Day: October 2, 2018

Girl Scouts Announce Recipients of ToGetHerThere Awards

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM) announced the recipients of the second annual ToGetHerThere Awards. According to the organization, the five recipients have a shared vision of creating a culture of creativity and caring, where young women feel confident in their ability to work hard, dream big, and face with courage any obstacle that stands in the way of making their dreams come true. The winners have affected hundreds of lives and serve as role models and mentors for the next generation of women leaders while inspiring them to be part of changing their communities for better.

“The ToGetHerThere Award winners embody Western Massachusetts’ spirit of courage and tenacity,” said Pattie Hallberg, CEO of GSCWM. “These individuals remind us that we all hold the power to create hope and build up communities as we advocate for the respect of all young women and their right to practice everyday leadership. We are humbled and impressed by their efforts. We all can be a force for good.”

The 2018 ToGetHerThere Awardees were selected from five categories by a panel of business, community and civic leaders. They are:

• Entrepreneur: Laurie Flynn, president and CEO, Link to Libraries;

• Financial Literacy: Kate Kane, managing director, Northwestern Mutual;

• Health & Wellnes: Dr. Sarah Perez McAdoo, co-leader, Capstone Project, UMass Medical Center at Baystate Health;

• Man Enough to Be a Girl Scout: Edward Zemba, president, Robert Charles Photography; and

• STEM: Thomas Gralinski, STEM outreach coordinator, Clark Science Center and the Jandon Center for Community Engagement, Smith College.

Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts will honor the winners at the ToGetHerThere Awards Luncheon on Friday, Nov. 2, at MGM Springfield. Tickets are $55 each or $500 for a table of 10.

To order tickets and for more info on each awardee, visit the Girl Scout website, www.gscwm.org/en/events/special-events/TGHTA.html, or contact Melanie Bonsu at (413) 584-2602, ext. 3623, or [email protected].

The event is sponsored by BusinessWest and HCN, Chicopee Savings Bank, Balise Auto Group, Gaudreau Group, Monson Savings Bank, and People’s United Bank.

Arrha Credit Union Welcomes Jacquelyn Guzie as Springfield Branch Manager

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, recently introduced Jacquelyn (Jackie) Guzie as Arrha’s new Springfield branch manager. Guzie has more than 18 years of banking experience and been recognized throughout her banking-industry career with several promotions at Rockville Bank. Since 2007, she has been a branch manager, most recently in the Suffield Branch at First National Bank of Suffield.

A graduate of the New England College of Business and Finance in Boston, Guzie is also an emergency medical technician volunteering at Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Assoc.

“I am excited to be part of the Arrha Credit Union family and serving the Springfield community and its members,” she said. “I look forward to providing caring service, offering rewarding membership benefits to existing and new members, and growing these relationships.”

Employer Confidence Slips Slightly During September

By
Daily News

BOSTON — Business confidence in Massachusetts declined slightly during September as employers balanced optimism about economic fundamentals with concerns about tariffs and new state regulations.

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index lost 0.6 points to 62.6 last month, leaving it almost even with its level of a year ago. The Index has been moving for most of 2018 within a narrow range that is well within optimistic territory.

Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design, said the steady business-confidence readings may reflect the lack of any significant economic or political changes that threaten the nine-year-old recovery.

“The underlying direction of the state and national economies remains positive. The Massachusetts economy grew at a staggering 7.3% annual rate during the second quarter, and unemployment remains near historic lows at 3.6%,” Torto said. “At the same time, employers remain wary of raw-material price increases brought about by new tariffs. The September survey was taken prior to the announcement Sunday of a new trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, so it will be interesting to learn whether that deal affects employer attitudes moving forward.”

The AIM Index, based on a survey of Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The Index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. It has remained above 50 since October 2013.

The constituent indicators that make up the overall Business Confidence Index were mostly lower during September. The Massachusetts Index assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth ended the month at 64.5, falling 0.2 points for the month and 0.9 points for the year. The U.S. Index lost 1.1 points to 63.6, leaving it 3.8 points higher than in September 2017.

The Company Index measuring employer assessments of their own operations declined a half-point to 61.6, down 0.7 points from September 2017. The Employment Index gained 0.3 points during September, while the Sales Index lost 0.5 points to 60.5.

The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, fell 1.8 points last month to 64.3. The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, gained 0.6 points. The Current Index rose 1.4 points during the year, while the Future Index lost 1.1 points.

Manufacturing companies (63.3) were more optimistic than non-manufacturers (61.8), reversing a long-term trend in the confidence survey. Companies in the eastern part of Massachusetts (64.4) were more bullish than those in Western Mass. (60.2).

Michael Goodman, executive director of the Public Policy Center (PPC) at UMass Dartmouth and a BEA member, noted that the persistent shortage of skilled workers appears to be exerting upward pressure on wages.

“Wage and salary income in Massachusetts grew at a 19.2% annualized rate in the second quarter, while nationally, U.S. workers saw their biggest pay increase in nearly a decade during the 12 months ending in June,” Goodman said.

AIM President and CEO Richard Lord, also BEA member, said the solid level of employer confidence during the past year bodes well for job growth in the months ahead.

“Confident employers hire new workers, invest in capital equipment, develop new markets, and expand their plants and offices,” Lord said. “It’s particularly encouraging to see year-over-year gains in both the Manufacturing Index and the Employment Index. Jobs and economic opportunity are, after all, the ultimate benefits of a strong economy.”

HCC Running Rape Aggression Defense Classes for Women Starting Oct. 15

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College is offering Rape Aggression Defense training for women beginning Oct. 15.

The five-class series runs on Monday nights from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. until Nov. 12 at HCC’s Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation. Kellie Cournoyer, a veteran campus police officer with more than 20 years of law-enforcement experience, will teach the course. 

The Rape Aggression Defense program, also known as RAD, teaches basic self-defense techniques to women of all ages who may find themselves in unsafe situations. The program veers from most self-defense systems to emphasize avoidance strategies more than physical contact. 

Participants will learn easy and effective self-defense and martial-arts techniques as well as additional training, including the use of aerosols. The $25 course fee includes a free lifetime return and practice policy.

For more information or to register, visit hcc.edu/bce or call HCC Community Services at (413) 552-2324.

Healthcare Heroes to Be Honored at Gala on Oct. 25

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care.

This year’s honorees include Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. 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. 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.

Yves Salomon-Fernandez Takes the Helm at GCC

By
Yves Salomon-Fernandez
Cover Story

Innovative Course of Action

Yves Salomon-Fernandez

Yves Salomon-Fernandez

Yves Salomon-Fernandez became the 10th president of Greenfield Community College this past summer, succeeding Bob Pura at the helm of a school that enjoys some of the highest retention and graduation rates in the state. Her primary goals moving forward are to build on the momentum generated over the past several years, set the bar higher, and then clear that bar. Salomon-Fernandez is confident in her abilities, and, like the school itself, she says she’s “innovative and entrepreneurial.”

Yves Salomon-Fernandez remembers many things about her first interview as a candidate for the presidency at Greenfield Community College — especially the cold.

It was early April, and she recalls that morning being particularly cruel as she arrived at the Deerfield Inn for that interview session. It was so cold, and she appeared so uncomfortable, in fact, that Robbie Cohn, chair of the school’s board of trustees, felt inspired to give her his gloves, and for an attending student representative to give up her shawl.

“I was freezing, and as a measurement expert, I said to myself, ‘this is going to interfere with my performance if I’m distracted by the thought of being cold,’” she recalled. “With those gloves and that shawl, I thought I could give them a better glimpse of who I was and what I can do.”

Whether it was the additional layering or not, Salomon-Fernandez warmed up enough to sufficiently impress those interviewing her to become a finalist for the job. And, continuing in this vein, it would fair to say that the rest of the campus would soon warm to her.

Indeed, several weeks later, she would be named the school’s 10th president and the successor to long-time leader Bob Pura, who retired this past spring after 18 years at the helm.

When asked what she told those quizzing her, Salomon-Fernandez condensed it all down to a few words and phrases that would also set the tone for this interview with BusinessWest.

“I said I was very innovative, entrepreneurial, and like to think outside the box,” she recalled, adding that, in many respects, those traits are shared by the GCC community as a whole, which is another reason she was attracted to the school.

Entrepreneurial? Yes, entrepreneurial.

While some in her position would be hesitant to say out loud that a college is very much, if not exactly like, a business, she isn’t. Only, the phrase she uses is ‘academic enterprise.’

“Considering the challenges we’re facing in higher education, I think we really need to look at the model comprehensively and say, ‘how can we change this model to be sustainable over time?’” she said, adding that she’s looking forward to that specific assignment.

Salomon-Fernandez, 39, a native of Haiti who emigrated to the U.S. when she was 12, brings a diverse résumé to the Greenfield campus, including a stint as interim president of MassBay Community College, followed by her most recent assignment, president of Cumberland County College (CCC) in New Jersey.
Late last fall, it was announced that CCC would be merging with another institution in the Garden State and that her job would be eliminated.

Having already moved with her family several times over the past several years, she wasn’t looking forward to doing so again, but did so (although her husband and children will remain in New Jersey for a year) to keep her career on an upward trajectory — specifically in another college president’s position.

She told BusinessWest she was quite discriminating in her search for the right job opportunity. She applied for a few positions, but quickly set her sights on GCC, the only college in decidedly rural Franklin County.

“This is the one job I wanted — this is really a match made in heaven,” she said. Elaborating, she noted that, while she likes just about everything about the region — from Berkshire Brewing’s lagers to ziplining — she was really drawn in by GCC’s mission, important role in Franklin County, intriguing mix of programs, high transfer rate, and especially the art (much of it courtesy of students enrolled in the highly acclaimed program there) adorning walls, lobbies, and tables across campus.

“The values of GCC and the Pioneer Valley are very consistent with my own and my family’s,” she explained. “The commitment to renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and rural living are all things I’m very passionate about and enjoy; this is a lifestyle that’s conducive to raising kids and a lifestyle that’s grounded.”

But fit also involves the size and nature of the challenge — in this case, a school that has been put on a solid foundation by Pura, but one that still has growth opportunities and challenges to be met.

“I’ve always been a risk taker,” said Salomon-Fernandez, summing up her mindset professionally, adding that, moving forward, her primary assignment is to continue and build upon the momentum generated in recent years under Pura’s stewardship. “GCC had the highest retention rates and the highest graduation rates in the state; that said to me that this is a very stable institution. I want to build on that.”

For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest talked at length with Salomon-Fernandez about her latest assignment in higher-education administration and how she intends to grow and diversify this unique ‘academic enterprise.’

Course of Action

As noted earlier, Salomon-Fernandez brings a diverse background, a host of skills, and many forms of experience to her new role.

For starters, she speaks four languages — English, French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish — and has consulted with the United Nations and the Bermuda Ministry of Education, taught as an adjunct professor for many years, held a number of research positions, and spoken and written on subjects ranging from women’s leadership to workforce development.

Her career in education began as a data analyst working on the No Child Left Behind project and continued on an upward trajectory to the college president’s office.

After serving as interim president at MassBay, in Wellesley, and then at Cumberland County College, she found herself looking for the proverbial next challenge. And in the parking lot of the Deerfield Inn, she was looking for a way to take the chill out of her fingers and toes.

She has another anecdote from her early visits to the GCC campus, one that speaks volumes about why she warmed to the campus so quickly and why she made this the focus of her job search.

She had been visiting the art gallery at the school the day before her interview, she recalled, and she was trying to remain ‘incognito,’ as she put it.

GCC campus, as a whole, is innovative and entrepreneurial

Yves Salomon-Fernandez says the GCC campus, as a whole, is innovative and entrepreneurial, and she shares those personality traits.

“I was looking around, and a member of the janitorial staff came up to me said, ‘if you like the artwork, I can show you some more — it’s throughout our entire building,’” she recalled. “My doctorate is in measurement — statistics, cycle metrics … that’s my field. I tell people I see the world as one big structural equation model, and that was the first evidence of the culture here. I’m aggregating different data points and different kinds of data, quantitative and qualitative, to get a picture in my mind of what this place is and what it might be like to work here.”

Finishing the story, she said the janitorial staff member asked a few questions and eventually commented that GCC was a nice place to work and that a few faculty positions and even the president’s position were open. She remained incognito through all of that, but came away even more convinced that this was where she wanted to land professionally.

“For me, I was looking for a place where I could get that kind of professional satisfaction and where the faculty, staff, and educators and engaged in local issues, regional issues, national issues, and international issues,” she went on. “It’s an intellectually vibrant college, and that was huge for me — people who are deeply engaged in their discipline and who care deeply about the human potential and the world in which we live. And also a place where discourse is valued; we may not always agree, but we agree to talk about things and to find a common ground.”

Salomon-Fernandez said that, in many ways, Cumberland N.J. and Greenfield, Mass. are very much alike. While much of the Garden State is urban and densely populated, Cumberland County isn’t. It’s also the poorest county in the state — just as Franklin County is in Massachusetts — and one battling issues ranging from a lack of high-speed Internet access to opioid addiction to job creation and providing individuals with the skills they need to succeed in a changing workplace. Again, just like Franklin County.

That’s another reason this challenge was attractive to her, adding that still another has been GCC’s response to those issues.

“What I really admire about GCC is that the college has been very innovative in terms of finding ways to meet students where they are and addressing their many challenges,” she said. “For example, in our library, we rent laptops to students and Internet routers to students; we lease bikes to students and even telescopes. There are many things the college does to make the school accessible and possible, and enhance student success.

“We were the first college in the country to have a food pantry,” she noted, referencing a facility where students, many of them non-traditional in nature, can not only get a snack but shop for their whole family. “There are a number of things the college has done under Bob Pura’s leadership that are cutting-edge and forward-thinking.”

Looking ahead, she wants to continue that pattern of innovation while carrying out a vital role as the only community college in the county.

Grade Expectations

Elaborating, she said that GCC, like all community colleges, has a diverse student population comprised of both traditional students right out of high school and non-traditional students who joined the workforce after high school and are now looking to enhance their skill sets to create new career opportunities.

That latter constituency (roughly 15% of the student population) is the fastest-growing segment at GCC, and Salomon-Fernandez sees ample opportunity for further growth in that realm.

“In a county like Franklin County, where the attendance rate for higher education is so low, we have the opportunity to make college and professional preparation and workforce training accessible to many more people,” she explained.

Elaborating, she said that one of her goals moving forward is to do even more outreach — the school already does a good deal of that — within the community to help it reach those who might think that college is beyond their reach or not for them.

“They may not understand that the mission of the community college is to help them in ways that a traditional college may not,” she explained. “So spreading the word and really doing outreach, working with our partners to get the word out, is a priority for us.”

Yves Salomon-Fernandez says the enterprise model within higher education must evolve if it is to remain sustainable.

Yves Salomon-Fernandez says the enterprise model within higher education must evolve if it is to remain sustainable.

And getting people into higher education will be critical moving forward, she said, noting that the world of work is changing and the Bay State’s economy is truly knowledge-driven.

“We know that artificial intelligence, automation, computerization, all of those things are becoming more and more prominent,” she noted. “And that has implications for the careers for which we’re preparing students, and also for the pedagogies that we use. So we’ll be becoming much more interdisciplinary as a college, and there’s already a history of that here.”

Meanwhile, the enterprise model within higher education must evolve to remain sustainable, she went on.

“We have to look at whether this model is a financially sustainable model as it is,” Salomon-Fernandez told BusinessWest. “We have a number of contradictions; we hear people say the tenure model is antiquated, and at the same time, we have legions of adjuncts operating in the gig economy without health insurance, without benefits, and without pensions.

“And in some ways, as a higher education, all that is hypocritical, because we teach our students that people should be compensated fairly, and there’s some basic human rights and access to services that they should have,” she went on. “Yet, we struggle to provide that for the very people who are educating the current students.”

Overall, she notes, a school known for being entrepreneurial must be even more so in the years to come, given limited resources for the state and a growing role within the county.

“We have to look at what we can do to supplement those resources from the state because we know they are not sufficient to provide our students with the experiences we want them to have,” she said. “So what are some of the ways we can think entrepreneurially? What are some of the unmet needs within our college and within the market that we can help meet to create value, create revenue, and create experiences for our students?

“We have to think differently,” she said in conclusion. “We’re very committed to reinventing the academic enterprise model here at GCC, there is an appetite for it, and we want to do in a way that remains true to our values.”

Soar Subject

As she talked with BusinessWest on a Friday morning late last month, Salomon-Fernandez said that weekend ahead was packed with activity, including her first encounter with ziplining.

In recent weeks, she’s also had a behind-the-scenes look at Mike’s Maze, the famous cornfield attraction, gone swimming in the Connecticut River, and visited Brattleboro. She’s taking scuba lessons at UMass Amherst and is learning how to fly a drone.

In short, she’s settling into Franklin County and all that it has to offer. She’s also settling in GCC, which, like the country surrounding it, is a perfect match for her.

Like the school itself, in her estimation, she is innovative and entrepreneurial, talents that will be needed to build on the momentum that’s been generated over the past two decades and take the school to even greater heights.

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

If They Don’t Adjust, Companies Might Become History

By
Business Management

The Forces of Change

“People don’t change unless the pain of not changing becomes greater than the pain of change.” That was one of many observations made by those presenting the latest installment of BusinessWest’s Future Tense series late last month. The more important point made: by the time companies get to that point, it might just be too late to change.

‘Burn the boats.’

That’s supposedly what the Vikings did before entering into battle — a bold indication that there would be absolutely no turning back from a particular course of action — and the phrase has become heard with increasing frequency in boardrooms across this country and in many others.

And Mark Borsari, president of Palmer-based wire-brush manufacturer Sanderson MacLeod, made it one of many phrases (and takeaway strategies) he offered as co-presenter of the latest installment in BusinessWest’s ongoing and appropriately titled Future Tense series.

Borsari shared the podium with Jim Barrett, managing partner at Holyoke-based Meyers Brothers Kalicka, and advice not to be afraid to burn the boats was among the many messages they passed along to audience members during a program titled “Change Considerations: An Examination of Lean Process, Market Disruption, and the Future of Your Business.”

The two focused on every phrase within that long title, but especially that one word ‘change.’ Like others who presented in this series before them, they noted that change is coming at business owners at an unprecedented pace and scale. And while there are some changes that cannot be foreseen or remotely planned for — Barrett summoned the example of the city of Westfield, a buggy-whip manufacturing hub that was one of few communities worldwide economically devastated by the invention of the automobile — there are things business owners can and must do.

Over the course of their talk, Barrett and Borsari listed several — from embracing new technology to being ultra-diligent when it comes to investing in it; from watching the horizon for imminent changes to recognizing emerging new trends in workforce skill sets; from embracing lean practices (whatever your business sector), to, yes, being fully prepared to burn the boats when it comes to all or most of the above.

Mark Borsari says his parents used the wet-facecloth method to get him up in the morning

Mark Borsari says his parents used the wet-facecloth method to get him up in the morning, and now he manages his company with the same mindset.

“You need to have confidence in what you’re doing,” said Borsari, noting that many lean initiatives and investments in new technology fail because leadership lacked the confidence to ride out the inevitable early questions and problems that accompany change. “If you’re a leader, stick with it; you have to burn the boats.”

One also has to keep his head out of the sand, he went on, referencing a business he was once in — the making of dentures — to get his points across.

“If you’re a leader, stick with it; you have to burn the boats.”

“That technology had not changed, until about 2004, in 150 years,” he explained. “You’d go to the dentist, the guy would put that big plastic thing with a bunch of goop in your mouth, make an impression, and send it off to a dental laboratory to a dental technician who would, by hand, make teeth; they were getting $120 to $130 a unit on average.”

By 2006 or so, intra-oral scanning had completely changed the landscape, he said, adding that a milling center in a dentist’s office can now make a tooth in hours instead of days and for a fraction of the cost.

“That is technology that is absolutely disruptive; if people in that industry were watching, they would have seen what was coming, but they missed it,” he noted. “Now these technicians have milling centers in their laboratories, and they’re making $40 a unit. You go from $120 to $40 with inflation — that’s the stuff that scares you to death.”

Barrett agreed, and for another example of not recognizing what in hindsight, or even careful foresight, seems obvious, he recalled Jim Keyes’ now-infamous quote from a decade ago: “Neither Redbox nor Netflix are even on the radar screen in terms of competition; it’s all Walmart and Apple.”

“Two years later, Blockbuster files for bankruptcy, and today, Netflix is worth about $62 billion. That’s how fast change can happen, and if you don’t anticipate the disruption, chances are you’re not going to make it,” said Barrett, adding that the business landscape is littered with similar examples of companies moving too slowly, or not moving at all, to anticipate change and get ahead of it.

How and why does that continue to happen?

“People don’t change unless the pain of not changing becomes greater than the pain of change,” said Barrett, adding that companies and business sectors are going to keep doing what has made them successful until it becomes more than obvious that they can no longer do that.

But at the rate change is happening, that won’t be possible in the near future. By the time the pain of not changing exceeds that of changing, it may be too late to change.

For this issue, BusinessWest recaps the third segment in its Future Tense series, a presentation that brought home the need for business owners and managers to prepare for and be able to withstand what can possibly come at them in the months and years to come, rather than be a buggy-whip maker in the age of the automobile.

Brush with Fame

Rosie Noble worked at Sanderson McLeod for a half-century, Borsari told those gathered at Tech Foundry for this installment of Future Tense. Her job — no, make that her domain — was a specific wire brush, or stylus, made for the healthcare sector.

“Rosie walked seven miles a day, 14 feet at a time, for 50 years — she has 2% body fat,” said Borsari as he attempted to draw a picture of how these brushes were made. “You are not going to find another Rosie Noble working for Sanderson MacLeod, walking seven miles a day, making brushes for the rate we were paying. And Rosie wants to retire; what do you do?”

The answer was the Rosie 2, built with her input. It’s the world’s first (and only) fully automatic twisted-wire stylus machine — technology that does essentially what its namesake did starting when Lyndon Johnson was in the White House. Ultimately, Borsari said, the company didn’t build this machine because it wanted to, but because it had to to remain competitive.

“People don’t change unless the pain of not changing becomes greater than the pain of change.”

The Rosie 2 is a great example of a company adapting to change, embracing and utilizing technology, and finding better and more efficient ways to do things, he noted, adding that, moving forward, it’s incumbent on all business owners and managers to write their own Rosie stories.

Jim Barrett

Jim Barrett says that, while lean practices are most commonly associated with the factory floor, this is a strategy, and mindset, that all business sectors must embrace.

There are many factors involved in this equation, said the presenters, starting with the world of work and the rapid pace of change of pace in that realm, most of it driven by technology.

To sum it all up, Barrett talked about this country’s new Lockheed-Martin F-35 fighter jet, a plane that uses artificial intelligence to self-diagnose its needs in term of fuel, parts, maintenance, ammunition, and more. Those servicing the plane don’t have to accumulate that data, as they did with past models, because the plane provides it for them.

