Catherine Williamson said, when it comes to families struggling with dementia.

“What attracted me to the dementia-friendly movement is being able to help individuals adjust to what’s going on in their lives,” she recently told a group of business leaders, who met for lunch at the Student Prince in Springfield for a presentation by the Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition.

“It’s about empathy, and some of us are not great at being empathetic,” she went on. “Our lives are fast-paced, and we’ve got a lot going on — kids, jobs, husbands and wives, volunteering. We’ve got so much going on that, sometimes, we forget to stop and think about someone else not being able to move as fast as we can, or understand things the way we can.”

Williamson, a certified dementia practitioner and gerontologist with SilverLife Care at Home, said a goal of the dementia-friendly movement is to educate the community, and even the loved ones of people with dementia, about how daily experiences differ for individuals with that condition — everything from going to the library to visiting a doctor; from having a financial-planning meeting with an attorney to simply eating out at a restaurant.

To demonstrate, she led the lunch attendees in a virtual ‘dementia experience,’ in which participants use common objects to block or hinder their eyesight, hearing, range of hand motion, and other faculties, then try to communicate with each other — again, as a way to create empathy and reinforce the need for dementia-friendly changes in society.

“People with functional limitations are dealing with this constantly,” she said. “Imagine how much this impacts their daily lives, their relationships, getting around, even wanting to be out in the community. If you felt like this all the time, in this impaired state, you’d probably want to stay home, too. We need to think about how to make our communities and businesses and public spaces a little easier to navigate.”

The business leaders at the lunch shared their professional and personal experiences with dementia and learned about what it would mean to make Springfield a dementia-friendly community — a designation that an increasing number of Massachusetts cities and towns have been pursuing, one in which businesses, municipal departments, and other entities make a collective effort that help people who are memory-challenged to function in the community and live independently for as long as possible.

“Sometimes, we forget to stop and think about someone else not being able to move as fast as we can, or understand things the way we can.”

“What can we do as a community to improve the quality of lives?” asked Anna Randall of Greater Springfield Senior Services, one of the coalition members. “Being dementia-friendly means different things to different communities, depending on their populations and what resources they already have. We’re here to ask businesses what we can do to help your clients and make this community dementia-friendly.”

At a Loss

Nearly 5.1 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and the number is expected to reach 7.1 million in the next decade. Nearly 60% of people with dementia live in their own communities, and one in seven live alone, creating an urgent need, dementia-friendly advocates say, for communities to support people with dementia and their caregivers.

Attendees of the recent Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition lunch underwent a virtual ‘dementia experience’ to get a small taste of what’s it’s like to navigate the world with cognitive impairment.

Meghan Lemay, regional manager in the Springfield office of the Alzheimer’s Assoc., said Alzheimer’s disease is a true epidemic, currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and the only major disease that has been increasing in incidence — by a 123% rate since 2000, in fact. At the same time, incidences of diseases like cancer and heart disease have been falling.

In addition, she noted, Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America, expected to cost the healthcare system and caregivers some $277 billion in 2018 alone.

“It’s something we have to address on multiple fronts,” Lemay said. “We know it impacts families directly and has a significant emotional impact, but there’s also a significant financial impact for individuals and our communities.”

Springfield, in fact, is disproportionally affected, with a higher rate of dementia than other Massachusetts communities on average. Demographically, meanwhile, the condition affects African-Americans and Latinos at a higher rate than whites.

While individual communities seek the dementia-friendly designation, a state-level organization known as Dementia Friendly Massachusetts is supporting those efforts. On the community level, Randall noted, businesses who go through dementia-friendly training can then display that fact, “to say this company has gone the extra mile to show they care about their community and want to be more inclusive for people caring with dementia.”

“It’s something we have to address on multiple fronts. We know it impacts families directly and has a significant emotional impact, but there’s also a significant financial impact for individuals and our communities.”

Williamson noted that such steps by businesses could include modifying entryways, altering lighting, or changing the ways they interact with customers. And the changes don’t have to be dramatic. For example, a coffee shop in Boston became more dementia-friendly when it complemented its chalkboard menu with large-print menus at the register. “It’s little things like that — different types of things you can do.”

One attendee of the recent lunch in Springfield noted that some businesses have gone the opposite route, citing the increasing use of automated ordering kiosks at McDonald’s and the dominance of self-checkout lanes at Stop & Shop as two developments that can be problematic for certain individuals.

However, on the plus side, many restaurants have embraced the Purple Table training program designed to help visitors with dementia, autism, PTSD, hearing or vision impairment, or other conditions benefit from a more predictable environment and additional accommodations when dining out.

When families make a Purple Table reservation, participating restaurants provide accommodations that work best for that diner, along with extra patience and attention from staff who have been trained to understand different needs and how to best meet them. Those steps might differ depending on the visitor, but the underlying philosophy of empathy and understanding is the same.

Law and Order

The recent lunch gathering was funded by a dementia-friendly capacity-building grant from the Massachusetts Council on Aging under a service incentive grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, allowing the coalition to hold focus-group meetings with local government and public officials, first responders, and members of the business community.

The goal is to make them aware of the issues facing individuals living with dementia, their friends, family, and care partners; to give an overview of the movement; and to elicit their thoughts and engagement in the initiative. In addition, the group will meet with those living with dementia and their care partners.

The coalition chair, Synthia Scott-Mitchell from Springfield Partners for Community Action, noted that “a dementia-friendly community is defined as one that is informed, safe, and respectful of individuals with dementia and their families, and provides supportive options for improved quality of life.”

But legislators can make a difference, too, and recently did, by passing a first-of-its-kind bill — subsequently signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker — that aims to make life a little easier for individuals with dementia and their families, through a multi-pronged approach.

More than 130,000 people are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease in Massachusetts, and being cared for by more than 337,000 family and friends. According to the Alzheimer’s Assoc., in 2018, Massachusetts will spend more than $1.6 billion in Medicaid costs caring for people with Alzheimer’s.

“Alzheimer’s is the single largest unaddressed public health threat in the 21st century, and we remain on the front lines of this crisis every day here in the Commonwealth,” said Daniel Zotos, director of Public Policy & Advocacy of the Alzheimer’s Assoc., Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter. “This legislation follows in the tradition of Massachusetts being a national leader in healthcare, and we commend the governor and Legislature for ensuring everyone impacted by Alzheimer’s gets the quality care and support they deserve.”

Among its mandates, the bill:

• Establishes a comprehensive state plan to address Alzheimer’s disease within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, while also establishing a permanent advisory council to help coordinate government efforts and ensure that public and private resources are maximized and leveraged;

• Requires curriculum content about Alzheimer’s and other dementias be incorporated into continuing-medical-education programs that are required for granting the renewal of licensure for physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, and licensed nurse practitioners;

• Ensures proper notification of an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis to the family or legal guardian and provides information on available resources to both the patient and family;

• Requires state hospitals to implement an operational plan for the recognition and management of patients with dementia or delirium; and

• Establishes minimum training standards for social workers in elder protective services, to ensure protection from abuse and exploitation for elders with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Small Steps, Big Impact

When it comes to making communities more navigable and manageable for people with dementia, every effort helps, Williamson said, noting that the dementia-friendly movement also seeks to raise awareness — often through workplace presentations — of resources available to help families grapping with Alzheimer’s, when they’re not always willing to seek them out because of shame or stigma.

“If we go into your workplace and address your employees, we’re reaching folks that might need help,” she said. “It’s not just about doing the right thing for your customers, but also for your staff — folks who are taking care of their loved ones, but might not want to come forward.”

As the statistics show, those folks are legion. Increasingly, Williamson and her fellow coalition members hope, they are starting to find their communities a little friendlier, in some very important ways.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Commercial Real Estate

Commercial Real Estate

For Sale, for Lease

This month’s list of available commercial properties

A Big Step in the Right Direction

Opinion

Editorial

What’s in a name — or a brand?

Sometimes, very little, especially when it comes to government agencies, state or federal offices, or administrative programs. Changes in names and titles undertaken to eliminate confusion and generate progress rarely succeed in those missions.

We don’t believe that will the case with the state’s decision to rebrand, if you will, its many workforce-oriented agencies under the umbrella name MassHire. For example, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County is now the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board; CareerPoint in Holyoke is now the MassHire Holyoke Career Center. Springfield-based FutureWorks is now the MassHire Springfield Career Center; you get the idea.

There are 29 career centers and 16 workforce boards across the state, and they are now all unified under the MassHire brand, replacing what were 45 different names.

It sounds like a simple bureaucratic initiative perhaps designed to save money. But it’s much more than that; it’s an effort to simplify matters for job seekers and employers alike and bring more focus and energy to what is easily this state’s biggest and most vexing ongoing issue when it comes to business and economic development — creating and sustaining a large and effective workforce.

Rebranding to MassHire won’t solve all the problems, but it will make the system that’s been created — and it is a very good system, to be sure — far more user-friendly and reduce a great deal of confusion about where employers, employees, and job seekers should turn for help.

And a good deal of help is needed when it comes to each of those constituencies.

For employers, these are very intriguing times, as we’ve noted on many occasions and in several different ways. The economy is chugging along and doing very well in most respects. Many companies across a number of sectors are in a growth mode, but they are challenged — as in severely challenged — to find talented help that will enable them to achieve that growth.

Rebranding to MassHire won’t solve all the problems, but it will make the system that’s been created — and it is a very good system, to be sure — far more user-friendly and reduce a great deal of confusion about where employers, employees, and job seekers should turn for help.

It’s a numbers game, and it’s reaching a critical stage as unemployment rates continues to fall, even in urban markets such as Springfield and Holyoke, where they have been consistently higher than the state and national averages. In fact, in many states, and in this one, according to most accounts, we’re at what’s known as full employment.

That’s a technical term to describe a situation where, by and large, everyone who needs a job, and is qualified to hold one, has one. Full employment is a good thing, in most respects, but it’s also a dangerous state, because employers are under more duress as they look to fill their ranks.

Meanwhile, this situation is made much worse by the huge numbers of Baby Boomers that are retiring each year.

The phrase you hear most often these days, whether it’s the manufacturing sector (that’s probably where it’s heard most) or healthcare, or even financial services, is that candidates ‘lack the skills’ companies require. The career centers and workforce boards were created to help people acquire those skills and make them workforce-ready.

But because each one had a different name, there was often confusion about just where employers and employees should turn to get the help they needed.

As we said, rebranding to MassHire is not, by itself, going to solve the many workforce challenges facing this state. But it is a big step forward in many respects.

What’s in a name? In this case, plenty.

Voting Matters to Women and Girls

Opinion

Opinon

By Suzanne Parker

Politics affects nearly every aspect of our daily lives. But for some groups, including women and girls, what happens politically has a disproportionate impact on their health, safety, and well-being.

Many of the issues heavily debated right now — the economy, healthcare, gun control, and education — carry tremendous consequences for those most vulnerable and with the least amount of political power due to factors such as gender, age, race, and ethnicity.

This is why it’s so important for girls to be civically engaged as early as possible. Through the Girls Inc. ‘She Votes’ initiative, girls realize the power of their voices, learn about the structure and role of the U.S. government, and are inspired to lead and become future female leaders.

Through ‘She Votes,’ girls research candidates, hold mock debates, meet with elected officials, visit polling places, and even help register voters.

Building a more equitable society means educating and empowering girls to be actively involved in civics and the political process. Three key reasons why it matters right now:

1. Starting early means greater likelihood of voting

We know there is a relationship between youth civic education and their political engagement and future voting. When we help young people understand early on why voting is important, how the political process works, voting rights, and their local government, they build a lifelong commitment to being civically engaged. During the 2014 midterm elections, only 12% of eligible 18- to 21-year-old college or university students voted.

2. Women are still very underrepresented in public office

Women remain underrepresented among state governors, in Legislatures, and in local office. Women of color are further underrepresented as elected officials. While women make up more than half the U.S. population, they are represented by a Congress made up of 80% men. Educating girls and young women about this reality can empower them to change it. A government cannot represent the will of the people unless it reflects their diversity.

3. The 2018 midterm elections

On average, voter turnout is about 60% in a presidential election years, but only 40% during midterm years. Yet Congress (as well as local leaders) determines many of the policies that impact our daily lives. With a number of key issues affecting women and girls on the legislative agenda, this year’s election will play a critical role in determining whether girls in this country have the rights and opportunities they need to grow up healthy, educated, and empowered.

At Girls Inc., we believe the recruitment of women into political and other forms of leadership must start with girls. We encourage area residents and business leaders to use this year’s election season to engage and empower the girls in your lives — and make sure you vote, too.

Suzanne Parker is executive director of Girls Inc. of Holyoke; [email protected]

Picture This

Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

Running for the Kids

More than 200 runners and walkers gathered in downtown Northampton on Aug. 26 for the Gándara Center’s fourth annual Frozen Yogurt 5K Run/Walk. The event raised more than $20,000 to build a universally accessible playground at Gándara’s Mooreland residential group home for children up to age 12. “This playground will provide the youngest individuals we serve with some joy during an incredibly stressful time in their lives,” said Lisa Brecher, director of Communications and Development at the Gándara Center. “Giving these children a safe and fun outlet in their backyard will help provide a positive light to their stay.” Pictured above are some of the top finishers. This year’s first-place winners by category included: men 13-54, Michael Giles (19:03); women 13-54, Laura Christof (20:35); boys 12 and under, Teddy Cyr (21:32); girls 12 and under, Sabrina Hopkins (28:17); men 55 and over, Alan Hunt (25:15); and women 55 and over, Candace Curran (27:48).

Shot of Support

Goodwin House, a CHD program offering substance-use treatment services for males between ages 13 and 17, recently commissioned a new outdoor basketball court. Pictured above: the facility’s namesake, Jim Goodwin, CEO of CHD. Below, Big Y Foods was among the donors who made the court possible. Pictured, from left, are Ben Craft, vice president, Community Engagement, CHD; Stacy Bissonette, aftercare coordinator, Goodwin House; Chantal Silloway, program director, Goodwin House; and Michael Matyszewski, store director, Chicopee Big Y. Other contributors to the new basketball court included Russell and Day Degenza, Mike Gram, Hathaway Construction Corp., HD Supply White Cap – A.H. Harris, Home Depot of Chicopee, JRT Landscaping, Marcelino Mendez, Pioneer Valley Concrete Service, Scott Santor, Craig Sypek, and Vermont Woods Studios.

Successful Start

Officials from Head Start, MGM Springfield, and the city of Springfield recently gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new MGM Head Start Child and Family Center on Union Street in the city’s South End. The $4 million, 10,000-square-foot preschool center features classroom space for 88 children under age 5. Pictured, from left: Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno; U.S. Rep. Richard Neal; Janis Santos, director, HCS Head Start Inc.; Alex Dixon, general manager, MGM Springfield; Marikate Murren, vice president, Human Resources, MGM Springfield; state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez; and Janet Steigmeyer, director, Human Resources, Facilities, and Maintenance, HCS Head Start Inc. (Photo by Ed Cohen)

Court Dockets

Court Dockets

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT
Lisa Cupillo v. The Home Depot Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; poorly stacked tile causing personal injury: $1,367
Filed: 8/22/18

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT
Zoe Zeichner v. Steve Lewis Subaru Inc. and Subaru of America Inc.
Allegation: Breach of implied warranty, breach of express warranty, negligence
Filed: 8/7/18

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Francois Haba v. ServiceNet Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination
Filed: 7/27/18

Erin Menard individually and as guardian for Zachary Menard v. Town of Southampton and Eversource Energy
Allegation: Negligence; falling tree limbs causing personal injury: $9,611.33
Filed: 8/2/18

Tammy Lequillo v. Staples the Office Superstore East Inc., Dennis Gaspie, Carl Rohrberg, Ron Lindhorst, Michael DeSantos, and Bruce Christian
Allegation: Age discrimination: $1,000,000
Filed: 8/2/18

Mi-Hyun Park v. University of Massachusetts Amherst and Richard Palmer
Allegation: Tenure denied for unlawful, discriminatory reasons: $100,000+
Filed: 8/10/18

Michael Kneurr v. Qionglong USBoston, LLC
Allegation: Negligence at Cold Spring Country Club causing personal injury: $363,050
Filed: 8/16/18

Joseph Whalen v. Walter J. Gazda, D.M.D.
Allegation: Dental malpractice: $26,200
Filed: 8/20/18

David R. Knightly v. Town of Amherst and Amherst Police Department
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+
Filed: 8/20/18

Agenda

Agenda

Future Tense Lecture

Sept. 20: The third installment of the BusinessWest lecture series Future Tense, titled “Change Considerations: An Examination of Lean Process, Market Disruption, and the Future of Your Business,” will take place on Thursday, Sept. 20 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Tech Foundry, 1391 Main St., ninth floor, Springfield. The lecture, open exclusively to CEOs and business owners, will be delivered by Mark Borsari, president of Sanderson MacLeod. The cost is a $25 donation to Tech Foundry. Event sponsors include Paragus IT, the Jamrog Group, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. With increasingly automated business processes, AI, and machine manufacturing, lean concepts are becoming more important than ever in terms of staying competitive. Borsari will discuss change and innovation through lean concepts and focus on resulting cultural considerations. The presentation will also address already-active market disrupters that will affect business processes in various industries. To register, visit businesswest.com/lecture-series.

