Year: 2018

GREENFIELD — Richard Venne, CEO of Viability, announced the recent promotion of three current staff members: Kristin Rotas, director (Holyoke); Jennifer Pisano, associate vice president (Connecticut, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island), and Gregg Thompson, vice president (Connecticut, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island).

Viability is a provider of human services, accredited by CARF and certified by Clubhouse International, the Department of Developmental Services, and the Department of Medical Assistance. Viability leverages community and employer partnerships to create opportunities for its members.

With a staff of more than 500 individuals and 37 service locations across the country, Viability aims to enrich the lives of the people it serves and is driven by a belief that every individual, no matter their ability, can be a valuable contributor to our community and the workforce. Its service divisions include clubhouses, employment, community living, day programs, and transitional programs.

Springfield Thunderbirds to Host NAMI Night on Jan. 5

SPRINGFIELD — Saturday, Jan. 5 will be NAMI Night with the Springfield Thunderbirds hosting the Providence Bruins at the MassMutual Center. The action begins at 7:05 p.m., and tickets cost $15.

Between periods, there will be a chuck-a-puck contest with the winner (if there is one) receiving a cash prize and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of chances to win going to NAMI Western Massachusetts. For game tickets, visit springfieldthunderbirds.formstack.com/forms/nami_night or namiwm.org/events.html.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Western Massachusetts is dedicated to helping improve the quality of life for individuals and families affected by mental illness through support, education, and advocacy. According to statistics, one in four Americans will face a mental-health problem every year.

Initiative Aims to Make Individuals Workforce-ready

By George O'Brien December 11, 2018

Cover Story

Getting into the Game

“We’ve been hearing this for years, but it had just reached a boiling point.” That’s how Kermit Dunkelberg chose to sum up the conversation in this region regarding how many individuals lack the soft skills and the essential skills needed to be workforce-ready. This ‘boiling point’ status helped inspire a regional response to a request for proposals for state funding — and a $247,000 grant aimed at putting more qualified workers in the pipeline.

Since the end of the Great Recession, nearly a decade ago now, the region’s economy has been in a slow-but-steady expansion mode characterized by growth in most all industry sectors and almost historically low unemployment.

It’s been a good time for employers and job seekers alike, but there are some who have just not been able to take part in this improved economy, said Kermit Dunkelberg, assistant vice president of Adult Basic Education and Workforce Development at Holyoke Community College (HCC).

These individuals are sitting on the sidelines and not getting in the game for a number of reasons, but the two most common denominators — and this is across the board, in all sectors of the economy — is that they lack hands-on experience in a given field, basic job-readiness skills, or both.

“And in many cases, it is both,” said Dunkelberg, who noted that a soon-to-be-launched, HCC-led project will address both of these concerns.

Indeed, through a $247,000 grant from the Mass. Dept. of Higher Education’s Training Resources and Internships Networks Initiative, better known by the acronym TRAIN, HCC will work with a long list of regional partners to develop a three-stage program that includes:

• Pre-training job readiness;

• Industry-specific training in culinary arts or manufacturing; and

• Some kind of work experience with a local employer.

That list of partners includes Greenfield Community College and Springfield Technical Community College; the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board; the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board; the MassHire career centers in Holyoke, Springfield, and Hampden, and Hampshire counties; and several local employers — University of Massachusetts Auxiliary Dining Services in Amherst, the Log Cabin Group in Holyoke, MGM Resorts in Springfield, Peerless Precision in Westfield, and BETE Fog Nozzle in Greenfield, which have agreed to provide internships, apprenticeships, or job-shadowing opportunities to program participants.

That long list of players speaks to the breadth and depth of the problem and the need for a regional solution, said Dunkelberg, adding that the TRAIN initiative is an ongoing state program, and when area agencies and institutions mulled whether to apply for grants individually or collectively, there was a clear consensus for the latter.

“We brought these partners together, and one of the questions on the table was, ‘should we develop one proposal for the region, or should we develop competing proposals — what do people want to do?’” he recalled. “There was a very strong feeling that we should collaborate and develop a proposal jointly, across the entire Pioneer Valley.

“And part of the reason for that is that we all face the same issue of job readiness,” he went on. “We wanted to develop something we can agree on with all of our partners that meets the standards of what job readiness means.”

As noted earlier, there are three components to this project — pre-training, industry-specific training, and work experience with an area employer, and all three are critical to individuals becoming able to shed those classifications ‘unemployed’ or ‘underemployed,’ said Teri Anderson, executive director of the MassHire Hampshire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board.

“One of the primary pieces of feedback we receive from employers is that people coming to them looking for work need basic job-readiness skills, and we’ve heard that for several years now,” she told BusinessWest. The career center has been interested in creating a foundational skills program that would prepare people for any job across multiple sectors, and that’s exactly what this program is going to do.”

The job-readiness component will focus on a number of skills lacking among many of those on the outside looking in when it comes to the job market, she said, including communication skills, teamwork, customer service, basic math, reading, and computer skills, along with financial literacy, job-search skills, and more.

Kermit Dunkelberg says the TRAIN initiative will provide participants with not only job-readiness skills, but also hands-on experience in one of several fields.

Such skills will be provided through 60-hour pre-training courses, after which participants will have the opportunity to continue into an industry-specific training program — a four-week, 120-hour program in culinary arts and hospitality at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, or a 44-hour manufacturing training program at STCC. Also, participants might instead choose to enter another industry-specific training program offered by one of the community colleges.

The objective is make people currently not ready to enter the workforce better able to do so, said David Cruise, executive director of the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, adding that employers in every sector of the economy are challenged to find qualified workers, and in some fields, especially manufacturing, their inability to do so is impacting their ability to grow.

For this issue and its focus on employment, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the TRAIN-funded program and its prospects for becoming a model for helping regions like this one enable individuals to become part of the ongoing economic expansion, rather than merely spectators.

A Hire Reach

It’s called the ‘benefits cliff,’ or the ‘cliff effect.’

Both terms are used to describe what happens when public benefits programs phase down or out quickly, leading to an abrupt reduction or loss of benefits for families as household earnings increase through employment, but have not increased enough for self-sufficiency to be reached.

“What had really risen to the top as far as everyone’s sense of urgency was just basic job readiness across all sectors. We’ve been hearing this for years, but it has just reached a boiling point.”

Often, just a small increase in household earnings can trigger loss of eligibility for a benefit, making a family substantially worse off from a self-sufficiency standpoint than prior to the earnings gain. And fear of this eventuality is enough to keep many individuals from trying to enter or re-enter the workforce, said Anderson, adding that understanding and managing the benefits cliff will be an important component of the pre-training aspect of the TRAIN program.

“Oftentimes, people lose their benefits faster than their income rises, particularly if they’re moving into entry-level positions,” she explained. “So we’re incorporating into this training efforts to work with people on how to manage that cliff effect.”

And while it’s difficult to do so, this situation can be managed, or better managed, she told BusinessWest, adding that the state Department of Transitional Assistance is in the process of revising some of its procedures in an effort to ease the cliff effect, and the TRAIN program will help communicate these changes.

And that’s one example of how this program is necessarily broad in scope to address the many barriers to employment and reasons for underemployment in this region, said Dunkelberg.

Overall, and as noted earlier, the TRAIN initiative is a proactive response to a persistent and statewide problem, he noted, adding that it was launched in 2016 to engage long-term unemployed adults, offering foundational education programs, wraparound support services, and industry-specific skills that would enable entry or re-entry into the workforce.

The first funding round resulted in a number of specific training and employment pilot programs, he went on, adding that, locally, the program funded an initiative involving HCC and STCC to train and place individuals as home health aides.

“It was very successful; we had 56 people who went through that training, and we saw close to 90% of them get jobs,” he recalled. “Retention was high, and we received great collaboration from our employer partners.”

The program was not funded in 2017, he went on, adding that by the time the next RFP was issued earlier this year, the conversation in this region had changed somewhat.

“What had really risen to the top as far as everyone’s sense of urgency was just basic job readiness across all sectors,” he said. “We’ve been hearing this for years, but it has just reached a boiling point.”

Alyce Styles, dean of Workforce Development and Community Education at Greenfield Community College, agreed, and said surveys of area employers leading up to the grant proposal revealed that job seekers in the manufacturing sector and many others were lacking many of what are often referred to as the ‘soft’ skills needed to succeed in the workplace.

“Employers responded that they want employees and individuals who have the ability to effectively communicate orally, have ethical judgment and sound decision-making, work effectively with others and in teams, have the ability to apply knowledge and skills to real-world settings, and have critical-thinking and analytical reasoning skills,” she said. “So all of those are being embedded into this pre-training program.”

Work in Progress

The latest TRAIN initiative, proposed with the goal of creating a model for other regions, will involve up to 120 individuals from Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties, and is relatively short in duration — until only next June.

Over the next six months, the regional career centers are slated to develop three-week, 60-hour ‘essential skills/job readiness’ pre-training courses that will be offered at least four times at locations in the three Pioneer Valley counties.

Teri Anderson

“One of the primary pieces of feedback we receive from employers is that people coming to them looking for work need basic job-readiness skills, and we’ve heard that for several years now.”

Dunkelberg said the area career centers will soon commence recruitment of individuals for the program, adding that they are likely to come from several different pools, if you will, each facing some unique challenges, but some common ones as well.

Older workers finding difficulty re-entering the workforce comprise one constituency, said Anderson, adding that there are more people in this group than the announced unemployment rates might lead people to believe, because the numbers generated by the state do not count those who have become discouraged and have thus stopped looking for work.

“A lot of the people we see here are older workers who have been laid off, and they’re having trouble becoming re-employed,” she said, adding that other likely recruits face barriers to employment that include everything from lower educational attainment to a lack of basic transportation.

“There are many people who want to work and are ready to work, but they can’t get access to the training or to job sites because they can’t afford a private vehicle and public transportation doesn’t get them there,” she said, adding that the grant provides for some bridge transportation and child-care services so individuals can take part in the training components of the program, and agencies will explore options for keeping such services available to individuals if and when they do find work.

Cruise concurred, and told BusinessWest that, in addition to transportation issues and the benefits cliff, many of those on the outside looking in are simply not ready for prime time.

“Two of the industries we’re identified as high priorities over the next five years are advanced manufacturing and culinary and food service,” he explained. “At MassHire, we offer a number of training programs — as does Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College — in those two areas. And whenever we go out to look for potential applicants for those seats, there are some who, from an academic perspective or a language perspective, just aren’t ready for the rigors of a 14- or 15-week intensive program.

Dave Cruise says the TRAIN initiative is designed to help those who are unemployed or under-employed, and are thus on the outside looking in when it comes to the job market.

“These people are very employable; they just need some additional support,” he went. “And that’s what this program will provide.”

Beyond the needed basic job-readiness skills, many of those still unemployed or underemployed need hands-on experience in a chosen field or exposure with different fields so they can better decide on a career path. The TRAIN program will provide these as well, said Dunkelberg.

“Career exploration is an important part of this,” he told BusinessWest. “Beyond not having the skills or the soft skills, many people are not really sure what they want to do, and they’re not really clear on what some of the opportunities are.”

“Employers … want employees and individuals who have the ability to effectively communicate orally, have ethical judgment and sound decision-making, work effectively with others and in teams, have the ability to apply knowledge and skills to real-world settings, and have critical-thinking and analytical reasoning skills.”

In response to these realities, the program will provide some hands-on exploration of culinary and hospitality careers, primarily because of the many opportunities now opening up in that field across the region, and also in manufacturing, another sector where there are jobs coming available and not enough people in the pipeline.

This exposure will take a number of forms, including internships, job-shadowing experiences, and actual employment, said Dunkelberg, adding that the various employer partners, from MGM to Peerless Precision, have agreed to provide some type of hands-on experience with the goal of helping participants both understand where the opportunities are and discover if these fields are good fits.

When asked if there was a model for what the many partners involved in this initiative are working to create, Dunkelberg said the goal is to build a model for others to use.

And that’s just one of many potential quantitative and qualitative measures of success when it comes to this program. Others include everything from the number of job interviews granted to the program participants — a low bar, to be sure — to growth in enrollment in academic programs such as GCC’s CNC course of study, to ultimate progress in closing the nagging skills gap in this region.

Course of Action

That gap won’t be closed easily or soon, but movement in the right direction is the goal — and the priority — at the moment.

As Dunkelberg noted, the problem has reached a boiling point, and the TRAIN initiative, a truly regional response to the problem, will hopefully help matters cool down considerably.

By doing so, more people in this region — and probably others — can then take part in the economic expansion of which they have only been observers.

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

MGM at 100 Days: the Learning Experience Continues

By George O'Brien December 11, 2018

Features

At the Quarter Pole

Alex Dixon stands by the ice skating rink opened late last month at MGM Springfield, one of many amenities expected to draw visitors to the resort casino over the holiday season.

MGM Springfield recently wrapped up its first business quarter, as well as that 100-day milestone. This was described by GM Alex Dixon as a time of listening, watching, learning, and tweaking, and this pattern will continue — through the holidays and the months and quarters to follow — as the facility strives for continuous improvement and growth through new business and repeat customers.

100 days.

That’s a chosen milestone and time for reflection when it comes to presidents and governors. And for other individuals and institutions as well, including the $960 million MGM Springfield resort casino.

The facility passed the 100-day threshold earlier this month, and at the urging of BusinessWest, General Manager Alex Dixon used the occasion to spotlight not only how well the resort operation is doing against early projections — it’s been averaging roughly 15,000 visitors a day, and the occupancy rate at the hotel has been at or above 90%, according to the casino’s spokesperson — but to talk about how this is still very much a new business, one that is watching, listening, and, most importantly, learning.

There have been some well-documented changes — inspired by the casino’s ‘You Said, We Did’ campaign — made over the first three months of operation, Dixon noted, listing everything from a reduction on the price of a scooter rental to a doubling of the number of video poker games on the casino floor to the addition of a popular carnival table game called ‘Let It Ride,’ a poker derivative, as Dixon described it.

“Along the way, on those first 100 days, you start to get feedback from both customers and employees,” he explained. “I think of it [‘You Said, We Did’] as a brand of continuous improvement, both internally and externally.”

But the learning process comes on many different levels, he noted, using the Friday after Thanksgiving, when there was a tree-lighting ceremony and other festivities, to get his point across.

“Along the way, on those first 100 days, you start to get feedback from both customers and employees. I think of it [‘You Said, We Did’] as a brand of continuous improvement, both internally and externally.”

Casino operators knew it was the day after a holiday and also a day off for most people, but they didn’t quite anticipate what these factors, coupled with the Big Balloon Parade and other events, would mean for visitation to their facility.

“That Friday … absolutely did not look like any other Friday, where it’s a much-later-arriving crowd and an older crowd,” said Dixon, adding that what (and who) they encountered certainly caught the management team off guard. “We needed to manage a much younger crowd, and one that had many people who were here for the first time.

Peter and Michelle Wirth say their business, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, which bought naming rights to the skating rink, has a lot on common with the casino in that they are both relatively new ventures working to establish themselves.

“A quarter seems like a while, but we’re really still a new business in our infancy,” he went on. “And while there are some patterns that have emerged, we’ve really only been open 14 weekends; we learn something new every peak weekend.”

And the team at MGM is now in the midst of another comprehensive, multi-faceted learning experience — the facility’s first holiday season.

The casino has been decorated for the occasion, and it has opened an ice-skating rink — Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan was on hand for the opening ceremonies.

The holiday season is one when many people will be visiting this region to spend time with friends and family here, Dixon noted, and also a time when families are off from work and school and looking for things to do. And, naturally, MGM will be aggressive in its efforts to seize some of their time.

But while extraordinary in some ways, the holiday season will be like others since late August, when the casino opened its doors amid considerable fanfare, and those to come, he said. It’s merely another opportunity that must be seized.

For this issue, BusinessWest looks at the casino’s first 100 days and how they are reflective of a pattern of continuous improvement that management says will define the operation in the months and years to come.

Straight Shooters

They call them VIP Roundtables.

That’s the name attached to what amount to large, well-organized feedback-gathering sessions, said Dixon, adding that the first one was staged in late October.

“We bring in our best guests, provide them with a nice meal, and all of our executives sit at tables with these guests so that we’re able to get that direct feedback,” he explained, adding that time at his table yielded several pages of notes on his legal pad. Among the suggestions upon which the casino took action — from the VIP Roundtables and other vehicles for conveying feedback — were the addition of electronic roulette, Let It Ride,’ more waitresses serving cocktails, extended hours for some of the South End Market dining options, improved traffic flow in the parking garage, and the addition of ‘top-dollar’ (high-limit) slot machines.

Management even made some adjustments in the store of the hotel, specifically with ‘MGM’ branded items and apparel.

“People wanted more logoed gear,” he explained. “We rolled out some swag — different polos, hats, sweatshirts — but as people earn loyalty points with us and as they frequent the property, you can only buy the same T-shirt, hat, or polo so many times, so we quickly added a new and wider variety.

“Our business is a series of small, minor tweaks to the customer experience,” he went on. “And for our customers who come two, three, four times a week, these small changes are big; if you’re favorite thing in the world is playing Let it Ride, us having Let it Ride is a very big deal.”

Elaborating, Dixon noted that those operating in this sphere, as in most other business sectors, tend to break things down, revenue-wise and otherwise, by quarter.

And in this case, obviously, it was MGM Springfield’s first quarter.

It’s been a busy one, marked by everything from the announcement of a Wahlburgers restaurant coming to the site to the launch of a comedy club; from ceremonies in the casino’s Armory Square to mark Theodor Geisel’s birthplace to a vote of the facility’s security personnel not to unionize.

There were some new partnerships as well, such as one with Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, which is sponsoring the ice rink and a car-giveaway program (more on that later).

But mostly, it’s been a time of watching, listening, learning, and tweaking, Dixon said, adding that while some feedback comes directly from customers at VIP Roundtables and formal surveys, most of it comes from employees — who are passing on what they see and hear.

A doubling of the number of video poker games on the casino floor is one of several tweaks Alex Dixon’s team has made in response to guest feedback.

“The best place that we get direct customer feedback is our front-line employees,” he explained. “It’s important that we talk and develop a deep relationship with those front-line employees because they will tell us what the customers are telling them.”

Over the first quarter, some patterns have emerged in terms of traffic volume and the origination points for visitors, said Dixon. In general, guests have come from a radius of 150 to 250 miles, meaning all of New England and New York. But the lion’s share (pun intended) of the guests (to both the casino and the hotel) are coming from the 413.

He noted that bus service to the casino has been fairly steady and that more routes may be added in the near future.

Meanwhile, bookings for the meeting and event spaces have been solid as well, he noted, adding that a number of large-scale events, including the Bright Nights Ball in November, have been staged on the property, and several area companies, from Florence Bank to Whalley Computer, have already rented spaces for sales meetings, product showcases, and other purposes.

Playing Their Cards Right

Moving forward, the team at MGM will go on listening and tweaking, said Dixon, adding that the goals in this business are the same as they are in any other — to create repeat business, drive new business, and continually look for new opportunities to grow.

Which brings him to a development known as the ‘study hall.’

That’s a play on words involving the casino’s hotel lobby, which boasts a number of shelved books and thus looks like a library, said Dixon.

“A quarter seems like a while, but we’re really still a new business in our infancy. And while there are some patterns that have emerged, we’ve really only been open 14 weekends; we learn something new every peak weekend.”

However, on Friday nights starting at 6, it looks more like an entertainment venue, with a one- or two-piece band playing before an audience of business people and others just looking to unwind and get the weekend started.

“This is catered toward the after-work business crowd,” said Dixon, adding that, rather than being a response to given feedback (like more video roulette), this was a proactive step.

“Marketing is a little bit of reacting or meeting customer demand,” he said. “But in other cases, it’s creating demand for things for people didn’t even know they wanted. We’re mixing a great, literary-themed space and a cocktail and beverage program with entertainment, and hoping that we can create some magic.”

As for repeat business, MGM wants to drive as much as it can, obviously, said Dixon, adding that this will be achieved through a host of factors, including solid customer service, a number of amenities beyond the casino floor, and entertainment options outside the MGM complex.

“We hear from our customers … they stay for a two- or two-and-half-day stay, and they experience all of the amenities within a day or a day and a half — max,” he explained. “And then they say, ‘what else can we go do?’”

There is a good list of other things to do, he went on, adding that MGM is partnering with the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and individual attractions like the Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield Museums, and the Springfield Armory to promote all there is to do.

“We’ve engaged all these entities to help promote Springfield as a destination,” he went on. “And we want more bars, more restaurants, more vibrancy, because that is going to get a return trip.”

As for the holidays, well, it’s an intriguing, potential-laden time for the casino, but it’s also somewhat uncharted territory, at least for a resort operation in this market.

“I wish I had a crystal ball as to understanding just when people will be coming and visiting,” he said, adding that, while days when schools have been closed this fall and that Friday after Thanksgiving have provided some clues, there are still some unknowns. “What we’ve begun to think about is how to change our meal periods, our hours of operation, to be more nimble when there are different events occurring in the city, because we still don’t quite know how things will impact us.”

Overall, the casino has worked to create a list of reasons why individuals, groups, and families should make the casino part of their holiday plans, said Dixon, adding that the decorations, an expanded Kringle Candle shop (it now occupies space in the old armory as well as the former church in Armory Square), and the skating rink are all parts of this equation.

“There was a Rockefeller Plaza-like feel to the lighting ceremony,” Dixon said of the events just after Thanksgiving and the ongoing atmosphere in the plaza. “It creates an energy and vibe.”

A vibe that Mercedes-Benz of Springfield wanted to become attached to.

Indeed, the company not only brought the naming rights to the rink, but it staged a “Choose Your Ride” promotion whereby a lucky individual won a new Mercedes-Benz in a drawing staged on Dec. 1.

Peter Wirth, co-owner of the dealership with his wife, Michelle, said a solid partnership between the two entities has emerged over the past few years (before the dealership opened and long before the casino opened) in part because they are both new businesses trying to establish themselves and share similar approaches to customer service — as well as geographic service area, if you will.

“MGM is known for providing unparalleled customer service in their world, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to provide in our world,” he explained. “The brands’ missions complement each other nicely.

“At the same time, their geographic reach is very similar to ours,” he went on. “They see the vast majority of their customers come from 50 miles away, and that’s how far our reach is as well.”

Still, such a partnership with a casino and an ice-rink sponsorship would be considered an ambitious marketing step for a single dealership, said Michelle Wirth, adding quickly that Mercedes-Benz of Springfield considers this a calculated roll of the dice, to use casino-industry language, and, more importantly, something positive for the community.

“It makes good business sense to partner with MGM, but it’s also part of our strategy to give back,” she said. “This creates a lot of positive energy.”

Odds Are

As in the political realm, the 100-day milestone is merely a time for businesses to stop and reflect. Or another time, to be more precise.

