Month: April 2019

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors announced the addition of Realtor Melissa Brunt to its roster of professional real-estate agents in its Main Street, Northampton office.

Brunt, who grew up in Brimfield, currently resides in Southampton, where she has lived for the past 18 years. “I fell in love with the beauty of the landscape and the kindness of the people in the Valley,” she said. After working in the hospitality industry for a number of years, she decided to make the switch to residential real-estate sales.

“I am pleased to have Melissa on our team of Realtors in our Northampton office,” said Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors broker Christine Aubrey. “Her background in hospitality has always made customer service her first priority, and her career in real estate will be no different. She is focused on giving her clients the very best experience.”

Brunt is a member of the Realtor Assoc. of the Pioneer Valley, the National Assoc. of Realtors, and the Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors. As a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors, her primary focus will be residential real estate in Hampshire and Franklin counties.

Leadership Pioneer Valley Now Accepting Applications for LEAP Class of 2020

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) is now accepting applications for enrollment in the LEAP class of 2020, a nine-month, regional leadership-development program that engages the Pioneer Valley’s most promising emerging leaders through learning and exploration. Participants are trained in leadership skills by experts in a classroom setting. They also attend in-depth field experiences across the region where they meet with local leaders and explore the region’s economy and culture. The LEAP program runs September through May.

In its seven years, nearly 300 individuals representing more than 90 companies, organizations, and municipalities have participated. The program has filled a critical need for a leadership program that builds a network of emerging leaders to address the challenges and opportunities of the region. Fifty-three percent of alumni have a new leadership role at work, 64% have joined a new board of directors, and 99% made new meaningful connections.

“It’s exciting to see the growth of the individuals during the course of the LEAP program,” said Lora Wondolowski, executive director of LPV. “Our program continues to grow to meet the needs of the community, and we are super excited for the new class.”

LPV is seeking applicants all over the Pioneer Valley, including Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties in different sectors. The program is made for those in nonprofits, businesses, and government who are eager to increase their leadership skills and take action to better the region.

Applicants are considered in a competitive application process that prioritizes diversity by employment sector, geography, race, gender, and sexual orientation. Emerging leaders, mid-career professionals with leadership potential, and those looking to better the Pioneer Valley should consider applying. Those who apply by June 1 will be eligible for $100 off of their personal tuition, and companies with three or more applicants by June 1 will receive 50% off one participant. The deadline for LPV class of 2020 applications is July 1. Applications and further information can be found at www.leadershippv.org.

Christopher Johnson Named Speaker for STCC Commencement on May 30

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Christopher Johnson, chair of the Springfield Technical Community College board of trustees, will be the featured speaker at STCC’s 52nd commencement on Thursday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center.

Johnson, a lawyer, currently serves as president of the Agawam City Council. He served as the town’s first mayor from 1989 to 2000 and as Agawam city solicitor in 2008 and 2009.

Born and raised in Agawam, Johnson is a graduate of the Agawam Public Schools, American International College, and the Western New England University School of Law. He initially practiced law in Northampton with Wilhelm, Hamilton & King. He currently is a partner with Johnson, Sclafani & Moriarty in West Springfield.

Johnson was appointed to the STCC board of trustees in 2006. His term is set to expire in 2019, making him one of the longest-serving community-college trustees in the Commonwealth.

“We are grateful to Chris Johnson for the many years of leadership, dedication, and outstanding service he has given to Springfield Technical Community College,” said STCC President John Cook. “With his keen insight of public higher education, including affordability considerations and the STCC mission, Chair Johnson truly has made a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of so many students.”

Added Johnson, “I am both honored and thrilled to speak at the STCC commencement. The Greater Springfield area is fortunate to have such an outstanding place of learning. STCC truly transforms the lives of its students, both the traditional college-transfer students and those taking advantage of our fantastic technology and health programs.”

Introducing the 40 Under Forty Class of 2019

40 Under 40 Cover Story The Class of 2019

Announcing the Honorees of the 13th Annual 40 Under Forty

A panel of judges was kept quite busy over the past few weeks, reading, evaluating, and eventually scoring nearly 200 nominations for the 40 Under Forty Class of 2019.

Yes, that’s a record, and it’s a clear indication of how coveted that designation ‘BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree’ has become within the 413 — and how much young talent this region boasts.

Submit Nominations for Next Year HERE!

40 Under Forty Class of 2019

Photography for this special section by Leah Martin Photography

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Black Hole Image Project Gives UMass Astronomy Important Exposure

Features

The Stars Were Aligned

A high-resolution image of the black hole at the center of the galaxy known as M87.

The image of the black hole in the center of the galaxy known as M87 that was released earlier this month was a groundbreaking development in many respects. It was the first direct visual evidence of a black hole, and it validated Einstein’s century-old theories of relativity. But it also put the spotlight on astronomers at UMass Amherst and a telescope, known as the LMT, that the university operates in partnership with the Mexican government.

Gopal Narayanan wasn’t totally sure, but he recalls that his gut told him “that we had … something.”

‘We’ is the collective that Narayanan, a research Astronomy professor at UMass Amherst, used to describe both his team stationed in April 2017 at the LMT (Large Millimeter Telescope) erected atop a 15,000-foot-high volcano in southern Mexico, and teams at seven other telescopes around the world. And the ‘something,’ as the world now knows, was what would become the first direct visual evidence of a supermassive black hole and its shadow.

Indeed, after a series of new conferences staged around the world announced the breakthrough on April 10, media outlets published what many would call a ‘photograph’ (see above) of the black hole at the center of Messier 87, or M87, as it’s called, a massive galaxy in the Virgo galaxy cluster, some 55 million light years from Earth.

It’s not a photograph in the traditional sense of the word, said Narayanan, but rather, as he’ll explain later, what amounts to a mathematical interpretation of data retrieved from those eight radio telescopes, known collectively as the Event Horizon Telescope, or EHT, a name that denotes the point at which light, matter, and other energy fall into a black hole.

From left: Aleks Popsefanija, Gopal Narayanan, and Peter Schloerb, members of the team at UMass Amherst that helped capture that first image of a black hole.

While most of the world’s focus has been on that image, what it shows, and what it means — essentially validation of Einstein’s theories of relatively forged nearly a century ago — the collaborative effort that produced that image is an equally compelling and far-less-known story.

As is the large contribution made by UMass Amherst astronomers and the LMT, a facility the university operates jointly with Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE).

The LMT, at 50 meters in diameter, more than half a football field, is the world’s largest single-dish, steerable, millimeter-wavelength telescope in the world, said Peter Schloerb, UMass Amherst’s LMT principal investigator professor, and early on, those working to create the EHT recognized that it could play a vital role in those efforts.

Specifically, an initiative to create what would be become, in effect, a telescope the size of the planet, Schloerb went on, adding that, by combining results from large telescopes scattered across the globe, those searching for a black hole could create a virtual telescope some 9,000 kilometers in diameter.

“It’s quite rare to get eight telescopes scattered around the world in completely different geographic locations — northern and southern hemispheres, east and west — to all have good weather for a stretch of several days, which we did. And you also need to have all the telescopes working technically well, which we did. It took a lot of doing, and there was a lot of preparatory work that had to be done for this campaign.”

“Such a telescope would have the resolution power to detect an orange on the surface of the moon or read the words on a quarter held up in Los Angeles — from Washington, D.C.,” said Schloerb, adding that getting this global telescope network in sync is a huge feat.

Narayanan agreed, noting that, to eventually create that image broadcast to the world earlier this month — nearly two years after the data was actually collected — all eight telescopes had to be operating in perfect weather and with all instrumentation functioning properly, a difficult assignment, especially for the four-day window that was needed.

“It’s quite rare to get eight telescopes scattered around the world in completely different geographic locations — northern and southern hemispheres, east and west — to all have good weather for a stretch of several days, which we did,” he explained. “And you also need to have all the telescopes working technically well, which we did. It took a lot of doing, and there was a lot of preparatory work that had to be done for this campaign.”

In many ways, the image of the M87 black hole justifies decades of hard work at the LMT, a facility located in a challenging environment that has seen its share of struggles over the years, noted Narayanan, adding that the project puts the full potential of the facility on display.

“This is a fantastic validation of all the effort we have put in on the LMT,” he said. “It shows that the telescope works and that it can do ground-breaking science.”

The LMT (Large Millimeter Telescope) in Mexico is operated jointly by UMass Amherst and Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Óptica y Electrónica.

And the LMT will certainly play a large role in what will hopefully happen next when it comes to capturing images of black holes, said Narayanan. This includes attaining similar images of the black hole at the center of the galaxy known as Sagittarius A* — data is still being collected on it — and it might also include what he called a movie of a black hole — again, not one in the traditional sense (more on that later).

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Narayanan, Schloerb, and astronomy graduate student Aleks Popsefanija about the black-hole project and what will likely come next.

It’s All Relative

Returning to the subject of those observations captured by the EHT, Narayanan said they reveal the image of a black hole and the event horizon surrounding it.

The bright yellow and gold colors seen in the bright ring, which results from the incredible pull the black hole exerts on nearby matter, are not real, he told BusinessWest. They were chosen to convey the intensity of the emissions.

“Typically, astronomers use orangish-red hues to show when things are hot,” he explained. “These are super-hot objects around the black hole.”

This image has been literally decades in the making, he went on, adding that, while scientists have long coveted visual proof of a black hole to validate long-held theories on these mysterious and massively powerful objects, until recently, attaining one was merely a pipe dream.

The key to making it reality is the EHT and an earth-sized telescope it creates, said Popsefanija, an Amherst native who told BusinessWest that, after earning a degree in physics at Carnegie Mellon University in 2014, he was looking for a job, and his search took him the Astronomy department at UMass Amherst. Just a few years later, he would be part of the team at the LMT that made history.

And part of a larger team that would work in sync to gather and coordinate the data from those eight telescopes, which was, as noted, as almost herculean feat.

At the heart of it all is a 1-millimeter-length receiver built for the LMT that would be used to collect the EHT data. Essentially, this receiver, what Narayanan called a “super-conducting mixer” not built specifically for this purpose, takes signals from the black hole, brings them to lower frequencies, digitizes the signals, and sends them on to data recorders.

This same work was being done at the other seven telescopes simultaneously, he went on, adding that synchronizing the telescope network was an exercise in extreme precision, to say the least.

The engineering team responsible for building the 1-millimeter receiver that was installed on the LMT and used for the EHT campaign. From left to right, Joe Crowley (MIT Haystack), Gopal Narayanan (UMass), and Ron Grosslein (UMass).

“We had to have very accurate timing in the collection of data,” he explained. “We had to know when the signals arrived at each telescope to a precision of a nanosecond, which is one-billionth of a second.”

So, to get the image that was eventually shared with the world earlier this month, the stars have to be aligned, in every sense of that phrase, said Narayanan, from the weather to the instrumentation. And those weren’t the only challenges to be faced.

Indeed, at 15,000 feet, the view from the LMT is spectacular — for telescopes, as well as the people working at one — but it’s difficult working at that altitude, said Narayanan, adding that one can remain at that elevation for maybe a dozen hours because there is far less oxygen than there is at sea level.

“Every step you take is hard, and thinking is hard, because your brain lacks oxygen,” he explained, adding that these conditions necessitated the need for two teams that would work in shifts at the telescope. “You always question any action you take, and it’s very strenuous work. At the same time, driving up the mountain and seeing the entire world beneath you, seeing the clouds beneath you, is a wonderful and emotional experience as well.”

Through all of that, Narayanan had that gut feeling that the teams working at those telescopes around the globe had ‘something.’

“I had a great deal of confidence that we had collected great data,” he explained, adding that this data then had to be analyzed and vetted, a lengthy, nearly two-year-long process during which astronomers had to keep quiet about their groundbreaking discovery.

Coming into Focus

With that, Narayanan explained how the image was attained. As for what it shows — that asymmetric ring-like structure around a central dark region — this is equally groundbreaking.

Indeed, the findings, as laid out in six papers published in a special issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters, essentially support Einstein’s theories of relativity and confirm what scientists have long theorized about black holes without actually ever seeing one.

“Professor Einstein’s work has stood the test of time,” he said. “It’s been nearly 100 years since he came up with the two relativity theories — a special theory of relativity dealing with traveling near the speed of light and a general theory of relativity to do with gravitation. Black holes are direct predictions from his GR, general relativity theory, and multiple experiments show the theory works, and works in extreme regimes.

“But this particular regime, a 6-million-solar-mass black hole, was thought to be a place that would really test the limits of that theory,” he went on. “Our big hope was that we would obtain an image that would conclusively prove there is a black hole, and that was without a doubt the case, and that’s the sweet part of this.”

Part of the team in front of the LMT. From left, Gopal Narayanan, Aleks Popstefanija, Sandra Bustamante, Antonio Hernandez (Crya, Morelia, Mexico), David Sanchez, and Lindy Blackburn.

This is uplifting in many respects, said Narayanan, before adding quickly that he would likely have been equally excited, if not more so, if the evidence didn’t support those long-held theories.

“Perhaps if we had found something that violated the predictions of Einstein’s theories of relativity, we would come up in new, uncharted territory that makes us rethink the theories,” he told BusinessWest. “And that’s the way we basically make progress.

“You make a model of the universe and go out and observe to see if that model can be validated by actual observations, which is reality,” he went on. “And then you find out that the theory is not quite right because the observations belie the earlier predictions; that’s how you make progress. That’s not to say we didn’t make any progress — we made a lot of progress.”

And in a many different ways, he said, adding that the M87 project has certainly laid the groundwork for further developments in the search for — and study of — black holes.

And also in the emergence of the LMT. UMass has been involved with that facility for 20 years now, said Narayanan, who offered a quick history lesson.

He said UMass was one of the birthplaces of the pioneering field known as millimeter-wave astronomy back in the 1970s. As part of that effort, the university’s Astronomy department built a 14-millimeter radio telescope just north of the Quabbin Reservoir called the Five College Radioastronomy Observatory, which it operated until roughly 10 years ago, providing training for a few generations of students.

Years ago, it became apparent that the department had achieved about all it could with a facility of that size and commenced a search for a larger telescope. That search led to a partnership with the Mexican government and specifically the INAOE, and eventually the construction of the LMT, which saw what the industry calls ‘first light’ in 2010.

The first receiver built onto it was designed not to look at black holes, but rather the first galaxies to be created after the Big Bang.

The chosen site, the Sierra Negra volcano in the Mexican state of Puebla, brings many benefits, including location (close to the equator), that made it a pivotal piece of the EMT puzzle, said Narayanan, adding that its performance in that project bodes well for the future.

And that includes more work on black holes, including the one in Sagittarius A*, a much smaller black hole than that at M87, with a 4 million solar mass. Astronomers are still collecting data on that object, said Narayanan, adding that there many additional challenges (on top of those already mentioned) when it comes to observing and studying a black hole in the center of our galaxy.

“It’s a smaller black hole, so things move around faster,” he explained. “Also, looking through our galaxy itself produces some scattering of the light coming from the center of our galaxy. But we’re working through the data, and we should produce some results soon.”

As for that movie he mentioned, that may also become a reality through efforts to expand and enhance the EHT process through additional telescopes and other additions.

“We can make multiple images and stack them together to make a movie, as it were, of how things vary around a black hole,” he explained. “And that has fantastic scientific implications that will tell us a lot of things about black holes and the structure of our universe.”

Bottom Line

The image of the black hole at M87 that sped across the globe soon became the star of the show when it came to the groundbreaking discovery — pun intended.

But, in reality, there were many stars, including the teams of astronomers who collaborated on the project, and the LMT itself, a facility that, as Narayanan noted, has put its full talents on display.

Moving forward, the challenge — and the opportunity — lies in building on this breakthrough.

And the stars seem aligned for that to happen as well.

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

MASS MoCA Continues to Expand and Contribute to the Big Picture in the Berkshires

By Joseph Bednar April 30, 2019

Berkshire County

Creating Impact

An aerial shot of the sprawling, 26-building campus of MASS MoCA.

Anyone who hasn’t been to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in the past decade might be surprised at how different it is from its early days. From a near-doubling of art space to a growing array of long-term exhibits to a robust music, theater, and festival business, MASS MoCA has become a true driver of Berkshire County’s creative economy — and that’s by design.

Jodi Joseph understands the challenges of drawing visitors to a museum in — well, it’s not the middle of nowhere, exactly, but it’s also a far cry from Boston or Manhattan.

“We have 13,000 residents in town. We bring over 200,000 people to the galleries every year. That’s a hard thing to do,” said Joseph, director of Communications at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, or MASS MoCA, in North Adams.

But it’s an important thing, she added — not just for the museum, but for the entire region’s creative economy.

“People from 75 miles or more from here know this is a place to see art. Within 75 miles, more people know us as a place to see music and performing arts,” she told BusinessWest during a recent visit. “We are finding more ways to draw connections between the performing and visual arts — to let those visual-arts people know we have this dynamic performing-arts program year-round, and get our performing-arts audience into the galleries to see everything here.”

That’s because more time spent here means more money spent in the northwestern corner of the state.

“Overnight visitors spend six times as much money as day visitors,” Joseph went on. “Part of our economic-development agenda is getting people to understand there’s so much to do at MASS MoCA, and we’re just one of several institutions up here. So if you want to come see us and the Clark [in nearby Williamstown], you’re going to have to spend a night, maybe two nights, to get it all in. Every admission here is good for two days. So stay awhile — there’s so much to see.”

Jodi Joseph, director of Communications at the museum.

Much more, in fact, than when the museum opened 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago, for that matter. Growth has been a constant in MASS MoCA’s second decade, with the addition of a robust performing-arts and festival business and a massive expansion of floor space to accommodate something unheard of in the early years: permanent exhibits.

Much credit for the former goes to the Chicago-based rock band Wilco, which, a decade ago, became enamored of Western Mass. and saw it as a place to establish a residency and work on side projects. They couldn’t make a connection with Tanglewood work, but when they visited MASS MoCA, they knew they had something. In 2010, the museum launched Wilco’s first-ever Solid Sound festival, a celebration of music and art now held every other summer.

“Thus began MASS MoCA’s foray into a pretty serious concert-festival business,” Joseph said. “It opened the idea of MASS MoCA, this campus, being a destination for music. It was such an exceptional marriage — the fanbase their music attracts was our target audience. There are many other bands we could say that about, but certainly Wilco is in the top 10.”

Today, MASS MoCA presents more than 75 performances year-round, including contemporary dance, alternative cabaret, world-music dance parties, indie rock, outdoor silent films with live music, documentaries, avant-garde theater, and an annual bluegrass festival known as Fresh Grass.

But the museum’s calling card is still modern art — in particular, large-scale, immersive ‘installation art’ that would be difficult to house in conventional museums. The unconventional works form an intriguing counterpoint to the century-old, high-ceilinged mill buildings that house them, which have retained their raw, industrial character over the years, with plenty of exposed brick, ductwork, and concrete floors.

Joseph said visitors appreciate the palpable sense of history they offer — even as MASS MoCA hurtles into its third decade of challenging the status quo.

Maker Space

The 16 acres of the MASS MoCA’s campus — 26 buildings occupying nearly one-third of the city’s downtown business district — form an elaborate system of interlocking courtyards and passageways, bridges and viaducts; a floor-to-ceiling window in one building overlooks the confluence of two branches of the Hoosic River.

By the late 1700s and early 1800s, businesses at or near the site included shoe manufacturers, a brickyard, a sawmill, cabinetmakers, hat manufacturers, machine shops for the construction of mill machines, marble works, wagon and sleigh makers, and an ironworks.

“Overnight visitors spend six times as much money as day visitors. Part of our economic-development agenda is getting people to understand there’s so much to do at MASS MoCA, and we’re just one of several institutions up here.”

In 1860, O. Arnold and Co. installed the latest equipment for printing cloth; large government contracts to supply fabric for the Union Army swelled business, and over the next four decades, Arnold Print Works became the largest employer in North Adams. By the end of the 1890s, 25 of the 26 buildings in the present-day MASS MoCA complex had been constructed, and by 1905, Arnold Print Works was one of the leading producers of printed textiles in the world, employing some 3,200 people.

In 1942, after a period of decline for Arnold, Sprague Electric Co. bought the site, converting the textile mill into an electronics plant, where physicists, chemists, electrical engineers, and technicians were called upon by the U.S. government during World War II to design and manufacture crucial components of some of its most advanced high-tech weapons systems, including the atomic bomb. After the war, Sprague’s products were used in the launch systems for Gemini moon missions, and by 1966 Sprague employed 4,137 workers. But, again, sales eventually declined, and in 1985, the company closed its North Adams operations.

“This campus has always made things,” Joseph said. “Now, what we make is art — performing arts as well as visual art.”

Indeed, when North Adams leaders began discussing a new use for the campus, the Williams College Museum of Art was seeking space to exhibit large works of contemporary art that would not fit in conventional museum galleries — and the idea of creating a contemporary arts center in North Adams began to take shape. With funding from both public and private sources, MASS MoCA opened in 1999.

Banners promote current, temporary exhibits, but MASS MoCA has developed an array of long-term exhibits by prominent artists as well.

The ‘maker’ spirit of the complex extends to putting up the installations, many of which are not as simple as hanging a painting. The museum typically doesn’t hide the process, which can take several weeks, but instead embraces it.

“Because of the way our galleries are situated, we can’t help but put ourselves on view when installing an artist,” Joseph explained. “You might walk through and observe someone charging through the gallery with a forklift. This time of year, we’re moving from one gallery to the next, installing new art, and all that activity is usually on view to the public, in addition to everything that’s already installed in the galleries.”

She said the complex, for most of its history, has been home to a constant flow of humanity and industry, and the act of creation is as important — and worthy of viewing — as the static display of art.

“Even if you’re not a contemporary-art person, there’s so much to see in the architecture,” she told BusinessWest. “The buildings themselves are art. The fact that we fill them with art and ideas, and made these buildings accessible to the public, is a joyful experience. My grandparents worked here. My mom worked here. That’s real. I love coming to work every day and being in this site where I know my family history looms large.”

Even the performing-arts elements of the museum embrace the process as much as the outcome. For instance, in 2012, rock icon David Byrne teamed up with director Alex Timbers to create a theatrical piece called Here Lies Love — and, rather than perform it only as a finished product, presented it to audiences as a work in progress.

