Day: April 2, 2019

9 Sales and Marketing Tips for Startups

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Marketing Tips

Courtesy of Mike Kappel, www..entrepreneur.com

Marketing done right can be an incredible boon for your business’s net income. Done wrong, however, it can feel like throwing money into a raging bonfire. Because small business owners have to be whatever their small business needs — all the time — it can be difficult to master all the nuances that go into sales or marketing. If you’re not a natural salesperson, it can be even more difficult. Fear not, the following nine marketing tips for startups can help you make more sales, market better and waste less money.

1. Sell the benefit, not a comparison.

How you market yourself is all about highlighting what makes you different. There are three major ways to do that.

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35 Marketing Tips to Make Your Work Day More Productive

By
Marketing Tips

Courtesy of Jessica Mehring of SnapApp

You marketers aren’t just busy people – you’re jugglers.

You juggle content creation, design, distribution, promotion, analytics – just to name a few of the balls you have in the air at any given time. And if you manage an in-house team or contractors … well, you deserve a medal.

The team and I here at SnapApp knew you’d appreciate some shortcuts. We compiled 35 of our best tips, tricks, shortcuts, hacks and tools to make your work-life just a little bit easier.

The Ultimate List of Shortcuts for Marketers

For Social and Outreach

1. Create lists on Twitter to keep your contacts organized while giving you more visibility to people/businesses you’re following closely on in your space.

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Franklin First Federal Credit Union Honored as Community Hero

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Franklin First Federal Credit Union was honored as a Community Hero at the Credit Union Heroes and Community Bank Heroes Awards Gala on March 28, hosted at MGM Springfield by American Business Media, publisher of Banking New England and Centerpoint magazines.

Wolf and Co., one of the nation’s leading tax, audit, and CPA firms, was the gala’s presenting sponsor. The gala recognized 18 community banks and credit unions from across New England for their creation of community partnerships and going beyond the call to aid their community. Vincent Valvo, American Business Media publisher and CEO, noted that “we sought out the banks and credit unions that are doing things that are interesting, impactful, and innovative.”

Franklin First was recognized for its partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County through the creation of a financial carnival designed to educate youth in the community about identifying, earning, and spending money. Franklin First organized several financial carnivals to coincide with mentoring sessions with local ‘bigs’ (Age 16-18) and ‘littles’ (ages 8-11) as a fun, educational alternative to their normal mentoring sessions. The carnivals involved a series of games designed to identify currency, separate wants from needs, recognize expenses, and experience financial gains and losses, all while tracking their earnings and expenses in a savings register to save up for a fun prize at the end of the night.

“Our community partnership with Big Brother Big Sisters of Franklin County has been integral in the credit union being able to offer financial education to a younger demographic,” said Michelle Dwyer, president and CEO of Franklin First. “Their participation allows us to engage two different generations at once within their Friday-night mentoring programs.”

Franklin First received Silver in the category of credit unions with less than $500 million in assets.

Western New England University Takes Home Four National Marketing Awards

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNEU) was named among the top institutions in the nation in the 2018 Collegiate Advertising Awards and the 34th annual Education Advertising Awards, two programs designed to recognize higher-education organizations for excellence in communications, marketing, advertising, and promotion of their schools.

Western New England University and its creative partner, Spark451, received a total of four Gold awards. The university’s centennial logo, the recently launched WNE: The Magazine of Western New England University, and WNEU’s “What’s New?” brochure were all recognized for excellence.

The logo created to commemorate Western New England’s centennial claimed gold in both competitions. “The anniversary mark leverages iconic details of the existing brand in a new way,” said Irene Scala, creative director at Spark451. “What’s most important is that the identity’s graphic elements — showcased through the campus banners, publications, and other celebratory materials — reflect the university’s vision for a bright future, one that was inspired by many perspectives from a wide cross-section of people, but carried out as a unified institution.”

The Magazine of Western New England University claimed gold in the Collegiate Advertising Awards competition. The biannual publication explores stories drawn from a cross section of the university, highlighting faculty research, campus happenings, and alumni achievements.

“This project was the results of months of work reimagining how the university presents itself to alumni and other stakeholders,” said Bryan Gross, vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing. “This was a consummate team effort, drawing on the talents of our Marketing and Alumni offices, as well as the creative vision Spark451 brought to the table to make the stories leap off the page.”

Added Scala, “the industry recognition is a testament to our close collaboration with Western New England’s talented marketing team. We are proud of this long-standing and rewarding partnership.”