Emerging technology does essentially the same for business owners across virtually all sectors, he went on, adding that, in the future (and even today, for that matter), employees, especially those involved in finance, won’t be needed to gather or even analyze information — again, because technology, like Blockchain, will do that for them.

“Today, a large part of the financial function is data analysis; 60% to 80% of the time is spent gathering data and making that sure that data is compatible, either between years or sets or whatever metric you’re trying to measure to: ‘do we have the right data? Is it good data? Is it compatible?’ — 60% to 80% of the time!” he said. “Moving forward, that’s largely going to be automated out of existence, all that time is going to be freed up, and that’s going to be a huge disruption to the financial function of industries.”

Instead, one of employees’ primary functions is to take the information available to them and help management decide what to do from a strategic standpoint. And to do that, they’ll probably need different skill sets than they have now, said Barrett, adding that they’ll need to do everything from “help the company make smart bets,” as he called them, to making sure the business is using the right data and the right metrics.

Instead of counting money in the cash drawer and figuring out where it came from, the retail finance employee of the future (or today) will need to be able to help answer questions like, ‘should we open a new store or close a store?’ ‘Do we go online?’ ‘How much does that cost?,’ said Barrett.

“And that’s a whole different skill set than the finance function of the past,” he went on, adding that employers and human-resources professionals need to be aware of these changes as they create their workforces.

“What people in the finance function need to understand is they need to adapt to this information, because what made them successful in the past is not going to make them successful or, like the buggy whip, relevant in the future,” Barrett noted. “If you’re still counting cash, your competition is way ahead of you.”

Investments in the Future

Borsari agreed, and said that knowing what to do with both data and emerging technology is the biggest challenge facing business owners and managers today.

With that, he clicked to a PowerPoint slide with two images — one of a palm tree, the other of an iceberg — and kept it there for a few moments as he talked about the immensely difficult and far-reaching decisions business owners face when it comes to investing in technology.

“Those of you who run businesses or run companies or organizations and have to make these decisions know that it’s exhausting — absolutely exhausting,” he said. “Our job, when you get right down to it, is to be on the bow of a ship looking out and seeing what’s on the horizon long before it gets there. It’s either an iceberg that’s going to put a hole in the side of the ship and sink you, or a pretty place you might want to take the company and go sailing.

“What people in the finance function need to understand is they need to adapt to this information, because what made them successful in the past is not going to make them successful or, like the buggy whip, relevant in the future. If you’re still counting cash, your competition is way ahead of you.”

“And it’s exhausting because you’re getting bombarded from all sides,” he went on. “Our challenge is, ‘how do we look at the palm trees and the icebergs and sort out what is the technology we think is relevant, what we think works for us, and what doesn’t?’”

Elaborating, he said the place companies must start is with a basic question: what is the technology for? And until it’s answered, the checkbook should certainly stay in the drawer. The goal, he went on, is to embrace and choose technology that enhances that which already separates you in the marketplace.

“Understand what the value-driver is for your customer,” he told his audience. “What do they come to you for? Then determine if technology is going to help you, neutralize you, or put you at a disadvantage. Once you buy it, you own it.”

Borsari noted that Palmer-based Sanderson MacLeod is not going to make wire brushes less expensively than companies in China, or almost anywhere else, given the high cost of doing business in this state.

“So why do people buy from us?” he asked rhetorically before answering that question for the audience.

“Our feeling is that our customers have to think that they’re either with us or that not being with us is a competitive disadvantage,” he said, adding that the company is known for its innovation and making products that stand out in the marketplace.

“These are the things that we think about when we consider technology,” he explained. “Is it going to help us with this, or does it make us more of a commodity?”

This discussion of technology and investments in it led naturally to another of those phrases in the program’s title — lean process.

Lean, the science of taking waste out of the process, can help drive decisions on technology investments, said Borsari, who cited the ‘5 Ms’ of waste — man, machine, method, materials, and money — and the need to identify which one (or ones) are the target of new technology.

“What are you buying the machine for?” he said. “Sometimes you think you’re chasing something, and you realize that’s not what you’re really chasing.”

What all companies are chasing are greater efficiencies and better ways of doing things, said Barrett, adding that a great misconception in business today is that lean is just for the manufacturing floor.

That’s a very limiting attitude, said Barrett, adding that Meyers Brothers, and the financial-services sector as a whole, is starting to embrace lean — out of necessity more than desire. But there are hurdles to be overcome, he said, primarily because these businesses are “dealing with people, not machines, and people are resistant to change.”

“We’re great at analyzing data — we made a career analyzing data — and people love to sit at their desks and play with spreadsheets,” he explained. “But that’s not valuable anymore; people are going to continue doing what made them successful over the past 30 years, even though times are changing.”

That’s why, said both Barrett and Borsari, what a company ultimately needs to change through lean isn’t equipment, technology, or even processes — but the culture.

The Naked Truth

Borsari called it ‘wet-facecloth management.’

And, obviously, he needed to explain that.

“When I was a kid, my parents didn’t like me sleeping in,” he noted. “They’d come in the first time and say, ‘you’ve got 10 minutes to get up.’ If I didn’t get up in 10, they’d say, ‘you’ve got five minutes, then we’re coming up with a wet facecloth.’

“It is impossible to not deal with reality when you’re facing a cold facecloth in the morning,” he went on, adding that the tactic almost always worked, and today, he more or less runs Sanderson MacLeod the same way. Reality, in this case, isn’t having to get out of bed, but to operate with the full knowledge that a few mistakes, or even one big one, can make your company the next Blockbuster or the next Kodak, a venerable institution that just didn’t position itself for the advent of digital photography.

With that, he said ‘wet-facecloth management’ means avoiding certain attitudes, including putting a company’s collective heads in the sand, as the dental technicians obviously did at the start of this century.

“Their heads were in the sand; there’s no question that there was technology coming up that would make a tooth faster than layering porcelain by hand,” he said. “You have to question yourself, and you have to have people in your organization who are empowered to challenge you on that.

“You want them reading, and you want them not feeling that if they come to you with an idea that’s a little out of whack, they’re not going to have your ear,” he went on. “But you have to make sure you don’t get your heads in the sand when it comes to technology, because if you do miss a major one, that will shut the doors.”

Another mindset to avoid is ‘magic-bullet thinking,’ he went on.

“This is where someone goes to a presentation, comes back, and says, ‘we have to buy this thing; it’s unbelievable,’” he said. “That’s dangerous; there are no magic bullets. There are things that will help you, but there are no magic bullets. I’ve bought magic bullets. They don’t work.”

Still another mindset to avoid, said both Borsari and Barrett, is the thinking that all the answers have to come from inside the company.

The proper mentality is to ‘get naked,’ as Borsari called it.

“I encourage people to get out and see other companies, and to have people come and pull you apart,” he explained. “Bare what you have; you want an idea that can come through and change things, but don’t get into thinking that you have everything covered, because you don’t.”

Barrett agreed, and said one of the bigger challenges facing businesses in all sectors is changing the culture of an organization and inspiring people to think lean, avoid magic bullets, and get their heads out of the sand.

What’s needed is a compelling message, he told BusinessWest.

“To stand in front of people and tell people they need to be more efficient because if we’re not more efficient and we’re not doing it better, we’re going to be out of business — that’s not really motivational to a lot of people,” he explained. “You need to find some way to engage them.

“In our business,” he said, “that might be to say, ‘yes, you might lose 60% to 80% of what you used to do, but if you understand that, you can now spend your time going out to customers and trying to help them with their business, and you can do better stuff that, A, they value, and, B, they’re going to pay more for, and you can have a better feeling when you leave that you helped somebody, as opposed to reading spreadsheets.’

“The message can’t be, ‘we have to be lean because we don’t we to be the next Blockbuster,’” he went on. “The message has to be, ‘we have to be lean so we can do better, higher-value stuff that’s more rewarding for us and more valuable for our customers.”

Bottom Line

‘Wet-facecloth management?’ ‘Burning the boats?’

These are not phrases you would probably hear in the boardroom 20 years ago, or even a few years ago.

But you hear them now, because the times (maybe you’ve heard this) are changing. And change is coming quickly and profoundly, and companies need to be aware that they have to change attitudes and change the way they do things.

As Barrett so aptly put it, businesses, and especially those who lead, simply can’t wait around until the pain of not changing becomes greater than the pain of change.

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

Agency Promotes the Many Assets of a Unique Region

By
Berkshire County

Changing the Narrative

Created through the merger of several economic-development-focused agencies, 1Berkshire has a broad mission statement, but it can be boiled down to making this unique region a better place in which to live, work, and do business.

Jonathan Butler says he grew up during what was, in most all respects, a down time for many communities in the Berkshires.

This was a period — a few decades in length, by most estimates — when General Electric in Pittsfield and Sprague Electric in North Adams were slowly disappearing from the landscape and taking roughly 25,000 jobs with them.

Butler told BusinessWest that he’s heard countless stories about what it was like when those huge employers were in their heyday and the downtown streets were clogged with people on payday — and every other day, for that matter — and seemingly everyone who wanted or needed a job had one.

“But that’s not part of my narrative,” he said, adding that he grew up on the other side of all that, when the downtowns were populated largely by empty storefronts and jobs were much harder to come by.

“The good-old-days stories are actually getting quite old,” he went on. “That’s because a few generations have grown up not knowing them.”

Instead, there are new stories being told, said Butler, involving everything from ziplining to craft beers; from health spas to new and exotic eateries; from communities’ populations getting larger to populations getting younger.

Indeed, the best stories involve people — a lot of them just like Butler — who grew up during those darker times, left the area (because that’s what they thought they had to do), and are now coming back to enjoy all of those things mentioned above.

Jonathan Butler

Jonathan Butler

“The good-old-days stories are actually getting quite old. That’s because a few generations have grown up not knowing them.”

“We’ve really changed the narrative around what it’s like to live in the Berkshires,” he noted. “People my age that grew up here, went away, and have had the chance to come back, whether it’s to live here or visit family, are shocked at what they see.”

This changing of the narrative was and is the unofficial mission statement for 1Berkshire, an economic-development-focused organization that resulted from the merger of four agencies — the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, the Berkshire Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Berkshire Economic Development Corp., and Berkshire Creative, a support organization for entrepreneurs and those involved in the arts.

Housed in an historic former firehouse called Central Station in downtown Pittsfield, 1Berkshire’s employees are focused on a number of strategic initiatives collectively aimed at advancing the region’s economy and making this a better place to live, work, visit, and operate a business.

“We spend a lot of time and energy bringing visitors to the Berkshires, but we also spend significant time and energy promoting this as a place for families and for people to relocate to,” he explained.

The ‘visit’ component has always been a huge part of the equation, said Butler, noting that tourism has long been the primary economic driver in the Berkshires. That’s still true today, but visitation is becoming more diversified, or “rounded out,” as he termed it.

 

“We have an extremely robust visitor experience here,” he noted, adding that that tourism spending, up 30% over the past decade ago, now averages about $500 million a year. “There’s the performing arts, the visual arts … but we’ve also become established as a food economy — dining in the Berkshires is great, for the foodie audience but also the more traditional audiences.

“There’s a farm-to-table component of our economy — there’s a lot of agritourism — and there’s also the recreational economy: hiking, biking, adventure sports, scenic rail, and more,” he went on. “People have always come here for nature and culture, but what’s catching up is the recreational economy and the health and wellness economy.”

But those other parts of the puzzle are equally important, he went on, adding that 1Berkshire is also committed to bringing people here to live, work, and start and grow businesses.

Overall, the agency was conceived as a “better way to do economic development,” said Butler, and to date, the evidence, both qualitative and quantitative in nature, would show that it’s succeeding in that role.

“Over the past 15 to 20 years, the Berkshires have been re-energized, but there are still a number of challenges,” he said, adding that the largest involves ongoing efforts to attract young people and lower the age of the region’s population, a vital component to overall vitality and economic sustainability.

For this issue and its focus on Berkshire County, BusinessWest talked with Butler about 1Berkshire and how it has gone about helping to change the narrative in this unique corner of the Commonwealth.

New Breed of Economic Development

‘The Year of the Dog.’

That was the name attached to the 63rd annual Fall Foliage Parade, staged on Sept. 30 in downtown North Adams. When asked, Butler was more than willing to explain, and started by noting that an elementary-school class in that community has the honor of coming up with a name to accompany the much-anticipated event, which draws thousands to that town.

“This is the Chinese Year of the Dog, and they recently opened a dog museum in North Adams,” he noted, referring to the facility located in the former Quinn’s Paint & Wallpaper Co. on Union Street. “So … it all makes sense.”

There was a huge banner at the top of the 1Berkshire website hyping the parade, he said, adding that the promotional support for such traditional gatherings is just one of many functions carried out by the agency.

There’s also something called simply ‘the jobs thing.’ This is a job-posting site on that same website (1berkshire.com). All positions listed (and there is a fee for such postings) must be for jobs in Berkshire County and come with a salary of at least $40,000. Those doing some browsing can search by field (they range from administrative and clerical to hospitality and tourism to sales and advertising) and by experience (entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level).

1Berkshire also has an events calendar filled with a host of programs, including a youth-leadership program and Berkshire Young Professionals events; a ‘relocation’ button on its website that enables visitors to explore every community from Adams to Windsor; and ‘featured opportunities,’ such as a ‘Get Mentored’ program that pairs selected entrepreneurs with experienced mentors. Applications are being accepted now for the winter session.

“We’ve really changed the narrative around what it’s like to live in the Berkshires. People my age that grew up here, went away, and have had the chance to come back, whether it’s to live here or visit family, are shocked at what they see.”

Then there’s the Berkshire Blueprint, a detailed strategic plan for the region — similar in many ways to the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission’s Plan for Progress — that was first drafted in 2007 and is now being updated.

All of these are examples of how 1Berkshire is carrying out that aforementioned assignment — to find a better way to do economic development, said Butler, who was hired to lead the Berkshire Chamber four years ago, and spent much of the next 18 months working out the merger of the chamber and the convention and visitors bureau into 1Berkshire.

Overall, two years after the all the components of this agency came together, the venture is proving to be much bigger than the sum of its parts.

Going back those four years, he said several of the smaller economic-development-related agencies were doing good work but struggling to keep the doors open financially. Discussions commenced on the many potential benefits from bringing them together under one roof and one administrator, he went on, adding that this somewhat unique economic-development model became reality.

That uniqueness is matched by the region itself, he went on, adding that, while the Berkshires is part of Western Mass., or the 413, as many call it, in many, if not all, respects, it is more than just one of four counties.

“We’re a little bit of our own place,” he explained. “We have our own identity, our own brand. People actually know the Berkshires of Massachusetts on a national level, and even internationally, as a destination. But we’re small — only 135,000 people, with about one-third of them living in Pittsfield.”

That small population is matched by a small economy anchored by a few large employers — General Dynamics and a few banks, for example — and dominated in most ways by tourism.

There are many benefits to living and working in the region, Butler went on, adding that 1Berkshire exists primarily to educate people about them and encourage them to take full advantage of it all.

Right Place, Right Time

To carry out its multi-faceted mission, 1Berskshire, with an annual budget of roughly $2 million, relies on revenue from a number of different streams.

They include membership dues — there are currently about 1,000 members — as well as larger donations from so-called ‘investors,’ major employers such as Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, and General Dynamics. There is also revenue from website advertisements (a spot hyping a Harry Potter-inspired Halloween party at the Blantyre is among those on the site now), the jobs initiative, and other programs; there are actually two web sites — berkshires.org, the primary visitor portal for the region, and 1berkshire.com.

And there is state money, because the convention and visitors bureau is part of the mix and is funded in part by the Commonwealth, and also because the agency is a regional economic-development council.

As noted earlier, a primary function of the agency is to drive visitation to the region, because tourism has a very broad impact on overall vibrancy in the region.

“With visitation, there is a ripple effect that goes well beyond the traditional visitor-stakeholder economy,” Butler explained. “It has an impact on the quality of our downtowns. We have much more vibrant downtowns today than we did 20 years ago, whether it’s Pittsfield, Lee, or Great Barrington. Those communities have benefited from visitor activity, which has made them a better place to live. It’s had a ripple effect into downtown housing projects, new restaurants and eateries, and things to do.

But there are many other aspects to the mission, he went on, listing everything from advocacy for members to the all-important work aimed at bringing new residents to the area, not just tourists.

Tracing his own career, Butler said that, after earning a graduate degree, he went to work for the Commonwealth in economic development and later for state Sen. Ben Downing in the State House.

He “worked his way back” to the Berkshires, as he put it, and worked as town manager for the city of Adams for six years before becoming director of the chamber.

Now, in his new role, he and his staff are working to encourage others to work their way to the Berkshires, or discover it for the first time, not as a place to leaf-peep or hike or ski — although they can do all of that — but as a place to live.

And this is important work, he said, because so many young people of his generation did in fact leave, in part because so many jobs disappeared, leaving communities demographically older and less vibrant.

But many are returning because what they see now is not the Berkshires of their youth.

“There are so many stories of people who choose, after they get their careers started, to come back to the Berkshires,” he explained. “The dialogue for them when they were kids might have been that they needed to get their college degrees and go off somewhere where there was lots of opportunity and be successful.

“Now, that dialogue is starting to shift to ‘go out, get your degree, experience the world, and why not come back to the Berkshires?’” he went on. “That’s important — that’s really important — and we’re seeing more and more of it.”

Good ‘New’ Days

Getting back to those stories about when the major manufacturers like GE were humming, Butler said they’re getting so old, they’re not really worth telling anymore.

That was a different Berkshires region, and so was the one he grew up with in the ’90s.

The Berkshires of today is not like either of those Berkshires. It is different, vibrant, diverse, and always changing — in short, it’s a different narrative, he explained.

Creating that narrative and making the story known is what 1Berskshire is all about, and four years after its formation, it is thriving in that all-important role.

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

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Brings Many Significant Changes

By
Accounting and Tax Planning

Five Hot Tax Topics

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act represents a seismic shift within the broad realm of accounting and tax planning, and some of the aftershocks may not be felt, and fully understood, for some time. But some things are known, and individuals and businesses should understand their implications.

By Teresa Judycki

For better or worse, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was the most significant tax-law overhaul since the Reagan Administration, and there’s potential for more change on the way. With the breadth and depth of this law, it can be hard to determine what might be meaningful to you and your business.

This article will highlight five hot tax topics that may be particularly meaningful for this tax year.

Qualified Opportunity Funds

Taxpayers with large gains from sales of property to an unrelated person should be aware of Qualified Opportunity Funds. Enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a new Opportunity Zone program encourages investment in low-income community businesses.

Terri Judycki, CPA, MST

Terri Judycki, CPA, MST

The program allows individual and corporate taxpayers to defer tax on gains from the sale of stock or other assets by investing in an Opportunity Fund, which invests in businesses in Opportunity Zones. The tax is deferred until the earlier of Dec. 31, 2026 or the date the new investment is sold. To defer a gain, the taxpayer must invest within 180 days of the sale.

For example, if a taxpayer sells appreciated securities for $1 million at a $700,000 gain, tax on the $700,000 could be deferred until Dec. 31, 2026 (or earlier if the investment is sold prior to that date) by investing $700,000 in a Qualified Opportunity Fund within 180 days of sale. Capital gains on the new investment are exempt from tax if the investment is held for more than 10 years. Opportunity Funds may be a multi-investor fund or a single-investor fund established by a taxpayer to invest in projects he or she selects.

While there are a few multi-investor funds, many are hesitant to promise tax deferral until the IRS issues proposed regulations in this area, but September news is that the proposed rules are being reviewed and should be issued soon.

Foreign Accounts

For taxpayers with unreported income from foreign accounts, the Streamlined Filing Procedures (SFP) are still available. The Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program ended Sept. 28, 2018.

Under SFP, taxpayers who can certify that the failure was non-willful can file amended returns and pay a reduced penalty. The IRS also has procedures in place for filing delinquent information returns reporting the existence of a foreign account when there has been no unreported income.

For example, a life-insurance policy with Sun Life may have a cash value that’s now increased to more than $10,000. That is a ‘foreign account’ that must be reported or could be subject to penalties. Consider reviewing any asset that is a foreign account and ensuring that tax filings are current, because penalties are confiscatory and may include criminal penalties.

The civil penalties for willful violations are capped at the greater of $124,588 or 50% of the amount in the account.

Employee Parking

I hoped to be able to provide you with specifics related to employee parking, but that guidance has not been issued as of the date of this writing. Perhaps there will be guidance by the time you are reading this article.

As a reminder, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides that no deduction is allowed for the expense of a qualified transportation fringe, which includes van pools, transit passes, and qualified parking. Qualified parking is parking provided to an employee on or near the business premises of the employer or on or near a location from which the employee commutes to work by commuter highway vehicle or carpool. Tax-exempt organizations are subject to tax on the expense. But what is the ‘expense’ of qualified parking? At the 2018 AICPA Not-for-Profit Industry Conference, a speaker said that guidance had not yet been issued, because those in Treasury could not agree on the meaning of the law.

The cost of a parking permit is easy to quantify, but the law encompasses all expenses of providing parking. There are some practitioners who think a portion of depreciation on a parking lot owned by the business could be disallowed. Some others think the IRS may require apportioning office rent if the lease entitles the tenant to a certain number of parking spaces. As the law applies to amounts paid or incurred after Dec. 31, 2017, it affects computation of taxable income for entities with fiscal years ending in 2018. There are many practitioners hoping for retroactive repeal or postponement.

State and Local Tax Itemized Deduction

In August, the IRS issued proposed regulations in response to state legislation intended to circumvent the $10,000 limit on the state and local tax itemized deduction. A few states have enacted or considered enacting programs permitting state residents to make contributions to state agencies or charities in exchange for state and local tax credits that could be applied to income or property taxes.

In the proposed regulations, IRS restates the general rule that charitable deductions must be reduced by anything of value received in return for the charitable donation. The proposed rules, applicable to contributions made after Aug. 27, 2018, provide that, if a taxpayer receives a tax credit in return for a donation, the tax credit is a benefit to the taxpayer that must reduce the charitable contribution deduction.

It is important to note that these rules apply to programs created in response to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as well as to pre-existing programs, such as the Massachusetts program that provides tax credits in exchange for gifts of conservation land.

There has been no response from the IRS to the Connecticut strategy; Connecticut now imposes tax on a pass-through entity instead of on the individual partner or shareholder, which should result in shifting the deduction away from the individual who is subject to the $10,000 limit. The shareholder or partner should now be able to report his or her share of the entity’s income net of the state tax.

Trusts that pay taxes are also subject to the $10,000 limit, but a trust does not have to share the beneficiary’s $10,000 limit, providing a potential benefit.

Alimony

Finally, for those who will be divorced soon, the tax consequences of alimony differ for payments under instruments finalized after Dec. 31, 2018.

Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, alimony was deductible by the payor and taxable to the payee. This resulted in shifting income from the higher-earning spouse paying the alimony to the former spouse who may be in a lower tax bracket. Alimony payments finalized after Dec. 31, 2018 will no longer be deductible by the paying spouse and no longer included in the income of the recipient spouse. There are some workarounds such as division of property where the spouse in the lower tax bracket receives property with the greatest unrealized gain or by using a Qualified Domestic Relations Order to shift retirement assets (along with the tax burden) to the lower-income spouse.