Similarly, just this year, actor Jon Hamm, director Danielle Agami, and Wilco’s Glenn Kotche led a team that developed a piece called Fishing, also performing it as an evolving work to audiences who were then invited to talk about what worked and what didn’t for them.

“It’s a phenomenal exchange — audiences love it,” Joseph said. “In this culture-drenched region, people get really excited about the creative process. Even if you are not the creator, you get to be involved.”

Permanence in Change

The process of developing and expanding an artistic idea has also taken shape on a macro level over the past decade on the MASS MoCA grounds. In 2008, the museum opened its first long-term exhibition, a three-story space housing about 100 works by famed large-scale wall artist Sol Lewitt — a display the Los Angeles Times once called “America’s Sistine Chapel.”

In 2013, the campus opened a previously unused building for a long-term exhibit by painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer. And in 2017, the museum activated more buildings, almost doubling the previous gallery space from 135,000 square feet to 250,000, and installing permanent works by neoconceptual artist Jenny Holzer, multi-media artist Laurie Anderson (who makes use of virtual reality in her gallery), and James Turrell, whose interactive works make intriguing use of light and space, just to name a few.

The museum installed this floor-to-ceiling window to give visitors a view of North Adams and, in particular, the point where two branches of the Hoosic River join up.

“Part of the joy of going to a museum is seeing the permanent collection,” Joseph said. “You might return time and again and see new exhibitions, but you can also visit old works in the collection like they are old friends to you. We never had that at MASS MoCA because we only had rotating exhibitions.

“But in 2008,” she went on, “people started to think about MASS MoCA not just as a pilgrimage site for Sol Lewitt fans, but also as a place where visitors could return and find something new at the galleries, but also have this body of work, this artist’s life work, where they were suddenly becoming experts. MASS MoCA members probably know more about Sol Lewitt than many Sol Lewitt scholars.”

The museum has expanded its community connections as well, such as an educational program that brings in 2,500 students from local public schools several times a year. Partner schools develop a curriculum of class projects based on what the students see at MASS MoCA. An invitational program for promising teenagers actually displays their artwork on the museum walls and provides grants to their teachers to stock their classrooms. One area teacher used the grant to purchase a kiln so students can create pottery.

“For these kids, she added, “seeing their art on the walls beside Sol Lewitt kind of raises the stakes for them.”

Another program, called the Studios at MASS MoCA, has hosted more than 500 artists and writers for residencies up to 10 weeks. Hosted by the museum’s Assets for Artists program, selected artists receive private studio space on campus, in addition to housing, free access to the museum’s galleries throughout the residency, optional financial and business coaching from Assets for Artists staff, and a daily group meal.

As part of its examination of the regional creative economy, the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0, a county-wide economic-development plan, recommended expanding the Studios program throughout Berkshire County, she noted. “I’m not sure how that would work, but it’s a great concept.”

And an exciting one, as MASS MoCA has long been a draw to this small city near the New York and Vermont lines — and from that destination status comes myriad ripple effects.

“We were founded with a two-headed mission,” Joseph said. “One was to present the best art of our time, and the second was to be an economic catalyst.”

It does that by leveraging all this activity — not just the performance and display of art, but its very creation — to develop new markets for artists, spur job creation, strengthen community identity, and even boost property values, all of which Joseph has witnessed and hopes to see continue.

“We’re in one of the most robust real-estate moments in North Adams in my adult life,” she said. “We’re happy to contribute to it — even if it’s one by one.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Machine Metrics Continues Torrid Pace of Growth

Manufacturing

Scaling Up

CEO Bill Bither

Over the past five years, Machine Metrics, a company that specializes in predictive analytics for manufacturers, has been scaling up its operation. But with an infusion of $11.3 million in venture capital last fall, this process enters a new and dynamic phase. The company has nearly doubled its workforce, expanded with a new office in Boston, and become much more aggressive in efforts to educate potential clients about its game-changing software.

Bill Bither was asked where he wanted to take Machine Metrics, the five-year-old startup he co-founded that specializes in predictive analytics for manufacturers.

He paused for a second or two, and then, in a voice that brimmed with confidence and conveyed the sentiment that he’d been asked this question — and given this answer — before, said simply and almost matter-of-factly, “we’re really looking to build a billion-dollar company.”

That’s not a phrase you hear often from entrepreneurs based in the 413, but Bither, who launched this venture with Eric Fogg and Jacob Lazier and serves as its CEO, believes that stated goal is certainly attainable. And those who have watched this company grow quickly and profoundly since it first gained attention as a member of one of Valley Venture Mentors’ first accelerator classes would certainly agree.

The company develops software systems that measure manufacturing productivity. To be more specific, these systems analyze performance in real time and send out alerts to clients when production falls behind.

Clients generally see a 20% improvement in efficiency, and the phrase most often used in relation to the software and its overall impact within a given shop is ‘game changer.’

There are now more than 100 manufacturers around the world using the company’s products, and Bither expects that number to climb steadily as awareness of the software, its capabilities, and the results it has generated for customers grows.

Bill Bither, left, seen here with co-founder and CTO Jacob Lazier, says Machine Metrics is adding clients across the country and overseas.

“What we’ve discovered since 2015 is that the market that we’re in is really large, and that industrial technologies are moving very quickly,” he told BusinessWest. “There’s a really high demand for companies to digitize their factories, and the key missing component to doing that is getting data from the factory floor; that’s the first step in digitizing a factory, and that’s what we do very well.”

To continue to do this well on a much larger scale, the company needed to move quickly on a number of fronts — from expanding its customer base beyond this region and this country to greatly expanding its team of engineers, salespeople, and marketers, to being far more aggressive when it comes to getting the word out.

And it has moved forward on all those fronts thanks in large part to an an infusion of $11.3 million in capital late last year.

The company has put that money to work to expand its data-science and product-development teams while accelerating global sales, said Bither, adding that, while the company has been scaling up on an ongoing basis over the past five years, that process has essentially entered a new, more dynamic phase.

“Last year, we grew about 200%, and this year we’ll probably be around that same number,” he explained, adding that this is now a truly global company that continues to expand geographically and in all other ways.

Now headquartered on Pleasant Street in Northampton — a move necessitated by the growth of its workforce — Machine Metrics has also opened an office in Cambridge, and now employs roughly 50 people, a number that has almost doubled since the company announced that infusion of capital.

“What we’re doing now is going even faster, looking at international expansion; having more engineers on the team helps us fulfill our vision quicker. We’ve shown that we’re leading the space that we’re in, and we need to keep leading the industry toward digitizing their factories.”

“We’ve doubled the size of our executive team, we’ve almost doubled the size of the workforce, and our customer count is now over 100,” said Bither. “What we’re doing now is going even faster, looking at international expansion; having more engineers on the team helps us fulfill our vision quicker. We’ve shown that we’re leading the space that we’re in, and we need to keep leading the industry toward digitizing their factories.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Bither about the process of scaling up one of the most-watched startups in this region — and about the roadmap to becoming a billion-dollar company.

The Light Is Green

When he talked with BusinessWest earlier this month, Bither was in Toronto on vacation visiting family. Well, sort of.

“I have back-to-back meetings with clients today, which is what usually happens,” he explained. “A vacation trip turns into a work trip.”

There have been a number of work trips and vacations doubling as work trips for Bither and his partners over the past years, as they continue to bring awareness to a product that represents pioneering on a number of levels.

Indeed, while there have been production-monitoring software products on the market for some time, the software systems the company is now offering represent a huge step forward in what’s known as industrial IoT (Internet of Things) technology.

For clients, it has meant adding the phrase ‘being in the green’ to their lexicon. That’s the color that shows up on the dashboards, or large display boards, when machines are operating at or above the desired performance levels. An orange color means they are operating slightly below that level, and red means there’s trouble.

But beyond letting companies know how machines — or shifts of employees — are performing, the software can also predict when errors will occur and machines will fail, thus enabling manufacturers to avoid costly breakdowns that greatly impact overall productivity.

And as productivity improves, companies are better able to navigate what has long been the manufacturing sector’s most pressing — and perplexing — problem: a deep talent shortage that shows no signs of letting up any time soon.

All this explains why that phrase ‘game changer’ is being used so often by those who now have these systems operating in their plants. And it’s being heard both in this region — VSS CNC Inc. in Greenfield, Marox Corp. in Holyoke, and others are on the client list — and well outside it.

“We’re spread out across North America — I think we’re in roughly 40 states now,” he said. “And we’re starting to see some growth in Europe and South America. There’s still so much opportunity in this country, though, and that’s where we’re focusing most of our efforts.”

Bither, when pushed to guesstimate just how big the market is for industrial IoT technology, put the number at $85 billion, and said the mission moving forward, obviously, is to garner as large a share of that market as possible.

To do that, the company knew it had to expand its workforce, adding people in a number in a number of areas, but especially engineers in the field working with customers to digitize their factory floors.

As he talked with BusinessWest, Bither admitted he’d actually lost track of just how big the workforce was at that moment, a clear indication of how fast things are changing and how many people have joined the team.

“We’ve hired software developers, and we’ve added to our marketing team, our sales team, and our customer-success team,” he said, adding that the company has also brought on a chief financial officer, a vice president of Product, a vice president of Business Development, and a vice president of Sales, taking Machine Metrics and its leadership team to a much higher plane.

Meanwhile, the company has also opened an office in Boston, a step taken to not only better serve customers in that area, but also take advantage of the extremely deep pool of IT talent inside the 128 corridor.

SEE: Largest Manufacturers in Western Mass.

“At the rate that we’re growing, it’s difficult to hire enough really skilled people in Western Mass. quickly enough,” he explained. “We’re combining the best manufacturing talent with the best software talent, and Boston really has a heavy concentration of software executives.”

Bither, who has been through the scaling-up process before — he grew the software company Atalasoft to 25 people before he sold it — said this experience at Machine Metrics is different in many ways, primarily because the company is a venture capital (VC)-backed enterprise.

“Therefore, the focus is on growing fast, not about being profitable — that’s the life of a VC-backed technology company,” he explained. “You’re really measured in growth and cash, more so than profits, and that’s different from what I’m used to.”

Moving forward, he said one key to continued growth and effective scaling of this venture is effective website content marketing, an approach designed to help educate and hopefully inspire movement within a sector, manufacturing, that has traditionally been slow to embrace new technologies and different ways of doing things.

Profound growth of its workforce forced Machine Metrics to seek larger quarters, and it found them in the old Post Office building on Pleasant Street in Northampton.

“We’ve been able to build quite a presence in this space without spending too much money because we’ve been able to build out content on our website and write a number of articles and blogs,” he explained. “And because of that, we’ve been able to bring in a lot of interested buyers that come through our website; our sales team will then talk to them, and a certain percentage of them will actually close.”

Another important marketing vehicle has been industry trade shows, such as the EASTEC show slated for next month at the Big E, but also the recent event in Hanover, Germany (the company’s first international show), where Machine Metrics had a large presence and was able to introduce itself and its software to new audiences.

“It was interesting because we were able to see what the landscape looks like in Europe,” he explained, adding that the company partnered with Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud-computing platforms to individuals, companies, and governments, and thus gained considerable attention at the show.

The company also takes part in the International Manufacturing Technology Show, staged every other year in Chicago, and will be in Las Vegas in a few weeks for another large industry event, said Bither, adding that this exposure is critical to those scaling-up efforts.

Getting Things in Gear

Bither did not want to disclose current revenue figures for Machine Metrics, but he hinted strongly, not that he had to, that this venture is a long way from being a billion-dollar company.

But it seems to be on a path that would make that number more than a fantasy or pipe dream. This is a fast track greased by obvious need among manufacturers large and small to be able to track their performance in real-time analytics, and not rely on guesswork.

Whether the company can get to that magical milestone — or when, obviously — remains to be seen, but the scaling-up process continues, and like those clients it serves, this intriguing startup is certainly operating in the green — figuratively, if not literally.

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

West Side Capitalizes on ‘Crossroads’ Location

Community Spotlight

While the city will miss out on opportunities from its full ban on cannabis-related ventures, Mayor Will Reichelt says, there are new businesses of many kinds coming to the community.

West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt recalls that, after his community’s City Council voted in the spring of 2018 to place a ban on any and all cannabis-related businesses, he received some texts from his counterparts in Holyoke and Westfield.

He doesn’t remember the exact wording of either one, but he told BusinessWest that they amounted to thank-you notes, as in — and he’s paraphrasing here, obviously — ‘thank you for the tax revenue that might be coming to our cities because it won’t be coming to yours.’

More than a year after that vote and those texts, Reichelt feels confident in saying that the full ban, while obviously well-intentioned, amounts to some missed opportunities for this community, for both the short and long term.

Indeed, West Springfield exists at the intersection of the Massachusetts Turnpike and I-91 (quite literally), and therefore, in many respects, it is the retail center of this region — complete with dozens of big-box stores, car dealerships, restaurants, and more — and draws people from across the region. But this retail hub will not include any cannabis dispensaries, despite a number of ideal sites for such facilities, resulting in, as those mayors pointed out in their texts, tax revenue that will go elsewhere.

But in Reichelt’s view, the ban has potentially deeper ramifications.

“A lot of our tax revenue comes from retail, most of it on Riverdale Street and Memorial Avenue; it’s car sales, it’s big-box stores — that’s a large portion of our commercial tax revenue,” he said. “And to not be open to new discussions, new ideas, and new businesses is going to hurt us in the long run because retail is changing; Amazon is coming, and not everyone is going to want to shop in Riverdale Plaza.

“If things change, we’re really going to struggle,” he went on, quickly adding that things certainly won’t change overnight or even over the next few years. “If we’re looking out 25 to 50 years, and West Springfield gets a name for itself that it’s not into these somewhat controversial but new and innovative business ideas, and the communities around us are, it will be easy to pass West Springfield by.”

Fortunately, at present, most traditional retailers, and consumers, have no intention of passing this community by. In fact, many retailers want in — and in a big way, for those reasons (and because of those roads) listed earlier. As an example, the mayor related the story of how Starbucks is very interested in landing a spot on Riverdale Street — specifically that very popular stretch south of I-91 — and how it will certainly be challenged to find one.

So while West Side won’t be entering the high-stakes competition for cannabis-related businesses any time soon, Reichelt and his administration will be focused on doing what this community has long been able to do — take advantage of its ideal location, already-deep portfolio of retail outlets, and heavy volume of traffic to attract more new businesses.

The team at 1105 Main: from left, Joe Stevens, Eric Waldman, Alex Waldman, and Liz Stevens.

And it is enjoying success in this realm, as we’ll see later, with developments ranging from a new hotel on Riverdale Street to a new life for an old landmark just off Memorial Avenue, to the community’s first brewery just down that street.

Meanwhile, beyond those two main retail corridors, there are other intriguing prospects for development. One involves the property known to most as the United Bank building on Elm Street. That’s not its official name, but the bank has long occupied it and is therefore associated with it.

But United has all but moved out, and there us now a huge ‘for sale’ sign on the side of the property.

As the mayor gestured toward it while walking downtown with BusinessWest, he noted that, years ago, there were a number of a small storefronts within that footprint along the street. Turning back the clock and creating a new generation of destinations along that block would help build on growing momentum in that area of the city, he said.

Meanwhile, a former mill property along the Westfield River just over the line from Agawam is being gifted to the city by Neenah Paper, the manufacturer soon to vacate the property, said the mayor, adding that a number of new uses, including some residential options, are being explored.

These are just a few of the intriguing developments unfolding in West Side, a city that won’t be entering the intense competition for cannabis-related ventures anytime soon, but still has a host of other emerging business and economic-development stories.

Ale’s Well

Reichelt laughed heartily as he recalled the e-mail that is at the heart of a story he’s now told more times than he can count.

It was from his city planner, and typed onto the subject line was the phrase ‘Two Weeks Notice.’ Upon further reading, the alarmed mayor learned that this was not a reference to another job opportunity seized, but rather an update on the plans for an intriguing new business coming to the community.

“After that, I said, ‘can we just put ‘brewery’ in the subject line?’” said Reichelt, noting that the Two Weeks Notice Brewing Co., located in the former Angie’s Tortellinis facility since late last year, makes some nice IPAs, and has become a solid addition to the business landscape in West Side.

And it is just one of several of those over the past several months, including a new name over a familiar door.

That would be 1105 Main, an address, but also the name of a new eatery at the site of what would have to be considered a West Side landmark — the old Hofbrahaus restaurant.

Joe Stevens, who owned and operated that German restaurant with his wife, Liz, for decades, closed it roughly a year ago. The couple thought they had the building sold, but the deal fell through, prompting a reassessment of their plans.

“We starting talking about a theme restaurant,” said Joe, adding that what eventually emerged is a true family affair, involving sons Eric Waldman, who had been sous chef at a restaurant in Westchester County, N.Y. and was looking for a new and different challenge, and Alex Waldman.

Joe told BusinessWest they are calling this “an American eatery,” offering “familiar food with a twist.” As an example, he cited the lasagna, which is pan fried after it’s baked and includes a wild boar and bison bolognese.

The property at 1105 Main St. was substantially renovated for this makeover. The bar area, popular with regulars then and now, has a fresh look, as does the dining room, which has a brighter atmosphere and a hardwood floor, found underneath an inch of carpet glue after the old flooring had been ripped out.

The new eatery is drawing a mix of families and business people, said Joe, and it even complements another new business just across the street — Hot Brass, a firearm and bow range that shares space with Guns Inc., a seller of firearms.

“We like to say, ‘after you’re done shooting, come in for a shot and a beer,’” said Stevens, adding that a number of people have done just that, thus bringing still more vibrancy to the Memorial Avenue area that has changed dramatically over the past several years.

Indeed, the face of the street — home, of course, to the Big E — has been altered by the addition of Fathers & Sons’ new Audi and Volkswagen dealerships, as well a new retail plaza featuring a Florence Savings Bank branch and new stores in the Century Plaza.

West Springfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1774
Population: 28,529
Area: 17.5 square miles
County: Hampden
residential tax rate: $16.96
commercial tax rate: $32.55
Median Household Income: $40,266
Median Family Income: $50,282
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Eversource Energy, Harris Corp., Home Depot, Interim Health Care, Mercy Home Care
* Latest information available

Memorial Avenue, like the city’s other main retail corridor, is in a seemingly constant state of change, said Reichelt, adding that still more change is likely as new tenants are sought for two locations across from the Big E — the former Monte Carlo restaurant and the former Debbie Wong eatery.

Still further down the road is more property in flux, the former Medallion Motel and the vacant lot next to it, formerly the site of an auto-repair shop. Redevelopment of those parcels will likely have to wait for another day, said Reichelt, because they sit in the shadow of the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge, which crosses the Westfield River and connects West Side with Agawam and is still in the early stages of what is expected to a four-year reconstruction and widening project.

Traffic is often backed up at the site, which is why developers are unlikely to do anything in that area for some time, said the mayor, adding, as his counterpart in Agawam did a few months ago in this space, that the goal is to minimize the disruptions from the bridge project, especially during the 17 days of the Big E, and try to incentivize construction crews to reduce that four-year timetable for this initiative.

Forward Progress

Back on Riverdale Street, a new Marriott Courtyard is set to open later this spring, one of several new developments on or around that busy retail corridor, which, like Memorial Avenue, is in a seemingly constant state of the change.

Others include a gas station at the Costco in the Riverdale Shops, a project expected to commence later this year; the opening of a 1.5-mile bike path behind those shops, due to open in May; and a $21 expansion of the Agri-Mark facility on Riverdale Street, completed last fall.

Looking down the road, Reichelt said the site of now-closed Bertucci’s, located along that stretch south of I-91, is still awaiting new development, and he’s optimistic one will come because properties don’t generally remain vacant for long on that stretch of road.

Meanwhile, as noted, there are developments unfolding outside of those two main retail corridors that could have important ramifications for the community. This is especially true of the United Bank property on Elm Street.

“That used to be a collection of small stores,” he said of the facility, adding that it was renovated to house a bank branch and several of the institution’s departments. “There was a nice bookstore and coffee shop, a restaurant … it was a real destination.”

It can be that again, he went on, adding that his vision includes the community petitioning the state for additional liquor licenses and perhaps transforming the property into a home for a number of hospitality-related businesses that would complement those already thriving in that area, such as the Majestic Theater (located on that same block) and bNapoli restaurant.

Mayor Will Reichelt says redevelopment of the former United Bank building on Elm Street could be a catalyst for growth in the city’s downtown.

“I’d like to section that property back off again,” he said. “If we can get two more restaurants down there, a coffee shop or bagel place, and businesses like that, we could get a lot more life in the downtown, creating a real destination.

“Everyone always talks about how they’d like to have a mini-Northampton,” he went on. “That’s never going to happen if you don’t have stuff for people to do. This [property] represents a huge opportunity for us to create more things to do.”

And while hopefully generating more things to do with that downtown project, another initiative may well create more places to live.

The Neehah Paper Co. has donated the 100,000-square-foot mill property (formerly Strathmore Paper and then Fibermark) to the city, said the mayor, adding that residential is perhaps the best reuse option, be it elderly housing, affordable housing, or perhaps some combination, although other opportunities for development exist.

“We’ve run some breweries through it, and there’s been some interest,” he explained. “But we can’t really do much until we own it. This represents a great opportunity because we’re going to an actual section of riverfront property, which we don’t have in town.”

Location, Location, Location

Returning to the matter of cannabis-related ventures and the ban that covers the full spectrum of such businesses, Reichelt reiterated his concern that this goes well beyond lost commercial tax revenue.

“Councilors like to say that we’re business-friendly,” he told BusinessWest. “I say, ‘well, no, you’re not; you just completely wiped out an entire industry from coming to town.’”

This makes West Side an island of sorts when it comes to the cannabis trade, he went on, adding that there is still a lot of business activity happening on that island, with the promise of more to come in the months and years ahead.

The great location and easy access to major highways that would make West Side a perfect host for marijuana-related businesses also make it ideal for most any type of retail and hospitality-related venture.

And, as it has for decades, the city will continue to make of the most of all that it has to offer.

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

Commercial Real Estate

Commercial Real Estate

For Sale, for Lease

A listing of available commercial properties

Download the PDF HERE

Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 Charts Ambitious Course to Economic Growth

By Joseph Bednar April 30, 2019

Jonathan Butler, left, and Benjamin Lamb

Berkshire County

Designs on the Future

Jonathan Butler, left, and Benjamin Lamb discuss the plan at a recent public forum.

Jonathan Butler knows what happens to a lot of reports, and he’s determined to avoid that fate.