Meanwhile, “What’s New at WNE?” took home top honors in the Education Advertising Awards brochure category. The annual publication shines the spotlight on the latest university developments, including new facilities, academic programs, and faculty and student accomplishments. 

The Collegiate Advertising Awards and the Education Advertising Awards each received hundreds of entries from across the U.S. and beyond. Submissions were reviewed by separate national panels of industry experts, with judging including such criteria as creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production quality, and overall appeal.

Sunshine Village Celebrates Autism Awareness Month, Honors Community Partners

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE — In honor of April being National Autism Awareness Month, Sunshine Village is planning visits and events with local organizations to raise awareness of autism and recognize a shared commitment to inclusivity, acceptance, and celebrating unique abilities, said Gina Kos, executive director.

As a nonprofit leader in day programs and employment services for people on the autism spectrum, Sunshine Village regularly seeks partnerships and gives back to the community by volunteering, advocating, and offering educational opportunities.

With programs located in Chicopee, Springfield, Three Rivers, and Westfield, the organization has developed strong relationships with first responders and community groups and leaders, including libraries and businesses. To promote goodwill and recognize these important partnerships, individuals and staff from each program will visit the offices of Mayor Richard Kos and City Treasurer Marie Laflamme of Chicopee, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, and Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. Visits will also be made to libraries and police and fire departments in Chicopee, Springfield, Three Rivers, and Westfield.

In addition, visits will be made to MGM Springfield, Wegrzyn Dental Offices, the Holyoke Public Schools Autism Fair, Harmony House, Ronald McDonald House, Litwin Elementary School in Chicopee, and Serendipity Salon. Each community partner will be presented with inspiring artwork and homemade crafts and treats that highlight the culinary-arts skills and creativity of individuals in Sunshine Village’s programs. Members of local cultural councils will also visit Sunshine Village to enjoy the Everyone Shines Music Therapy program led by a music therapist, which was made possible through cultural council grants.

Since 1967, Sunshine Village has provided innovative day services for people with developmental disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum. Currently, the facility serves more than 500 individuals in nine sites throughout the Pioneer Valley.

The Starting Gate at GreatHorse to Host Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on April 20

By
Daily News

HAMPDEN — The Starting Gate at GreatHorse will host breakfast with the Easter Bunny on Saturday, April 20 at 9 a.m. The facility is located at 128 Wilbraham Road, Hampden.

An Easter breakfast buffet will feature buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, pork sausage links, applewood bacon, golden breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, mini danish, hot cross buns, bagels, coffee, tea, orange juice, and milk. The event will include Easter crafts and games, including an Easter egg hunt. This event is open to the public.

The cost is $35, including tax and service charges. The event is free for children under age 1. Call (413) 566-5158 for reservations.

5 Print Marketing Tips to Improve Every Project

By
Marketing Tips

Courtesy of Las Vegas Color Graphics

Despite the widespread use of digital everything, print marketing continues to thrive. Whether you’re using direct mail marketing or handing out hard-copy brochures or flyers, these 5 print marketing tips can help you make the right statement in every project.

Print Marketing Tips for Making the Most of your Projects

1. Invest in a Good Design

Hiring a good designer isn’t cheap, but it could mean the difference between an ROI or complete campaign failure.

Your design will be the first thing your audience sees. A good design will pull them into your message and make them want to learn more. Boring designs, however, will simply become lost in the sea of other advertisements, which is just as effective as not advertising at all.

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EforAll Helps a Challenged Constituency Share the Wealth

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India Russell and Lamont Stuckey, makers of Everything Sauce
Cover Story

Pivotal Support

India Russell and Lamont Stuckey, makers of Everything Sauce

India Russell and Lamont Stuckey, makers of Everything Sauce

The agency is called SPARK EforAll Holyoke. It represents a merger of SPARK Holyoke, an entity created to inspire and mentor entrepreneurs, and EforAll, the Lowell-based organization that has created an effective model that does essentially the same thing. By whatever name it goes, the agency is helping to spur business ownership among minorities, women, and other constituencies, and it is already changing the landscape in the Paper City.

They call it ‘Everything Sauce.’

That’s the name India Russell and Lamont Stuckey gave to a product that is now the main focus of a business they call Veganish Foodies.

This is a company, but also a mindset and what the partners call a “lifestyle brand for anyone making the change to ‘healthy living.’” Elaborating, they told BusinessWest that veganish foodies are individuals who love food and are ready to explore the more-healthy vegan lifestyle one meal at a time by substituting their favorite foods with healthier alternatives or ingredients.