Free Legal Help Hotline

Sept. 20: The Hampden County Bar Assoc. will hold a Legal Help Hotline in conjunction with Western New England University School of Law from 4 to 7 p.m. at the law school, 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. Spanish-speaking attorneys will be available. Individuals needing advice should call (413) 796-2057 to speak to a volunteer.

‘Hacks for Your Hindrances’

Sept. 21: The Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley (FBCPV) will present a workshop by business coach Julia Mines, called “Mindset: Hacks for Your Hindrances.” Attendees will learn how to gain some control over their amygdala, set better boundaries, be more courageous, stop procrastinating, and increase their self-esteem and happiness. Attendance is free for members and strategic partners of the FBCPV and $30 per person for others, who are owners and key managers of Western Mass. closely held and family owned companies. Contact Ira Bryck at [email protected] to register or for more information.

‘Paradigm Shifting in Healthcare’

Sept. 28: Bay Path University will host its first-ever healthcare summit, aimed at addressing current trends and best practices across the many disciplines of the field. The summit, “Paradigm Shifting in Healthcare,” will be held at the Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center, 1 Denslow Road, East Longmeadow, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event’s keynote speaker is Steve Walsh, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Assoc. (MHA). A member of the American College of Health Care Executives, he has extensive career experience in working with executives from Massachusetts healthcare institutions to promote and drive innovative change in healthcare delivery, policy, and regulation, and is credited with overseeing the drafting and passage of the Commonwealth’s 2012 landmark healthcare payment-reform law, Chapter 224. At the Summit, he will discuss what is driving and influencing the transitions in healthcare delivery models. Other sessions include: “Telemedicine and Its Effect in the Field of Genetic Counseling,” presented by Susan Capasso; “Assessing and Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” by Mark Benander; “Best Practices for Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias,” by Cheryl Boucakis; “The Social Determinants of Health and How They Impact Healthcare,” by Marie Meckel; and “Self-Care for the Healthcare Practitioner,” by Kristina Hallett. This event is free to the public, but registration is required. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Learn more at www.baypath.edu/healthcaresummit.

Source to Sea Cleanup

Sept. 28-29: Registration is now open for the Connecticut River Conservancy’s (CRC) Source to Sea Cleanup. This annual event, now in its 22nd year, has grown into New England’s largest river cleanup, winning an American Rivers award for most miles cleaned in 2017. There are three ways for volunteers to get involved in the Source to Sea Cleanup this year: report a trash site in need of cleaning, find a cleanup group near you to join, or organize and register your own local cleanup group. For more information or to register for the event, visit www.ctriver.org/cleanup. The annual Source to Sea Cleanup is a two-day river cleanup coordinated by CRC in all four states of the 410-mile Connecticut River basin. Each fall, thousands of volunteers of all ages and abilities clean the Connecticut River and its tributaries on foot or by boat. Volunteers remove trash along rivers, streams, parks, boat launches, trails, and more. In 2017, more than 2,500 volunteers hauled more than 46 tons of trash from riverbanks and waterways in the four river states. Volunteers remove everything from recyclables, fishing equipment, and food waste to tires, televisions, and refrigerators. To date, volunteers have removed more than 1,043 tons of trash from our rivers. If your group wants to get involved but needs a cleanup site, if you have questions, or if you know of a trash site in need of cleaning, contact CRC Cleanup Coordinator Stacey Lennard at [email protected]. Learn more about the event at www.ctriver.org/cleanup.

HCC 24-hour Theater Festival

Sept. 29: Holyoke Community College theater alumni, together with students from the HCC Theater Department, will gather once again this fall to put on an evening of one-act plays written in just 24 hours. The 24-hour theater festival, renamed the HCC Phillips Festival this year in memory of Leslie Phillips, the late HCC drama teacher who inspired the festival’s creation, will be presented at 8 p.m. in the Leslie Phillips Theater in HCC’s Fine & Performing Arts Building. Like the previous two festivals, the third is a benefit show, and all proceeds will go toward the Leslie Phillips Fund for Theater Arts and Education at Holyoke Community College. HCC alumni along with current HCC students will meet on Friday, Sept. 28 to begin writing and rehearsing the one-act plays they will perform the following night. Anyone who would like to participate in this year’s festival can contact the HCC Alumni Players at [email protected] or on the group’s Facebook page. Tickets for the show are $15 for general admission and $10 for students, seniors, HCC faculty, and staff. To order tickets, call (413) 552-2485 or visit hcc.edu/alumnievents.

Drone Pilot Certification

Sept. 29 to Oct. 20: Holyoke Community College (HCC) will again offer a hands-on program for individuals who want to become FAA-licensed drone pilots. “Flying Drones for Profit, Public Safety, and Commercial Applications” will run on four consecutive Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the main campus of HCC, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke. The course will prepare individuals to take the Federal Aviation Administration Remote Pilot in Charge exam, which they must pass to become licensed drone operators. All classes will be taught by Larry Harmon, co-director of the GeoGraphics Laboratory at Bridgewater State University and an industry consultant on small, unmanned aircraft systems. The lecture portion of the course will meet in the HCC Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main campus. Students will fly drones outside on the college sports fields. The course focuses on all content required to pass the FAA test, including regulations, national airspace system rules, weather, aircraft loading, aircraft performance, and flight operations. The cost for the four-week, non-credit course is $315. Space is limited. Drones will be provided for use in class. Participants can bring their own, but that is not necessary.

HCC Foundation Golf Classic

Oct. 16: Postponed from an earlier date by rain, the 31st annual Holyoke Community College Foundation Golf Classic will be held at Springfield County Club in West Springfield.Proceeds from the tournament will support the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, the home for culinary-arts and hospitality-management training programs. The HCC Foundation, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is the nonprofit fundraising arm of Holyoke Community College. Over 30 years, the annual HCC Foundation Golf Classic has raised more than $500,000 for HCC scholarships and educational technology for HCC classrooms. As before, the program begins with buffet lunch followed by a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The $185 fee includes greens fees, golf cart, lunch, dinner, and refreshments on the course. After an afternoon of golf, participants can enjoy cocktails on the clubhouse porch and dinner, and will have the opportunity to enter raffles and bid on dozens of items, including restaurant gift certificates, Red Sox memorabilia, wine baskets, and more. Participants can arrange their own foursomes or sign up as singles. To register or sponsor the golf tournament, visit www.hcc.edu/golf.

Healthcare Heroes

Oct. 25: The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by BusinessWest and HCN. 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 people providing that care. The seven winners were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, and will be feted at the Oct. 25 gala. Tickets cost $90, and tables of 10 are available. To order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. call Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, Bay Path University, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

Chamber Corners

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

• Oct. 17: Chamber Nite, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Hillcrest Commons, 169 Valentine Road, Pittsfield. Chamber networking event. Free for members.

• Oct. 24: Good News Business Salute, featuring Women in Business Month, 5-7 p.m, hosted by Seven Hills Inn, 40 Plunkett St., Lenox.

• Oct. 28: Berkshire Young Professionals Event, 4-8 p.m., hosted by St. James Place, 352 Main St., Great Barrington.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Oct. 4: A+ Awards Banquet, 5-9 p.m., hosted by UMass Student Ballroom, 280 Hicks Way, Amherst. Each year, the chamber takes a moment to collectively celebrate the outstanding achievements of community members and entities that contribute to the growth and well-being of the place we choose to work and live. Cost: $80, $75 for a table of 10. Register at amherstarea.com.

• Oct. 24: Multi-chamber Oktoberfest, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley. Register at amherstarea.com.

• Oct. 25: Legislative Breakfast, 7:30-9:30 a.m., hosted by Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. The annual legislative breakfast brings together legislators, local officials, and business leaders to network and discuss current and upcoming policy issues. Cost: $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Register at amherstarea.com.

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

• Sept. 19: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Tru By Hilton, 440 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Chief greeter: Tony Cignoli. Keynote speaker: state Rep. Joseph Wagner. Series sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Spherion Staffing Services, PeoplesBank, and Interstate Towing Inc. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org/events or call (413) 594-2101.

• Sept. 28: Chamber Seminar: “Authenticity in Leadership,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Residence Inn, 500 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presenter: Lora Wondolowski of Leadership Pioneer Valley. Presented by Westfield Bank. Cost: $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org/events or call (413) 594-2101.

• Oct. 2: Multi-chamber Business Table Top Expo, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Sponsored by LaQuinta Inns & Suites, Holyoke Medical Center, Westfield Bank, BusinessWest, and Polish National Credit Union. The Greater Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, South Hadley & Granby, Springfield Regional, and Quaboag Hills chambers of commerce will host more than 100 vendors in this networking event. Vendor tables are booking now at $125, with a $25 charge for electricity. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available. Sponsorship packages are still available. Free to the public to attend. Register a vendor table online at chicopeechamber.org/events, and ask about the new-member discount.

• Oct. 17: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by MassMutual Learning & Conference Center. Featuring a community planning update. Chief greeter: Lee Pouliot, city of Chicopee. Keynote speaker: Tim Brennan, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Spherion Staffing Services, PeoplesBank, Lisa Vachon, CPA, and FutureWorks. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

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

• Sept. 23: Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. The Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce joins with other area chambers to provide information concerning the nursing ballot initiative. There will be a continental breakfast and networking beginning at 7:30 a.m., folllowed by a panel discussion beginning at 8 a.m. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• Sept. 28: Women & the Art of Risk, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. A women’s leadership event featuring workshops, discussions, and career-development opportunities, all led by distinguished women from the Pioneer Valley. Hear personal and professional stories of how taking calculated risks led these women to new adventures and made them stronger leaders. The keynote speaker is Dr. Valerie Young, an internationally recognized expert on impostor syndrome. Cost: $119, or $875 for a table of 10. Pre-registration is a must. For more information, a schedule of the day’s events, and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• Oct. 2: “The Story Behind the Grand Bargain,” 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. A joint event with the Springfield Regional Chamber and 1Berkshire. Lunch will be 11:30 a.m. to noon, and the program will follow from noon to 1 p.m. Nancy Creed, president of the Springfield Regional Chamber, and John Regan, executive vice president of Government Affairs at Associated Industries of Massachusetts, will explain the details of the compromise bill and what it means for businesses. You will learn how they negotiated the compromise with a grassroots coalition and what that process could mean for future hot-button issues and how they affect business. Cost: $30 for members, $40n for non-members. Register at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com. Greater Easthampton Chamber members register with code GBE18.

• Oct. 11: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Abandoned Building Brewery, 142 Pleasant St., Unit 103A, Easthampton. Sponsored by Tunnel 7 and Fran’s Fine Editing. Food and door prizes will be available, along with a cash bar. Cost: $10 fir members, $15 for non-members. Pre-registration is suggested. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

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

• Sept. 19: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Gateway City Arts, 92 Race St., Holyoke. Join us for our first After Hours of this fiscal season. The team down at Gateway City Arts is excited to host this networking event in its Biergarten and Bistro. Cost: free to members who register in advance, $10 at the door and for non-members.

• Sept. 21: Now in its 30th season, the chamber and Holyoke Community College present Leadership Holyoke, to be held over a series of eight days. Faculty members from HCC will participate as instructors and facilitators, and community leaders will participate as speakers and discussion leaders. Cost: $600 for all eight sessions. Sign up at holyokechamber.com.

• Sept. 28: Women and the Art of Risk, hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. A women’s leadership event, in conjunction with the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, featuring workshops, discussions, and career-development opportunities, all led by distinguished woman from the Pioneer Valley. Hear personal and professional stories of how taking calculated risks led these women to new adventures and made them stronger leaders. Sign up at easthamptonchamber.org.

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

• Oct. 2: October Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., a networking event and chamber open house hosted by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. Sponsored by Pioneer Training. Cost: $10 for members.

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

• Sept. 20: Workshop: “Cybersecurity for Cloud-based Solutions: Emphasis on Endpoints in the Data Center,” 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., hosted by Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. Presented by Norhals Group LLC, Carbon Black, and VMWare’s Cloud Force Security. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Cost: $45. For sponsorships or registration questions, e-mail [email protected] or call (413) 568-1618. To register, visit www.westfieldbiz.org/events.

• Sept. 21: September Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by 104th Fighter Wing ANG, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. Platinum event sponsor: Baystate Noble Hospital; gold sponsors: Savage Arms, United Bank, and Westfield Gas & Electric; silver sponsor: A Plus HVAC Inc; bronze sponsors: Armbrook Village, Governor’s Center, Micro Abrasives Corp., and Rehab Resolutions. Join us to hear from keynote speaker Tim Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. Immediately following breakfast, we will take the 2019-20 directory centerfold photo, and those who have the time can take a tour of the base. Cost: $25 for members, $40 for non-members. For sponsorships or registration questions, e-mail [email protected] or call (413) 568-1618. To register, visit www.westfieldbiz.org/events.

• Sept. 28: Workshop: “Social Media in the Workplace,” 8:30-10 a.m., hosted by Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Presented by attorney Timothy Netkovick of Royal P.C. Cost: free for mmembers; $30/non-members (Paid in Advance). For sponsorships or registration questions, e-mail [email protected] or call (413) 568-1618. To register, visit www.westfieldbiz.org/events.

• Oct. 1: Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Armbrook Village, 51 North Road, Westfield. Free and open to the public. Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events or call the chamber at (413) 568-1618 to register so we may give our host a head count.

• Oct. 4: Multi-Chamber Lunch & Learn, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern Carriage House, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Rick Lord, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, will offer a barometer of the regional business climate and the historic ‘grand bargain’ legislation that promises to have profound effects on businesses and employees. Cost: $30 for members, $40 for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door). Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For sponsorships or more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• Oct. 4: Ticket to Ride, hosted by the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, 221 Appleton St., Holyoke. In honor of Manufacturing Month, manufacturers are invited to don casual business attire for a ride down the rails to the Merry-Go-Round in Holyoke. Aboard, you will be treated as a VIP, with an open bar and free hors-d’oeuvres. Non-manufacturers welcome as well. Space is limited. This event is free and open to the public. Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events or call the chamber at (413) 568-1618 to register.

• Oct. 10: October After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Chester Railway Station, 10 Prospect St., Chester. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber’s scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door). Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For sponsorships or more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

• Sept. 28: Monthly Breakfast Series, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Franklin County Technical High School, 82 Industrial Blvd., Turners Falls. Full breakfast will be served during the program, which will feature the kickoff of the United Way of Franklin County’s fundraising campaign. Register at franklincc.org or e-mail [email protected].

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Oct. 2: “The Story Behind the Grand Bargain,” 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Cost: $30 for members, $40 for non-members, $45 at the door. Register by visiting www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mailing [email protected], or calling (413) 755-1310.

• Oct. 2: Multi-chamber Business Table Top Expo, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented in collaboration with the Greater Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, Holyoke, Greater Westfield, and Quaboag Hills chambers. Cost: $125 for exhibitors. Register by visiting www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mailing [email protected], or calling (413) 755-1310.

• Oct. 17: Deadline for Super 60 reservations. Register by visiting www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mailing [email protected], or calling (413) 755-1310.

• Oct. 26: Super 60 Awards Celebration, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Join us as we celebrate the success of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the region. Cost: $60 for members, $75 for non-members, $100 at the door. Register by visiting www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mailing [email protected], or calling (413) 755-1310.

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

• Sept. 18: September Legislative Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Join us as we listen to an informative panel discussion with our elected officials. State senators, state representatives, and local mayors will update guests on all things politics. The presenting sponsor is Horizon Services; premier sponsors include the Insurance Center of New England, Health New England, Polish National Credit Union, and Republic Services; and preferred sponsors include Reliable Temps, Spherion Staffing, Westfield Bank, and Partners Restaurant & Catering. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• Oct. 4: Multi-chamber Lunch & Learn, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Enjoy lunch while learning about the future of our business climate with guest speaker Richard Lord, CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts. Cost: $30. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• Oct. 18: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. You must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief introduction and company overview. The only cost to attend is the cost of your lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately the day of the event. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• Oct. 25: Food Fest West, 5:30-8 p.m., hosted by Springfield Country Club, West Springfield. Local restaurants show off their cuisine at this well-attended event, which also features a DJ, raffle, and entertainment. Vote for your favorite restaurant. Proceeds raised by Food Fest West will go toward the Partnership for Education and the WRC Educational Fund, which provides grants to businesses for on-the-job training and continuing-education needs. Cost: $35 in advance, $45 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information about this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

People on the Move

People on the Move

Briana Doyle

Matthew Ogrodowicz

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. recently welcomed two new associates to the firm’s Audit and Accounting department: Briana Doyle and Matthew Ogrodowicz. Doyle comes to MBK following a tax internship at a public accounting firm in Westborough. As an accounting associate, she will focus on audit engagements across a variety of industries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nichols College. Ogrodowicz will also focus on audit engagements. Before joining MBK, he was a bookkeeper at a Holyoke business. He holds a bachelor of administration degree in psychology from Amherst College and received his master’s degree in accounting from UMass Amherst. He recently joined the Business Development Group at MBK and serves as the treasurer of the board of Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst and the South Hadley Farmer’s Market. Doyle and Ogrodowicz are the latest in a new class of accounting associates at MBK. Over the course of the next several months, they will be trained extensively in audit, accounting, and taxation and will have an opportunity to bring their unique backgrounds and skill sets to bear in providing accounting work to clients.