While this change will not affect pre-2019 alimony instruments, it may apply if the parties modify the pre-2019 agreement and state in the modification that the new rules are to apply. If this law change will impact you, be sure to discuss its effects with your attorney.

If you have any questions about the material featured in this article or how it might apply to you specifically, be sure to consult your tax professional or CPA.

Terri Judycki is a senior tax manager with Holyoke-based public accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 322-3510; [email protected]

Today’s Kitchens Eschew Color, but Trends Are Always Evolving

By
Karen Belezarian-Tesini (left) and Sarah Rietberg
Home Improvement

Serving Up Style

Karen Belezarian-Tesini (left) and Sarah Rietberg

Karen Belezarian-Tesini (left) and Sarah Rietberg are selling plenty of white and gray tiles these days.

Professional designers can often walk into a house and tell what decade it was built in by the styles of certain rooms, and the kitchen is definitely high on that list. From the high-gloss look of the ’80s to the more neutral ’90s; from a shift back to color at the turn of the Millennium to the current embrace of whites and grays, kitchens do seem to reflect their time. But one trend of the past generation isn’t likely to change — the increased perception of the kitchen as a home’s main hub of activity.

The economy wasn’t the only thing that went flat a decade ago. So did kitchen colors.

“When the economy tanked in 2007, 2008, everything became very flat. Color was gone, along with texture, pattern, flowers. Everything became industrial and cold — no frills. And that’s how the economy was, too,” said Karen Belezarian-Tesini, manager of Best Tile in Springfield. And she’s not the only one who noticed the coinciding trends.

“It’s funny how the economy dictates the colors,” said Frank Nataloni, co-owner of Kitchens & Baths by Curio in Springfield, recalling how many kitchens of the late ’80s featured high-gloss surfaces and plenty of black and red, but when the recession of the early ’90s hit, it was all earth tones. By 2000, color had come back, but around 2008, neutrals took over again. “I don’t know what that means, but when you look back, you can clearly see it.” That decade-ago shift has stuck, however, and even intensified, he added. “Everything now is white and gray.”

While taupe is making a comeback, said Belezarian-Tesini — “I love that more than gray because it gives you an option to go either way, warm or cool” — she’s seen the white-and-gray trend intensify over the years. But better financial times might be causing a subtle style shift.

“Now that the economy is picking back up, it’s getting a little warmer — softer edges, a little more color in glass mosaic or patterns,” she said.

That would be just fine by Lisa Lindgren, designer with Kitchens by Chapdelaine in East Longmeadow.

“The most popular kitchen is white — white on white. So whenever I get a client who wants some color and wants to do something a little different, I get excited,” she told BusinessWest. “People tend to be so scared of color. A lot of it is about sellability, but we tend to encourage people to go for what you like. It’s your house.”

Frank Nataloni

Frank Nataloni says styles shifted away from bold colors when the economy tanked, and have largely remained muted since.

R.J. Chapdelaine, owner of the company, an offshoot of builder and remodeling firm Joseph Chapdelaine & Sons, agreed.

“Whenever you have someone who comes in with a little imagination, wants to have a little fun, it gets exciting,” he said. “And why not? That’s where people want to spend their time. Kitchens are getting bigger, and other living spaces are getting a little bit smaller.”

For this issue’s focus on home improvement, BusinessWest visited a few companies that deal in kitchen design to get a read on some of the hot styles — only to find that the hottest is a decidedly cool white. But they offered plenty of other food for thought as well.

What’s Your Style?

Take countertops, for instance, where white- and gray-colored quartz surfaces are in, both Lindgren and Nataloni said.

But they’ll find contrast in other places, Lindgren noted, like weathered driftwood for accent pieces or a dark wood floor — or, more commonly these days, porcelain planks designed to look exactly like wood. “That’s the most popular floor. You can’t even tell it’s not wood. It’s pretty fascinating.”

“That seems to be what everyone’s looking for right now,” Nataloni added. “With some of them, it’s amazing how much it actually looks like real wood. You can even feel the texture. That’s what people are looking for.”

And homeowners aren’t stopping in the kitchen, Belezarian-Tesini said. “When I sell those planks, I might sell 2,000-3,000 square feet at a time. They’re doing their bedrooms, they’re doing the whole house. It’s just incredible. People say, ‘oh my gosh, I love that,’ and when we tell them that it’s porcelain, they look again and say, ‘are you sure? Really?’ ‘Yeah, really.’”

In addition to the move away from tile floors into wood and wood-like porcelain, Chapdelaine noted that shiplap walls — in both vertical and horizontal patterns — are popular as well, perhaps driven by their ubiquitousness on HGTV.

As for cabinetry, while painted white tops the list right now, Nataloni said, he was working with someone recently who wants a black cabinet with a rubbed-off type of finish so there’s some wood coming through. Still, those neutral shades provide plenty of flexibility.

R.J. Chapdelaine and Lisa Lindgren say it’s fun to work with customers who have a design vision not necessarily bound by what’s currently fashionable.

R.J. Chapdelaine and Lisa Lindgren say it’s fun to work with customers who have a design vision not necessarily bound by what’s currently fashionable.

“With a white or gray cabinet, we can make it look very formal or casual in the scheme of things,” he said. “I haven’t sold a cherry kitchen in over a year, but at one time, that was probably 60% of our business. Some woods remain relatively popular, though, including walnut. “That’s the fashion part of the business, and it changes depending on who walks through the door.”

Sarah Rietberg, showroom manager at Best Tile, said all these trends amount to people seeking a clean, uncluttered look in their kitchens, which is why subway-style tile backsplashes are still common, but with a twist — different sizes, something with a little texture to it, or even lines that aren’t perfectly straight.

“Those things can add some oomph to subway tile,” she said. “People want a little movement, but nothing too crazy. They don’t want to take away from the other things going on.”

In addition, a well-placed accent color can be striking amid a sea of white, Chapdelaine said. “We just did one all-white kitchen with a hale navy blue island, and it’s a striking look.”

Indeed, Belezarian-Tesini said, many customers complement the dominance of white and gray with mosaic tile backsplashes; where once a mosaic pattern broke up the solid color of the rest of the backsplash, now it’s being used across the entire backsplash to break up the white of the kitchen.

Sometimes it’s hard to predict the next trend, she added. “If you asked me 10 years ago if glass would still be here, I’d have said no, but glass is hotter than it’s ever been. It’s the medium of choice now. People still use ceramic, and porcelain has really come up the ladder. But glass has become the decorative. It’s a 10-year trend for sure, and it’s probably going to last longer than that.”

Meanwhile, she sees metallic tile coming into its own. “As technology gets better, you’re going to see more things within the glazing. You’re even seeing crystals in the glazing, little pieces of metal, to create a true, realistic metallic. So technology advances, and the tile changes.”

Good, Better, Best

The upside of so many options in kitchen surfaces is that there’s typically something for every budget, Nataloni said.

“We have to have a good, better, and best product selection,” he told BusinessWest. “We have a product for people flipping homes that’s very current with the trends, reasonably priced, good quality, with a quick turnaround time. Then we have a semi-custom type of product that offers a lot of selection and is a little quicker than the higher-end product. That means a lot if someone is doing a home renovation, because a kitchen is not an inexpensive proposition. If you know where to save money, you can get more bang for your buck, and that’s our skill.”

Some customers arrived with a vision in mind for their kitchen, he explained, and his job is to refine it. “Then there are other people who come in and don’t have a vision, and they’re looking for me to help them create the vision. That’s why we have to be flexible in meeting the need of whoever is coming to us.”

To help people envision the end product — quite literally — Nataloni uses a virtual-reality device called ProKitchen Oculus, which uses Oculus VR goggles to allow people to walk around in the environment Nataloni has programmed into the computer.

“For people who have a hard time visualizing, it really solves that problem for them,” he said. “We create a basic floor plan in 3D, and you’re actually in the room, so you can look and walk around. They literally see what they’re going to buy, or as close as possible to what it’s going to be like.”

For example, one customer was having trouble envisioning the soffit Nataloni suggested for the top of their cabinets. “Then I showed it to them on the Oculus, and their response was, ‘oh, now I understand what you were talking about.’ For those type of people, it really helps tremendously.”

Chapdelaine also sees a healthy mix — about 50-50 — of people who know exactly what they want and customers who need a little more guidance. “And that guidance can occur through Lisa, or through decorators. We see clients occasionally bring in a decorator to help them make decisions on color, cabinetry, and tile.

Most of those are typically renovating their whole house, Lindgren added. “It doesn’t tend to happen just with a kitchen, but with a broader scope.”

Whole-home renovations are common these days, said Chapdelaine, who noted that the remodeling business has been outpacing new home building for some time. His grandfather, who first hung out a shingle in 1925, saw the value of remodeling work early on, and evolved the firm in that direction after originally focusing on new construction.

“That became an integral part of our business,” he said. “You have to evolve. I see people who just build houses or just remodel, and I’d find that difficult. You can go from building three, four, five houses at a time to building one or maybe none, and doing all remodeling.”

Open Wide

He and Chapdelaine’s father also recognized perhaps the most prominent shift in kitchen design, and one that remains dominant today — the open floor plan.

“They were building compartmentalized houses, but they rolled into a more open floor plan on the single-story executive ranches,” he recalled. “Now, there’s very little compartmentalized building. Everything is wide open, with less formal living spaces.”

Nataloni said homeowners prefer a free flow of traffic through the kitchen, and islands are desirable if they can be put in. “Gone are the days of the U-shaped kitchen or a peninsula only, unless it’s necessary. Everyone is looking to have cabinetry that creates the outside shell of the kitchen and then some kind of an island in the middle, whether it’s with seating or without.”

That’s also the style potential homebuyers prefer when they’re visiting open houses, which is one reason why hot trends — like that white and gray — remain so dominant once they take hold; people design the room not only for their own comfort, but with resale in mind.

“For many people, this is where they’re staying, but we do have a lot of people coming in saying, ‘look, I want to fix up the kitchen, and we’re not going to be here forever, so I want it saleable,’” he noted. “We get probably more of the people who are staying for the foreseeable future, and they want to enjoy it. That’s the majority of our business.

Belezarian-Tesini said most of her business at Best Tile contractor-driven — either builders putting up or remodeling houses, or homeowners shopping for product, then hiring a professional to do the work. The do-it-yourself crowd is much smaller — perhaps because the kitchen is such a critical part of 21st-century home life that people don’t want to get it wrong.

That said, “business has been fantastic,” she noted. “I’ve seen a lot of new construction over the last few years. When I started here 23 years ago, it was all new building. Then it went to remodeling, and now it’s coming back again to new construction, which is nice to see.”

So, for the foreseeable future, she’ll continue to track the design trends and help customers design the kitchen of their dreams — usually with an open concept.

“It makes for easy living, and really great entertaining,” she said. “After all, the kitchen is the heart of the home.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Westfield Hones Its Message to Boost Business

By
Community Spotlight

Community Spotlight

Folks in Western Mass. know they’re often dismissed by residents out east, Lisa Stowe says. So how does a city like Westfield make its case as a vibrant destination for a business looking to plant roots?

By working together.

That’s exactly what a handful of partners — municipal leaders, Westfield Gas + Electric (WG+E), Whip City Fiber, the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, and corporate sponsor Westfield Bank — have done by launching Go Westfield, a still-evolving engine to encapsulate what makes this city a desirable landing spot, and, more importantly, tell people about it.

“We worked on this for six or eight months,” said Stowe, marketing and communications specialist for WG+E. “We want to use this opportunity to highlight what makes Westfield unique and a good place to do business. So many people think Massachusetts stops at 495, but there are a lot of things that are not so great about living in that part of the state — cost of living, high traffic, the cost of buying a piece of land. We wanted to draw attention to the things that make Westfield really attractive for people who are looking to relocate.”

The partners in Go Westfield had been doing that, to varying degrees, in their own ways, she added, but a focused partnership allows them to broadcast the message more efficiently.

“If you’re a site selector, we check a lot of boxes,” Stowe said, citing not only the city’s access to Mass Pike, an airport, and rail service, but its strong inventory of developable land — not to mention the municipal utility.

“If you’re a commercial customer, you pay 18% less than the state average for electricity, and 13% lower for gas rates than the state average,” she added. “If you’re an organization doing manufacturing, that’s significant. We feel that’s a good piece of the story to tell.”

Kate Phelon

Kate Phelon

“We really want to promote our city and the positive aspects of it. It’s an ongoing joint effort to drive the message that businesses should come look at Westfield to develop. We have quite a bit of developable land, but how do you get the word out to a company in Texas or Minnesota?”

So is Whip City Fiber, a division of WG+E that now reaches 70% of residences and businesses with high-speed internet. “The fiber project is a big deal,” she said, noting that customers like not only the speed, but the fact that service comes from a local company, not a national behemoth. “We’ve easily met the targets we had set in the business plan.”

Kate Phelon, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, said early meetings with the Go Westfield partners focused on how to promote the economic-development landscape in Westfield.

“We wanted a way to really persuade businesses to come to Westfield,” she told BusinessWest. “There are the usual assets everyone knows, like the turnpike exchange, airport, and rail, but we wanted to get a group of stakeholders together and come up with a marketing plan for all of it. We’re very excited about this initiative. There’s a local component to it, but the bigger initiative is a push outside the region to get companies to look at Westfield for commercial developments.”

The group has been discussing marketing strategies as well as ideas like industry-specific focus groups.

“We really want to promote our city and the positive aspects of it,” she said. “It’s an ongoing joint effort to drive the message that businesses should come look at Westfield to develop. We have quite a bit of developable land, but how do you get the word out to a company in Texas or Minnesota?

Westfield also boasts strong schools, a state university, and proximity to numerous other colleges, she added, as well as a chamber of commerce that continually strives to keep businesses informed of state and national trends and developments that could affect them.

In short, the Whip City has a lot going for it, and Go Westfield is just starting to broadcast that message far and wide.

Heart of the City

Meanwhile, the Elm Street Urban Renewal Plan, approved in 2013, focuses on revitalizing 4.88 acres in a two-block area in the heart of downtown Westfield running along both sides of Elm Street, the city’s main commercial thoroughfare. The city has also directed funding to revitalize the so-called Gaslight District adjacent to it.

One recent success story is the $6.6 million Olver Transit Pavilion, which opened in April 2017. The transit center was designed to both catalyze related economic development and increase the use of public transportation. The state-of-the-art center includes parking space for four buses with bicycle racks, as well as a bicycle-repair station, which speaks to the proximity of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail only a block away.

The Westfield Redevelopment Authority also demolished a former bowling alley near the transit center, with plans to create a multi-story, mixed-use building with retail, restaurants, office space, and market-rate apartments. The city recently issued a request for proposals for the project, taking advantage of the area’s designation as an ‘opportunity zone,’ a state program that provides tax relief for people willing to invest in certain neighborhoods in need of economic development.

“The PVTA project was the first phase of renewal,” said Peter Miller, Westfield’s director of Community Development. “We’re looking for private development to get some mixed-use retail space on the ground floor, and residential space on the top floors.”

Joe Mitchell, the city Advancement officer, noted that Millennials in particular are drawn to urban, mixed-use living, one reason why such projects have popped up around the region in recent years.

“A three-bedroom house and a white picket fence on a half-acre is not what young people are looking for,” he said. “They want a coffee shop downstairs and a bike rack, and being part of a tight-knit community where there’s activity going on right at their doorstep.”

Another $25,000 in state money will soon fund a wayfinding project for downtown, not just to point visitors to destinations off the main thoroughfare but to help them access parking as well. “We have sufficient parking in our downtown, but people don’t always know where it is,” Miller said. “This infusion of money from the state will allow us to better direct people to where the parking is.”

Phelon noted that the city recently switched all on-street parking, which had been a mix of one-hour and two-hour time limits, to two hours across the board — a small change, maybe, but a good example of how quality-of-life issues can be communicated and remedied across departments.

The momentum downtown has spurred some organic growth, too, Mitchell added, noting that Myers Information Systems is relocating there from Northampton, bringing 20 software-development professionals and renovating 110 Elm St., which used to be a restaurant with industrial space above it.

“They’re moving from an urban, walkable space they’ve outgrown in Northampton to buying one of our old buildings and investing private dollars here,” he added. “It was an extremely underutilized building, and they’re converting it into modern office space. They have a real vision for it.”

He doesn’t think Myers will be the last to make that move. “One of the reasons to relocate to Westfield is that we’re at the cusp of something, and people want to be a part of it.”

Back to School

Phelon says Westfield has accomplished more in recent years because of its culture of collaboration. One example is the Westfield Education to Business Alliance, which connects the city’s schools, where students are beginning to contemplate their career paths, with companies that are eager to mine local talent.

At a time when the state is looking for public schools to forge more meaningful pathways to economic development, she added, the alliance puts the Whip City at the forefront of an important trend.

Westfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1669
Population: 41,552
Area: 47.4 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $19.36
Commercial Tax Rate: $36.82
Median Household Income: $45,240
Median Family Income: $55,327
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Westfield State College, Baystate Noble Hospital, Savage Arms Inc., Mestek Inc., Advance Manufacturing Co.
* Latest information available

She said the next phase could be an adopt-a-classroom program in which area businesses could engage repeatedly with a teacher and his or her students. “I also think we need to get students and teachers into the business world on a regular basis. The work environment is changing so rapidly, with technology and robotics and social media.”

Because of this, she went on, it would benefit teachers to see what employees at area companies do on a day-to-day basis, and how. “That’s what they need to be teaching, so they need to see that.”

The Westfield Education to Business Alliance also facilitates a career fair at Westfield High School that gives students exposure to the types of career opportunities available at local companies — and, more important, what skill sets they will need to take advantage of them.

The goal of the next career fair will be to attract 75 companies, up from 51 last time, to interact with the 500 or so students who show up.

“It’s not a job fair; it’s a career fair,” Phelon stressed. “The message is twofold: for students to see what companies are here, and see that they can go away to college and come back here and get good jobs. It’s also good for these students to talk to these employees about their hiring practices, what degree do I need, should I expect a drug test or a CORI check, what are your procedures. And they could talk to students about internships and co-ops.”

The alliance one of many examples of how Westfield continues to bring people and organizations together to raise the fortunes of all.

“The mayor [Brian Sullivan] has been very supportive of these collaborations,” Miller said. “He made building bridges his theme. That’s how we’ll get the most out of the assets we have — not by operating in silos.”

Phelon agreed. “We have our individual purposes and missions, but there’s a bigger picture of working together and collaborating. It’s such a great city, and we’re fortunate to have the assets we have.”

Now it’s time to let everyone know it.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Berkshire Innovation Center Breaks Ground on Cutting-edge Facility

By
State and local officials joined with stakeholders in the Berkshire Innovation Center to break ground on the project last week.
Berkshire County

Creating an Ecosystem

State and local officials joined with stakeholders in the Berkshire Innovation Center to break ground on the project last week.

State and local officials joined with stakeholders in the Berkshire Innovation Center to break ground on the project last week.

Steven Boyd isn’t just the president and board chairman of the Berkshire Innovation Center; he’s a true believer that the $13.8 million facility will be a game changer for the region’s manufacturing and life-sciences economy.

“From a broad perspective, I’d say the center aims to support the legacy manufacturing base that has a long history of innovation here in the Berkshire region,” he told BusinessWest. “We’re an innovation center that is equal parts research and teaching institution and programming for private-sector businesses.”

State and local officials gathered last Tuesday at the William Stanley Business Park of the Berkshires in Pittsfield to break ground on a project that has been in the planning and fundraising stages for a decade, and is expected to open by the third quarter of 2019.

The two-story, 20,000-square-foot workforce-development center will include training facilities, lab space, clean rooms, and office and event space for small- to medium-sized companies, just to name a few amenities, with the collective goal of boosting economic growth, employment, and private investment in the region.

“The center aims to support and accelerate growth and innovation by providing access to state-of-the-art equipment like 3D printers and a microscopy suite, as well as conferencing and teaching facilities,” Boyd said, adding that the center will also be the centerpiece of the mostly underdeveloped, 52-acre business park it calls home.

“The building will have all these types of spaces combined into a very cooperative, shared maker-space type of environment,” he went on, with one goal being to bring ideas and inventions from colleges and research institutions, even those from the eastern part of the state, together with local manufacturing knowhow and the resources needed for commercialization.

“One of the things that makes Cambridge so vibrant is all the new technology that’s being researched or commercialized as a result of all the ideation happening at places like MIT,” Boyd said. “So, as part of stimulating the economy in the Berkshires, we want to promote more of that ideation and commercialization here.”

Gov. Charlie Baker said as much at last week’s groundbreaking. “Our administration is focused on boosting the Commonwealth’s thriving life-sciences sector in every corner of the state,” he noted. “Investing in the Berkshire Innovation Center will help expand the capacity and capabilities of this region’s entrepreneurial community to drive job creation, retention, and outside investment in Western Massachusetts.”

Boyd, who is also CEO of Boyd Technologies in Lee, said the Baker administration has been focused on creating a network of innovation in manufacturing and the life sciences that encompasses the entire state, and the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) will be a key part of it.

“They recognize all the momentum going on in Boston and see the opportunity to provide efficiencies by creating a statewide ecosystem,” he noted. “In the Berkshires, we have available space and facilities at lower cost to provide that type of efficiency. It can be invented at MIT and commercialized in the Berkshires, and you don’t have to get on a plane and fly halfway around the world to make something that’s truly innovative.”

Nearly 5,000 jobs in Berkshire Country are in the manufacturing sector, making it the fifth-largest industry in the region.

With that in mind, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash noted that the center will serve as an anchor institution for region, “strengthening connections between the life sciences and advanced-manufacturing industries and education institutions, creating jobs, and shaping the next generation of home-grown innovators.”

Precision Endeavor

At the start of the summer, the BIC board brought on Consigli Construction Co., one of the largest general contractors in the Northeast, to oversee construction at the former General Electric site. John Benzinger, a senior project manager for Skanska USA Building Inc. of Springfield, will serve as the owner’s project manager. Skanska recently served as the project manager for Union Station in Springfield.

Resources inside in the innovation center, when it is completed, will include:

• Precision measurement and reverse engineering utilizing the BIC’s flagship platform, the Hexagon Metrology 121510 CMM with touch probe, laser scanner, camera module, and ROMER Arm;

• A rapid prototyping center featuring cutting-edge 3D printing capabilities in plastics and metals;

• Precision analysis and microscopy with the Zeiss Axio Imager 2 platform, for both life-sciences and materials research;

• Clean-room lab space to conduct research or pilot production for nanotechnology, life sciences, or other applications requiring a clean environment; and

• Wet-lab space to conduct collaborative life-sciences research or start up a biotechnology company. The lab will feature sinks, DI water, fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, autoclave, centrifuge, incubators, deep freezer, glass washer, ice machine, and lab supplies.