The Everything Sauce? That’s part of it. It’s something they concocted themselves as a spicy alternative to other things people put on their food and something that may make the healthier foods in a vegetarian or vegan diet more, well, palatable.

“It has an alternative to soy … it has different spices to give you flavor … it has an alternative to sugar in there,” said Stuckey, trying hard not to identify any secret ingredients. “It’s all blended together to give you a sweet heat that makes all kinds of foods taste better.”

As noted, this sauce has become the main focus of this business venture since the partners became involved with a program called SPARK EforAll Holyoke, the latest branch office (if that’s the proper term) of an agency that started in the Lowell-Lawrence area of the state in 2011 and has expanded to a number of small and mid-sized cities, including Holyoke, that share common challenges and demographic profiles (more on that in a bit).

Overall, EforAll, short for Entrepreneurship for All, is an agency that essentially promotes its chosen name, specifically in cities that have large ethnic populations but few resources for individuals with entrepreneurial energy and drive.

Holyoke certainly fits that description, and EforAll became part of the landscape in the city when those managing the agency known as SPARK decided last year to merge with EforAll and fully embrace its model, said David Parker, CEO of the organization.

Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, executive director EforAll, Alex Morse, was encouraged by the progress being made in her hometown, and wanted to play a bigger role in those efforts.

Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, executive director EforAll, Alex Morse, was encouraged by the progress being made in her hometown, and wanted to play a bigger role in those efforts.

Like the better-known Valley Venture Mentors, SPARK EforAll Holyoke features mentoring, accelerator programs, pitch contests, and other forms of programming to help participants take an idea and eventually transform it into a business — while also helping them avoid many of the mistakes that turn businesses into casualties, said Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, the agency’s executive director. But its work generally involves a different constituency.

“The people we’re working with … they’re not necessarily making the next big mobile app or finding a cure for cancer — although they might be,” she explained. “They may just be running a cleaning business, but that’s feeding their families. Being able to work with people who may have never considered themselves entrepreneurs, and being able to show them that they’re able to do that, I think that’s what makes us unique.”

As for Russell and Stuckey, they became part of the accelerator class at SPARK EforAll Holyoke that graduated late last month during ceremonies at Wistariahust Museum, a fitting location because it was the home of William Skinner, one of Holyoke’s most noted and inspirational entrepreneurs.

“The people we’re working with … they’re not necessarily making the next big mobile app or finding a cure for cancer — although they might be. They may just be running a cleaning business, but that’s feeding their families. Being able to work with people who may have never considered themselves entrepreneurs, and being able to show them that they’re able to do that, I think that’s what makes us unique.”

Their mentors helped persuade them that making Everything Sauce shouldn’t be one small aspect of their venture — it should be the main focus. And they followed that advice, securing space in a commercial kitchen (Cornucopia Foods in Northampton) to scale up production, a process that is ongoing; you can now buy a bottle (price tag: $12) at Cornucopia or Crispy’s Wings-N-Fish in Springfield.

“When we came to SPARK EforAll, they really helped us organize ourselves and focus more on our sauce,” Russell explained, adding that the partners had several products and services, ranging from a 40-day cleanse to a seven-day challenge, but their mentors narrowed the company’s focus to something scalable and something it could sell.

In entrepreneurship circles, they call this a pivot, said Murphy-Romboletti, adding that such moves are usually vital to shaping a developing concept into a growing business.

And there was a lot of pivoting going on with the latest accelerator class, she noted, adding that it included eight companies, four of which split $5,000 in prize money to help take their ventures to the next step.

For this issue, BusinessWest talked with the entrepreneurs behind those prize-winning ventures to gain some perspective on SPARK Efor All and its growing impact within the region’s entrepreneurial infrastructure. Those companies came away from the ceremonies with one of those large ceremonial checks, but the reality is that they won much more than that — specifically a better road map for taking their business on the path to success.

Positive Steps

Alex Sandana told BusinessWest that he had aspirations to be a professional dancer while growing up. But his family was sternly tested by the expensive classes and training it would take to make that dream reality.

So he can certainly relate to the young people he’s now giving lessons to in a studio on High Street in Holyoke he calls Star Dancers Unity.

He opened it in 2013, and, like most people in business for any length of time, said his experience has been a roller-coaster ride — meaning both ups and downs.

Alex Sandana with some of his students at Star Dancers Unity.

Alex Sandana with some of his students at Star Dancers Unity.

Things have become somewhat less turbulent since he became involved with SPARK EforAll Holyoke, a step he wishes he had taken much sooner.