Indeed, the process of reflecting, and learning, is ongoing for those at MGM Springfield, who will add a holiday season’s worth of observations and feedback to what has been gathered already in efforts to continuously improve.

“Throughout the course of the year, we’re still learning and still growing our database,” said Dixon, adding that tweaks will continue to come.

Like Let it Ride games and more items in the store with the MGM logo on them. As he said, they seem like small changes, but for the customer, they’re big.

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

Scenes from the 2018 Women of Impact Event

Event Galleries Women of Impact 2018

Celebrating the Women of Impact

More than 400 people turned out at the Sheraton Springfield on Dec. 6 for BusinessWest’s inaugural Women of Impact luncheon. Eight women were honored for their achievements in business and with giving back to the community. Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attended and offered remarks on subjects ranging from advancements in STEM education to a host of bipartisan efforts at the State House. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno also offered remarks. The keynote speaker was Lei Wang, the first Asian woman to complete the Explorers Grand Slam.

[Show slideshow]

The Women of Impact for 2018 are:

• Jean Canosa Albano, assistant director of Public Services, Springfield City Library;

• Kerry Dietz, principal, Dietz Architects;

• Denise Jordan, executive director, Springfield Housing Authority;

• Gina Kos, executive director, Sunshine Village;

• Carol Leary, president, Bay Path University;

• Colleen Loveless, president and CEO, Revitalize Community Development Corp.;

• Janis Santos, executive director, HCS Head Start; and

• Katie Allan Zobel, president and CEO, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

Photography by Dani Fine Photography

Thank you to our sponsors:

Sponsors:

Bay Path University; Comcast Business; Country Bank; Granite State Development

Exclusive Media Sponsor:

Springfield 22 News The CW

Speaker Sponsor:

Event Keynote Speaker

Lei Wang
The first Asian woman to complete the Explorers Grand Slam. Lei Wang’s journey redefined success in her own terms, and today, she is challenging individuals around the world to do the same.

In 2004, Lei, who grew up as a Beijing city girl who had no athletic training, set out to climb Mount Everest. She was on a promising career trek in finance with an MBA from Wharton. But she was excited about proving that an ordinary person could climb Everest. That excitement empowered her to not only climb Everest, but to become the first Asian woman to complete a journey to the summits of the highest mountains on each of the 7 continents and to the north and south pole, a feat called the Explorer’s Grand Slam. As she endured outstanding hardships and overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, she made an astonishing discovery. She discovered that excitement is the driving force motivates and empowers every one of us and the secret to innovation, peak performance and extraordinary achievement. Today as a speaker, author and adventurer she travels the world to ascend new summits and empower individuals and organizations to dream big, take a leap of faith and to tap into the power of excitement to realize their potential and reach the heights of success. Read more about Lei here.

Meet the Judges

Samalid Hogan
Samalid Hogan is the regional director for the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network’s Western Regional Office. In that role, she has built partnerships across public, private, and civic sectors to achieve economic-development goals for the Pioneer Valley region. In 2014, Hogan founded CoWork Springfield, the city’s first co-working space, which focuses on serving women and minority-owned businesses. In addition, she was appointed to the Governor’s Latino Advisory Commission in 2017, and serves on the boards of several organizations, including Common Capital, the New England Public Radio Foundation, the Minority Business Alliance, and National Junior Tennis and Learning of Greater Springfield. A BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree in 2013 and winner of the Continued Excellence Award in 2018, she was also awarded the Grinspoon Entrepreneurial Spirit Award in 2017 and was recognized as a Woman Trailblazer and Trendsetter by the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce in 2016.

Susan Jaye-Kaplan
Susan Jaye-Kaplan is the founder of the Pioneer Valley Women’s Running Club and Go FIT Inc., and co-founder of Link to Libraries Inc., an organization whose mission is to collect and distribute books to public elementary schools and nonprofit organizations in Western Mass. and Connecticut. She is also the co-founder of the Women’s Leadership Network and founder of the Pioneer Valley Women’s Running Club of Western Mass., as well as an advisory board member and fundraiser for Square One. She has received one of the nation’s Daily Point of Light Awards, the President’s Citation Award at Western New England College, Elms College’s Step Forward/Step Ahead Woman of Vision Award, Reminder Publications’ Hometown Hero Award, the Mass. Commission on the Status of Women Unsung Heroines Award, the New England Patriots’ International Charitable Foundation Community MVP Award (the only person to receive this award two times), and the Girl Scouts of Pioneer Valley’s Women of Distinction Award. She was chosen one of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers in 2009. She has also received the National Conference on Community Justice Award, the Springfield Pynchon Award, and the Holyoke Rotary’s Paul Harris Award.

Dora Robinson
Dora Robinson has served as a nonprofit leader and practitioner for more than 35 years. She recently retired from the United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) after serving for more than eight years as president and CEO. Previously, she served as the first full-time president and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services for 19 years. The foundation for these leadership roles is based on previous experiences as corporate director and vice president for the Center for Human Development and vice president of Education at the Urban League of Springfield. Her earlier professional experiences included social work with adolescents and families, community outreach, and program planning and management. She is currently an adjunct professor at Springfield College School for Social Work and the School for Professional Studies. Dora has received much recognition for her work as a nonprofit executive leader and her work in social justice. Most recently, she was elected to serve on the board of directors for the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts and is serving as a steering committee member to establish a neighborhood-based library in East Forest Park.

Hot Brass Has Set Its Sights on Solid, Steady Growth

By George O'Brien December 11, 2018

Sports & Leisure

Having a Blast

Kendall Knapik says Hot Brass meets a recognized need in the region for a public shooting range.

New Businesses like to start off with a bang. Hot Brass in West Springfield has done that laterally — thousands of bangs actually. It’s the only indoor shooting range within a few hours’ drive. And it’s one of two businesses — a gun retail shop called Guns Inc. being the other — operating out of a former auto body shop on Main Street. Thus farm the ventures are on target when it comes to established goals and patterns of growth.

It doesn’t have a nickname. Yet.

They just call it the ‘50-cal.’ That’s short — although not much shorter — for .50 caliber, as in the .50 caliber sniper rifle made by Connecticut-based Bushmaster Firearms.

The BA 50, as it’s called, weighs 30 pounds and is nearly five feet long. It fires — quite loudly — a huge projectile that makes a very large hole in the paper target, and is touted by its maker for its extreme accuracy.

It is now one of the star attractions at the Hot Brass indoor firearm and bow range in West Springfield, a public facility, which opened its doors late last summer.

“It’s very popular — people love firing it,” said Kendall Knapik, manager of this family business, noting that visitors can rent it for $35, plus $10 for every round (the ammunition is expensive) — or fire it just once or twice — and people of all ages and persuasions have done just that. “We have a lot of people come in, rent the 50-cal, and get pictures and video with it, because it’s not often you see one of those.”

The BA 50 is just one element of what has become a large, multi-faceted operation. There are actually two businesses located at once was an auto-body shop on Main Street — Hot Brass, a new venture, and a retail firearms component known as Guns Inc., launched by Knapik’s parents, David and Cheryl Knapik, and formerly operated out of a small storefront farther down Main Street.

“We have a lot of people come in, rent the 50-cal, and get pictures and video with it, because it’s not often you see one of those.”

Within those two ventures, there are many smaller divisions, or revenue streams, if you will, from the indoor firearm and bow ranges to ‘license to carry’ gun-safety courses held every other Sunday; from a growing number of events — there have been several bachelor parties, for example — to the gun sales themselves, which have been steady if not spectacular since Donald Trump was elected president and a huge threat to gun accessibility removed (more on that later).

Together, these many components are meeting or exceeding lofty goals set when the ceremonial ribbon was cut, said Knapik, adding that, overall, the ambitious venture was launched out of perceived need for these various services, and the need has been verified.

“There are several private clubs in this region, but no public ranges,” she explained, adding that this is the only facility that fits this description within a roughly 100-mile radius.

Thus, there are often a variety of license plates seen in the large parking lot, not to mention a very diverse client base, said Knapik, adding that while sport shooting has always been fairly popular, it is becoming much more so, involving men, as it has historically, but now also women, couples, even businesses looking for a new and different way to do some team-building work.

The .50 caliber sniper rifle is a popular attraction at Hot Brass, drawing shooters of all ages.

“We’re seeing all kinds of people coming in to use the ranges — people of all ages,” she said, adding that the facility has hosted everyone from law-enforcement officials and military veterans to grandmothers starting a new hobby.

For this issue and its focus on sports and leisure, BusinessWest talked at length with Knapik about this family operation and why it is on target — both literally and figuratively — when it comes to ambitious projections for visitation and overall growth.

Barrels of Fun

Knapik said the vision for Hot Brass and Guns Inc. started to come into focus more than two years ago, and the picture — and the promise — were enough to lure her back to the family business after several years spent living in Manhattan and working in the healthcare field.

That vision was for two symbiotic businesses operating under the same roof that would meet recognized needs within the region, she said.

SEE: List of Tourist Attractions

The symbiotic part is fairly self-explanatory: Those who purchase guns need a place to shoot; meanwhile, those looking to purchase a gun will often try before they buy, and if they try at this range, they only need to walk a few dozen feet to likely find the model they’re looking for.

Indeed, Guns Inc. stocks both new and pre-owned firearms from such brands as Colt, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, Ruger, Glock, Remington, Winchester, and Springfield Armory — as in the Springfield, Ill.-based company founded in 1974 to resurrect the most historically significant designs produced at the Armory in Springfield, Mass., such as the M1-Garand, the 1911 A1, and the M14, according to the company’s website.

As for the need part, Knapik noted, again, that there were and are several private ranges operated by sportsmen’s clubs in this area. These are outdoor facilities for the most part and require a membership.

Springfield-based Smith & Wesson operated a public shooting range at its facility on Roosevelt Avenue, but it closed several years ago, said Knapik, adding that, in many respects, Hot Brass fills that void and several others within the marketplace.

Getting the doors open was a massive undertaking — a $4 million investment overall — that involved obtaining not only a special permit from the city, but a mix of renovation and new construction at the former West Side Auto Body.

The new facility features five 50-foot pistol lanes; 10 rifle, shotgun, or pistol lanes that are 90 feet long; and two 61-foot-long archery lanes.

Through the first business quarter of operation, each of the various components of the business have seen a solid response from the buying public, said Knapik, who started with the archery lanes.

While not a hugely popular sport, archery is gaining some traction, she told BusinessWest, adding that Hot Brass offers a place to practice indoors; many practitioners are limited to their backyards, which makes it difficult to practice several months out of the year.

As for the shooting ranges, as noted earlier, they’re attracting diverse audiences, including many law-enforcement officials, individuals, couples (it’s become a popular date-night activity), bachelor parties, groups, and more.

Four months after opening, the new location for Hot Brass and Guns Inc. is on target when it comes to the many goals set for the twin businesses.

Sport shooting is popular because it’s a form of release, Knapik told BusinessWest, especially at a time when many are burdened by large amounts of stress and need a way to attack it.

“You definitely feel much better after you shoot a little bit — that’s the consensus, anyway,” she said. “People always leave smiling, and they tell us how much better they feel, which is good to hear.”

Many are also leaving with guns, accessories, and clothing from Guns Inc., and, very often, photos of video of themselves, sometimes with the BA 50 and often in front of a ‘Hot Brass’ step-and-repeat erected near the front lobby.

Memberships are available for frequent shooters — and that’s a large constituency — or the range can be rented for $26.50 per hour.

Knapik said there are ongoing discussions about staging competitions at the facility, and that might well happen, but for now, the focus is on keeping the ranges open for visitors, and thus keeping them content.

“You definitely feel much better after you shoot a little bit — that’s the consensus, anyway. People always leave smiling, and they tell us how much better they feel, which is good to hear.”

It’s also on bringing more people and new and different audiences to the facility, she noted. While word-of-mouth referrals have been a large part of the marketing strategy, the company has done some radio and other traditional forms of advertising to get the word out.

As for gun sales at Guns Inc., Knapik said the “hysteria” from the months leading up to the 2016 election has certainly died down. Any by hysteria, she meant anxiety over whether — and for how long — people could buy certain weapons.

With Donald Trump in the White House, such anxiety has dissipated, if not evaporated entirely, slowing gun sales to a considerable degree.

Still, people are buying, as evidenced by the large number of gun shows staged in this region, many of them at the Big E, which is just a mile or so down the street, another factor driving traffic to Hot Brass.

Meanwhile, it’s holiday season, and that brings a number of visitors to the showroom, said Knapik.

“For many people, a gun is a great gift,” she said, adding quickly that, unless one is certain which model and caliber to put under the tree, a gift certificate is in order.

Loaded Questions

With a sticker price of nearly $5,000, it’s safe to say not many people will be finding a gift-wrapped BA 50 waiting for them on Christmas morning.

That’s OK … they can still fire one at Hot Brass, and probably leave, as Knapik said, feeling much better, with a smile on their face, and probably a commemorative photo.

The large gun has become one of many factors contributing to a solid start and promising outlook for this multi-faceted operation.

The Knapik family certainly took their best shot when they doubled down on their business a few years ago, and now, a wide range of visitors can do the same thing.

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

How to Deal with the Stress of the Holidays

Work/Life Balance

Cold Comfort

The holiday season that stretches from Thanksgiving into January is, in many ways, a cheerful time, one of togetherness, connection, and giving. But, in truth, many people dread the season for the stresses it brings — to finances, relationships, workload, you name it. While those stresses can’t be eliminated, they can often be managed through a combination of mindfulness, realistic expectations, and simply seeking help.

The holiday season is usually a magical time for kids — a month of anticipation, togetherness, and warm feelings they’ll remember forever.

The problem is, years later, those memories often collide with adult realities like balancing work and home responsibilities, strained finances, and relationship conflicts. In short, it’s not always the most wonderful time of the year. Rather, the holidays can rank among the most difficult.

“There’s a lot of demand that comes from expectations — from our families, or what happened last year, or what we see on TV — or simply what we want to happen. There are a lot of expectations, but the best thing is to remain mindful of the reality of family, finances, and other situations that change from year to year,” said Dr. Edna Rodriguez, a clinical psychologist with Providence Behavioral Health Hospital.

Especially challenging are the expectations people feel from the outside — whether it’s to maintain a perfect home, make appearances at gatherings when they’d rather stay home, or further tax finances already stressed by family gift purchases.

“It’s important to learn to say ‘no’ to that extra party or secret Santa or Yankee swap, which can put your budget on edge and make you feel stressed out when resources are limited,” Rodriguez noted.

Dr. Stuart Anfang, chief of Adult Psychiatry at Baystate Medical Center, agreed.

“As fun as the holiday season can be, it can also be stressful,” he said. “Lots of drinking and eating, lots of entertaining, lots of spending — it’s important to do these things in moderation. If we get too tired, if we eat and drink too much, if we’re too stressed by preparations or shopping, all of this can take a toll, both mentally and physically, that can really dampen our holiday celebrations.”

Anfang noted that increased family contact may also be stressful.

“Sometimes bringing together family members can lead to too much togetherness — fighting at the dinner table, re-opening old wounds, triggering buried conflicts,” he noted. “It can be helpful to give yourself a little space, try to de-escalate tense situations, and remember that this is supposed to be about fun and celebration.”

Dr. Stuart Anfang

“If we get too tired, if we eat and drink too much, if we’re too stressed by preparations or shopping, all of this can take a toll, both mentally and physically, that can really dampen our holiday celebrations.”

Sometimes that means just stepping away for a few minutes, Rodriguez said.

“People have to spend time with family members — maybe family members you don’t necessarily feel comfortable with. So if you have to remove yourself from the area, do it — maybe go to the bathroom, breathe, and come back. Checking in with yourself is the most important thing.”

That ‘checking in’ applies to most stressful situations, she added, around the holidays or not.

“Research shows that, by doing that at least two minutes a day, you will have better stress management and remain more present in your day. With apps on smartphones, people can set up alarms to remind them to take a deep breath and focus on their breathing. In fact, it can be breathing or taking a walk or just taking a break from overwhelming situations.”

Business, Not Pleasure

Those holiday stresses, of course, often creep into the workplace, which has its own specific set of challenges to begin with. According to a study by Virgin Pulse, a leader in the field of employee well-being, 70% of employees are significantly more stressed during the holidays, and more than 10% said they’re between 60% and 100% more stressed.

“It’s no secret that, for many, life is getting more complex and stressful each and every year. It’s become increasingly vital that employers help their teams better manage their stress and priorities — especially during the holidays — for each person to be their best and brightest selves, at work and in life,” said Chris Boyce, CEO of Virgin Pulse. “This time of year, it’s important we help employees stay on top of their work priorities and holiday checklists. Supporting their health and happiness using tools, resources, and programs that drive all aspects of their well-being will help them better keep their stress and health under control.”

Katie Sandler, a wellness and professional coach, told Inc. magazine that it’s important to put aside time for oneself.

“Put aside 5, 10, 15 minutes a day to do something for yourself with intention,” she said, which may include taking a walk or listening to a favorite song or two. “No one ever took a few intentional minutes to de-stress and said, ‘dang, I wish I hadn’t done that.”

Rodriguez said parents often get overwhelmed spending time with family and keeping the mystery and magic of Christmas alive for their children. “Having another set of expectations at work increases stress and defeats the purpose.”

Dr. Edna Rodriguez

“If you have to remove yourself from the area, do it — maybe go to the bathroom, breathe, and come back. Checking in with yourself is the most important thing.”

Managers have their own set of challenges, she added. “When all your employees are getting time off and you need to handle the work, that’s when your wife, husband, or partner may be a little on edge, because you’re absent at times they wish you were present.”

That’s when drawing lines becomes important — or at least using technology and other means to get out of the office and connect with the people who matter most.

Avoiding a Blue Christmas

The American Psychological Assoc. offers the following tips to handle stress around the holidays.

• Take time for yourself. There may be pressure to be everything to everyone. You’re only one person who can only accomplish certain things. Sometimes self-care is the best thing you can do, and others will benefit when you’re stress-free. Go for a long walk, get a massage, or take time out to listen to your favorite music or read a book. All of us need some time to recharge our batteries, and by slowing down, you will actually have more energy to accomplish your goals.

• Volunteer. Find a local charity, such as a soup kitchen or a shelter, where you and your family can volunteer. Also, participating in a giving tree or an adopt-a-family program, and helping those who are living in true poverty, may help you put your own economic struggles in perspective.

• Have realistic expectations. No Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or other holiday celebration is perfect. View inevitable missteps as opportunities to demonstrate flexibility and resilience. A lopsided tree or a burned brisket won’t ruin your holiday; rather, it will create a family memory. If your children’s wish list is outside your budget, talk to them about the family’s finances this year and remind them that the holidays aren’t about expensive gifts.

• Remember what’s important. The barrage of holiday advertising can make you forget what the holiday season is really about. When your holiday expense list is running longer than your monthly budget, scale back and remind yourself that what makes a great celebration is loved ones, not store-bought presents, elaborate decorations, or gourmet food.

• Seek support. Talk about your anxiety with your friends and family. Getting things out in the open can help you navigate your feelings and work toward a solution for your stress. Don’t isolate.

Holidays are also a time when people put a lot of value on materialistic things,” she told BusinessWest, which can lead to anxiety. Doing random acts of kindness can be a way to counter that — whether it’s lending an ear to neighbor or co-worker going through difficulties or contributing to a local soup kitchen.

“That keeps us grounded and focused on the true meaning of the holidays; it keeps us connected with each other, being human and being together. That’s another way to manage stress,” Rodriguez noted.

It’s true, of course, that the urge to do good deeds can be another way to create stressful expectations, but acts of kindness don’t have to be time-consuming, she said; just looking for moments in the day to show kindness is often enough.

Feeling the Loss

For many individuals — both those estranged from their families or those who have suffered a loss — the holidays can be a particularly lonely and isolating time. While it may seem like everyone else is celebrating, they’re reminded more than usual of loved ones they miss.

There’s nothing wrong with such emotions, Rodriguez said, but she added that some may find it helpful to actually schedule some time daily — even five to 10 minutes — to give themselves over to grief and reflection and even a good cry, before tackling whatever else their day brings.

Many people get ‘blue’ at this time of year, and that can be normal, Anfang added.

“It is also harder for some people when the days get shorter and colder,” he noted. “We get concerned when symptoms start causing significant functional impairment, making it harder for you to function at work and at home. Sleep disturbance, loss of appetite and weight, decreased motivation and energy, daily tearfulness, thoughts to hurt yourself or wishing you were dead — these are potential signs of clinical depression.

“If you see these symptoms in yourself or your loved ones, that’s the time to contact a primary-care provider or seek evaluation by a mental-health professional,” he went on. “Depression is very treatable, and no one should suffer in silence, especially at the holidays.”

That’s because the holidays, for many people, is a time to connect, Rodriguez said.

“It’s really about being with each other, being together. Whatever background you have, we’re all together for a reason.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Royal, P.C. Marks a Decade of Guiding Area Employers

Law

Navigating Change

Amy Royal

Amy Royal was taking a calculated risk when she left a stable job in employment law to start her own firm at the start of the Great Recession. But those calculations proved correct, and as her firm marks 10 years in business, she reflects on how her team’s services to clients continue to go beyond legal aid into a business relationship that helps companies — and the local economy — grow.

Many employers, truth be told, don’t think the grand bargain is much of a bargain. And they have questions about how it will affect them.

“Massachusetts tends to be ripe with emerging employment issues, like the grand bargain,” said Amy Royal, referring to this past summer’s state legislation that raised the minimum wage and broadened family leave, among other worker-friendly measures.

“But that’s one of the things I enjoy — the education piece we offer to clients: ‘this is what the grand bargain looks like, and we’re going to help you plan for it. This may not seem so grand, but we’re here to help you navigate this and figure out how you’re going to work within these parameters now.’”

Royal and her team have helped plenty of employers over the 10 years since she opened her law firm, Royal, P.C., in Northampton. Since launching the business as a boutique, woman-owned, management-side-only firm in 2008, that framework hasn’t changed, but the way the team serves those clients has certainly evolved.

“Now that we’re 10 years old, we’re thinking about rebranding, thinking about growth, and how we can provide additional opportunities here at the law firm,” she told BusinessWest. “Is it continuing to market in this very discrete area or expanding beyond that?

“We obviously only represent companies,” she went on, “but in our relationships with clients, we’re being asked to handle other things for those companies apart from employment law.”

“Now that we’re 10 years old, we’re thinking about rebranding, thinking about growth, and how we can provide additional opportunities here at the law firm.”

For example, the firm represents a large, publicly traded company that recently launched a new brand and wanted help creating contracts with vendors and negotiating with other companies it was collaborating with. Another client is a large human-service agency that called on Royal to interpret regulations of its funding sources and help negotiate contracts related to those sources.

“So we’ve organically expanded over time,” she said. “We still represent companies, but we do more for them, because we’re seen as a true advisor to them. So now, at 10 years, I’ve looked at the firm and asked my team, ‘is this something we should now be marketing?’ We still are a boutique firm representing companies, but what we’re going to be rolling out in the coming year is a rebranding initiative — one that’s focused on telling the story of what we are doing here that’s more than just employment law.”