The center will also offer customized training programs for advanced manufacturing, access to Berkshire Community College’s engineering technology classes, and the space for companies to conduct their own proprietary training in technology-loaded classrooms.

In addition, BIC members will be able to collaborate on research with UMass Amherst, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, UMass Lowell, and SUNY Colleges of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, as well as develop training and internship programs with Berkshire Community College (BCC), McCann Technical School, and Taconic High School.

This broad coalition of academic partnerships sets BIC apart from other facilities, like the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at UMass Amherst, that provide cutting-edge resources for manufacturers and commercialization opportunities for innovators, Boyd said.

“When we started thinking about the business plan, we felt this area is underserved in terms of business-class conferencing and teaching areas,” he told BusinessWest. “Of course, BCC has wonderful classrooms and teaching facilities, and many companies around here have their own conference rooms, but not a place to host larger-scale strategic meeting or annual board retreats. I think it would be nice to have a local facility that allows third-party distance learning and access to state-of-the-art conferencing that is otherwise not available here.”

Steven Boyd

Steven Boyd

“We’re an innovation center that is equal parts research and teaching institution and programming for private-sector businesses.”

In fact, it’s the workforce-development aspects of the facility that have Boyd as excited as the cutting-edge technology.

“Specifically, we envision training that is very germane to industry, and at the same time we want to provide a provide a place for our fundamentals to be available for incumbent workers,” he said. “BCC will play a very central role in training — in manufacturing fundamentals, LEAN manufacturing concepts, STEM-related programs — but we also will bring in subject-matter experts to talk about things like sensors and actuators that relate to automation systems and things that provide deeper lifelong learning for the workplace out here — and, of course provide a steady stream of talent.”

Next Generation

That last aspect is key, he added — the idea that partnering with area high schools and colleges on training and internship programs will boost the pipeline of young talent into fields like biotechnology and precision manufacturing that desperately need it.

“It’s self-serving for businesses in that way,” Boyd said. “We’re preparing kids in schools today for careers that may start with a local company but end with a long career in biotech. Our point is, if you are qualified in this space and engage in a growth mindset and lifelong learning, you will have the opportunity for upward mobility, both at your specific company or at another one in the industry at large.”

Plans for the Berkshire Innovation Center were launched about a decade ago, when the city of Pittsfield received a $6.5 million earmark in then-Gov. Deval Patrick’s $1 billion life-sciences bill to construct a facility in the William Stanley Business Park. When the project moved forward in 2014, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center provided an additional $3.2 million.

However, construction, originally scheduled to begin in 2015, was delayed after the original bids came in $3 million higher than expected. Since then, a coalition of state, local, and private-sector funding sources raised the difference, with the state coming through with the final $2.3 million earlier this year. Boyd was elected the BIC’s first president and board chairman in 2015, while Rod Jané, president of New England Expansion Strategies in Westborough, was hired as the BIC project director.

While planning the facility, the BIC has already begun developing and launching its programs, such as a speaker series that, since 2015, has conducted more than 10 speaking events on topics relevant to advanced manufacturers in the region. The featured speakers for these events have included executives from the medical-device industry, advanced equipment manufacturers, researchers from leading research universities in the region, workforce-development leaders, and career-center directors from colleges and universities.

“If you are qualified in this space and engage in a growth mindset and lifelong learning, you will have the opportunity for upward mobility, both at your specific company or at another one in the industry at large.”

Meanwhile, BIC workforce-training programs were launched in 2016, and have featured all-day training seminars on topics such as lean manufacturing and continuous improvement, thermoplastics for medical devices, and medical-device regulations. That same year, the first wave of advanced R&D equipment, acquired through grants by Berkshire Community College, and training for employees of BIC member companies on the advanced equipment has been ongoing.

Taken as a whole, Boyd said, the innovation center will essentially cast a net to attract and train the next generation for some of today’s most intriguing careers — and, in some cases, careers that haven’t even emerged yet. What is clear, he added, is that modern manufacturing jobs are a far cry from long-outdated stereotypes about factory floors.

“You don’t get dirty on the production floor,” he said. “Quite the opposite, at Boyd Technologies, they’re the cleanest spaces in the building. They’re precise and clean-room controlled and certified as such, and people that work there are mainly using computers. Of course, there are materials and all types of processes and actual manufacturing, but it requires statistics and technical reading and understanding of biocompatibility and sterilization methods. All these are things the workforce of today have to be cognizant of.”

The Berkshire Innovation Center promises to not only build that awareness, but provide the resources and partnerships to make the Berkshires a key part of a high-tech ecosystem that is no longer the exclusive domain of Boston and Cambridge.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Nonprofits Face Major Overhaul of Accounting Standards

By
Tax-Incentives
Accounting and Tax Planning

New Rules of the Road

By Julie Quink, CPA

Tax-IncentivesIn 2018, nonprofit organizations face implementation of the first major overhaul of accounting standards in two decades. The goal of the overhaul is to improve the communication of financial results for donors and other outside stakeholders and to emphasize transparency in financial reporting.

With these changes, nonprofit organizations can expect significant changes in financial reporting practices. Donors and outside stakeholders can expect enhanced information on liquidity, access to cash and endowments.

What are the significant financial reporting changes for nonprofits?

Some of the major changes in the new standards encompass net asset classification, liquidity and availability, investment returns, reporting of functional expenses, and presentation of statement of cash flows.

Net Assets

The new accounting standards focus on the existence or absence of donor restrictions as opposed to the type of restriction. The new rules provide for two classes of ‘net assets’ — with donor restrictions and without donor restrictions. Previously, nonprofits have reported three required classes of net assets — unrestricted, temporarily restricted, and permanently restricted.

Julie Quink, CPA

Julie Quink, CPA

For underwater endowments, in which the fair value of the endowment at the reporting date is less than the original gift or the amount required to be maintained by the donor or by law, the cumulative amount of losses is netted in assets with donor restrictions under the new classifications. Previously, the accumulated losses were included in unrestricted net assets.

Disclosures relative to underwater endowments now encompass the aggregate amount of original gifts required to be maintained, endowment spending policies, and discussion of actions taken or strategy relative to the underwater status of the endowment. For the nonprofit, a concern may be that the status of and strategy of managing underwater endowments is highlighted in the new financial-statement disclosures.

The goal of the change is to simplify tracking and reporting of donor restrictions and also to enhance disclosures on the nature, amounts, and types of donor restrictions.

Liquidity and Availability

Quantitative and qualitative information is required under the new standards relative to liquidity and availability of liquid assets, which are typically cash and investments.

The qualitative disclosures require analysis of how the organization manages its liquid assets to meet cash needs for expenditures within one year of the statement of financial-position date. The quantitative information regarding the liquid assets and their availability to meet the current-year needs can be presented on the face of the financial statements or in the notes to the financial statements.

Donors, grantors, creditors, and other stakeholders want to understand that these nonprofit organizations that they are evaluating have adequate financial resources to meet obligations as they become due. For the nonprofit organization, a concern is that this liquidity information can highlight potential liquidity shortfalls, which may affect future donations and grants.

Investment Returns

Investment income is to be reported net of internal and external investment expenses. This has been an optional presentation under current standards. The requirement to disclose investment expenses net in investment income has been removed. The netting of fees against income does not suggest that nonprofits should not still manage and monitor investment fees, but assists in eliminating the burden of trying to identify embedded investment fees.

Functional Expenses

Currently, only health and welfare organizations are required to report expenses by function. Under the revised standards, all nonprofits must report expenses by function and must disclose the methodology used for the allocations to program and overhead expenses in the notes to the financial statements.

Nonprofit organizations should have been allocating expenses to programmatic and administrative expenses even though not required to detail the expenses by function. The requirement for functional reporting and disclosures may require nonprofits to review their allocation policies for consistency.

Statement of Cash Flows

The new rules continue to allow nonprofits to choose the method, direct or indirect, by which they present operating cash flows. The new guidance does eliminate the need to add an indirect reconciliation if using the direct method in presenting operating cash flows.

By streamlining the requirements, it is believed that the statement of cash flows will be a more useful statement and result in a reduction of costs to the nonprofit to prepare the financial statements.

Conclusion

The new accounting and reporting standards are intended to provide more transparency to donors and other stakeholders. These changes may, however, have a significant time and financial impact on nonprofit organizations as they implement the new requirements.

Julie Quink, CPA is the managing principal of Burkhart, Pizzanelli, P.C., specializing in the accounting and consulting aspects of the practice. She is also a certified fraud examiner.

WSU Begins Year with Revised Academic Structure

By
Westfield State University’s Parenzo Hall
Education

The New College Try

Diane Prusank

Diane Prusank

Diane Prusank says Westfield State University is a few years behind the other Massachusetts state schools in adopting the so-called ‘college structure’ for its Division of Academic Affairs.

In most respects, that’s a good thing, she told BusinessWest, because it has provided the 180-year-old institution with an opportunity to learn from what those other schools have done and shape a system that reflects what amounts to best practices. And that’s important, because going from 25 academic departments to four colleges is a significant change for students and faculty alike.

“It takes time for people to see how this works, time for people to talk with those at other institutions and say, ‘how did this go for you?’” said Prusank, who last spring was named WSU’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “So, in some ways, coming later than our sister institutions was really beneficial.”

Elaborating, she noted that the delay, if it can be called that, in adopting this structure resulted from, among other things, apprehension that it might create silos at the university at a time when greater collaboration between the departments was and is the goal, as well as an additional (and perhaps unwanted) layer of bureaucracy.

But over the course of a 15-month planning period — one that included examination of what’s happened at the other state universities and other institutions of higher learning after they adopted the college system — it was determined that these fears were mostly unfounded.

In fact, that review showed the college structure fostered greater communication among faculty members within various programs, and also new collaborative efforts.

Jennifer Hanselman

Jennifer Hanselman

Juline Mills

Juline Mills

Emily Todd

Emily Todd

Once you place faculty essentially in proximity to each other in the kinds of meetings and events that colleges put together, they create a chemistry with each other that you don’t see when they’re spread out across 25 different departments,” said Prusank, who joined the university in 2008 as dean of Academic Programs and Accreditation.

“When there are eight of them in the room, they start to talk about things they have in common,” she went on. “And they start to create connections. Sometimes people worry that when you create the college system you’ve made silos, that these colleges will separate themselves from each other. But the truth is that those deans have conversations with other, and they make connections.”

Under the new system, WSU now has four colleges — the College of Graduate and Continuing Education, the College of Mathematics and Sciences; College of Education, Health, and Human Services; and College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Three new founding deans were also appointed in June: Jennifer Hanselman, former chair of the Department of Biology, was appointed interim dean of the College of Mathematics and Sciences; Juline Mills, most recently a professor in the College of Business at the University of New Haven, was named dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services; and Emily Todd, former chair of the Department of English at WSU, was named interim dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

As for Prusank, she brings a great deal of experience to her new role as provost and vice president of Academic Affairs — and the process of bringing the college system to fruition.

Before coming to WSU a decade ago, she served as a faculty member, associate dean, and assistant provost at the University of Hartford. At Westfield State, in addition to her work as dean of Academic Programs and Accreditation, she’s served as dean of Undergraduate Studies, chair and faculty member in the Department of Communications, and chief of staff in the President’s Office.

Thus, she brings a number of different perspectives to the shift from 25 departments to four colleges. And from the lens of both a faculty member and administrator, she said it brings with it considerable promise for enhanced collaboration and innovation, as well as greater operational efficiencies.

“You get a lot of points of sharing that you didn’t have before,” she said, referring, again, to what happens when you bring the chairs of eight departments together for meetings of the individual colleges. “You get a lot of synergy, a lot of collaboration, and a lot of sharing. And that’s great for our students because it opens up more opportunities for them.”

Elaborating on the nature of these opportunities, she said they come in many different forms, from greater collaboration on curriculum and potential new programs of study to creation of new events, to the broadening of existing events, such as alumni gatherings, which might now involve graduates of several different (but related) programs instead of one.

“You get a lot of points of sharing that you didn’t have before. You get a lot of synergy, a lot of collaboration, and a lot of sharing. And that’s great for our students because it opens up more opportunities for them.”

“There’s synthesis and collaboration that opens doors for students that might not have been there before,” she explained.

Prusank told BusinessWest that a shift to the ‘college’ format is something that’s been under consideration at the university for some time.

“Westfield State has had this conversation periodically over the past few decades, as most institutions have,” she explained. “Eventually, the college structure found its way onto college campuses across the country.”

Discussions were ongoing when Ramon Torrecilha took the helm as president in 2015, she went on, adding that he essentially took the conversation to a higher level, asking the advisory committee on academic planning to research the college format, talk with campus constituencies, look at what other schools had done, and make a recommendation on what should be done moving forward.

The eventual recommendation was to take this step, she said, adding that what followed was a lengthy implementation period involving work to determine, among other things, how many colleges would be created and the composition of each one (the specific departments). When that work was completed, searches were conducted for the deans that would lead each college, as well as for the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs.

While there will be a period of adjustment to the new system, Prusank said the many types of benefits are becoming increasingly apparent to students and faculty alike. Chief among these benefits for students is greater access to assistance when its needed.

“With the older structure, when we had a dean of Undergraduate Studies, students who had academic issues or problems would have to go to that dean, and there are 4,500 full-time undergraduate students looking for one person,” she explained. “Now, with the four-college structure, there are four different points of access; it’s easier to get that individual quicker.”

There are many other benefits to this system, she told BusinessWest, adding that, while WSU may be the last school in the state system to embrace this structure, it is already making up for lost time.

— George O’Brien

Fireside Designs Continues to Bring the Heat

By
Jay Peloquin says gas fireplaces are especially popular at a time when natural gas is inexpensive.
Home Improvement

Sparking Success

Jay Peloquin says gas fireplaces are especially popular at a time when natural gas is inexpensive.

Jay Peloquin says gas fireplaces are especially popular at a time when natural gas is inexpensive.

 

Jay Peloquin remembers the heady days for pellet stoves, back in 2008, when oil surged to more than $100 a barrel.

“When oil prices were skyrocketing, we couldn’t keep these things in stock,” he recalled. “We had people lining up out the door just to order stoves because it would save them so much money over their regular heating bills.”

Oil prices have come down significantly since then, he said, but pellet stoves remain popular, particularly for people who otherwise heat their house with electricity or propane. “For people in the right situation, it’s still a great investment — it pays for itself within a few years, and you’re using a clean energy source.”

For Fireside Designs, a family business that dates back 40 years, those economic trends have occasionally impacted sales, said Peloquin, the West Springfield store’s general manager. But more important has been a continual focus on what products — in the categories of fireplaces, heating equipment, and grills — customers want most.

In the realm of fireplaces, that tends to be gas-burning units, in addition to pellet stoves. In addition, “if you have an existing brick-and-mortar fireplace used for wood, and if you want to convert it to gas to make it more efficient and get more heat out of it, you can do a gas fireplace insert, because natural gas is one of the cheapest ways to heat right now.”

As for new construction, Fireside receives a number of calls from consumers who want a higher-end fireplace rather than the one that came with the house.

“A lot of times, builders will spec in a fireplace for a customer, and if they’re building, say, a $400,000 house and putting in a $1,000 fireplace, something doesn’t add up,” Peloquin said. “So that’s when they come to us and see what’s available for their budget and the style they want, whether they want contemporary, traditional, or something in between. Some higher-end builders do tend to spec in some of the fireplaces we carry, because we definitely are on the higher end.”

Whether a large wall unit or a smaller fireplace installed above the TV, he said, there are plenty of options for customers who want to bring the heat home.

Tools of the Trade

When Peloquin’s father, Jean, launched the company 40 years ago, its product line was a far cry from what it is today.

Back then, the elder Peloquin sold tool sets, which evolved into a small retail store on Brookdale Street in Springfield, mainly focusing on tools and glass doors. From there, around the mid-’80s, he moved into selling and installing stoves, before relocating to Riverdale Street in West Springfield, not far from the store’s current location on that same road.

“We found that during our off season, we needed to keep busy. So that was when we got into the grills, which keeps us busy during the spring and summer.”

In 2004, Jay came on board, and has seen the store grow consistently since then. But he had a long path to his leadership role of today.

“When my father brought me in, he said, ‘go sweep the warehouse. Go stock the shelves,’” Peloquin recalled. “I wasn’t treated with kid gloves by any means. My father was very hard on me, but 14 years later, I can say it was worth it. Because I started at the bottom — from stockboy to installer to salesperson to general manager — it’s been a gradual path to where I’m confident, and the employees feel confident that I can lead them, and my father feels that way as well.”

During his tenure, Fireside saw a major shift to outdoor grills as a significant part of the inventory because people weren’t seeking out home-heating products during the warmer months of the year.

“We found that during our off season, we needed to keep busy,” he said. “So that was when we got into the grills, which keeps us busy during the spring and summer, even though during that time we’re still putting in fireplaces for new constructions and additions.”

Besides the Napoleon line of grills, Fireside sells the Big Green Egg, a versatile charcoal grill that does anything a regular grill or oven does, in addition to its capabilities as a smoker, he explained.

“Those are very popular as well. They have more of a cult following, whereas they don’t advertise nationally, but if you try the food off of them once, you’ve got to have one. It’s that good,” Peloquin said. “On the internet and YouTube, you’ll find people cooking new recipes, and we have customers who come in and say, ‘this is one of the best things I’ve ever bought,’ and they use it every day.”

Grill islands are becoming more popular as well, he noted, due to the growing prevalence of outdoor entertaining spaces. “Napoleon makes modular products, and you can put in, say, a sink or some cabinets for an outdoor kitchen. It’s something that’s relatively new for us, but something we’re definitely moving toward doing more of.”

As for the wintertime work, that’s the prime season for pellet stoves — Fireside is the number-two Harman dealer in the country — and gas fireplaces and inserts. “We’re starting to expand and getting into the commercial side of fireplaces as well, and we’re working with builders that are building senior citizens’ homes and resorts,” he said.

“There are things in my father’s 40 years of experience that I haven’t experienced, so I still need to learn from him. But also with all the new products that come out, we learn together,” he went on. “Every day, it’s a new thing — it’s learning, it’s evolving, not just in terms of products, but your advertising and who you’re marketing to.”

Take social media, for instance; Fireside has a robust Facebook presence, and highlights not only products, but informational links like safety tips.

“That’s the thing about social media — it isn’t necessarily about ‘come in and see our sale and buy this,’” Peloquin told BusinessWest. “If you engage people enough to where they want to read about something that goes on in their everyday lives, I feel like that’s brand building.”

Hot Takes

Because Fireside Designs has been around a long time, there aren’t many companies with the Peloquins’ experience in the field, he noted. That’s also a long time to develop good word of mouth and repeat business, which is something the team relies on.

“We can advertise all we want, but especially in this day of social media, if you’re not treating your customer right from A to Z, you’re not going to survive,” he said. “I’m taking over [leadership] gradually, and I want to make that a priority.”

Part of that reputation is shouldered by Fireside’s in-house technicians, he noted. “If you buy something from us, you don’t have to go somewhere else if something breaks. That’s the advantage of buying from a company like ours, a fireplace specialty store, as opposed to buying fireplaces online. People go to Home Depot and buy a fireplace, and then when something happens, they come to us for service. When you buy something from us, if anything goes wrong, we take care of our customers, and we service everything we sell.”

That’s just part of being a small business with deep community roots, he added.

“As a family business, we do appreciate when customers keep their business local. That’s helped us get to where we are today. Hopefully consumers realize that when you keep your business local, it supports the community.”

If Jean Peloquin set his son to sweeping floors 14 years ago instead of a cushy job he hadn’t earned, perhaps it was a way to determine whether he had a passion for this business. As it turned out, a fire was lit — both literally and figuratively.

“I don’t really consider this a job; I consider it what I do,” Jay said. “I consider this my future. I work every day not as a 9-to-5 thing, but to improve the business as a whole. I enjoy what I do, and I enjoy the fact that my experiences — from sweeping the floors to being an installer to what I do now — all of that together has made me a leader here. And I have employees that trust me — great employees that I look forward to keeping around for a long time.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

A Huge Step Forward in Early Education

By
Opinion

Editorial

Sept. 17 was a huge day for Springfield and this region. It was, as they say, a ground-breaking moment, both literally and figuratively.

As for the literal part of that equation, ground was broken for the $14 million Educare early education school to be constructed adjacent to the Brookings School, on land provided by Springfield College, and operated by Holyoke, Chicopee Springfield Head Start. This is the 24th Educare School to be built in the United States and the only one in Massachsetts. This was a typical ground-breaking ceremony with a host of local and state leaders, including Lt. Gov. Karen Polito.

As for the figurative part, this development is potentially ground-breaking on a number of levels. Educare represents what is truly cutting edge when it comes to practices in early education, and Educare Springfield represents an enormous opportunity for city residents to help break the cycle of poverty that has existed for decades.

Educare, which represents a national collaboration between the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, Ounce of Prevention Fund, and hundreds of other public-private partners across the country, offers an early education model designed to help narrow the achievement gap for children living in poverty. This model, which involves a full-day, full-year program for up to 141 children from birth to age five, incorporates embedded and ongoing professional development of teachers, intensive family engagement, and high-quality teaching practices, and utilizes data to advance outcomes for students in the program.

In other words it focuses on all three of the critical elements involved on the early-education process: Children, their families, and their educators. And all are equally important.

The students? Their participation in this program is obvious. Study after study has shown the importance of early education in setting young children on a course for life-long learning and providing them a far better chance to stay on that course. The year-long, all-day model translates into a more comprehensive — and more impactful — learning experience.

As for families, they are also an integral part of the early education process. Parents must become invested in the process and in their child’s education, and the Educare model ensures that this is the case.

And the educators? They are often the forgotten piece in this equation. Historically underpaid and seemingly underappreciated, early education teachers have a vital role in putting young children on a path to life-long learning. Ongoing professional development is an important component in this process.

Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, a long-time supporter and advocates for early education, played a lead role in making the Educare center a reality. But there were many other supporters as well, including the the Gage Olmstead Fund and Albert Steiger Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts; the MassMutual Foundation; Berkshire Bank; MassDevelopment; MassWorks Infrastructure Program at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development; the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Grant Fund through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care in collaboration with the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) and their affiliate, the Children’s Investment Fund; the George Kaiser Family Foundation; Florence Bank; Capital One Commercial Banking; and anonymous donors.

All these businesses and agencies understand the importance of early education, not only to the children and to the families, but to the city of Springfield and the entire region. As we’ve said on many occasions, early education is an education issue, but it is also an economic development issue.

And that’s why this is a ground-breaking development for this area, in all kinds of ways.

Question 1 Threatens Patient Care

By
Opinion

Opinion

By Kathleen Scoble

This November, voters will make one of the most critical decisions regarding the future of patient care in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts when they vote on Question 1, which would institute government-mandated nurse staffing levels at all hospitals statewide. On the surface, it might appear that using legislation to set registered-nurse-to-patient ratios would benefit patients, nurses, and hospitals, but that is not the case.