“I got into this knowing … zero,” he recalled. “I had an idea of what I was getting myself into, and I knew that Holyoke needed a place where kids could be themselves and not be burdened by the high tuition that other dance studios charge. But I never had any experience in business; I was learning as I was going.

EforAll has helped him expand the portfolio, if you will, serving not just young people, but also providing lessons, and choreography, for weddings and quinceañeras, the fiestas staged for girls turning 15 — that Latin equivalent of the sweet-16 party.

“I was able, with the help of my mentors, to identify other ways to generate revenue,” said Saldana, adding that this more-diversified business has much greater growth potential.

Helping business owners execute such changes and key pivots is essentially the mission statement at SPARK EforAll Holyoke, said Murphy-Romboletti, 29, who worked for several years as the executive assistant, scheduler, and press secretary for Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, who coaxed her into returning to her hometown after she relocated to Brooklyn, feeling, as many young people did and still do, that she had to leave this area to find what she was looking for.

As she explained how she took the reins at the small agency, she said she watched as many of Morse’s initiatives in the broad realm of economic development — from promotion of the arts to development of an innovation district to programs to inspire and support entrepreneurship — began to change the landscape.

And she decided she wanted to be part of it.

“A position opened up in planning and economic development,” she recalled. “I loved working with the business owners in our community, and there were so many cool projects happening, especially in the downtown, so it seemed like a natural next step.”

One that led to another step when the directorship of SPARK came open. That provided an opportunity to work on a project she helped get off the ground while working in the mayor’s office.

“I loved working with the business owners in our community, and there were so many cool projects happening, especially in the downtown, so it seemed like a natural next step.”

“I was able, through my job at City Hall, to be there for the early planning stages for SPARK,” she recalled, noting that the initiative was funded through a Working Cities Challenge grant. “I loved it; I thought, ‘what an awesome opportunity to create an entrepreneurship program that’s inclusive and empowering and not your typical accelerator.’”

Those sentiments help explain why and how SPARK came to merge with EforAll. Holyoke’s demographics are similar to those in other cities it serves — 51% of its residents are Hispanic, and 9% of its businesses are owned by Latinos — and there is a need for services to help that latter number rise. Meanwhile, EforAll had an established model generating measurable results in other communities.

Getting Down to Business

Thus, she now leads what amounts to the latest in a series of expansion efforts for EforAll, which, after being launched in Lowell-Lawrence, has subsequently added offices in New Bedford, Fall River, Lynn, and Hyannis (an office that serves the entire Cape), as well as Holyoke.

The business model for the agency — launched under UMass Lowell with initial funding from the Deshpande Foundation and known originally as the Merrimack Valley Sandbox — involves working in communities, and with individuals, who are generally underserved, at least when it comes to initiatives within the broad realm of entrepreneurship.

“Generally speaking, this means immigrants, people of color, women, those who are unemployed, veterans, people returning from incarceration … those are the kinds of communities we look for,” Parker explained. “And we want to encourage people with ideas for businesses — we don’t give them ideas — to come to our programs, share their ideas, and see if we can help them get those businesses started.”

There are a number of measures for success, he said, including the number of businesses launched (both for-profit and nonprofit in nature), jobs, sales, and the capital raised for those ventures, he went on, adding that there have been a number of success stories as well.

The one cited most often is that of Danaris Mazara, who came to this country from the Dominican Republic at age 22.

Parker, who has told the story often, said that, after her husband was laid off from his job and the family began to struggle, Mazara took food stamps her mother gave her to buy groceries and instead bought ingredients for flan, a popular Dominican dessert. She made enough to sell to her co-workers and friends and made $500 in a few weeks.

Fast-forwarding a little, Parker said EforAll helped her move the flan operation out of her home and into a commercial bakery that she now owns by helping her secure a loan. It also assisted with product lines, pricing, and other aspects of the business. Today, she has 13 employees and is already looking for a larger bakery.

The EforAll model itself is scalable, said Parker, adding that the agency is certainly in an expansion mode. Indeed, now that it has shown that its formula for bolstering a community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem works in several Bay State cities, EforAll is ready to embark on expansion into other areas of the country.

“We hope to announce new EforAll programs in other states within this year,” he told BusinessWest, adding that the goal is to have another four sites by the end of this year, another six by the end of 2020, and perhaps as many as 50 in the years to come.

Julie Molianny and Rashad Ali, who launched Cantina Curbside Grill, a food truck featuring Latin fusion items, aspire to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the future.