Tough Timing

Royal began her law career working for the Commonwealth, in the Office of the Attorney General, handling civil-litigation matters, which included some employment claims. From there, she went into private practice at a regional law firm that solely handled management-side labor and employment law.

Amy Royal (center) with some of her team members, including (top) attorneys Daniel Carr and Timothy Netkovick, and (bottom) Heather Loges, practice manager and COO; and Merricka Breuer, legal assistant.

With that background, Royal sensed a desire to start her own company — which turned out to be a risky proposition, opening up into the teeth of the Great Recession.

“I obviously took a huge leap; I was at an established law firm and had been there for a long time. I had an established job, with a very young family at the time. And it was 2008, when, obviously, the economy wasn’t in good shape.”

So she understood if people thought striking out on her own might not have been the safest move.

“But given how long I’d been practicing law at the time, it felt to me like it was now or never,” she explained. “I really wanted to see if I could make a go at it, and I felt like I had the tools to develop a business. Oftentimes, law firms aren’t thought of as businesses; they’re thought of as practitioners, but not businesses. But I knew I could create a law firm in a strategic way and develop it and make a company out of it.”

At first, Royal’s wasn’t the only name on the letterhead. At first, the firm was called Royal & Munnings, with Amy Griffin Munnings as a partner, helping Royal get the firm off the ground. Later, after Munnings moved to Washington, D.C., the firm was known as Royal & Klimczuk, for then-partner Kimberly Klimczuk, who subsequently departed and currently practices employment law at Skoler Abbott in Springfield.

Currently, Royal employs four other attorneys full-time, in addition to two full-time paralegals and other support staff.

“I really wanted to take the model of a specialized, boutique practice and build upon it with a strong client base of corporations throughout our Valley and beyond — because we do represent companies in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Vermont, as well as national corporations,” she explained.

“I believed it didn’t so much matter where we were located because we go out to our clients,” she added. “So I chose Northampton because I have really enjoyed the community — I went to Smith College, and I thought I could have an impact here and throughout the region and beyond in creating employment opportunities for people.”

That is, in fact, how Royal sees her work: by helping clients navigate through often-tricky employment issues, she’s helping those companies grow and create even more jobs in the Valley.

And while many of those thorny issues have remained consistent, they’ve ebbed and flowed in some ways, too.

“Given the employment-law landscape, there becomes hot areas at certain times, and we become sort of subspecialists in those areas,” she explained. For example, early on, she saw a lot of activity around affirmative action and dealing with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Wage-and-hour conflicts have become increasingly prominent in recent years as well, and Royal, P.C. has handled client defense on those issues, as well as general guidance on how to avoid claims altogether.

“I do feel like we can advise clients and help them flourish,” she went on. “I’m so committed to this region, and I know there’s been a lot of work done over the last decade since our birth as a law firm, in the business community and the community at large, on how to make the Pioneer Valley an even more attractive place for people to live and earn a living and feel like they have opportunities here — that they don’t have to be in Boston to have those opportunities.”

Risk Managers

As she continues to grow the firm, Royal says it’s always a challenge to find talented attorneys who are skilled in labor and employment law and also understand her vision for the company.

“Practitioners often think, ‘here’s what the law says.’ We need to be telling clients, ‘OK, here’s what the law says you can do, but this is also a business decision, and everything is about weighing and measuring risk and deciding whether you can bear that risk or not, whether that’s a good practice or not.’”

“Given how long I’d been practicing law at the time, it felt to me like it was now or never. I really wanted to see if I could make a go at it, and I felt like I had the tools to develop a business.”

And challenges to employers are constantly evolving, whether it’s legislation like the grand bargain or issues that arise from new technology. She recalls what a hot topic portable devices, like smartphones and tablets, were in the early part of this decade.

“Now it’s like everyone has one,” she said, “but at that time, it was a huge issue for employers, who were asking, ‘where is our data going? If you’re a portable employee, what’s happening when you leave with that phone?’”

The economy can affect the flow of work as well. In the early days of the firm, as the recession set in, litigation crowded out preventive work such as compliance matters, employee handbooks, and supervisory training. In recent years, she’s seen an uptick in requests for those services again.

Sometimes, employers will call with advice before taking disciplinary action with an employee — just another way Royal aims to be a partner to clients. The firm also conducts regular seminars and roundtables, both for clients and the public, on matters — such as legislative changes and policy wrinkles — that affect all employers.

In some ways, that’s an extension of the way Royal wants the firm to be a presence in the broader community. Another is the team’s involvement with local nonprofits.

“I’ve tried to set that tone,” she said, “but it’s never been met with resistance — it’s always been met with ‘oh, yes, maybe we can do this, maybe we can do that.’ It’s been important to me to have a team that really wants to support their community.”

Meanwhile, that team has been focused, perhaps more than ever before, on what exactly Royal, P.C. is — where the firm has been in the past, what it is now, and what it wants to be going forward.

“We have a strong, viable book of labor and employment business, and what I’ve communicated to my team is, ‘we can keep going for the next 10 years, 20 years, on that book, and achieve growth.’ Or we can look at our brand and say, ‘do we want to grow beyond that? Do we tell the story of the other services we’re able to provide, and create other employment opportunities for people in the Valley?’ There’s a consensus here that that’s really the direction we should be going in.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

North Adams Touts a Diverse Economy

Community Spotlight

Mayor Thomas Bernard says North Adams is a small, post-industrial New England city with economic challenges, but has generated plenty of momentum in addressing them.

As a long-time resident of North Adams, Mayor Thomas Bernard understands the city’s reputation as a tourist destination. It’s a good reputation to have, as it puts more cars on the streets and feet in local establishments.

But North Adams — the least-populated community in the Commonwealth classified as a city — is much more than that.

“I think the untold story about North Adams — and the Berkshires in general — is that we have a robust manufacturing sector here,” said Bernard, who began serving his first term as mayor at the start of this year. “We talk about the role of culture and tourism, but we have manufacturing, too.”

And the sector is a bustling one, he added, citing Tog Manufacturing Co., which makes precision-machined parts, and is looking to expand both its space and workforce over the next few years. The company is also a good example of the workforce-development partnerships being forged in the industry locally.

“They have a really good connection with McCann Technical School, while MCLA [Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts], our great public university, has an engineering partnership with General Dynamics to meet their workforce needs. And then Crane Paper, which was bought recently by Mohawk, is talking expansion as well in the next couple years, adding a shift and adding workers,” he said. “Take those things together, and it’s a significant engine that often gets overlooked in conversations about the economy and economic development in the Berkshires, and North Adams in particular.”

That’s not to say the cultural sector isn’t important, anchored, of course, by MASS MoCA, which recently underwent a $65 million expansion, adding 130,000 square feet of gallery space and enhancing the outdoor courtyard space. The work took place on the south end of the campus of the former Sprague Electric factory, whose 16 acres of grounds and 26 buildings with an elaborate system of interlocking courtyards and passages was transformed into the museum in 1999. The facility has a regional economic impact of more than $25 million annually.

Then there are newer projects like Greylock WORKS, an ongoing transformation of the former Greylock Mill along Route 2. Salvatore Perry and Karla Rothstein of Latent Productions in New York City saw potential in the site four years ago and purchased the 240,000-square-foot property for $750,000.

“The narrative has been that, when big companies left in that wave of industrial migration in the mid-’80s and beyond, manufacturing stopped. That’s just not the case.”

The first goal was to create a large event space, and further developments have included a commercial kitchen and a specialty food marketplace; a rum distiller is the first tenant. Each business will have a small area for retail operations and also have room to conduct wholesale operations to help sustain a flow of year-round revenue. The Greylock WORKS development will eventually include a residential component as well.

Meanwhile, Thomas Krens, who was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of Mass MoCA two decades ago, proposed another project for North Adams a few years ago: a $20 million model-railroading and architecture museum in Western Gateway Heritage State Park that has a footpath directly across from MASS MoCA’s south gate.

Once completed, that project is expected to bring another 200,000 to 300,000 visitors to North Adams each year.

Those projects — far from the only ones creating energy in North Adams — are an intriguing sample of what the city has to offer. But Bernard thinks there is far more potential, and hopes to see it come to fruition.

Down on Main Street

Bernard is cheered by recent high-profile developments, but knows overall progress in any city is not an overnight proposition.

“There are persistent challenges,” he told BusinessWest. “I’m looking out my window at Main Street, 20 years after MASS MoCA happened, and we still haven’t totally cracked the code on a booming, bustling downtown.”

He compared North Adams to Shelburne Falls, which has a “really lovely, compact, interesting downtown” that people flock to, for the Bridge of Flowers and other attractions. “But you have to know Shelburne is there … you have to be intentional to go there and find it.”

And if an out-of-the-way town like that can have a thriving downtown, he went on, why shouldn’t North Adams — with a museum in MASS MoCA that draws some 250,000 visitors each year, many of them from outside town — be able to create a more vibrant downtown of its own?

“After 20 years of good intentions, and investments by the museum, the city, and the chamber, we’re still trying to figure that one out,” he said, adding that one thing that could provide a spark is more market-rate housing and mixed-use development downtown to put more feet on the streets.

North Adams at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1878
Population: 13,708
Area: 20.6 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $18.38
Commercial Tax Rate: $39.85
Median Household Income: $35,020
Family Household Income: $57,522
Type of government: Mayor; City Council
Largest Employers: Crane & Co.; North Adams Regional Hospital; BFAIR Inc.
*Latest information available

That would in turn create demand for more eclectic food options, specialized retail, and galleries — “the kinds of things that are equally attractive to locals who have lived here their whole lives, people who transplanted here because they love the idea of this small New England city, and tourists who are here for the day or the weekend.”

Speaking of tourists, that’s actually the name of North Adams’ newest hotel, a 48-room retreat inspired by the classic American roadside motor lodge, set on the banks of the Hoosic River.

Tourists was the brainchild of Ben Svenson, a Boston-based developer, and a team of partners. They stripped a crumbling roadside lodge down to the studs and turned it into something both retro and decked out in modern amenities.

A wooden boardwalk leads to the river, while a saltwater pool was added, and an event space was fashioned from a neighboring farmhouse. Wooded walking paths lead to a yoga pavilion, open fields, a sculpture installation, and an old textile mill. A deconsecrated church in the woods will become Loom, where Cortney Burns, a James Beard Award-winning chef, will begin creating dishes in 2019.

Manufacturing Progress

No matter what happens in the realms of tourism, dining, retail, or any number of other high-profile elements of an attractive city, Bernard understands North Adams has a strong foundation of other businesses that may not receive the same attention.

“The narrative has been that, when big companies left in that wave of industrial migration in the mid-’80s and beyond, manufacturing stopped. That’s just not the case,” he said. “I mentioned Tog — they’ve been at it for 20-30 years in the same location, employing 25-30 people. For them to be talking about facility expansion and workforce expansion that would effectively double their workforce in North Adams and the Berkshires, that’s significant. That’s a big win.”

To meet that workforce need, however, he recognizes the importance of partnerships between industry and education to provide training, retraining, and professional development to help people access career opportunities.

“To be honest and realistic, we’re still a small, post-industrial New England city, and we have our economic challenges,” he said. “While we’re paying attention to all the great development that’s happening — it’s what drives growth and progress in the future — we can’t lose sight of people who have been here all their lives and are struggling because of fixed incomes and low incomes, seniors worried about taxes, or people who don’t have the education and skills to compete for the jobs that are here.”

Bernard believes North Adams is in a good spot to meet those needs and keep growing.

“I take a lot of pride in being the mayor of the smallest city in the Commonwealth — in population, but not by stature,” he said. “We’re a world-class destination for the arts, for culture, for outdoor recreation, for tourism, and we’ve got great educational resources in the city.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Today’s Bowling Centers Emphasize the Total Experience

Sports & Leisure

Changing Lanes

Jeff Bennett says league bowlers and casual players are looking for different amenities, and facilities need to cater to both constituencies.

Jeff Bennett remembers when the Pioneer Valley was home to many more bowling alleys than exist today.

“A lot of mom-and-pop centers started to close. We had a couple around here,” he told BusinessWest. “If you didn’t put in automatic scoring, blacklight bowling, if you didn’t keep the centers updated and clean, with nice bathrooms — well, those are the centers that don’t exist anymore. If you’re going to drop 70 or 100 bucks to go out for the day, are you going to the run-down place, or the place with the upbeat music, lights, and arcade? What’s going to be a more fun atmosphere?”

Bennett, general manager of AMF Chicopee Lanes, said his business, and that of its parent company, Bowlero, which boasts some 300 facilities nationwide, is doing well and still growing year after year, but added that such success doesn’t happen on its own. “We make people want to keep coming back and having fun. That’s what we try to focus on.”

Justin Godfrey agrees. “The important thing is to give them a quality, consistent product and make sure the guest has a memorable experience and wants to come back to your facility,” said the general manager of Shaker Bowl in East Longmeadow, which is now part of the Spare Time chain. “That’s really what it boils down to — treating people right and generating return business. Word of mouth is still king when it comes to getting people in the door.”

Those who haven’t been in a bowling alley in decades may be surprised by today’s centers, where they may encounter strobe lights and black lights, disc jockeys and music videos playing on large screens, and freshly made food.

“You get different crowds,” Godfrey said. “You get families more during the day, then at night, we run the light show and get the music going. It’s a different atmosphere from the leagues, which don’t want music. It just depends on the group.”

While there are fewer bowling lanes in operation than even a decade ago, those that are still in business have increasingly turned to a model that’s not just about bowling, Bennett said, touting amenities in Chicopee like food made from scratch, a full liquor license, servers that take orders on the lanes, and more.

“If you’re going to drop 70 or 100 bucks to go out for the day, are you going to the run-down place, or the place with the upbeat music, lights, and arcade? What’s going to be a more fun atmosphere?”

“That’s what casual bowlers are looking for — they’re looking for more atmosphere. They’re not just coming in for 20 minutes to bowl a game and leave. They’re here two or three hours — it’s one-stop entertainment, where they can have food and drinks, bowl, and play some arcade games. We have games geared for kids, and some old-school games for the adults.”

Godfrey said food and beverages can account for 25% or more of a center’s business, so it’s not an afterthought. Neither is the continual effort to introduce more people to the game — and everything that surrounds it these days.

“Before, you could just open your doors and people would come in, and many still do,” he said. “But we’ve really ventured out. We have event planners; we actually have people going out to create business, and that’s been very helpful for a lot of our centers. We do a lot of corporate parties. We work with a high-school gym class twice a week — we bring carpets into the gym classes and introduce kids to the sport. If the kids like it, they say, ‘hey, mom, let’s go bowling.’”

Different Strikes

Bennett said Bowlero has different brands within the company — AMF being just one of them — and centers can be quite different from each other.

“What we term a traditional center is still heavily league-focused, and a lot of that comes from the demographics and what you have around you. We have two centers in Manhattan, and both combined don’t have a league bowler — it’s all events and retail-play driven, and those are the two biggest grossing centers,” he explained.

“But then you have a lot of our traditional centers in the Northeast that still rely on our league base, especially during the fall and winter season,” he added, noting that leagues account for about one-third of total lane use, with between 1,300 and 1,350 league bowlers showing up each week, up to 34 weeks a year.

“We’re still focused on league bowlers — Monday to Friday, we’re busy every night, all 40 lanes. And we have to do certain things for them — regular white lights, and we work on lane conditions that affect their scoring.”

But the company also put a lot of money into amenities that attract non-league bowlers, he added, including a video wall, a new audio-visual system, black lights, and a new arcade.

“On weekends, we focus on the retail or open-play bowler — casual fun for kids and adults,” he said. “We do a ton of kids’ birthday parties and corporate events on the weekends. Over the next month, quite a few businesses are going to do holiday parties. And on weekend nights, it’s mostly adults; on Saturdays between 5 and 1, we’re extremely busy.”

Justin Godfrey says today’s bowlers want a memorable experience — one that often includes more than just bowling.

At Shaker Bowl, Godfrey has seen a shift in his 18 years there, from a league-centric model to more open bowling for kids, adults, and families. Leagues don’t attract younger people like they used to, he said, and many people don’t want to make the commitment for 30-plus weeks. To counter that reality, he’s offering a 12-week league on Sunday nights to capture interest during the colder months.

But the Spare Time chain — which also has sites in Northampton, Vernon, Conn., and Windsor Locks, Conn. — understands it’s not just about bowling anymore.

“They’re really gearing it toward other entertainment options for the guests,” he said. “In Windsor Locks, which is newly renovated, there are escape rooms, laser tag, a huge arcade, and a restaurant. It’s more of a family entertainment center than your traditional bowling center.”

There are other factors that go into a successful center, he added, from cleanliness to consistent food quality across all sites in a chain. And let’s not forget the game itself, which has been attracting families for generations due to its easy-to-learn, hard-to-master qualities.

“Anyone can do it, and we meet the needs of all age levels, too,” he said. In fact, the day BusinessWest visited, Shaker Bowl was hosting a special-needs group in wheelchairs, bowling off taller metal ramps adapted for them.

“We’ve got ramps for the kids, all different weight balls — we can accommodate people of all ages, sizes, skill levels, everything. I think that’s definitely part of the appeal.”

Something for Everyone

There used to be about eight 10-pin bowling lanes locally, Bennett noted, but now there are only a handful. The average age of bowlers at AMF Chicopee Lanes is 25 to 45, and they usually bowl at least once a week. Many are there on weekend nights, when the average age is 25 to 35.

Like Godfrey, he noted that the center offers ramps so people with handicaps can bowl, six-pound balls that can be pushed down the lanes by 3- and 4-year-olds, and bumpers in the gutters to increase their chances of knocking down pins.

“Successful centers nowadays, in most markets, have to cater to everybody and do everything,” Bennett said, noting that AMF Chicopee Lanes hosts myriad junior and adult tournaments, not to mention fund-raising events for organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and many others.

“We need all those types of events to be successful nowadays,” he added. “Springfield has a lot of options, especially with the casino here. We were worried that would affect us a little bit, but there’s been no effect so far.”

In short, business keeps rolling along for bowling centers that understand this changing market, and craft an experience that’s about more than just strikes and spares.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

The #MeToo Movement Is Generating Workplace Change

By Columnist December 11, 2018

Employment

One Year Later

By John S. Gannon, Esq. and Amelia J. Holstrom, Esq.

The #MeToo movement began making national headlines just over a year ago.

Since then, more than 200 prominent individuals have been accused of harassment. From Harvey Weinstein to Matt Lauer to newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Brett Cavanaugh, new allegations of sexual harassment have been appearing in the news almost weekly, and sometimes daily, over the last year.

John S. Gannon, Esq

Amelia J. Holstrom, Esq.

It should not come as any surprise that employers are feeling the impact of the #MeToo movement. The number of sexual-harassment lawsuits filed increased drastically from 2017 to 2018. In October 2018, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for enforcing federal discrimination and harassment laws, released preliminary data for fiscal year 2018 showing that, for the first time since at least 2010, the number of sexual-harassment charges filed with the EEOC increased.

Additionally, the EEOC reported that it had filed 41 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment, more than a 50% increase over the previous year, and that it had collected close to $70 million on behalf of sexual-harassment victims in fiscal year 2018. The number of lawsuits is not the only thing on the rise; juries seem more willing to issue large damage awards to plaintiffs alleging sexual harassment. Just a few months ago, a jury in Massachusetts awarded a plaintiff more than $3 million in damages in a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Best Practices for Employers

Businesses that want to avoid being another #MeToo statistic need to take a hard look at their culture and ask: What are we doing to provide a workplace free from harassment? With allegations of harassment and lawsuits on the rise, now is an important time for employers to revisit best practices and take proactive steps aimed at protecting employees and reducing legal risk.

First, employers must have an anti-harassment policy, which should clearly outline the internal complaint and investigation procedure. State law requires employers of six or more employees to have a written sexual-harassment policy that is distributed at time of hire and annually to all employees. Among other things, the policy must include a notice that sexual harassment is unlawful and that it is unlawful to retaliate against someone who reports sexual harassment or participates in an investigation.

The policy should also outline where and how employees can bring internal complaints of harassment and what the investigation procedure is. If either of these processes are unclear at your workplace, now is the time to revisit them and develop a complaint process and investigation procedure.

Second, employers should be doing annual sexual-harassment training. Although Massachusetts law only encourages training, implementing effective harassment training into your workplace culture demonstrates that you care about the issue. It also can protect you against a costly lawsuit.

Under the law, if a supervisor harasses a subordinate or knows about harassment but fails to take prompt steps to report, investigate, and stop the conduct, the supervisor has created significant legal risk for the employer. As a result, it is important that supervisors receive periodic training on what constitutes sexual harassment and what to do if they receive a sexual-harassment complaint or observe potential harassment in the workplace. A few hours of training per year could save an employer from a costly lawsuit. Further, annual training for all employees can be beneficial because it highlights what is not acceptable and outlines the serious repercussions, including termination, for harassing behavior.

Preventing Costly Litigation

As noted at the outset, juries are issuing multi-million-dollar awards in harassment cases. At the same time, employment-discrimination cases are also seeing record-setting jury verdicts. Earlier this year, a jury in Massachusetts awarded a plaintiff $28 million in a discrimination and retaliation case. Read that sentence again.

Having solid policies and engaging in regular training can get employers only so far. In order to avoid the risk of a runaway jury, employers may want to consider requiring employees to enter into agreements calling for private arbitration of employment disputes. Commonly referred to as arbitration agreements, these employment agreements require that employee and employer submit all disputes to a neutral arbitrator, as opposed to filing a lawsuit in court and having the case decided by a jury.

The arbitration process is typically less costly and time-consuming than court actions. Plus, the arbitration decision is usually final, as there are only limited opportunities for either side to appeal.

Bottom Line

The #MeToo movement is undoubtedly bringing positive changes to the workplace. Still, businesses need to be proactive and take steps to create a culture free from harassment. This starts with an effective workplace policy against harassment and regular training for employees.

If a culture change is necessary, it has to start at the top. Leaders lead by example, and these folks must be more committed than anyone to creating an environment free from harassing behavior.

John S. Gannon and Amelia J. Holstrom are attorneys with Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., one of the largest law firms in New England exclusively practicing labor and employment law. Gannon specializes in employment litigation and personnel policies and practices, wage-and-hour compliance, and non-compete and trade-secrets litigation; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]. Holstrom specializes in employment litigation, including defending employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation harassment, and wrongful termination, as well as wage-and-hour lawsuits. She also frequently provides counsel to management on taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of legal liability; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]

Careful Tax Planning Can Yield Dividends Down the Road

By Columnist December 11, 2018

Features

It’s That Time of Year

By Kristina Drzal-Houghton, CPA, MST

Year-end planning for 2018 takes place against the backdrop of a new tax law — the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — that makes major changes in the tax rules for individuals and businesses.