“This wasn’t intended to be just a two-year study that ends up as a report that sits on a shelf,” he said, referring to Berkshire Blueprint 2.0, an 80-page action plan of sorts for the Berkshire County economy. “It very much means to be a new look at our economy, a new baseline for where we are that identifies challenges we have in different areas and action steps needed to move forward.”

The project, the successor to the original Berkshire Blueprint released in 2007, was overseen by 1Berkshire, the regional economic-development agency Butler serves as president and CEO.

The report’s most notable feature is how it breaks down the economy into five ‘clusters’ — advanced manufacturing, the creative economy, food and agriculture, healthcare, and hospitality and tourism — and then lays out the challenges facing each cluster, who some of the main stakeholders are, and a series of ‘action steps’ aimed at spurring economic growth.

“We’ve made a process that’s accountable to itself and the stakeholders,” Butler told BusinessWest. “We have a small-business economy in the Berkshires, with a lot of business sectors, and approaching it from this vantage point is a helpful way to establish more creative problem solving and open up doors to more scalability for our economy.”

He admitted there are far more than five key clusters in the region’s economy, specifically citing education, financial services, and e-commerce as three others that may be woven into future iterations of the blueprint. But 1Berkshire had to start somewhere, and chose clusters that import wealth — in other words, bring money into the region from outside — and have shown growth over the past decade with the potential to scale up further.

“It’s all about getting different businesses outside of their silos to create more collaboration, more interactivity — to create an environment where things can take off organically.”

‘Scalability’ is a word that comes up repeatedly with Butler, who unveiled the plan at a recent, well-attended public forum alongside Benjamin Lamb, 1Berkshire’s economic development director.

“We’ve lived through the dialogue of a declining economy and job loss, and the narrative for many years has been to bring more jobs into the region,” he explained. “But we’ve pivoted away from that. We don’t need more jobs in the region; we need scalability for existing jobs and a better hiring pipeline. There’s a disconnect between the available workforce and the skill set and type of workforce businesses need.”

“There’s also a strong sense of momentum and progress that wasn’t here 15 years ago. That’s something to be excited about, and something we want to see evolve in the coming years.”

For evidence, Butler said there’s typically 1,300 to 2,000 jobs posted in the region at any given time, and they span the spectrum of the workforce, from entry-level to mid-career, management, and upper management. Many of the blueprint’s action steps take direct aim at identifying, connecting, and training potential workers for lucrative careers.

“A lot of employers here do a great job innovating in their sector, in their market, and are in a position where they can be scaling up, growing, expanding into new products and expanding product lines — but they’re not confident they can take the leap and scale the company because they’re not finding the workforce they need to fill those jobs.”

The Nitty Gritty

As an example of how the report dives into the five sectors, let’s consider the creative economy, which comprises segments like visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, design, film and media, and museums and cultural institutions.

The blueprint notes that the sector has seen 9.5% job growth since 2010, and the concentration of employers in this realm is 62% higher in the Berkshires than it is nationally, spurred by rapid growth in the northern part of the county.

Assets include a diversity of business establishments, institutional support by the likes of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF) and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and existing collaborative relationships across the county. Challenges, the report notes, include further engaging local residents, overcoming perceptions to demonstrate the economic importance of the arts, sustaining organizational support, and providing housing and transportation for seasonal employment.

With these factors in mind, the blueprint’s recommended action steps include convening the region’s major cultural institutions in dialogue, developing an intensive business-resources-awareness campaign, providing support to the BTCF and the Creative Commonwealth Initiative, reconvening the Creative Resources Conference, creating a partnership between the Berkshire Innovation Center and the creative community, and expanding the Assets for Artists program, a MASS MoCA initiative that provides professional-development opportunties — and housing — to emerging artists.

Collectively, that’s a mouthful, and it’s only the barest summary of just one of the five sectors. (The full report, and an executive summary, are available at 1berkshire.com.) But it suggests the copious work that must follow if the blueprint is to avoid becoming just another binder collecting dust.

“There are real challenges, and we have to work in collaboration to overcome them,” Butler said. “But there’s also a strong sense of momentum and progress that wasn’t here 15 years ago. That’s something to be excited about, and something we want to see evolve in the coming years.”

While much of the Berkshire Blueprint focuses on the five central clusters, the report also identifies several cross-cutting issues that impact the region at large, including all clusters.

For example, consistent access to high-speed broadband internet has long been a challenge in Berkshire County. Recently, actions on the state level have helped bring communities up to an equitable standard of broadband access and internet speed, but further advocacy and work are still needed, especially for residential access.

In addition, New England’s energy costs are significantly higher than they are in other regions of the country. With the retiring of regional power plants, lack of new plant construction, high cost of fuel distribution, and a limited pipeline infrastructure, the Berkshires face significantly higher energy costs compared to other areas of the country and the Commonwealth.

In the realm of transportation, gaps in public-transit services, inadequate evening bus service, a lack of coordination of private and public transportation assets, and challenges of getting to and from employment reliably are among the region’s nagging challenges.

Finally, population loss has been a persistent issue for decades in the region. 1Berkshire’s Berkshire Initiative for Growth began to lay groundwork for recruiting and retaining individuals to the region to curb this trend. While portions of the report were implemented, a number of components were laid out as the responsibility of other members of the regional business community to integrate.

“Population loss has been a mature conversation in the Berkshires,” Butler said. “The reality is, we’ll probably see another decline of some sort in the 2020 census, which would continue a half-century trend. But I’m optimistic that a lot of work done over the past five or six years will eventually shift that. We’re seeing more and more young families come to the Berkshires for a variety of reasons: quality of life, work-life balance, and the fact that our economy is quite big and diverse for such a small region.”

Then and Now

The blueprint authors were quick to note that the decades-long national decline of traditional manufacturing has had a negative effect on Berkshire County, and that the departures of long-time major employers such as General Electric and Sprague Electric devastated the local economy.

“For too long, the narrative has been that our best days were behind us, confined to faded newsprint and wistful memory,” they note. However, “that narrative is out of date. For several years, Berkshire County leadership has felt a sense of cautious optimism that the tide is turning. New buildings, businesses, and partnerships are springing up everywhere. With the knowledge that Berkshire County has seen $1 billion in investment over the last three years, the writing is on the wall: the days of doom and gloom are over. The new Berkshire narrative is about growth and opportunity in a diversified regional economy, and there is room for everybody at the table.”

That’s optimistic talk for sure, and Butler believes it, noting that he and his wife are in their late 30s, want to stay in the region for a long time, and believe it’s a good place to be.

“When we made the move home to the Berkshires in our late 20s, we saw a lot of potential,” he told BusinessWest — along with plenty of challenges. “But the narrative then and what we see happening in the future are different — and that’s become a more mainstream idea now.”

An idea that, with any luck, will do much more than sit on a shelf.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Rising Stars Supply Promise, Inspiration

By Editorial April 30, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Meryl Streep?

That’s who Peter Wirth, co-owner of Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, suggests, tongue in cheek (we think; we hope), should play him in a movie about his life.

“Let’s see if she can really play anything,” he writes in one of the answers to questions put to all of this year’s honorees. And when asked what figure, past or present, he would like to have lunch with, he suggests Ernest Hemingway. “I feel like he would have a few good stories, and there would most certainly be cocktails accompanying the lunch.”

The collective answers to a host of revealing questions cast a bright and intriguing light on this year’s honorees, who join the 480 who came before them as owners of some of the most prestigious plaques to be found in Western Mass. Indeed, a 40 Under Forty winner is someone who stands out among his or her peers (there were nearly 200 nominations submitted this year) and is truly a rising star amid a galaxy of them.

Indeed, contrary to popular theory, there is quite a bit of young talent in this region, and it exists across the board, in sectors ranging from healthcare to retail; from financial services to nonprofit management; from law to casino administration.

Their stories continue until you know all you need to know about Alyson Yorlano. And, as noted, to tell their stories, we used a questionnaire format, one that allows honorees to use their own words to convey what’s important to them, what inspires them, who mentored them, and yes, who they think could play them in a movie.

The answers are certainly good reading. They reveal some common denominators — everything from a willingness to work hard to get where they want to go, to a passion for family and community. And, in many cases, honesty and a good sense of humor.

As when Alex Dixon, the now-former general manager of MGM Springfield (he’s returned to Las Vegas to manage Circus Circus but will be at the Log Cabin in June for the 40 Under Forty gala), revealed that, growing up, he wanted to be governor of Nevada, an Alvin Ailey dancer, or a running back for the Washington Redskins.

Beyond witty answers, the profiles of this year’s honorees should provide inspiration for others seeking to own one of these plaques themselves, and encouragement for those who might be worried about whether we have sufficient young leadership coming of age in the 413.

Take Donald Havourd, who has thrived in a Fortune 500 corporate environment at MassMutual while simultaneously founding and growing a business, Migliore, which manufactures and distributes luxury car-care products.

Or Joy Baglio, who poured her passion for writing into the creation of the Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop, growing it in only three years from a solo enterprise to one with 13 instructors teaching dozens of workshops and classes each year.

Or Dorothy Ostrowski, whose unique trajectory has taken her from the war-torn streets of Afghanistan to a wide-ranging career in the fast-paced world of emergency-room nursing, to ownership of a venerable West Springfield construction company.

We hope you enjoy reading these stories, but more importantly, we hope these 40 rising stars make you feel good about the future of this region. Because we certainly do.

The Millionaires Tax Is a Failure

Opinion

By John Regan

Evidence from states that have imposed a surtax on incomes of more than $1 million shows that the policy causes irreparable harm to the economy while generating far less tax revenue than promised. A millionaires tax will cause the same harm in Massachusetts.

Lawmakers have refiled a proposal to amend the state Constitution to impose a graduated income tax, adding a 4% tax (representing an 80% increase in the personal income-tax rate) on all incomes over $1 million. The amendment would dictate that the revenue be spent on transportation and education.

A graduated income tax would eviscerate the small, family-owned businesses that form the heart of the Massachusetts economy. The surtax would take an estimated $2 billion from some 17,000 Main Street businesses and others that pay taxes at the individual rate and who would otherwise use the money to hire additional employers or expand their companies.

These companies are already drowning in more than $1.5 billion in new taxes and fees to pay for a financial shortfall in the Medicaid program and to fund the new paid family and medical leave program.

How do we know that surtaxes don’t work? Because our neighbors in Connecticut just drove their economy off a cliff by raising taxes three times in the past 10 years. Connecticut in 2009 added a 6.5% income-tax bracket for those earning more than $500,000 per year. The state followed up with a comprehensive $1.5 billion tax increase in 2011 to deal with a budget shortfall. A final round of tax increases took effect in 2015.

A graduated income tax would eviscerate the small, family-owned businesses that form the heart of the Massachusetts economy. The surtax would take an estimated $2 billion from some 17,000 Main Street businesses and others that pay taxes at the individual rate and who would otherwise use the money to hire additional employers or expand their companies.

According to information compiled by Pew Charitable Trusts, tax revenue for all 50 states is averaging 6.3% higher than it was at the start of the 2008 recession. Connecticut tax revenue, on the other hand, is only 3.8% higher, despite the three tax increases.

Once the economic heavyweight of New England, Connecticut is the only state in the nation which has yet to recover the jobs lost during the economic downturn. In addition, the state has seen an outmigration of residents since 2013 and the loss of major financial investors. Data from the Internal Revenue Service showed a spike in residents earning more than $200,000 per year leaving the state in 2015, and studies conducted by Connecticut state agencies and commissions have confirmed the loss of higher-income residents to other states.

Income-surtax laws have failed in other states as well. Within three years of Maryland enacting its millionaire tax, 40% of the state’s seven-figure earners were gone from the tax rolls — and so was $1.7 billion from the state tax base.

Similarly, in 2010, Boston College researchers released a report on the migration of wealthy households to and from New Jersey. They concluded that wealthier New Jersey households did in fact consider the high-earner taxes when deciding whether to move to or remain in New Jersey. From 1999 to 2003 — before the millionaires tax was imposed — there was a net influx of $98 billion in household wealth into the state. After the tax was implemented, an increasing number of wealthy families left the state, resulting in a loss of $70 billion in wealth.

Many of the business owners who fled Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey moved to states that have worked to reduce, rather than boost, taxes, including North Carolina, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Tennessee.

John Regan is executive vice president of Government Affairs for Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

Chamber Corners

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

• May 29: 1Berkshire Chamber Nite, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Fairview Hospital, 29 Lewis Ave., Great Barrington. Join us for the May Chamber Nite in partnership with the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce. Members of either organization get in free for this networking opportunity. To register, visit www.1berkshire.com.

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

• May 15: May After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Amity Street Dental. Join us for an evening of networking at Amity Street Dental, and find out more about the work of Dr. Hunt, Dr. Castenson, and Dr. Ivancev, as well as their new ‘Amity plan’ for small businesses. Enjoy food from the Pub. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

• May 18: Amherst Downtown Lives United Day. Amherst Downtown businesses are coming together to support United Way of Hampshire County. On May 18, several businesses have pledged 5% of sales or a minimum of $250 to United Way.

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

• May 9: Franklin County Community Development Corp. Entrepreneur of the year Awards, 5 p.m., hosted by Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main St., Greenfield. Awards, music, food, and mingling. For more information, visit fccdc.org.

• May 26: Chamber Lunch: noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Greenfield Community College Dining Commons. Featuring Mike Kennealy, secretary, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. Sponsored by Greenfield Community College Foundation and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Cost: $18 for members, $20 for non-members. Register at franklincc.org or e-mail [email protected].

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

• May 15: May Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Munich Haus. Sponsored by: Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, N. Riley Construction Inc., Polish National Credit Union, USI Insurance Services, Spherion Staffing Services, PeoplesBank, Galaxy Community Council, and the Arbors Kids. Chief Greeter: Stephanie Shaw, Chicopee Veterans Services. Keynote Speaker: Col. Peters of the 439th Airlift Wing. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• May 16: Chamber CheckPoint Legislative Luncheon, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. This event offers chamber members and the community an opportunity to hear from state and federal elected officials. With more than 100 people expected to attend, it is also a networking opportunity. This year’s speakers include Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and state Rep. Joseph Wagner. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• May 17: Lights On Art & Culture, 5-8 p.m. Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, Chicopee Cultural Council, SilverBrick Mills, and the City of Chicopee are collaborating once again to show appreciation to those who live, work, and play in the downtown area. For one evening, participating businesses will showcase an artist and/or musician. This is a free event.

• May 21: Chamber Seminar: “Assessing and Developing Future Leaders” with Michael Kline, PsyD, 8:30-10:30 a.m., hosted by La Quinta Inn & Suites. Series sponsored by Westfield Bank. Cost: $30. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• May 23: Business After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Williams Distributing. Series Sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. Monthly sponsors are Galaxy Community Council and the Arbors Kids. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• May 31: Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. shotgun start, hosted by Chicopee Country Club. Presented by Polish National Credit Union. Sponsored by First American Insurance Agency Inc., Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Poly-Plating Inc., Hampton Inn, Residence Inn of Chicopee, Tru by Hilton, ICNE, Roca Inc., and Health New England. Cost: $125 per golfer, $500 per team of four, and/or $20 golfer package that includes 25 raffle tickets and one mulligan. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

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

• May 9: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Glendale Grill, 65 Glendale St., Easthampton. Sponsored by bankESB. Event will feature food provided by Glendale Grill, a cash bar, and business-to-business relationship building. Cost: free to members and their employees, $20 for non-members. Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• May 22: Chamber on the Vine, 5:30-8:30 a.m., hosted by Glendale Ridge Vineyard, 155 Glendale Road, Southampton. Join us for a night under the stars. The Floyd Patterson Band will provide music, the vineyard will provide wine, and food will be provided by Little Truc food truck and Crooked Stick Pops. Pre-registration is required, as tickets are limited. The deadline for refunds is May 15. This is a rain-or-shine event. No tickets will be sold at the door. Cost: $25 for music alone, $35 for music and wine. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• June 11: “In the Know” Panel Series and Networking, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Fort Hill Brewery, 30 Fort Hill Road, Easthampton. The Chamber offers the second in the “In The Know” panel series, where a panel made up of Gen Brough, president, Finck & Perras Insurance; Dave Griffin Jr., vice president, Dowd Agencies; and Matt Waugh, president, Waugh Agency Insurance will discuss insurance needs. Get the insight you need to consider to protect yourself and your business. Refreshments will be served courtesy of Nini’s. Cost: $15 for members, $30 for non-members. Pre-registration is a must. No tickets will be sold at the door. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• June 26: Speaker Breakfast: Cyber Breach Symposium, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Ave., Easthampton. Featuring Mat Reardon, Beazley Group. Learn what steps you can take to minimize your risk. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. 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

• May 1: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by the Flats Community Building. Come join the Greater Holyoke Chamber, OneHolyoke, and the partners behind Holyoke’s newest community-based project, El Corazon. The event will include food, an open bar, and valet parking. Cost: $10 for members, $25 for non-members.

• May 8: Coffee Buzz, 7:30-9:15 a.m., hosted by Marcotte Ford. Marcotte Ford’s LugNutz Cafe now serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Join us for a Coffee Buzz where you can sample some of its breakfast fare, enjoy a fresh cup of coffee courtesy of Spradley Deluxe Coffee, and make some new connections. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members.

• May 13: The 51st annual Greater Holyoke Chamber Cup Golf Tournament at the Orchards Golf Course. As always, there will be prizes, raffles, sports memorabilia, and plenty of giveaways. It’s a fun day of golf, networking, and food and drink. Space is limited. Cost: $600 for a foursome, $750 to be an eagle sponsor (includes a foursome and green signs).

• May 15: Business After Hours at the Fishway, 5-7 p.m. Every spring, American shad, Atlantic salmon, sea lamprey, and other anadromous fish swim up the Connecticut River as they begin their spring migration. Join us to make connections and enjoy food and drink as we mingle and watch these indigenous fish make their way upstream and over the dam on the first and most successful fish lift on the Atlantic coast. Cost: $10 for members, $25 for non-members.

• May 29: Business Person of the Year Dinner Reception, 5:30-8:30 p.m., hosted by the Wherehouse? Join the Greater Holyoke business community as we honor and recognize our 2018 Business Person of the Year, Barry Farrell of Farrell Funeral Home. Additionally, we will be honoring Maria Ferrer of MD Beauty Salon as our 2018 Henry A. Fifield Volunteer of the Year. Make connections and enjoy a hot, plated dinner, cocktails, and a casual program. Cost: $50.

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

• May 1: May Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Emerson Way, Northampton. A networking event sponsored by Gove Law Office, Keiter Builders, and Kuhn Riddle Architects. Cost: $10 for members.

• May 14: Workshop: “Microsoft Word Tips,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop contains a variety of quick tips and tricks in Microsoft Word that will save hours of time. Attendees will learn to add buttons to the Quick Access Toolbar; shortcuts for selecting words, sentences, and paragraphs; and how (and why) to display non-printing characters in a document. Practice using the Format Painter to copy formatting and fix problems with numbered and bulleted lists. Learn to create AutoCorrect entries to correct common typos, and AutoText entries and Quick Parts to easily enter frequently used text. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members.

• May 28: Workshop: “Upgrading to Office 365,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members.

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

April 30: Marketplace Sip & Shop, 5-7 p.m., hosted by the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce and the Southwick Economic Development Committee at the Ranch Golf Club, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. Join more than 40 local merchants while sipping your way through the market. Refreshments and cash bar available. This event is free and open to the public. Vendor cost: $50 if bringing a table, $75 if you would like us to provide the table, or if you would like floor space. Vendor sign-up and additional details available online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For sponsorships or more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• May 6: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. Join us for coffee with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. The event is free and open to the public. To register, visit www.westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618 so we may give our host a proper head count.

• May 7: Lunch & Learn: “Paid Family Medical Leave,” 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Presented by the Greater Westfield, East of the River, Greater Chicopee, and Springfield Regional chambers. In this informative presentation, attorneys Erica Flores and Amelia Holstrom of Skoler, Abbott & Presser will provide a detailed overview of the new PFML law that goes into effect on July 1. Learn who is covered, how it is funded, and how the claim process will work, and ask questions. Cost: $35 for members, $50 for non-members. Register by April 30. For sponsorships and to register, visit www.westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618.

• May 14: The 58th annual Golf Tournament, hosted by Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. Along with a round of golf and dinner, there will be raffles and a live auction to benefit three $500 student scholarships. Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For sponsorships, to donate a raffle prize, or for more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• May 20: After 5 Connections, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Betts Plumbing & Heating Supply, 14 Coleman Ave., Westfield. This event is co-hosted by MI-BOX of Central & Western MA. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: free for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

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

• May 1: Rise & Shine Business Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Featuring Robert Glazer, founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners. Cost: $25 for members in advance ($30 at the door), $35 for non-members in advance ($40 at the door).

• May 7: Lunch and Learn: “Paid Family and Medical Leave,” 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Presented by Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. Cost: $35 for members, $50 for non-members.

• May 23: Stars & Strikes, 5:30-8 p.m., hosted by the Tap Room at MGM Springfield. Featuring celebrity bowlers, passed appetizers, and unlimited games. Cost: $20

Reservations for all chamber events may be made by visiting www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mailing [email protected], or calling (413) 755-1310.

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

• May 9: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. You must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief intro and company overview. The only cost to attend for members is the cost of lunch (additional $10 fee for non-members). Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. Please note, we cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• May 15: Night of Networking with YPS, 5-7 p.m., hosted by the Zoo in Forest Park. Bring lots of business cards to this co-hosted event. Mingle, tour, and network for a night of fun and business. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• May 22: Job Fair 2019: Local Jobs for Local People, 3-8 p.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern & Carriage House, West Springfield. The West of the River Chamber will host a local job fair. West Springfield and Agawam businesses along with other employment opportunities will be showcased for the public. High-school students, college students, and adults will attend this event looking to begin or advance their careers. This event is free and open to the public. To be a participating vendor, register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
springfieldyps.com

• May 18: Third annual Adult Field Day, 9 a.m. to noon, hosted by Train for Life, Chicopee. Teams compete in games for prizes. Beer and food available. No athletic ability required. Special registration pricing before April 18: $20 for YPS, Train for Life, or Extra Innings members; $30 for non-members. After April 18: $25 for YPS, Train for Life, or Extra Innings members; $35 for non-members. To register, visit springfieldyps.com.