•••••

Emily Crafts

Emily Crafts has joined brand-development firm Six-Point Creative, where she assumes the newly created role of traffic manager/administrator. As such, she will be accountable for all workflow within the agency and will provide an information hub for agency projects. Her responsibilities include the scheduling of projects and allocation of resources, and she will also facilitate the internal communication of priorities, project details, and deadlines. Crafts worked most recently as a development, marketing, and communications coordinator for the Center for Human Development in Springfield. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Roger Williams University and is pursuing an MBA from Western New England University.

•••••

The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce board of directors announced that Barry Feingold has been named chamber president. He will also serve as president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber Centennial Foundation Inc. Feingold is a veteran chamber executive who previously served as the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce’s (MACC) president for 10 years, increasing its membership by 50% and revenue over 35%. Prior to arriving at the MACC, he served the American Chamber of Commerce in Lima, Peru, starting as the administrative and marketing manager and working his way up to executive director. After spending the last four years once again in Peru, where he successfully ran his own hospitality-management business, he decided to move back with his family to his native Massachusetts. Feingold, the chamber’s first bilingual president, replaces Kathleen Anderson, who served as chamber president for six years and recently joined the leadership at Holyoke Medical Center as director of Community Benefits.

•••••

Nicolle Cestero

American International College (AIC) announced the promotion of Nicolle Cestero to senior vice president for Human Resources and chief of staff. Cestero joined AIC in July 2011 as the associate vice president for Human Resources. Since that time, she has assumed increasing levels of responsibility and scope of duties. In 2012, she was named vice president for Human Resources and Title IX coordinator, and was promoted to senior vice president for Human Resources and Title IX coordinator in 2016. In her new role, Cestero will continue to lead AIC’s Human Resources unit, where she has established best practices in all areas, including staff recruiting and hiring, employee relations, and succession planning. As chief of staff, she will serve as advisor to the president and will play an integral role in the implementation of AIC’s strategic plan. Cestero will oversee the college’s legal matters and support presidential and institutional initiatives to ensure project deadlines are met and targeted outcomes attained. She serves on the president’s cabinet and supports the board governance and nominating committee; the finance, pension, and insurance committee; and the compensation committee of the board of trustees. Earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology from the University of West Florida, Cestero received certification as a professional in human resources (PHR) and attained the designation of certified professional from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP), which recognizes human-resource professionals who implement policies on strategies, serve as point of contact for staff and stakeholders, and perform operational human-resource duties.

•••••

The Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst announced two new directors for the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship. Gregory Thomas, who brings diverse experience in corporate America, was named the center’s new executive director, while Stephen Brand, who has taught entrepreneurship at colleges and universities across the country, will serve as the new associate director. For the past 20 years, Thomas has held various senior-level global manufacturing, finance, and control roles with Corning Inc. During the last five years at Corning, he was a strategist in the Emerging Innovation Group, focusing on bringing new products, processes, and businesses to market. He has also served as the president of the UMass Amherst Alumni Assoc. board. He will begin his new duties Oct. 1. Thomas, whose experience includes work as a consultant to nonprofit organizations, is a prolific volunteer and an accomplished fundraiser. A 1991 alumnus of UMass Amherst, Thomas earned an MBA in finance and operations management at Clark Atlanta University. In his new role as executive director, he will have overall responsibility for the Berthiaume Center, and will work with external constituents on campus and throughout the region to develop and execute value-adding partnerships in service of the center’s mission. Brand comes well-prepared for this ‘student-facing’ role, having taught entrepreneurship and worked closely with student entrepreneurs at Babson College, Case Western Reserve University, Olin College of Engineering, and others. At Babson, he was co-director of the Summer Venture Program and collaborated with emerging entrepreneurs in Kuwait, Egypt, and Saudia Arabia. Most recently, he was executive director of Global Learning and Development at Bay Path University. Brand holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University, a master’s degree in interactive technology in education from Harvard University, and a doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University.

•••••

Anne Griffin

Anne Griffin, founder and CEO of Charge Ahead LLC, announced she will soon begin manufacturing her first product, the Solar Foldy, designed to provide portable light and a charge fueled by solar energy to cell phones and tablets. To raise money for the first production run of Solar Foldys, based on the prototype Griffin has developed, Charge Ahead will launch a $150,000 Kickstarter campaign on Sept. 10. Griffin hopes to bring the product to market in the U.S. by the end of the year. A Florence-based business founded in 2013, Charge Ahead has a mission to encourage people to integrate solar power into their daily lives. While working on her prototype, Griffin sought advice and direction from Valley Venture Mentors of Springfield, the Small Business Development Center of Springfield, and SCORE, a nonprofit organization offering small-business advice. The Solar Foldy is pocket-sized and offers a USB input for charging devices as well as four modes of light — bright light, super bright light that is two times stronger, a night-light setting, and a flashing SOS mode. The Solar Foldy provides up to 200 hours of light on a single eight- to 12-hour solar charge. It can also be charged in an outlet, if necessary. In the future, Griffin hopes to introduce a companion product that will provide four modes of light only, with colored LED settings.

•••••

Local law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that eight of its attorneys were listed in The Best Lawyers in America for 2019. They include:

• Shareholder Michele Feinstein, in the fields of elder law and trusts and estates;

• Shareholder Gary Fentin, banking and finance law and commercial transactions/Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) law;

• Shareholder Carol Cioe Klyman, elder law;

• Managing Partner Timothy Mulhern, corporate law and tax law;

• Shareholder Steven Schwartz, business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), closely held companies, and family business law, as well as corporate law;

• Shareholder James Sheils, commercial transactions/Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) law;

• Shareholder Ann Weber, elder law; and

• Shareholder Steven Weiss, bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law.

In addition, Weiss and Mulhern were both recognized as 2019 Lawyers of the Year — Weiss for his work in the field of bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, and Mulhern for his work in the field of corporate law.

•••••

The Law Office of Christopher B. Myhrum announced that Chris Myhrum was selected for the 2018 edition of Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of environmental and environmental litigation. This is the 27th year Myhrum has been selected for this honor. He has also been recognized by his peers for the highest level of professional excellence as AV Preeminent (2002 to present) and as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer (2001 to present).

•••••

Brand-development firm Six-Point Creative has added MJ Hyndman-Benander as director of Client Services. In her new position, she oversees all client services for the agency, providing new client onboarding, client budget and planning oversight, key-account service, and oversight of Six-Point’s team of client advocates. Hyndman-Benander brings to Six-Point 20 years of marketing experience working with global institutions in Manila, Philippines, for which she spearheaded high-profile events, managed international licensing agreements, and forged international alliances with blue-chip companies and entertainment giants such as Disney, Nickelodeon, and Warner Brothers. She has held marketing positions in the Philippines at BDO, Unibank Inc., Globe Telecom, SM Supermalls, and Citibank, N.A., where she received two Chairman’s Awards for programs leading to innovation and revenue contribution. Most recently, she worked for Bay Path University in Longmeadow as a recruitment and enrollment specialist for the International Graduate Admissions and Multicultural Affairs department. Hyndman-Benander holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations from Assumption College, Makati City, Philippines, where she received a College Leadership Award.

•••••

William O’Neil and Gayle Rae, owners and founding partners of Industrial Steel & Boiler Services Inc., announced a change in company management, as Alex Korobkov has become sole owner and president of ISB. Korobkov has been employed by ISB for 17 years, beginning his career as a welder/boilermaker. He has steadily increased his responsibilities and expertise to become the operations manager for the last several years. Korobkov has appointed Debbie Salamon, who has been with the company since its beginning, and has been in the office manager position for 27 years, to serve as treasurer. ISB was incorporated in 1991 and is engaged in industrial power-plant services throughout the Northeast. The company is well-known in the industry for its work in boiler repair, valve repair, steel fabrication, pressure vessel fabrication, and code repairs to ASME vessels. ISB also holds many ASME and NBIC stamps.

•••••

Catherine Iannucci has taken over as member advocate at Click Workspace, a co-working space in downtown Northampton. Iannucci, an Emerson College graduate, moved to Northampton this summer. She has worked at nonprofit organizations since her senior year at college and comes to Click with hopes to play an active role in her new community. “I try to be an enthusiastic participant in any community I am living in,” she said. “There is no feeling more gratifying than enhancing your community and being an asset to those around you. Being a part of Click is a great way to do that for me. I get to meet and interact with local entrepreneurs, artists, and other nonprofits.” Click is a nonprofit that brings together creative professionals, space, and resources while producing artistic, cultural, and educational programming that enriches the region. Iannucci can help anyone become a member at Click, and can be reached by e-mailing [email protected]. More information about becoming a member can be found at www.clickworkspace.org.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook

Elms College Launches Student Leadership Institute

CHICOPEE — To expand its offering of leadership-development opportunities to all students, the Elms College will launch the Elms College Student Leadership Institute (SLI) at the start of the fall 2018 semester. SLI — run by the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership — encourages leadership development by hosting dynamic workshops and seminars; establishing mentoring relationships with faculty, staff, and students within the campus community; creating opportunities for community service by partnering with local organizations; and sparking discussions with peers about important personal and social issues. Fall 2018 SLI sessions include offerings centered around the college’s core values of faith, community, justice, and excellence. Participants may choose to attend individual sessions for personal enrichment, or take part in a series of sessions to earn a certificate in values-based leadership. This certificate is awarded to students who complete all eight of the SLI programs offered each year. The new institute is an extension of Elms College’s existing Sophomore Leadership Program, which will continue to be offered this year as a part of SLI to encourage second-year students to engage in deep development of their leadership qualities and potential. Through leadership programming, workshops, and activities, sophomores will self-reflect, develop skills, and make changes through action.

Colony Hills Capital Sells Mobile Five Portfolio for $134.3M

WILBRAHAM — Colony Hills Capital announced that it recently sold the 2,013-unit Mobile Five portfolio for $134,300,000. The sale of the multi-family apartment portfolio, purchased for $98 million in May 2013, produced a healthy, double-digit return for the firm’s investors. This sale is the latest example of Colony Hills’ ability to source investment opportunities to which it can add substantial value through strategic capital investments and optimizing on-site management. This profitable investment also highlights how Colony Hills can enter various markets and capitalize on opportunities that others may overlook. Colony Hills recognized that Mobile, Ala. was an underappreciated market for multi-family investments and purchased the portfolio prior to the arrival of major employers like Airbus, Whole Foods, SSAB, and Amazon, as well as the major expansion of Austal, USA. Colony Hills Capital is a real-estate investment company specializing in the acquisition and management of value-add multi-family properties. The investment targets are typically sourced ‘off-market,’ and at the time Colony Hills acquires them, they are underperforming relative to their peers in the marketplace. The Mobile Five portfolio was identified as an ideal investment by President David Kaufman, due to it being mismanaged, undercapitalized, and lacking a clear business plan. The portfolio consists of five separate communities comprising a variety of vintages and styles, which catered to a wide spectrum of renters. The properties are Yester Oaks (587 units), Crossings at Pinebrook (545 units), Windsor Place (384 units), Sandpiper Townhomes (253 units), and Pathways Apartments (244 units). The portfolio is also geographically diversified, from east of Interstate 65 to the western suburbs, and further diversified in product quality ranging from class-A to class-C apartments, demonstrating that Colony Hills has the capability to manage assets of varying classes and in diverse locations. While under Colony Hills’ ownership, the properties benefited from a $4 million capital-improvement program which focused on upgrading unit interiors, modernizing outdated clubhouses, adding resident amenities such as fitness centers and dog parks, and enhancing existing resort-size pools with new furniture and grilling centers. Colony Hills also rebranded the communities with new signage and landscaping, and added management systems to optimize the marketing and sales execution. As a result of these improvements, average rents rose considerably. The neighborhoods surrounding the communities improved as well. A new Whole Foods market moved in a short distance from Crossings at Pinebrook. The city of Mobile garnered a number of awards for the business climate created by the addition of Whole Foods, Airbus, Amazon, and SSAB.

Bay Path’s Online Liberal Studies Program Earns National Accolades

LONGMEADOW — The American Women’s College at Bay Path University has been helping women complete their bachelor’s degrees at twice the rate of the national average since its inception in 2013, thanks to its digitally enhanced learning model, SOUL (Social Online Universal Learning). This innovative approach to education has placed its bachelor of arts degree in liberal studies among the 50 best in the nation, as ranked by TheBestSchools.org, which ranked colleges based on six major categories: academic excellence, strength of faculty scholarship, reputation, financial aid, range of degree programs, and strength of online instruction methodology. The university’s program placed 21st on the list, in which the editor highlighted the freedom it provides to students, particularly adult women who have other responsibilities, including family and work obligations, to design an academic program to suit their needs and schedule. The SOUL model uses data-driven intervention strategies to help mitigate achievement gaps, and has been recognized with more than $5 million in support from industry thought leaders and organizations. SOUL was developed after the American Women’s College was awarded a grant through the First in the World competition administered through the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). The four-year, $3.5 million award was used to develop — and continually hone — the program by improving educator access to learning data, allowing for targeted feedback and personalized guidance. SOUL has been recognized with several other grants and awards from national foundations, the federal government, and awarding agencies.

PV Financial Group Makes $5,000 Donation to MHA

SPRINGFIELD — Ed Sokolowski, managing partner of PV Financial Group in Ludlow, presented a $5,000 donation to MHA on Sept. 6. “At PV Financial Group, we are committed to giving back to our community and demonstrating leadership through philanthropy,” said Sokolowski. “Instead of spending money on traditional marketing efforts, we choose instead to invest dollars directly into organizations that support the future growth of our community. MHA is close to our hearts because the organization’s ideals of integrity, respect, and compassion are directly aligned with our values at PV Financial Group. While our organizations may have different clients, we believe they all deserve to be treated with the same level of care.” Cheryl Fasano, president and CEO of MHA, noted that the funds will be directed to the agency’s efforts to launch a new outpatient behavioral-health clinic in Springfield this January.

First Connecticut Bancorp Issues Quarterly Dividend

FARMINGTON, Conn. — First Connecticut Bancorp Inc. announced that its board of directors has voted to pay its quarterly dividend of $0.17 per share. Dividends will be payable on Sept. 17 to all shareholders of record as of Sept. 7. First Connecticut Bancorp is the holding company for Farmington Bank, a full-service community bank with 25 branch locations throughout Central Conn. and Western Mass., offering commercial and residential lending as well as wealth-management services. Farmington Bank has assets of $3.3 billion.

Bay Path Recognizes Springfield JCC with Award

LONGMEADOW — Springfield Jewish Community Center was recognized with Bay Path University’s first-ever Community Partnership Spirit Award, which is bestowed upon an individual, team, or organization that has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the Bay Path community, students, and mission by playing an integral role in student success through mentorship, leadership, and fostering career development. The Springfield JCC was selected as this year’s award recipient from a pool of nominations submitted by faculty and staff at Bay Path throughout the spring. The process was thorough, requiring that nominations include a narrative explaining the impact of the partner on Bay Path’s mission and students. A selection committee reviewed submissions and made the final decision. “Students from our occupational therapy, psychology, and education programs have held internships, volunteered, and engaged in service learning projects with the organization,” Bay Path President Carol Leary said. “Most recently, our master’s in occupational therapy faculty and students collaborated with the JCC Kehillah program for individuals with special needs to develop a ‘SensiPlay’ program for children with various disabilities.”

Bulkley Richardson Launches Cannabis Practice

SPRINGFIELD — As the legalization of marijuana continues to roll out in Massachusetts, attorneys at Bulkley Richardson saw an opportunity to meet the unique needs of businesses within the cannabis industry. The firm assembled a group of cross-disciplinary lawyers to form a cannabis practice group. To help launch this new practice, Bulkley Richardson recently sponsored a conference, “That Cannabis Show,” at the MassMutual Center, where the firm’s panel discussed from a legal perspective how cannabis is both like and unlike any other business. The Cannabis Group is led by attorneys Scott Foster, chair of the business and finance group and co-founder of Valley Venture Mentors (VVM), and Andy Levchuk, chair of the cybersecurity group and a 24-year veteran of the Department of Justice. The group also includes Ron Weiss, Kathy Bernardo, Mary Jo Kennedy, Sarah Willey, and Ryan Barry. “When doing business in a highly regulated industry, a rapidly changing legal landscape exists that requires a team of attorneys to collaborate across practice areas,” Foster said. “Bulkley Richardson understands the unique legal needs of cannabis businesses operating in Massachusetts and has developed a comprehensive practice group to specifically meet the many challenges within the cannabis industry.”