If approved, the law would require every hospital to adopt rigid registered nurse-to-patient ratios at all times — without consideration of a hospital’s size or location, and regardless of individual patients’ specific care needs. If this legislation is enacted, the impact will be devastating to hospitals, to the quality and safety of patient care, and to the much-respected role of the professional nurse.

Legislating nurse-staffing ratios is an illogical, unproven approach to providing nursing care to hospitalized patients. In essence, this practice broadly assumes that professional nurses and their nursing leadership are incapable of determining and providing the levels of nursing care required by the patients in their care at any given day or time. It also assumes that lawmakers know better how to care for patients than the professionals to whom these patients entrust their lives.

A far deeper concern is that, if nurse staffing ratios are enacted, nurses will be rendered powerless to step in and do what they know is right — what they know is needed — in caring for patients. A nurse will not be permitted to exceed the legislated nurse-staffing level by assuming the care of another patient arriving on the unit, even if the nurse determines that it is feasible and necessary to do so. How can that be considered safe or high-quality care?

Professional nurses are prepared and committed to coordinating and providing the care of seriously ill patients. I hope to give voters the assurance that nurses do not need a government-regulated staffing ratio to provide excellent care. As the dean of a long-standing and well-respected nursing program, I can confidently report that nurses are educated to be flexible, quick, and competent thinkers, and are capable of independent decision making based on the immediate situation and the circumstances presented.

Finally, it is projected that legislating staffing ratios will drive up costs, which would force hospitals to make deep cuts to critical programs, close patient-care units, and in some cases close down. This legislation could be especially devastating for communities with small hospitals, especially in rural locations where resources are less accessible. Patients in these areas might be forced to travel farther and wait longer for medical care. Again, how can that be considered safe or high-quality care for the citizens of the Commonwealth?

Your vote on this is critically important. I ask you to join Massachusetts nurses, hospitals, and leading healthcare organizations in opposing this costly and unproven proposal. Please vote no on Question 1.

Kathleen Scoble, Ed.D., MA, M.Ed., RN, is dean of the School of Nursing at Elms College.

Picture This

By
Picture This

A photo essay of recent business events in Western Massachusetts / October 1, 2018

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

Cutting-edge Experiences

Kristen Boyle, a senior psychology and neuroscience major works in the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance facility at IALS.

This summer, the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at UMass Amherst launched its first summer-intern program through its core facilities. This program creates hands-on experiences that prepare students for successful careers. Interns worked on tasks like 3D printing and laser cutting; human physiological, biomechanical, and behavioral studies; and cell testing. Many of the students are continuing on with their work throughout the current academic year. Pictured: Kristen Boyle, a senior psychology and neuroscience major works in the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance facility at IALS.

Day of Caring

The United Way’s Day of Caring brought together more than 1,000 people on Sept. 14

The United Way’s Day of Caring brought together more than 1,000 people on Sept. 14 to complete community-service work throughout the region. Many area companies use this day of service as an opportunity to engage employees in team-building and morale-boosting activities. The United Way connects local volunteers to nonprofit organizations and schools to complete tasks such as landscaping, painting, gardening, and other tasks. Pictured, top to bottom: a team from Collins Pipe volunteer at Birthday Wishes, representatives from Springfield College Americorps and BusinessWest volunteer at Gardening the Community, and employees from Belt Technologies spend the day working at the Chicopee Child Development Center.

Beyond the 9-to-5

Square One announced it is expanding access to child care to all hours of the day, to support working parents with second-shift, third-shift, and weekend jobs

Square One announced it is expanding access to child care to all hours of the day, to support working parents with second-shift, third-shift, and weekend jobs. Strategic funding partners include MGM Springfield, Baystate Health, Smith & Wesson, the Center for Human Development (CHD), FOCUS, and LENOX. Funds from these employers were matched by philanthropist Lyman Wood of Hampden. Collectively, more than $100,000 was raised to launch Square One: Next Level. “Square One has a long-standing reputation for strategically responding to the evolving needs of our community,” said Joan Kagan, Square One president and CEO. “We heard from our business leaders and from parents in our community that the lack of child care during evenings and weekends was making it difficult for employees to be successful in their careers and employers to be successful in running their businesses.” Pictured, from left: Lori Nesci of CHD; Annamarie Golden of Baystate Health; Wood; Kagan; Alex Dixon of MGM Springfield; Hannah Butler of LENOX; and Dan McDonough of Smith & Wesson.

Seeding the Future

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded two separate grants to Springfield Technical Community College

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded two separate grants to Springfield Technical Community College to enhance education in cutting-edge internet technology and advanced photonics, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal announced. The college received $599,388 to develop the Internet of Things Education Project and $551,202 to develop a program called Problem-Based Learning in Advanced Photonics Manufacturing Education. Both grants are designed to support three-year projects that will prepare and inspire students to enter careers in growing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. STCC has degree and certificate programs that prepare students for these careers. Pictured at the announcement, from left: Gary Mullett, co-chair of the Electronic Systems Engineering Technology Department at STCC; Neal; and Nicholas Massa, department chair for Optics and Photonics Technology at STCC.

Helping Kids Overcome

Springfield will be home to the first Educare early-education school in Massachusetts

Springfield will be home to the first Educare early-education school in Massachusetts. The groundbreaking for the $14 million school took place on Sept. 17 on Hickory Street, adjacent to Brookings School, on land provided by Springfield College. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito was joined by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Educare officials; Janis Santos, executive director of Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start; local leaders in philanthropy and project funders; representatives of Springfield College and the Old Hill Neighborhood Council; elected officials; and other community members for the ceremony. The center is expected to open in late 2019, offering an early-education model designed to help narrow the achievement gap for children living in poverty. Funding for the project comes from a variety of local, state, and national sources. Pictured at top: state, local, and elected officials, as well as representatives of Educare, Head Start, the Davis Foundation, O’Connell Development Group, and others break ground on Educare Springfield. At above: Polito holds up signs made by Head Start children.

Linking the Community

Link to Libraries recently held an event at Mercedes-Benz of Springfield to recognize its Business Book Link sponsors

Link to Libraries recently held an event at Mercedes-Benz of Springfield to recognize its Business Book Link sponsors. Pictured top: From left, Michael Matty, president and director of St. Germain Investment Management, Peter Wirth, co-owner of Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, and William Trudeau, president and CEO of the Insurance Center of New England. Above: Amy Rediker and Andrew Anderlonis of Rediker Software, and Laurie Flynn, president and CEO of Link to Libraries. (Photos by Sarah Gallagher)

Court Dockets

By
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.

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT
William J. Murray v. Tree Corp.
Allegation: Trespass and negligence causing property damage (destruction of healthy, mature tree): $3,000
Filed: 9/4/18

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Norma I. De La Cruz v. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., LLC d/b/a Super Stop and Shop
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $250,000
Filed: 9/6/18

Adrienne Levine v. Baystate Health Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $125,745
Filed: 9/6/18

Jean Lord v. Eastern States Exposition Inc.; H.C. Sims Farms Kentucky, LLC; Jeffrey Kaufman; and Kaye Kaufman
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $52,312.73
Filed: 9/7/18

Louis R. Redfern v. Owen Zaret, PA-C; Khaled Instrum, MD; and Julian Hernandez, DO
Allegation: Medical malpractice: $1,500,000
Filed: 9/7/18

Aileen Velazquez v. Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, Springfield Area Transit Co., First Transit Inc., Joewarren Marrero, and Marilyn Santos
Allegation: Negligence; auto accident causing personal injury: $7,149.02
Filed: 9/7/18

Mary Smith v. James Buratti d/b/a Heritage Motor Home Park
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $17,170.29
Filed: 9/10/18

Springfield College v. Amerex Brokers, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract, breach of warranty, negligence, intentional and negligent misrepresentation: $225,000+
Filed: 9/11/18

Local 455, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO v. Western Massachusetts Electric Co. d/b/a Eversource Energy
Allegation: Violation of Massachusetts labor laws
Filed: 9/12/18

Michael Salvatore v. Century Drywall Inc. and Aecom Tishman
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury and property damage: $89,000
Filed: 9/17/18

Agenda

By
Agenda

‘Breaking Down the Barriers’
Oct. 11: 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 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. Event sponsorships are available, and interested parties should contact Margaret Tantillo, executive director, at [email protected].

Mental-health Awareness Advocates to Speak at Springfield College
Oct. 11: Springfield College will host mental-health awareness advocates Jessie Close and Calen Pick 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.

Elder-law, Estate-planning Classes
Oct. 15, 22, 29: Atorney Karen Jackson of Jackson Law, an elder-law and estate-planning firm, will teach a series of classes highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College. The six-hour course, called “Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know,” will be presented in three two-hour sessions on consecutive Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. Jackson will present comprehensive subject matter on what she calls “the core estate plan” and will explain key estate-planning documents as well as trusts, as well as providing stories and examples. She will also discuss the probate-court process and Medicare hot topics, as well as community care programs and MassHealth planning for nursing-home care. While participants may attend only one session of their choosing, they must still pay the full course cost of $89. To register, call Holyoke Community College at (413) 552-2500 or visit www.hcc.edu/bce.

HCC Foundation Golf Classic
Oct. 16: Postponed from an earlier date because of rain, the 31st annual Holyoke Community College Foundation Golf Classic will be played 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.

Panel Discussion On Nurse-Staffing Ballot Question
Oct. 18: The School of Nursing at Elms College, in partnership with Baystate Medical Center Nursing, will host a discussion about the upcoming Massachusetts ballot question regarding nurse-staffing ratios from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Elms College’s Veritas Auditorium. Amanda Stefancyk Oberlies, CEO of the Organization of Nurse Leaders in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont, will introduce the issues surrounding Question 1, and then a panel of practicing nurses will speak and take audience questions. Baystate nurses Karissa Gorman, Brittany Foley, and Tara Budriewicz will appear on the panel. The Elms College School of Nursing has joined with Massachusetts nurses, hospitals, and prominent healthcare organizations in opposing Question 1, which which would institute government-mandated nurse staffing levels at all hospitals statewide. “On the surface, it might appear that using legislation to set registered-nurse-to-patient ratios would benefit patients, nurses, and hospitals, but that is not the case,” said Kathleen Scoble, dean of the School of Nursing at Elms College. “If approved, the law would require every hospital to adopt rigid registered-nurse-to-patient ratios at all times — without consideration of a hospital’s size or location, and regardless of individual patients’ specific care needs.” This event will allow the public to hear directly from nurses and healthcare experts about the issues surrounding Question 1 and how it would affect the day-to-day practice of nursing in Massachusetts, as well as the long-term effects on patient care and the nursing profession as a whole.

‘Come Roar’ with STCC at MGM Springfield
Oct. 19: Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will join forces 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. 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. 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. 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.

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 HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care. This year’s honorees include Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. 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 HERE. 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

By
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

• 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

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

• Oct. 3: October Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., a networking event and chamber open house hosted by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. Sponsored by Clinical & Support Options, CopyCat, Florence Bank, and Pioneer Training. Cost: $10 for members.

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

• 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.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.shgchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

• Oct. 2: Multi Chamber Business Expo, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, Chicopee. This five-chamber event gives chamber members the opportunity to showcase their goods and services not just to other South Hadley & Granby Chamber members, but to businesses and purchasers from all over the region. More than 125 exhibitors are expected, parking is free and abundant, and light refreshments will be available. Tables are available for $125, and the event is free of charge to the public as well as to chamber members. To reserve a table, e-mail Sara Lawrence at [email protected], or call (413) 532-6451. You may also visit www.shgchamber.com and click on the link to this event to get additional information and register.

• Oct. 10: Educational Breakfast: “New Tax Law Changes as They Relate to Your Business,” 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by South Hadley Public Library, Conference Room. Thomas Foley II, who will lead this discussion, spent decades as the regional manager at Pieciak & Co., P.C, helping local companies deal with the ever-changing tax laws, and has now established himself as an independent CPA firm. He will explain how the latest tax-law changes may affect business filings this coming year, as well as things to pay attention to in order to avoid unexpected surprises. He will leave time for questions at the end of the session. Because numbers will be limited, e-mail Sara Lawrence at [email protected] to register, or visit www.shgchamber.com and click on this event.

• Oct. 24: Bonfires and Brews, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley. This multi-chamber mixer will combine networking, music, hors d’ouvres and local designer beers in a beautiful indoor and outdoor setting. There will be a firepit, games, and a full moon, if the weather gods agree. Attendees will have the chance to mix with other chamber members from all over the region and establish new network ties, all in a convivial setting. Cost: $20 for members, $30 for non-members. For further information or to register, e-mail Sara Lawrence at [email protected], or call (413) 532-6451. For details on participating sponsors and vendors, visit www.shgchamber.com and click on this event.

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

• 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

By
People on the Move
Mark Hudgik

Mark Hudgik

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Mark Hudgik as its new director of Admissions. Hudgik is an HCC alumnus from the class of 2002 who returns to campus with 14 years of experience working in academic admissions, most recently as director of Admission at Greenfield Community College, where he started as a senior Admission counselor in 2009. He had previously worked as assistant director of Admissions at Bay Path University in Longmeadow and as Admissions director at the Berkshire Hills Music Academy in South Hadley. After graduating from HCC with his associate degree in liberal arts, Hudgik earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Massachusetts and his master’s degree in higher education administration from Bay Path. He enrolled at HCC in 2000 after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, as an aerospace-propulsion and jet-engine journeyman and programs manager. For two years as a student at HCC, he worked in the college Career Center.

•••••

Michael Rose

Michael Rose

Governors America Corp. (GAC) recently welcomed Michael Rose as director of Engineering and Innovation. He brings more than 15 years of product development and innovation experience within the aerospace industry. In this role, he will lead the engineering department and work closely with technical and marketing executives to broaden the company’s portfolio and develop innovative products for the engine control and adjacent markets. Rose brings a blend of business acumen, broad technical knowledge, and facilitation practices that stem from his years of experience in the roles of engineer, business development manager, and project leader at L3 Technologies and MIT Lincoln Laboratories. His addition to the team reflects the company’s focus on innovation, continuous improvement, and engineering execution.

•••••

Aleda Amistadi

Aleda Amistadi

PeoplesBank has promoted Aleda Amistadi to the position of senior vice president of Retail and Operations. She formerly served as first vice pesident of Operations and has 22 years of banking experience. Amistadi earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and an MBA from Western New England University. She also earned a Wharton leadership certificate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Six Sigma green belt certification from Duke University Continuing Studies MindEdge Online Learning. She is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier School of Banking. Amistadi serves on the board of directors and the finance committee for Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts.

•••••

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. 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. 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.

•••••

Peter Coyne

Peter Coyne

As part of organizational changes previously announced by OMG Inc. to accelerate growth, the company has named Peter Coyne to the newly created position of senior vice president and general manager for the Roofing Products division. In this role, Coyne is responsible for developing and executing the division’s overall strategy for the three recently created divisional business units: fasteners, adhesives and solar, and metal accessories, which includes edge metal. In addition, he is responsible for overseeing Roofing Products’ new product-development and innovation group and its global sales and marketing teams, including key-account sales, customer service, and technical support. He reports to Hubert McGovern, president and CEO of OMG. Coyne joins OMG from Gulftech International, a diversified holding company with five operating businesses serving food-production and processing companies in 85 countries. Working in the company’s Denver headquarters, he served as general manager and head of operations following various roles in finance and operations with Danaher Corp., Saw Mill Capital, and Steel Partners. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of William & Mary and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

•••••

Steve Corbin

Steve Corbin

The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced that Steve Corbin has joined its Holyoke staff as an account executive responsible for overseeing employee benefits. As an account executive, Corbin has a team-management role and oversees the division, including managing the renewal process, negotiating with carriers, coordinating open-enrollment meetings, assisting clients with changes, monitoring claims, and related responsibilities. Corbin attended Johnson & Wales University and served in the U.S. Army Reserve. Involved in his community as a youth coach for basketball, soccer, and lacrosse, he is also a grand knight at the Knights of Columbus St. Francis of Assisi Council #10698 and a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke.

•••••

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.

•••••

The Springfield Cultural Partnership (SCP), the parent organization for the Springfield Central Cultural District, recently welcomed Karen Finn as its new executive director. Finn brings a wealth of experience in community service, government, advocacy, and program management to advance the SCP’s mission of sustaining a vibrant arts and cultural environment in Springfield. Finn has been an entrepreneur and business owner as well as holding leadership positions within higher education and government. Most recently, she was program and events manager of the Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for Peace & Justice at Princeton University, advancing mutual understanding and respect for all ethnic traditions and religious faiths. She was responsible for all communications including website maintenance, preparation of publications and letters, funding proposals, social-media accounts, and reports. She coordinated and managed events including conferences, seminars, and social events both locally and abroad. Finn holds a master’s degree in business and was a recipient of the prestigious U.S. Presidential Management Fellowship, serving in Geneva, Switzerland as part of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Her many years of experience developing local marketing strategies through brand awareness, community engagement, and networking promises to be an asset to the Springfield Central Cultural District. As executive director of the SCP, she will be charged with developing innovative cultural projects and collaborations, and build upon such signature programming as Art Stop, the painted-piano project, pop-up art, and concerts.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

Gaming at MGM Springfield Generates $9.45M in August
SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts Gaming Commission reported that MGM Springfield generated $9,456,976.90 in gross gaming revenue between Aug. 23 and Aug. 31, its first week of operation. Slot machines generated $7,347,491.15 in revenues, while table games generated $2,109,485.75. Of that, or $2,364,244.23, will go to the state in taxes. MGM Springfield is taxed by the state on 25% of its gross gaming revenue. Under its host-community agreement, MGM pays the city of Springfield $17.6 million annually in lieu of taxes.

USI Insurance Services Acquires Gaudreau Group
WILBRAHAM — USI Insurance Services (USI), a world leader in insurance brokerage and risk management, announced the acquisition of the Gaudreau Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1921, the Gaudreau Group is a commercial-insurance, employee-benefits, personal-risk, and financial-services firm insuring more than 6,000 businesses and families across 14 states. Jules Gaudreau, company president, represents the third generation of the Gaudreau family to lead the company. He will join USI’s New England regional management team as president of the company’s Springfield office.

Baystate Wing Opens New Emergency Department
PALMER — On Sept. 18, Baystate Wing Hospital opened its new, $17.2 million Emergency Department to patients. The new facility includes separate ambulance and public entryways and features 20 patient rooms, including critical care, behavioral health, and other dedicated specialty-care areas. Private rooms have replaced curtained bays to enhance patient privacy, along with dedicated space for behavioral-health patients. The new 17,800-square-foot facility will include sophisticated medical technology, including CT scan and radiology (X-ray) services. The Baystate Wing Emergency Department campaign has raised over $2.9 million to date. The overall cost of building and equipping the new emergency department at Baystate Wing Hospital is $17.2 million, with Baystate Health committing funding through capital investment and bonds. 

Polish National Credit Union Wins CFS/SPF Impact Award
CHICOPEE — Polish National Credit Union (PCNU) was recently awarded the Bronze CFS/SPF 2017 Impact Award at annual conference of CUSO Financial Services, LP and Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC in San Diego. The conference is an opportunity for businesses to come together to share and discuss best practices as well as hear from industry experts. This award is given to a financial institution that demonstrates an excellent job of building awareness through branch marketing efforts. “As the investment industry becomes more competitive, financial institutions must be increasingly creative and resourceful when it comes to the promotion of their investment-services program,” said James Kelly, president and CEO of Polish National Credit Union. “Not only is our team receptive to our ideas, they are eager to participate and shed light on all the fantastic options there are for our members to reach their financial goals through PNCU Financial Services.”

Elms College Wins Grant for Project to Spark Girls’ Interest in STEM Fields
CHICOPEE — Elms College announced that its Computer Science department has been awarded more than $188,000 through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to fund a project designed to spark interest in computer science and related fields among middle-school girls in Holyoke. The project — which will include participants from UMass Amherst, Holyoke Codes, Girls Inc. of Holyoke, and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke — will combine robotics, coding, and a simulated natural-disaster situation. The project, titled Girls Involved in Robotics Learning Simulations (GIRLS), was born after Beryl Hoffman, associate professor of Computer Science at Elms College, met Florence Sullivan, professor at UMass Amherst College of Education, at Holyoke Codes, an organization that provides opportunities for kids to get involved in coding, robotics, and technology. Hoffman and Sullivan aim to learn more about the role of immersive simulation scenarios in encouraging girls to take interest in and learn about computer science and robotics. In year one of the project, the team will finalize all materials and curricula, and test them in single-day workshops. In year two, the educational program will be implemented in partnership with Girls Inc. of Holyoke and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, with 40 to 60 female students expected to participate. In year three, the team will open the program to middle-school-aged boys, too, and analyze the outcomes of coed learning. As part of the grant project, Elms will offer three paid internships, one per year, to junior or senior computer science or CITS (computer information technology and security) majors.

Baystate Health, 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. BaytechIT will be headquartered in Holyoke with additional offices throughout Western Mass.

TWO Helps Enhance Skills of Medical Assistants
SPRINGFIELD — When Holyoke Medical Center and Western Mass Physician Associates (WMPA) needed help enhancing the skills of their medical assistants, they partnered with Training & Workforce Options (TWO), which developed a curriculum and taught a 10-week class to 15 medical assistants from WMPA. The training was designed to prepare the workers for a national credentialing exam. The TWO course at Holyoke Community College (HCC) was a hybrid of classroom work and online learning taught by a medical assistant. An additional 25 medical assistants from Holyoke Medical Center Specialty Practices enrolled in a second round of training. TWO, a collaboration between HCC and Springfield Technical Community College, is designed to deliver high-quality, custom training solutions to the business community to boost bottom-line performance and productivity. In addition to classroom learning, Holyoke Medical Center and Western Mass Physician Associates developed and staffed a full-scale skills day for all trainees. The session included 10 hands-on stations covering clinical and administrative tasks such as checking vital signs, administering injections and medication, taking EKG measurements, and other competency tests.

Tighe & Bond Climbs in National Ranking of Environmental Firms
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.

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.”