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 April 29, 2019

Cutting the Ribbon

Ribbon-cutting ceremonies were staged on April 12 for the Isenberg Business Innovation Hub, which opened to students this past January. The stunning addition to the Isenberg School of Management was hailed as a critical turning point in the history of the school, a facility that provides much-needed additional space and an opportunity to climb higher in the ranks of the nation’s leading business schools.

officials cut the ribbon

Bjarke Ingels, founding partner of the Bjarke Ingels Group, which partnered with Goody Clancy on the design of the hub, addresses those gathered

an exterior shot of the building

an aerial shot of the hub shows how it connects with the existing Isenberg building

Creating a Buzz

Springfield Technical Community College’s student radiology team placed first at the 2019 Massachusetts Society of Radiologic Technologists Buzz Bowl competition. With six community colleges participating, Buzz Bowl challenges students’ knowledge in the field of radiologic technology. STCC’s seven-member team did not lose a match in the competition, which featured questions in the categories of safety, image production, radiographic procedures, patient care, and more.

STCC students who participated in the competition included Brian Griffin, Kurt Reeter, Briana Rudman, Hillary Ladeau, Selenia Hernandez, Julie Korman, and Sabrina Provost.

Jobs for Youth

The Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board brought a team of youth and business service staff at the recent Arrive@5, encouraging members to hire a youth this summer. From school-to-career programs for in-school youth to partner programs such as Community Action’s Northampton Youthworks project, the team aims to match youth with jobs at area firms. This year, they are also developing STEM internships for youth with the help of Collaborative Educational Services.

Pictured, from left, are Marija Boily, business service representative, MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center; Rebecca Bannasch, employer partnership specialist, Community Action; Patricia Crosby, executive director, and Jennifer Droesch, executive assistant, MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board.

Record Haul for Riverside

On April 5, more than 400 people attended Riverside’s signature annual event at One Cottage Street in downtown Easthampton, helping to raise $112,000, the most ever in the 15-year history of the event. Guests enjoyed food, drink, and more than 250 silent and live auction items to bid on.

Pictured, from left: Susan Lapointe, Riverside’s director of Development; Irene Lamson, Riverside supporter; Silas Kopf, master of ceremonies; and Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of presenting sponsor bankESB, conduct the live auction.

Supporting High Achievers

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, recently congratulated the 2019 Anthony J. Serafino Scholarship winners. Five $1,000 scholarships were awarded by Arrha to worthy students based on scholastic merit and civic achievement.

Pictured, from left: Ostrowski; recipients Jessica Smith of Minnechaug Regional High School, Isaac Schein of Longmeadow High School, Taylor Woods of Pioneer Valley Christian Academy, Quinn Serafino of West Springfield High School, and Kaylee Fife of Tantasqua Regional Senior High School; and Erin Panteleakis, director and scholarship committee chair at Arrha.

Court Dockets

Court Dockets

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT
Nilda Nunes v. James Smith and EAN Holdings, LLC d/b/a Enterprise
Allegation: Motor-vehicle negligence: $8,970.53
Filed: 3/26/19

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT
Harold Levinson Associates Inc. v. Mehran Enterprises Inc. d/b/a Pick N Pay Food Mart and Jessica Newman a/k/a Jessica L. Newman a/k/a Jessica Lyn Newman
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $24,171.76
Filed: 3/1/19

Beacon Sales Acquisition Inc. d/b/a Beacon Sales Co. v. James J. Shiels Jr. d/b/a Jimmy Shiels General Contracting
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $12,078.29
Filed: 3/4/19

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Now Plastics v. Longmeadow Park, LLC
Allegation: Breach of lease contract: $500,000
Filed: 2/27/19

Matthew Levy, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated v. Pride Stores, LLC
Allegation: Failure to pay wages: $40,000
Filed: 3/1/19

Miranda Arthur-Smith v. Mass. Westfield Limited Partnership and Aspen Square Management Inc.
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $88,500
Filed: 3/4/19

Elizabeth Jimenez v. Pyramid Management Group, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall at Holyoke Mall causing personal injury: $29,735.39
Filed: 3/4/19

Theresa Grant McElwain and Andrew McElwain v. Bacarella Trucking Services Inc. and William Kampfman
Allegation: Motor-vehicle negligence causing personal injury and property damage: $10,599.88
Filed: 3/7/19

Annette Jung v. Trustees of Financial Plaza Trust
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $111,586.46
Filed: 3/11/19

Gianmy Castillo v. Zamiah Restaurant Corp. d/b/a Malecon Bar & Restaurant
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: 95,638.20
Filed: 3/11/19

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT
Mitchell A. Lopes and Brittany O. Shawanda v. World War II Veterans’ Assoc. of Hampshire County Inc. d/b/a World War II Club – The Deuce, Steven J. Connor, and Mathieu Tebo
Allegation: Unpaid wages: $23,000
Filed: 4/3/19

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Stephen Allard Trudel v. Clement Grassi, M.D.
Allegation: Medical malpractice: $500,000+
Filed: 3/6/19

Fernanda Ferrando v. Amherst Shopping Center Associates, LLC; Wilson Construction General Contractor; Peter Wilson d/b/a Wilson Construction General Contractor; and Daniel Wilson d/b/a Wilson Construction General Contractor
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $74,999.99
Filed: 3/29/19

Kelly Loncrini v. Lowe’s Home Centers, LLC and Sean Eagan
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+
Filed: 4/3/19

People on the Move

People on the Move

Patrick Carpenter

Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Patrick Carpenter as its director of Institutional Advancement. In his new role, Carpenter will serve as the principal gifts officer for the HCC Foundation, facilitate donor cultivation and engagement, and supervise the office of Alumni Relations. Before his hiring at HCC, he held advancement positions at Westfield State University as major gifts officer, Boston College School of Law as associate director of University Advancement, and Elms College, his alma mater, as director of Annual Giving. Carpenter has worked in higher education since earning his bachelor’s degree in English from Elms College in 2002, starting his professional career at the College of Saint Rose as coordinator of Residence Life before returning to Elms in 2007 as director of Residence Life and eventually moving into the office of Institutional Advancement there. He has also been a member of the adjunct teaching faculty at Elms since 2011 and served on the Elms College board of trustees and as president of the Elms College Alumni Assoc. In 2014, he received Bay Path University’s Recent Alumni Award, which is presented to a graduate who possesses great leadership potential. Carpenter holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from Bay Path University and is working on his doctor of education degree in higher education administration from Northeastern University.

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NAI Plotkin, a third-generation commercial real-estate firm based in Springfield, announced the promotion of Daniel Moore to vice president and leader of the company’s Brokerage division. President and CEO Evan Plotkin praised Moore, a 12-year veteran of the firm, for his contributions to the company, his extensive experience in both brokerage and construction management, and his ability to both understand and exceed client expectations. “These are exciting times for NAI Plotkin,” he noted, “and Dan is exactly the right person to guide our brokerage division as it propels forward.” Moore succeeds Bill Low as NAI Plotkin’s broker of record, as Low pursues other interests.

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Joy Brock

River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC) announced the promotion of Joy Brock to program director of the CONCERN Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Brock received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland University College, a master’s degree in psychology from Old Dominion University, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a doctorate in psychology, both from Regent University. She practiced in Virginia and Florida before moving to Vermont for a clinical psychology internship at the Brattleboro Retreat, where she was involved in the Uniformed Service Program. Brock joined RVCC in October 2014. Her experience includes being a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a member of Regent University’s trauma team, and a member of the Florida Red Cross Disaster Action Team. This unique blend of experience supports her role as the new program director of the CONCERN EAP.

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Sanjay Raman, associate vice president for the Virginia Tech National Capital Region and president and CEO of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corp., has been named the new dean of the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst. The announcement was made by John McCarthy, provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. Raman begins his new duties at UMass Amherst in August. Raman succeeds Timothy Anderson who served as UMass Amherst’s dean of the College of Engineering from 2013 to 2018. Anderson is a distinguished professor in Chemical Engineering and remains on the faculty. At Virginia Tech, Raman is a tenured full professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) based at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington, Va. From 1998 to 2009, he was assigned to the Virginia Tech main campus in Blacksburg. As the associate vice president for the Virginia Tech National Capital Region, Raman is responsible for planning and executing region-wide initiatives to enhance the university’s research, education, and outreach missions, focusing on cross-cutting themes of data and decision science, integrated security, intelligent infrastructure, global systems science, policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Since July 2016, he has also served as the president and CEO of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corp., whose mission is to deliver analytic and technology solutions to the university’s government and non-government customers. From 2007 to 2013, Raman served as a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, on loan from the university under Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignments. He is also a graduate of the Virginia Tech Executive Development Institute. Raman earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1998 and joined the ECE faculty at Virginia Tech. Prior to his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, Raman served as a nuclear-trained submarine officer in the U.S. Navy from 1987 to 1992. He earned a bachelor’s of electrical engineering degree, with highest honors, from Georgia Tech in 1987.

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Pathlight, a Valley leader in residential and community services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism, named Program Manager Victoria Barsaleau the recipient of its annual Donald Fletcher Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship, which is awarded yearly, is meant to assist an employee in obtaining an undergraduate degree. A committee of Pathlight board members and staff made the selection after receiving applications from employees. The scholarship is named after Donald Fletcher, Pathlight’s former executive director, who was committed to helping staff pursue their education. This scholarship is in addition to Pathlight’s current tuition-reimbursement program. Barsaleau was also recognized for her leadership with Pathlight’s Michelle Reberkenny Supervisor Recognition award. She started at Pathlight in 2016, but began her career in human services nine years ago, serving as a direct-support professional supporting people with intellectual disabilities and intensive behavioral needs. She got her start in the field after her father drove her to a day program that supports adults with disabilities and encouraged her to apply for a job. Barsaleau is currently working toward her undergraduate degree at Bay Path University, majoring in human services and rehabilitation.

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Lisa Alber

Amy McMahan

Elizabeth Sillin

At its annual meeting on March 13, the corporators of GSB, MHC voted to appoint three new directors to the board of directors of both GSB, MHC and Greenfield Savings Bank. The new directors are Lisa Alber, Amy McMahan, and Elizabeth Sillin. “We are honored to strengthen our board of directors with these three outstanding business leaders,” said John Howland, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank. “They bring a wealth of knowledge to contribute to our board from both their professional careers and their commitment to supporting the communities served by Greenfield Savings Bank.” Alber is the owner and audiologist for Alber Hearing Services, a business she founded in 2009. Prior to forming her own firm, she worked as an audiologist at Berkshire Medical Center. McMahan has been co-owner and sole operator of the Greenfield eatery, Mesa Verde, since it opened in 2002. Prior to founding Mesa Verde, she worked her entire professional career in a variety of positions in the food-service industry. Sillin is a partner at the law firm Bulkley Richardson, working with individuals in all areas of estate and gift-tax planning and administration. Her clients include nonprofit institutions, assisting with formation and operational issues, including regulatory compliance, and providing advice regarding charitable trusts and endowments.

•••••

Michael Cohen and Rudy Pawul have joined the all-volunteer board of directors for the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI). With a strong commitment to healthy living, Cohen founded Lightlife Foods Inc. in 1979. He served as Lightlife’s CEO until 2000, when he and his wife sold the company. In 2003, he retired. In addition to his work on the ILI board, Michael is a former member of the board of directors for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and finance chair and treasurer of the Northampton Survival Center’s board of directors. Pawul is the director of IT Infrastructure and Enterprise Support for ISO New England. He manages and provides strategic vision for software applications and data centers that allow ISO New England to carry out its mission. While earning his master’s degre at UMass Amherst, he participated in hurricane hunter flights and traveled to the Arctic to study the effects of climate change on the Greenland ice sheet.

•••••

Aieshya Jackson

Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM), now celebrating its centennial anniversary, announced that Aieshya Jackson has joined its board of directors. Jennifer Connolly, JAWM president, noted that Jackson “has been actively involved with our organization for many years as a volunteer, and now we look forward to her contributing her thoughts at a decision-making level.” Jackson is a branch manager for Santander Bank, where she oversees a full range of products and services, leads branch staff, ensures member satisfaction, and minimizes operational issues. Prior to her current role, she served as branch manager at United Bank. Aside from serving on JAWM’s board of directors, Jackson sits on the board for the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services organization and volunteers for Revitalize CDC and the Springfield Rescue Mission. She graduated from the Connecticut School of Finance and Management.

•••••

Michelle Caron

Freedom Credit Union announced the addition of Michelle Caron to its staff as branch officer at its Feeding Hills location. As branch officer, Caron is responsible for directing and administering operational efforts in the branch and ensuring that established policies and procedures are followed. She oversees a full range of products and services, leads branch staff, ensures member satisfaction, and minimizes operational issues. Prior to joining Freedom Credit Union, she served as banking center manager at Bank of America and branch manager at Peoples United Bank. Caron earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from Westfield State University. She volunteers at the Springfield Rescue Mission and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook

New England Public Radio, WGBY Join Together to Create New England Public Media

SPRINGFIELD — New England Public Radio and WGBY Public Television announced they will join to create a robust new multi-media organization, New England Public Media (NEPM), with one of the largest newsrooms in Western Mass. With a goal of expanding public media offerings for the people of Western New England, NEPM will build on the strength of each organization to deliver the educational content, cultural and news programs, and community engagement that characterizes public media. Martin Miller, CEO and general manager of New England Public Radio, will become president of NEPM. Anthony Hayes, general manager of WGBY Public Television, will become chief operating officer and general manager of the new organization. NEPM will be an independently run organization with its own governing board. Combined, New England Public Radio and WGBY Public Television have 78 employees, and all current employees will be part of the new organization. NEPM’s enhanced newsroom will total about 21 and is expected to grow over the coming years. The WGBH Educational Foundation, which holds the broadcast license for WGBY, will invest $6 million over six years in the new venture. When combined with critical community support for NEPM, this investment will allow for new programming while ensuring in-depth local journalism remains the centerpiece of the combined organization. WGBH will have a seat on the NEPM board. UMass Amherst will continue to hold the broadcast license for WFCR 88.5FM, and along with the NEPR Foundation board, it has been actively involved in the negotiations that led to the creation of NEPM. The university remains deeply committed to supporting the growth of public media in Western Mass. and will have a seat on the NEPM Board. The support of the Five College Consortium has been a vital part of the history and long-standing excellence of WFCR (Five College Radio) and New England Public Radio since its inception. The executive director of the consortium, which includes Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges as well as UMass Amherst, will also serve on the NEPM board. Along with an expanded news service, NEPM will focus on new content creation including digital music streams, multi-platform and digital programming, and community engagement and education, in addition to the programs audiences now enjoy. A new daily radio program with a local focus will be among the first initiatives the new organization will undertake. Details will be finalized over the coming months with plans and final approval to be completed this summer.

Gov. Charlie Baker to Speak at UMass Amherst Commencement

AMHERST — Gov. Charlie Baker will be the featured speaker at the undergraduate commencement at UMass Amherst on Friday, May 10 at 4:30 p.m. at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The governor will address an anticipated crowd of about 20,000 family members, friends, and other guests as approximately 5,500 undergraduates receive their bachelor’s degrees at the Commonwealth’s flagship campus. “We are honored that Governor Baker will deliver this year’s commencement address,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. “As a results-driven leader, he combines a concentration on thoughtful data analysis with an emphasis on building relationships that strengthen our Commonwealth. His support for UMass Amherst has provided our students the opportunity to flourish as they play an invaluable role in the state’s innovation economy. “It’s no coincidence that, under the governor’s leadership, Massachusetts has achieved record employment, the highest percentage of citizens with healthcare, and an outstanding education system,” he went on. “At the flagship campus, we are proud of playing a role in providing high-quality, affordable education for our citizens.”

Big Y Express Eliminates Plastic Bags

SPRINGFIELD — As part of the recent announcement of Big Y Foods Inc. to phase out single-use plastic bags at its checkouts, its Big Y Express Gas and Convenience locations became the first division in the 80-store company to eliminate these bags completely. Previously, Big Y Express in Lee was the only gas and convenience location without these bags as part of that town’s ordinance. Now, the other eight locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut have joined in this pursuit. Single-use plastic bags create an inordinate amount of waste. According to the EPA, more than 380 billion plastic bags are used in the U.S. each year. If not disposed of properly, this plastic can end up in waterways and forests where it can harm fish, marine animals, birds, and other wildlife. Big Y has been complying with single-use plastic-bag bans in five of its local communities in Massachusetts (Amherst, Great Barrington, Lee, Northampton, and South Hadley) since 2014. The company also issued a pledge in January to eliminate all single-use plastic bags at its checkouts in 2020. The elimination of these bags at its Express locations is the first phase of the implementation for this pledge. Currently, there are several more towns with bans pending, such as Longmeadow and West Springfield. In addition, the legislatures of both Massachusetts and Connecticut are discussing statewide bans on single-use plastic bags.

Country Bank Reports Record Earnings, New Board Leadership

WARE — Country Bank President and CEO Paul Scully announced the appointment of Maura McCaffrey, former CEO of Health New England, and Keith Blanchette, partner at Stolberg, Ebbeling and Blanchette, LLP, to its board of trustees at its recent annual meeting held at the AC Marriott in Worcester. The bank also appointed five new corporators, including Nancy Crimmin, president of Becker College; Cherylann Gengel, co-founder of Be Like Brit; Michael Myers, president of the Worcester Railers; Peter Dawson, partner at Mirick O’Connell; and Mark Donahue, partner at Fletcher Tilton. At the meeting, Country Bank reported its 2018 earnings resulted in record-breaking profits. Net income was reported at $12,853,000, with total assets increasing to $1,624,000,000. Deposit balances increased to $1,083,182,000, and total loans increased from the prior year to $1,240,421,000. Capital was reported at 14.06%, maintaining the bank’s position as one of the higher-capitalized banks in the Commonwealth. As part of its ongoing Worcester expansion, the bank partnered with the Worcester Red Sox as one of the team’s 21 founding partners in anticipation of its move to Worcester in 2021.

United Financial Bancorp Announces Q1 Earnings, Dividend

HARTFORD, Conn. — United Financial Bancorp Inc., the holding company for United Bank, announced results for the quarter ended March 31. The company reported net income of $12.7 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2018 of $12.2 million, or $0.24 per diluted share. The company reported net income of $15.8 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. “Despite the challenging operating environment, the United Financial Bancorp Inc. team is focused on expanding and winning new client relationships, maintaining strong asset quality and ample capital, and providing superior customer service,” said William Crawford, IV, president and CEO of the company and the bank. Assets totaled $7.34 billion at March 31, 2019, decreasing $16.9 million from $7.36 billion at Dec. 31, 2018. At March 31, 2019, total loans were $5.73 billion, representing an increase of $75.1 million, or 1.3%, from the linked quarter. Deposits totaled $5.66 billion at March 31, 2019 and decreased by $6.3 million, or 0.1%, from $5.67 billion at December 31, 2018.

HealthDrive to Acquire New England Geriatrics

WEST SPRINGFIELD — HealthDrive, a leader in delivering integrated specialty healthcare services to residents of long-term care, skilled nursing, and assisted-living facilities, announced it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire New England Geriatrics (NEG), a provider of comprehensive and quality psychiatric care for patients and their families. This acquisition will allow HealthDrive to expand its services as it seeks to create a leading multi-specialty healthcare platform for vulnerable populations. This is the first acquisition for HealthDrive as a portfolio company of Bain Capital Double Impact, the impact-investing business of Bain Capital. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. NEG was founded on mission-driven principles in 1994 to provide mental-health services to underserved geriatric populations in Massachusetts. Today, the company serves more than 13,500 Massachusetts and Connecticut residents in over 129 long-term-care facilities, four managed inpatient geriatric psychiatric units, and one outpatient clinic through its dedicated network of mental-healthcare professionals. As consultants to the facilities and their primary-care physicians, NEG clinicians provide evaluation and diagnostic services, medication management, psychotherapy, behavior-management consultation, and evaluation of patients for inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. Steve Marcus, the current CEO of NEG, who will join HealthDrive as a senior adviser, added that “we selected HealthDrive as our partner because it is most aligned with our commitment to clinical excellence for the vulnerable population New England Geriatrics serves. We have worked side by side with HealthDrive providers in skilled-nursing facilities for many years, and it is apparent that the HealthDrive team truly understands the population that we at New England Geriatrics make our mission to serve. We are confident that, through our partnership with HealthDrive, New England Geriatrics will continue to offer the same great level of care that we have provided over these past 25 years.” The transaction is anticipated to close in the first half of 2019 and is subject to regulatory review and customary closing conditions.

UMassFive Among Recipients of Workforce Training Fund Grant

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announced its selection as one of 68 Workforce Training Fund grant recipients in the state of Massachusetts chosen by the Baker-Polito administration. As a financial institution deeply invested in the communities it serves, UMassFive takes pride in supporting the local economy through providing quality service and products for its members, and by offering employment opportunities that encourage personal growth and career development. Accomplishing both of these goals means taking a real interest in the professional development of every employee and offering training opportunities so that any staff might become an expert in their chosen field. The $174,000 awarded to UMassFive will provide training for current and newly hired employees that focuses on technology-related mastery as well as leadership and management development in order to promote job growth, retention, and increased opportunity. This project is funded by a Workforce Training Fund grant from the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The grant program is administered by Commonwealth Corp.

Work Opportunity Center Cuts Ribbon on New Springfield Facility

SPRINGFIELD — Work Opportunity Center Inc. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 8 at its newly purchased and renovated community-based day-services (CBDS) facility located at 73 Marketplace in Springfield. Established in 1969, Work Opportunity Center Inc. (WOC) initially served its participants through a center-based work-service model. Community-based day services were added in the summer of 2014. In June 2016, center-based work services were discontinued for all participants, and those services were converted to CBDS. As of March 14, 2019, there are approximately 84 individuals participating in WOC CBDS services. Last month, 34 program participants and six staff members transferred from the WOC facility in Agawam to its newest facility in Springfield. The CBDS program of supports enables individuals with developmental disabilities to enrich their lives and enjoy a full range of community activities by providing opportunities for developing, enhancing, and maintaining competency in personal, social, and community activities. Service options for individuals participating in the CBDS program include career exploration, community-integration experiences, skills development and training, volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits, health and fitness classes, socialization experiences, and support to enhance interpersonal skills as well as the pursuit of personal interests and hobbies. The renovation of the 73 Marketplace facility is supported by a $10,000 grant made by the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation along with a $5,000 grant from Westfield Bank toward the purchase of a new vehicle for program participants.