Briefcase

Briefcase

Unify Against Bullying Accepting Grant Applications

SPRINGFIELD — Unify Against Bullying Executive Director Christine Maiwald announced that the organization is accepting grant applications online. The organization will be awarding $15,000 in microgrants, which can be anywhere from $500 to $2,000. Paul Mitchell and its Neon product line will award an additional $1,000 grant. “Our number-one goal is to inspire youth of all ages and to ignite their ideas as to how to prevent bullying,” Maiwald said. “We encourage parents, guidance personnel, teachers, administrators, and charity partners to also apply. Their programs must be dedicated to anti-bullying education and furthering the Unify mission: to bring an end to bullying through the celebration of true diversity.” In addition to providing the seeds for children to come up with ideas on how to prevent bullying, Unify’s high-school students attend events and are given the opportunity to speak with younger students on the value of celebrating differences. The students are also bringing education to their younger peers in school to explain what bullying is and the effects it has on an individual. The organization has a committee of volunteers who will select the applicant initiatives that best reflect and advance the organization’s mission.

Opioid Overdose Deaths Decline in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts have fallen steadily over the past three quarters even as the presence of fentanyl in overdose deaths reached an all-time high. The presence of fentanyl in the toxicology of those who died from opioid-related overdose deaths rose to nearly 90% in 2018, underscoring its impact as the driving force behind the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts, according to the latest quarterly opioid-related deaths report released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). The report illustrates the changing nature of the epidemic, with cocaine now surpassing heroin in the toxicology for opioid-related deaths, beginning with the fourth quarter of 2017 (October through December). DPH officials reissued a June clinical advisory to all medical providers to warn them about the increase of fentanyl in cocaine. Overall, 2017 saw a 4% decrease in opioid-related overdose deaths from 2016. The data also shows that the Commonwealth has experienced a 30% decline in opioid prescriptions since the launch of the Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program (MassPAT) in August 2016. Between April and June 2018, searches by registered prescribers to MassPAT increased by 100,000 searches over the previous quarter, making it the largest increase in searches conducted in a single quarter.

Teach Western Mass Awarded License to Certify New Teachers

SPRINGFIELD — Teach Western Mass (TWM) was recently approved as a sponsoring organization for teacher licensure by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to train and certify new teachers in the region through the Teach Western Mass Residency. TWM completed a rigorous program-approval application process that demonstrated it is able to meet all the requirements for teacher-preparation programs, and expects to certify 20-50 aspiring special-education and ESL teachers annually to serve in partner schools in Holyoke and Springfield. Launched in 2015, TWM represents a network of 29 schools serving more than 11,000 students in Western Mass. Collectively, TWM and partner schools work to recruit, prepare, and support effective teachers in the region. The TWM Residency was established in 2018 in partnership with the nonprofit education organization TNTP and funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help build high-quality, diverse teacher pipelines for hard-to-fill teaching positions. An accelerated, affordable alternative to traditional certification programs, the program targets recent graduates, career changers, and professionals already in the education sector, including paraprofessionals and substitutes, seeking to earn their initial teacher certification. Once accepted into the program, participants will complete an intensive summer training and teach in classrooms under the guidance of an experienced coach. Their training is focused on the most important skills they’ll need to be successful in their first year of teaching and beyond. Only those who show that they’re on the way to mastering those core instructional skills at the end of training will be recommended for certification. The application for the 2019 cohort launches on Nov. 1. Aspiring teachers can apply for the program by visiting www.teachwesternmass.com.

Institute for Applied Life Sciences Boosts Industry Relationships

AMHERST — In addition to directing the Human Testing Center at UMass Amherst’s Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), Michael Busa is managing the new class of research relationships emerging for the state’s largest public university campus, with corporate partners in biotech and healthcare. “It’s a new world for research academics,” said Busa, “because, even though we are a public university, when companies come to us looking for research support, they want to retain their intellectual property. There are new rules, and we now have an example of successfully navigating those new rules and relationships.” He is referring to a recent collaboration with Novartis that will see IALS researchers use the Human Testing Center’s living-science, sleep-monitoring, human-motion, and other facilities to evaluate behavior- and movement-monitoring technologies now in development. He says it is the first of what he expects to be many “big collaborations” between IALS and biotech and healthcare firms. Specifically for the Novartis collaboration, IALS researchers will assess the validity of a Novartis device in capturing detailed aspects of human motion and behavior such as walking, balance, and sleep. Busa, who has a Ph.D. in kinesiology and training in mechanical engineering, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and physical activity, will work with kinesiologists Katherine Boyer, John Sirard, and Stuart Chipkin; neuroscientist and sleep expert Rebecca Spencer; and 10 supporting students and staff.

Incorporations

Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Long River Taichi Inc., 8 Tuckerman Lane, Amherst, MA 01002. Wolfe Lowenthal, same. The purpose of the organization is to advance awareness of and skill in the art, practice and philosophy of Cheng Man-Ching Yang style Taichi, through ongoing classes, workshops, study groups, and seminars.

CHICOPEE

Mass Fusion Basketball Club Inc., 138 Edbert St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Jefferey A. Herd, same. Organizes youth basketball teams and provides basketball instruction to its members.

LEE

Keshav Pramukh Corp., 155 Summer St., Lee, MA 01238. Kalpeshkumar Patel, 11 Old Middlesex Turnpike, Chelmsford, MA 01824. Liquor store.

LONGMEADOW

J & C Car Transport Inc., 218 Meadowlark Dr., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Juan Adorno, same. Transportation company.

LUDLOW

MGI Industries Inc., 135 Lavoie Ave., Ludlow, MA 01056. Michael Goncalves, same. Construction and landscaping.

NORTHAMPTON

Maroun Md PC, 100 Whittier St., Northampton, MA 01062. Marie-Claire Maroun, same. Doctor.

PITTSFIELD

Huynh Enterprises Inc., 843 West St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Huy H. Huynh, same. Restaurant/tavern.

SPRINGFIELD

Ministry En Motion Inc., 531 Belmont Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Eric M. Brown, 187 King St., Springfield, MA 01109. To assemble regularly a group of individuals related by common worship and faith in carrying out the functions of a church.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Lopez Auto Reconditioning Inc., 1399 Riverdale Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. Giovanni Ernesto Lopez Sayes, 28 Middlebrook Road, Newington, CT 06111. Auto detailing.

Mehar Awan Inc., 636 Kings Highway, West Springfield, MA 01089. Muhammad Shahid Awan, 968 Berkshire Ave., Indian Orchard, MA 01151. Convenience store.

WESTFIELD

Imagine Scholarship Foundation Inc., 40 St. Dennis St., Westfield, MA 01085. Andrew Jordan Symancyk, same. Provides easy to apply for scholarships with a focus on trade schools/career colleges.

Doing Business as Certificates

DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the months of August and September 2018.

AMHERST

Adair Construction
89 Potwine Lane
Robert Adair Jr.

Amherst Hairstylists; Caren’s Place
409 Main St., Unit 103
Caren Figliolini

Elements Hot Tub Spa
373 Main St.
Diana Krauth, Jeffrey Krauth

Heartland Farm
72 Station Road
Susan Lander

Judy Associates
6 High Point
Judy Tambasco

Nomad Fitness
990 North Pleasant St., Apt. D-27
Serenti, LLC

Red Barn Music
409 Main St.
Kevin Collins

BELCHERTOWN

Oasis Senior Advisors, Unit 91
121 Barton Ave.
Eric Aasheim

Repair & Offroad Recovery Specialists
120 Bay Road
Christian Vadella, Brett Kearney

T. Lynne Comparato
480 Amherst Road
Toni Daughtrey

Tails ’N Trails
24 South Main St.
Tasha Majerowski

CHICOPEE

A1 Variety
355 Dale St.
Vanita Patel

Audrey’s Family Chiropractic
53 Springfield St.
Audrey Okhrimenko

J.E. Ryan Wealth Management, LLC
79 Dwight St.
Joseph Ryan

JL Flooring
126 Chapel St.
Jason Laliberte

Masse’s Custom Cuts
5 Willow St.
Rebecca Patterson

Nail Bliss Q Inc.
1483 Memorial Dr.
Won Gab Szo

OKNA Window Cleaning & More
1 Springfield St., A-201
Jason Nieznajko, Damaris Nieznajko

EASTHAMPTON

Bleu Collar Pirates
80 Loudville Road
Justus Conant

Budget Remodeling
12 Duda Dr.
David Ouimette

The Coffee Mill
116 Pleasant St., Suite 142
Audrey Bladsdell

EAST LONGMEADOW

Adamczyk’s Auto Repair
209 Shaker Road
John Adamczyk

Crowned with Beauty
576 North Main St.
Emily DeCesare

A Wondering Spirit
169 Shaker Road
Wes Crouch

HOLYOKE

ARA Holyoke Dialysis, LLC
36 Lower Westfield Road, Unit C-153
ARA Holyoke Dialysis Center

Four Wings Consulting
1789 Northampton St., Suite 200
Amy Jamrog

The Jamrog Group
1789 Northampton St., Suite 100
Amy Jamrog

Knoxworx Multimedia
36L Maplecrest Circle
Mark Knox, Mary Knox

Mando Mo Strings
8 Sequoia Dr.
Alexander Bielunis

The Plan
420 Dwight St., Unit B
Chelsea Falcetti, Tiffany Duchesne

R and S Multi Cleaning Service
266 Essex St., #103
Rafael Rivera

Woodchop Chains
123 Cabot St.
Nicole Ortiz

LUDLOW

Chapin East Variety Store
830 East St.
Tahira Khatoon

NORTHAMPTON

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech
45 Round Hill Road
Douglas Scott, Valerie Martin

Coffey and Headey
23 Hooker Ave.
Donald Coffey

Gardenscapes
46 Hastings Heights
Debra Windoloski

Holy Oak Bodywork
45 Main St.
Ingrid Nevar

J Brooks PR
228 Florence Road
Joseph Brooks

Kevin’s Haircuts
62 King St.
Kevin Ovitt

LRK Painting
22 Finn St., Apt. 1
Luis Pichazaca

Luis Electric
1131 Florence Road
Luis Eliza

nohomusiclessons
19 Bright St.
Michael Katz, Josh Katz

Piper’s Hair Salon
99 Market St.
Piper Murphy

Ryan’s Jewelers
14 Strong Ave.
John Malikowski

UYA
89 Main St.
Yue Zhang

Valley Recycling
234 Easthampton Road
Richard Pitts

SPRINGFIELD

Alpha to Omega Painting
126 Barre St.
Augustine Stuetzel

Art Ventures
34 Front St.
Sciantic Group

Automotive Vinyl & Sign
43 Harmon Ave.
Benjamin Scott

Destiny Transport of Massachusetts
241 Denver St.
Sandra Housey

EC Transportation
50 Steuben St.
Ermer Cruz

Enoch Maintenance
118 Cornell St.
Marlene Ryan

Incredible Vision
16 Mattoon St.
Oscar Arzola

Indian Motorcycle
One MGM Way
Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC

I.O. Appliances Store
12 Parker St.
Doel Velazquez

Joseph’s Jewelers
1624 Main St.
Joseph Stevens

MassHire
One Federal St.
FutureWorks Inc.

Miss Chic by 2
69 Oswego St.
Celany Valdez

Moya’s Construction
86 Layzon Brothers Road
Roberto Moya

Ramos Detailing
720 Berkshire Ave.
Jose Ramos

Rey’s Construction & Plowing
101 Mulberry St.
Reynaldo Carabalo

Savage X Scavenge
92 Stuart St.
Tyrone Ward

The Salon
One MGM Way
Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC

Throneroom Consulting Services, LLC
116 Florence St.
Steven Williams

Tredee Web Solutions
201 Morton St.
Robert Carter

WESTFIELD

Aurora Billing Solutions
592 Loomis St.
Catherine Burke

Family Medicine Associates
75 Springfield Road
Pioneer Valley Medical Center, LLC

Grant Services
205 Loomis Ridge
Ronald Grant

Honeyland Farms
4 Russell Road
AND Inc.

Jonathan Aspinall Chimney Sweeps
16 Fremont St.
Jonathan Aspinall

Massage Expressions
16 Union Ave., Suite 2H
Cherie Iennaco

New England Coins & Collectibles
7 Day Ave.
David Fisk

Palmer & Palmer
596 Pochassic Road
Terry Palmer

Subway
24 Main St.
Clifford Laraway

Upstate Home Renovations
342 Southwick Road, Apt. D-7
Anthony Savoca

Whip City Siding & Window Co.
81 Alexander Place
Todd Balser

Zayas Tax Works
8 Raymond Circle
Orlando Zayas

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Convenience Mart
7 Chester St.
Mohammad Ishaq

Cosmetology, Manicurist
446 Main St.
Olga Kulinich

D & G Construction
43 Allen St.
Dmitriy Gritskevich

Elegant Nails
634 Kings Highway
Lien Thi Tran

Elm Family Dentistry
1284 Elm St.
Cole Archambault

The Guys Cleaning Service
114 Highland Ave.
Emily Davila

Kay Bee Marketing Resources
104 Brookline Ave.
Karen Blinderman

Lawrence H. Blinderman Insurance Agency
1252 Elm St.
Lawrence Blinderman

Los Duenos del Estilo Barber Shop
1146 Union St.
Luis Rivera

Mindful Changes
120 Westfield St.
Kimberly Black

Plaza Liquors
1150 Union St.
Hasmukh Gogri

Star Pizza
707 Main St.
Serder Turkmen

Under the Edge
774 Main St.
Ali Alsaadi

WILBRAHAM

Aardvark Painting
7 Fernwood Dr.
Joshua Long

Assad Insurance and Financial Services
2440-C Boston Road
Robert Assad Sr.

Clout Apparel
23 Weston St.
Anthony Zielinski

F.D. Quigley & Associates
10 Old Farm Road
Franklin Quigley

Honey I’m Comb Apiary
920 Stony Hill Road
Denise Matuszczak, Michael Matuszczak

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies

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

Barrett, Kenneth M.
32 Kensington St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/08/18

Beckwith, Ashley E.
42 Merrifield Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/09/18

Bessette, Kimberly A.
118 Sheri Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/06/18

Binette, Carl E.
125 Simonds St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/09/18

Bolanos, Denise
22 Roosevelt Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/14/18

Brand, Theodore T.
Brand, Lori J.
34 Old Bernardston
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/13/18

Brown, Angilene S.
22 Wellesley St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/06/18

Cameron, Moraine
144 Harvard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/07/18

Champoux, Meagan M.
129 Daniel Shays Highway
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/10/18

Childs-Gryszkiewicz, Crystal J.
12 Deepwoods Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/12/18

Corcoran, Christopher E.
68 Elmwood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/07/18

Dandurant, Jarrod T.
121 Glendale Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/02/18

Dauplaise, Todd F.
12 Autumn Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/09/18

Davis,, John W.
288 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/04/18

DeCaro, Giovanni S.
DeCaro, Linda J.
a/k/a Walling, Linda J.
152 Lucerne Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/06/18

Deveno, Debra A.
2 Wellington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/09/18

Dominick, Robert S.
82 Rising St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/09/18

Dunn, James D.
Dunn, Debra A.
18 Old Fiske Hill
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/08/18

Ealy, Lucinda E.
65 Dartmouth St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/12/18

Elliott, Barbra A.
16 Sauter Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/13/18

Espresso Time
Suchodolski, Thomas T.
a/k/a Suchodolski, Taduesz Tomasz
162 Wildflower Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/01/18

Fisher, Belinda
a/k/a Whitman, Belinda
198 Union Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/09/18

Gaby, David P.
Dillard Gaby, Bonita F.
1105 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/07/18

Galazka, Stephen M.
134 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/14/18

Garcia, Jose A.
1343 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/03/18

Girard, Shannon L.
46 Hathaway St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/03/18

Hair, Thomas J.
8 Pixley Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/10/18

Hoag, Kristen D.
135 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/13/18

Houghton, Jason W.
104 Butterworth Road
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/09/18

Hutkoski, Wayne M.
149 Christian Lane
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 12
Filing Date: 08/14/18

Ithier, Cosme L.
114 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/02/18

Jones, Floyd A.
36 Cambridge St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/14/18

Jovanelly, Jennifer N.
131 Ashley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/08/18

Keefe, Colin
29 Princeton Terrace
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/07/18