Kristina Drzal Houghton

For individuals, there are new, lower-income tax rates, a substantially increased standard deduction, severely limited itemized deductions and no personal exemptions, an increased child-tax credit, and a watered-down alternative minimum tax (AMT), among many other changes. For businesses, the corporate tax rate is cut to 21%, the corporate AMT is gone, there are new limits on business interest deductions, and significantly liberalized expensing and depreciation rules. And there’s a new deduction for non-corporate taxpayers with qualified business income from pass-through entities. The following is a brief synopsis of these and other changes.

Businesses and Business Owners

• For tax years beginning after 2017, taxpayers other than corporations may be entitled to a deduction of up to 20% of their qualified business income. For 2018, if taxable income exceeds $315,000 for a married couple filing jointly, or $157,500 for all other taxpayers, the deduction may be limited based on whether the taxpayer is engaged in a service-type trade or business (such as healthcare), the amount of W-2 wages paid by the trade or business, and/or the unadjusted basis of qualified property (such as machinery and equipment) held by the trade or business.

The limitations are phased in for joint filers with taxable income between $315,000 and $415,000 and for all other taxpayers with taxable income between $157,500 and $207,500.

• Deferring income to the next taxable year is a time-honored year-end planning tool. If you expect your taxable income to be higher in 2018 than in 2019, or if you operate as anything except a C corporation and you anticipate being in the same or a higher tax bracket in 2018 than in 2019, you may benefit by deferring income into 2019. With the passage of tax reform largely going into effect in 2018, new considerations may need to be made for the end of 2018. Of course, if an individual is subject to the alternative minimum tax, standard tax planning may not be warranted. The rules are quite complex, so don’t make a move in this area without consulting your tax adviser.

• Businesses should consider making expenditures that qualify for the liberalized business property expensing option. For tax years beginning in 2018, the expensing limit is $1,000,000, and the investment ceiling limit is $2,500,000. Expensing is generally available for most depreciable property (other than buildings), and off-the-shelf computer software.

For property placed in service in tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017, expensing also is available for qualified improvement property (generally, any interior improvement to a building’s interior, but not for enlargement of a building, elevators or escalators, or the internal structural framework), for roofs, and for HVAC, fire protection, alarm, and security systems. The generous dollar ceilings that apply this year mean that many small and medium-sized businesses that make timely purchases will be able to currently deduct most if not all their outlays for machinery and equipment.

What’s more, the expensing deduction is not prorated for the time that the asset is in service during the year. The fact that the expensing deduction may be claimed in full (if you are otherwise eligible to take it) regardless of how long the property is held during the year can be a potent tool for year-end tax planning. Thus, property acquired and placed in service in the last days of 2018, rather than at the beginning of 2019, can result in a full expensing deduction for 2018.

• Businesses can also claim a 100% bonus first-year depreciation deduction for machinery and equipment bought used (with some exceptions) or new, if purchased and placed in service this year. The 100% write-off is permitted without any proration based on the length of time that an asset is in service during the tax year. As a result, the 100% bonus first-year write-off is available even if qualifying assets are in service for only a few days in 2018.

• A charitable-donation deduction is available to businesses, but the actual deductibility depends on the business form. A corporation is allowed a deduction of up to 10% of its taxable income, whereas a pass-through entity is subject to an individual’s limitations. Specific types of assets may also have limited deductibility or may need to meet certain requirements. In addition, the substantiation and reporting regulations for charitable donations were recently updated. While most of the changes were relatively minor, qualified appraisals and qualified appraisers must now meet particular requirements. You should contact your tax advisor before making charitable donations, particularly inventory items, to ensure you meet the deduction requirements.

• Beginning in 2018 and until 2025, taxpayers other than C corporations are limited in their ability to deduct business loss. The excess business loss that is disallowed is instead carried forward as part of the taxpayer’s net operating loss in succeeding years.

Individuals

• As a general reminder, there are several ways in which you can file an income-tax return: married filing jointly, head of household, single, and married filing separately. A married couple, which includes same-sex marriages, may elect to file one return reporting their combined income, computing the tax liability using the tax tables or rate schedules for ‘Married Persons Filing Jointly.’

If a married couple files separate returns, in certain situations they can amend and file jointly, but they cannot amend a jointly filed return to file separately once the due date has passed. A joint return may be filed even though one spouse has neither gross income nor deductions. If one spouse dies during the year, the surviving spouse may file a joint return for the year in which his or her spouse died.

Certain married persons who do not elect to file a joint return may be entitled to use the lower head-of-household tax rates. Generally, in order to qualify as a head of household, you must not be a resident alien, you must satisfy certain marital status requirements, and you must maintain a household for a qualifying child or any other person who is your dependent.

• Higher-income earners must be wary of the 3.8% surtax on certain unearned income. The surtax is 3.8% of the lesser of net investment income (NII) or the excess of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) over a threshold amount. As year-end nears, a taxpayer’s approach to minimizing or eliminating the 3.8% surtax will depend on his estimated MAGI and NII for the year. Some taxpayers should consider ways to minimize (e.g., through deferral) additional NII for the balance of the year, others should try to see if they can reduce MAGI other than NII, and still other individuals will need to consider ways to minimize both NII and other types of MAGI.

• The 0.9% additional Medicare tax also may require higher-income earners to take year-end actions. It applies to individuals for whom the sum of their wages received with respect to employment and whose self-employment income is in excess of an unindexed threshold amount ($250,000 for joint filers, $125,000 for married couples filing separately, and $200,000 in any other case). Employers must withhold the additional Medicare tax from wages in excess of $200,000 regardless of filing status or other income. Self-employed persons must take it into account in figuring estimated tax.

• Long-term capital gain from sales of assets held for over one year is taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on the taxpayer’s taxable income. The 0% rate generally applies to the excess of long-term capital gain over any short-term capital loss to the extent that it, when added to regular taxable income, is not more than the ‘maximum zero-rate amount’ (e.g., $77,200 for a married couple). If the 0% rate applies to long-term capital gains you took earlier this year — for example, you are a joint filer who made a profit of $5,000 on the sale of stock bought in 2009, and other taxable income for 2018 is $70,000 — then before year-end, try not to sell assets yielding a capital loss because the first $5,000 of such losses won’t yield a benefit this year. And if you hold long-term appreciated-in-value assets, consider selling enough of them to generate long-term capital gains sheltered by the 0% rate.

• Postpone income until 2019 and accelerate deductions into 2018 if doing so will enable you to claim larger deductions, credits, and other tax breaks for 2018 that are phased out over varying levels of adjusted gross income. These include deductible IRA contributions, child tax credits, higher-education tax credits, and deductions for student-loan interest.

Postponing income is also desirable for those taxpayers who anticipate being in a lower tax bracket next year due to changed financial circumstances. Note, however, that in some cases, it may pay to actually accelerate income into 2018. For example, that may be the case where a person will have a more favorable filing status this year than next (e.g., head of household versus individual filing status), or expects to be in a higher tax bracket next year.

• Beginning in 2018, many taxpayers who claimed itemized deductions year after year will no longer be able to do so. That’s because the basic standard deduction has been increased (to $24,000 for joint filers, $12,000 for singles, $18,000 for heads of household, and $12,000 for marrieds filing separately), and many itemized deductions have been cut back or abolished. No more than $10,000 of state and local taxes may be deducted, miscellaneous itemized deductions (e.g., tax-preparation fees, moving expenses, and investment expenses) and unreimbursed employee expenses are no longer deductible, and personal casualty and theft losses are deductible only if they’re attributable to a federally declared disaster.

You can still itemize medical expenses to the extent they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, state and local taxes up to $10,000, your charitable contributions, plus interest deductions on a restricted amount of qualifying residence debt, but payments of those items won’t save taxes if they don’t cumulatively exceed the new, higher standard deduction.

• Some taxpayers may be able to work around the new reality by applying a ‘bunching strategy’ to pull or push discretionary medical expenses and charitable contributions into the year where they will do some tax good. For example, if a taxpayer knows he or she will be able to itemize deductions this year but not next year, the taxpayer may be able to make two years’ worth of charitable contributions this year, instead of spreading out donations over 2018 and 2019.

• If you’re age 70½ or older by the end of 2018, have traditional IRAs, and particularly if you can’t itemize your deductions, consider making 2018 charitable donations via qualified charitable distributions from your IRAs. Such distributions are made directly to charities from your IRAs, and the amount of the contribution is neither included in your gross income nor deductible on Schedule A, Form 1040. But the amount of the qualified charitable distribution reduces the amount of your required minimum distribution, resulting in tax savings.

• Make gifts sheltered by the annual gift-tax exclusion before the end of the year and thereby save gift and estate taxes. The exclusion applies to gifts of up to $15,000 made in 2018 to each of an unlimited number of individuals. You can’t carry over unused exclusions from one year to the next. Such transfers may save family income taxes where income-earning property is given to family members in lower income-tax brackets who are not subject to the kiddie tax.

• For tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017, the unearned income of a child is subject to ordinary and capital-gains rates applicable to trusts and estates. The earned income of a child is taxed according to an unmarried taxpayer’s brackets and rates. The kiddie tax is not affected by the tax situation of the child’s parents or unearned income of any siblings. The kiddie tax applies to: (1) children under 18 who do not file a joint return; (2) 18-year-old children who have unearned income in excess of the threshold amount, do not file a joint return, and who have earned income, if any, that does not exceed one-half of the amount of the child’s support; and (3) children between the ages of 19 and 23 if, in addition to the above rules, they are full-time students. Investment earnings in excess of $2,100 will be taxed at the rates that apply to trusts and estates.

These are just some of the year-end steps that can be taken to save taxes. Again, by contacting your tax advisor, he or she can tailor a particular plan that will work best for you.

Kristina Drzal-Houghton, CPA, MST is the partner in charge of Taxation at Holyoke-based Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 536-8510.

To Keep Top Talent, Employers Need to Consider Work-life Balance

By Columnist December 11, 2018

Work/Life Balance

Survey Says

While salary is still the most important aspect of a job for most, a new survey from the Employers Associations of America (EEA) notes that lifestyle factors are a significant consideration as well.

In its 2019 National Business Trends Survey, the EEA aimed to determine the top five most important factors prospective employees are looking for, with the goal of assisting employers with recruitment and retention. The top five factors included, in order, competitive pay (named by 82% of respondents), good work/life balance (69.2 %), flexibility in work hours (56.1%), opportunities for advancement (55.4%), and competitive health benefits (49.9%).

“The shortage of labor will be a key factor for employers in 2019,” said Phil Brandt, who chairs the EAA board of directors. “How employers will fill those new jobs is the real story. Employers will need to be even more creative in their recruitment and retention efforts than ever before.”

And if employees are prioritizing balance in their lives, companies should take notice, if only to assess the well-being of their workforce.

“These days, work-life balance can seem like an impossible feat. Technology makes workers accessible around the clock. Fears of job loss incentivize longer hours,” business writer Deborah Jian Lee noted in Forbes recently, noting that, according to a Harvard Business School survey, 94% of working professionals reported working more than 50 hours per week, and nearly half said they worked more than 65 hours per week. “Experts agree: the compounding stress from the never-ending workday is damaging. It can hurt relationships, health, and overall happiness.”

Still, this year’s EEA survey indicates a fair amount of optimism on the part of business executives for 2019. Nearly 74% describe their projected 2019 business outlook as a slight to significant increase in sales and revenue.

“The shortage of labor will be a key factor for employers in 2019. How employers will fill those new jobs is the real story. Employers will need to be even more creative in their recruitment and retention efforts than ever before.”

Supporting that optimistic outlook is the fact that 54% of executives surveyed plan to hire permanent staff in 2019. When asked the primary reasons for their 2019 hiring plans, 72% said their hiring will be to fill newly created jobs.

When asked which strategies executives are using to overcome recruitment and retention challenges, respondents identified, as the three top strategies, adjusting pay ranges upward, providing additional training and development for existing staff, and increasing starting salaries.

Executives were also asked to identify their top five serious challenges over the next year. The top five were talent acquisition (54%), talent retention (41%), ability to pay competitive wages (33%), ability to pay for benefit costs (28%), and competition in general (28%).

When that question shifted to their serious concerns over the long term — within the next five years — respondents cited talent acquisition (57%), talent retention (48%), ability to pay for benefit costs (43%), ability to pay competitive wages (40%), and competition in general (34%).

Finally, the survey also indicated the top five measures executives say they have been implementing — or are planning to continue to implement in 2019 — to strengthen business. These are investing in technology (52%), investing in equipment (50%), increasing recruiting emphasis (38%), increasing training budget (30%), and increasing total rewards education (22%).

The EAA is a not-for-profit national association that provides this annual survey to business executives, arming them with insights and trends for business outlooks, business-investment plans, staffing levels, hiring plans, job creation, pay strategies, and business challenges. The 2018 survey included 1,295 participating organizations throughout the U.S.

Why Everyone — Not Just Seniors — Needs a Healthcare Proxy

Law

Prepare for the Unexpected

Jack Ferriter says it’s never too early to talk to an attorney about a healthcare proxy and living will.

Medical decisions aren’t always cut and dry. The way Jack Ferriter sees it, why entrust them to just anyone?

“A healthcare proxy is someone who stands in your shoes to make medical decisions for you, but only if you’re unable to make those decisions,” said Ferriter, who practices business and estate law at Ferriter Law in Holyoke.

The term ‘healthcare proxy’ also refers to the document that specifies who will make those critical decisions for an individual if they can’t make them on their own — for instance, in a medical emergency that has them unconscious or otherwise incapacitated.

For instance, Ferriter explained, “if a surgeon says, ‘do you want this operation?’ and you can shake your head to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ the doctor will go with your answer. But if you’re unable to make that decision — or even if you’re unwilling, if you say, ‘I don’t know; please ask my wife, who’s my healthcare proxy’ — then the surgeon would ask your healthcare proxy whether you should have the operation.”

A 2017 study in the journal Health Affairs revealed that one-third of Americans have a healthcare proxy, which is far too low, say estate-planning attorneys and doctors.

“When somebody comes in here and they’re asking for an estate plan, we will always include a will, a power of attorney, and a healthcare proxy and a living will,” Ferriter told BusinessWest. “Everyone should have them. It’s not just for people 65 and older. Anybody could get hit by the proverbial bus and need somebody else to make medical decisions with a healthcare proxy, or financial decisions with power of attorney.”

In a recent blog post, Springfield-based law firm Bulkley Richardson noted that it examined whom its own clients had named as their healthcare proxies, and found that, not surprisingly, a spouse was most common, followed by an adult child.

“Where a child was named, gender, birth order, and whether the child was the parent’s ‘unofficial favorite’ often did not seem to matter,” the firm noted. “Geographic proximity to the parent signing the document, emotional maturity, and perceived alignment with the parent’s preferences seemed to determine who was named. If a child was in a medicine-related profession, that was often a major factor in the selection.”

“Anybody could get hit by the proverbial bus and need somebody else to make medical decisions with a healthcare proxy, or financial decisions with power of attorney.”

Ferriter recommends that clients name two people — a primary and secondary healthcare proxy — because the designation comes into play at urgent and unexpected times.

“If it’s 2 in the morning and the surgeon is trying to reach your healthcare proxy and doesn’t have the right number, or has a home number that’s going into a machine and needs an answer, or if somebody’s out of the country, it’s always good to have a secondary healthcare proxy so the surgeon can call the secondary one and say, ‘should we do this operation or not?’”

He recommends that cell-phone numbers are used, not landlines, but even then, ringers are sometimes turned off, or phones lose their charge, and no one wants the wrong person to make life-and-death decisions because of a dead battery.

Wishes Granted

In addition to the healthcare proxy, Ferriter recommends clients prepare a living will as well.

“You go down the list and check off or initial each line — you do not wish to be resuscitated, you do not wish to be artificially fed, you do not wish to be artificially kept alive,” he noted.

However, the living will in itself is not a binding legal document in Massachusetts (however, it is in Connecticut and some other states). So why prepare one? Perhaps its greatest value comes in the guidance it gives one’s doctors and healthcare proxy.

“I find it’s a good guide for your conversation with your healthcare proxy and with your family. You go down the list and say, ‘here’s what I want, here’s what I don’t want, and even though this is not legally binding in Massachusetts, I just want you to know so that, if you are making the decisions for me, you’ll have my answers ahead of time.’”

And for those who worry about the finality of the living will, Ferriter pointed out that language on the form states that the living will is to be followed only if there’s no reasonable chance of recovery.

“I know these questions are kind of scary. If you’re 55 years old and it says ‘do not resuscitate,’ you’re afraid that if you walk out my front door and have a heart attack, they’re not going to resuscitate you. But they would, because it says ‘only if there’s no reasonable chance of recovery.’ So if you’re 105 years old in a nursing home and your heart stops, they’re probably not going to paddle you. But if you’re 55 years old and you have a heart attack outside a lawyer’s office, I’m sure they would absolutely paddle you, and wouldn’t even ask anybody.”

A third document related to critical-care decisions that has emerged in recent years is the MOLST document, which stands for medical orders for life-sustaining treatment. And, unlike a living will, MOLST is absolutely a binding document.

“MOLST differs from the most common type of palliative-care planning — advanced directive orders, which usually include a living will or other expression of wishes. Those orders generally designate a surrogate decision maker, or healthcare proxy, to act on behalf of an incapacitated patient,” the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) notes.

“Living-will instructions — when presented by a healthcare proxy — are generally recognized as evidence of patient preferences, but are not recognized by Massachusetts law. In contrast, a completed MOLST form travels with the patient at all times, may be faxed or reproduced, and is an official part of a patient’s medical record.”

Ferriter noted that the MOLST isn’t technically a legal document, but a medical one.

“We don’t do them here in the office because the medical orders are done with a physician or a medical professional. Those are your orders, and those are binding in Massachusetts because you’ve had advice from a physician.”

But MOLST is not typically a document prepared absent an impending, planned event, like, say, open-heart surgery.

“Typically, they happen if you are going into the hospital for some kind of serious procedure. My experience is that physicians don’t offer to do medical orders with their patients, but if you ask for them, they’ll do them, and if you’re going in for a serious operation, they may bring it up at that point,” Ferriter said. “You can’t sit at home and fill out medical orders by yourself because you’re not making an informed decision. And it’s usually your primary-care doctor who does it — someone who knows you well — even though the surgeon is doing the surgery.”

MOLST covers resuscitation efforts, breathing tubes and ventilation, artificial nutrition and hydration, and dialysis, the MMS notes.

“MOLST has priority over the healthcare proxy, because it’s your actual wish, as if you had shaken your head ‘yes’ or ‘no’ at the time of the actual procedure,” Ferriter said.

Don’t Put It Off

While many people will never have need of a MOLST, he went on, it’s hard to argue that they won’t need the other documents at some point — and the sooner, the better.

“We tell clients that as soon as you get married or buy a house, have a child, or even graduate from college, it’s not that expensive to do a will, power of attorney, healthcare proxy, and living will,” he noted. “For a single person, it’s less than $300, and for a couple, it’s less than $500.

“A lot of times, older couples will come in upon retirement,” he went on. “Most of the time, they had a previous version of these documents, but things have changed. They had it done in their 30s and 40s, now they’re in their 60s, so we update those.”

Individuals or couples with children will also want to include guardianship documents and perhaps establish a trust in case neither is around to care for them.

“When I have people in their 30s and 40s come in, it’s usually because one of the parents has passed away, or maybe a grandparent has passed away. There’s usually something that pushes them to come in,” Ferriter said, adding that, in truth, it shouldn’t take a big life change to start thinking about who will make important decisions in case crisis strikes.

When folks come in to get their estate plan done, I tell them, ‘you should sit around a dining room table with your family and have a frank coversation about what you want. It can be a difficult conversation, but it’s always better to have it at the dining-room table than around a hospital bed.’”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Is It Time for UMass Football to Punt?

By Editorial December 11, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

UMass Football has a new coach — now former Florida State Offensive Coordinator Walt Bell.

What the program doesn’t have, at least from our vantage point, is a clear path out of what seems to be some very thick weeds. Indeed, the program, which moved into what’s known as the FSB, the Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision, in 2012, seems to be mired in quicksand, with poor records, seemingly poor support from fans, and a distinct lack of any light at the end of the tunnel.

A new coach might help, but we believe the problems run deeper than that — deep enough to prompt discussion about whether this move to the FSB can someday achieve the lofty goals set years ago.

And that’s where we need to start, with those goals.

They were broad, and included a winning program that would bring prestige, revenue, and perhaps even some top-shelf students to the campus in Amherst.

Thus far, the move to the FSB has achieved little if any of that. On the revenue side, for example, after losing money in 2016 and 2015, university athletics finished in the black in 2017, to the tune of roughly $500,000. But those numbers pale in comparison to the major football powerhouses, and as expenses continue to rise, we wonder how long university athletics, and especially the football program, can operate in the black.

Meanwhile, far from attracting new fans, the program seems to be alienating alums and supporters, first by playing home games at Gillette stadium (a strategy that was thankfully shelved, for the most part), and then by putting together schedules of games against opponents that no one knows or cares about.

Indeed, as a member of the Mid-America conference for a few seasons, UMass played the likes of Buffalo, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Toledo, and Akron. And, now, as an independent after leaving the MAC in 2015, the Minutemen play teams like Charlotte, Georgia Southern, Liberty, and Florida Atlantic. None of these teams resonate with alums and residents of the region, and they won’t, even if UMass plays them for the next 20 years.

Yes, Georgia, Boston College, and Brigham Young University were on this year’s schedule (BYU was even a home game), but the respective scores were 66-7, 55-21, and 35-16.

OK, this is not a sports publication, and this bit of commentary is not about how bad the UMass defense was. Well, maybe it’s a little about that, and the defense was really bad, giving up almost 43 points a game.

No, it’s a business publication, and in most all respects, UMass football isn’t a sport, it’s a business — a business that has yet to find its way and probably needs a new strategic plan, in addition to a new CEO (head coach).

But determining which direction to go in is difficult. One can make a logical case that maybe the best course for the university is to go back down a division and put some traditional, or at least geographic, rivalries back on the schedule — teams like New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, and maybe Harvard and Holy Cross, if those schools are so inclined.

But going backward isn’t an appealing option.

Still, going forward at this pace doesn’t appear to make sense, either. To really be successful within the FSB, the school will have to continue to make the huge investments in facilities needed to attract top players.

And we wonder out loud whether it will be worth it. After all, the school continues to rise in the USA Today rankings and overall prestige as a research university, and it would be very fair to say that none of that upward movement has anything whatsoever to do with the football program.

Like we said, UMass football has a new coach. What is doesn’t appear to have is a sense of direction regarding the future.

It’s definitely time to get one.

A Lifetime of Kindness Is Rewarded

By Editorial December 11, 2018

Opinion

Sometimes — not very often, but sometimes — life really does imitate art.