Agenda

Agenda

Food Truck Fridays and Derby de Mayo Weekend

May 3-5: MGM Springfield will kick off a weekend of festivities with the launch of Food Truck Fridays and Derby de Mayo Weekend at Armory Square. Derby de Mayo Weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. on Friday with a performance by local cover band Feel Good Drift, lawn games, and bites from the inaugural Food Truck Fridays event. Guests can also enjoy TAP Sports Bar’s signature outdoor beer garden, which will be open for the first time this season. On Saturday, Armory Square will transform into an outdoor viewing party for the Kentucky Derby as it plays live on the 330-square-foot marquee screen. The event also will feature live music and MGM Springfield’s three food trucks. The party continues Sunday starting at 1 p.m. with a Cinco de Mayo fiesta complete with a mariachi band and custom tequila bar. Every week throughout the spring and summer, Food Truck Fridays will bring local eats to downtown Springfield from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The culinary bonanza will include three original concept food trucks from MGM Springfield, serving tacos, gelato, and Asian-inspired dishes. A variety of other popular food trucks from across the region, such as Wahlburgers, Hot Oven Cookies, and Say Cheese, will be offered on a rotating schedule. In addition to MGM’s three food trucks, opening day of Food Truck Fridays on May 3 will include Wahlburgers of Boston; Holyoke Hummus; Hot Oven Cookies, Palazzo, and Sweet Chili’s, all of Springfield; Say Cheese of Worcester; Liberty Rock Tavern of Milford, Conn.; and Kona Ice of Stamford, Conn.

Blessing of the Animals

May 4: Trinity United Methodist Church will give special recognition to horses at its 12th annual Blessing of the Animals service at 4 p.m. on the front lawn at 361 Sumner Ave., Springfield. Two equine organizations, Blue Star Equiculture and Whispering Horse, will bring horses to the event and will give presentations on the work they do. The event is free, and and people are invited to bring their pets for a blessing. All pets and their owners are welcome. Blue Star Equiculture of West Brookfield is a working horse sanctuary that offers care and shelter to 27 retired, disabled, and homeless draft horses, many of whom might otherwise end up facing poor living conditions or even slaughter. The sanctuary is an official retirement venue for carriage horses from large cities around the country. Blue Star Equiculture’s younger, healthy horses do community work, assisting with farming, logging, law enforcement, competitive pulling, and other activities. The organization also finds good homes for horses that are suitable for adoption. Whispering Horse of East Longmeadow offers equine-assisted therapy to help children and adults with physical or mental challenges. Clients who benefit from these services include those with autism, cerebral palsy, stroke, brain trauma, oppositional defiance disorder, ADHD, and numerous other conditions. Specially trained equine therapists work with clients to help them achieve cognitive, physical, emotional, educational, social, or behavioral goals. Working with seven horses, Whispering Horse presently provides services to 45 clients.

Elder-law, Estate-planning Series

May 6, 13, 20: Attorney Karen Jackson of Jackson Law, an elder-law and estate-planning firm, will teach a series of classes highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College (HCC). The six-hour course, called “Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know,” will be presented on consecutive Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. Jackson will present comprehensive subject matter on what she calls “The Core Estate Plan,” in which she will explain core documents and provide stories and examples. In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan. She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life. The second session will address four areas: trusts, the probate court process, Medicare hot topics, and options for community care and home care. Jackson will provide pertinent information and details about each to assist attendees in planning now. In the third and final session, Jackson will introduce the various Medicaid programs that provide long-term skilled-nursing home care in Massachusetts and the financial assistance associated with each. While participants may attend only one session of their choosing, they must still pay the full course cost of $89. To register, call (413) 552-2500 or visit www.hcc.edu/bce.

Labor and Employment Law Conference

May 21: Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. will hold a Labor and Employment Law Conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Springfield. “The conference will deliver an in-depth review of some of the most challenging employment-law issues organizations, human-resources personnel, and management have faced over the past year, and will provide cutting-edge insights needed for surviving challenges on the horizon,” said Partner Marylou Fabbo. Breakout sessions will include “Paid Family and Medical Leave: Change Is Coming” “Wage and Hour Mistakes,” “Harassment, Discrimination, and Why Employers Get Sued,” “Labor and Employment Law Update,” “How to Handle Requests for Reasonable Accommodations,” and “How to Conduct an Internal Investigation.” Speakers and panel-discussion participants will include Skoler Abbott attorneys and other leaders in human resources and employment law. A continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and luncheon are included with the conference, as well as time for networking and questions following the presentations. See the full agenda and register online at skoler-abbott.com/training-programs or call (413) 737-4753.

JA Inspire Career Exploration Fair

May 28: Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM), now celebrating its centennial anniversary, will host the JA Inspire Career Exploration Fair from 8 a.m. to noon at the MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. “We will host more than 500 students from seventh through 11th grades, who will have the opportunity to explore diverse career options at interactive booths featuring colleges, universities, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, companies, local law enforcement, and public-safety organizations from throughout Western Massachusetts,” said Jennifer Connolly, president of JAWM. The JA Inspire program provides students with the opportunity to learn about careers from industry representatives in time to begin planning for high-school coursework and better prepare themselves for life after graduation. The program consists of four in-class lessons, plus the career exploration fair, all designed to engage students and help them explore education and career pathways, showcase careers in Western Mass. with a focus on high-wage and high-demand industries, and connect students with industry representatives who can share career advice and offer interactive exhibits during the career fair. Exhibitor space is still available at no charge. Exhibitors will present interactive and engaging career stations, while providing volunteer mentors to staff the career stations throughout the event. To reserve a career station, contact Connolly at (413) 747-7670 or [email protected]. To learn more about the event, visit jawm.org/events or call (413) 747-7670.

Community Action Awards

June 13: Springfield Partners for Community Action will present a night of celebrating those in action within the community. The Community Action Awards will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Springfield Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. It will be a night of speakers, awards, handing out scholarships to Community Scholarship winners, and a silent auction for guests to participate in. Ticket purchase is available at communityactionevent.eventbrite.com. Springfield Partners for Community Action is the federally designated community action agency of Springfield whose mission is to provide resources that assist those in need to obtain economic stability and ultimately create a better way of life. For more information on the event, contact Natalia Arocho at (413) 263-6500, ext. 6516, or [email protected].

40 Under Forty Gala

June 20: BusinessWest will present its 13th annual 40 Under Forty Gala, a celebration of 40 young business and civic leaders in Western Mass. The lavish cocktail party, to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2019, which is profiled in this issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com. Also, the fifth Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced. Tickets cost $75 per person, and tables of 10 are available. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected]. PeoplesBank is the presenting sponsor, Health New England is the Continued Excellence Award sponsor, and WWLP-22 News is the media sponsor. Other sponsors include the Isenberg School of Management, MP CPAs, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, Live Nation, MGM Springfield, Comcast Business, and YPS of Greater Springfield (partner).

‘Thrive After 55’ Wellness Fair

June 21: State Sen. Eric Lesser announced that he will host the third annual “Thrive After 55” Wellness Fair in partnership with Health New England, Springfield College, and the Center for Human Development (CHD). This year’s fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Field House on the campus of Springfield College, 263 Alden St., Springfield. The fair is free and open to the public. With more than 70 local organizations ranging from health and fitness to nutrition and elder law, the annual fair will connect residents of the Greater Springfield area with information and resources to help them thrive. The event will feature several educational seminars which will highlight areas of interest for attendees, including estate planning and elder law, scam avoidance, and diet and nutrition. Heart Song Yoga Center of East Longmeadow will return for a third year with an interactive demonstration of chair yoga and movement. The free program includes a boxed lunch, hundreds of raffle prizes, and access to information and experts. To RSVP, call Lesser’s office at (413) 526-6501 or visit senatorlesser.com/thrive.

Nominations Open: 40 Under Forty Continued Excellence Award

Alumni Achievement Award

Nominate your choice for an outstanding BusinessWest 40 Under Forty Alum!

When BusinessWest launched its 40 Under Forty program in 2007, it did so to identify rising stars across our region – individuals who were excelling in business and through
involvement within the community –and celebrate their accomplishments. In 2015, BusinessWest announced a new award, one that builds on the foundation upon which 40 Under Forty was created. It’s called the Continued Excellence Award. as the name suggests, will be presented to the 40 Under Forty honoree who, in the eyes of an independent panel of judges,
has most impressively continued and built upon their track record
of accomplishment.

For your convenience, a list of 40 Under Forty Alumni can be found HERE.

About the nomination form:
• Candidates must be from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award, in this case, classes 2007-2018.
• Only nominations submitted to BusinessWest on this form will be considered.

Deadline is May 3, 2019 at 5 p.m. No exceptions.

Presenting Sponsor:

Continued Excellence Award Past Winners:

2018
Samalid Hogan
Regional Director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center
Class of 2013

2017
Scott Foster
Attorney, Bulkley Richardson
Class of 2011

Nicole Griffin
Owner, ManeHire
Class of 2014

2016
Dr. Jonathan Bayuk
President of Allergy and Immunology Associates of Western Mass. &
Chief of Allergy and Immunology at Baystate Medical Center
Class of 2008

2015
Delcie Bean
President, Paragus Strategic IT
Class of 2008

40 Under Forty Alumni Achievement Award Nomination Form

Please fill out the nomination form completely.

Nominee's Information:
Nominee Name*
First Last
Job Title/Position*
Current Company Name*
Current Company Address*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code
Company Phone Number*
Nominee's Email Address*
Year Honored as a 40 Under Forty Winner*
Summarize the busines accomplishments and work within the community that earned this nominee status as a 40 Under Forty honoree.*
How has the candidate continued and built upon his or her success in business or service to a nonprofit?*
How has the candidate continued and built upon his or her record service within the community?*
How has the candidate become even more of a leader within the Western Mass. community?*
How has the candidate contributed to making this region an attractive place to live, work, and do business?*
How has the candidate been able to inspire others through his or her work?
Nominated by (your information):
Your Name*
First Last
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Current Company Name*
Company Phone Number*
Email Address*
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Sarah Adams

Project Planner, Tighe & Bond; Age 27
Education: UMass Amherst (BS, MRP)

Sarah Adams

What did you want to be when you grew up? Definitely not a planner! I’ve always loved animals, so I wanted to be a veterinarian. I didn’t know what planning was until I got to college, but I immediately connected with the idea that the built environment should balance impacts to economy, environment, and social justice. I get to do work every day that helps animals (and humans) on a more macro scale by protecting important habitats and reducing GHG emissions.

How do you define success? One of my favorite quotes is “what matters most is how well you walk through the fire.” The most successful people I know can meet adversity head-on with no forfeiture of passion or energy.

What person, past or present, would you like to have lunch with, and why? David Bowie. I grew up listening to Bowie with my dad, and I’ve always been fascinated by how incomparably influential he was in music, fashion, and art in general. Bowie is a testament to the virtues of strangeness, and I’d like to tell him how grateful I am for the mark he left on the world. Although, instead of lunch, I’d rather take advantage of his discerning yet adventurous eye for style and go shopping!

What fictional character do you relate to most, and why? Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Matilda is an embodiment of the authority that girls have to control their education, and a reminder that knowledge truly is a superpower. Books and characters like Matilda taught me, when I was a little girl, that I should crave knowledge. Now, as an adult, I try to teach that message to my Girls on the Run team and remind students at NEWIEE (New England Women in Energy and the Environment) on Campus events that their education doesn’t stop when they graduate.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? I try to find time every day to run, stretch, or get outside with my dogs. My workouts are often the only time I fully give my attention to myself and how I’m feeling, and I find that I feel more focused in the afternoon on the days I get out for a few miles at lunch. I also feel my strongest when I’m running, so I try to carry that confidence into my next meeting or whatever else I have going on that day.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Aleda Amistadi

Senior Vice President, PeoplesBank; Age 38
Education: Westfield State University (BS), Western New England University (MBA)

Aleda Amistadi

How do you define success? Being proud of my achievements, both personally and professionally, and being able to learn something about myself when there are shortcomings. In my professional life, success can create lasting change for our customers, our associates, and our communities, which motivates me every day.

What are you passionate about? First, I am passionate about being a mom to my 5-year-old daughter, who is incredibly smart and makes me laugh every day, even if she doesn’t intend to. She keeps me grounded and brings me back to reality when I need it the most. I am also passionate about my work, and I feel incredibly blessed to love what I do every day. I am so fortunate to have a career in which I can constantly grow and challenge myself on many levels.

Who has been your best mentor, and why? I am very lucky to have a solid support network of family, close friends, and constructive co-workers. They help guide me when I need it, correct my path when I’m going in a direction that isn’t true to who I am, and offer amazing and honest guidance when I ask — or even sometimes when I don’t ask. I know it all comes from a place of love and respect, and together, they make a strong (and often comical) advisory group.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? I wake up every morning and set out to do my best. If I look back on the day and can think of one or more accomplishments — personally or professionally — that I put my heart into, then I know I have had a good day.

What person, past or present, would you like to have lunch with, and why? As a huge Duke basketball fan, I would love to have lunch with Mike Krzyzewski. I would love to ask Coach K why he feels he has been successful in his field and how he has been able to command respect from his players, fans, and peers, all from a variety of backgrounds and talents. His ability to lead and be a role model in such a diverse environment is inspiring.

What actress would play you in a movie about your life? Gal Gadot, because my daughter adores Wonder Woman, and I would get cool parent points if Wonder Woman pretended to be mommy.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Joy Baglio

Founder and Director, Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop; Age 33
Education: Bard College (BA), the New School (MFA)

Joy Baglio

What did you want to be when you grew up? I’ve always wanted to be a writer. My sister and I grew up surrounded by the most magical collection of children’s books, all curated and read to us on a daily basis by my mother. Before I could write, I’d dictate stories to her, and later on I’d make my own ‘books’ with illustrations. One was called “Horse of the Mountains,” about a horse who goes rogue and forms a community of woodland animals.

How do you define success? My definition is a bit of a contradiction. I’m working on finishing a novel and short-story collection and have big plans for both, yet I also try to steer myself away from the world’s definition of success — however loud. I think real success — regardless of what concrete and external goals we may and should have — is about living in a way that’s truest to ourselves: discovering what that is, and learning to hear and trust that inner guidance.

What are you passionate about? Writing. Stories. Studying and teaching craft. Sentences that feel alive. Voice-driven fiction. Speculative fiction. Creating literary community. Animals. Birds. Veganism. Adventure.

Whom do you look up to, and why? As both a writer and literary entrepreneur, I’m inspired by authors who simultaneously write while also creating literary community. My former mentor, Rebecca Makkai, is inspirational as an award-winning author, writing instructor, and director of Chicago’s StoryStudio. Julia Fierro of Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop — a wonderful writer, instructor, and savvy business leader — is also someone I admire.

What person, past or present, would you like to have lunch with, and why? One of my favorite (deceased) writers, Angela Carter, who wrote deliciously ornate fabulist stories and fairytale retellings about beasts and vampire countesses in prose that feels electric.

Who has been your best mentor, and why? Throughout my journey as a writer, I’ve studied with some amazing authors: Aimee Bender, Rebecca Makkai, Mary Gaitskill, Brad Morrow, Julia Fierro, Caitlin Horrocks, Laura Van Den Berg, and Mary Caponegro, just to name a few. Most writers’ paths are filled with all kinds of discouragements, rejections, and loneliness, and having mentors who helped me focus on the work itself — how I could best develop both concrete craft skills and a trust in my own creativity and vision — has been life-changing. I feel immensely grateful for their generosity and brilliance.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Gary Bernice

Director of Bands, Springfield High School of Science and Technology; Age 36
Education: UMass Amherst (BM, MM)

Gary Bernice

How do you define success? “Seek to serve, not to be served” is our SciTech Band commandment. My students and I post this motto on the entrance of our classroom door, write it on our chalkboard, print it on our band handbooks, embroider it on our band jackets, and flash it on our band website. Most importantly, we try to live out this commandment as a band family. We define true success as an action, not a status — the commitment to consistently and willingly put the needs of other people before ourselves in all that we do.

With 500 students, we are the largest band in the state of Massachusetts. Despite the challenges of an urban school district like ours, and the fact that 99% of our students have never played an instrument before, they are still able to inspire audiences throughout the region. Our students are three times more likely to stay in school and were the recipients of the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award, the state’s highest honor given for achievement in the arts. Our band even received a personal letter from President Obama praising them for dreaming big dreams and improving our community.

Most people would describe these accomplishments as our success story. However, our real success story is about who we are and who we strive to be — a band family that serves each other and our school, shares the joy of music with our city, cares for the people around us, takes a stand for justice, and empowers students to become leaders and make a lasting difference in our community.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? Never give up and always believe in my students.

What person, past or present, would you like to have lunch with, and why? Jesus. I would love to hear his guidance in person. As of 2019, deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide — so-called ‘deaths of despair’ — are destroying people and contributing to our nation’s declining life expectancy. As a teacher, I see these symptoms of despair and hopelessness every day in my classroom. It breaks my heart to see people (especially my students) believe they are not loved or valued. I know that Jesus, in his compassion, would share some insightful words to give me strength and encouragement as I try to build up the people around me.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Myles Callender

Construction Manager and Healthy Homes Assessor, Revitalize CDC; Owner, K&M Enterprises; Age 29
Education: Springfield College (BS)

Myles Callender

What did you want to be when you grew up? I know it’s one of the classic cliché answers, but I wanted to be a firefighter when I grew up. But not just any firefighter — the one who steered the back of the rig. I know it’s an outdated position nowadays with modern fire trucks, but I remember being a kid and seeing that guy back there in his own little booth steering the truck, and I really looked forward to having that job one day. It also probably helped that the elementary school I attended had firemen visit every year and give us a tour of their fire engines and equipment.

How do you define success? The concept of success is relative, so for me, it’s being content. It’s knowing that my hard work has led to the happiness of myself and my family. I also feel that success is being able to contribute to society in a way that helps others who may be less fortunate attain their goals and reach what they consider to be success.

Whom do you look up to, and why? For me, it’s my family. My parents did an awesome job of instilling core values and being a crucial example of what hard work can lead to. Also, all of my brothers are successful in their respective fields, so it is quite easy to look up to them and be inspired by what they do.

What actor would play you in a movie about your life? Is there any other answer besides Denzel Washington?

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? I actually don’t set goals at the start of my day. The goals I set for myself tend to come the night before. I often go through my day completing each goal I set for myself the previous night. I understand there are some goals that may rely upon external forces to be completed; however, I always seek to ensure that whatever goals are solely dependent upon myself are fully achieved before the end of the day. Then, usually on my drive home or just before I go to sleep, I’ll think of everything I want to accomplish the next day, then wake up and do it all over again.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Briefcase

Briefcase

Springfield Regional Chamber Releases Legislative Agenda

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Regional Chamber (SRC) 2019 Outlook has released its legislative agenda outlining the priorities of its more than 500 members for the legislative session and the major issues it will focus on to strengthen business competitiveness, lower business costs, and stimulate growth in the Greater Springfield region. The SRC’s 2019-20 legislative agenda touches upon key issues in the areas of healthcare, workplace issues, workforce development and education, tax policy, and energy. Creed said the cost of healthcare and access to it is the number-one priority of the business community. In support of this focus, Creed serves as a steering committee member of the Employer Health Coalition, an employer-led effort to use its collective influence to uncover solutions that drive real change in the healthcare delivery system and reduce cost. She the SRC will also focus its efforts on the ending of the temporary increase to the Employer Medical Assistance Contribution (EMAC). To address the rising costs of MassHealth, the Legislature imposed a temporary assessment on businesses to cover these costs. Creed said the assessment was passed as a temporary measure, and the legislation dictates it to sunset at the end of 2019. Creed added that the SRC will also work to ensure mandated benefits be evidence-based and that their values exceeds their cost, while advocating for geographic equity in hospital reimbursements. She was part of the group that negotiated the legislative compromise which came to be known as the ‘grand bargain’ which enacted, among other things, a new Paid Family and Medical Leave program. She said the SRC will remain actively involved in its implementation. In addition, the SRC will encourage reforms to independent-contractor laws. Advocating for a return to prior statutory language for treble damages and opposing changes to wage ‘theft’ laws are also part of the chamber’s advocacy work. Workforce development remains a priority for the SRC and its members. Creed said finding qualified workers is at a critical juncture to the growth of the region. She said that supporting innovation which not only expands educational opportunities but links it to labor-market demand will be key to helping businesses with this need. The SRC will also advocate for modernizing the state funding formula while coupling it with reforms. Creed noted that the SRC will continue its focus on the state budget and how revenues are prioritized and spent, including supporting the rebuilding of the Stabilization Fund, or ‘rainy day’ fund, and encouraging it only in dire circumstances; supporting adequate funding for programs to meet the unique needs of the region’s gateway cities; advocating for adequate funding for local aid; maintaining the state’s high bond rating; ensuring the revenues collected from cannabis taxation are appropriately spent; and opposing any increase in the income tax on business. Rounding out the SRC’s legislative agenda is energy, and to that end, the SRC will advocate for a comprehensive energy strategy which includes a balanced energy portfolio, development of alternative renewable energy sources, expansion of the supply of natural gas and conservation, and energy-efficiency measures.

Independent Hospital Systems Launch Mass. Value Alliance

HOLYOKE — A coalition of 10 independent Massachusetts health systems, including 14 community hospitals, have formed the Massachusetts Value Alliance (MVA) to enhance their efforts in delivering high-quality, patient-centered, and cost-effective care to their communities. The member hospitals of the MVA collectively represent the largest collaboration of independent healthcare providers in the Commonwealth, with a combined $3.1 billion in total revenue. The 10-member collaborative spans the breadth of Massachusetts geographically, and serves approximately 2 million people in their combined market areas. This alliance is unique in Massachusetts as the only collaboration of independent healthcare systems. The MVA was founded in 2016 by Emerson Hospital, Sturdy Memorial Hospital, and South Shore Health. Membership has continued to grow and now also includes Holyoke Medical Center, Berkshire Health Systems, Harrington HealthCare System, Heywood Healthcare, Lawrence General Hospital, Signature Healthcare, and Southcoast Health. The specific goals of the MVA include the development of group purchasing and shared service arrangements, identification and sharing of best practices to enhance each organization’s ability to affect and lower the total cost of care while enhancing quality of care, and support for the development of population-health-management and care-coordination skill sets and capabilities. To date, the MVA has worked to facilitate cost savings for its member organizations through group purchasing of services, including reference-lab services and employee health benefits. Other initiatives are underway, including several MVA hospitals working together on the selection and implementation of a common electronic-medical-record platform. The MVA is governed by a board of directors and operates on a shared decision-making platform. MVA member health systems remain competitive and independent, each maintaining their community focus.