Julie Molianny and Rashad Ali, who launched Cantina Curbside Grill, a food truck featuring Latin fusion items, aspire to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the future.

Meanwhile, in Holyoke, SPARK EforAll is getting set to open co-working space in a building on High Street — the doors will likely open in May — and thus take its mission to a still-higher level. Funded by a MassDevelopment Collaborative Workspace grant, the 1,500-square-foot facility has a large room that can accommodate perhaps 20 desks and several smaller cubicle-like areas, said Murphy-Romboletti, adding that there is obvious need for such space in Holyoke, and she expects that it will be well-received.

At the same time, the agency’s mentoring and accelerator programs are helping a number of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs move their concepts forward.

The 12 weeks of classes — two classes a week — are “intense,” Murphy-Romboletti, adding that each company is assigned a team of three mentors that act as an advisory panel.

“These entrepreneurs are deeply immersed in this process,” she explained. “We’re helping people navigate the challenges in front of them and do their business right.”

Spicing Things Up

People like Julie Molianny and Rashad Ali, who launched Cantina Curbside Grill, a food truck featuring Latin fusion items such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more.

They started slowly in 2017, said Molianny, focusing on events on area college campuses and farmers’ markets. But the truck will soon shift into a higher gear, figuratively, she noted, adding that later this month it will be parked Monday through Friday at a still-to-be-determined location near Springfield’s riverfront.

Down the road, and probably not far down, the partners want to add a trailer to the lineup so they can handle bigger events, she said, adding that the ultimate goal is to have a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

EforAll has helped the two with the accounting and pricing sides of the ledger, said Ali, and also with focusing on not only the big picture — what’s in the business plan — but also myriad day-to-day issues involved with running a business.

“The hardest part is keeping tabs on everything, crossing all the T’s and doting all the I’s, staying on top of taxes and everything else,” he said, adding that the accelerator classes have helped the partners stay focused and organized.

Specifically, that means focused on the best options for stability and growth moving forward, which brings us back to Russell, Stuckey, and Everything Sauce, which is just one bullet point in their ever-changing business plan.

Indeed, the partners also have plans to put a food truck on the road, one that would offer what they called “plant-based alternatives,” and operate what might be considered non-typical hours.

“We want to specifically focus on food after 9 p.m., because after that hour, most eateries in this area are closed,” said Stuckey. “And what is open … let’s just say there aren’t many alternatives for healthy eating; we intend to change that.”

In the meantime, they intend to scale up their sauce. They’ve moved from a few gallons at a time in their home to four or five gallons at Cornucopia, which they found with the help of SPARK EforAll, and aspire to production runs of perhaps 200 gallons or more, perhaps at the Western Mass. Food Processing Center in Greenfield, which they also found with help from their mentors.

These mentors are entrepreneurs themselves, said Murphy-Romboletti, meaning they’ve been on the roller coaster themselves and have real-world experiences that translate into sage advice about if and how to take an idea from scratchings on a table napkin to Main Street, or High Street, as the case may be.

From left, Marcos Mateo, his mother, Madeline, and Abiel Alvarado, look to open their auto-service business in June.

From left, Marcos Mateo, his mother, Madeline, and Abiel Alvarado, look to open their auto-service business in June.

That was the case with Abiel Alvarado, his girlfriend, Madeline Mateo, and her son, Marcos Mateo. The three are going into business together, in a venture called Mateo Auto Sales, which has an interesting backstory.

Indeed, Alvarado was in the auto sales and service business in Puerto Rico, and essentially saw that business, and his life, turned upside down by Hurricane Maria. He relocated to Holyoke, where he met Madeline and expressed his desire to soon get back into business for himself. Looking for some help and direction, Madeline went to City Hall, and was soon redirected to the Chamber of Commerce and eventually SPARK EforAll Holyoke.

The three partners applied to, and eventually became part of, the latest accelerator class. Marcos Mateo told BusinessWest they’ve received many different kinds of support for their mentors.

“They provided a lot of guidance,” he said. “They lined everything up, they showed us exactly what we should be focusing on; our mentors helped us with identifying where to go and how to find information.

“We’re not just guessing and having to waste our time doing research,” he went on. “Every class was full of information we needed.”

In Good Company

Alvarado and the Mateos are currently in lease negotiations on a building, and hope to be open for business in June.

After that, they’ll begin what will likely be a roller-coaster ride, something all entrepreneurs endure. With the accelerator behind them and quarterly meetings with their mentors to continue for at least the next year, maybe the ride won’t be particularly wild or feature many significant dips.