In this case, a Frank Capra movie — specifically his best-known work, It’s a Wonderful Life. You’ve all seen it; it’s about a man who basically spends his whole life helping others, and when he ultimately needs help, he finds out just how many friends he has.

That’s fiction.

Bob Charland’s life and work aren’t.

He’s better known as ‘Bob the Bike Man,’ or just ‘the Bike Man,’ and you’ve probably read about his story or seen it on television news. Diagnosed with a brain injury and for all intents and purposes terminally ill, Charland, who has always been active in the community, has dedicated the time he has left to serving the community in a number of ways, especially by fixing up donated bicycles and gifting them to children in need across this region.

BusinessWest recognized him for his efforts — and his courage — by naming him one of its Difference Makers for 2018.

Along the way, Charland has had a lot of help with this endeavor, including a donation of a building to store the bicycles from Columbia Gas. And that’s where our story begins to slant toward the life and times of George Bailey (yes, it is that time of year).

To make a long story shorter, Columbia Gas, challenged by issues on the other end of the state, specifically the gas explosions in Lawrence and neighboring communities, was simply no longer in a position to donate the space in Springfield.

He’s better known as ‘Bob the Bike Man,’ or just ‘the Bike Man,’ and you’ve probably read about his story or seen it on television news. Diagnosed with a brain injury and for all intents and purposes terminally ill, Charland, who has always been active in the community, has dedicated the time he has left to serving the community in a number of ways, especially by fixing up donated bicycles and gifting them to children in need across this region.

Charland, with requests for bicycles growing each week, commenced a search for new quarters and wasn’t having much luck because of the large amount of space needed and other logistical concerns, including security.

That’s when the team at Colebrook Realty in Springfield and Tom Dennis, owner of several commercial buildings in Springfield, stepped in to allow Charland to continue writing new chapters to his amazing story.

Indeed, working together, Dennis and those at Colebrook, secured a location in the basement of a warehouse building in downtown Springfield, got the space ready, and even worked out a lease — $10 a month. They were supported in their efforts by local contractors Bierman Plumbing & Heating and BWP Electric, which volunteered services to make the space ready for prime time.

In the larger scheme of things, this is certainly not a big news story. But it’s significant in that it shows the caring nature of those in the business community, and how individuals can and often do step forward to improve quality of life in this region.

When he was introduced at the Difference Makers gala last March, it was said that Charland’s work with the community, not just with bikes, but also with efforts to provide essentials for the homeless and others in need, was among the most — if not the most — inspirational story told in the 10-year history of the Difference Makers program.

It was said that his work and his desire to spend the weeks, months, and (hopefully) years that he has left finding new and different ways to help those in need would inspire others to find their own ways to give back and make a difference.

And this donation of much-needed space shows how prophetic those words were.

Like we said, sometimes life does imitate art. And this time it did. Someone who’s spent a life unselfishly helping others needed some help himself. And he found out just how many friends he has.

Picture This

Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]
A photo essay of recent business events in Western Massachusetts

Business Exchange

The Greater Northampton, Greater Easthampton and Amherst Area chambers of commerce recently came together for their annual Business Exchange at Lord Jeffery Inn. More than 225 business leaders from across the Pioneer Valley enjoyed music, tastings, and networking bingo. The event was sponsored by Duseau Trucking, Five College Realtors, and Kuhn Riddle Architects. Pictured below: from left, John Howland, President, Greenfield Savings Bank (far left) and his wife Phelicia (far right) with Regina Curtis of the Greenfield Community College Foundation. Bottom: Youssef Fadel of New England Promotional Marketing (left) and Jessye Deane of F45 Training of Hampshire Meadows & Community Action.

Pain into Purpose

The Springfield College Office of Multicultural Affairs recently presented Leon Ford, a community leader, social activist, and survivor of police brutality. Ford, author of Untold, shared his personal story about police brutality, racial profiling, discriminatory practices, victimization, and how he has used his experience as a tool to positively impact society. In 2012, Ford, then 19, was shot five times by a Pittsburgh police officer during a routine traffic stop, leaving paralyzed. Since that time, Ford has told his story all over the country, including delivering a TEDx Talk, “Turning Pain into Purpose,” about his experiences. Pictured: Ford (right) with Calvin Hill, Springfield College’s vice president for Inclusion and Community Engagement.

Engaging Efforts

Greater Springfield Senior Services recently awarded $5,000 Let’s Re-engAGE grants to three organizations — Glenmeadow Retirement Community of Longmeadow, Valley Eye Radio Inc. of Springfield, and the Indian Orchard Branch of the Springfield library — for projects designed to reach out to isolated senior citizens and engage the community in the effort. Pictured at below: from left, Valley Eye Radio Executive Director Barbara Loh and board members John Ptaszek and Ellen Berry. At bottom: from left, Stephen Crane, Longmeadow town manager; the Rev. Pam McGrath, First Church of Christ, Longmeadow; Anne Thomas, president and CEO, Glenmeadow Retirement Community; and Erin Koebler, Community Outreach coordinator, Longmeadow Council on Aging.

Celebrating in Style

Mercedes Benz of Springfield celebrated its first year in business recently by throwing a party for customers, employees, and partners in the dealership’s many initiatives within the community. Donations were suggested to support Square One and the Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestra. Below, Peter and Michelle Wirth, co-owners of the dealership, with their children: Alexander, Christian, Benjamin, and Charlotte. Middle, magician Peter James entertains two young children. Bottom, there were Mercedes models for people of all ages.

Court Dockets

Court Dockets

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

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

Robert McBain v. East Elm Pediatrics, LLC and John C. Dallenbach
Allegation: Non-payment of wages: $4,475.96
Filed: 11/5/18

Fleury Lumber Co. Inc. v. OGC, LLC and Michael D. Dale
Allegation: Breach of contract; money owed for goods delivered: $28,601.85
Filed: 11/7/18

Advanced Mitigation and Restoration Group, LLC d/b/a Advanced Restoration Group v. Thomas Fotiathis and Lisa Fotiathis, individually and d/b/a T & L Antiques
Allegation: Breach of contract; money owed for emergency goods and services: $11,892.16
Filed: 11/8/18

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Penelope Silverstein v. Vivint Solar Developer, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract: $25,000
Filed: 10/31/18

Christine Lee v. the trustees of Mount Holyoke College
Allegation: Breach of employment contract: $170,000+
Filed: 11/1/18

Kiara Bartlett v. Aesculap Inc.
Allegation: Product liability; plaintiff suffered physical damage from a defective brain shunt valve: $100,000+
Filed: 11/2/18

Kyle Kendall v. Action Ambulance Services Inc., et al
Allegation: Unlawful retaliation, wrongful termination, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing: $65,727
Filed: 11/5/18

John D. Riley and Patricia A. Riley v. Paul S. Thaler, M.D. and Valley Medical Group, P.C.
Allegation: Medical malpractice
Filed: 11/8/18

Agenda

Agenda

Pastiche: A Makers Market

Dec. 14-15: CLICK Workspace will put on its third annual Pastiche: A Makers Market. Featuring a variety of handcrafted art, goods, and gifts by local artists and companies, Pastiche is slated for Dec. 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. and Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This pop-up market features local artists and craftspeople without a retail or storefront presence, offering a unique shopping experience. Custom-made women’s outerwear, hand-woven textiles, and raw, handmade soap are just a few of the wide variety of offerings at this year’s market. For a complete list of the Pastiche 2018 vendors and more information about the Makers Market, visit www.clickworkspace.org.

Asnuntuck Wintersession

Dec. 27 to Jan. 13: Registration is now open for Wintersession at Asnuntuck Community College. Students may apply or register online 24 hours a day at www.asnuntuck.edu, or in person at the Registrar’s office Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Academic advisors are available for walk-ins on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All other times are by appointment only. E-mail [email protected] for additional information. Students can earn three credits in three weeks at Wintersession, which is available to current students, new students, and students home on break from their four-year school. Online classes are available in art, biology, business, computer science, early childhood education, human services, psychology, and sociology.

HCC Intersession Classes

Jan. 3-16: Registration is now open for Intersession 2019 at Holyoke Community College (HCC), where new and returning students can earn a semester’s worth of credits for a single class in just 10 days. Intersession students can earn up to four credits by taking a single class. This academic year, during Intersession 2019, HCC is offering 30 different courses in 21 different academic areas, both online and on campus. They include anthropology, business administration, communication, criminal justice, economics, education, engineering, environmental science, general studies, geography, health (fitness and nutrition), law, management, marketing, mathematics, nutrition, philosophy, psychology, social science, sociology, and sustainability. “We have quite a wide variety of options, from a one-credit weight-room workout course all the way up to four-credit lab-science courses in robotics, environmental geology, and sustainability, as well as more general-education-type courses such as math and sociology,” said Monica Perez, vice president of Academic Affairs. “Intersession is a great opportunity for students to pick up extra credits in a very short period of time, and many are also available online, so you don’t even have to get up from your cozy, warm couch.” For more information about Intersession at HCC or to see a full listing of course offerings, visit www.hcc.edu/intersession.

Western Mass. Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Banquet

Jan. 31: Justine Siegal, the first female coach in the history of Major League Baseball, will be the keynote speaker for the sixth annual Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame induction banquet. The ceremony, hosted by the Valley Blue Sox, will take place at 7 p.m. at La Quinta Inn and Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. Siegal is the president and founder of Baseball for All, a nonprofit organization that empowers women to play, coach, and lead in baseball. She earned her doctorate in sport and exercise psychology from Springfield College, where she served as an assistant coach for the baseball team from 2008 to 2010. She also coached youth baseball. In 2009, Siegal became the first female coach of a professional men’s team when she worked as the first-base coach of the Brockton Rox in the independent Canadian American Assoc. of Professional Baseball. In 2011, she became the first woman to throw batting practice to a big league team, the Cleveland Indians. She also has served as a batting-practice pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, and New York Mets. In October 2015, Oakland invited her to serve a two-week stint as guest instructor in the instructional league in Arizona, making her the first female to coach in the major leagues. Siegal will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2019. This year’s class is the sixth since the inaugural banquet in 2014. Since its inception, 35 individuals and four teams who have represented and served the baseball community of Western Mass. have been honored. Tickets for the banquet are $50, or $450 for a table of 10. Dinner is included, and every guest will receive a pair of tickets to a 2019 Blue Sox home game. To purchase tickets, call (413) 533-1100 or visit valley-blue-sox.ticketleap.com/2019-hof.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

Chamber Corners

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

• Dec. 13: Holiday Party, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Collegian Court, 89 Park St., Chicopee. Sponsored by PeoplesBank. A free event as a special thank you to members.

• Dec. 19: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Spherion Staffing Services, PeoplesBank, Valley Communications, Sunshine Village, White Birch Insurance, and River Valley Counseling Center. Holiday with Mimosa Toast courtesy of Westfield Bank. Chief greeter: Peter Rosskothen, Delaney House and Log Cabin. Keynote speakers: Angela Callahan, River Valley Counseling Center; and Nate Costa, Springfield Thunderbirds. 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

• Jan. 31: Celebrate Success, 5-8 p.m., hosted by Northampton Country Club, 135 Main St., Leeds. Sponsored by Polish National Credit Union, Finck & Perras, and Taylor Real Estate. The event honors milestone achievers, salutes annual award recipients, and gives a preview of where the chamber will head in 2019. Cost: $40 per person, which includes dinner. Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

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

• Dec. 12: Holiday After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Jay’s Bed and Breakfast, 1109 Dwight St., Holyoke. People do business with people they know. Get connected with an evening of food, drink, and friends. Stop by and soak in the holiday spirit. Sponsored by Resnic, Beaureguard, Waite and Driscoll. Cost: $10 for members, $25 for non-members.

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

• Dec. 12: December After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Rosewood Home & Gifts, 34 Elm St., Westfield. Refreshments will be served. 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. Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For sponsorships or more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

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

• Dec. 13: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Trinity Pub/Irish House Restaurant, 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield. 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 intro and company overview. The only cost to attend for members is the cost of lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• Jan. 17: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern, West Springfield. 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 intro and company overview. The only cost to attend for members is the cost of lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

People on the Move

People on the Move

Donna Yetter

Melanson Heath announced the admittance of its new principal, Donna Yetter, CPA, CES. She has been working in public accounting for more than 30 years and is a part of the Commercial Services team out of the Greenfield office. Yetter joined the Melanson Heath team in 2007 and advises businesses and individuals on tax, management, and other accounting matters. She prepares corporate, partnership, individual, trust, and estate-tax returns; consults on business acquisitions and sales; and performs compilation and review services for financial reporting. Yetter received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from Salem State University in 1985 and has been a certified public accountant licensed in Massachusetts since 1991. In 2016, she received her CES, (certified estate and trust specialist) designation, which expands her range of services to include estate planning and asset repositioning on behalf of financial-planning clients. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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Michael Daly stepped down as president, CEO, and director of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Berkshire Bank’s holding company. Berkshire Bank President Richard Marotta has been named CEO and president of the company and CEO of the bank. Sean Gray, chief operating officer of Berkshire Bank, will replace Marotta as bank president. The move comes a year after the financial institution moved its headquarters from Pittsfield to Boston, and the purchase of Worcester-based Commerce Bank helped grow Berkshire to its current $12 billion in assets, making it the largest independent Massachusetts-based bank. “I am extremely proud of the accomplishments that the employees of the company have achieved during my time as CEO,” Daly said in a statement. “When I began my tenure 16 years ago, Berkshire Bank was one of the smallest banks headquartered in Massachusetts with some 300 employees, and the company is now the largest with nearly 2,000 employees. I’ve built long-lasting relationships with many employees during this time who I will continue to view as my family.”

•••••

Judith Ward

Judith Ward, an accomplished healthcare marketing professional, has been named vice president of Marketing & Communications for Baystate Health. In her new role, Ward will oversee marketing, digital/web, communications, public affairs, social media, creative services, loyalty programs, and special events at the Springfield-based health system, which includes hospitals in Springfield, Greenfield, Palmer, and Westfield, along with more than 100 medical practices at some 80 locations throughout Western Mass. Among the strategic marketing executive’s past accomplishments include conceiving and executing strategies that define, differentiate, and drive increased brand recognition, preference, customer loyalty, and market share. Ward comes to Baystate Health from Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, Calif., where she led the organization’s strategic marketing efforts, developed award-winning advertising campaigns, and executed engaging Facebook Live strategies. Prior to her role at Stanford, she served as vice president of Network Marketing for Danbury Hospital and Western Connecticut Health Network, where she led the brand creation and strategy for the newly formed health network. She also served as principal of Judith Ward Associates, providing consulting services centered on the development and execution of strategic digital marketing plans. Ward holds an MBA with a marketing concentration from University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree from University of New Hampshire. She has served as an adjunct professor in the Master of Health Administration program at Western Connecticut State University and Marlboro College in Vermont. She is a member of American College of Healthcare Executives, the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development, the Healthcare Executives Forum, and the California Assoc. of Healthcare Leaders.

•••••

Monson Savings Bank announced that Paul Hillsburg has joined the bank as vice president of Financial Advisory Services. He has more than 15 years of experience in the wealth and financial-services industry. He began his career as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and is now a financial advisor with Infinex Financial Group, located at Monson Savings Bank. Hillsburg specializes in all aspects of retirement and income planning for clientele consisting of small-business owners, successful professionals, families, individuals, and retirees. His primary objective is to work with clients on retirement income planning, wealth transfer, increasing income, maximizing overall returns, and reducing taxes. He holds FINRA Series 7, 66 securities registrations as well as life- and health-insurance licenses and a degree in business management.

•••••

Nikki Long

Tom Ellerbrook

As part of a continuing effort to position the company for stronger growth and faster product innovation to better meet the changing global needs of its customers, OMG has promoted two employees, Nikki Long and Tom Ellerbrook, into key sales positions in its FastenMaster Division. Long has been promoted to the newly created position of director of Key Accounts, which was established to bring a strategic focus to the role that key-account management plays in FastenMaster’s growth plans. She will design and implement strategies to improve sales growth, customer relationships, customer service, and on-time product delivery at FastenMaster’s key accounts. She reports to John McMahon, vice president. A 15-year veteran of the company, Long has held a variety of sales and marketing positions since starting in 2003. Most recently, she was the manager of Home Centers for FastenMaster, where she excelled at driving the FastenMaster brand and footprint in the home-center channel. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College. Ellerbrook has been promoted to director of Sales, responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans to exceed sales targets and expand market share. In addition, he is responsible for coaching and mentoring the sales team to achieve assigned goals, and for building a bench for the future. He also reports to McMahon. Ellerbrook has been with FastenMaster since 2011, most recently as the Northeast regional sales manager, where he was instrumental in building FastenMaster’s sales throughout the region. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UMass and an MBA from Western New England University.

•••••

Carmine DiCenso, executive director at Dakin Humane Society, was unanimously appointed to serve on the board of directors for the Assoc. for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA). The national organization, formerly known as the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators, is based in Surprise, Ariz. Its purpose is to create an association with professional administrators employed by organizations generally accepted to be a part of the humane movement. The goal of the board of directors is to design its management and annual conferences in an effort to continually enhance the standards of competence and integrity of its membership, as well as provide a significant benefit to the humane movement. DiCenso joins a team of more than a dozen animal-welfare professionals from around the country in serving on the board, which is chaired by Lisa LaFontaine of Humane Rescue Alliance.

•••••

The Springfield Thunderbirds announced a new staff hire to its front office with the addition of John Jones Jr. as an account executive. A native of Jupiter, Fla., Jones joins the Thunderbirds after serving as the general manager for Stretch Zone, an athletic and wellness company based in Jupiter, since March 2017, where he oversaw operations and sales/marketing strategies. Jones earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University, where he was a varsity letter winner as a member of the Seminoles football team, and was named to the FSU Athletic/Academic Wall of Fame.

•••••

The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) announced the addition of three new business leaders to its full Board of Directors. They are Dinesh Patel, DGP Properties, Chicopee and Springfield; Hershal Patel, BK Investments, Chicopee; and Peter Carmichael, director of Operations, Six Flags Theme Parks, Agawam. The three were formally voted onto the board during the organization’s recent annual meeting and will serve two-year terms expiring in September 2020. “We are so fortunate to have these three new directors on our board,” said Anthony Frasco, GSCVB board chairman. “They each are well-respected leaders within their own organizations and represent geographically and categorically diverse industries which are in turn important to travel and tourism. With Dinesh Patel, our board gains an individual committed to the development of downtown Springfield with the recent purchase of Tower Square Hotel. Hershal Patel, who has strong expertise in the strategic dynamics of Massachusetts’ hotel industry, is excited to bring new travelers to the region with the modern and refreshed hotel property Tru by Hilton in Chicopee. Peter Carmichael comes to us from the world of theme parks, which draws many thousands of visitors into our economy annually.”

Company Notebook

Company Notebook

Hazen Paper Recognized at Manufacturing Award Ceremony

HOLYOKE — The state’s third annual Manufacturing Award Ceremony, sponsored by the Legislature’s Manufacturing Caucus, was recently held at the State House in Boston. Hazen Paper was one of 58 manufacturers recognized for their success. Hazen is known worldwide for its holographic paper and manufacturing in Holyoke. Well-known examples its work include the Stadium Edition Super Bowl Program and the Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Yearbook. Hazen started an apprentice program in 2007 to train the expert workers required for this high-tech factory. Hazen has hired and trained more than 50 apprentices in the last 10 years. In 2010, Hazen started an internship program with engineering students from Western New England University, several of whom now work full-time on the Hazen management team. Hazen has been proactive in helping to build the future workforce via the World Is Our Classroom program, whereby every fifth-grader in Holyoke public schools visits Hazen for a full day of teaching and tours. Hazen started the program in 2004, and an estimated 4,000 fifth-graders have participated since that time.

Big Y Foods, COCC Receive Employer of Choice Recognition

AGAWAM — Big Y Foods Inc. of Springfield and COCC of Southington, Conn. have been selected by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) as Employer of Choice Award recipients for 2018. Employer of Choice awards recognize companies and organizations for developing workplaces that value employees, foster engagement, invest in employee development, and reward performance. Doing business for over 80 years, Big Y Foods is a family-owned supermarket chain with more than 11,000 employees throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. The chain prides itself on a culture of caring, which manifests itself in the form of workplace ‘huddles’ to celebrate employees who have gone above and beyond, and through the organization’s strong commitment to retain employees. Big Y stands out for its overall benefits, employee satisfaction, training and development, and recognition and rewards. One novel program, called Building Firm Foundations, is a collaboration in which employees help other employees with home-repair needs by utilizing their skills, expertise, and time. Projects have included building ramps, fixing decks and windows, landscaping, and more. Another initiative, called the 10 Foot Rule, combines a user-friendly customer-service model with a fun graphic reinforcing how to treat customers. The Big Y University and Big Y LIFE, an internal communication portal, are among the other employee-centric engagement offerings.

Kuhn Riddle Architects Certified as Woman Business Enterprise

AMHERST — Kuhn Riddle Architects announced that the firm was recently certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts grants the designation of WBE to businesses that demonstrate majority ownership and control of daily management and operations by women. Aelan Tierney, president of Kuhn Riddle Architects, sought the business designation after she became majority owner of the firm in January. She joined Jonathan Salvon and Charles Roberts, who became principals in 2010 when Chris Riddle retired. John Kuhn passed the torch of leadership and ownership to these three architects and will continue to work on selected projects at Kuhn Riddle Architects. Tierney will work on architectural project design while also focusing on new business growth and opportunities. “I see this designation as the continuing evolution of architecture — and of our society as a whole — as professions become more diverse and inclusive,” said Tierney, who has been an architect at Kuhn Riddle since 2005. “This is also as an opportunity for further growth of our firm. We have an immensely talented and capable staff; we are interested in partnering with other firms to take on much larger projects than we have to date. I am hopeful that this designation will open doors and break ceilings for us.”

Comcast Unveils New Xfinity Store at Holyoke Mall

HOLYOKE — Comcast recently staged a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of its newest Xfinity Store, which is located on the upper level of the Holyoke Mall. The 4,691-square-foot space is the first Xfinity Store in the region to open in a mall setting. Consumers will have the opportunity to explore, learn about, and interact directly with the latest Xfinity products and services, including Xfinity Mobile. In addition, the store offers a dedicated space where Comcast Business customers and prospects can discover cutting-edge business solutions and get connected with a local expert to discuss their business technology needs. Local officials and community leaders, including Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, state Rep. Aaron Vega, City Council President Todd McGee, Ward 3 City Councilor David Bartley, Ward 2 City Councilor Nelson Roman, and Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce President Barry Feingold, came out to celebrate the grand opening and tour the new store.