Statewide Unemployment Holds Steady In March

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.0% in March, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 4,100 jobs in March. Over the month, the private sector added 5,400 jobs as gains occurred in education and health services; manufacturing; professional, scientific, and business services; construction; other services; financial activities; trade, transportation, and utilities; and information. Leisure and hospitality lost jobs over the month.

From March 2018 to March 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates Massachusetts added 28,200 jobs. The March unemployment rate was eight-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.8% reported by the BLS. The labor force increased by 100 from 3,843,600 in February, as 1,700 more residents were employed and 1,600 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped five-tenths of a percentage point. The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 67.9%. Compared to March 2018, the labor force participation rate is up 0.7%. The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in other services; professional, scientific, and business services; and education and health services.

Baystate Health Informs Patients of E-mail Phishing Incident

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Health announced it has mailed letters to patients about an e-mail phishing incident that affected approximately 12,000 patients. On Feb. 7, Baystate Health learned of unauthorized access to an employee’s e-mail account and immediately launched an investigation. During the course of the investigation, it learned that nine employee e-mail accounts were compromised as a result of an e-mail phishing incident. “As soon as Baystate identified the unauthorized access, each account was secured,” said Kevin Hamel, chief Information Security officer for Baystate Health. “Baystate hired an experienced computer forensic firm to assist in this investigation.” The investigation determined that some patient information was contained in the e-mail accounts, including patient names, dates of birth, health information (such as diagnoses, treatment information, and medications), and, in some instances, health-insurance information, as well as a limited number of Medicare numbers and Social Security numbers. Neither patient medical records nor any of Baystate’s electronic-medical-record systems were compromised. Baystate is offering a complimentary one-year membership to credit-monitoring and identity-protection services for those patients whose Social Security numbers were exposed. “The integrity of our information systems and e-mail security is a high priority, and we are committed to maintaining and securing patient information at all times,” said Joel Vengco, senior vice president and chief Information officer for Baystate Health. To help prevent something like this from happening in the future, the health system required a password change for all affected employees, increased the level of e-mail logging (and is reviewing those logs regularly), and has blocked access to e-mail accounts outside of its network. It is also reinforcing its current, ongoing training and education of all employees focused on detecting and avoiding phishing e-mails. More information may be found on Baystate’s website at baystatehealth.org/phishing.

Valley Blue Sox Seek Volunteer Host Families

SPRINGFIELD — The Valley Blue Sox are currently searching for volunteer host families for the upcoming 2019 New England Collegiate Baseball League season. The Blue Sox are a nonprofit, collegiate summer baseball team that recruits baseball players from across the country. Players come to the Valley in hopes of enhancing their draft status and furthering their professional baseball careers. Volunteer host families offer Blue Sox players housing for the duration of the summer season, which runs from June 5 to August 1. Families who volunteer to host Blue Sox players will receive the following: paid general admission and concessions vouchers for all family members in the household at all 2019 Blue Sox home games, access to special team events, on-field recognition at the end of the 2019 season, and two tickets to the Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame induction banquet. Families are required to provide a private bedroom, which may be shared with another Blue Sox player, with proper bedding, linens, and towels. Questions regarding hosting Blue Sox players can be addressed to Blue Sox General Manager Chris Weyant at [email protected].

Incorporations

Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Hydropolis Inc., 65 Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001. John Eaton, 4 Rising Corner Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Sale of product known as the Butter Brewery.

AMHERST

Honeycrisp Chicken Co., 1 Boltwood Mall, Amherst, MA 01002. Joe Deng, 37 Ridgemont St. Allston, MA 02134. Restaurant.

HARDWICK

Hinternet Inc., 235 Czesky Road, Hardwick, MA 01037. Robert Martin, 475 Old Petersham Road, Box 152, Hardwick, MA 01037. Internet service provider.

HATFIELD

Ikart Us Inc., 10 West St., Suite 6, West Hatfield, MA 01038. Ryan B. Bouvier, same. Family entertainment and events.

LANESBORO

Jogi Inc., 705 South Main St., Lanesboro, MA 01237. Vipul Patel, 82 Blake St., Taunton, MA 02780. Gas station.

NORTHAMPTON

Jake’s Eggs Inc., 17 King St., Northampton, MA 01060. Christopher Ware, 14 Drewsen Dr., Florence, MA 01062. Operation of a restaurant.

PITTSFIELD

International Association for Senior Care and Education Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Ste 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Fang Feng, 1907 Main Line Blvd, Unit 102, Alexandria, VA 22301. Organized exclusively for improving senior care and education.

SPRINGFIELD

Iglesia Centro De La Familia Cristiana, 42 Crystal St., Springfield, MA 01108. Elmis Sanchez, 50 Bristol St., Springfield, MA 01109. Church.

J&J Care Transportation Corp., 71 West Alvord St., Springfield, MA 01108. Giovany Perez, same. Transportation-passengers.

Jamaica Spice Paradise Inc., 156 West Alvord St., Springfield, MA 01108. VerniceJ. Christian, same. Restaurant.

JCL Home Improvement Inc., 183 Maynard St., Springfield, MA 01109. Maria C. Cunin Guaman, same. General residential construction.

Doing Business as Certificates

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of April 2019.

AMHERST

MillBrook Farm
1730 South East St.
Jason Edwards

Northeast Environmental Solutions
577 West St.
Karen Davis

BELCHERTOWN

A & E Partnership
10 Meadow Pond Road
Olena Boryssenko, Anatoliy Boryssenko

Alix & Son’s Computer Center
40 Daniel Shays Highway
John Alix

AVS
424 Springfield Road
Matthew Fillmore

Belmont Driving School
1 Main St., Suite E
Michael O’Rourke

Equine Ky Chiropractic
22 South Main St.
Bethany Bowman

Events Near Here
413 Allen St.
Brian Page

Hampshire Myotherapy
145 Old Amherst Road
Robert Andersen

J & J Services
114 North Washington St.
Justin White Sr.

JM Cleaning Service
37 Jucket Road
Joseph Moreau

Magic Catering
25 Cedar Glen Dr.
Gary Majka, Mary Majka

CHICOPEE

Bullseye Property Management and Maintenance
42 Gelinas Dr.
Steven Bull

Frank’s General Service
25 Baril Lane
Frank LaFlamme

Fran’s Lyft Service
884 Prospect St.
Francis Deschaine

New England Landscaping
345 Casey Dr.
Jason Batrano

Pizza Express #2
557 East St.
Sabri Bajrami

Plum Island Jams
18 Curtis St.
Ruth Adams

DEERFIELD

Dave Nunez Building
70 North Main St.
Dave Nunez, Ty Townsend

EASTHAMPTON

Apex Network Promotions
219 East St., Apt. B
Polina Bulgakova

V Financial Safety Education
247 Northampton St.
Michelle Mulea

EAST LONGMEADOW

Dutko Electric, LLC
50 Heatherstone Dr.
Andrew Dutko

Eugina Bshara at Obsessions
10 Center Square
Gina Bshara

Forastiere Smith Funeral & Cremation
220 North Main St.
Frank Forastiere

HOLYOKE

Abe Mart
679 Main St.
Abbas Younes

A. Rex DPT
4 Open Square Way, Suite 204
April Rex

Cano Used Tire
640 South Bridge St.
Carmen Garcia

InHome Remodeling
215 Madison Ave.
Richard Ahlstrom

Racing Mart
582 South St.
Abbas Younes

Rack Room Shoes
50 Holyoke St.
Rack Room Shoes Inc.

LONGMEADOW

Arbormax Tree Care
186 Cooley Dr.
Philip Schafer

Challenge Diabetes Program
47 Pleasantview Ave.
C. William Galaska

Clearview Health & Wellness Group
167 Dwight Road
Ramon Lorenzi

Couloute Renovations Group
66 Dwight Road
April Couloute

Dave’s Creative
54 Wild Grove Lane
David Brinnel

MM Applications & Software Consulting
14 Ferncroft St.
Moissei Mekler

PS Salon and Spa
770 Converse St.
John Polatz

NORTHAMPTON

CleanSlate Centers Inc.
244 Main St.
Greg Marotta

Garden Paving and Landscaping
49 Country Way
Nhamodzangu Magadza

Get Lost
58 Belmont Ave.
Brian Foote

Pioneer Valley Education Press Inc.
155 Industrial Dr.
Matt Dufresne, Robert Dufresne, Michele Dufresne

Seth Gregory Design
18 Northern Ave.
Seth Gregory

Top DJ
49 Country Way
Nhamodzangu Magadza

Treasures on Main MA
6 Conz St.
Seth Fischer

PALMER

New England Patent Prints
37 Smith St.
Gail Sterner

Rick’s Handcrafted Cornhole Boards
21 Wilbraham St.
Richard Lafley

Rx Massage
19 Linda St.
Kristine Gustafson

SOUTHWICK

Jameson R’s Farm and Freight
1 Laro Road
Jameson Ball

Nick’s Handyman Service
6 Bungalow St.
Nicholas Buss

North Pond Guitars
20 Castle St.
William Storozuk

Your CBD Store Southwick, LLC
549 College Highway, Unit C
Lorraine Denoncourt

SPRINGFIELD

APC Computer Consulting
141 Winterset Dr.
Aaron Curto

Artisan Finish Carpentry
30 Brandon Ave.
Lukas Grincavitch

Atwater Associates
140 Atwater Terrace
Scott Balfour

Baiyee Healthcare Solutions
78 Chauncey Dr.
Alice Baiyee

Bamboo House Restaurant
676 Belmont Ave.
Tuyen Le

Changework Hypnosis
43 Harvard St.
Kimberly Miner

Chellyboo Chique
52 Patton St.
Michelle Miller

Chino’s Landscaping
28 Florida St.
Alexis Del Valle

City Smoke
115 State St.
Nilkant 115 Inc.

Eva Beauty Salon
9 Dorset St.
Ashley Martinez

Eversource Energy
300 Cadwell Dr.
NSTAR Electric

Koi Home and Office Cleaning
181 State St.
Maria Sombe-Baraka

The Label Group
580 St. James Ave.
Jack Beaudry Jr.

LMP Trucking
319 Main St.
Robert Parker

Mitchell Home Improvement
189 Essex St.
Michael Mitchell

The Money Stop
445 Main St.
Jeffrey Fiske

Pioneer Valley Auto Transport
22 Warner St.
Jack Cruz

Pognali Motors
128 Pine Grove St.
Mykhailo Grytsenko

Primo’s Pizza
824 Worthington St.
David Larochelle

Prudhomme Home Improvement
106 Washington Road
Rafael Perdomo

R & R Lawn Sprinklers
11 Baird Trace
Richard Hutchinson

Spiritual Woman Press
135 Odion St.
Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

St. Pierre Pools
79 Merida St.
Nicholas Goggin

Suluna Boutique
85 William St., Apt. 411
Joanna Ojeda

Supreme Mart
1295 Worcester St.
Santiago Mejia

Tenares Grocery Store
261 Locust St.
Jose Almanzar Duran

Two Brothers Towing
193 Taylor St.
Emanuela Hernandez

Two Brothers Transport
145 Colton St.
Gabriel Gomez

Urban Gear Inc.
1640 Main St.
Jim Woo

WARE

The Blue Valentine Shop
51 Pulaski St.
Amy Hall

Lost Towns Apiary
96 Coffey Hill Road
Joshua Kusnierz

Matzak & Associates
14 Williston Dr.
Michael Barbiasz

Steve and Sons Auto Detailing Inc.
187 Gilbertville Road
Steven Mansfield

WESTFIELD

Devco Design & Development
130 Elizabeth Ave.
David Deveau

Fast Lane Towing
22 Hickory Ave.
Fast Lane Towing

GenSwiss
6 Old Stage Road
Genevieve Swiss Industries Inc.
GS Microtech
6 Old Stage Road
Genevieve Swiss Industries Inc.

J.J.L. Landscape Services
Joshua Lesko
91 Russell Road

Running Shoe Productions
273 Paper Mill Road
Benjamin Quackenbush

Westfield Flight Academy
111 Airport Road
Five Star Flight Inc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

East Market
1111 Elm St.
Cortez Percy-Clay

El Safi
532 Main St.
Doaa Madi

Griffin Real Estate
1349 Piper Road
Zed Griffin

Quality Renovations
74 Elm St.
Craig McCarthy

Taco Bell 29245
298 Memorial Ave.
Amy Kim

WILBRAHAM

The Fabulous 50’s Diner
2650 Boston Road
John Wrona

Filomena’s Gifts
10 Brentwood Dr.
Donna Gregoire, Michael Gregoire

Green Square Realty
260 Crane Hill Road
Richard Lewenczuk

Old Boston Hollow
68 Old Boston Road
Jacquelynne Korzeniowski

Team Giroux Health Coaching
603 Glendale Road
Steven Giroux, Jodee Giroux

Verdon’s Restoration
65 Main St.
Real Verdon

Wilbraham Tanning
2341 Boston Road
Brett Cloud

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies

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

Askins, Joanne M.
19 Hamilton Circle
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/22/19

Baker, Natalie Aileen
a/k/a Baker Merrill, Natalie
2 Shepherd’s Hollow Road
Leeds, MA 01053
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/19

Bodin, Kristi Ann
199 Turnpike Road
Montague, MA 01351
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/19

Booska, Richard G.
Booska, Tiffany A.
22 Trinity Terrace
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/19

Burdick, Linda M.
74 Lincoln St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/19

Caraballo, Sonia
a/k/a Dejesus, Sonia
55 Ardmore St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/19

Caruso, Shamim
28 Boyce St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/19

Cintron, Paulina
1129 St. James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/27/19

Coffin, Marilyn Louise
1370 South Main St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/22/19

Cordero, Elizabeth
99 Lakevilla Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/28/19

D’Alessio, Stephen A.
164 East St.
Mount Washington, MA 01258
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/18/19

Eayrs, John H.
PO Box 2454
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/23/19

Elsafti, Mohamed M.
54 Riviera Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/25/19

Enfield Motor Sales
Luongo, Brian P.
48 Losito Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/22/19

Gallant, Lori-Ann
14 Dale St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/19

Heneghan, Joseph M.
Heneghan, Amy L.
a/k/a Bliss, Amy L.
43 Elizabeth Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/19

Jones, Floyd Anthony
36 Cambridge St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/22/19

Kowalczyk, Stacy M.
92 Nutmeg Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/29/19

Kuhn, Heather Paula
PO Box 202
North Hatfield, MA 01066
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/19

Langton, Sally H.
20 Harney St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/19

Morin, Douglas J.
Morin, Priscilla R.
6 Willow Circle
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/19

Morin, Lee Thomas
Morin, Laurie Ann
35 River St.
West Warren, MA 01092
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/29/19

Newell, Joan L.
a/k/a Newell, Joan Leslie
87 North Blvd.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/19

Now Hair This
Parsons, Gerald Arthur
Parsons, Karen Alida
a/k/a Bellar, Karen Alida
421 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/19

O’Connell, Patrick G.
19 Mountain Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/19

Petkus, Erik D.
251 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/19

Recruiters for Recruiters
Noel, Darren
Noel, Rebecca
319 Old Columbia St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/19

Reyes, Mayda
5 Cottage Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/19/19

Rogers, Michele E.
68 Boylston St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/22/19

Ryan, John J.
Ryan, Melissa S.
137 Ashley St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/18/19

Santana, Juan
11 Lawrence Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/21/19

Sheppard, Keith R.
169 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/25/19

Shipwash, William Neal
Shipwash, Amber Dawn
Pyron, Amber Dawn
Lollar, Amber Dawn
Hayes, Amber
Johnson, Amber
90 Welland Road
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/18/19

Trentsch, Stephen Carl
1040 Old Keene Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/29/19

Vega, Petra Maria
162 Trilby Ave., Apt. 1
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/19

Wiedenroth, Jeremy
15 Forest Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/19

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

BUCKLAND

5 Wellington St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $230,310
Buyer: Wilmington Trust
Seller: Donna M. Noyes
Date: 03/29/19

DEERFIELD

Childs Cross Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Gogriz LLC
Seller: Pioneer Gardens Inc.
Date: 04/03/19

3 Jones Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Ilie Cojan
Seller: USA VA
Date: 04/05/19

196 Mill Village Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $258,500
Buyer: Gogriz LLC
Seller: Carl Davis
Date: 04/03/19

198 Mill Village Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $3,000,000
Buyer: Gogriz LLC
Seller: Pioneer Gardens Inc.
Date: 04/03/19

200 Mill Village Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Gogriz LLC
Seller: Arjen Vriend
Date: 04/03/19

Mill Village Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Gogriz LLC
Seller: Pioneer Gardens Inc.
Date: 04/03/19

4 Wells Cross Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Molenaar LLC
Seller: John G. Savage Realty Corp.
Date: 04/08/19

GREENFIELD

38 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Tyler B. Murray
Seller: George R. Marchacos
Date: 04/08/19

91 Wildwood Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Dennis M. Parrott
Seller: Laprade, Elizabeth A., (Estate)
Date: 04/08/19

ERVING

76 Northfield Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Wesley W. Krejmas
Seller: Carol M. Gregory
Date: 04/02/19

GREENFIELD

199 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Francis J. Ingemi
Seller: Michael F. Spence
Date: 04/01/19

201-203 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Francis J. Ingemi
Seller: Michael F. Spence
Date: 04/01/19

140-142 Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Kyle E. Snow
Seller: Joshua Lashway
Date: 03/29/19

66 Ferrante Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: William D. Markert
Seller: Lilla A. Warder
Date: 03/29/19

148 Meridian St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Margaret T. Burch
Seller: Donna B. Suchanek
Date: 03/29/19

99 Thayer Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Redfoot LLC
Seller: 99 Thayer Road TR
Date: 03/28/19

LEVERETT

92 Juggler Meadow Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Susan Altabet
Seller: Gere, Edwin A. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 04/01/19

103 Old Mountain Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Richard J. Thomas
Seller: Pervez Hai
Date: 03/29/19

5 Shutesbury Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Frederick J. Zahn
Seller: Christal L. Cutler
Date: 04/05/19

LEYDEN

10 Rolling Lnane
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Brian D. Lacouture
Seller: Jeffrey M. Gilman
Date: 04/01/19

MONTAGUE

127 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Smith
Seller: Eleanor B. Golembeski
Date: 04/02/19

253 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: 253 Property Management
Seller: Hallmark Imaging Inc.
Date: 04/08/19

60 West Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Kathlee Hinkel-Maiolates
Seller: Barbara E. Bayne
Date: 03/28/19

NORTHFIELD

48 Highland Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Donna Suchanek
Seller: Laura Robinson
Date: 03/29/19

ORANGE

73 Adams St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Jeremy A. Cortright
Seller: Serena A. Tuttle
Date: 03/29/19

145 Chestnut Hill Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Trifera LLC
Seller: Elissa J. O’Connor
Date: 04/03/19

83 East Myrtle St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Andrea Narcisi
Seller: Kenneth Godfrey
Date: 04/05/19

459 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $164,200
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: James E. Hayes
Date: 04/05/19

51 Sandrah Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jay Savoie
Seller: Steven Gauvin
Date: 04/08/19

186 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Peter A. Vonschmidt
Seller: Angela M. Paul
Date: 03/28/19

195 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Ashley Warner
Seller: Debra N. Deegan RET
Date: 03/27/19

ROWE

43 Potter Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $613,991
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Donelson, Norma J., (Estate)
Date: 04/02/19

SUNDERLAND

300 Falls Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Church Hill LLC
Seller: ABCD FT
Date: 03/29/19

16 Olanyk Dr.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Caitlin H. Prozonic
Seller: Peter M. Haas
Date: 04/05/19

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

319 Barry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $118,125
Buyer: 83 Northway Street RT
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/29/19

91 Burlington Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $513,900
Buyer: Ally Bank
Seller: Jenni L. Adamczyk
Date: 03/29/19

75 Colonial Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Anthony P. Albro
Seller: John Stone
Date: 03/29/19

120 Kosak Court
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $363,300
Buyer: Leo J. Hamel
Seller: James R. Pelchat
Date: 03/29/19

26 Lexington St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Patrick L. Drake
Seller: Brandon R. Ryan
Date: 03/28/19

14-16 Mark Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Ronald E. Benoit
Seller: Sharleen Diaz
Date: 04/01/19

141 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $388,000
Buyer: Mental Health Association
Seller: Arthur E. Hastings
Date: 04/05/19

173 Roosevelt Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Justine E. Olson
Seller: Elaine M. Cigas
Date: 03/29/19

267 South Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Depalma Realty Inc.
Seller: Kathleen A. Albro
Date: 03/29/19

255 South Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Depalma Realty Inc.
Seller: First 9 LLC
Date: 04/01/19

479 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Marco V. Carrillo
Seller: V Mortgage REO 3 LLC
Date: 04/09/19

104 Walnut St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Mario C. Sotolotto
Seller: Linda M. Thomas
Date: 04/04/19

BLANDFORD

52 Chester Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $342,500
Buyer: Michael D. Hutchins
Seller: Hugh R. McCann
Date: 03/27/19

17 North St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: BCC Realty LLC
Seller: Blandford Club
Date: 04/08/19

North St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: BCC Realty LLC
Seller: Blandford Club
Date: 04/08/19

North St. (rear)
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: BCC Realty LLC
Seller: Blandford Club
Date: 04/08/19

BRIMFIELD

42 Champeaux Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Steven J. Lachowski
Seller: Bernard Gauthier
Date: 03/28/19

CHESTER

292 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Nathan J. Bolduc
Seller: Marcia I. Little
Date: 04/05/19

CHICOPEE

58 Ames Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Mary J. Whiteway
Date: 04/02/19

171 Artisan St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Samuel A. Rath
Seller: Keith W. Rogers
Date: 04/05/19

42 Carter Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Andrew Tomaino
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 03/29/19

985 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $123,277
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Colleen R. Murray
Date: 03/27/19

77 Claire St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Robert Morton
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 03/29/19

143 Clairmont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Alexandra Russ
Seller: Jacquelyn E. Polidoro
Date: 03/29/19