Lawn, April Gentry
221 Deerfield St., #3
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/10/18

Leith, Michele Anita
100 Noel St., 2nd Fl.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/02/18

Long Plain Farm, LLC,
149 Christian Lane
Whately, MA 01093
Chapter: 12
Filing Date: 08/14/18

Lopez, Diosdado
19 Springdale Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/15/18

Lorenzo, William
69 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/12/18

Louden, Paul Thomas
PO Box 87
Whately, MA 01093
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/06/18

Lussier, Jody C.
51 Hillview Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/07/18

Maaloee, Jesper S.
a/k/a Saabye, Jesper
715 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/01/18

Maddocks, Sandra L.
PO Box 307
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/02/18

Martin, Robert A.
77 Holland Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/01/18

Matney, Jr., Louis
11 Greene Ave.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/10/18

McGovern, Monica J.
108 Pine St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/03/18

Musche, Donna M.
249 Mohawk Forest Blvd.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/10/18

Opitz, Bernard F.
24 Gilman St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/09/18

Ottoson, Craig J.
9 Theresa St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/11/18

Picard, Jennifer A.
246 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/04/18

Queior, Pamela A.
9 Granby Heights
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/08/18

Quinlan, Thomas F.
141 Bay Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/01/18

Ramos, Rosa E.
31 Laurel St., 1st Fl.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/07/18

Richardson, Meronda T
a/k/a White, Meronda T.
1375 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/07/18

Rodriguez, Anamaris
101 Lowell St., Apt. 308
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/03/18

Rolon, Harry
37 Kimball St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/13/18

Ross, Monique L.
122 Amherst St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/07/18

Ruiz, Elizabeth
9 Bureks Cross Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/18

Saeed, Asma
357 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/01/18

Sullivan, Cheri L.
55 Maryland Ave
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/15/18

Swider, Christopher Anthony
59 Hillside Village
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/03/18

Thomas, Krissie A.
P.O. Box 1032
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/13/18

Tosoni, Nancy M.
78 Woodland Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/10/18

Trumbull, Eleanor G.
35 Hickory St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/03/18

Weickum, Donald George
Weickum, Margaret Ann
18 Droy Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/06/18

Wesockes, Lynn M.
170 Chestnut St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/03/18

Real Estate Transactions

Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

44 Hillcrest Dr.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $246,900
Buyer: Justin M. Nash
Seller: Kittredge Industries LLC
Date: 08/24/18

7 South St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Teddy & EBS LLC
Seller: Carol S. Dougherty
Date: 08/15/18

CHARLEMONT

144 Tower Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $245,750
Buyer: William K. Ketchen
Seller: Matthew J. Boron
Date: 08/16/18

COLRAIN

21 Main Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Louis W. Peck
Seller: Maureen Kennedy
Date: 08/15/18

DEERFIELD

31 Captain Lathrop Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Brian C. Winsor
Seller: Joshua Relin
Date: 08/14/18

37 King Philip Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Eric L. Phelps
Seller: Lisa A. Keller
Date: 08/14/18

39 River Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Richard M. Petrauskas
Seller: Petrauskas, Richard J., (Estate)
Date: 08/14/18

245 River Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $454,000
Buyer: Kirsten Modestow
Seller: Sallie P. Swartz
Date: 08/22/18

196 Upper Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Ann M. Butynski
Seller: Drumgool, Jane N, (Estate)
Date: 08/23/18

4 Wells Cross Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: John G. Savage Realty Corp.
Seller: Dorothy H. Rosario
Date: 08/17/18

GREENFIELD

115 Barton Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Maxwell Brown
Seller: Britton, Phyllis M., (Estate)
Date: 08/20/18

170 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Jenine M. Cafarella
Seller: Kathleen A. Daysh
Date: 08/17/18

14 Lunt Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $202,500
Buyer: Joshua Candelaria
Seller: WPB Partners LLC
Date: 08/17/18

18 Maple St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Veaceslav Falceanu
Seller: Gloria Funkhouser
Date: 08/23/18

81 Phillips St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Michael K. Aiken
Seller: Grigoriy Federyuk
Date: 08/16/18

30-D Phyllis Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Robert Conley
Seller: Nicholas B. Langlois
Date: 08/17/18

31 Pickett Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $221,675
Buyer: Lanny A. Mason
Seller: Robert C. Majkut
Date: 08/13/18

106 Riddell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Ryan Cabanas
Seller: Audrey S. Farnum
Date: 08/17/18

121 Thayer Road Ext
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: LFT Transformations LLC
Seller: Helen E. Hyjek
Date: 08/15/18

HEATH

85 Number 9 Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Konstantin Khodunov
Seller: Woodward FT
Date: 08/15/18

LEVERETT

31 Juggler Meadow Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $592,000
Buyer: Stephanie A. Fetta
Seller: Thomas J. Woodside
Date: 08/16/18

MONTAGUE

28 Avenue C
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Gina M. Varuzzo
Seller: Dana F. Bessette
Date: 08/17/18

484 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Marks Rentals LLC
Seller: Esther R. Stone
Date: 08/22/18

NORTHFIELD

5 Commonwealth Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Steven R. Malsch
Seller: Nahajlo FT
Date: 08/17/18

38 East St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kurtis Williams
Seller: Christina A. Pike
Date: 08/15/18

199 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $196,917
Buyer: Green Pastures Study Center
Seller: C. S. Lewis Foundation
Date: 08/13/18

214 Warwick Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Erin R. Pineda
Seller: Michael T. Cahill
Date: 08/22/18

ORANGE

60 Carpenter St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Sarah Meeker
Seller: Rich, June K., (Estate)
Date: 08/20/18

SHELBURNE

233 Main St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Ryan Raftery
Seller: Robert Bassett
Date: 08/17/18

SUNDERLAND

24 Clark Mountain Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Sarah Sprogell
Seller: Janet M. Conley
Date: 08/15/18

292 North Silver Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: William Martin
Seller: William S. Glucksman
Date: 08/22/18

WHATELY

21 Eastwood Lane
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Graves
Seller: JAWK Inc.
Date: 08/24/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

52 Campbell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Andree Luginbuhl
Date: 08/20/18

20 Edward St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Shaun M. Jennings
Seller: Gregory G. Wegrzyn
Date: 08/17/18

55 Emerson Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Melinda M. Conway
Seller: Marc R. Guillemette
Date: 08/15/18

56 Hemlock Ridge
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Stanislaw Dziurzynski
Seller: Edward A. Jamgochian
Date: 08/17/18

80 Karen Lynn Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Eagle Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Melissa M. Sullivan
Date: 08/15/18

44 Line St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Anastasia Aversa
Seller: Richard N. Lapierre
Date: 08/22/18

79 Line St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Samantha E. Jez
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/20/18

1076 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Richard K. Seaver
Seller: William F. Maher
Date: 08/17/18

204-206 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $168,244
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Cynthia A. Lynch
Date: 08/14/18

1083 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Antoine Elias
Date: 08/13/18

134 Wagon Wheel Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Kele
Seller: Patrick J. Moriarty
Date: 08/20/18

39 White Birch Terrace
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Michael Wallace
Seller: Nicholas Depalma
Date: 08/23/18

54 White Oaks Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Heather L. Roy
Seller: Biagina H. Ranney
Date: 08/17/18

BLANDFORD

4 Hayden Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: David G. Converse
Seller: Janet L. Reid
Date: 08/24/18

BRIMFIELD

227 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Brian Treitman
Seller: Michael Vacarr
Date: 08/17/18

68 East Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Scott T. Hudson
Seller: Ronald C. Oberg
Date: 08/16/18

23 Hollow Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Nicholas Susko
Seller: Gaston G. Vezina
Date: 08/13/18

72 Knollwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $129,200
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Johnathan A. Towne
Date: 08/16/18

295 Sturbridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: James R. Overbey
Seller: Brian S. Sacerdote
Date: 08/14/18

CHICOPEE

66 Allen St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Nicholas Sulham
Seller: Bugli, Charlotte A., (Estate)
Date: 08/22/18

70 Bourbeau St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Samuel Gaulin
Seller: Robert P. Labrie
Date: 08/17/18

64 Brentwood Ter
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Recep Sarikcioglu
Seller: Jacqueline M. Tisdale
Date: 08/24/18

37 Chester St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $192,600
Buyer: Kevin M. Pouliot
Seller: Gerald Pouliot
Date: 08/15/18

62 Clark St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $160,900
Buyer: Orlando M. Leon
Seller: Stephen G. Keith
Date: 08/21/18

31 Dale Court
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: William Goldenberg
Seller: Ali B. Kitchell
Date: 08/24/18

57 Dunn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Anujkumar Dhamija
Seller: FNMA
Date: 08/17/18

56 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $127,723
Buyer: Emtay Inc.
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 08/16/18

228 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Mohammed Al-Mayahi
Seller: Christopher T. Jurkowski
Date: 08/17/18

230 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Joseph Talmont
Seller: Michael P. Colburn
Date: 08/24/18

63 Farmington St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $214,900
Buyer: Rassul Karim
Seller: Erick Vazquez
Date: 08/17/18

100 Gelinas Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Carmen M. Rivera
Seller: Goshen Mortgage REO LLC
Date: 08/13/18

26 Gendreau St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $214,500
Buyer: Liudmila Belonogov
Seller: Denise Lindsey
Date: 08/22/18

111 Gill St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Gregg A. Parenteau
Seller: Margaret M. Parenteau
Date: 08/16/18

340 Grove St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $234,320
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: Sarah B. Fisher
Date: 08/15/18

67 Massachusetts Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $143,500
Buyer: Darlene Ortiz
Seller: Kimberly Chartier
Date: 08/14/18

165 McCarthy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Tiana Steffenhagen
Seller: Jean P. Desjardins
Date: 08/17/18

142 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Tyler E. Tadeo
Seller: Michael J. Woishnis
Date: 08/21/18

88 Newell St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $163,057
Buyer: USA Veterans Affairs
Seller: Brian P. Oxley
Date: 08/21/18

87 Olea St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Tihwdi LLC
Seller: KRV Realty LLC
Date: 08/17/18

53 Poplar St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: MHFA
Date: 08/23/18

16 Reed Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Glorimar Colon
Seller: Dariusz B. Karpinski
Date: 08/14/18

91 Royal St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Robin M. Parncutt
Seller: Roger E. Leblanc
Date: 08/20/18

172 Royal St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: David E. Misenheimer
Seller: Miroslaw Przytula
Date: 08/23/18

65 Sampson St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $205,500
Buyer: Kimberly Dansereau
Seller: William A. French
Date: 08/17/18

56 Sullivan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Aleksandr Yarmolenko
Seller: Linda M. Cousar
Date: 08/20/18

285 Tolpa Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Luann J. Canedy
Seller: Ralph H. Squires
Date: 08/14/18

72 Trilby Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: DAC Acquisitions LLC
Seller: Donna P. Furr
Date: 08/17/18

32 Victoria Park
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Nadine Kosiba
Seller: Diane N. Windrum
Date: 08/20/18

141 Waite Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $147,001
Buyer: CIG 4 LLC
Seller: Nationstar REO Sub B. LLC
Date: 08/17/18

37 White Birch Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Michael A. Defede
Seller: Frank A. Manegio
Date: 08/16/18

30 Woodlawn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: David Roman
Seller: Michael F. Godek
Date: 08/23/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

17 Angela Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $428,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: Richard D. Sacenti
Date: 08/21/18

50 Baymor Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: Dominic Maggi
Seller: Thomas J. Davis
Date: 08/23/18

6 Birchland Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Canda Keisha-Thomas
Seller: Michael G. Bavaro
Date: 08/16/18

35 Brynmawr Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kelly A. Loveling
Seller: Earl A. Derusha
Date: 08/24/18

30 Devonshire Terrace
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Michael K. Kreitzer
Seller: Christine D. Losey
Date: 08/17/18

28 Donamor Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Cook
Seller: Jeffrey T. Robinson
Date: 08/24/18

31 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $177,390
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Carmela Hodgdon
Date: 08/21/18

116 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $178,305
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Michelle A. Drew
Date: 08/14/18

360 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: AEM Property Investment
Seller: Bank New York Mellon
Date: 08/24/18

69 Helen Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Ronald W. Ashey
Seller: Dennis L. Waite
Date: 08/20/18

60 Highlandview Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Matthew C. Staples
Seller: Sean E. Roseburg
Date: 08/14/18

109 Maple St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Mayra L. Dejesus
Seller: David M. Messier
Date: 08/16/18

134 Old Farm Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: John J. Harding
Seller: Lisa A. Goldberg
Date: 08/15/18

140 Patterson Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Heather R. Magnus
Seller: Paul M. Heath
Date: 08/17/18

14 Sanford St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Kevin H. Beausoleil
Seller: Philip J. Hegarty
Date: 08/21/18

10 Silver Fox Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $422,500
Buyer: Gaurav Yadav
Seller: C&M Builders LLC
Date: 08/20/18

39 Thompson St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Cig 4 LLC
Seller: Monica E. Crimmins
Date: 08/22/18

35 Westminster St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Timothy Thoelen
Seller: Sylvia L. Cook
Date: 08/17/18

316 Westwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Daryl J. Amaral
Date: 08/20/18

HOLLAND

8 Craig Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Nicole M. O’Connor
Seller: Carolyn L. Porter
Date: 08/22/18

45 Shore Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Gina M. Lunden
Seller: Michael P. Jacobson
Date: 08/24/18

HOLYOKE

2 Coit St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Ismael Ramos
Seller: Delfino A. Bonilla
Date: 08/20/18

112 Columbus Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $173,600
Buyer: Lani Blechman
Seller: Sean Condon
Date: 08/21/18

131-133 Congress Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Devon L. Dunay
Seller: Manuel T. Reyes
Date: 08/16/18

16 Dale St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Denise M. Asselin
Seller: Christopher O’Donnell
Date: 08/13/18

77-79 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: John L. Harrington
Seller: Michael J. Hearn
Date: 08/13/18

375 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $197,900
Buyer: Michael Lapointe
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/17/18

26 Jefferson St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: William A. French
Seller: Phyllis A. Leach
Date: 08/15/18

22 Keefe Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: E. N. Huang RET
Seller: Frederick P. Andresen
Date: 08/21/18

253 Oak St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Jose A. Disla
Date: 08/23/18

15-17 Taylor St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $235,728
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: John M. Hindle
Date: 08/24/18

272 Whitney Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Buell
Seller: Lisa A. Ball-Allyn
Date: 08/14/18

1 Woodland St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Erin B. Brunelle
Seller: Perry R. Dulude
Date: 08/17/18

LONGMEADOW

82 Birch Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Kathy J. Macmillan
Seller: Susan A. Marsh
Date: 08/15/18

140 Birch Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Kenneth S. Chea
Seller: Frederick A. Friedman
Date: 08/23/18

19 Greenacre Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: RHL Properties LLC
Seller: Frank Leichthammer
Date: 08/23/18

37 Hawthorne St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $276,500
Buyer: Nicholas M. Karr
Seller: Mairi Brennan
Date: 08/24/18

389 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Jacob B. Webber
Seller: Stuart M. Barowsky
Date: 08/22/18

483 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Mary P. Fahy
Seller: Christopher J. Denmark
Date: 08/13/18

85 Lawrence Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $576,000
Buyer: Joseph T. Coyne
Seller: Ian T. MacNeill
Date: 08/15/18

31 Maple Terrace
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Stephanie Godbout
Seller: Carol Godbout
Date: 08/23/18

132 Massachusetts Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $212,900
Buyer: Patrick R. Morton
Seller: Arie S. Mobley
Date: 08/23/18

75 Mohawk Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Donna Marie E. Christie
Seller: Matthew B. Woodfield
Date: 08/20/18

95 Pinewood Hills
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $703,000
Buyer: Tejas R. Gandhi
Seller: Christian T. Minshall
Date: 08/24/18

52 Twin Hills Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $785,000
Buyer: Ryan Bamford
Seller: Todd M. Adelson
Date: 08/15/18

250 Twin Hills Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Mary L. Brennan
Seller: Gary J. MacDonald
Date: 08/15/18

LUDLOW

15 Barton St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Brenda S. Lelievre
Seller: Christopher Smith
Date: 08/17/18

105 Booth St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $151,500
Buyer: Thomas D. Cowell
Seller: Brent E. Fisher
Date: 08/20/18

553 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Anthony J. Longo
Seller: Hajowyj, Natalie J., (Estate)
Date: 08/17/18

333 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: David S. Dosreis
Seller: Ana Vaz
Date: 08/20/18

54 Howard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Debra Caban
Seller: Dan Beauregard
Date: 08/24/18

101 Lavoie Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Bert D. Ramage
Date: 08/23/18

126 Reynolds St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Robert H. Southall
Seller: Matthew D. Wrisley
Date: 08/20/18

Sunset Ridge #6
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Riverbend 2 Properties
Seller: Baystate Developers Inc.
Date: 08/14/18