American Women’s College at Bay Path University Recognized

LONGMEADOW — According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare occupations will add more new jobs than any other occupational group in the next decade, projecting overall growth of 18% by 2026. The American Women’s College at Bay Path University prepares graduates to help meet that growing demand with its online bachelor of science in health service administration program, which has just been recognized on a list of the 30 best in the nation by TheBestSchools.org. The site formulates rankings based on six informational categories: academic excellence, strength of faculty scholarship, reputation, financial aid, range of degree programs, and strength of online instruction methodology. The university’s degree program ranked 18th on the list. The American Women’s College’s digitally enhanced learning model, SOUL (Social Online Universal Learning), uses data-driven intervention strategies to help mitigate achievement gaps, and has been recognized with more than $5 million in support from industry thought leaders and organizations, as well as awards from national foundations, the federal government, and awarding agencies.

Burkhart Pizzanelli Delivers New Coats to More Than 250 Square One Children

SPRINGFIELD — The team at Burkhart Pizzanelli, P.C. is doing its part to spread warmth to more than 250 children in need of winter coats this season. The local accounting firm organized a campaign through Operation Warm to purchase the new coats for children served by Square One. They were delivered to Square One on Dec. 4. “Being a strong community partner is an intergral part of our culture at the firm,” said Julie Quink, managing principal at Burkhart Pizzanelli. “As part of our commitment to the community that we work and live in, we believe giving back is important. Many of our clients share the same philosophy and joined our efforts, for which we are very appreciative. Partnering with Operation Warm to provide brand-new winter coats for the families served by Square One is one way for us to make a small difference in our community. We believe that all children should have opportunities to grow without worry.” Added Kristine Allard, chief Development & Communications officer for Square One, “to be able to provide our children with beautiful, brand-new winter coats does wonders for them. Not only does it help to protect them from the elements, but having a new coat of their own builds confidence and self-esteem.” Operation Warm is a national organization that provides new winter coats to children in need, helping to improve self-confidence, peer acceptance, school attendance, and overall wellness. Funding support comes from businesses and individuals within the communities they serve.

Bridgestone Retail Operations Presents Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke with New Van

HOLYOKE — Parents at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke agree that having reliable transportation is the biggest challenge to their children’s participation in after-school activities in Holyoke. Lack of reliable transportation is even more of a stressor for low-income families in need. With that in mind, Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) surprised youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke with a brand-new, eight-passenger Toyota Sienna van, valued at $35,000. The van was recently presented by Joe DeAngelis, New England Region manager, and Scott Zimmerman, area manager for Bridgestone Retail Operations, to Eileen Cavanaugh, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club. The club will utilize the van to engage in experiential learning opportunities, take youth on field trips, visit colleges, increase volunteer opportunities for teens, and participate in more career-readiness activities. In addition to these benefits, the four satellite units located within Holyoke Housing Authority communities will now have more access to the main club. The van allows transportation to nearly 1,400 club members to and from the club.

TommyCar Auto Group Supports Unify Against Bullying

SOUTH DEERFIELD — TommyCar Auto Group was the official partner for Unify Against Bullying for October in support of National Bullying Prevention Month. During the entire month of October, each dealership in the group — including Country Nissan, Country Hyundai, Northampton Volkswagen, and the new Volvo Cars Pioneer Valley — donated $20 for every car sold. Thanks to customer involvement, TommyCar Auto Group was able to donate $4,200. “Bullying happens way more than it should, but we have the power to make a difference,” said Carla Cosenzi, president of TommyCar Auto Group. “We need to continue to talk about bullying openly and freely, and not be scared to address the issues that happen to us, our family, our friends, or our co-workers. Unify is changing the culture within our communities and the way people are addressing bullying, and I knew we had to be a part of that.”

Briefcase

Briefcase

Opioid-related Overdose Deaths Decrease in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts decreased in the first nine months of 2018 compared to the first nine months of 2017, according to the latest quarterly opioid-related deaths report released recently by the Mass. Department of Public Health (DPH). In the first nine months of 2018, there were a total of 1,518 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths, as compared with 1,538 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths in the first nine months of 2017. This estimated decrease follows a 4% decline between 2016 and 2017. “The opioid epidemic, fueled by an all-time high level of fentanyl, remains a tragic public-health crisis responsible for taking too many lives in Massachusetts,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “While there is much work left for all of us to do, we are encouraged that overdose deaths and opioid prescriptions continue to decline as searches on the Commonwealth’s Prescription Monitoring Program increase.” The latest report also indicates that the powerful synthetic drug fentanyl present in the toxicology of opioid-related overdose deaths continues to rise and reached an all-time high at 90% in the second quarter of 2018. Meanwhile, the rate of heroin or likely heroin present in those deaths continued to plummet. In 2014, heroin or likely heroin was present in 71% of opioid-related deaths; by the second quarter of this year, that number had fallen to 37%. Last month, the Baker administration filed legislation seeking $5 million to support a regional, multi-agency approach to fentanyl interdiction and crime displacement by Massachusetts municipal police departments. The funding will supplement surveillance work and overtime costs for units engaged, and officers in the field will also work to get buyers into treatment. In addition, last April, Baker signed legislation that included a long-overdue ‘fentanyl fix’ to allow law enforcement to pursue fentanyl traffickers.

Five Colleges, PVTA, Towns Agree to Increase Bus Payments

SPRINGFIELD — A proposal by the Five College Consortium to increase its annual payment to the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority by a total of $250,000 over the next four years has been accepted by PVTA and area municipalities. PVTA’s costs are covered with a combination of federal and state subsidies, payments from towns and cities, and passenger fares. Since 1979, Five Colleges has agreed to pay PVTA the town portion of the cost of bus routes that include its campuses. This has been with the understanding that, to encourage bus use, Five College students do not have to pay fares. In recent years, however, the cost of operating buses along Five College routes has expanded beyond what PVTA was charging. When the campuses became aware of the gap last year, the consortium developed a schedule for increasing payments that would provide greater support to PVTA without creating an undue burden for its campuses. Building on the most current charge of $500,000, the agreement has the campuses paying an additional $50,000 each year until total annual payments reach $750,000. The first payment was made in the last fiscal year, and additional payments will be made in each of the coming four years.

Travelers Aid Begins Service at Bradley International Airport

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) and Travelers Aid announced that Travelers Aid International has begun serving the passengers of Bradley International Airport as the operator of the guest-service volunteer program at the airport. Travelers Aid now operates the Information Center in Terminal A on the lower level, which is the baggage-claim level. There are currently 45 volunteers, and Travelers Aid will be recruiting additional volunteers in order to better serve the airport’s passengers. The center’s current hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Mary Kate Doherty, an experienced volunteer manager, has been retained by Travelers Aid to manage and expand the program. Bradley International Airport will be the 18th airport in the Travelers Aid Transportation Network, which also includes four North American railroad stations and a cruise terminal. In the coming months, Travelers Aid will be reaching out to the residents of the region seeking additional volunteers. Doherty said Travelers Aid will be seeking anyone, both students and adults, interested in assisting a traveler with their questions. Anyone interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities should contact Doherty at (860) 500-8582 or [email protected].

ValleyBike Share Touts Inaugural Season Success

SPRINGFIELD — ValleyBike Share recently extended thanks to all users, sponsors, and supporters during its inaugural season. While the system experienced some expected (and unexpected) issues during this year’s startup, users successfully traveled over 88,000 miles together and made the bike-share system a success. People have been using the system instead of their cars for commuting to work and school, running errands, and even just for exercise and fresh air. “We are excited by the enthusiastic response in this first season of bike share, which has exceeded our original ridership projections,” said Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz. “We look forward to Easthampton joining the program next spring and also filling in the gaps in the system to continue expanding this important transportation alternative in the region.” Tim Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, noted that, since ValleyBike has been in existence, residents and visitors of the five founding communities and UMass Amherst have traveled the equivalent of three and half times around the Earth — “something truly worth celebrating as its inaugural season comes to a close.” As originally programmed, the system shut down completely on Nov. 30 and will be re-opened on April 1 (weather permitting). During the time ValleyBike Share bikes are over-wintering, ValleyBike will be working to fix the issues noted in the startup season to provide the public with new and improved riding opportunities next season.

Monson Savings Bank Seeks Input on Charitable Giving

MONSON — For the ninth year in a row, Monson Savings Bank is asking the community to help plan the bank’s community giving activities by inviting people to vote for the organizations they would like the bank to support during 2019. “Every year, we donate over $125,000 to organizations doing important work in the communities we serve,” said Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank. “For several years now, we’ve been asking the community for input on which groups they’d like us to support. We’ve been so pleased by how many people inquire each year as to when the voting will begin again and how many people actually participate.” To cast their vote, people can go to www.monsonsavings.bank/about-us/vote-community-giving. On that page, they can see a list of organizations the bank has already supported in 2018 and provide up to three names of groups they’d like the bank to donate to in 2019. The only requirement is that the organizations be nonprofit and providing services in Hampden, Monson, Wilbraham, or Ware. The voting ends at 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31. The bank pledges to support the top 10 vote getters and will announce who they are by the middle of January.

Incorporations

Incorporations

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

BARRE

Ishana Inc., 578 Summer St., Barre, MA 01005. Monil Patel, 4 Ralph Ave., Worcester, MA 01604. Liquor store.

J. D. Poulin Electric Inc., 351 Old Petersham Road, Barre, MA 01005. Jason D. Poulin, same. Electrical contractor.

BELCHERTOWN

Imperial Auto Movers Inc., 6 Fox Run Dr., Belchertown, MA 01007. Dmitry Kuzmenok, same. Trucking.

CHESHIRE

J. Richardson Contracting Inc., 135 Stafford Hill, Cheshire, MA 01225. Jason Richardson, same. General contracting.

EASTHAMPTON

Glenn Building Inc., 18 Ashley Circle, Easthampton, MA 01027. Norman F. Glenn, same. Building construction and renovation.

FEEDING HILLS

HD Painting Pros Inc., 960 Springfield St., Unit 12, Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Jesse James Hester, same. Painting.

LUDLOW

JBP Construction Inc., 157 Carmelinas Circle, Ludlow, MA 01056. Jamie R. Pio, 343 Woodland Circle, Ludlow, MA 01056. Construction services.

STOCKBRIDGE

Here for the Dogs Inc., 6 Shamrock St., Stockbridge, MA 01262. Nicole Jean Bessey, same. Raise awareness to the potential danger of dog collar use and the safe use of dog harnesses.

WARREN

Hardwick Memorial Handbell Choir Inc., 13 Jones St., Warren, MA 01083. Shawna R. Andrews, 1930 Gilbertville Road, New Braintree, MA 01531. Performing and encouraging the Handbell arts in the greater Hardwick community with performances both public and ecumenical.

WESTFIELD

Hearts to Pawz Project Inc., 24 Camelot Lane, Westfield, MA 01085. Terri Kutayli, same. Support local animal shelters.

WILBRAHAM

Gray Hawk Corp., 13 Cottage Ave., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Radu Moraru, same. Construction.

Doing Business as Certificates

DBA Certificates

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

DEERFIELD

Bonefrog
8 Sherman Dr.
Brian Carney

Local Legends Construction Services
57 McClelland Farm Road
Cody Adams

US Equity Finance
250 Conway Road
Gary Bowen

HADLEY

Artmuffin
134 Russell St.
Christopher Gendron

Aspen Dental
244 Russell St.
Patrick Dermesropian

HOLYOKE

Atty. Audet & Audet Realty
70 Nonotuck St.
Linda Audet

Caretenders
330 Whitney Ave., Suite 450
Caretenders VS of Boston, LLC

Get Mullered
9 Woodbridge St.
Nicole Muller

Invictus Photography
12 Taylor St.
Elizabeth Sullivan

Lucky Sevens Carpet
191 High St.
Gabe Khatchadourian

LONGMEADOW

Ascension Spa
917 Shaker Road
Christine Sgambati

ROI Strategic Advisors
1023 Converse St.
Lori Polep

NORTHAMPTON

Brooke Norton, LFMT
P.O. Box 60011
Jennifer Brooke Norton

CISabroad
17 New South St., #301
Center for International Studies Inc.

Grassroots Connection
50 Straw Ave.
Richard Puchalsky

Karen Martin Essa, Registered Electrologist
30 North King St.
Karen Essa

Linda Manor Assisted Living Facility
345 Haydenville Road
Northampton Management Systems Inc.

On Point Salon and Mini Spa
1 North Main St., Suite 1
Deanna Subocz

Pixel Edge
109 High St.
Sunergix Inc.

Rugs Direct Online
33 Main St.
Tahir Sheikh

Toad’s Kin Car Co.
5 Middle St.
Radley Nutting

Un Arret Café
176 Pine St.
Diamond John Weah

SPRINGFIELD

A.R.S. Services, LLC
480 St. James Ave.
William Graham

Acacio M. Serranzina
88 Enfield St.
Acacio Serranzina

Anna Maria Hamblin
33 Jenness St.
Anna Hamblin

Carte24
60 Crystal Ave.
Kiet Nguyen

Clutch Printer
731 Sumner Ave.
Melvin Lockett

Construction Brothers
39 Catalpa Terrace
Damian Cieszkowski

Horizon Landscaping
1181 Worcester St.
David Mackey

James Cutlery Collection
1655 Boston Road
Jimmie James

Lucky’s Auto Sales & Repair
97 Wilbraham Road
Robinson Betance

LaPrimera Iglesia Elohim
113 Orchard St.
Carmen Rodriguez

Mariah Gale Creative
60 Kulig St.
Mariah Smith

Schooley Mitchell or Western Massachusetts
67 Regal St.
Seth Tenenbaum

Super Shop Market
526 Chestnut St.
Umair Ali

Swan Soap and Such
251 Shadybrook Lane
Cynthia Lage

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies

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

Anderson, Bonnie E.
757 Keys Road
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/06/18

Beaulieu, Alfred Norman
Beaulieu, Joyce Carol
133 Jabish St., Apt. #D1
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/08/18

Beavis, Daniel Lee
Beavis, Catherine Marie
435 Garden St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Begin, Patricia E.
77 May Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/02/18

Bonnier, Sheree P.
12 Cherry St., Fl. 2
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/18

Buckley, Josephine
a/k/a Buckley, Josie
a/k/a Rooney, Josephine
a/k/a Mango, Josephine
120 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/01/18

Burbul, Susan A.
120 Malden St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/18

Calcano, Surama
32 Manilla Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/18

Canady, Joanne M.
327 Beacon Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/08/18

Claudio, Ruben
P.O. Box 70478
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/18

Cleary, Eric R.
140 Housatonic St., Apt. 63
Lenox, MA 01240
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/09/18

Coffin, Kimberley F.
8 Cold Spring Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/13/18

Conceicao, Corina A.
833 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/18

Cote, Margaret C.
4 Newell St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/18

Crocker, James R.
76 Hazelwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/08/18

Daniels, Kevin K.
Daniels, Laurie L.
55 Stanton Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/01/18

Digital City DJ Services
Ducharme, Erik P.
473 Nassau Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Fueston, Lisa J.
19 Voltage Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/13/18

Galazka, Stephen M.
134 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/15/18

Gonzalez, Katherine
80 Jamaica St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/09/18

Gougeon, Kelly Sue
a/k/a Hoffmeyer, Kelly S.
150 Ferry St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/08/18

Grant, Timothy C.
65 Fairview Park Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/05/18

Gregory, Monique Danee
483 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Guzman, Nalkin
647 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/15/18

Hogan Leather
Hogan, Paula M.
733 Old North Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Holben, Sean M.
555 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/02/18

Holt, Catherine S.
14 Kowal Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/08/18

Jurkowski, John G.
10 Mountain View St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/05/18

Kellogg, Robert M.
5 Lincoln St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/18

Kowal, Gertrude
a/k/a Barry, Gertrude
45 Powder Mill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/02/18

Kudla, Sandy D.
100 Pine St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/15/18

Laizer, Robert J.
62 Farnsworth St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/02/18

LeBlanc, Lonnie D.
654 Sanders St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/01/18

LeFebvre, Laurie L.
78 Greenleaf Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/15/18

Lewins, Kelsey A.
59 Munsing Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Listro, Alan
18 Juliet St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/02/18

Malooly, Christopher G.
45 Fletcher Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/12/18

Mathew, Aleyamma
84 Chilson Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/14/18

Mazzacco, Peter
21 Frederick St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/06/18

Mensah-Otoo, Joseph
129 Newell St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/02/18

Nixon, Nekeisha N.
15 Merritt St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/18

Nolan, Elaine Ethel
a/k/a Stebbins, Elaine
a/k/a Rutkauski, Elaine
67 Fairview Ave., #3
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/09/18

Nugent, Peter
33 Connolly St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Oprecht-Kum, Patricia Sebena
35 Sunset Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/09/18

Ortiz, Manuel A.
1052 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/13/18

Pasta’s Arizona Pizza Co.
Magnolia Holdings, LLC
Market Holdings, Inc.
The Virginia Company, Inc.
Benson, James W.
180 Laurel St.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/09/18

Rodriguez, Carlos A.
497 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/14/18

Rowe, Jonathan M.
Rowe, Mary N.
135 Oak Hollow Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Shalypin, Maksim
a/k/a Shalypin, Max
30A Elmdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Shlosser, Jeremy R.
17 Holly St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Slater, Kelley E.
8 Ridge Path
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/02/18

Tayeh, Hanibal C.
77 Gary Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 11
Filing Date: 11/07/18

Thompson, Jodi L.
a/k/a Krejmas, Jodi
111 Montague City Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/15/18

Uhlig, Maureen Emily
112 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/09/18

Vera, Charity D.
44 Smithfield Court
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/15/18

Wang, Chaunpin
109 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Welcome, William E.
Welcome, Tammy L.
61 Dartmouth St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/18

Wells, Shawn J.
8 Cottage St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/31/18

Real Estate Transactions

Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

57 Shaw Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $263,500
Buyer: Timothy C. Fish
Seller: Barbara L. Sevene
Date: 11/07/18

BUCKLAND

10 Kratt Ave.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $314,500
Buyer: Debra B. Tulsky
Seller: Hammered Homes LLC
Date: 11/15/18

49 North St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jeremiah Jacques
Seller: John R. Kiablick
Date: 11/05/18

120 State St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Corbeil
Seller: Sarah Davenport
Date: 11/09/18

DEERFIELD

10 Beaver Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Rebecca J. Ringle
Seller: Elizabeth J. Braccia
Date: 11/15/18

31 Elm St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $1,948,235
Buyer: Milford Road LLC
Seller: Quabbin ACM LLC
Date: 11/07/18

108 Lee Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Michael Duprey
Seller: Brown, Lois M., (Estate)
Date: 11/15/18

10 West St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Mark Valone
Seller: Richard J. Gleason
Date: 11/08/18

ERVING

44 High St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Valerie J. Haley
Seller: Brandon Turner
Date: 11/07/18

GREENFIELD

26 Clark St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Tyler A. Nolan
Seller: William J. Powers
Date: 11/07/18

23-25 Haywood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Linda Spencer
Seller: D&B Properties Inc.
Date: 11/14/18

330 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $481,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Scriver
Seller: Donna J. Mollard
Date: 11/07/18

28 Mohawk Trail
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Charles G. Cooley
Seller: David J. Audette
Date: 11/09/18

52 Newell Pond Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: John T. McConnell
Seller: Donald L. Ouellette
Date: 11/13/18

32 Place Terrace
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Carrie A. Sak
Seller: Fred B. Wheeler
Date: 11/09/18

28 Russell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Noah Modie
Seller: US Bank
Date: 11/09/18

33-35 Woodleigh Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Quinn Lonchiek-Renehan
Seller: Francis J. Twarog
Date: 11/13/18

MONTAGUE

49 Montague St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: John J. Hale
Seller: Scott D. Minckler
Date: 11/16/18

8 Randall Wood Dr.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Bob Bergeron
Seller: Barbara D. Cooper
Date: 11/08/18

NORTHFIELD

571-B Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Christine A. Horn
Seller: Harland W. Hoisington
Date: 11/16/18

ORANGE

35 Burrill Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Gary Salamone
Seller: Athol Credit Union
Date: 11/05/18

292 East Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: Terri White
Seller: Kelley A. Goddard
Date: 11/08/18

105 Gidney Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Robert H. Wickham
Date: 11/14/18

91 Sandrah Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Albertine Ward
Seller: Reginald C. Haughton
Date: 11/09/18

SHELBURNE

40 Mechanic St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: William J. Clough
Seller: Joseph A. Corbeil
Date: 11/09/18

SUNDERLAND

177 North Main St.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $237,900
Buyer: Zoe H. Keenan
Seller: Robert P. Jandrue
Date: 11/05/18

WARWICK

162 Old Winchester Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Carleton M. Leno
Seller: Miryam E. Williamson
Date: 11/15/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

430 Adams St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Aleksandr P. Zalivchi
Seller: United Bank Residential
Date: 11/07/18

52 Alhambra Circle, North
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Cory M. Caride
Seller: Chad S. Boucher
Date: 11/14/18

57 Belvidere Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $174,300
Buyer: Kyle Pfeffer
Seller: Robert M. Bielinski
Date: 11/09/18

135 Brien St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: ATR Realty LLC
Seller: Nicole A. Malkoon-Borhot
Date: 11/08/18

657-659 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $372,000
Buyer: John Brodeur
Seller: Petro Boyko
Date: 11/16/18

217 James St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Daniel Thibault
Seller: Albert Fini
Date: 11/06/18

631 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Gregory Scibelli
Seller: Kimberly A. Perry
Date: 11/09/18

1026 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $228,500
Buyer: Alan Meunier
Seller: Sergio Bonavita
Date: 11/09/18

184 Tobacco Farm Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Piotr Peryeu
Seller: Andrzej Laz
Date: 11/13/18

93 White Fox Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Kelleher
Seller: Karen L. Rossetti
Date: 11/13/18

58 Wilson St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $177,900
Buyer: Joseph M. Kelley
Seller: Jennifer N. Small
Date: 11/16/18

BLANDFORD

113 Otis Stage Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $401,000
Buyer: Douglas Smelcer
Seller: Jeffrey J. Thompson
Date: 11/15/18

Otis Stage Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $840,000
Buyer: Blandford Sun LLC
Seller: Philip D. Brent LLC
Date: 11/13/18

BRIMFIELD

100 Crestwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Bryan Waterman
Seller: Dennis K. Hart
Date: 11/15/18

90 Haynes Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Timothy Martens
Seller: S. S. Skowyra Inc.
Date: 11/16/18

152 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Michael Thibeault
Seller: Josephine A. Hill
Date: 11/09/18

92 Wales Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Joseph C. Sloan
Seller: R&L Construction Services Inc.
Date: 11/16/18

CHESTER

Lynes Road (off)
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Joseph Dussault
Seller: Christine E. Libardi
Date: 11/07/18

28 Middlefield Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Davilli
Seller: Rene H. Senecal
Date: 11/14/18

CHICOPEE

58 Beauchamp Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: William T. Lynch
Seller: Dolores F. Allen
Date: 11/08/18

9 Bennett St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: John Jasiewicz
Seller: Lynn A. MacDonald
Date: 11/09/18