60 Coakley Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Sandra C. Brown
Seller: Anouk RT
Date: 03/29/19

52 David St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Chrystal M. Sanchez
Seller: Todd-Lynn Taylor
Date: 03/29/19

77 Davenport St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jordan A. Lafrennie
Seller: Barbara M. Rosas
Date: 04/05/19

90 Exchange St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $233,200
Buyer: 90 PSP Exchange LLC
Seller: Mieczyslaw Niziol
Date: 04/03/19

742 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $248,500
Buyer: PREM LLC
Seller: JS Realty LLC
Date: 04/02/19

743 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jamie J. Kelty
Seller: Daniel Crane
Date: 04/09/19

39 Greenwich St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Redwood RT
Seller: Ali B. Kitchell
Date: 03/29/19

491 Irene St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jennifer M. Partelow
Seller: Ruth Klepp
Date: 04/05/19

24 Leo Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Mackenzie Ransford
Seller: Michael J. Brennan
Date: 04/01/19

75 Longwood Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $123,843
Buyer: Cedar Investment Group
Seller: Cedar Investment Group
Date: 04/04/19

131 Manning St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Julio V. Melendez
Seller: Jeremy S. Coderre
Date: 03/28/19

22 Nye St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Tony Tereso
Seller: Antonio F. Tereso
Date: 04/05/19

196 Pendleton Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $143,600
Buyer: Molly M. Febo
Seller: Jared R. Martinez
Date: 04/05/19

166 Pondview Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: At Home Properties LLC
Seller: Edward J. Sokol
Date: 04/05/19

800-R Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,875
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Roger Strange
Date: 03/27/19

60 Raylo St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Joseph Kaminski
Seller: Kathleen M. O’Brien
Date: 04/05/19

42 Rimmon Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Gordon R. McKee
Seller: Barbara J. Dart
Date: 04/05/19

157 Shepherd St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Pablo M. Alvarez-Esquilin
Seller: Posiadlosc LLC
Date: 03/29/19

28 Sunnymeade Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $245,500
Buyer: Matthew J. Bieda
Seller: Adolf Rajpold
Date: 04/09/19

36 Westport Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $168,450
Buyer: Dee Pen
Seller: Edward G. Proulx
Date: 04/09/19

EAST LONGMEADOW

176 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Glenn M. Hastie
Seller: James M. Lefebvre
Date: 04/02/19

37 Colony Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: John H. Bammann
Seller: Lincoln D. Gordon
Date: 03/29/19

51 East Circle Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Buendo
Seller: William E. Stolecki
Date: 04/04/19

69 Helen Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Heather Robinson
Seller: Ronald W. Ashey
Date: 03/29/19

113 Meadow Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Iman Sadoughi
Seller: David B. Radebaugh
Date: 03/27/19

112 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Eric J. Gunther
Seller: Dustin E. Wilkinson
Date: 04/01/19

10 Pleasant St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Pleasant Realty LLC
Seller: Amy G. StGermain
Date: 04/01/19

103 Pleasant St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $223,500
Buyer: Bryan Hughes
Seller: Maryanne R. Lheureux
Date: 04/08/19

165 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Richard Winning
Seller: James K. Sims
Date: 03/29/19

9 Revere St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $156,900
Buyer: Kathleen M. Snow
Seller: Quercus Properties LLC
Date: 04/05/19

854 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Ann C. Culver
Seller: Karen M. Turmel
Date: 03/28/19

83 Waterman Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Mikhael Sokolskiy
Seller: CIG 3 LLC
Date: 04/01/19

115 Westwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Alma R. Galvan-Duran
Seller: FHLM
Date: 04/04/19

GRANVILLE

139 Crest Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: John T. Audet
Seller: Priscilla K. Crochetiere
Date: 04/01/19

HAMPDEN

50 Meadow Brook Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Derek R. White
Seller: Erin K. Coughlin
Date: 03/29/19

175 Sessions Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Devann Asselin
Seller: McLean, Carol A., (Estate)
Date: 04/08/19

HOLLAND

12 Ardmore Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Sharief R. Ammar
Seller: Billie J. Petrie
Date: 03/29/19

Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $975,000
Buyer: Verdant Grove LLC
Seller: Transportation Alliance
Date: 04/05/19

HOLYOKE

166 Central Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Jonathan Kernizan
Seller: Suzanne Travisano
Date: 04/02/19

667 West Cherry St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Jeffrey G. Godin
Seller: Robert H. Albrecht
Date: 04/03/19

57 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Alex J. Peterkin
Seller: Vitaliy V. Gladysh
Date: 04/08/19

LONGMEADOW

153 Barrington Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Tomroc Holdings LLC
Seller: Kaaren M. Maloney
Date: 04/05/19

242 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Brett D. Pendragon
Seller: CIG 2 LLC
Date: 04/01/19

152 Crestview Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $699,900
Buyer: Jonathan Slater
Seller: Susanne D. Osofsky
Date: 03/29/19

8 Grassy Gutter Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Andrew B. Green
Seller: Celine A. Gaudreau
Date: 03/29/19

977 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Rebecca S. Morgan
Seller: Peter B. Wakeman
Date: 03/29/19

1596 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Michael J. Ravens
Seller: Elizabeth Dimeo
Date: 04/05/19

112 Longview Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Jason N. Tsitso
Seller: Jonathan Slater
Date: 03/29/19

66 Morningside Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: 88 Casino Terrace LLC
Seller: Laura E. Heemskerk
Date: 04/05/19

1255 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Christina Wagner
Seller: Stephen P. Wagner
Date: 03/29/19

LUDLOW

600 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Keith R. Audet
Seller: Gene Battistini
Date: 03/29/19

166 Elizabeth Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Benjamin A. Lamothe
Seller: Marsha D. Stewart
Date: 04/04/19

32 Hampshire St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Michael Pagliuca
Seller: Carlos Serrazina
Date: 04/02/19

189 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $261,500
Buyer: Kyle K. Sullivan
Seller: Paul J. Cormier
Date: 03/29/19

264 Moody St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $1,250,000
Buyer: 264 Moody Street LLC
Seller: 215 Baldwin Street LLC
Date: 04/08/19

55 Pine St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: April R. Clark
Seller: Michael J. Fedoras
Date: 04/09/19

48 Wood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $255,500
Buyer: Goktug Ibas
Seller: Simao Cadete
Date: 04/04/19

MONSON

30 Brimfield Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $387,900
Buyer: Jonathan P. Dumas
Seller: B&C Quality Homes LLC
Date: 04/01/19

64 Crest Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Laurie A. Ferry
Seller: Dana Tavares
Date: 03/29/19

15 Elm St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Lorraine M. Belair
Seller: Kevin Gaudette
Date: 03/29/19

39 Harrison Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Stacey L. Fredette
Seller: Nancy A. Coley
Date: 04/05/19

86 Margaret St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Dale J. Petrolati
Seller: Michael A. Allen
Date: 03/28/19

37 Old Reed Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Amadei 23 FT
Seller: David P. Amadei
Date: 03/29/19

233 State Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Saul Diaz-Suriano
Seller: Felix Campos
Date: 03/27/19

13 Stewart Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Donald J. Rhodes
Seller: Millicent K. Mack-Wicks
Date: 03/29/19

27 Thayer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: James A. Dirico
Seller: Veronica Schuhmann
Date: 03/28/19

86 Waid Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Matthew M. Jagodowski
Seller: Jeffrey S. Morin
Date: 03/28/19

255 Woodhill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: McColl Rhodes
Seller: Marcia L. Montebello
Date: 03/29/19

PALMER

93 Bourne St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Dylan Hall
Seller: Stephen L. Marhelewicz
Date: 04/02/19

1045 Circle Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Thomas Griffiths
Seller: Sarah A. Dumas
Date: 04/01/19

61 East Palmer Park Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Earl J. Boisvert
Seller: Anthony Bourget
Date: 03/29/19

196 Emery St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Eric A. Pelissier
Seller: Roger W. Barnes
Date: 04/01/19

1 Irene St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Ryan J. Baldyga
Seller: Joseph E. Baldyga
Date: 04/05/19

8 Lauren Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Latasha C. Dupont
Seller: Marian Vazquez
Date: 03/29/19

2002-2004 Maple St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jiordano Y. Marinez
Seller: Boston Home Invest LLC
Date: 03/27/19

65 North St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Brandon R. Santana
Seller: Deanna Martin
Date: 04/09/19

2 Sibley St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $235,900
Buyer: Christopher C. Consedine
Seller: Paixao Properties Inc.
Date: 03/29/19

SPRINGFIELD

19 Agnes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Princess Hill
Seller: Jason Hwang
Date: 03/29/19

603 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Joel R. Rivera-Santana
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/29/19

22 Amanda St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Janice I. Matos
Seller: William T. Raleigh
Date: 03/28/19

27 Ambrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Juno Simmons
Seller: Julio Cortes
Date: 03/28/19

30-32 Beauregard St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $159,500
Buyer: Ramon Rivera
Seller: Wmass Residential LLC
Date: 04/05/19

68 Beauchamp St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $152,068
Buyer: Jennifer Vargas
Seller: Audrey L. Russell
Date: 03/27/19

80 Bellwood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: RHL Properties LLC
Seller: Luz E. Till
Date: 03/27/19

444 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $161,500
Buyer: Modesto Nunez
Seller: Marion C. Krokenberger
Date: 04/04/19

923 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Evelyn Martinez
Seller: Next Level Investments
Date: 03/29/19

115 Burns Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $164,600
Buyer: Becket Joseph
Seller: Darren G. Nawrocki
Date: 03/29/19

33 Campechi St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Jaime Duran
Seller: Marian E. Poe-Heineman
Date: 03/29/19

15 Churchill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Jennifer M. Sandova
Seller: Michel J. Demanche
Date: 03/29/19

89 Cliftwood St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Underpass Holdings LLC
Seller: Morrissette Properties
Date: 04/03/19

216 Eastern Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jose E. Santiago
Seller: R. M. Blerman LLC
Date: 04/04/19

170-172 Essex St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Fitzgerald Cameron
Seller: Kujtim Kasmi
Date: 03/29/19

50 Felicia St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Kellymar Perez-Rivera
Seller: Mister Mister LLC
Date: 04/05/19

142-144 Fountain St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jeremiah D. Condon
Seller: Josue Vazquez
Date: 04/01/19

230 Forest Park Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Marc A. Hertz
Seller: Hugo Blanco
Date: 04/04/19

187 Fountain St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Jose A. Molina-Santiago
Seller: Rafael A. Marte
Date: 03/29/19

77 Garfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Rachel Thomas
Seller: Margaret Patterson
Date: 03/29/19

33 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Joseph F. Harrington
Seller: Neil J. Harrington
Date: 04/01/19

37 Gillette Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Shanyn Dudley
Seller: Matthew V. Blanchard
Date: 03/29/19

295 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Troy C. Makinen
Seller: Danielle Keane
Date: 04/05/19

41 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $177,500
Buyer: Glenn R. Pittsinger
Seller: Hassan Ali
Date: 04/03/19

146-148 King St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Edgardo Cruz-Colon
Seller: Femi Aina
Date: 04/02/19

23 Lafrance St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Giovanni Ruiz-Martinez
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/05/19

59 Lakevilla Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Elizabeth Carreira
Seller: 83 Northway Street RT
Date: 03/29/19

163 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Patrick Vilaysack
Seller: Lara Paniagua-Dix
Date: 03/27/19

51 Lang St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $179,500
Buyer: Marianna Alvarado
Seller: Real Estate Investments
Date: 04/05/19

34-36 Langdon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Keith Blake
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 04/05/19

80-82 Laurence St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Elton Thompson
Seller: Zeimbekakis, Mihail, (Estate)
Date: 04/04/19

1110 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Sheavahn A. Coleman
Seller: Melro Associates Inc.
Date: 04/01/19

474 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Springfield Liberty Realty
Seller: Legacy Realty Associates
Date: 03/28/19

88 Lloyd Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Joel Rapalo
Seller: Carrasquillo Fix Up LLC
Date: 04/05/19

63 Lumae St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jessica Glennie
Seller: Jonathan F. Kowinski
Date: 03/29/19

122 Malibu Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Le-Trisha S. David
Seller: Caitlin P. Julius
Date: 03/29/19

20 Maura St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Melissa S. Laws
Seller: Kimberly M. Conrad
Date: 04/02/19

82 Meadowlark Lane
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Justin M. Bristol
Seller: District Capital LLC
Date: 04/05/19

60 Melville St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: J. A. Castillo-Rosenblatt
Seller: Kevin Gonzalez
Date: 03/29/19

12 Montclair St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Amarilis Rodriguez
Seller: Eric J. Pericolosi
Date: 04/02/19

71 Morningside Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $206,888
Buyer: William Arighi
Seller: Michael T. Malone
Date: 03/29/19

31-33 Moulton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Angelo Deguglielmo
Seller: John P. Bechard
Date: 04/09/19

35-37 Moulton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Angelo Deguglielmo
Seller: John P. Bechard
Date: 04/09/19

124 Myrtle St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: LE & Associates LLC
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 03/28/19

42-44 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Regina Hudson
Seller: 4 V LLC
Date: 04/02/19

94 Newhall St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Brenda Sanchez
Seller: Golden Gates Realty Assocs.
Date: 03/28/19

2031 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Lake Lorraine LLC
Seller: Lisa M. Beauvais
Date: 03/29/19

2223 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Natash Figueroa-Bermudez
Seller: Joan Amicangelo
Date: 03/29/19

200 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Tammie Samuels
Seller: Tomasz Swiech
Date: 03/29/19

229 Pasco Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Richard L. Gonzalez
Seller: Sidonio M. Tiago
Date: 03/29/19

103 Phillips Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $156,900
Buyer: Yarida Cruz
Seller: Tok Chang
Date: 04/05/19

1259 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: R2R LLC
Seller: JJS Capital Investment
Date: 03/28/19

1350 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Jason French
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 03/29/19

6-8 Pomona St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Chief Dawg LLC
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 03/29/19

69 Quincy St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jeremiah J. Rosa
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 04/08/19

23 Rapalus St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Kelly A. Cruz
Seller: Daniel S. Chrzan
Date: 04/03/19

24 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Michelle Roberson
Seller: Jaime A. Couture
Date: 04/05/19

55 Riverview Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Laura Borash
Seller: Lewis Lamson
Date: 04/02/19

247 Spikenard Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Mary Pumarejo
Seller: Marianne Hutchinson
Date: 04/09/19

133-141 State St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $775,000
Buyer: Willow State LLC
Seller: Paul M. Kalill
Date: 04/03/19

129 Suffolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Harling K. Banegas-Flores
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 04/05/19

27 Timothy Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Javier Morales
Seller: Valeria N. Torres
Date: 03/29/19

365 Tinkham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $357,000
Buyer: Michael J. Polidoro
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 03/29/19

21 Trafton Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Jose A. Jusino
Seller: Renaul A. Johnson
Date: 04/02/19

83-85 Tulsa St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $210,500
Buyer: Mark T. Demos
Seller: Kyle K. Sullivan
Date: 03/29/19

40-42 Vinton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Lino Carrasquillo
Seller: Kelnate Realty LLC
Date: 03/28/19

72 Washburn St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: Alwaled Jamal
Seller: Constant O. Ogutt
Date: 04/09/19

4 Washington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Pamela J. Coon
Seller: Louise Jewel-Locario
Date: 04/05/19

62 Waverly St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Sheng-Shiang Peng
Seller: Arthur Hardy
Date: 04/08/19

128 West Canton Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Joanna Colon
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 04/01/19

97 Wellington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $163,500
Buyer: Juan V. Navarro
Seller: Kenneth Fitzgibbon
Date: 03/29/19

101 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Beverly Savage
Seller: Corina Brouder
Date: 03/29/19

47 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $569,900
Buyer: James & James Investments
Seller: Shadowfax Inc.
Date: 03/29/19

Winter St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Worthington Acquisitions
Seller: City Of Springfield
Date: 04/01/19

55 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Worthington Acquisitions
Seller: Springfield City Of
Date: 04/01/19

889 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $124,640
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Dulce M. Parra
Date: 04/02/19

172 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Vincent P. Bryant
Seller: Charles C. Latham
Date: 04/04/19

102 Yale St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Shanique Campbell
Seller: Home Staging & Realty LLC
Date: 03/29/19

SOUTHWICK

51 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $208,500
Buyer: Shawn M. Duclos
Seller: James A. Brown
Date: 03/27/19

5 Matthews Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Robert J. Hamel
Seller: Ryan Progulske
Date: 03/29/19

WEST SPRINGFIELD

13 Alderbrook Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Bobin Gurung
Seller: Heritage Ventures LLC
Date: 04/05/19

121 Beacon Hill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Paul Temple
Seller: Karyn M. McKenzie
Date: 04/05/19

237 Bear Hole Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Dennis V. Krinitsyn
Seller: Cuong Vu
Date: 04/05/19

164 Bonair Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Alex Vilkhovoy
Seller: US Bank
Date: 04/03/19

71 Elmwood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Wayne Snide
Seller: Richard Y. Godbout
Date: 03/29/19

170 Great Plains Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Thomas Pillary
Seller: Lindsay J. Valliere
Date: 04/05/19

202 High Meadow Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Charles Latham
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 04/04/19

17 Kent St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Glenn G. Rocheleau
Seller: Aaron J. Platt
Date: 04/08/19

59 Lowell St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Bhagi R. Baniya
Seller: Nazira Kasimova
Date: 04/03/19

6 Lyman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Anthony Ciollaro
Seller: Aspen Properties Invests
Date: 04/03/19

475 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $2,350,000
Buyer: Hampden Charter School
Seller: Roman Cath Bishop Of Springfield
Date: 03/28/19

485 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $2,350,000
Buyer: Hampden Charter School
Seller: Roman Cath Bishop Of Springfield
Date: 03/28/19

137 Massasoit Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $190,400
Buyer: Ilya V. Potsuray
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/29/19

62 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Audrey Dwane
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/29/19

46 Northwood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Ina R. Guiel-Demaio
Seller: Kent G. Hodge
Date: 04/05/19

15 Oleander St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $199,500
Buyer: Wilmington Trust
Seller: Anthony P. Cecchetelli
Date: 04/03/19

110 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Floyd West LLC
Seller: Marvin V. Larivee
Date: 03/29/19

WESTFIELD

1 Ashley St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Michael E. Bekech
Seller: Carole Carlson
Date: 04/09/19

41 Carroll Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Dean G. Varelas
Seller: Rose T. Lisowski
Date: 03/29/19

365 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Isaac Rivera
Seller: Thomas Champine
Date: 03/29/19

7 Fowler St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Inna Babinova
Seller: Dmitriy Temchenko
Date: 03/29/19

4 Grand St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Todd C. Ryon
Seller: Donald A. Leblanc
Date: 04/05/19

43 Janelle Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $386,500
Buyer: Lonnie M. Waldron
Seller: Lee T. Sperling
Date: 04/08/19

136 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: John Walts
Seller: Jeffrey C. Littlefield
Date: 04/09/19

46 Michael Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jeremy S. Coderre
Seller: Scott T. Colby
Date: 03/28/19

661 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $155,500
Buyer: Austin Collins
Seller: Charlyn Puza
Date: 04/08/19

21 Morningside Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $294,900
Buyer: James A. Brown
Seller: Randolph K. Hildack
Date: 03/27/19

76 Orange St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Elizabeth K. Ryan
Seller: East Mountain Inc.
Date: 04/02/19

46 Radisson Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $419,900
Buyer: Christopher M. Coach
Seller: Leo J. Surniak
Date: 04/08/19

248 Root Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: V&A Root Realty LLC
Seller: Nicholas A. Roselli
Date: 03/28/19

50 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Omtatsat Inc.
Seller: Sumi Corp.
Date: 04/04/19

15 Sunbriar Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,500
Buyer: Pennymac Loan Services
Seller: Volodymyr Stetsyuk
Date: 04/09/19

239 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,900
Buyer: Sharon Sitler
Seller: Susan M. Blumenthal
Date: 03/29/19

81 Wood Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Michael R. Lund
Seller: Christopher M. Coach
Date: 04/08/19

WILBRAHAM

8-10 Cottage Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: John B. Dowd
Seller: Enrico Malvezzi
Date: 04/02/19

10 Forest Glade Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Jeffrey D. Wicks
Seller: Kevin B. Davis
Date: 03/29/19

4 Karen Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $268,100
Buyer: Joshua R. Beliveau
Seller: Adam C. Munsell
Date: 04/03/19

768 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Molly M. Cole
Seller: Roy Westcott
Date: 03/27/19

77 Manchonis Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Matthew V. Blanchard
Seller: Ryan E. Malone
Date: 03/29/19

303 Mountain Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Carl A. Jasmin
Seller: Mountain Glen Estates LLC
Date: 03/28/19

305 Mountain Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Carl A. Jasmin
Seller: Mountain Glen Estates LLC
Date: 03/28/19

4 Oakland St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $317,000
Buyer: Paul Norman
Seller: Custom Homes Development Group
Date: 04/03/19

155 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Gwen C. Smith
Seller: John M. Bigos
Date: 03/29/19

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

691 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Sara A. Eddy
Seller: Jason H. Roach
Date: 04/05/19

555 Belchertown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Hadassah Gurfein
Seller: Audrey D. Fountain
Date: 04/08/19

115 Blue Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Richard S. Bryant
Seller: Mark J. Whipple
Date: 03/28/19

47 Chesterfield Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $363,500
Buyer: Shuang Zhou
Seller: Michael S. McLaughlin
Date: 04/02/19

17 Elm St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $479,900
Buyer: Melissa Y. Mueller
Seller: Daphne Patai
Date: 04/09/19

BELCHERTOWN

146 Barton Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Matthew G. Guerdon
Seller: David S. Whipple
Date: 03/29/19

5 Dogwood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Barry A. Solomon
Seller: James E. Tisdell
Date: 04/01/19

32 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: James E. Tisdell
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 04/01/19

137 Old Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $215,620
Buyer: Rathanavuth Yin
Seller: Celia Mackinnon
Date: 04/09/19

20 South Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Jillian E. Pronovost
Seller: Laura C. Kelley
Date: 04/09/19

CHESTERFIELD

114 Sugar Hill Road
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Mary J. Melchiskey
Seller: Eric C. Lindskog
Date: 04/05/19

CUMMINGTON

18 Plainfield Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $215,500
Buyer: Ryan E. Morich
Seller: Anthony K. Ezbicki
Date: 04/01/19

EASTHAMPTON

9 Bayberry Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $437,900
Buyer: Amanda Turek
Seller: Haytham M. Omar
Date: 03/29/19