16 Warsaw Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Jacob R. Santucci
Seller: Teresa B. Monnier
Date: 08/24/18

MONSON

4 Fern Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Freddie J. Kupiec
Date: 08/21/18

15 Hampden Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Candace M. Caputo
Date: 08/21/18

86 Lakeside Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Annery Brown
Seller: Darlene Peterson
Date: 08/23/18

41 Old Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $140,241
Buyer: Scott Duprey
Seller: Camillo M. Jacobs
Date: 08/20/18

5 Sunny Brook Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Amber Trombley
Seller: Erwin C. Markham
Date: 08/15/18

25 Thayer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $386,500
Buyer: Daniel Baillargeon
Seller: George D. Parker
Date: 08/24/18

41 Thompson St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Jean-Paul J. Aucoin
Seller: Timber Mills LLC
Date: 08/16/18

PALMER

41-43 North St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Christine Girouard
Seller: Stephen S. Czupryna
Date: 08/17/18

11 Old Farm Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $284,900
Buyer: Darlene Petersen
Seller: Craig R. Tompkins
Date: 08/23/18

399 River St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Mike S. Goncalves
Seller: Jose J. Goncalves
Date: 08/15/18

22 Saint John St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Kyle Pobieglo
Seller: Peter J. Chlebus
Date: 08/22/18

26 Saint John St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $241,500
Buyer: Roger Sabourin
Seller: Gary A. Ross
Date: 08/16/18

2 Sharon St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Laura M. Belanger
Seller: Kevin O’Connor
Date: 08/14/18

1701 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $170,085
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Michael Shelton
Date: 08/14/18

RUSSELL

843 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Wayne A. Contrada
Seller: Richard J. Girard
Date: 08/22/18

SOUTHWICK

College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Walz Realty LLC
Seller: Nancy Brzoska
Date: 08/17/18

6 Concord Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Peter T. Ampelakis
Seller: Barbara A. Watson
Date: 08/22/18

1 Mallard Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $398,000
Buyer: Patrick E. Hawley
Seller: Louis A. Berelli
Date: 08/15/18

19 Patriots Way
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Mark Kuether
Seller: Eileen P. Shea
Date: 08/14/18

10 Southwick Hill
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $185,320
Buyer: PNC Bank NA
Seller: Isabel Bernal
Date: 08/16/18

SPRINGFIELD

49 Albemarle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $158,733
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Ronald South
Date: 08/16/18

52-54 Albert St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Jaida C. Lewis
Seller: Mary T. Popko
Date: 08/14/18

1824-1826 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Joyce Anne LLC
Seller: Ferndale Realty LLC
Date: 08/17/18

80 Arcadia Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Prem B. Tiwari
Seller: Joan A. Harris
Date: 08/21/18

585 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $116,500
Buyer: Michael C. Wagner
Seller: Wagner, Therese E., (Estate)
Date: 08/17/18

616 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Marie K. Dessources
Date: 08/21/18

907 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Pedro Perez
Seller: Virginia E. Farley
Date: 08/13/18

20 Arthur St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Iliana Caban-Bonilla
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 08/24/18

1342 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Felilx Bertran-Suren
Seller: Joel Cartagena
Date: 08/21/18

20 Bloomfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $182,556
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Joel H. Doutre
Date: 08/13/18

54 Brandon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Christina M. Colon
Seller: Elizer Vasquez
Date: 08/13/18

7-9 Bucholz St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,200
Buyer: Massachusetts Mutual Life
Seller: Alisha Heartley
Date: 08/24/18

145-147 Catharine St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Felix L. Rentas
Seller: Gihad A. Awkal
Date: 08/24/18

46 Chalfonte Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Rowell S. Tucker
Seller: Maria Carmen-Mora
Date: 08/17/18

227-229 Chapin Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jenny Perez-Gonzalez
Seller: Kelnate Realty LLC
Date: 08/20/18

105 Cherokee Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Julianne Lucas
Seller: Brahman Holdings LLC
Date: 08/17/18

71 Chesterfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Michael Barszczewski
Seller: Rosemarie L. Jones
Date: 08/24/18

496 Cooley St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Prettlo Heartley
Seller: Melissa Lettau
Date: 08/24/18

33-35 Demond Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Aletheia D. Benjamin
Seller: Jodi Aina
Date: 08/20/18

293 Denver St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Camille Westbrook
Seller: Sylvain Thibault
Date: 08/24/18

612-616 Dwight St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Benchmark Carbide LLC
Seller: PYS Assocs. LLP
Date: 08/23/18

115 Edgemere Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Andre Pare
Seller: Charles Seibert
Date: 08/24/18

57 Emeline Court
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Maria I. Vargas
Seller: Juan Feliciano
Date: 08/15/18

43 Emmet St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Angela Rosario
Seller: James M. Allen
Date: 08/17/18

29 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Vu T. Huynh
Seller: Prinz, Renee M., (Estate)
Date: 08/20/18

88 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Elizer Vasquez
Seller: Anthony Bourget
Date: 08/13/18

12 Fairhaven Dr.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Felisha Cortez
Seller: Wilfredo Cruz
Date: 08/15/18

64 Fullerton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Douglas M. Gibbs
Seller: Elliot Berrios
Date: 08/23/18

69 Glenoak Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: William P. Leahy
Seller: Courtney S. Olds
Date: 08/15/18

15 Gold St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Virgen M. Dones
Date: 08/23/18

23 Gowey St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Kathie J. Lee
Seller: Kenneth B. Gunn
Date: 08/15/18

67 Grandview St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Samone A. Nowlin
Seller: Holden C. Harlow
Date: 08/23/18

178-180 Hampshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Gary A. Leroux
Seller: Richard A. Pereira
Date: 08/24/18

131 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Jose Delossantos
Seller: AEM Property Investment
Date: 08/13/18

136 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Johnnie R. McKnight
Seller: Justin M. Bourget
Date: 08/17/18

315 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Brendan Linnehan
Seller: Ryan Signature Properties
Date: 08/15/18

64-66 James St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Gary Lynch
Seller: Mazen M. Awkal
Date: 08/23/18

17 Jefferson Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Wilda Gonzalez
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 08/16/18

99 Jefferson Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $214,888
Buyer: John Kwigwasa
Seller: AAA Homes LLC
Date: 08/22/18

45 Kingoke Lane
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Omartian
Seller: Mary M. Taft
Date: 08/15/18

1182 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Carroll
Seller: Kezia C. Wilson
Date: 08/24/18

32 Lindsay Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: John B. Kitchen
Seller: Gina M. Roberts
Date: 08/20/18

44 Mayfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Nicolas D. Gonzalez
Seller: Domingo Gonzalez
Date: 08/13/18

22 Middle St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Kimberly Little
Seller: Corinne L. Jablonski
Date: 08/17/18

189 Morton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Angie Guzman
Seller: Derrick Gentry-Mitchell
Date: 08/16/18

763 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Ernesto J. Ramos
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 08/13/18

283 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Paul M. Plante
Seller: Oakland Street Ent. LLC
Date: 08/15/18

291 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Paul M. Plante
Seller: Oakland Street Ent. LLC
Date: 08/15/18

299 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Paul M. Plante
Seller: Oakland Street Ent LLC
Date: 08/15/18

62 Ogden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Caitlin Bernath
Seller: Henry Moreau
Date: 08/13/18

135-137 Orleans St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Frank Puello
Seller: Roger W. Williams
Date: 08/24/18

1824 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Rachel R. Bigger
Seller: Michael E. Harpin
Date: 08/20/18

141 Paulk Terrace
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $210,500
Buyer: Hollie M. Quinn
Seller: Kirk E. Wesloski
Date: 08/21/18

85 Princeton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Julius E. Kenney
Seller: Kenney, Alonzo, (Estate)
Date: 08/21/18

93 Rockland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $204,500
Buyer: Aldrian Niverba
Seller: William R. DelRosario
Date: 08/17/18

365 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Leanne M. Lessard
Seller: James Calabrese
Date: 08/22/18

867 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Deutsche B
Seller: Jacqueline J. Naylor
Date: 08/23/18

1143 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Luis A. Vizcarrondo
Seller: John J. Baker
Date: 08/14/18

32-34 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $131,668
Buyer: Mamba Capital LLC
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 08/22/18

196 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $164,500
Buyer: Edna R. Hernandez
Seller: Matthew Staples
Date: 08/14/18

198 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Carlos J. Serrano
Seller: Margaret M. Fischer
Date: 08/22/18

18 Shirley Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Glenda L. Delgado
Seller: Rejean M. Ayotte
Date: 08/17/18

150 Slater Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Frances I. Felix-Ramos
Seller: Milagros Alicea
Date: 08/13/18

123 Spear Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Rocco Cortina
Seller: Sharon M. Alaconis
Date: 08/16/18

28 Spruce St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: A. M. Candelaria-Gonzalez
Seller: JJS Capital Investment
Date: 08/17/18

819 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Julius D. Lewis
Seller: Gregory D. Drew
Date: 08/20/18

296 Sunrise Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Nabil M. Rab
Seller: Timothy Farnham
Date: 08/13/18

562 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Jeremy Lajoie
Seller: Kimberly A. Warner
Date: 08/17/18

136 Tioga St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Mark N. Mathieson
Seller: Matthew A. Long
Date: 08/15/18

18-20 Wayne St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Victoria Beach
Date: 08/20/18

266 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Fumi Realty Inc.
Seller: Jonathan S. Weibel
Date: 08/17/18

93 Wallace St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Luis Millan
Seller: Nu Way Homes Inc.
Date: 08/14/18

1000 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $2,035,000
Buyer: Multi Cultural Community Services
Seller: Saremi LLP
Date: 08/23/18

35 Willard Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Wilberto Santiago
Seller: Traci I. Cadieux
Date: 08/17/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

340 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $162,360
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Shannon M. Ouellette
Date: 08/21/18

115 Buckingham Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $197,089
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Cheryl A. Pieciak
Date: 08/24/18

142 City View Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Scott B. Miller
Seller: Eric Wapner
Date: 08/24/18

255 Dewey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Norman B. Landon
Seller: Gary E. Merlo
Date: 08/21/18

1193 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Carlos H. Silva
Seller: Elm St Investment Partners
Date: 08/16/18

42 Myron St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Chandler Holdings LLC
Seller: Leo Realty LLC
Date: 08/16/18

829 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Victor Mancini
Seller: Larry Cowell
Date: 08/15/18

1651 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Wayside Retail LLC
Seller: 1651 Riverdale Street LLC
Date: 08/17/18

125 Sibley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Vitaliy Voznyuk
Seller: Shriners Hospitals Child
Date: 08/24/18

100 Smyrna St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Theodore Aronson
Seller: Dorothy A. Crouss
Date: 08/24/18

80 Sprague St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Carmino J. Mineo
Seller: Debra A. Zides
Date: 08/17/18

71 Tiara Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Andrzej Laz
Seller: Kolodziej Enterprises LLC
Date: 08/22/18

WESTFIELD

6 Brenda Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Richard Girard
Seller: Patricia A. Scanlon
Date: 08/22/18

290 City View Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Cynthia Guerrette
Seller: Armand F. Mercier
Date: 08/17/18

20 Fowler St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Michael R. Holbrook
Seller: Wilfried J. Windzio
Date: 08/24/18

52 Grandview Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Michael K. Andwood
Seller: Ryan P. Raftery
Date: 08/17/18

32 Harvest Moon Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $545,000
Buyer: Darren F. Lecrenski
Seller: David A. Carlin
Date: 08/16/18

Hillside Road (rear)
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: JMN LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 08/22/18

734 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $186,400
Buyer: Edward J. Pivirotto
Seller: Lloyd H. Gordon
Date: 08/21/18

31 Laurel Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Cig 4 LLC
Seller: Martin D. Rodgers
Date: 08/22/18

211 Little River Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Peyton C. O’Brien
Seller: Robert J. Carrier
Date: 08/23/18

95 Massey St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Nicolas J. Martineau
Seller: RSP Realty LLC
Date: 08/20/18

Nicholas Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Colin Neylon
Seller: Anthony G. Rix
Date: 08/24/18

520 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: James F. Antil
Seller: Phillip A. Barlow
Date: 08/13/18

22 Otis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $144,400
Buyer: Stuart M. Conner
Seller: Robert H. Post
Date: 08/22/18

16 Pineridge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $411,500
Buyer: Timothy Caney
Seller: Robert B. Dewey
Date: 08/17/18

55 Ridgecrest Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Hassan RT
Seller: David Sims
Date: 08/16/18

Servistar Industrial Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: A&G RT
Seller: Land LLC
Date: 08/17/18

230 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Mercer Island Realty Inc.
Seller: Trant Homestead LLC
Date: 08/15/18

63 Sunset Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Nicolas A. Malinowski
Seller: Brouillard, C. M., (Estate)
Date: 08/17/18

150 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: John J. Hartford
Seller: Francis J. Zak
Date: 08/17/18

WILBRAHAM

9 Falcon Heights
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $1,125,000
Buyer: Randy O’Toole
Seller: Joseph Fusco
Date: 08/23/18

26 Fernwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: David A. Piquette
Seller: Ann F. Bourcier
Date: 08/13/18

3 Gary Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $368,000
Buyer: Michael Harpin
Seller: Russell A. Jack
Date: 08/20/18

2 Hitchcock Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Thomas Pitts
Seller: Theresa M. Penna
Date: 08/23/18

4 Jeffrey Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Michael J. Smith
Seller: Denise M. McFarland
Date: 08/17/18

12 Old Coach Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $359,900
Buyer: Eugene Roux
Seller: Karen Pitts
Date: 08/23/18

8 Russell Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Alan E. Witham
Seller: Bonnie J. Maxwell
Date: 08/15/18

18 Severyn St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Ryan J. Jurkowski
Seller: Timber Development LLC
Date: 08/24/18

29 Victoria Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $520,000
Buyer: John J. Guerin
Seller: Richard C. Heineman
Date: 08/22/18

8 Wandering Meadows
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Brian G. Hoffman
Seller: Claudia H. Canepari
Date: 08/24/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

40 Blackberry Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $411,000
Buyer: Suzanne Baxter
Seller: Solveig L. Clapp RET
Date: 08/13/18

41 Fairfield St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $338,000
Buyer: Gerald G. Guidera
Seller: Mark Tincknell
Date: 08/24/18

57 Farmington Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Bryan D. Monesson-Olson
Seller: Soalt, Adele, (Estate)
Date: 08/21/18

29 Hartman Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Aaron Arcello
Seller: Christopher Baxter
Date: 08/13/18

103 Mill Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Shevaughn M. Kealy
Seller: Karen Rain RET
Date: 08/24/18

33 Pondview Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Jillian E. Grimaldi
Seller: Pauline J. Strain IRT
Date: 08/15/18

23 Potwine Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Nathan Baruch-Green
Seller: Ann M. Mendoker
Date: 08/16/18

89 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $193,767
Buyer: Lincoln Avenue Partners
Seller: FNMA
Date: 08/24/18

1618 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Beth L. Mann
Seller: Jane E. Zachary
Date: 08/24/18

250 Shutesbury Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $406,000
Buyer: Frank Alaghband RET
Seller: Rene Theberge
Date: 08/23/18

18 Wildwood Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $447,000
Buyer: Ian J. Walsh
Seller: Quentin J. Faulkner RET
Date: 08/23/18

BELCHERTOWN

35 Aldrich St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Maksim Nikanovich
Seller: FHLM
Date: 08/17/18

Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Paul R. Dansereau
Seller: Judith Chiasson
Date: 08/17/18

17 Carol Ann Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Kyle Toelken
Seller: Maria Kaczowka
Date: 08/21/18

195 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Kevin C. Roberts
Seller: Terry T. Stedman
Date: 08/20/18

840 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Matthew T. Henry
Seller: Michael T. Henry
Date: 08/22/18

163 Green Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Smolinski
Seller: Paul E. Beachell
Date: 08/24/18

125 Metacomet St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Gary E. Zukowski
Seller: Lonczak FT 2018
Date: 08/23/18

23 Pepper Ridge Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $419,000
Buyer: Stephen M. Todaro
Seller: Raymond J. Rusin
Date: 08/16/18

20 Plaza Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Charles T. Bryant
Seller: Diane J. Bellisario
Date: 08/17/18

118 Sheffield Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Deborah A. Fenwick
Seller: George Medina
Date: 08/17/18

391 South St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $269,600
Buyer: Irene Krasovsky
Seller: Dianne L. Lefebvre
Date: 08/15/18

231 Summit St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Alexander Kubacki
Seller: Ann M. Beauregard
Date: 08/23/18

95 West St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Darvin Martin
Seller: Benjamin S. Jones
Date: 08/21/18

CUMMINGTON

8 Snow Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Linda L. Matuewezski
Seller: Robin M. Pitchko
Date: 08/13/18

EASTHAMPTON

36 Bayberry Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $377,000
Buyer: Brian R. Theriault
Seller: Neil P. Kusleika
Date: 08/20/18

75 Clark St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jederiah Berry-Boolukos
Seller: Kulzer 2018 IRT
Date: 08/23/18