HMC Physician Affiliate Changes Name
HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Medical Center provider affiliate, Western Mass Physician Associates, announced it is changing the name to Holyoke Medical Group as of Oct. 1. Four years after launching a new organization-wide logo and rebranding campaign, the Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems leadership recognize the disconnect still perceived by patients between Holyoke Medical Center and Western Mass Physician Associates. “The name change will allow for the organization to have stronger brand awareness in the community,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. “The new name also releases the belief that all clinicians are doctors. The future success of healthcare relies not only on our excellent physicians, but on the growing number of mid-level providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, expertly qualified to care for our community.” Holyoke Medical Group consists of two primary-care provider offices, a family medicine office, a pediatric office, and three women’s services offices with ob/gyn and certified nurse midwife care. Each office location is accepting new patients.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase

SPADC to End Management of Symphony Hall, CityStage

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp. (SPADC) said Monday it will no longer manage CityStage and Symphony Hall after its contracts expire at the end of 2018. “It is with great sadness, but also with a sense of accomplishment, we share the news that Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp. will cease operations at CityStage and Symphony Hall at the end of 2018 after a successful run in bringing entertainment to downtown Springfield for the past 20 years,” the organization posted on its website. “We are gratified to have played a role in bringing thousands of people to enjoy a diverse offering of high-quality entertainment at CityStage and Symphony Hall. Downtown entertainment is evolving, and we are proud of the contributions we have made in making the city an entertainment destination again.” The city of Springfield contracts for management of Symphony Hall, and the Springfield Parking Authority contracts for management of CityStage. Both entities are expected to discuss new requests for proposals for the two venues. MGM Springfield, which currently manages the MassMutual Center, could be an option to manage Symphony Hall and CityStage. MGM is currently obligated by its host-community agreement with the city of Springfield to book and underwrite at least three shows a year at the two venues. “Entertainment is a key component of the revitalization of downtown Springfield and the continued attraction of new visitors,” Talia Spera, executive director of entertainment at MGM Springfield, said in a news release Monday. “MGM Springfield will continue our conversations with the city leaders regarding the future of CityStage and Symphony Hall with the intent of supporting future dynamic performances in those venues.”

Cushman & Wakefield to Market Eastfield Mall Joint-venture Partnership

SPRINGFIELD — The ownership of Eastfield Mall in Springfield has appointed commercial real-estate-services firm Cushman & Wakefield to market a joint-venture partnership opportunity for the property’s mixed-use redevelopment. The 776,977-square-foot, enclosed regional shopping center sits on nearly 87 acres, providing scope and flexible zoning for a range of next-generation options. Eastfield Mall is currently 74% leased, with in-place net operating income offering interim cash flow while a redevelopment plan is put in place. Major tenants include Cinemark, Old Navy, Hannoush Jewelers, Ninety-Nine Restaurant & Pub, and Donovan’s Irish Pub, along with a non-owned Sears box that accounts for 254,446 square feet. The mall benefits from strong real-estate fundamentals, boasting a location along heavily trafficked Route 20 and access to downtown Springfield, the Massachusetts Turnpike, and interstates 291 and 91. Brian Whitmer, a member of the Cushman & Wakefield team serving as exclusive agent for the mall’s owner, Mountain Development Corp., noted that Eastfield Mall is well suited to become a mixed-use complex featuring a live-work-play atmosphere. “We expect this offering will attract an impressive level of interest from a diverse group of investors,” he said. “This is truly a distinctive opportunity given the many factors that support a successful repurposing.” That sentiment was echoed by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. “Malls all throughout our country are reinventing and redefining themselves to be more multifaceted,” he said. “My chief Development officer, Kevin Kennedy, and I will continue to assist our Eastfield Mall to restore the glory of the past toward a successful and diverse future.” The Cushman & Wakefield investment sales and retail specialists heading the Eastfield Mall assignment span two Cushman & Wakefield offices. They include Whitmer, Andrew Merin, David Bernhaut, Seth Pollack, and Kubby Tischler in East Rutherford, N.J.; and Peter Joseph, Brian Barnett, Steffen Panzone, Pete Rogers, and Ross Fishman in Boston.

Employer Confidence Strengthens During August

BOSTON — Massachusetts employers were equally confident about the national and state economies during August, breaking an eight-and-a-half-year run in which they were more bullish about the Commonwealth than the nation as a whole. The brightening view of the U.S. economy boosted overall business confidence as employers headed for the end of the third quarter. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index gained two points to 63.2 last month after tumbling more than five points during June and July. The gain left the Index two points higher than a year ago, comfortably within optimistic territory. Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design, said the last time employers were more optimistic about the national economy than the state was during the nadir of the Great Recession in May 2009, when the AIM Massachusetts Index was 33.1 and the U.S. Index was 34.4. “The confluence of opinion reflects gathering optimism about the U.S. economy rather than any weakness in the Massachusetts business climate,” Torto said. “The Massachusetts Index rose 1.5 points during the year, but the U.S. Index soared 4.5 points during that same period.” Meanwhile, the Company Index measuring employer assessments of their own operations rose 2.4 points to 62.1, up 1.2 points from August 2017. The Employment Index gained 2.4 points to end the month at 57.0, while the Sales Index lost 0.8 points to 61.0. The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, rose 2.5 points to 66.1, leaving it 4.8 points higher than the year earlier. The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, rose 1.5 points during August, but remained down 1.0 point for the year.

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Odessa Transportation Inc., 458 Main St., Agawam, MA 01001. Pavlo Dukach, same. Transportation.

Quality Auto Trans Inc., 61 Center St. Agawam, MA 01001. Nelya Hrytskevich, same. Transportation.

PALMER

Nike Sushi Inc., 1180 Thorndike St., Palmer, MA 01069. Hong Fei Huang, 34-25 Linden Place, Flushing, N.Y. 11354. Sushi bar inside the supermarket.

PITTSFIELD

Holyoke Retirement Community Inc., 75 North St., Suite 210, Pittsfield, MA 01201. William C. Jones, 16 Charisma St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. To operate and maintain housing complex providing independent and assisted living units for elderly.

Nerd Cavalry Inc., 23 Adams St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Michael R. Grogan, same. Information technology consulting.

SHEFFIELD

Peter Jackson Hospitality Inc., 375 Hewins St., Sheffield, MA 01257. Adrian D’ambrosi, 20 Salem Road, Pound Ridge, MA 10576. Bed & breakfast.

SPRINGFIELD

Mr. Dunn Enterprises Inc., 1655 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01129. Aaron Dunn, 1210 Main St., Warren, MA 01083. Management of business entities.

Nolan Wells Inc., 26 Ryan Circle, Springfield, MA 01118. Nolan Wells, same. Retail clothing.

Ofcounsels Corporation, 35 Riverview Terrace, Springfield, MA 01108. Anthony Ivan Wilson, same. Ofcounsels is a social network for attorneys.

PIWC — Springfield Assembly, 187 Stuart St., Springfield, MA 01119. Karl O. Badu, 19 Stephanie Circle, Springfield, MA 01129. Christian church.

WESTFIELD

Murphy Real Estate & Construction Inc., 45 North Westfield St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Michael Murphy, same. Residential real estate.

WILBRAHAM

Paramount Construction ABC Inc., 35 Springfield St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. John Pappanikou, same. Remodel existing residential properties.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

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

AMHERST

ATI Physical Therapy
101 University Dr., Suite A6
Robert McKenzie

Do Shim Martial Arts
330 College St.
Julia Khan

Frank DeZenzo, LICSW
150 Fearing St., Suite 13
Frank DeZenzo

Kathleen DeZenzo
150 Fearing St., Suite 13
Kathleen DeZenzo

Peak Yoga Studios
100 Lessey St.
Chad Chaffe

Strange Kind of Grown Up
252 West St., #16
Kathleen Maher

CHICOPEE

A to Z Home Improvement
37 Helen St.
Jose Zapata

AGV Cleaning
144 Summit Ave.
Jessica Sleeper

The Baker’s Dozen
13 Wallace Ave.
Shawn Cohen-Sherry

CJM Construction, LLC
20 Nash St.
Jody Whalen

Matt’s Auto Mall
1840 Memorial Dr.
Matthew Jensen

SMB Electric
24 Grape St., Apt. 1R
Shane Britt

EASTHAMPTON

Bread and Roses Studio
35 Ward Ave., #2
Justyne Griffin

Cernak Fuel
100 Northampton St.
Hop Energy, LLC

Fireflies
35 Pleasant St., #2
Amberlynn Inglis

Nate Livingston Earthworks
88 Williston Ave.
Nathaniel Livingston

EAST LONGMEADOW

Crossfit Blue Diamond
80 Denslow Road
Jennifer Rossi

Furkids Choice Dog Grooming
567 North Main St.
Linda Mahon

HOLYOKE

Bogey & Sons Restoration & Custom Woodworking
19 Shepard Dr.
Bogustaw Wolanczyk

Care Alliance of Western Massachusetts
4 Valley Mill Road
WestMass ElderCare Inc.

K & R Special Touch Commercial Cleaning
182 West Franklin St.
Maria Jusino, Richard Boyle Jr.

MassHire of Holyoke
850 High St.
David Gadaire

Paws Finding Peace
3 Hawthorne Lane
Elizabeth Atkins

Sbarro America Inc.
50 Holyoke St.
Kelly Korkus

Snowflake
50 Holyoke St.
Musa Aliyev

The Sunny Spot
227 Lacus Dr.
Jennifer Allen

Wright’s Masonry
113 Westfield Road
Timothy Wright

NORTHAMPTON

All About You by Shannon
2 Conz St., #60
Shannon Sawyer Blomstrom

Architectonic Construction and Design
218 Jackson St.
Ryan Thompson

The Backstop Seated Massage
150 Main St.
Michael Grosse

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts
351 Earle St.
Bay State Gas Co.

Dentek
250 Jackson St.
Alexander Petith

Fawn Fiore
1 Brewster Court
Fawn Fiore

Grapefruit
5 Market St.
Justin Durand, Ashley Brown

Jordan Power Photography
131 Federal St.
Jordan Power

Peter Breton Construction
836 Burts Pit Road
Peter Breton

Raising Phoenix
14B Graves Ave.
Maryellen Santiago

Starr’s Pizzeria
59 Main St.
Damian Fernandez

Tugboat Consulting
42 Day Ave.
Jessica Dawson

Verdant Multicultural Media
63 Rick Dr.
Natalia Munoz

Yoga of the Valley
140 Pine St., Unit #10
Lora Ksieniewicz

SPRINGFIELD

Bath Thyme Soap
34 Front St.
Veronica Burroughs

Bellevue Home Solutions
62 Bellevue Ave.
Reinaldo Gonzalez

Beyond All Boundaries, LLC
813 State St.
Nasjae Dyer

Golden Heart Transit
181 State St., Suite 2
Nurdin Mwanilelo

GR Hauling
47 Parkside St.
Gary Ramos

Grinaldi Inc.
1121 East Columbus Ave.
Luciano Grimaldi

JRW Construction
10 Truman Circle
JRW Construction

Kenny Forklift and Auto Repair
95 Laconia St.
Kenneth Jekot

Kenny Tax Services & Co.
510 Armory St.
Eliana Taveras

Kool Kravings
77 Noel St.
Angel Ortiz Sr.

New England Home Improvement
41 Dubois St.
Sergey Adamyan

Nizhony
171 Pheland St.
Tamara Green

Old Window Workshop Corp.
133 Main St.
Pamela Howland

Seve-Trucking, LLC
22 Bayonne St.
Elias Severino

Stepin2 Purpose Consulting
822 Grayson Dr.
Andrea St. Louis

Straitway Bakery
4 Garfield St.
Sharon Lee

Trinity Health Of New England
175, 271, 299 Carew St.
Trinity Health Of New England

WESTFIELD

ASB Designs
177 Bates Road
ASB Designs

Cellular Sales of Massachusetts
495 East Main St.
Cellular Sales of MA, LLC

CTC Valve & Nozzle Gate Repair
68 Highland Ave.
CTC Valve & Nozzle Gate Repair

Greensite Tree & Land
51 Orange St.
Bridgette Barna

Feng Ye
205 Elm St.
Feng Ye

Flowers by Webster
52 Court St.
Gail Kelly

Jack’s Barber Shop
48 Elm St.
John Symmons

Kline Design Home Improvement
46 Vadnais St.
Kline Design Home Improvement

Kosinski’s Farm Stand
420 Russellville Road
Kosinski Farms

L.A.S. RN-C
23 Lady Slipper Circle
Laura Santaniello

Starlite Auto Body
215 East Main St.
Starlite Auto Body

Walgreens #18949
7 East Silver St.
Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc.

Westfield Equipment Service Inc.
28 Mechanic St.
Joshua Toomey

WMVS
120 Hampton Ave.
WMVS

WEST SPRINGFIELD

5 Star Bookkeeping Service
169 Main St.
Jeffrey Chickerella

Bart Truck Equipment, LLC
358 River St.
James DiClementi

The Indian Restaurant
1305 Memorial Ave.
Rajesh Rayonia

J & L Medical Services
201 Park Ave.
Gregory McCarthy

John Brames Inc.
205 Forest Glen
John Brames

Landmark at Monastery Heights
110 Monastery Ave.
William Giovannucci

Oliveira Drywall, LLC
1207 Morgan Road
Oliveira Werley

Pet Supplies Plus #9015
175 Memorial Ave.
Pet Supplies Plus

Pressure Point Washing
18 Greenleaf Ave.
Anthony Heim

Rexel Commercial & Industrial
338 Memorial Ave.
Jonathan Plotkin

Shangri-La Grocery
753 Union St.
Chitra Rai

Shannon Taylor Aristic Revue
15 Mosher St.
Kimberly O’Connor

Studio 4
436 Main St.
Jeremy Gonzalez

WILBRAHAM

ATI Physical Therapy
70 Post Office Park, Unit 7007
Robert McKenzie

The Bilberry Salon
2141 Boston Road
Elizabeth Hamel

Bread and Me
10 Severyn St.
Mila Jarreiko

Grecian Look, LLC
5 Poplar Dr.
Gregory Laware

Mary Erlandson McGrath
21 Oakland St.
Mary Erlandson McGrath

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Allen, Timothy H.
369 Silver St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Behnava, Belinda M.
51 South View Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Bingle, Jonathan E.
6 Dayton St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

Boren, Jeffrey E.
350 Granby Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/24/18

Bucklin, Paul L.
Bucklin, Donna J
a/k/a Shea, Donna J.
3 Maple Lawn Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

Chopping Block Salon
Michon, Jaclyn M.
73 Florence St.
Leeds, MA 01053
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

Clark, Aaron J.
269 Ryan Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

Clark, Krista L.
256 Valley View Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/18

Cognac, Matthew R.
58 Allison Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/21/18

Cyr, Mary R.
21 Dug Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/18

DePratti, Michael J.
DePratti, Amy E.
157 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/18

Dessources, Marie K.
a/k/a Dessources Saintilma, Marie K.
616 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/17/18

Franz-Conway, Tara Louise
24 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/18

Haddocks, Jonathan Alexander
Haddocks, Deanna Marie
a/k/a Anderson, Deanna Marie
305 Rice St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Halfacre, Jason Alexander
Halfacre, Danielle Hope
39 Glendale St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

Hogan, Patrick W.
8 Phelps Ave., Apt. 2R
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/18

Irwin, Kate E.
5 Olney Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/28/18

James, Steven
181 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/30/18

LaFrance, Arthur H.
89 Thayer Road, Apt. 2
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Lam, Shelley M.
52 E Hill Road
Oakham, MA 01068
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/24/18

Leavitt, Jacob S.
23 Elm Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Livernois, Wilfred L.
Livernois, Kelly S.
115 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/18

Marotta, Brian
78 Friend St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Matusko, Gary Alan
43 Phelps St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/18

McSweeney, Virginia Mary
a/k/a Heath, Virginia Mary
a/k/a Halfrey, Virginia Mary
146 Brattle St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Mensah-Otoo, Joseph
129 Newell St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/21/18

Mulcahy, Ryan P.
10 Apache Dr.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/18

Murray, Lizabeth Helen
86 Maynard Hill Road
Chester, MA 01011
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

Parker-Martinez, Michelle D.
84 Somerset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

Pellerin, John A.
53 Leonard St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/18

Proulx, Normand J.
410 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

Red Hawk Trading
Mulak, Donald E.
35 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/18

ReMax/Ignite
Rodriguez, Jalissa I.
a/k/a Sostre, Jalissa I.
30 Abbe Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/18

Rodriguez, Jonathan L.
30 Abbe Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/18

Sal’s Pizza
a/k/a Pizzamaker
Altomare, Salvatore P.
178 Shady Brook Lane
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/21/18

Sheehan, Ryan D.
64 Simpson Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/18

Silva, Kevin J.
158 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Stebbins, Shalane
269 Ryan Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/18

TBR Auto Reconditioning
Cecchetelli, Anthony
Cecchetelli, Kathleen D.
15 Oleander St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/18

Tomasiello, Lauralyn A.
a/k/a Rabtor, Lauralyn A.
155 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/28/18

Walsh, Elizabeth A.
a/k/a Leahy-Santanello, Elizabeth A.
185 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/28/18

White, James F.
White, Daydra L.
19 Grandview St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/21/18

Real Estate Transactions

By
Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

1509 Williamsburg Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Robert S. Wilson
Seller: Richard B. Mougin
Date: 08/31/18

BERNARDSTON

19-A Chapin Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Gary N. Daniele
Seller: Samantha A. Fabian
Date: 08/31/18

148 Shaw Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: William J. Maguire
Seller: Paul F. Desantis
Date: 09/07/18

BUCKLAND

8 Charlemont Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $346,500
Buyer: David J. Roberts
Seller: Matthew Jacobson-Carroll
Date: 08/31/18

CHARLEMONT

221 North River Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Daniel P. Greene
Seller: Diantha J. Wholey
Date: 09/04/18

CONWAY

40 Fournier Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Kenneth F. Pleasant
Seller: Gregory T. Rose
Date: 08/31/18

353 Newhall Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Susan Matsui
Seller: Martha A. Conant
Date: 08/30/18

94 South Deerfield Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Katherine E. Sarvary
Seller: Alexandra S. Flanders
Date: 08/31/18

244 Whately Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Robert E. Hazen
Seller: Elise L. Starr RET
Date: 08/31/18

543 Williamsburg Road
Conway, MA 01096
Amount: $307,800
Buyer: Mark W. Corley
Seller: Peter Lafogg
Date: 08/31/18

DEERFIELD

14 Braeburn Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Joseph W. Bysiewski
Seller: Francis R. Redmond
Date: 08/31/18

24 Captain Lathrop Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Sean M. Forhan
Seller: Midori K. Tabery
Date: 08/30/18

GILL

2 Pine St.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Grybko
Seller: Grybko, Virginia M., (Estate)
Date: 08/30/18

GREENFIELD

887 Bernardston Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Robin Sidel
Seller: TAS NT
Date: 08/30/18

1101 Bernardston Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Eugene Darmanchev
Seller: Robert P. Lafleur
Date: 08/27/18

18 Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: James M. Campbell
Seller: Johnson Hawks INT
Date: 08/31/18

383 Colrain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Brian P. Werme
Seller: Payant, John A., (Estate)
Date: 08/27/18

782 Colrain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Isabel C. Spencer
Seller: J. R. Jr. & E. P. Anderson RET
Date: 08/31/18

687 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Elizabeth J. Owens
Seller: Warner, Kent D., (Estate)
Date: 09/04/18

695 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Sean M. Frost
Seller: Anne M. Kittredge
Date: 09/04/18

102 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Dorothea E. Sotiros LT
Seller: Green River Homes LLC
Date: 09/07/18

36 Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Nina S. Gross
Seller: Layne V. Floyd
Date: 08/28/18

27 George St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Karen M. Scott
Seller: Marc T. Platt
Date: 08/27/18

51 Hastings St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Matthew Jacobson-Carroll
Seller: Daniel P. Cetto
Date: 08/31/18

131 Log Plain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Andrew W. Ponce
Seller: Martha L. Bennett-Tenney
Date: 08/29/18

103 Meridian St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $188,100
Buyer: Katherine Scarbrough
Seller: Aleda S. Jonquil
Date: 08/31/18

62 Peabody Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: David D. Henderson
Seller: Francis L. McDonald
Date: 09/06/18

4 Willow St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $185,600
Buyer: Margaret M. Shea
Seller: PDV Inc.
Date: 09/07/18

HEATH

128 Branch Hill Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $354,000
Buyer: Eugene K. Garland
Seller: Joseph A. Mercaldi
Date: 08/27/18

South Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Thomas Ryan
Seller: Dickinson, Howard E., (Estate)
Date: 09/07/18

MONTAGUE

421 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Justin Killeen
Seller: O’Hara, Jean E., (Estate)
Date: 08/31/18

26 Hillside Ave.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $181,500
Buyer: E. M. Jacobson-Carroll
Seller: Sharon L. Ludwiczak
Date: 08/31/18

16 Morris Ave.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Rich Young Property Management
Seller: Rich Young Property Management
Date: 08/30/18

366 Turners Falls Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Justin E. Rice
Seller: Margaret M. Burns
Date: 08/27/18

8 West Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Christopher C. Pinardi
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 08/29/18

8 West Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Laurie D. Williams
Date: 09/04/18

NEW SALEM

1 South Main St.
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Steinbergthoms FT
Seller: Harrison F. Lyman
Date: 08/30/18

ORANGE

5 Cloukey Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Amanda R. Colon
Seller: Michael R. Winters
Date: 08/29/18

24 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: East River Orange LLC
Seller: HF Liquidation LLC
Date: 08/28/18

585 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Lindsay P. Boudreau
Seller: Diana Kamila
Date: 08/30/18

191-193 Hayden St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Steven W. Meuse
Seller: Wade L. Powling
Date: 08/29/18

35 School St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Sousa
Seller: Theresa A. Cody
Date: 08/30/18

ROWE

65 Potter Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $298,500
Buyer: Mark A. Duval
Seller: Gerrit C. White
Date: 08/30/18

SHELBURNE

241 Barnard Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Anthony P. Hall
Seller: Anne L. Burdett
Date: 09/07/18

284 Patten Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $364,500
Buyer: Thomas A. Raymo
Seller: Kathryn Larose
Date: 08/31/18

WENDELL

71 New Salem Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Mark J. Stetz
Seller: Laurel A. Brenneman
Date: 08/31/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

23 Colemore St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Robert J. Hartmann
Seller: Donald F. Hanna
Date: 08/31/18

16 Debra Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $234,900
Buyer: Stephanie L. Quesnel
Seller: Geraldine Barbeau
Date: 08/31/18

20 Federal Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Tyler B. Hardman
Seller: Jonathan G. Forgue
Date: 09/05/18

26 Hall St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Keith J. Camyre
Seller: Timothy L. Garwacki
Date: 09/05/18

77 Hastings St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Roberts
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/30/18

140 Meadowbrook Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Laurels RT
Seller: US Bank
Date: 09/04/18

32 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Kimberley B. Lehrer
Seller: Timothy Scanlon
Date: 09/07/18

50 Pheasant Run Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Jason A. Stevens
Seller: Charles D. Stevens
Date: 08/27/18

54 Silver Lake Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jonathan G. Forgue
Seller: Amy L. Martin
Date: 09/05/18

BRIMFIELD

75 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Deborah J. Donahue
Seller: Michael P. Shoum
Date: 08/30/18

100 Hollow Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $322,395
Buyer: Benjamin Burlingame
Seller: Nelson B. Burlingame
Date: 08/31/18

63 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Emerald REO LLC
Seller: Elmore Realty Services
Date: 09/06/18

65 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Emerald REO LLC
Seller: Elmore Realty Services
Date: 09/06/18

67 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Emerald REO LLC
Seller: Elmore Realty Services
Date: 09/06/18

289 Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Emerald REO LLC
Seller: Elmore Realty Services
Date: 09/06/18