104 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Paul B. Galotti
Seller: Kevin R. Croake
Date: 03/27/19

39 Highland Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Nathan Patnode
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 04/08/19

10 Lawndale St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Carolyn W. Benson
Seller: Wilburn G. Dawson
Date: 04/08/19

41 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Christopher Desjeans
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/05/19

86 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: David A. Hardy Contractor
Seller: Cykowski RET
Date: 04/02/19

25 Westview Terrace
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $312,100
Buyer: Julie I. Schwager
Seller: Gregory M. Sellas
Date: 04/01/19

22 Zabek Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $297,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Greene
Seller: Brannigan, Charles S., (Estate)
Date: 03/29/19

GOSHEN

178 Berkshire Trail East
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $537,000
Buyer: Peter J. Normandin
Seller: Carolyn W. Benson
Date: 04/08/19

GRANBY

173 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Marianne F. Hutchinson
Seller: Gary P. Paquin
Date: 04/09/19

HADLEY

7 Ladyslipper Lane
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $392,000
Buyer: Robert J. Rzeszutek
Seller: Matthew J. Howell
Date: 03/29/19

119 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Will Wilde
Seller: Richard A. Ammon
Date: 03/29/19

Shaw Lane
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Michael S. MacDonald
Seller: Wesley United Methodist
Date: 04/05/19

HATFIELD

129 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: KR 77B West Street LLC
Seller: Duseau Properties LLC
Date: 04/03/19

MIDDLEFIELD

117 River Road
Middlefield, MA 01098
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Grant Johnson
Seller: David Brush
Date: 04/01/19

NORTHAMPTON

256 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $321,500
Buyer: Leeba A. Morse
Seller: Jennifer Siegel
Date: 04/01/19

115 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $573,500
Buyer: Dave Denison
Seller: MTGLQ Investors LP
Date: 03/29/19

47 Columbus Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Kenneth E. Olson
Seller: Eugene F. Jordan-Reyes
Date: 04/02/19

1 Corticelli St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: Perfect Properties LLC
Seller: Phillips Packard Realty
Date: 03/29/19

179 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Lee A. Fahey
Seller: 179 Elm Street LLC
Date: 04/04/19

92 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Dennis P. Harkawik
Seller: Emerson Way LLC
Date: 04/01/19

9 Harold St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $314,010
Buyer: Patrick A. Boughan
Seller: Keith R. Moors
Date: 03/29/19

Kennedy Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: City Of Northampton
Seller: Mary Samberg
Date: 03/29/19

14 Liberty St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Tatishe M. Nteta
Seller: Teresa J. Pianta
Date: 03/29/19

28 Marian St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Revampit LLC
Seller: Stawiecki FT
Date: 04/01/19

13 Meadow Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Thomas Hilbink
Seller: Bruce Hart
Date: 03/28/19

10 Pine Brook Curv
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $383,500
Buyer: Kathleen Maiewski
Seller: Patricia M. Maginnis
Date: 03/27/19

26 Revell Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Paul L. Holt
Seller: Mary Grace Serio TR
Date: 03/29/19

38 Stoddard St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $610,500
Buyer: Teresa Pianta
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 03/29/19

141 Water St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Emil S. Heiple
Seller: Ruth A. Moe
Date: 03/28/19

SOUTH HADLEY

171 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Brian Bienvenue
Seller: Vitaliy Dzhenzherukha
Date: 04/01/19

186 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $242,900
Buyer: Jeremiah J. Mello
Seller: Jeffrey G. Godin
Date: 04/03/19

62 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $159,750
Buyer: Amber Labrecque
Seller: Catherine Croteau
Date: 03/29/19

201 Old Lyman Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Nikkolas Michon
Seller: Kathleen M. Scott
Date: 03/29/19

25 Richview Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jordan Leonard
Seller: Todd Dineen
Date: 03/28/19

18 Ridge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Matthew McLaughlin
Seller: Nikkolas A. Michon
Date: 03/29/19

9 Skinner Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Jason A. Hooper
Seller: Michael F. Bozek
Date: 03/29/19

15 West Summit St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Tomaszewski
Seller: Johnson, Charlene L., (Estate)
Date: 03/27/19

SOUTHAMPTON

28 Bissonnette Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $448,000
Buyer: Joseph P. Monast
Seller: Michael D. Hutchins
Date: 03/27/19

18 Bluemer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $225,500
Buyer: Keith Haskins
Seller: Karen M. Pasquini
Date: 03/29/19

170 County Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kasey A. Paquette
Seller: Jessica L. Diemand
Date: 04/01/19

WARE

37 Bacon Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Sean A. Callahan
Seller: Daniel J. Korb
Date: 04/05/19

308 Beaver Lake Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Rosemarie D. Parker
Seller: Patrick A. Kaltner
Date: 03/29/19

5 Bel Air Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: David J. Viens
Seller: Richard P. Marceau
Date: 04/04/19

6 Gwen Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $264,500
Buyer: Daniel J. Korb
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 04/05/19

27 Highland St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Michael J. Streit
Seller: Nicole A. Durand
Date: 04/08/19

99 Maple St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Bradley T. Boulanger
Seller: Property Veterans LLC
Date: 03/28/19

15 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Sara A. Stoddard
Seller: Mark A. Andrews
Date: 03/29/19

5 Vlontis Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: John A. Cappe
Seller: Joseph E. Majocha
Date: 04/08/19

14 Williams St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Alishia Gardner
Seller: Darren Andrews
Date: 04/04/19

WORTHINGTON

567 Kinnebrook Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Caleb Morgan
Seller: Eliza B. Lake
Date: 03/29/19

Building Permits

Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of April 2019.

AMHERST

Pauline Lannon, et al
1151 West St.
$29,571 — Remove storage room and walk-in cooler, install larger walk-in cooler, relocate sprinklers, miscellaneous electrical work

CHICOPEE

Robert Arcott
257 School St.
$5,200 — Insulate and sheetrock walls

Colvest/Center Street
235 Center St.
$59,700 — Interior remodel of CVS Pharmacy

Jahjan, LLC
65 Main St.
$2,000 — Install second-floor metal escape ladder

EASTHAMPTON

Aubuchon Realty Co. Inc.
168 Northampton St.
$2,000 — Install non-bearing wall in retail space, install store fixtures

GREENFIELD

McDonald’s Corp.
285 Federal St.
$428,000 — Upgrade restrooms, new dining decor, exterior site work including facade, roofing, lighting, side-by-side drive-thru, ADA site improvements

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
133 Main St.
$350,000 — Roofing on Holy Trinity Church

HADLEY

ENZ, LLC
207 Russell St.
$12,000 — HVAC work for Vision Showcase

Research Park, LP
100 Venture Way
$15,000 — Reconfiguration of existing suite build-out at Venture Well; change three small conference rooms into one large conference room

LONGMEADOW

GPT Longmeadow, LLC
720 Bliss Road
$16,000 — Add two ADA bathrooms for future tenant, Inglewood Development Corp.

Rinaldi’s Realty, LLC
410 Longmeadow St.
$102,156 — Install rooftop photovoltaic array

NORTHAMPTON

JJ Hawley, LLC
36 Hawley St.
$17,000 — Install 15 replacement windows, interior door, exterior stair railings, and tile shower

JW Inc.
71 King St.
$128,560 — New shed roof dormer, reconfigure interior partition walls, new bathroom

Taco Bell of America, LLC
203 King St.
$2,200 — Face change on ground sign

Thornes Marketplace, LLC
150 Main St.
$55,200 — Alter and replace windows on south- and east-facing exterior walls

Valley Home Improvement
340 Riverside Dr.
$3,000 — Add window in brick wall

PALMER

Nellum Realty
1181 Park St.
$7,500 — Roofing

SPRINGFIELD

Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC
95 State St.
$26,000 — Remove and replace three roof-mounted cellular antennas at MGM Springfield

Colebrook Partners South, LLC
511 East Columbus Ave.
$2,000 — Modify existing fire-alarm system at Springfield CTC

Andrew Crystal
100 Hickory St.
$50,000 — Install fire-alarm system at Educare Springfield

Gerald D’Amour, Donald D’Amour, Charles D’Amour
2145 Roosevelt Ave.
$20,560,190 — Addition to Big Y distribution center for storage and business use

Charles D’Amour, Donald D’Amour
90 Memorial Dr.
$20,000 — Remove and replace three antennas, add three antennas to existing tower, replace three remote radio units, and add one hybrid cable

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
99 Wendover Road
$250,000 — Install roof-mounted solar panels at Pope Francis High School

Shriners Hospitals for Children
516 Carew St.
$23,942 — Alter reception and tech room for prosthetics and orthotics area

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$10,000 — Remove and replace three roof-mounted cellular antennas on dormitory building

WILBRAHAM

95 Post Office Park, LLP
95 Post Office Park
$20,000 — Interior build-out of demised tenant space

2030 Boston Road, LLC
2030 Boston Road
$3,000 — Construct demising partition and related openings

WARE

Ware Senior Living, LLC
73 South St.
$420,000 — Foundation work for proposed three-story senior-living community

W/S Ware Properties, LP
352 Palmer Road
$774,000 — Replace bunker islands, dairy cases, deli cases, grocery freezers, ice-cream freezer, refrigerant, and leak-detection system at Walmart Supercenter

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Ashley Associates, LLC
95 Ashley Ave.
$22,300 — Add interior walls

Gareth Hannary
61 Upper Church St.
$1,200 — Change three exterior doors

Joshua Martel and Charles Allen
697 Union St.
$2,397.80 — HVAC and insulation

Nicole Carlson

Assistant Provost for Academic Programs, Online Education, UMass Amherst; Age 39
Education: UMass Amherst (BA, MBA)

Nicole Carlson

What did you want to be when you grew up? A flight attendant. I remember pronouncing stewardess as ‘hewardess’ when I was young. I think it was because I wanted to travel. Ironically, I haven’t traveled much, but hope to in my retirement, only now I’d rather take an RV across the country and make stops along the way and camp outside.

What three words best describe you? Trustworthy, respectful, adaptable.

What are you passionate about? Learning. Every day is an opportunity for learning. Every interaction, experience, and conversation we have is an opportunity for learning.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? Reflection. I remember to reflect on who I am and what I’ve done. We are not perfect, and I am not perfect, as a mother, wife, employee, daughter, friend, or sister. Reflection allows us to recognize our deficiencies, but reflection also helps us realize and be proud of what we have overcome and accomplished.

What fictional character do you relate to most, and why? Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Not only because it is my favorite movie, but because Dorothy, while initially seen as meek, is actually strong, direct, and ready to take on a challenge with everything she’s got. She is also generous and loyal to her friends and family.

What person, past or present, would you like to have lunch with, and why? It is hard to pick just one. I would want to have lunch with each of my grandparents and my husband’s grandparents. I want to hear about their lives as young children, the struggles our families had to overcome, the successes they achieved — all the things that make up our family history and our families today. I would then tell these stories to my son.

What will work colleagues say at your funeral? “She had a calm confidence, worked hard, but didn’t take work too seriously. She was a problem solver, a good listener, dependable, realistic about what to expect, and had an ‘it’s all going to be fine’ mentality.”

How do you define success? By trying. It doesn’t matter whether the outcome is positive or not, the fact that you tried is a success. We learn more from our failures than our successes.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Nicolle Cestero

Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Chief of Staff, American International College; Age 39
Education: Mount Holyoke College (BA), University of West Florida (MA)

Nicolle Cestero

What did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher. While in college, I worked two jobs, as a nanny and in the offices of a nonprofit organization. Both of these experiences made me realize my skill set was more focused on organization and coordination. Of course, as my career developed, I was able to add to this base skill set in other ways.

What three words best describe you? High emotional intelligence.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? Stay positive, focus on what’s really important, and work hard. It’s easy to let the day-to-day minutiae bring you down or have the focus shift to the non-essentials. At the end of the day, your outlook on life and your focus can really make a difference. When I’m contemplating an issue or problem, I try to find a silver lining around it while looking for a solution. That helps me and those around me move forward in a more positive manner. Derek Jeter said, “there may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” If I start each day staying positive, focusing on what’s important, and working hard, then I feel a sense of accomplishment at day’s end despite the challenges that may have occurred throughout the day.

What fictional character do you relate to most, and why? Wonder Woman, for her intelligence, inner strength, confidence, lack of ego, sense of right and wrong, strong work ethic, and kindness.

What will work colleagues say at your funeral? This question intrigued me, so I asked a few colleagues. Highlights included: “She laughed easily. She had an instinctive sense for right, wrong, and how to treat people. She could talk with anyone. She had a self-assurance far beyond her years. She had all the soft and hard skills — she read people well, developed and grew them, worked well with others, could think big, and could also manage details. She was organized, managed time well, and held people and herself accountable. She was someone you wanted on your team because she would ensure the work got done, but also that everyone had fun doing it. She is a spirit animal. She likes to eat. She is raising her children to be strong and courageous and to treat people properly.”

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Jean Christy

Senior Engineer, Tighe & Bond Inc.; Age 39
Education: UMass Amherst (BS)

Jean Christy

What did you want to be when you grew up? An architect — so, not too far off. I have always been a very technical person with a tendency toward drawing and design, and math and science always came easy to me. I started my college career in architecture, but quickly changed to civil engineering. It’s been a rewarding field for me; I have the opportunity to explore my creativity in design work while having the tried and true engineering principles and practices as my foundation.

What are you passionate about? Type 1 diabetes awareness and our nonprofit, Three’s Company T1D Support. Having three children with type 1 diabetes is a daily challenge. The kids feel ostracized, as they have different needs than their peers, and we often hear them say they hate diabetes (we all do!). Our goal is to allow kids with type 1 diabetes feel equal and not labeled ‘the diabetic kid.’ While we are still in our infancy, our mission is to assist with sending kids to diabetes camp and raising awareness in local sports programs so diabetes is less of an identifier. The type 1 diabetes population is ever-growing, and, while it is a serious disease with potential deadly repercussions, it is manageable with education.

What fictional character do you relate to most, and why? This may sound silly, but it’s Hermione Granger. We’re big Harry Potter fans in our house, and even though she’s young when we meet her, we can imagine that she becomes a strong-willed and motivated woman who is confident in her abilities but understands there are times when you need help from your friends. She’s an advocate for those without a voice or social status to elevate a cause. She’s a perfectionist and a pleaser, but fearless in the face of adversity when forced to make a choice between right and wrong.

Whom do you look up to, and why? It’s a pretty standard answer, but my parents. It’s because of them I have my work ethic and integrity. I saw my parents balance careers, higher education, community involvement, and active children. I learn by example, and both my parents, and their parents before them, set excellent examples for me, which I am trying to pass on to my children.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Liane Comeau

Existing Business Sales Manager, Health New England; Age 37
Education: Florida Southern College (BS)

Liane Comeau

What did you want to be when you grew up? A detective, to follow in my father’s footsteps.

How do you define success? To persevere, no matter how difficult the hurdle, and leave a dent in the universe.

What three words best describe you? Determined, loyal, infectious.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? To smile, listen, treat people with respect, and be as positive and present as often as possible.

What are you passionate about? Finding the good, uplifting others, and trying my best to make a difference. My goal in life is to open a grief relief and wellness center to help families and friends who are grieving, with a focus on those who have lost a loved one to drug addiction or overdose.

What person, past or present, would you like to have lunch with, and why? My brother, because I’d do anything to hear his laugh one more time.

What will work colleagues say at your funeral? That I brought laughter to the workplace, brought realness to each situation, and tried to lead by example, keeping focus on what was in my control and practicing perspective.

What actress would play you in a movie about your life? Jennifer Lawrence.

Who has been your best mentor, and why? My immediate family members all serve as mentors to me. Collectively, we have been through more than any family should have to bear, but we stand by each other, lift each other up, and somehow find a way to continue to work hard, play hard, laugh with each other, and support one another at a level most may not even understand. They are my foundation; they ground me and allow me to be the best version of me I can be.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Alex Dixon

General Manager, MGM Springfield; Age 38
Education: Howard University (BBA)

Alex Dixon

What did you want to be when you grew up? Governor of Nevada, an Alvin Ailey dancer, or running back for the Washington Redskins.

How do you define success? Success is defined by how hard you laugh, cry, and dance in celebration of the challenges you choose to tackle.

What three words best describe you? Passionate, thoughtful, humble.

What are you passionate about? Helping people achieve their dreams.

What person, past or present, would you like to have lunch with, and why? Frederick Douglass literally changed the world and was a driving force for the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

What fictional character do you relate to most, and why? Definitely some sort of mashup of Eddie Murphy in Boomerang, Pierce Brosnan in The Thomas Crown Affair, and Al Bundy in Married … with Children. Life is lived somewhere in between your aspirations and reality.

What actor would play you in a movie about your life? Chadwick Boseman of Black Panther fame and I were contemporaries at Howard University. Wakanda forever! Halle Berry would play my wife, Yindra.

Who has been your best mentor, and why? My father, Frank Dixon, has been and continues to be my best mentor in life. From an early age, Dad sparked an intellectual curiosity within me that has raged ever since. My parents have provided a sense of stability that has propelled me to take risks throughout my personal and professional life.

Whom do you look up to, and why? Vernon Jordan is an iconic business, government-affairs, and civil-rights professional. He plays behind the scenes and has opened doors for an untold number of young professionals to this day.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? Carpe diem until I hit snooze again.

What will work colleagues say at your funeral? “Here lies a good and decent man.”

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Rebecca Dobert

Project Manager, Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program; Practice Manager, Division of Geriatrics & Palliative Care, Baystate Health; Age 33
Education: STCC (AS), UMass Isenberg School of Management (BA in process)

Rebecca Dobert

What three words best describe you? Energetic, dedicated, hardworking.

What are you passionate about? I am and have always been passionate about reading. Growing up, I was the girl on the playground or on the school bus lost in my own little world with my nose buried in a book. As an adult, I know better than to pick up a book before bed because it is far too easy for me to lose track of time.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? It is far too easy to get caught up in the daily chaos of trying to balance work, school, and home. I make it a goal to try to start each morning by taking a big-picture look at my multiple to-do lists while I’m sipping my morning coffee. From there, I decide my three must-do’s for the day and what it’ll take to get them done. Doing this daily allows me to be more present and focused throughout my day instead of worrying about the never-ending to-do list that’s always competing for my time and attention.

What fictional character do you relate to most, and why? Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. Like Elle, I am a fiercely independent and ambitious woman who loves high heels and the color pink. I even have one of those page-a-day flip calendars showcasing a different heel each day (best Christmas gift ever, thanks Dad!). Elle proves that intelligence can come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, and that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I can relate to many of the challenges she faces on her journey to jump-start her career and life and admire her for refusing to let anyone’s preconceived notions or opinions slow her down. What I love most about her character is that she stays true to herself and doesn’t change who she is in order to fit the mold of what a successful businesswoman is ‘supposed’ to be. I feel this sends a great message to young women trying to find their way.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Lauren Duffy

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UMassFive College Credit Union; Age 37
Education: Mount Holyoke College (BA), Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst (MBA in process)

Lauren Duffy

What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was very young, I dreamed of becoming an ice-cream truck driver, so that I could have an endless supply of Chipwiches.

How do you define success? I believe the road to success is never traveled alone. I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment when I am surrounded by people who bring out the best in me, and we are harnessing our collective power to create positive change.

What three words best describe you?
Resilient, tenacious, grateful.

What are you passionate about? I am most passionate about my family: my wife, Liz, and our sons, Will and Ethan. Liz and I met as students at Mount Holyoke College and have spent over 16 years now cheering each other on in our personal and professional achievements. Both of our sons have experienced some significant challenges in their early years, which brings out a particularly passionate ‘mama bear’ mentality in me. I am so proud to watch them grow and thrive.

Who has been your best mentor, and why? My mother, Karen Duffy. She has taught me so much about how to be an ethical banking professional and leader. When I was in preschool, she got a job as a part-time teller at our local credit union in Rhode Island. I watched her get her college degree by going to night school and work her way up to the role of president/CEO at a credit union in Central Mass. I would listen at the dinner table as she talked about the important role credit unions, as not-for-profit financial cooperatives, can play in the lives of their member-owners. I have great respect for the way she has always been focused on using her position to create opportunities for others, providing financial-literacy education at a community college and serving on multiple nonprofit boards. I am fortunate to have her in my life, and the professional mentorship she has provided is no small part of our relationship.

What actress would play you in a movie about your life? Ellen Page.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? My favorite coffee mug is inscribed with the words, “empowered women empower women.” I try to start my mornings with that reminder to use my privilege to lift up someone else.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Sally Ekus

Literary Agent and Manager, the Lisa Ekus Group; Age 34
Education: Ithaca College (BA)

Sally Ekus

What did you want to be when you grew up? A marine biologist. Specifically, the first marine biologist to live in the desert because, you know, who doesn’t like a challenge?

How do you define success? My clients are happy, I am happy, our agency is thriving, and our community is flourishing with abundance and joy as a result of my hard work.

What are you passionate about? My passion is focused around my family, connecting people in both personal and professional ways, improv comedy at Happier Valley Comedy, advocacy for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the many joys of tacos.

Who has been your best mentor, and why? It might sound cliché to say my boss has been my best mentor, but given that she is also my mother, her mentoring of me runs deep. Lisa Ekus (I call her Lisa at work and Mom at home) showed me from a very early age that you can have it all, professionally and personally. She began mentoring me from the moment she taught me how to label and lick envelopes for press-release mailings when I was just knee-high. Unlike some who grow up in family businesses, I was given the freedom to pursue my own career path. After earning my degree and during a time of personal reflection, I was welcomed back home to an entry-level position at the Lisa Ekus Group while I was figuring out my next career move. I quickly realized my years of licking envelopes and dining alongside Lisa’s clients and colleagues had imprinted an unconscious passion for working in the culinary space. Recognizing my knack for the work, I was given the chance to co-represent two of our top-tier clients for their first book deals uncharacteristically early on in my career. I fell in love with the work and making deals, and was quickly hyper-mentored. Lisa sat with me as I drafted negotiations, and she watched as I navigated my own hurdles. Now, 10 years and more than 150 book contracts later, I am proud to be a partner in the agency and Lisa’s succession plan. Our mentoring relationship has grown into full collaboration, for which I am immensely proud and ever grateful.

What will work colleagues say at your funeral? “Sally would be so happy to see this room full of laughter and love! Plus, have you tried these tacos? They are amazing!”

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Sally English