71-77 Cottage St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Easthampton Mahadev LLC
Seller: 75 Cottage LLC
Date: 08/16/18

6 Doody Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Gerard McCook
Seller: Sandra Aldrich
Date: 08/17/18

27 Golden Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Ian A. Clark
Seller: Pamela L. Judd
Date: 08/17/18

23 John St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $140,500
Buyer: Jaclyn Essa
Seller: Kristina R. Julwich
Date: 08/17/18

31 Plymouth Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Margaret R. Kennedy
Seller: Christopher M. Soutra
Date: 08/21/18

4 Sterling Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $364,900
Buyer: Christine Palmieri
Seller: J. Robert Klinger
Date: 08/13/18

77-79 Union St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: AC Thayer LLC
Seller: Robert J. Powers
Date: 08/22/18

8 Water St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Norwich Properties LLC
Seller: David M. Brusco
Date: 08/20/18

GRANBY

3 Barton St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $397,000
Buyer: Katrina A. Manegio
Seller: Katherine E. Cameron
Date: 08/17/18

45 Barton St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $230,500
Buyer: Drew T. Quinlan
Seller: Betty J. Quinlan
Date: 08/24/18

403 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $144,500
Buyer: Keybank
Seller: Robert C. Mongold
Date: 08/17/18

511 East State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Stacey A. Matarazzo-Rine
Seller: Oscar Real Estate LLC
Date: 08/21/18

36 High St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Sarah Lince
Seller: Mayra Dejesus
Date: 08/16/18

6 Jerry Lane
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Wesley P. Czajkowski
Seller: Jason Balut
Date: 08/15/18

HADLEY

26 Chmura Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: David J. Belanger
Seller: Todd J. Barron
Date: 08/24/18

31 Mount Warner Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $415,500
Buyer: Thomas N. Harris
Seller: Gretchen Bechta
Date: 08/15/18

49 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $440,400
Buyer: Jeffrey Keedy
Seller: Ryan G. Bamford
Date: 08/17/18

HATFIELD

Old Stage Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Michael Marantz
Seller: Delbert C. Glover
Date: 08/16/18

181 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Richard Giusto
Seller: Robert W. Flaherty
Date: 08/15/18

NORTHAMPTON

134 Audubon Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Dion
Seller: Heon, Conrad N, (Estate)
Date: 08/24/18

41 Autumn Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Halina Radosz-Kusleika
Seller: Francis J. Ladouceur
Date: 08/20/18

5 Cahillane Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $189,300
Buyer: Scott A. Rousseau
Seller: Joann T. Swank
Date: 08/14/18

1170 Florence Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Petra M. Schaefer
Seller: Joseph R. Maziarz
Date: 08/17/18

44 Front St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $491,000
Buyer: Samuel W. Haar
Seller: Michael K. Lamond
Date: 08/22/18

139 Nonotuck St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Mustin Williamsburg NT
Seller: Lisa H. Henderson
Date: 08/24/18

188 Overlook Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $471,100
Buyer: Kristen L. Mecca
Seller: Shelley Haggerty-Rahn
Date: 08/17/18

142 Riverbank Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $402,500
Buyer: Alexis J. Neubert
Seller: Helen A. Hayward
Date: 08/14/18

205 State St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Eli S. Dwight
Seller: Alan G. Parlee
Date: 08/24/18

32 Stoddard St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Nu Way Homes Inc.
Seller: Sarah J. Fuller
Date: 08/22/18

63 Willow St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Katherine A. Moos
Seller: Elena L. Betke-Brunswick
Date: 08/17/18

PELHAM

12 Bray Court
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Peter Dustin-Nolan
Seller: Kenneth H. Talan
Date: 08/24/18

2 Gulf Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $198,475
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Theresa Y. Leatart
Date: 08/14/18

8 King St.
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Crista Colby
Seller: Charles C. Walker
Date: 08/14/18

PLAINFIELD

Vining St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Sheilah A. Barry
Seller: Joan Seelye
Date: 08/17/18

West Hill Road
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Sheilah A. Barry
Seller: Joan Seelye
Date: 08/17/18

SOUTH HADLEY

38 Ashton Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Fisher
Seller: Jennifer Harlan
Date: 08/20/18

22 Carriage Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $293,500
Buyer: Jamelle G. Greene
Seller: Y. Gorfinkel-Pyatkevich
Date: 08/20/18

46 East Red Bridge Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Alberta Knorr
Seller: Michael E. Tarail
Date: 08/15/18

6 Helm St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Donald J. Gnatek
Seller: Jermaine A. Thomas
Date: 08/13/18

219 Lathrop St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: James A. Haber
Seller: Susan F. Jarek-Glidden
Date: 08/21/18

62 Ludlow Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Anthony Bourget
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/20/18

7 Meadow Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Craig E. Kaufman
Seller: Christopher P. Nelen
Date: 08/13/18

300 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Stephen C. Frantz
Seller: Holly R. Kinnell-Rust
Date: 08/24/18

314 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Darjusz B. Karpinski
Seller: Cesare Ferrari
Date: 08/21/18

19 Priestly Farms Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Heather Schaeffer
Seller: Raymond G. Simon
Date: 08/20/18

17 Susan Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Daniel Nawskon
Seller: Christopher M. Fisher
Date: 08/20/18

SOUTHAMPTON

369 College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Daniel Murdock
Seller: John J. Hartford
Date: 08/17/18

81 East St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Robidoux
Seller: Deborah M. Furioni
Date: 08/15/18

124 Fomer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Bernard J. St.Martin
Date: 08/17/18

32 Gilbert Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $391,000
Buyer: Martin J. McDonough
Seller: Andrew J. Robidoux
Date: 08/15/18

5 Jonathan Judd Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Alex L. Lester
Seller: Laurence R. Bates
Date: 08/24/18

3 Madeline Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $545,000
Buyer: Ryan M. Noel
Seller: Heather A. Brodeur
Date: 08/17/18

110 Valley Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Amy Toller
Seller: Anna Pac
Date: 08/14/18

112 White Loaf Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Douglas G. Balch
Seller: Sean M. Hamel
Date: 08/13/18

WARE

17 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Shaun P. Sullivan
Seller: Legato Inc.
Date: 08/16/18

36 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Colin Hodges
Seller: George C. Lavallee
Date: 08/23/18

4 Longview Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Mandi L. Ogoley
Seller: Nicorn LLC
Date: 08/22/18

22 Mechanic St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $127,100
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Thomas F. Jacques
Date: 08/14/18

13 Morse Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Deborah A. Fleischmann
Seller: Elias Poulopoulos
Date: 08/17/18

12 Richfield Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: Heidi L. Ploskonka
Seller: Peter J. Conlin
Date: 08/16/18

142 Shoreline Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Ernest A. Goudreau
Seller: Erica Bergquist
Date: 08/22/18

68 West Warren Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $166,900
Buyer: Nicholas R. Farland
Seller: Deborah A. Fenwick
Date: 08/16/18

10 Woodland Heights
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jeremy R. Hall
Seller: Matthew C. Wood
Date: 08/24/18

WILLIAMSBURG

16 Old Goshen Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Steven St.Clair
Seller: Scott Macleod
Date: 08/14/18

WESTHAMPTON

21 Lyman Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Catherine A. Kenneally
Seller: Richard J. Mott
Date: 08/23/18

65 Pine Island Lake
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $379,000
Buyer: Alan Seewald
Seller: Herbert J. Rossmeisl
Date: 08/17/18

WORTHINGTON

11 Old Post Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Shelley A. Rice
Seller: D. Wayne Fisk
Date: 08/24/18

Building Permits

Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the months of August and September 2018.

AGAWAM

James Acerra, Clark Dore
707-709 Main St.
$1,600 — Wall sign for Voltage Vape Shop

Vista Holdings, LLC
281-301 Shoemaker Lane
$42,575 — Remove membrane to insulation, install insulation and new membrane, install new collar drain

Walnut Plaza, LLC
365-385 Walnut St. Ext.
$24,000 — Demolish wall, enclose two doorways, and open one doorway

AMHERST

Gillen Development Corp.
409 Main St.
$1,000 — Create a hair salon in former Chamber of Commerce space

Kellogg Ave., LLC
17 Kellogg Ave., Unit A
$84,000 — Fit-out of tenant space

Pauline Lannon, et al
1151 West St.
Renovate four offices

Paul Properties Amshrew
50 Meadow St.
$71,250 — Roofing

Survival Center Inc.
138 Sunderland Road
$12,500 — Install walk-in freezer with outdoor remote refrigeration system on concrete pad

CHICOPEE

Berkshire Retail-C, LLC
205 Exchange St.
$32,000 — Tenant fit-out of two adjoining spaces to make one unit

Yi Chen
450 Grattan St.
$2,000 — Remove section of wall and frame and sheetrock part of wall

Jeffrey Neece, Theresa Neece
70 Maple St.
$22,000 — Roofing

Mitchell Nowak, Helena Nowak
21 Old Chicopee St.
$7,350 — Install shingles over existing layer and new ridge vent

EASTHAMPTON

Calvary Baptist Church
411 Main St.
$9,500 — Remove and replace roof, siding, windows, and doors

Keystone Enterprises
122 Pleasant St.
$7,000 — Interior buildout of Suite 109

EAST LONGMEADOW

American Tower Corp.
30 Benton Dr.
$25,000 — Antennas

East Longmeadow Wellness Center
250 North Main St.
$28,500 — Commercial alterations

Springfield Spring Corp.
311 Shaker Road
$132,095 — Roofing

Tom Roc, LLC
191 Chestnut St.
$7,250 — Roofing

GREENFIELD

142 Mohawk Trail Greenfield, LLC
142 Mohawk Trail
Erect two signs above fuel pumps attached to canopy column

142 Mohawk Trail Greenfield, LLC
142 Mohawk Trail
Erect two wave signs

142 Mohawk Trail Greenfield, LLC
142 Mohawk Trail
Replace two faces on existing free-standing post

278-302 Main St., LLC
282 Main St.
$84,761 — Fit-out existing space for a bakery

American Tower Corp.
180 Country Club Road
$12,500 — Remove telecommunications equipment that is no longer in use

Franklin County Agricultural Society
85 Wisdom Way
$2,500 — Install vent hood over cooking area

Greenfield Co-operative Bank
277 Federal St.
Change out two signs attached to building and faces of two free-standing signs

Greenfield Co-operative Bank
62 Federal St.
Replace two illuminated signs attached to building

K & C Real, LLC
201 Main St.
$51,800 — Install 38-panel solar array on roof

Rosenberg Property, LLC
311 Wells St.
$183,756 — Subdivide existing interior spaces to create new offices and conference room

Town of Greenfield
31 Nash’s Mill Road
Replace sign at Green River Swimming and Recreation Area

Town of Greenfield
50 Miles St.
Erect two free-standing signs for the Energy Park

Town of Greenfield
Sanderson Street
Erect two free-standing signs for Beacon Field

HADLEY

Pioneer Valley Waldorf School
193 Bay Road
$52,600 — Build science lab stations

Joseph Sykier
110 East St.
$1,927.30 — Weatherization

Target Corp.
369 Russell St.
$2,500 — Change face on sign

W/S Hadley Properties, LLC
337 Russell St.
$1,150 — Set up for seasonal Spirit Halloween store

LONGMEADOW

Longmeadow Mall, LP
827 Williams St.
$2,000 — New sign for the Meeting House

Willie Ross School
32 Norway St.
$34,000 — Replace decking and add rails on two existing ramps and replace rear door

NORTHAMPTON

39 Main Street, LLC
33 Main St.
$2,500 — Illuminated wall sign for Lucky’s

City of Northampton
69 Maple St.
$1,250 — Build gear-storage room at Florence Fire Station

City of Northampton
80 Locust St.
$149,950 — Replace two gas-fired boilers with two new gas-fired boilers in Building A

Northampton Country Club
135 Main St.
$5,000 — Cleanup of burnt maintenance building

Trak Petroleum, LLC
54 Easthampton Road
Canopy sign

Wami, LLC
140 Main St.
$1,200 — Illuminated sign for AT&T, reface wall

Yokohama Ramen
88 Main St.
Illuminated sign

SPRINGFIELD

ADT, LLC
1964 Wilbraham Road
$17,600 — Install fire-monitoring alarm at Save-a-Lot

AJN Rentals, LLC
1464 State St.
$48,000 — Alter interior office space

Lazy Valley Winery Inc.
69 Parker St.
$13,500 — Change use from furniture store to microdistillery production sales

Bassam Yacteen, Hanan Yacteen
73 Liberty St.
$4,700 — Alter space for snack room and install exterior door at Omar Furniture

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Susan Belosic
101 Clayton Dr.
$11,567.44 — Aluminum modular ramp system

Mike Bertara
100 Westfield St.
$35,500 — Roofing

Yousef Chehade
21 Highland Ave.
$21,000 — Strip and replace shingles

Abdul Khider
14 Burke Ave.
$12,250 — Install sliders in existing framework

Union Street Corp.
1150 Union St.
$247,000 — Roofing

WILBRAHAM

Soccer City
2041 Boston Road
$1,000 — Add sprinkler head to hallway between Interskate 91 and the Print Shop

MGM Springfield Event to Raise Funds for STCC Scholarships, Student Services

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will join forces on Friday, Oct. 19 with its partner in education, MGM Springfield, to raise money for student scholarships and support services.

The “Come Roar” event, to be held at MGM Springfield from 7 to 10 p.m., will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music, gift bags, and prizes, said Frank Quigley, president of the STCC Foundation board of directors.

“This will be a wonderful event in a terrific space — and we have a few surprises planned,” Quigley said. “I think everyone will have a great time and will feel good knowing the cost of the ticket will go toward supporting our students.”

Admission is $150 per person and includes food, music, and gifts. Cocktails can be purchased at the bar. A portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible.

The MGM Springfield fundraiser supports the mission of the STCC Foundation to help the college meet its goals and commitment to provide superior educational opportunities in the community. Each year, STCC and its foundation give more than $1 million in scholarships to students. The foundation relies on donations and has held fundraising events similar to the one planned at MGM Springfield. Proceeds will go toward scholarships and services for students.

“Our supporters in the region, be they alumni, staff, faculty, or friends in the community, always look forward to our fall fundraiser,” STCC President John Cook said. “This year we’re supporting students by working with our partner in education and workforce development, MGM Springfield. We are very grateful to MGM for hosting us in their new entertainment complex.”

STCC has collaborated with MGM Springfield to provide education through the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute. The gaming school at 95 State St., Springfield, was created to help people acquire skills to work at MGM Springfield, which opened on Aug. 24.

“Springfield Technical Community College has been an invaluable partner in our efforts to grow the workforce of tomorrow in downtown Springfield,” said Alex Dixon, general manager of MGM Springfield. “We’re honored to stand with them in this fundraising effort. We have been inspired by their strong commitment to creating a healthier economy through employment opportunities, and are grateful for their willingness to learn about and adapt teachings for our industry.”

Jennifer Brown, STCC Foundation board member and chairwoman of its development committee, called MGM Springfield an ideal location to hold this year’s fundraiser.

“MGM has been a great partner with STCC in workforce training,” said Brown, vice president of Business Development at United Personnel. “Together, we’ve helped many Springfield area residents get the skills they need to start new careers. We’re thrilled to hold the next fundraiser in MGM’s beautiful new facility.”

Ticket buyers will be invited to sign up for MGM Springfield’s M life Rewards loyalty-card program, which grants access to discounted room rates, pre-sale show tickets, priority reservations, and invitations to members-only events at MGM Resorts properties across the country.

Businesses that would like to sponsor the event should call Michael Buckley, interim director of Operations and Donor Relations, at (413) 755-4529. To purchase tickets, visit www.stcc.edu/mgmevent.

Dress for Success ‘Breaking Down the Barriers’ Event to Focus on Domestic Violence

SPRINGFIELD — Dress for Success Western Massachusetts will host “Breaking Down the Barriers,” its second annual half-day conference with a focus on domestic violence, its impact on women in the workforce, and new legislation affecting both survivors and their employers. The event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 11 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

Panelists include Elizabeth Dineen from the YWCA, Morgan Ferrarotti from MassMutual, Diana Lozano from Riverside Industries, and Pamela Thornton from the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. The perspective of a survivor will also be part of the discussion. The keynote speaker will be a representative from Employers Against Domestic Violence.

Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased through www.westernmass.dressforsuccess.org. They will also be available at the door.

The target audience includes lay people, managers and human-resource professionals, and anyone interested in the topic of domestic violence. The event is open to the public, and a light breakfast is included.

According to Dawn Creighton, past president of Dress for Success (DFS) Western Massachusetts, “domestic violence impacts one in every four women, a startling statistic that DFS thinks should be brought to the forefront,” she said. She urges people to come to “Breaking Down the Barriers” to learn how to be a resource and how employers can save valuable employees.

Event sponsorships are available, and interested parties should contact Margaret Tantillo, executive director, at [email protected].