63 Saint Clair Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Dmitry Voloshinov
Seller: Kimberly A. Goudreau
Date: 09/06/18

CHESTER

640 Skyline Trail
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Robert Girard
Seller: Mark E. Lund
Date: 08/31/18

8 William St.
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Cassandra L. Kendall
Seller: Richard P. Reed
Date: 08/29/18

CHICOPEE

14 Baltic Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Deanna Soja
Seller: Stanley A. Soja
Date: 08/27/18

824 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Nexius LLC
Seller: Stephen Bosco
Date: 08/31/18

142 Clairmont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $120,750
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Lora E. Benson
Date: 08/28/18

123 Dixie Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Daniel Bogdan
Seller: Russell P. Jones
Date: 08/31/18

15 Donlyn Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: William D. Coney
Seller: Robin E. Black
Date: 08/29/18

East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: A. Crane Properties LLC
Seller: Westmass Area Development
Date: 09/07/18

118 Edgewood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kyle S. Majerowski
Seller: Bruce A. Morin
Date: 08/27/18

43 Eldridge St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $133,500
Buyer: Nicole M. Geary
Seller: Nicholas D. Kirchner
Date: 08/28/18

98 Fair St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Cathy Thomas
Seller: Darlene Labonte
Date: 08/31/18

254 Frontenac St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Scott W. Beem
Seller: Stephanie L. Quesnel
Date: 08/31/18

120 Gill St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $159,500
Buyer: Carol Krause
Seller: Borowiec, Stanley W., (Estate)
Date: 08/27/18

48 Glendale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Karoline Birdsall
Seller: Donald J. Sauvageau
Date: 09/07/18

15 Hamilton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Nathan J. Correa
Seller: Pedro J. Correa
Date: 08/31/18

60 Hillcrest St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Sebastian Fraczek
Seller: Anna B. Drost
Date: 08/31/18

15 Honey Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Michael J. Bucalo
Seller: Joseph J. Calabrese
Date: 08/31/18

15 Kane Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Fernando Pina
Seller: John M. Roy
Date: 08/31/18

127 Lukasik St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jessica Bourgault
Seller: Matthew J. Kele
Date: 08/30/18

26 Madison St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Cara Roberge
Seller: Mathew K. Fregeau
Date: 08/27/18

18 Maple St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: Patricia L. Barkman
Seller: Jody E. Gerrmann
Date: 08/31/18

41 Mellen St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $199,999
Buyer: Taylor L. Gordon
Seller: William J. Kennedy
Date: 08/27/18

312 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Tracy L. Rock
Seller: Tina Sypek-Damato
Date: 09/06/18

255 Moore St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Wandy Feliz
Seller: Katherine Malandrinos
Date: 09/05/18

152 Narragansett Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Sergio Delgado
Date: 08/29/18

81 Oakwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $163,900
Buyer: Brittany L. Ryder
Seller: Edith A. Lamana
Date: 08/29/18

26 Roberts Pond Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Steven E. Carey
Seller: Chauncey Bryant
Date: 09/07/18

25 Sandra Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Kathleen A. Getto
Seller: Francis A. Getto
Date: 08/31/18

2 Summer St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,005
Buyer: Robert E. Bergmann
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 09/04/18

90 Walnut St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: M&C Real Estate LLC
Seller: 90 Walnut LLC
Date: 09/07/18

152 Wheatland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Geoffrey S. Klemish
Seller: Robert J. Gondek
Date: 08/31/18

124 Whitin Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Todd Kasperowski
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 08/30/18

286 Wildermere St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Mariluz Vargas
Seller: Scheldon A. Scott
Date: 09/04/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

24 Bent Tree Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $345,500
Buyer: Anna M. Lugo
Seller: Shahriar Allahyari
Date: 08/30/18

11 Broadleaf Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $549,500
Buyer: Ronald H. Berger
Seller: D. R. Chestnut LLC
Date: 09/07/18

15 Edgewood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Amy Fremgan
Seller: Raymond P. Ragusa
Date: 08/31/18

12 Helen Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Mary A. Phillips
Seller: Maureen A. Murphy
Date: 08/28/18

37 Helen Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Stefani M. Cheney
Seller: Timber Development LLC
Date: 09/06/18

65 Helen Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Michelle Magner
Seller: Katelyn A. O’Connor
Date: 08/27/18

30 Holland Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Michelle B. Calieno
Date: 09/04/18

19 Lenox Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Meghan T. Midghall
Seller: Emanuela Carannante
Date: 08/27/18

8 Mayfair St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Sarah M. Beaulieu
Seller: Zachary A. Czaplicki
Date: 09/06/18

29 Melvin Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $136,750
Buyer: Angelo Deguglielmo
Seller: Pauline K. St.Amand
Date: 08/31/18

121 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Victor R. Allder
Seller: AFJ Realty LLC
Date: 08/29/18

101 Old Farm Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $396,900
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Lori E. Duda
Date: 08/28/18

241 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Maximilian J. Tetrault
Seller: Christine Sousa
Date: 08/27/18

Phyllis St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Amy Fremgan
Seller: Raymond P. Ragusa
Date: 08/31/18

145 Pleasant St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Michael J. Danek
Seller: Michael Carabetta
Date: 08/31/18

83 Redin Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Christopher J. Martin
Seller: Anthony M. Santaniello
Date: 09/05/18

14 Silver Fox Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Giuseppe V. Capua
Seller: C&M Builders LLC
Date: 08/30/18

15-17 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Argentum INT
Seller: Paul R. Giguere
Date: 09/05/18

97 Tanglewood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Katelyn A. O’Connor
Seller: Robert C. Blomberg
Date: 08/27/18

72 Van Dyke Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Nicholas D. Kirchner
Seller: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Date: 08/28/18

HAMPDEN

Mill Road (rear)
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $222,444
Buyer: Roger Pell
Seller: Ronald I. Goldstein
Date: 08/27/18

209 Wilbraham Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Derek R. Remy
Seller: Timothy D. Ross
Date: 08/31/18

HOLLAND

2 Big Tree Lane
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Hue V. Pham
Seller: Lisa Fraser
Date: 08/29/18

Butterworth Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Emerald REO LLC
Seller: Elmore Realty Services
Date: 09/06/18

29 Williams Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Josue Sierra
Seller: Anna K. Sotar-Hilliard
Date: 08/29/18

HOLYOKE

14 Argyle Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: George W. Counter
Seller: Gail M. Pijar
Date: 08/29/18

605-607 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Holyoke Medical Center
Seller: Raymond A. McGarrigle
Date: 08/27/18

63-65 Belvidere Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Paige M. Hendry-Bodnar
Seller: Krause, Karl E., (Estate)
Date: 08/30/18

49 Bray Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Brooks L. Francis
Seller: Cynthia R. Comstock
Date: 08/31/18

2-4 Brightwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $130,102
Buyer: Wayne Versace
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 08/31/18

36 Coit St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Sheila S. Fallon
Seller: Martin M. Lyons
Date: 08/31/18

101 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: Albert E. Paone
Seller: Dino Marinello
Date: 08/29/18

105 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: Albert E. Paone
Seller: Dino Marinello
Date: 08/29/18

16 Holly Meadow Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: Michael R. Makowski
Seller: Nicholaus Paradis
Date: 08/29/18

60 King St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $154,400
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Shannon N. Welmaker
Date: 08/27/18

70 Lawler St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Yadilette Rivera
Seller: Brendan J. Boyle
Date: 08/31/18

79 Memorial Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Angel G. Morales
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/29/18

44-46 Nonotuck St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Karen McAmis
Seller: Samuel W. Craig
Date: 09/06/18

272-274 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Victoria P. Kleszczynski
Seller: DAC Acquisitions LLC
Date: 08/31/18

307 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Joel Brito
Seller: Sean A. Sylvester
Date: 08/31/18

426 Rock Valley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Christopher R. Avery
Seller: Peter Guz
Date: 09/06/18

22 Scott Hollow Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Agustin Morales
Seller: Shelley Conti
Date: 08/31/18

25 Stanford St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Jeremy W. Melton
Seller: Amer Ahmed
Date: 08/30/18

193 Sycamore St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $124,751
Buyer: TM Properties Inc.
Seller: TM Properties Inc.
Date: 08/27/18

1 Vadnais St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Michelle E. Herrick
Seller: Margaret A. McCarthy
Date: 08/28/18

53-55 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Derrick R. Duval
Seller: James Fiore
Date: 08/27/18

134 West Meadowview Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $255,100
Buyer: Ellen Harter-Wall
Seller: Michael J. Krok
Date: 08/28/18

LONGMEADOW

148 Birch Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $187,765
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Dean S. Brust
Date: 08/30/18

17 Birchwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Gina M. Pioggia
Seller: Mallory Caplan
Date: 09/07/18

108 Chiswick St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: James J. Kane
Seller: Noella R. Frosch
Date: 09/07/18

50 Crest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Theodore A. Pappas
Seller: Claude Matalanis
Date: 08/31/18

100 Emerson Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $341,000
Buyer: Madeleine P. Martin
Seller: Kimberly A. Robbins
Date: 09/07/18

37 Ferncroft St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Lavertue
Seller: Paul E. Lavertue
Date: 09/04/18

57 Hillcrest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Alexandra G. Penzias
Seller: Franny Krushinsky
Date: 09/06/18

980 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $233,300
Buyer: Robert Carter
Seller: David Chapdelaine
Date: 08/27/18

58 Robin Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Robert S. Maggi
Seller: Joel S. Illouz
Date: 08/29/18

24 South Park Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Leon A. Blake
Seller: Stephen W. Stanley
Date: 08/31/18

123 Wheel Meadow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Kathy Mullins
Seller: Monique B. Loizzo
Date: 08/30/18

81 Wilkin Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $414,200
Buyer: Milan T. Bartek
Seller: Sheila J. Blum
Date: 09/07/18

LUDLOW

39 Daisy Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $439,000
Buyer: Donald J. Robert
Seller: Daviau Construction LLC
Date: 09/07/18

105 Elizabeth Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Jason J. Pacheco
Seller: Jose Andre
Date: 08/29/18

31 Essex St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Christina M. McDonald
Seller: Alfredo Correia
Date: 08/27/18

286 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Pedro J. Correa
Seller: Gregory R. Gay
Date: 08/31/18

32 Hampshire St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Carlos Serrazina
Seller: Andre, Arminda, (Estate)
Date: 09/05/18

Harvest Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Jeffrey Correia
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 08/27/18

15 Higher St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Nicholas J. Burke
Seller: Manuel E. Martins-Jose
Date: 08/30/18

66 John St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Lauren Scandura
Seller: Shelby J. Beauchemin
Date: 08/31/18

167 Karen Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jose M. Martins
Seller: Nascimento, Naida, (Estate)
Date: 08/30/18

59 Lehigh St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Sylvia M. Moroney
Seller: Antonio Filipe
Date: 09/07/18

637 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Miller Gap LLC
Seller: Zaranek, Helen M., (Estate)
Date: 08/30/18

632 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $121,000
Buyer: Liza Larose
Seller: Deborah L. Mann
Date: 09/06/18

45 Parker Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: Ilker Demir
Seller: Alyce C. Burek
Date: 08/31/18

77 Poole St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Bellucci
Seller: Suzanne T. Bruce
Date: 09/05/18

20 Reservoir Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: John M. Roy
Seller: William J. Graves
Date: 08/31/18

130 Salli Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Tyler J. Severyn
Seller: Thomas E. Godek
Date: 08/31/18

188 Wedgewood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Elsa G. Bartolo
Seller: Steven J. Mastalerz
Date: 08/31/18

27 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Timothy R. Steele
Seller: Susan A. Mazrolle
Date: 08/29/18

MONSON

205 Lower Hampden Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $630,000
Buyer: Douglas Delisle
Seller: Debra Malone
Date: 08/29/18

136 Munn Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Gasco
Seller: William H. Bottomley
Date: 09/07/18

32 Old Reed Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Sandra L. Martin
Seller: Sugar Magnolia RT
Date: 08/30/18

242 State Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Peter Wiggins
Seller: Stone Bear LLC
Date: 08/31/18

9 Valley View Heights
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Teresa L. Unwin
Seller: Michael W. Emmons
Date: 09/06/18

MONTGOMERY

20 Chamberlain Road
Montgomery, MA 01050
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: 20 Chamberlain Road Land TR
Seller: Charles R. Peckham
Date: 08/30/18

PALMER

286 Emery St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kate Hansen-Templeton
Seller: Kevin J. Dansereau
Date: 09/07/18

12 Katie Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Allison L. Pereira
Seller: Nicholas Doup
Date: 09/07/18

102 State St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: David Rosenburg
Seller: Michael R. Hermanson
Date: 08/28/18

RUSSELL

556 Woodland Way
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $274,000
Buyer: Timothy L. Garwacki
Seller: Shaun M. Baddeley
Date: 09/05/18

SOUTHWICK

123 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Wayne A. Corliss
Seller: Michael H. O’Malley
Date: 08/31/18

13 Chapman St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Mary A. Benoit
Seller: Ziohomz & Properties LLC
Date: 08/29/18

12 Eagle St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Anthony Gallo
Seller: Kenneth W. Giesing
Date: 09/07/18

215 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Stephen Martin
Seller: Rapacki, Mary R., (Estate)
Date: 09/04/18

SPRINGFIELD

192 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $139,100
Buyer: Angelique Dehoyos
Seller: Melissa Nguyen-Huynh
Date: 08/29/18

725 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Andrea M. Derose
Seller: Arthur J. Holbrook
Date: 08/31/18

578-580 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Julio A. Lopez
Seller: Manfred Karori
Date: 08/31/18

8 Banbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Leanne Bourgeois
Seller: 8 Banbury LLC
Date: 08/28/18

5 Barrington Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Winston Roberts
Seller: Colin M. Tabb
Date: 08/29/18

17 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: William R. McCarthy
Seller: Lisa A. Santaniello
Date: 09/07/18

934 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $153,500
Buyer: Luis A. Mejia
Seller: Wmass Residential LLC
Date: 08/31/18

82 Blaine St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $128,866
Buyer: Eslainy Diaz
Seller: Stork, Marlin E., (Estate)
Date: 08/28/18

275 Breckwood Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Sunny S. Sary-Gonzalez
Seller: Stacy E. Clark
Date: 08/31/18

6 Brookburn St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Mark A. Larace
Date: 08/28/18

112 Cambridge St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $677,200
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Springfield Homes LLC
Date: 08/30/18

70 Carew Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Diplomat Property Manager
Seller: Marjorie M. Lucas
Date: 08/28/18

21 Cedar St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $976,850
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 08/30/18

236-238 College St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $864,000
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Hampden Realty LLC
Date: 08/30/18

237 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $248,598
Buyer: Planet Home Lending LLC
Seller: Roman Gureyev
Date: 08/31/18

59 Corcoran Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Coraxe RT
Seller: Edward R. Cloutier
Date: 09/04/18

40 Cornwall St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $136,900
Buyer: Clarensa E. McCreary
Seller: Kelvin J. Quinones
Date: 09/05/18

132 Croyden Ter
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Yahina G. Caudillo
Seller: Luis Colon
Date: 08/31/18

28 Dana St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Roberto A. Vasquez
Seller: Crawford F. Smith
Date: 09/05/18

111 Dawes St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $677,200
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Springfield Homes LLC
Date: 08/30/18

70-72 Dawes St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $677,200
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Springfield Homes LLC
Date: 08/30/18

215 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Andrew L. Bassett
Seller: Reed, Theresa A., (Estate)
Date: 08/31/18

31 Daytona St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Diego R. Martes-Marte
Seller: Carol P. Harris
Date: 08/31/18

149 Donbray Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Katherine Roman
Seller: Christine M. Tetreault
Date: 08/31/18

1512 Dwight St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Butoyi Reverian
Seller: Greater Springfield Habit for Humanity
Date: 08/27/18

49-51 East Hooker St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $976,850
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 08/30/18

93 East Park St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: 88 Maple 93 East Park LLC
Seller: Glory Realty LLC
Date: 08/27/18

305 El Paso St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Mickey W. Vidal-Osorio
Seller: Lori Giacomoni
Date: 09/07/18

56-58 Eleanor Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Arnaldo Ferreira
Seller: Tuyen V. Nguyen
Date: 08/28/18

71-73 Eleanor Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Alexander Diaz
Seller: Patricia A. Carney
Date: 08/27/18

55 Entrybrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Maria A. Salcedo
Seller: Vladmir Bograd
Date: 08/29/18

11-15 Fairmount St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $864,000
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Hampden Realty LLC
Date: 08/30/18

30 Falmouth St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Victoria S. Contreras
Seller: Angela L. Martins
Date: 09/07/18

34 Fenimore Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Ana E. Nater
Seller: Tara L. Pappas
Date: 08/31/18

45 Fenimore Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Douglas
Seller: Patricia F. Johnson
Date: 09/04/18

4 Fordham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jessica Lopez
Seller: Daniel H. Bigelow
Date: 08/28/18

18 Fresno St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Pride Convenience Inc.
Seller: Eliseo DeLeon
Date: 09/05/18

75 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $153,500
Buyer: Michael Tranghese
Seller: Tammy L. Devasier
Date: 08/28/18

54 Georgetown St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Jason D. Orluk
Seller: Bobbie-Jo A. Deprey
Date: 08/31/18

78 Gilman St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $660,000
Buyer: JMB Property Management
Seller: Carlos A. Orduz
Date: 08/29/18

25 Glen Albyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Kristine M. Gonzalez
Seller: Christina A. Bordeau
Date: 08/31/18

246 Glenoak Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $171,500
Buyer: Nick J. Breault
Seller: Paul Goodchild
Date: 08/31/18

72 Greaney St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Luis A. Nunez-Delvalle
Seller: Daviau & Robert Properties
Date: 09/05/18

112 Groton St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Tom Makris
Seller: Cecilia D. Hoynoski
Date: 08/27/18

22 Grove St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Luis R. Velazquez
Seller: Raquel Rodriguez
Date: 08/31/18

Guion St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Old Sudbury Realty LLC
Seller: Daniel Tebaldi
Date: 09/06/18

71 Hartford Terrace
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Christina M. Willenbrock
Seller: Aren W. Scanlan-Emigh
Date: 08/31/18

27 Home St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Kyara E. Linares
Seller: William E. Dugan
Date: 08/31/18

37 Howes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Jean Laborde
Seller: Nu Way Homes Inc.
Date: 08/31/18

36 Irvington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Miklasiewicz
Seller: Judy Bergdoll
Date: 08/31/18

274 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Ronal Urena
Seller: Aztec 425 LLC
Date: 08/28/18

22 Jerilis Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Eddie Diaz
Seller: Christopher T. Meesseman
Date: 08/28/18

132 Jerilis Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Luz C. Hernandez
Seller: Deborah A. Parker
Date: 09/07/18

163 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Juan Liriano
Seller: Kenneth L. Fitzgibbon
Date: 08/28/18

48-50 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $864,000
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Hampden Realty LLC
Date: 08/30/18

21 Kane St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Shannon Green
Seller: Campagnari Construction
Date: 08/31/18

161 King St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $976,850
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 08/30/18

37 Kingsley St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Eduardo Matos
Seller: Kevin M. Bowler
Date: 08/30/18

46 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Marjory A. Aarons
Seller: Eric J. Marthinsen
Date: 09/07/18

54 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Marjory A. Aarons
Seller: Eric J. Marthinsen
Date: 09/07/18

55 Larkspur St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $213,426
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Robert J. Russo
Date: 08/31/18

25-27 Lyndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Nilka D. Otero
Seller: Aguasvivas Realty LLC
Date: 09/06/18

88-96 Maple St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $1,892,000
Buyer: 88 Maple 93 East Park LLC
Seller: 88 Casino Terrace LLC
Date: 08/27/18

57 Marlborough St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Sharon Webb-Simpson
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 08/31/18

111 Mary Coburn Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Zarli Lwin
Seller: Chris J. Lavalley
Date: 08/27/18

117 Massachusetts Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Kimberly R. Spencer
Seller: Ervin E. Carelock
Date: 08/31/18

67 Massasoit St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $976,850
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 08/30/18

170 Mayflower Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Abdel Drihmi
Seller: Juliette Son
Date: 09/05/18

55 Maynard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $864,000
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Hampden Realty LLC
Date: 08/30/18

57 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: Alisha Heartley
Seller: USA VA
Date: 08/31/18

120-122 Methuen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Stephen L. Raymond
Seller: Jeanette Brown
Date: 08/31/18

56 Middlebrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Marisol Morales-Diaz
Seller: Woodward, Chester P. Sr., (Estate)
Date: 08/28/18

39 Montmorenci St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Daniel E. Grandon
Seller: Rouillard, Emile, (Estate)
Date: 09/04/18

89-91 Mooreland St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $156,900
Buyer: Tasha Marsh
Seller: Juan Sanchez
Date: 08/31/18

83 Moss Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Notre Dame Properties LLC
Seller: Michael A. Stebbins
Date: 08/30/18

40 Norman St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank USA
Seller: Marilyn C. Daly
Date: 08/27/18

93 Oak Grove Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $677,200
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Springfield Homes LLC
Date: 08/30/18

264 Old Farm Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: George H. Miller
Seller: Claude J. Roy
Date: 09/05/18

15 Olney Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Dalfri Ciprian
Seller: Michelle A. Magner
Date: 08/27/18

130-132 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Maria A. Contreras
Seller: Kelnate Realty LLC
Date: 08/28/18

64 Palmyra St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Erin M. McVey
Seller: James J. McVey
Date: 08/30/18

206 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Carlos Velez
Seller: Paul J. Kochanek
Date: 08/31/18

368 Parkerview St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $167,375
Buyer: Francisco L. Medina
Seller: Robert E. Sadowski
Date: 08/29/18

706 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Patricia D. Polite
Seller: Lindquist, J. Kent, (Estate)
Date: 09/07/18

69 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Robert B. Labranche
Seller: Mario F. Cosentini
Date: 08/31/18

144-146 Prospect St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $976,850
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 08/30/18

43 Reed St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $864,000
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Hampden Realty LLC
Date: 08/30/18

11-15 Rochelle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $361,950
Buyer: Copenger LLC
Seller: Emerald City Rentals LLC
Date: 08/30/18

128 San Miguel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Felipe Muriel
Seller: Jason E. Perez
Date: 09/04/18

219 Seymour Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Gina Delgado
Seller: Samuel Gomez-Gonzalez
Date: 08/31/18

1440 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $211,001
Buyer: Tracey A. Marchessault
Seller: Frances G. Ross
Date: 08/27/18

10 Spikenard Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: A. Plus Enterprises Inc.
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 08/31/18

4 Steuben St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Abimael Resto
Seller: Fujie Chen
Date: 08/29/18

33 Stratford Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Jose A. Diaz
Seller: Kathryn R. Tivnan
Date: 08/31/18

52 Stuart St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Margaret M. Howe
Seller: Raymond Polhemus
Date: 09/07/18

167 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Maurine A. Blake
Seller: Thomas J. Longo
Date: 08/27/18

63 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Teana Padilla
Seller: Nolava LLC
Date: 08/31/18