15 Cross St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $231,500
Buyer: Shawn J. Ganem
Seller: David Murphy
Date: 11/16/18

95 Cyran St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Samantha Cayer
Seller: Dee-Ann L. Cayer
Date: 11/16/18

110 Frontenac St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Steven White
Seller: Tiffanie C. Weaver
Date: 11/16/18

257 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Hampden RT
Seller: Grace James Realty LLC
Date: 11/14/18

93 Kaveney St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Phyllis A. Dupre
Seller: Claire G. Carmichael
Date: 11/07/18

207 Langevin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Patricia A. Davignon
Seller: John Brault
Date: 11/09/18

56 Lavalle Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Janelle Seitz
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 11/09/18

92 Marten St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Joseph E. Kozlowski
Seller: Kevin M. Howe
Date: 11/09/18

1258 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: MDDO LLC
Seller: Daniel M. Fugere
Date: 11/07/18

100 Oakwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $192,013
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Harry J. Rowley
Date: 11/06/18

31 Ohio Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $168,600
Buyer: Julia Albizu
Seller: Ruben Torres
Date: 11/16/18

76 Pine St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $271,900
Buyer: Jose Perez-Cruz
Seller: Darcy, Emile, (Estate)
Date: 11/07/18

78-80 Pine St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $271,900
Buyer: Jose Perez-Cruz
Seller: Darcy, Emile, (Estate)
Date: 11/07/18

29 Stedman St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Jeff Hockenberry
Seller: Cynthia J. Rivera
Date: 11/09/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

31 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Ricardo Hernandez
Seller: MTGLQ Investors LP
Date: 11/14/18

55 Glynn Farms Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Elizabeth D. Canavan
Seller: Laurence J. Clark
Date: 11/16/18

74 Kibbe Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Geoffrey R. Frost
Seller: Janice G. Winn
Date: 11/05/18

237 Maple St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: James P. Scruggs
Seller: Geraldine A. O’Brien
Date: 11/09/18

58 Mapleshade Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Deborah A. Elgers
Seller: USA VA
Date: 11/15/18

432 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Christine Vogel
Seller: Kevin A. Trigo
Date: 11/09/18

36 Redstone Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $471,000
Buyer: Lost Sailor RT
Seller: Daniel R. Jenkins
Date: 11/08/18

124 Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Ventry Properties LLC
Seller: T&K Realty LLC
Date: 11/08/18

7 Speight Arden
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Lauren M. Parzivand
Seller: Gail Gethins
Date: 11/16/18

GRANVILLE

54 Crest Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Eric E. Satkowski
Seller: Matthew R. Brown
Date: 11/14/18

HAMPDEN

12 Hillside Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $655,000
Buyer: Kyle B. Laflamme
Seller: Gary Mayotte
Date: 11/15/18

32 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Green Isle LLC
Seller: 32 Somers Road LLC
Date: 11/16/18

HOLLAND

65 Allen Hill Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $328,000
Buyer: Todd C. Montgomery
Seller: Chester A. Hooker
Date: 11/16/18

10 Blodgett Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Heather E. Morgan
Seller: Edward J. Cusson
Date: 11/15/18

12 Wales Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Deric J. Talbot
Seller: Robert A. Talbot
Date: 11/07/18

HOLYOKE

1 Cabot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Milton Hilton LLC
Seller: City Of Holyoke
Date: 11/05/18

106 Columbus Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Seth B. Goldstein
Seller: Sarah F. Wedaman
Date: 11/16/18

151 Dartmouth St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Matthew S. Griswold
Seller: Cloutier, Robert R., (Estate)
Date: 11/14/18

50-52 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: John P. Brunelle
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 11/05/18

85 Memorial Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Christopher Tranni
Seller: Donald J. Stone
Date: 11/05/18

25 O’Connell Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: Oscar Williams
Seller: Andrew O’Brien
Date: 11/16/18

4 River Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Jackeline A. Torres
Seller: SWC Property Management
Date: 11/14/18

LONGMEADOW

79 Ashford Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $828,000
Buyer: Nageshwar R. Jonnalagadda
Seller: Raymond W. Hepper
Date: 11/14/18

41 Benedict Terrace
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Joshua L. Watley
Seller: Christina M. Dimeo
Date: 11/14/18

40 Druid Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $277,900
Buyer: Joseph D. Kupec
Seller: Belle Perrone
Date: 11/16/18

47 Erskine Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Majid H. Khabir
Seller: Sandra F. Merrill
Date: 11/09/18

43 Greenacre Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Megan Downey
Seller: Richard J. Moriarty
Date: 11/16/18

34 Homestead Blvd.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Brandy Magdalino
Seller: Stone Bear LLC
Date: 11/13/18

144 Kenmore Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Shari Schwartz
Seller: Joseph P. Milbier
Date: 11/15/18

19 Longfellow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Mao-Lun Weng
Seller: Armand C. Wray
Date: 11/07/18

96 Shady Side Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Armand C. Wray
Seller: Leh-Sheng Tang
Date: 11/07/18

109 Williston Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: John P. Ward
Seller: Rajesh V. Nimbalker
Date: 11/15/18

56 Windsor Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Maureen M. Robbins
Seller: Kramerica LLC
Date: 11/08/18

91 Woodside Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Patrick O’Neil
Seller: Abraham B. Feinstein
Date: 11/06/18

50 Yarmouth St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Maria T. Tsitsirides
Seller: Patricia A. Davignon
Date: 11/09/18

LUDLOW

76 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: DSG Syndicate Management
Seller: Wisniowski, Joseph C., (Estate)
Date: 11/14/18

724 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Raymond E. Johnson
Seller: Chris Makusiewicz
Date: 11/14/18

24 Helena St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jennifer Hansen
Seller: Lori A. Osborne
Date: 11/16/18

68 Overlook Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $321,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Howe
Seller: Fernando Pina
Date: 11/09/18

224 Pinewood Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $379,900
Buyer: Daniel R. Cantin
Seller: Kevin A. Pevato
Date: 11/13/18

591 Poole St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Kelly-Jean Huard
Seller: Galen B. Wilson
Date: 11/16/18

14 Richmond Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Marsha D. Stewart
Seller: Sean M. Knox
Date: 11/16/18

21 Ronald St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $144,300
Buyer: Andrew T. Zrakas
Seller: Bouyea, Sylvia K., (Estate)
Date: 11/09/18

36 Voltage Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Neal D. Chagnon
Seller: Edward W. Kijek
Date: 11/16/18

MONSON

135 Fenton Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $297,500
Buyer: David Butler
Seller: Steven A. Wood
Date: 11/09/18

7 Longview Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $224,300
Buyer: Karen M. Perreault
Seller: George E. Reeve
Date: 11/16/18

PALMER

35 Beverly St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Candace Cheverie
Seller: Susan M. Potts
Date: 11/14/18

289 Burlingame Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: John H. Tweedie
Seller: Peter C. Sibley
Date: 11/05/18

89-91 Ford St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Natasha Pieciak
Seller: Richard H. Walder
Date: 11/16/18

17 Kelly Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $334,500
Buyer: William S. Bielanski
Seller: Kevin J. Davis
Date: 11/16/18

38-40 Knox St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $165,500
Buyer: Anthony C. Azevedo
Seller: MWO Realty LLC
Date: 11/06/18

3051 Pine St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Coppola
Seller: Bradley Lord
Date: 11/08/18

96 Saint John St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Nathaniel Fischer
Seller: Catherine E. Meeks
Date: 11/15/18

RUSSELL

62 Ridgewood Dr.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Michael J. Day
Seller: Stephen Martin
Date: 11/15/18

SOUTHWICK

4 Amberleaf Way
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Jason E. Kras
Seller: James Evanggeliou
Date: 11/07/18

58 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Hillside Development Corp.
Seller: Fiore Realty Holdings LLC
Date: 11/06/18

34 Lexington Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Brown
Seller: Stephen P. Carney
Date: 11/14/18

3 Pine Knoll
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $374,000
Buyer: Jeremy Dunn
Seller: Kenneth J. Olson
Date: 11/15/18

39 Sefton Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $144,800
Buyer: Bank Of New York Mellon
Seller: Stephane R. Veilleux
Date: 11/05/18

SPRINGFIELD

140 Acrebrook Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Yasser E. Pineda
Seller: Gary S. Dakers
Date: 11/16/18

1235 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Jessica Vera-Gerena
Seller: Brahman Holdings LLC
Date: 11/13/18

61 Beacon Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jessica Ramos-Guerra
Seller: Yasser Menwer
Date: 11/14/18

55 Beaufort Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $168,500
Buyer: Lukasz M. Jacek
Seller: Linda M. O’Brien
Date: 11/13/18

28-30 Berkshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $225,500
Buyer: Yaitza E. Osorio
Seller: Edwin R. Ocana
Date: 11/05/18

708-710 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Eddix O. Charleston
Seller: Junior Properties LLC
Date: 11/13/18

15 Clayton St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: William A. Shattuck
Seller: Noemi Torres
Date: 11/14/18

50 Crystal Brook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Raymond J. McCarthy
Seller: Salvador Dejesus
Date: 11/06/18

66 Curve St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Mohamad Ghanem
Seller: Iron Tower TR
Date: 11/16/18

42-46 Dorne St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Motunrayo Jaji
Seller: Carolyn N. Carolino
Date: 11/16/18

244 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Jose Morales
Seller: Branco Construction LLC
Date: 11/07/18

378 El Paso St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Severo Santana
Date: 11/15/18

80 Eleanor Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Nicholas L. Tidlund
Seller: David M. Lage
Date: 11/09/18

148 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Baitus Salaam Inc.
Seller: Masjid Al-Baqi Inc.
Date: 11/09/18

162 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Buena Vista Properties
Seller: Edgeland Partners LLP
Date: 11/15/18

76 Gardens Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Jaycinth A. Walker-Henry
Seller: Francisco Ortega-Lopez
Date: 11/07/18

93 Garfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Deborah Roque
Seller: Keila Moreno
Date: 11/09/18

103 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $219,999
Buyer: Karen J. Phillips
Seller: Andrew S. Rinkavage
Date: 11/09/18

264 Greenaway Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Michael C. Chu
Seller: Robert A. Holden
Date: 11/09/18

71 Hadley St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $141,860
Buyer: Stearns Lending LLC
Seller: Israel Lagos
Date: 11/06/18

175 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Michelle L. Bennett
Seller: Ronald A. Larue
Date: 11/13/18

183 Hermitage Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Angel R. Reyes
Seller: Andrew J. Gibson
Date: 11/06/18

37 Homestead Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Shannon G. Stuckey
Seller: FNMA
Date: 11/09/18

99-101 Hood St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $115,500
Buyer: LE & Associates LLC
Seller: Andreas, Craig, (Estate)
Date: 11/09/18

404 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Timothy R. Lyon
Seller: Carol L. Suckau
Date: 11/13/18

95 Joan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Rigelina I. Santos
Seller: Rhianna L. Kimball
Date: 11/05/18

15 Jordan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $165,900
Buyer: Denali Properties LLC
Seller: US Bank
Date: 11/09/18

101 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Mikey Diaz
Seller: Arnold C. Matz
Date: 11/16/18

36 Marengo Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Henderson
Seller: Gary E. Oakley
Date: 11/05/18

94 Margerie St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Joe L. Davis
Seller: Annie Salem
Date: 11/09/18

108-110 Massachusetts Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Edwin Lamonth
Seller: Onyx Investments LLC
Date: 11/14/18

82 Meadowlark Lane
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Andrew Rodman
Seller: USA VA
Date: 11/09/18

34 Michael St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Michael Kosior
Seller: Douglas J. Moretz
Date: 11/16/18

70 Monticello Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Jeanette T. Lawson
Seller: Sterling Investment Properties
Date: 11/14/18

260 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $362,500
Buyer: Mark Iaconis
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 11/16/18

85 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: William E. Wanczyk
Seller: Marsha L. Costa
Date: 11/16/18

46 Noel St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Orville Anderson
Seller: RETh Son
Date: 11/16/18

193 Oak Grove Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Mariners Atlantic Portfolio
Seller: Corinda D. Howard
Date: 11/05/18

54 Oak Grove Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Abigail Pizarro
Seller: Rsquareb Properties LLC
Date: 11/07/18

22 Pasadena St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Elizabeth L. Rowe
Date: 11/09/18

102 Pembroke St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $149,500
Buyer: Iesha M. Ramos
Seller: Sandra E. Reuter
Date: 11/16/18

30-32 Pequot St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Quinton E. McMillian
Seller: Property Keys LLC
Date: 11/09/18

503 Plainfield St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Eliezer Soto
Seller: Ada M. Gonzalez
Date: 11/15/18

36 Puritan Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Estevan Montoya
Seller: Foster Memorial Church
Date: 11/07/18

221-223 Quincy St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Valley Castle Holdings
Seller: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Date: 11/09/18

120 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $123,553
Buyer: NRZ REO 6B LLC
Seller: Amy Richard
Date: 11/13/18

20 Rockland Terrace
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Linh K. Pham
Seller: Til Chuwan
Date: 11/08/18

98 Rollins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Ricardo Betancourt
Seller: Anthony C. Diaz
Date: 11/09/18

16 Sachem St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,750
Buyer: Adon Real Estate LLC
Seller: Bank New York Mellon
Date: 11/13/18

1130 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Shubh Laxmi LLC
Seller: Rayonia & Patel LLC
Date: 11/16/18

35 Senator St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Casey Tolar
Seller: Ernest J. Nemeth
Date: 11/09/18

183 Spikenard Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Noemi Torres
Seller: Basile Realty LLC
Date: 11/14/18

12 Steuben St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Edward M. Maldonado
Seller: Deanna M. Ubidia
Date: 11/08/18

112 Stockman St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $139,109
Buyer: James W. Fiore
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 11/15/18

36 Stratford Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Joel D. Rosemond
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 11/05/18

5 Strathmore St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Roberto Saulo-Cintron
Seller: Christian Wiernasz
Date: 11/05/18

105 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Saury N. Ramos-Leonardo
Seller: Thomas Fournier
Date: 11/06/18

790 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Thanh H. Le
Seller: Liem T. Thieu
Date: 11/08/18

62-64 Whittier St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Edison Santana
Seller: Nicholas J. Markos
Date: 11/16/18

6 Winding Lane
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Saream Toum
Seller: Charles H. Macphaul
Date: 11/15/18

168 Woodland Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Hector X. Ramos-Cintron
Seller: Edward Korovae
Date: 11/09/18

56 Zephyr Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Eugenia L. Snell
Seller: Herminio Rivas
Date: 11/16/18

TOLLAND

26 Path Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Ryan J. Stonesifer
Seller: Michael A. Clarke
Date: 11/09/18

WESTFIELD

215 Belanger Road
Westfield, MA 01073
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: James P. Mooney
Seller: William Dulude
Date: 11/05/18

48 Butternut Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: David K. Miller
Seller: Richard Conroy
Date: 11/16/18

12 Charles St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Yesenia S. Rivera
Seller: John W. Kidrick
Date: 11/05/18

13 Day Lily Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Hayes NT
Seller: Bent Tree Development LLC
Date: 11/16/18

21 Lisa Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $263,750
Buyer: Tristan R. Flynn
Seller: Glenn M. Flynn
Date: 11/14/18

151 Meadow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Gianna M. Royland
Seller: Melinda L. Williams
Date: 11/16/18

282 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $194,229
Buyer: Diplomat Property Manager
Seller: Edward W. Avery
Date: 11/13/18

45 Noble Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $151,700
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Amber E. Young
Date: 11/16/18

120 Pine St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,500
Buyer: Timofey Okhrimenko
Seller: David A. Breton
Date: 11/07/18

21 Rosedell Drive Ext
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $214,900
Buyer: Timothy J. Clark
Seller: Bourke, Dorothy M., (Estate)
Date: 11/16/18

170 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Michael D. Thomas
Seller: Burzynski, Frances R., (Estate)
Date: 11/15/18

1090 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Pioneer Valley Fiberglass
Seller: City Of Westfield
Date: 11/15/18

41 Taylor Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Kelly Gallo
Seller: Brian K. Falcetti
Date: 11/08/18

14 West Glen Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Derek H. Mitchell
Seller: Douglas C. Smelcer
Date: 11/15/18

82 West Silver St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $128,500
Buyer: Union Crossing Realty LLC
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 11/16/18

221 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Lorenzo Lercari
Seller: Jessica J. Nadeau
Date: 11/15/18

903 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $269,500
Buyer: Joshua Jarosz
Seller: Sequoia Properties LLC
Date: 11/14/18

87 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Jason D. Pelczar
Seller: Rebecca Knotts
Date: 11/16/18

WILBRAHAM

2030 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $1,300,000
Buyer: 2030 Boston Road LLC
Seller: David D. Kenny
Date: 11/07/18

25 Brookside Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Nicholas R. Burke
Seller: Heather R. Thomas
Date: 11/08/18

4 Julia Way
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $419,900
Buyer: Jenna B. Turcotte
Seller: AC Homebuilding LLC
Date: 11/15/18

18 Overlook Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Tiffanie Weaver
Seller: Rodney S. Willard
Date: 11/16/18

487 Ridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Gary R. Mayotte
Seller: Dennis C. Keefe
Date: 11/16/18

580 Ridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Michael E. Pietras
Seller: Eugenia T. Pikul
Date: 11/06/18

592 Ridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Michael E. Pietras
Seller: Eugenia T. Pikul
Date: 11/06/18

15 Shirley St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Matthew A. Long
Seller: Fabrizi, Bertha I., (Estate)
Date: 11/13/18

63 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Mental Health Association
Seller: Anthony M. Dellaquila
Date: 11/06/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

53 Frederick St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Vinod K. Kalhotra
Seller: Sodi Inc.
Date: 11/09/18

5 Greenleaf Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $135,500
Buyer: Douglas A. Theobald
Seller: William W. Hartshorn
Date: 11/16/18

202 High Meadow Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: CIG 4 LLC
Seller: Pioneer Valley Property Management
Date: 11/07/18

293 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Kevin A. Wackerbarth
Seller: Abdallah A. Hannoush
Date: 11/15/18

146 Nelson St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: CIG 4 LLC
Seller: AAD LLC
Date: 11/06/18

131 Pease Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Brendan P. Murphy
Seller: Cloutier Beverly A., (Estate)
Date: 11/15/18

161 Robinson Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jillian N. Janicki
Seller: Michael J. Hearn
Date: 11/13/18

48 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: N. Parchinskaya-Skorupsk
Seller: Jeffrey M. Smith
Date: 11/09/18

76 Sikes Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $357,000
Buyer: Oleh Yuzych
Seller: Nicole L. Price
Date: 11/14/18

151 South Blvd.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Marshall Adams
Seller: Vinod K. Kalhotra
Date: 11/09/18

30 Vincent Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Michael Burkhart
Seller: Debra Bird
Date: 11/16/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

1290 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $382,500
Buyer: Lara Wahl
Seller: Robert L. Kent
Date: 11/16/18

10 Blake Field
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Steven M. Ehrler
Seller: Andrew J. Lubin
Date: 11/16/18

825 East Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Robert H. Hartwright
Seller: Jennifer Potrayla
Date: 11/08/18

78 Longmeadow Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Tashi Chodon
Seller: Kharcho Palmo
Date: 11/16/18

7 Pease Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Historic Renovations & Rental
Seller: Sigrid Bauschinger
Date: 11/14/18

12 Poets Corner Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $332,501
Buyer: USA HUD
Seller: Margaret J. Randall
Date: 11/14/18

1100 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $599,400
Buyer: Hop Brook TR
Seller: Linda S. Muerle
Date: 11/15/18

2 South Mount Holyoke Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Peter H. Tripp
Seller: David J. Moriarty
Date: 11/09/18

186 Strong St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Diogenes Costa-Curras
Seller: Isabel Spencer
Date: 11/09/18

47 Valley Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Antonio D. Vitale
Seller: Historic Renovations & Rental
Date: 11/07/18

28 Western Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Wesley United Methodist Church
Seller: John W. North
Date: 11/15/18

BELCHERTOWN

160 Allen St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $323,275
Buyer: Roberta G. Lojko
Seller: Anne Marley
Date: 11/08/18

74 Aldrich St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $180,502
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Rodney C. Brower
Date: 11/13/18

120 Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Sokha Mao
Seller: Amherst Road Realty LLC
Date: 11/16/18

214 Barton Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $316,000
Buyer: Kyle A. Bouthillier
Seller: June A. Pinkos-Riverin
Date: 11/15/18

8 Blue Meadow Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Michael Gavrity
Seller: Bliss A. Young
Date: 11/08/18

1206 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $880,000
Buyer: Moonlit Farm LLC
Seller: Robert B. Martin
Date: 11/16/18

25 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $424,868
Buyer: Marc D. Landry
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Sons Construction
Date: 11/05/18

514 Michael Sears Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Thibodeau
Seller: Thomas H. Mairo
Date: 11/09/18

9 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Maxwell S. Jedziniak
Seller: FHLM
Date: 11/08/18

81 Old Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $378,000
Buyer: Sarah B. Porter
Seller: John R. Miller
Date: 11/15/18

25 Rural Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Richard Macrae
Seller: Hawkins, Bobby G., (Estate)
Date: 11/05/18

117 Sheffield Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $384,000
Buyer: Jeremiah A. Laplante
Seller: John L. McMillan
Date: 11/09/18

296 South St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Michael J. Madden
Seller: William C. Brackett
Date: 11/08/18

11 Spring Hill Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Konstantinos Andreadis
Seller: Christopher P. Gamache
Date: 11/09/18

10 Stadler St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Andrew P. Boyko
Seller: James P. Boyko
Date: 11/15/18

10 Summit St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Allyson Rogers
Seller: Melissa A. Bail
Date: 11/09/18

EASTHAMPTON

62 Bray Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Cassandra A. Celatka
Seller: Kris I. Celatka
Date: 11/16/18

1-3 Lincoln St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Amy E. Linnell
Seller: Thomas J. Tear
Date: 11/08/18

11 Princeton Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $337,500
Buyer: 3 Adams Street LLC
Seller: Tracy L. Facteau
Date: 11/05/18

CUMMINGTON

62 West Main St.
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $357,500
Buyer: Aaron G. Sherwood
Seller: Stephen C. Mathewson
Date: 11/13/18

EASTHAMPTON

6 Apple Tree Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jesse A. Morrisey
Seller: Gerald J. Mimitz
Date: 11/16/18

26 Chapin St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Edgar Phillips-Jones
Seller: Michael J. Mason
Date: 11/16/18

143 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Sarah A. Sassorossi
Seller: Rebecca J. Mazuch
Date: 11/16/18

GOSHEN

66 West St.
Goshen, MA 01026
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Deborah Senecal
Seller: Salvatore S. Giammarino
Date: 11/14/18

GRANBY

177 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Wayne E. Puffer
Seller: Joan A. Puffer
Date: 11/09/18

405 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Martha Forkey
Seller: Marlene L. Whalen
Date: 11/16/18

8 Kizior Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Alec C. Little-Ouellette
Seller: Terence D. Kenney
Date: 11/09/18