Five College Pritzen Lecture to Explore Connections in Space and Higher Education

NORTHAMPTON — Astronomer and Smith College Professor Suzan Edwards will deliver the Five College Jackie Pritzen Lecture, “Ashes to Ashes, Disk to Disk” on Tuesday, Sept. 25 in Seelye Hall, Room 106, at Smith College. This event is free and open to the public.

In “Ashes to Ashes,” Edwards will explore the theme of connections — in the universe through space and time, and within the Five College consortium through collaborating institutions and departments.

Edwards arrived at Smith College in 1980. For most of that time, she served as chair of the Five College Astronomy Senate, and has more recently served as chair of the Five College Astronomy Department. She is also a member of the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the International Astronomical Union. She has published many articles, most often in the Astrophysical Journal and the Astronomical Journal. Her scientific research is on the formation of young stars and proto-planetary systems using space and ground-based telescopes.

The annual Five College Jackie Pritzen Lecture is named for longtime consortium staff member Jackie Pritzen, who worked with many different faculty groups during her 25 years at the consortium. The lectures were initiated in tribute to the central role that faculty members play in furthering cooperation among the five institutions, and to celebrate a distinguished faculty member whose scholarship, teaching, and service continue that work.

Holyoke Community College Launches ESOL Program for Puerto Rican Nurses

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) is launching a pilot program to teach English-language skills to nurses from Puerto Rico so they can re-enter the workforce in Massachusetts.

The project, called the Western Mass. Pipeline for Puerto Rican Nurses, gives priority to evacuees from Hurricane Maria but is also open to other nurses from Puerto Rico who now reside in Western Mass.

The free program, supported by a $35,000 Nursing and Allied Health Pathways grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, will provide 108 hours of ESOL (English as a second or other language) classes, six hours a week for 18 weeks, for up to 30 Puerto Rican nurses who want to pursue their licenses in Massachusetts.

“There is a need for more nurses in the region,” said Kermit Dunkelberg, HCC’s vice president of Adult Basic Education and Workforce Development. “At the same time, we have nurses from Puerto Rico who are already licensed, have experience, and are living here, and are not able to work in their field and typically working below their education and training because their license doesn’t apply in Massachusetts.”

The ESOL classes are designed to prepare participants to pass the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam, which will qualify them to take the NCLEX nursing exam.

The program is based on the successful Welcome Back Center at Bunker Hill Community College, one of HCC’s partners, along with MassHire Holyoke, formerly CareerPoint. Bunker Hill established the Boston Welcome Back Center in 2005 to help immigrant and refugee nurses who had earned their credentials outside the U.S. obtain their Massachusetts nursing licenses and find jobs.

“The Welcome Back Center has found that, generally, nurses from Puerto Rico don’t need to retake any coursework,” Dunkelberg said. “They need to pass the language exam, so it’s primarily an English barrier and a licensing barrier, and we’re addressing that.”

Dunkelberg said the pilot program could be expanded in the future to include other professionals, such as teachers, who may need to improve their English to get jobs in their fields. “This nursing initiative is hopefully the beginning of a wider look at licensure of people with credentials from Puerto Rico or from other countries so they can enter the workforce in Massachusetts more quickly.”

Classes are tentatively scheduled to begin by the end of September. Nurses from Puerto Rico who are interested in applying should contact Sheila Kelly at [email protected] or (413) 552-2027 for more information.

Tighe & Bond Climbs Six Spots in ENR’s Top 200 Environmental Firms Ranking

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond climbed six spots this year to 148th on Engineering News Record’s (ENR) 2018 Top 200 Environmental Firms ranking. ENR ranks its list of top 200 environmental firms nationally based on the percentage of their 2017 gross revenue from environmental services.

Earlier this year, Tighe & Bond moved up 19 spots to 241st on ENR’s 2018 Top 500 Design Firms ranking, up 34 spots in the past two years. ENR ranks its list of top 500 design firms nationally based on design-specific revenue from the previous year.

“Our yearly climb in this important national ranking is made possible by the ongoing trust that both our public and private clients place in us for their environmental consulting and engineering needs, as well as our dedicated, professional staff,” said David Pinsky, president and CEO of Tighe & Bond. “Our goal is to provide an expansive portfolio of engineering and environmental services to our valued clients throughout New England and New York.”

Fitzgerald Attorneys-at-Law Welcomes New Partner Bradford Martin Jr.

SPRINGFIELD — Fitzgerald Attorneys-at-Law announced the addition of a new partner, attorney Bradford Martin Jr.

Martin has been practicing law in Western Mass. for 39 years, with extensive experience in commercial real-estate transactions and business and corporate law. Over his career, he has been involved in real-estate projects and financings in the area and has litigated complex property issues in the Massachusetts Land Court.

“We are very pleased to welcome Brad to our firm,” said Managing Partner Frank Fitzgerald. “Brad is an outstanding lawyer with deep ties to the region, and he brings a wealth of critical experience in areas that our clients value.”

A native of the area, Martin attended Northfield Mt. Hermon School and is a graduate of Springfield College and Western New England University School of Law. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. and the Hampden County Bar Assoc. and is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court of Connecticut, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Tax Court.

“I am excited to join Fitzgerald Attorneys-at-Law,” Martin said. “This firm has a long track record of handling some of the region’s most complex and high-profile legal cases, and I look forward to joining my colleagues in building upon that success.”

Martin was formerly a partner at Ryan & White, P.C. and Morrison Mahoney, LLP. He serves on the board of ChildHope, a charitable organization dedicated to building and running schools in Central and South America, and is chairman of the board of Teen Challenge New England, a faith-based, nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. He serves as a deacon at Bethany Assembly of God in Agawam.

Elms College Ranks in Top 100 of U.S. News & World Report List

CHICOPEE — Elms College ranks in the top 100 of Best Regional Universities – North Region in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Colleges listings.

“That Elms College continues to rank among the best colleges in the entire Northeast is a testament to the quality and strength of our academic programs,” said Walter Breau, vice president of Academic Affairs at Elms College. “We strive to prepare our students for their whole lives — academically, professionally, personally, and spiritually — through a strong liberal-arts curriculum and extensive hands-on learning opportunities, both in the classroom and beyond.”

The rankings evaluate colleges and universities on 16 measures of academic quality that education experts say are reliable indicators of academic quality. These measures are grouped into the following indicators: outcomes (including social mobility and graduation/retention rates), faculty resources (including class size, faculty salary, terminal degrees among faculty members, student-faculty ratio, and full-time faculty ratio), expert opinion (including peer assessment and guidance-counselor assessment), financial resources, student excellence (including standardized test scores and high-school class standing), and alumni giving.

Springfield College Once Again in Top Tier of 2019 U.S. News Rankings

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College is once again ranked in the top tier in the category of Best Regional Universities – North Region in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges report. For the fourth consecutive year, Springfield College is ranked in the top 30 in its category, placing 28th.

Springfield College was ranked in the A-Plus Schools for B Students category, which highlights colleges with strong academic ratings in the Best Colleges rankings that accept students with non-stratospheric transcripts.

Springfield College was also ranked 19th in the Best Value rankings that showcase colleges with high quality and a lower cost. This is the third consecutive year that Springfield College has been listed in this category. The Best Values category takes into account a college’s academic quality and net cost of attendance.

“The continuation of our top-tier ranking demonstrates that the value proposition of a Springfield College education, grounded in the Humanics philosophy, is well-regarded,” said President Mary-Beth Cooper. “I am extremely proud of the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our faculty, staff, and students to advancing the Springfield College mission. We have accomplished a great deal in recent years, and we are proud to receive continued recognition for our outstanding academic offerings and rich co-curricular life.”

The consistent ranking of Springfield College in the top tier is spurred by improved graduation rates, improved retention of first-year students, and positive feedback by peers.

“Our enrollment will continue to grow because we have a vision for how to educate and serve our students in exceptional ways,” said Cooper. “We have a strategic plan that puts students first, and we have a campus master plan that will provide exceptional learning and recreation facilities that prepare students for all aspects of personal and professional success. We are innovatively reinvigorating our academic programs and creating new ones along with ways to deliver those classes and degrees that meet the needs of 21st-century learners.”

Baystate Health and VertitechIT Partner to Launch baytechIT

HOLYOKE — Baystate Health and VertitechIT announced the formation of a new company to meet the increasingly complex IT needs of medical practices, clinics, and healthcare social-service organizations in the Western Mass. and Northern Conn. regions.

BaytechIT is a first-of-its-kind independent joint venture, providing monitoring and management of information-technology networks, telephony, clinical engineering support, and other IT-related consulting and engineering expertise previously unaffordable to the local healthcare community. Already serving Baystate Health, its operating medical practices, and several large and mid-sized offices and clinics, baytechIT currently has 150 clients and manages/monitors more than 16,000 endpoint devices.

“While we’re rooted in technology, baytechIT focuses on how to make IT useful and valuable to our clients. Rather than seeing IT as a cost or an imposition, we want to make it an invaluable asset woven into the fabric of a medical practice,” said baytechIT President Patrick Streck.

Added baytechIT Executive Vice President Steve Shaw, “this requires a highly specific set of skills and experience in healthcare IT that most independent practices either don’t have or can’t afford. Meeting this need will ultimately have a positive impact on patient care throughout our community.”

BaytechIT will be headquartered in Holyoke with additional offices throughout Western Mass.

Educare Springfield to Break Ground on Sept. 17

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield will be host to the 24 Educare early-education center to be built in the U.S., and the only one in Massachusetts, with a groundbreaking to be held at 100 Hickory St., adjacent to Brookings School, on Monday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m.

Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will be joined by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Educare officials; Janis Santos, executive director of Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start; other representatives of the Commonwealth; local leaders in philanthropy and project funders; representatives of Springfield College and Old Hill Neighborhood Council; and other community members for the official groundbreaking of the nearly $14 million early-education school that will serve children from birth to age 5 in an all-day program.

Educare offers an early-education model designed to help narrow the achievement gap for children living in poverty and represents a national collaboration between the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and the Ounce of Prevention Fund. Currently, there are 23 Educare schools located in 15 states across the country, including urban and suburban communities.

Mental-health Awareness Advocates to Speak at Springfield College on Oct. 11

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College will host mental-health awareness advocates Jessie Close and Calen Pick on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Field House. This year marks the fifth year of the college’s newly endowed Arts and Humanities Speaker Series, made possible through the generosity of Carlton and Lucille Sedgeley. This event is free and open to the public.

Inspired by Close and Pick’s stories in 2010, actress Glenn Close (Jessie’s sister) co-founded Bring Change to Mind, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness.

Jessie Close’s own struggle with bipolar disorder and alcoholism provides the backbone to a courageous story and an enlightened perspective on the state of mental health in the U.S. She is the author of Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mental Illness, published in 2016, and a speaker who shares her own journey toward the larger goal of greater understanding of the complexities and challenges of living with a diagnosed mental illness.

Pick, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as a young man, has been active in outreach programs for youth living with mental illness, resources that weren’t always available to him at a young age. A Montana-based artist, Pick has been developing his craft for more than 14 years. He views his artwork as an expression of the creative gifts commonly found among people living with mental illness and an important therapeutic tool for his own pursuit of a healthy and productive life.

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to fully participate in this event, contact (413) 748-5287 to discuss your accessibility needs. Springfield College is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus.

Country Bank Sponsors Habitat for Humanity Build

WARE — Country Bank staff recently volunteered their time to assist the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity build a home for a local Springfield family.

“Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity is blessed to have wonderful community partners like Country Bank who contribute the time, talent, and treasure needed to help families build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter,” said Jennifer Schimmel, executive director for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.

Added Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president, Community Relations at Country Bank, “when asked to support such a meaningful cause, the staff at Country Bank was eager to help with this project. The staff was truly grateful to be a part of making the dream of home ownership a reality for Joseph and Lakery and their family.”

Click Workspace Welcomes Catherine Iannucci as Member Advocate

NORTHAMPTON — Catherine Iannucci has taken over as member advocate at Click Workspace, a co-working space in downtown Northampton. Iannucci, an Emerson College graduate, moved to Northampton this summer. She has worked at nonprofit organizations since her senior year at college and comes to Click with hopes to play an active role in her new community.

“I try to be an enthusiastic participant in any community I am living in,” she said. “There is no feeling more gratifying than enhancing your community and being an asset to those around you. Being a part of Click is a great way to do that for me. I get to meet and interact with local entrepreneurs, artists, and other nonprofits.”

Click is a nonprofit whose mission brings together creative professionals, space, and resources while producing artistic, cultural, and educational programming that celebrates and enriches the region. Iannucci can help anyone become a member at Click, and can be reached by e-mailing [email protected]. More information about becoming a member can be found at www.clickworkspace.org.

Six New Faculty Members Join Bay Path University

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University recently welcomed six new faculty members.

Jennifer Stratton, coordinator of Undergraduate Education, comes to Bay Path with extensive teaching experience. Most recently, she served as district literacy coach for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District.

Susan Rivelli, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy in the graduate division, has more than 30 years of teaching experience, as well as extensive clinical experience in pediatrics. She joins the faculty of Bay Path after teaching in Western New England University’s inaugural Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.

Gillian Palmer, assistant professor of Management in the undergraduate division, brings her expertise in business to Bay Path University after a successful track record with the Eastern States Exposition as its business development and event coordinator. She earned her MBA from Bay Path in 2012.

Cheryl Ann Sheils, program director for the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program, comes to the university from Elms College, where she taught in the Nursing program for more than 18 years. She has presented at numerous conferences, and her articles have been published in industry journals and other publications.

Janice Berliner, program director for the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program, has been a genetic counselor for 29 years, first specializing in prenatal genetics and subsequently in cancer risk assessment. For the past six years, she has been working at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, N.J., a site that Berliner helped create and develop.

Megan Piccus, program director for Business Programs, joins the American Women’s College at Bay Path University from Pratt & Whitney, where she served for four years as dean of the Manufacturing Engineering College and senior manager of Manufacturing Engineering Discipline Health.

HCC Foundation Golf Classic Postponed to Oct. 16

HOLYOKE — After the 31st Holyoke Community College Foundation Golf Classic, scheduled for Sept. 10, was cancelled due to forecasts of heavy rain, the annual golf benefit has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 16, at Springfield County Club in West Springfield.

Proceeds from the tournament will support the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, the home for culinary-arts and hospitality-management training programs.

The HCC Foundation, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is the nonprofit fundraising arm of Holyoke Community College. Over 30 years, the annual HCC Foundation Golf Classic has raised more than $500,000 for HCC scholarships and educational technology for HCC classrooms.

As before, the program begins with buffet lunch followed by a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The $185 fee includes greens fees, golf cart, lunch, dinner, and refreshments on the course.

After an afternoon of golf, participants can enjoy cocktails on the clubhouse porch and dinner, and will have the opportunity to enter raffles and bid on dozens of items, including restaurant gift certificates, Red Sox memorabilia, wine baskets, and more.

Participants can arrange their own foursomes or sign up as singles. To register or sponsor the golf tournament, visit www.hcc.edu/golf.

U.S. News And World Report Declares WNEU a ‘Best Value’

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNEU) received multiple recognitions in U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 “America’s Best Colleges,” an in-depth look at more than 1,800 institutions of higher education nationwide.

Along with its traditional place among the top tier of Regional Universities in the North, Western New England was included in such categories as Best Value Schools, Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, and A-Plus Schools for B Students.

“For the second consecutive year, the fall semester started with a record number of full-time undergraduate students on campus,” said Bryan Gross, vice president for Enrollment Management. “Students, families, and our peers have taken note of the investments the university has made, like our new University Commons dining facility, increased financial aid, and better technology designed to provide students with a transformative yet affordable education.”

The U.S. News rankings focus on measures of academic excellence, with schools evaluated on hundreds of data points covering up to 16 measures of academic quality. Individual colleges and universities are compared with institutions that share similar characteristics and academic missions. Western New England ranked 68th this year among the nearly 200 institutions in the Best Regional Universities – North category.

Western New England rated even higher in the rankings of best values among regional universities. U.S. News sought to identify schools that are above average academically and cost considerably less than many other schools when financial aid is taken into account.

U.S. News also recognized, but did not rank, what it calls A-Plus Schools for B Students. These highly rated schools admit a meaningful proportion of students who do not get straight As.

“As our institution has grown, we’re seeing more and more students believe that a Western New England education is beyond their reach. In many cases, that is simply not true,” said Gross. “We are actively looking for students that bring individual strengths to the university, students with the drive and potential to thrive when provided the personal attention and unique opportunities that are hallmarks of a Western New England education.”

When it comes to Engineering programs, Western New England University was ranked among the best in the nation when it comes to institutions where the primary focus is on undergraduate education. In this category, Western New England ranked fourth in Massachusetts and 57th in the nation.

SPADC to End Management Relationship with Symphony Hall, CityStage

By BusinessWest Staff September 11, 2018