369 Tremont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Cecilia Anglin
Seller: John Martin
Date: 08/27/18

199-211 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $1,892,000
Buyer: 88 Maple 93 East Park LLC
Seller: 88 Casino Terrace LLC
Date: 08/27/18

77 Valley Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Aguasvivas Realty LLC
Seller: Maurice Baker
Date: 09/07/18

16 Venture Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jillian L. Bowyer
Seller: Mary L. Ryan
Date: 09/07/18

110-112 Wallace St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Javier Martinez
Seller: Axel I. Flores
Date: 08/30/18

68 Waverly St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Yitzchok Itzkowitz
Seller: Luis A. Rivera
Date: 09/05/18

72 Waverly St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Avraham M. Itzkowitz
Seller: Luis A. Rivera
Date: 09/05/18

51 Wellington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Brian Leong
Seller: Ann M. Roberts
Date: 08/29/18

23 Wendover Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: James M. Crogan
Seller: Sharyn M. Kakley
Date: 08/29/18

33-35 Wisteria St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: Guy D. Tremblay
Date: 09/05/18

TOLLAND

103 Otter Pond Trail
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $366,000
Buyer: Paula M. Flint
Seller: Calasha G. Gish
Date: 08/31/18

WALES

23 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Randall J. Harrington
Seller: Constance M. Kleindienst
Date: 08/31/18

48 Tiderman Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Freedom Credit Unit
Seller: Daniel P. Serrenho
Date: 09/07/18

118 Union Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Matthew Oleski
Seller: Paul M. Atkinson
Date: 08/29/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

47 Adrian Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Steven J. Longey
Seller: Vincent A. Rizzo
Date: 08/31/18

1210 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $184,250
Buyer: Evgheni Vornicov
Seller: Vanderbilt Mortgage & Finance
Date: 08/31/18

91 Ashley St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $247,222
Buyer: Donna M. Broderick
Seller: Edward F. Sierra
Date: 08/31/18

75 Birnie Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $219,350
Buyer: William M. Gray
Seller: Christopher Olko
Date: 09/07/18

22 Crestview Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Usamah Nadeem
Seller: Mohammad A. Hazratji
Date: 09/04/18

44 Day St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Bernard J. Bouvier
Date: 08/28/18

74 Ely Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $126,727
Buyer: Campagnari Construction
Seller: Campagnari Construction
Date: 09/06/18

50 Green Meadow Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Jon A. Hager
Seller: Roland L. Duquette
Date: 08/29/18

202 Greystone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $194,156
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gerard S. Filip
Date: 08/28/18

288 Kings Hwy.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $230,500
Buyer: Christopher T. Reichelt
Seller: Laurie A. Frye
Date: 09/07/18

13 Maple Heights
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Nichole Barnes
Seller: Robert J. Horacek
Date: 08/31/18

95 Mulcahy Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $729,000
Buyer: Arthur J. O’Donald
Seller: Anthony J. Wheeler
Date: 08/28/18

21 Oleander St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $185,900
Buyer: Ralph E. Dowers
Seller: Michael J. Fortier
Date: 08/31/18

55 Oleander St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Margaret E. Sheehan
Seller: Robert W. Cortes
Date: 09/05/18

521 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Emilien L. Larochelle
Seller: John Giavis
Date: 08/29/18

80 Plateau Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Naveen Kumar-Sharma
Seller: Christopher Foley
Date: 09/07/18

124 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Bruce W. Fountain
Seller: Clifford R. Barclay
Date: 08/31/18

30 Silver St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Crystal Guillen
Seller: Helen Stuart
Date: 09/07/18

105 Van Horn St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Mark A. Frank
Seller: Matthew J. Scytkowski
Date: 09/07/18

1520 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $187,250
Buyer: Jeffrey Auld
Seller: FNMA
Date: 09/05/18

WESTFIELD

67 Barbara St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Edward T. Kennedy
Seller: John C. Walts
Date: 08/31/18

30 Briarwood Place
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Michael J. Dupell
Seller: Charles E. Wood
Date: 08/31/18

75 Cranston St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Ahmed H. Aljanabi
Seller: Darrell Malachowski
Date: 09/05/18

36 Cabot Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Mass. Development Finance Authority Agency
Seller: Robert C. Girard
Date: 08/30/18

9 Cleveland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: Overgrown Holdings LLC
Seller: Robert J. Colson
Date: 08/29/18

297 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Sollyed Santana-Rivera
Seller: Rockne Jacque
Date: 09/07/18

11 Hayre St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $177,900
Buyer: Edward D. Honeysett
Seller: JRP Realty LLC
Date: 08/29/18

781 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $162,900
Buyer: Nicholas A. Deangelo
Seller: Daniel J. Garnett
Date: 09/04/18

86 Joseph Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $149,240
Buyer: Citizens Bank
Seller: Joseph A. Michonski
Date: 08/30/18

20 Linden Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Meredith Morgan
Seller: Lidia Rudenko
Date: 08/29/18

95 Llewellyn Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: John S. Haftmann
Seller: Richard J. Bentrewicz
Date: 08/31/18

99 Llewellyn Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Levi G. Fletcher
Seller: Kenneth A. Kanner
Date: 08/30/18

22 Mockingbird Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Nicholaus R. Paradis
Seller: Steven J. Aube
Date: 09/04/18

390 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jonathan M. Bray
Seller: Michael C. Warren
Date: 09/07/18

15 Nancy Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $427,000
Buyer: Joshua P. Kelly
Seller: Craig S. Miller
Date: 09/04/18

31 Oakcrest Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Nicholas C. Bernier
Seller: Daniel E. Clearwater
Date: 08/27/18

60 Pequot Point Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Gail M. Pijar
Seller: Barbara A. Giroux
Date: 08/30/18

76 Pequot Point Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Brian T. Burke
Seller: John R. Harrington
Date: 09/07/18

87 Pequot Point Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: JMN LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 09/05/18

67 Plantation Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Richard Rumplik
Seller: Thomas C. Mihalek
Date: 08/28/18

93 Prospect St., Ext.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Karen Pellan
Seller: Ryan W. Whitney
Date: 08/31/18

90 Sunset Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Petr Kiforishin
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 09/06/18

300 Union St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: 300 Union Street Inc.
Seller: N&J LLC
Date: 09/05/18

16 Victoria Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Erica A. Morin
Seller: US Bank
Date: 09/05/18

76 Westminster St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Tristan P. Kiendzior
Seller: Dana P. Kiendzior
Date: 08/29/18

113 Woodside Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Tika Gurung
Seller: Jeneral, Dorothy B., (Estate)
Date: 09/07/18

WILBRAHAM

7 Bolles Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $271,500
Buyer: Michael J. Summers
Seller: Lillian M. Mallett
Date: 08/31/18

68 Crane Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Amaral
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/29/18

20 Deerfield Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Margo R. Stevenson
Seller: Paul J. Pannier
Date: 09/05/18

11 Greenwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Paul E. Lavertue
Seller: Mark S. Harper
Date: 09/04/18

855 Ridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $1,500,000
Buyer: Berkshire Funding RT
Seller: Scott J. Bergman
Date: 08/27/18

19 Ripley St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Luke M. Barlow
Seller: Kristin Sleeper
Date: 08/29/18

376 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $204,536
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Raffaele Cirillo
Date: 08/27/18

628 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Joecreative Inc.
Seller: Marla R. Ollari
Date: 09/06/18

329 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Cristina Denardo
Seller: Chrysler Szarlan
Date: 09/06/18

949 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: 911 Stony Hill Road LLC
Date: 08/31/18

915 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Mario F. Cosentini
Seller: Ryan R. Pelletier
Date: 08/31/18

 

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

45 Boltwood Walk
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,287,000
Buyer: 37 North Pleasant St. LLC
Seller: Amherst Knights Of Columbus
Date: 09/07/18

20 Clifton Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Carolyn Lee-Davis
Seller: Mustin Williamsburg NT
Date: 08/27/18

29 Dana Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $611,351
Buyer: Anne B. Ye
Seller: Kay J. Moran
Date: 08/27/18

155 Farmington Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Scott Kaplan
Seller: Elizabeth E. Powers
Date: 09/07/18

26 Foxglove Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $442,000
Buyer: Mandi J. Hanneke
Seller: Susan L. Guerchon
Date: 09/06/18

409 Henry St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Irene Mantle-Meeran
Seller: Emy P. Dickey
Date: 08/30/18

312 Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Cosenzi
Seller: Wood Land NT
Date: 09/07/18

37 North Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,287,000
Buyer: 37 North Pleasant St. LLC
Seller: Amherst Knights Of Columbus
Date: 09/07/18

75 Russellville Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Glenn F. Brozo
Seller: Brozo, Mary A., (Estate)
Date: 09/05/18

17 Sacco Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Debora D. Ferreira
Seller: Chiu Wun Ho
Date: 08/28/18

251-253 Sunset Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Merkos Linyonei Chinuch
Seller: Mokrzecki, Elizabeth, (Estate)
Date: 08/28/18

214 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Margaret M. Stratton
Seller: Michael Krebs
Date: 08/30/18

BELCHERTOWN

24 Brandywine Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Bing Chi
Seller: Robert E. Bergedahl
Date: 08/27/18

208 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Christine A. Thomas
Seller: Frederick Owen
Date: 09/07/18

17 Jasons Way
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: William Reynolds
Seller: Matthew W. Buckingham
Date: 08/28/18

479 South Washington St. #12
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $405,664
Buyer: Erin Whalen
Seller: Lafleur & Son Inc.
Date: 09/04/18

126 Wilson Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Elizabeth C. Chase
Seller: Robert L. Condon
Date: 08/31/18

CHESTERFIELD

22 Sugar Hill Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Tolgy Wood LLC
Seller: Robert J. Montgomery
Date: 08/31/18

27 Sugar Hill Road
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Tolgy Wood LLC
Seller: Robert J. Montgomery
Date: 08/31/18

CUMMINGTON

12 Bush Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Dawn Klein
Seller: Joseph M. Pacella
Date: 09/05/18

468 West Cummington Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: John Walker
Seller: Lutheran Church Missouri
Date: 09/07/18

EASTHAMPTON

7 Crescent St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $332,500
Buyer: Christine K. Dagostino
Seller: David L. Ryan
Date: 09/06/18

3 Dewey St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Steven Esrick
Seller: Susan McCauley-Smith
Date: 08/28/18

115 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: David Oppenheim
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 09/07/18

412 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $312,500
Buyer: Louis B. Motamedi
Seller: Janna E. Tetreault
Date: 08/31/18

25 Garfield Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Douglas M. Hogue
Seller: Camille Kerr
Date: 09/04/18

10 Gross Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $317,500
Buyer: Andrea S. Hermans
Seller: Matthew W. Sunderland
Date: 08/30/18

14 Groveland St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Christie George-Windyka
Seller: Eliza T. Mcardle
Date: 08/27/18

16 Lawndale St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Emily E. Anderson
Seller: Widelo, Leon F., (Estate)
Date: 08/30/18

45 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Benjamin G. Bachteler
Seller: Rita L. Lepine
Date: 08/31/18

62 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Faith D. Vittum
Seller: Anthony P. Demerski
Date: 08/31/18

18 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Kevin R. Cook
Seller: Daniel R. Radin
Date: 09/05/18

91 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Edward C. Wyjowski
Seller: Edward T. Kennedy
Date: 08/31/18

100 Strong St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $338,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass Inc.
Seller: Brian R. Sorel
Date: 08/31/18

27 Westview Terrace
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Davin J. Pasek
Seller: Chlosta, Edward J., (Estate)
Date: 08/31/18

GOSHEN

44 Fuller Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Corey M. Carvalho
Seller: Jill M. Thurman
Date: 09/04/18

GRANBY

85 Ferry Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Gary L. Aldrich
Seller: Patrick J. Chehade
Date: 08/27/18

6 Lanebrook Circle
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Richard R. Sawicki
Seller: Denise M. Lafountain
Date: 08/31/18

HADLEY

25 Grand Oak Farm Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Steven Carvalho
Seller: Sean J. Jarvis
Date: 09/04/18

HATFIELD

Depot Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Jonathan Tucker
Seller: Edward M. Cialek
Date: 08/29/18

71 Main St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $569,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Mullins
Seller: Nicole W. Perron
Date: 08/31/18

34 Mountain Road
Hatfield, MA 01066
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Cowan
Seller: Gregory G. Zgrodnik
Date: 08/31/18

18 Sunset Ave.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Catherine L. Richotte
Seller: Joan G. Korza NT
Date: 08/27/18

353 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01066
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Shirley Skorupski
Seller: Stacia Potyrala IRT
Date: 08/30/18

HUNTINGTON

101 Pond Brook Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $134,470
Buyer: Jason A. Nichols
Seller: Piers, Eleanor M., (Estate)
Date: 08/30/18

NORTHAMPTON

341 Audubon Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $1,150,000
Buyer: Peter K. Wirth
Seller: Elizabeth Vizentin
Date: 08/27/18

771 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: K. Zavras-Bentrewicz
Seller: Kathryn Cambell-Julian
Date: 08/31/18

1268 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $317,000
Buyer: Jessica M. Bossie
Seller: James M. Camposeo
Date: 09/04/18

24 Harlow Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $411,000
Buyer: Margaret L. Mead
Seller: Keefe FT
Date: 08/27/18

34 Hockanum Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $275,200
Buyer: Bertha Soledad-Thorman
Seller: Edward J&A H. Antosz RET
Date: 08/31/18

15 Ladd Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Matthew W. Stratton
Seller: Gregory Schweitzer
Date: 08/31/18

3 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Richard E. Cooper
Seller: William F. Rogers FT
Date: 09/06/18

31 Mann Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Elizabeth E. Vizentin
Seller: Andrew G. Sector
Date: 09/07/18

137 South Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $426,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Rosenblum
Seller: Gregory C. Clausen
Date: 08/31/18

89 Williams St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Amina M. Steinfels
Seller: Jason E. Lamonde
Date: 08/28/18

PELHAM

55 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Jennifer Haag
Seller: Julie M. Tajima
Date: 08/29/18

2 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $215,500
Buyer: Larry H. Crook
Seller: David S. Powers
Date: 08/31/18

SOUTH HADLEY

91 Charon Terrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Sara Kilcullen-Austin
Seller: Michael Colwell-Lafleur
Date: 08/31/18

28 Dartmouth St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Chad Guyott
Seller: Sarah L. Gilleman
Date: 08/31/18

5 Grove St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $200,250
Buyer: Michael Lynch
Seller: Scott D. Andrews
Date: 08/30/18

287 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $175,500
Buyer: Traubino LLC
Seller: Charles T. Maak
Date: 08/28/18

76 Hildreth Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Kirsten Andrews
Seller: MA Home Buyers LLC
Date: 08/29/18

16 Ludlow Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $248,900
Buyer: Cydney L. Mulveyhill
Seller: Sharon R. Miner
Date: 08/31/18

SOUTHAMPTON

23 Bissonnette Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $448,900
Buyer: Karen M. Woods
Seller: David A. Melycher
Date: 08/31/18

78 Crooked Ledge Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Mitchell T. Halon
Seller: 78 Crooked Ledge Road LLC
Date: 09/07/18

26 East St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Ellen Himmelman
Seller: W. Marek Inc.
Date: 08/27/18

96 East St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Eliza T. Mcardle
Seller: Ellen Himmelman
Date: 08/27/18

29 Gilbert Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $328,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Dalton
Seller: Lisa M. Lauro
Date: 08/31/18

20 Helen Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: John W. North
Seller: Lori Beaudry
Date: 09/06/18

22 Miller Ave.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Donald B. Morrisey
Seller: James W. Young
Date: 09/07/18

WARE

3 Coldbrook Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Michael Wimberly
Seller: Thomas M. Lewison
Date: 08/31/18

23 High St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Anthony Serrano
Seller: Christopher W. Alt
Date: 08/27/18

WESTHAMPTON

41 Pine Island Lake
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Bruce W. Young
Seller: Timothy C. Tash
Date: 08/31/18

WILLIAMSBURG

25 Williams St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Cheryl L. Rauch
Seller: James A. Ferron
Date: 09/07/18

WORTHINGTON

183 Starkweather Hill Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Hannah Donner
Seller: Peter P. Ball
Date: 08/31/18

66 Starkweather Hill Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Terrence K. Vaid
Seller: Kevin E. Schnopp
Date: 08/31/18

245 Williamsburg Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Caitlin N. Wheeler
Seller: Daniel A. Gougeon
Date: 08/29/18

455 Williamsburg Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Cheryl A. Alexander
Seller: Korrie Wilson
Date: 08/31/18

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

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

AGAWAM

ICNE Group Realty Inc.
1070 Suffield St.
$14,500 — Roofing

CHICOPEE

City of Chicopee
17 Springfield St.
$2,100 — Add two sprinklers in election and clerk’s vault

Elms College
291 Springfield St.
$328,000 — Replace boiler stack

EASTHAMPTON

CIL Realty of MA Inc.
198 East St.
$31,500 — Install exterior door and spiral staircase to existing deck

Lachenauer, LLC
6 Prospect St.
$4,100 — Insulation and air sealing

EAST LONGMEADOW

Aspen Dental
434 North Main St.
$3,150 — Remove bathroom

Chipotle
42 Center Square
$380,326 — Commercial fit-out

Verizon Wireless
331 Prospect St.
$30,000 — Replace antennas

A Wondering Spirit
169 Shaker Road
$2,000 — Minor interior renovation

GREENFIELD

Buff Beagle Holdings, LLC
330 Chapman St.
$1,519 — Install sprinkler monitoring south building for King’s Gym

Aaron Demaio
5 Park St.
$282,000 — Renovate interior, repair and renovation of roofing, siding, windows, and doors for dental office

Franklin First Federal Credit Union
57 Newton St.
Install new sign with digital temperature display

Jones Properties, LP
21 Mohawk Trail
$22,707 — Remove and replace cabinets, install partition

Adam Martin, Alexandra Martin
341 Plain Road
$21,700 — Construct cow barn

Judith Stein
70 Federal St.
$9,000 — Repair storefront of Tim’s Barber Shop due to car driving into it

Town of Greenfield
125 Federal St.
$2,695 — Construct walls to cover brickwork for room in basement

Town of Greenfield
298 Federal St.
$200,000 — Install new roof, windows, thermal envelope, elevator shaft, stairwells, and doors

Town of Greenfield
Federal Street
Erect two free-standing signs for Shattuck Park

Town of Greenfield
42 Grove St.
Replace two free-standing signs for Hillside Park

Town of Greenfield
Parkway Street
Erect two free-standing signs for Highland Park

HADLEY

Pride Convenience Inc.
19 Russell St.
$12,000 — New ground sign for Tesla

Pride, LP
25 Russell St.
$6,000 — Install kitchen exhaust hood, including ductwork

W/S Hadley Properties II, LLC
337 Russell St.
$3,000 — Change faces on pylon sign at Michael’s

W/S Hadley Properties II, LLC
337 Russell St.
$50,000 — Replace sliding doors with new swing doors in vestibule of Old Navy and extend vestibule two feet inside store

LONGMEADOW

Franconia Golf Course
617 Dwight Road
$236,449 — Post-and-beam pavilion on concrete slab

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
56 Hopkins Place
$3,536 — Fence

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
489 Longmeadow St.
$20,000 — Modify equipment for Sprint

NORTHAMPTON

B’Nai Israel Congregational
257 Prospect St.
$2,500 — Remove section of wall between classrooms, reframe and install interior door

Max Hebert
46 Round Hill Road
$20,000 — Remove block fill windows and all interior mechanicals at boiler house

Hospital Hill Development, LLC
Prince Street
$74,877 — Roof-mounted solar on ServiceNet building

Michael’s House, LLC
71 State St.
$269,000 — Roofing

P + Q, LLC
114 Main St.
$5,000 — Alter stairwell

Smith College
44 College Lane
$78,000 — Construct temporary animal lab

Smith College
2 Tyler Dr.
$123,000 — Repair water-damaged drywall, flooring, paint, and floor framing in McConnell Hall

Trak Petroleum, LLC
54 Easthampton Road
Reface existing ground sign for Racing Mart

Valley Building Co. Inc.
206 King St.
$15,000 — Frame and drywall partition walls, install interior doors and trim

PALMER

Baystate Wing Hospital
40 Wright St.
$9,500 — Replace hospital logo sign

Baystate Wing Hospital
40 Wright St.
$5,680 — Replace Emergency Department sign

Black Bay Ventures IV, LLC
22 Mt. Dumplin St.
$37,650 — Roof replacement at Palmer Foundry

Stambaugh Realty, LLC
1028 Thorndike St.
Addition to VCA Animal Hospital

SPRINGFIELD

1095 Main St. Irrevocable Trust
1095 Main St.
$8,000 — Alter tenant space

Baystate Health
3350 Main St.
$35,285 — Alter space in first-floor room of D’Amour Cancer Center for office use

Big Y Foods Inc.
90 Memorial Dr.
$20,000 — Remove and replace three cellular antennas for T-Mobile

Purna Chhetri
63 Beaumont St.
$3,580 — Erect walls in basement for bathroom and storage area, and install interior door

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society Inc.
171 Union St.
$84,726 — Install 75 modules of rooftop solar at Dakin Clinic

Dask Partnership
90 Carando Dr.
$485,000 — Alter tenant space for use as autism spectrum therapy

Virginia Ellis Golemba
892 Main St.
$20,000 — Amend permit for new contractor

Five Town Station, LLC
270 Cooley St.
$50,000 — Alter retail tenant space for Verizon

Gateway Hardware
142 Boston Road
$41,705 — Alter space for mercantile/store

Marylyn Rove LL1
1 Allen St.
$20,000 — Replace six cellular antennas, replace three remote radio heads and install nine new remote radio heads

McDonald’s Corp.
809 Boston Road
$300,000 — Alter interior space at McDonald’s restaurant, including restroom upgrade, new front counter and finishes, and renovation of dining area

Patrick Spagnoletti, Laipeng Spagnoletti
67 Texel Dr.
$22,000 — Addition to front of attached garage

Springfield Redevelopment Authority
55 Frank B. Murray St.
$19,000 — Build enclosure over existing elevator shaft servicing platform C at Union Station

Tinkham Management
66 Industry Ave.
$247,000 — Alter tenant office space for Greater Springfield Senior Services

Western New England Children’s Center Inc.
34 Chapin Terrace
$2,800 — Alter reception area into office space at Ronald McDonald House

WEST SPRINGFIELD

1050 Main St., LLC
1050 Main St.
$8,730 — Apply foam to underside of corrugated steel roof to deaden sound transmittance

Hampden Charter School of Science
485 Main St.
$20,000 — Convert existing space into ADA-compliant bathroom and add handicap-accessible ramp to outside of building

Town of West Springfield
429 Moran Road
$90,000 — Install retaining wall and new paver patio at back of building, install fencing and sitting area with pergola at top of wall, new ADA sidewalk to lower parking lot, and driveway paving

Town of West Springfield
357 Piper Road
$10,000 — Construct two interior partition walls with doors for teen center

Van Deene Medical Building Partnership
75 Van Deene Ave.
$80,900 — Interior renovations

WILBRAHAM

Armory Property Management
4 Opal St.
$12,925 — New roofing and one window