28 New Ludlow Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Christine E. Canavan
Date: 11/13/18

HADLEY

22 East Commons Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $450,500
Buyer: Broadhurst-Mercaldi RET
Seller: East Street Commons LLC
Date: 11/09/18

57 Huntington Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Nathaniel W. Best
Seller: David R. Elvin
Date: 11/09/18

12 Laurel Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Christine M. Wilda
Seller: Camella World-Peace
Date: 11/07/18

23 North Lane
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Alan P. Sthilaire
Seller: David M. Palangi
Date: 11/15/18

373 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Exotic Automotive Service
Seller: 371-373 River Drive LLC
Date: 11/16/18

13 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Triangle Park Properties
Seller: B&B Brothers LLC
Date: 11/06/18

HATFIELD

96 Bridge St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Black
Seller: Michaelle L. Biddle
Date: 11/08/18

HUNTINGTON

4 Aldrich Ave.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Michael P. Brick
Seller: Thomas RT
Date: 11/06/18

6 Aldrich Ave.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Michael P. Brick
Seller: Thomas RT
Date: 11/06/18

7 Russell Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Allison M. Rzasa
Seller: Philip A. Lees
Date: 11/05/18

25 Sampson Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Christopher Golec
Seller: Jeremy Gold
Date: 11/06/18

MIDDLEFIELD

263 Skyline Trail
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Joseph Dussault
Seller: Libardi, Eugene C., (Estate)
Date: 11/07/18

NORTHAMPTON

20 Bridge Road #22
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $661,560
Buyer: Jerry M. Oland
Seller: Bridge Road LLC
Date: 11/15/18

447 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Anne Rogers
Seller: Jonathan A. Gulow
Date: 11/08/18

199 Brookside Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $175,480
Buyer: Pennymac Loan Services
Seller: Ariella M. Walsh
Date: 11/06/18

182 Mount Tom Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: 182 MTR LLC
Seller: Amo Development LLC
Date: 11/08/18

12 Ormond Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jonathan K. Fogelson
Seller: Edward J. Albonesi
Date: 11/13/18

47 Overlook Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Matthew C. Howe
Seller: William P. Williams
Date: 11/13/18

35 Park St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $421,500
Buyer: Elizabeth E. Vizentin
Seller: Max C. Hebert
Date: 11/14/18

62 Sandy Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $233,500
Buyer: Bryan M. Doucette
Seller: Jodi Page-Lacoff
Date: 11/09/18

64 Sovereign Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Ariel Kasal
Seller: Amy Jamrog
Date: 11/06/18

249 Sylvester Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $572,100
Buyer: Peter K. Tur
Seller: Jay A. Fisher
Date: 11/08/18

40 Winterberry Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $513,000
Buyer: David C. McMullen
Seller: Donna E. Lisker
Date: 11/14/18

PELHAM

9 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $905,000
Buyer: William G. Sherr
Seller: Mollye A. Lockwood
Date: 11/14/18

SOUTH HADLEY

47 Hillside Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Diane A. Magoon
Seller: Marc J. Reidy
Date: 11/13/18

10 Kendrick St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $271,000
Buyer: Jessica A. Johnson
Seller: Michael R. Bolles
Date: 11/08/18

218 Lathrop St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Paul Romagna
Seller: William L. Couture
Date: 11/13/18

6 Miller Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $224,500
Buyer: Ana N. Diaz
Seller: Olabode F. Omojola
Date: 11/13/18

5 North Sycamore Knolls
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Barbara L. Palangi
Seller: Michael M. Fisher
Date: 11/15/18

30 Parkview Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Neil T. Heymanns
Seller: Patricia A. Costello RET
Date: 11/14/18

4 Priestly Farms Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Patricia A. Costello
Seller: Mitcheline M. Mekal
Date: 11/14/18

20 Richview Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Courtney Levreault
Seller: Gregory J. Morceau
Date: 11/08/18

4 Roosevelt Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Heather N. Riggenbach
Seller: Matthew J. Mikaelian
Date: 11/09/18

San Souci Dr. #20
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Date: 11/15/18

San Souci Dr. #A2
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Date: 11/15/18

11 Stonegate Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Robert W. Lynes
Seller: Daniel R. Cantin
Date: 11/13/18

SOUTHAMPTON

8 Courtney Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $418,000
Buyer: Devin T. O’Neill
Seller: Michael C. Dahler
Date: 11/16/18

55 Gunn Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: John A. Shepard
Seller: John A. Pipiras
Date: 11/16/18

50 Lead Mine Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jeffrey J. Talenda
Seller: Deborah A. Hopkins
Date: 11/05/18

WARE

31-33 Aspen St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $121,391
Buyer: Finance Of America Reverse
Seller: Claire L. Lemoine
Date: 11/09/18

23 Bank St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Satnam Hans
Seller: Higney Irene R., (Estate)
Date: 11/16/18

18 Berkshire Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: David J. Blom
Seller: Roberta G. Lojko
Date: 11/08/18

55 Highland St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Mackenzie L. Godbout
Seller: Eric M. Swett
Date: 11/06/18

17 Kelly Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $334,500
Buyer: William S. Bielanski
Seller: Kevin J. Davis
Date: 11/16/18

5 Mattson Blvd.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Desmond P. Melvin
Seller: David B. Reipold
Date: 11/07/18

86 Old Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Zachary Martowski
Seller: David P. Kent
Date: 11/16/18

180 Old Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Kristian L. Bonin
Seller: Assist Realty Group LLC
Date: 11/06/18

WILLIAMSBURG

75 Depot Road
Williamsburg, MA 01038
Amount: $370,500
Buyer: Nathan D. Derr
Seller: Seymour M. Rosen
Date: 11/05/18

24 Fort Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Paul Chandler
Seller: Benjamin H. Willcutt
Date: 11/08/18

55 Unquomonk Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Kestrel Land TR
Seller: Talon T. LLP
Date: 11/16/18

WESTHAMPTON

Unquomonk Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Kestrel Land TR
Seller: Talon T. LLP
Date: 11/16/18

Building Permits

Building Permits

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

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Crossing, LLC
474 Memorial Dr.
$43,920 — Add addition onto newly constructed commercial building

Chicopee Falls Lodge 1849
244 Fuller Road
$37,185 — Remove existing tile and subfloor, remove existing joist, replace with new subflooring

Chicopee Hospitality, LLC
450 Memorial Dr.
$15,500 — Roofing

Fandave, LLC
1512 Memorial Dr.
$3,629 — Replace picture window and double-hung window

Guidewire Inc.
1974 Westover Road
$8,700 — Install fire-alarm system

Pioneer Valley Church of Christ
85 Montcalm St.
$15,000 — Remove section of block wall and install header and fire door; install platform and handicap ramp

NORTHAMPTON

American Dream Realty
55 Damon Road
$6,000 — Illuminated ground sign for Dunkin’ Donuts

Atwood Drive, LLC
23 Atwood Dr.
$13,000 — Demising wall for tenant fit-out

Paul Brown
3 Market St.
$18,000 — Replace all windows on rear side of building

City of Northampton
26 Carlon Dr.
$1,000 — Remove and replace door and frame in back service entrance of fire station

City of Northampton
80 Locust St.
$13,625 — Remove sink from bathroom at Smith School, frame new alcove in hallway, and install drop in deep-bowl sink

City of Northampton
North Maple Street
$15,750 — Play structure at Arcanum Field

Cooley Dickinson Hospital
8 Atwood Dr.
$20,000 — Illuminated pylon sign

Cooper’s Dairyland of Northampton Inc.
49 State St.
$3,000 — Rebuild emergency egress guardrail

Equinox Partners, LLC
118 River Road
$247,946 — Install solar panels on roof

Hospital Hill Development, LLC
Prince Street
$2,160 — Non-illuminated wall sign for ServiceNet

Hospital Hill Development, LLC
Prince Street
$4,800 — Non-illuminated ground sign for ServiceNet

Massachusetts Audubon Society
123 Combs Road
$5,000 — Add screened-in porch to existing outbuilding

Strong Ave., LLC
15 Strong Ave.
$5,400 — Illuminated wall sign for Ananda Khalsa Jewelry

Robert Thomas
259 Elm St.
$1,028,618 — Interior renovation of Autumn Inn

Richard Webber and William Grinnell
8 North King St.
$85,770 — Roof-mounted solar array

PALMER

Baystate Wing Hospital
40 Wright St.
$667,151 — Anti-ligature upgrades for psychiatric facility

South Middlesex Opportunity Council
2032 Main St.
$466,825 — Renovate space for commercial use on first floor and residential use above

SPRINGFIELD

125 Paridon Street, LLC
125 Paridon St.
$20,000 — Remove and replace six existing antennas and three remote radio units, three hybrid cables, and one generator on smokestack
Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC
12 MGM Way
$35,000 — Install double door entry and access ramp to CEF building at MGM Springfield

Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC
12 MGM Way
$10,000 — Install and extend concrete piers to raise existing smoking shelters on second-floor roof deck at MGM Springfield

Dennis Chaffee and John Wietecha
412 Albany St.
$59,000 — Install mezzanine within existing storage area for additional storage at Valley Plating

Jon Realty, LLC
230 Verge St.
$20,000 — Remove three cellular antennas and install four new antennas on monopole; swap three remote radio units and install three hybrid fiber lines

Linden Towers, LLC
310 Stafford St.
$35,000 — Remove and replace three roof-mounted cellular antennas

New England Farm Workers
1624 Main St.
$25,700 — Install two non-bearing walls; install exterior doors and new bathroom fixtures

Picknelly Family, LP
1414 Main St.
$319,440 — Alter office space on 18th floor for Ameriprise Financial

Related Springfield Associates, LP
10 Chestnut St.
$20,000 — Remove one cabinet and six roof-mounted antennas; install six antennas, one cabinet, three remote radio units, and three hybrid cables

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
35 Everett St.
$38,500 — Alter space for new accessible restrooms on first floor of Sacred Heart Convent and Parish Center

Vibra Healthcare Real Estate Co. II, LLC
1400 State St.
$20,000 — Install three new antennas, three remote radio units, three tripod ballast mounts, and three hybrid cables at Vibra Hospital

Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts Receives $5,000 Grant from Webster Bank

SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, a local nonprofit organization that provides financial-literacy, entrepreneurship, and career-readiness education, was awarded a $5,000 grant from Webster Bank to support the JA: A Valued Added Authentic Learning Project, providing students with the tools to develop the 21st-century skills needed to become highly skilled, autonomous employees.

Through its charitable-giving programs, Webster Bank focuses on helping a broad set of organizations build a strong and self-reliant community. Webster has a long history of supporting Junior Achievement and its efforts to deliver K-12 programs that foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial-literacy skills. Webster Bank employees volunteer to teach the JA curriculum at a variety of schools throughout the area.

JA: A Valued Added Authentic Learning Project leverages the skills, talent, and educational and career opportunities of this region to create a cadre of role models from the community to weave multiple intersecting pathways for middle-grade and high-school students to engage with JA’s relevant curriculum and instructional materials, supplemental technology-driven simulations, job-shadow experiences, and competitions. The project’s goals are to improve students’ knowledge of financial literacy in order for them to make sound financial judgments in the future; boost students’ entrepreneurial skills; increase students’ critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and raise awareness of career and post-secondary education and career opportunities in Western Mass.

“JA of Western Massachusetts is very excited to once again work with Webster Bank to bring our programs to area youth,” said Jennifer Connolly, president of JA of Western Massachusetts. “Webster Bank, like Junior Achievement, is dedicated to strengthening economic opportunities in underserved communities by empowering individuals with knowledge and tools needed to ensure financial self-sufficiency to inspire own their economic success.”

Kathy Luria, senior vice president of Community Affairs and director of Philanthropy at Webster Bank, added that “Webster is dedicated to giving of ourselves in the communities we serve. We know our long-standing investment in JA has a positive impact on the students, their financial literacy, and their readiness to be the employees and leaders of tomorrow.”

Nexamp Expands Access to Solar Power in Western Mass.

BOSTON — Nexamp Inc. and HCG are working together to promote community solar projects totaling more than 21 megawatts across Western Mass., enough to power approximately 4,000 homes. The solar arrays provide the opportunity for residents, businesses, and municipalities to save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on their annual electricity bills while supporting local, renewable electricity. The collaborative effort is known as Hampshire Renewables.

“Our community solar projects show the immense potential of thoughtful energy policy in the Commonwealth,” said Zaid Ashai, Nexamp CEO. “Nexamp is committed to making solar power accessible and affordable for everyone, even if they don’t have the ability to install solar panels on their own home or building for any reason. Community solar fuels the growth of local, renewable energy, and this collaboration with HCG makes it even easier for consumers to benefit in this region.”

Hundreds of local residents, nonprofits, and small businesses have already signed up through the Hampshire Renewables website or with HCG or Nexamp representatives. Customers who subscribe to Nexamp’s community solar projects through Hampshire Renewables will realize a guaranteed 15% discount on electricity from the solar projects delivered to their National Grid or Eversource utility bills.

“It was an easy decision to work with Hampshire Power to get energy credits from community shared solar,” says Peter St. Martin, owner of Roberto’s and Sylvester’s restaurants in downtown Northampton. “Our electricity costs are lower every month, and we’re supporting green power in our area. We are already working with Hampshire Power to get our electricity supply, so this was just another way to use green energy, work with a local nonprofit, and save money.”

“We are proud to expand our partnership with Nexamp to bring local solar savings to customers in Western Massachusetts who want to power their values, while saving money and supporting renewable energy,” said Todd Ford, executive director of HCG.

In Eversource/WMECo territory, projects are located in Amherst, Whately, Plainfield, and Hadley (Nexamp’s third project in Hadley). In National Grid territory, project locations include Palmer, Wales, Granby, Oakham, Winchendon, and Charlton (Nexamp’s third project in Charlton).

Anyone interested in participating should visit hcg-ma.org/hampshire-renewables.

Do You Have a Company People Crave to Work For? Do You Want to Build One?

AMHERST — The Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley is looking for business owners or key managers who would contribute to a presentation on March 12 called “Building a Company People Crave to Work For.”

Several years ago, Jack Stack, father of the Great Game of Business and open-book management, said, “build a great company — because a great company can’t help but make great products.” But what does it take to make a company great?

The presentation will be made up of people from businesses with strong policies, attractive cultures, and impressive numbers of high potential employees rising through the ranks. Attendees will hear how they did it, and learn how to adopt anything that would work for their own companies. Get in touch at fambizpv.com.

Wright-Pierce Welcomes Thomas Hogan

ANDOVER — Wright-Pierce, a multi-disciplinary engineering firm, announced that Thomas Hogan has joined the firm as regional group leader for Western and Central Mass.

“We are extremely happy to welcome Tom to our team,” Wright-Pierce President and CEO John Braccio said. “The depth of his experience and professional presence allows us to better serve our clients in Western and Central Massachusetts.”

Bringing a diverse skill set to Wright-Pierce’s growing Massachusetts operation, Hogan has more than 20 years of experience working with municipal, institutional, industrial, commercial, and energy-sector clients. He has served as a consultant to municipalities throughout Massachusetts, conducting site-plan reviews and providing expert testimony, master planning and design, permitting, materials testing, and construction inspection and administration. He has successfully permitted complex projects through local, state, and federal agencies throughout New England, and is considered a leader in implementing stormwater best management practices, dam improvements, and watershed protection measures.

Hogan’s technical expertise in the energy sector includes project management of deepwater dredging for a hydroelectric generating facility, renewable-energy-source development, and a combined heat and power plant for a regional medical center, significantly increasing its utility crisis backup operations capability.

Bay Path University Named Safest College in Massachusetts

LONGMEADOW — Campus safety is a top consideration for many individuals and their families when it comes to choosing a college to attend. Niche.com compiled a list of the safest college campuses in America, and Bay Path University ranked third out of nearly 1,500 reviewed. The university ranked first for safety in both Massachusetts and New England.

“We do as much as we can to ensure that the Bay Path University campus is a safe place,” said Michael Giampietro, vice president for Finance & Administrative Services. “Campus safety is a top priority here. Our Longmeadow campus, in particular, is well-lit with emergency call boxes, and our staff performs routine building checks.”

He also credited Bay Path’s small size, and the fact that students, facuty, and staff tend to know each other. “We’re also fortunate for our location in the very safe town of Longmeadow, where we work to maintain a good relationship with the local fire and police departments.”

According to Niche.com, the 2019 Safest College Campuses ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The site states that top-ranked colleges offer a safe and healthy environment with little or no campus crime, drugs, or alcohol usage. Specific factors considered include campus crime rate, local crime grade, student surveys on safety, residence-hall date violence rate, residence-hall rape rate, alcohol-related arrests, and drug-related arrests.

Area Students to Participate in LEGO Robotics Challenge on Dec. 8

SPRINGFIELD — Twenty-four student teams wll participate the FIRST LEGO League Into Orbit Challenge at a regional competition at Western New England University on Saturday, Dec. 8.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the university’s Alumni Healthful Living Center, teams of elementary- and middle-school students from Agawam, Brookfield, Chicopee, Greenfield, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Northampton, South Hadley, Springfield, West Springfield, Westhampton, and Wilbraham will take part in the competition.

Students will put LEGO robots that they have programmed through a series of challenges, competing for the opportunity to advance to the championship competition later this month.

The FIRST LEGO League challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During the Into Orbit season, teams choose real-world problems to solve and then build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO Mindstorms technology to solve a set of missions. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under the FIRST signature set of core values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and gracious professionalism.

At the competition, students will be joined by their professional mentors, sponsors, and family members. Admission is free and open to the public.

David Fernandes Joins Polish National Credit Union as Retail Operations Manager

CHICOPEE — David Fernandes has joined Polish National Credit Union as retail operations manager.

Fernandes has more than 11 years of retail banking and management experience. He has taken on an array of roles during his career, including retail banking officer, branch manager, and mortgage loan specialist, which has provided him with widespread knowledge of the industry.

Fernandes is a graduate of American International College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He has held communication and community assignments with the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the membership committee; the Chicopee Portuguese American Club, where he is a member of the scholarship committee; and the Gremio Lusitano Portuguese Club of Ludlow, where he is on the executive board.

Fernandes is also a Ludlow Special Police officer and treasurer, completing countless hours of community service. He assists with organizing community events and maintains the finances of the association. In 2010, he graduated from the Basic Reserve/Intermittent Academy and has his Western Mass. Chiefs of Police Assoc. certification.

“We look forward to David’s success in supporting the Polish National Credit Union and promoting its products and services to both future and current members,” said James Kelly, president and CEO of the Polish National Credit Union. “We are pleased to welcome him to our team.”

Elms College Marks Milestone for 15 DNP Students with White-coat Ceremony

CHICOPEE — The Elms College School of Nursing held a white-coat ceremony on Dec. 5 to honor the college’s fourth cohort of DNP (doctor of nursing practice) students as they transition from the classroom into clinical practice experiences. The 15 honorees started in the DNP program in fall 2017 and will begin their clinical practice in January.

“Each one of you brings depths of knowledge, expertise, and dedication to the profession of nursing,” said Teresa Kuta Reske, director of the DNP program at Elms College, in a speech during the ceremony. “The next few months will be a journey of self-discovery as you begin to develop your own set of guiding principles and humanistic qualities most important in advanced nursing practice.”

The DNP white coat ceremony included opening remarks from Kathleen Scoble, dean of the School of Nursing; an address from Elms College President Harry Dumay; and a keynote address from Br. Michael Duffy, conventual Franciscan friar and associate dean of the School of Nursing. The ceremony also included an oath, a blessing of the white coats, and the presentation of the coats to the students.

“Today, you are needed more than ever,” Dumay told the honorees. “The demands on our healthcare system are more varied and complicated than ever before. The need for skilled and experienced nurse practitioners who are trained at the highest level, and are ready to evolve as knowledge expands and technology advances, is ever more pressing. Your training as a doctor of nursing practice is preparing you well to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.”

The DNP degree is a clinical practice doctorate. Students also take advanced specialty courses to become nurse practitioners. Elms College’s DNP graduates will be eligible to take the advanced certification examination in one of the two specialty tracks: family nurse practitioner or adult-gerontology acute-care nurse practitioner. Qualified master’s-prepared nurses who are advanced-practice nurses or nurse leaders are eligible to apply to a third DNP track: health systems innovation and leadership.

BusinessWest Celebrates the 2018 Women of Impact Today

By BusinessWest Staff December 6, 2018

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest is honoring its inaugural Women of Impact this morning at a sold-out gala at the Sheraton Springfield.

More than 80 nominations were submitted, and candidates were scored by an esteemed panel of three judges. There are eight winners in this first class. Honorees were profiled in the Nov. 12 issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com. This year’s honorees are:

• Jean Canosa Albano, Assistant Director for Public Services, Springfield City Library;

• Kerry Dietz, Owner and Principal, Dietz & Company Architects Inc.;

• Denise Jordan, Executive Director, Springfield Housing Authority;

• Gina Kos, Executive Director, Sunshine Village;

• Carol Leary, President, Bay Path University;

• Colleen Loveless, President and CEO, Revitalize Community Development Corp.;

• Janis Santos, Executive Director, HCS Head Start Inc.; and

• Katie Allan Zobel, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

The Women of Impact awards were created to honor women who have the authority and power to move the needle in their business, are respected for accomplishments within their industries, give back to the community, and are sought out as respected advisors and mentors within their field of influence.

This year’s program is sponsored by Bay Path University, Comcast Business, Country Bank, Granite State Development, and WWLP 22 News.

Pamela Stobierski Named Chair of Board of Greenfield Savings Bank

By BusinessWest Staff December 6, 2018

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) named Pamela Stobierski chair of its board of directors. Stobierski has been a trustee of the bank since 2008 and most recently has been serving on the executive board of directors and as chair of the trust committee. She takes on the board chair position following the death this past spring of the prior chair, Edward Margola.

“Greenfield Savings Bank is an extraordinary company,” Stobierski said. “It’s an honor to be appointed chair of an organization that improves the quality of life in our community.”

Following her graduation from Smith College in 1983, Stobierski obtained her juris doctorate from Suffolk University in 1988 and became a partner with her husband, John Stobierski, in Stobierski and Connor, one of the largest law firms in Greenfield. Her law practice has been concentrated in elder law, estates, and real estate. Recently, she became ‘of counsel’ to the firm to give greater attention to her duties as chair of the GSB board.

Stobierski is a member of the Franklin County Bar Assoc., the Real Estate Bar Assoc. of Massachusetts, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the South Deerfield Women’s Club, and a member and a former vice president of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. of Deerfield. Her community-service record also includes previously serving as an executive committee member of the Franklin County Bar Assoc. and as treasurer of the Pioneer Valley Symphony.

“Pam has distinguished herself as a member of both our executive board and trust committee as an outstanding, thoughtful, and strong leader,” said John Howland, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank. “We feel fortunate to have her serve as chair of the organization.”

OMG Inc. Names Karly Grimaldi Sales & Operations Planning Manager

By BusinessWest Staff December 6, 2018