Helping create a smoother ride is what SPARK EforAll Holyoke is all about. Its accelerator programs and other initiatives are unique when it comes to the constituency being served, but similar to others in that its mission is to open doors to business ownership and the opportunities it creates.

And that’s why these services are pivotal, in every sense of that word.

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

Architecture Industry Steady, but Long-term National Forecast Unclear

By
Architecture Construction

Designs on Growth

As one local architect noted, we’re far enough away from the last recession to start worrying about the next one — and recessions tend to hit this sector particularly hard. Still, despite mixed signals in the long-term economic picture nationally, work remains steady locally, with municipalities, colleges, and businesses of all kinds continuing to invest in capital projects. Even if storm clouds do appear down the road, the 2019 outlook in architecture seems bright.

Curtis Edgin put it in simple terms when asked how 2019 is shaping up in the architecture sector.

“We’re busy; I can’t complain,” he told BusinessWest. Those five words sum up a strong outlook in an industry that tends to be a leading indicator for the economy as a whole — when things slow down, construction, finance, and other areas tend to follow — and is currently trending up, or at least holding steady.

“We’re far from the last recession — maybe far enough to worry about the next one,” said Edgin, a principal with Caolo & Bieniek Associates (CBA) in Chicopee. “But I don’t see that coming yet, looking at our workload.”

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reports a similar outlook, with architecture firm billings nationally strengthening to a level not seen in the previous 12 months. Indicators of work in the pipeline, including inquiries into new projects and the value of new design contracts, also improved in January.

“The government shutdown affected architecture firms but doesn’t appear to have created a slowdown in the profession,” AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker noted. “While AIA did hear from a few firms that were experiencing significant cash-flow issues due to the shutdown, the data suggests that the majority of firms had no long-term impact.”

Broken down by region, the Northeast is performing better than the West, but slightly trailing the South (which continues to rebuild from a rough 2018 hurricane season) and the Midwest. Nationally, billings softened slightly in February from the January pace, but remain strong in the big-picture sense, Baker said. “Overall, business conditions at architecture firms across the country have remained generally healthy.”

Curtis Edgin says specializing in a range of diverse niches is a plus for any firm

Curtis Edgin says specializing in a range of diverse niches is a plus for any firm, serving as a buffer against a downturn in any one area.

Jonathan Salvon, a principal with Kuhn Riddle Architects in Amherst, reports strong business as well, especially in the education realm, traditionally a strength for the firm, with projects for UMass and a historic-renovation conversion project for Elms College.

“Then there’s a mix of multi-family housing and commercial projects,” he told BusinessWest. “We’ve got a new office building for Way Finders going up on the old Peter Pan site in Springfield, which is our biggest commercial project at the moment. And there’s a 36-unit, multi-family housing project going up on University Drive in Amherst.”

Caolo & Bieniek, known for its wide range of public projects, from schools to fire and police stations, has expanded its base of private projects since merging with Reinhardt Associates in 2017.

“It’s been kind of a good synergy. We’ve blended our strengths and their strengths,” Edgin said, noting that one example is the recently completed Baystate Health & Wellness Center on the Longmeadow-East Longmeadow line, as Reinhardt has a solid history in medical office buildings.

“E-commerce has been growing at about three times the rate of traditional brick-and-mortar sales. The slowdown in housing hasn’t helped, as new residential development often spurs new retail construction activity. Instead, larger shares of investment in these facilities is going to the renovation of existing buildings.”

Other recent CBA projects recently started or well underway include a senior center in West Boylston, a police station in Williamstown, a public-safety complex in Lenox, a renovation of Chicopee’s public-safety facility, a pre-K to grade-8 school in Easthampton, and some work with UMass Amherst, Westfield State University, and other colleges.

“There’s a good mix of private and public, and we seem to be doing a fair amount of work with human-services agencies,” Edgin added, noting that the firm just did a project for Guidewire in Chicopee, and Sunshine Village in the city has also been a consistent client. “We seem to have a bit going in that sector right now. We’re busy, and it’s a good mix all around.”

Strong Pace, but Red Flags

The AIA suggests that growth in architecture should continue at least through 2020, but a number of emerging red flags suggest a cautious outlook.

Spending on non-residential buildings nationally is projected to grow by 4.4% this year, paced by healthy gains in the industrial and institutional building sectors, it notes. For 2020, growth is projected to slow to 2.4%, with essentially no increase in spending on commercial facilities, but gains in the 3% range in the industrial and institutional categories.

“Still,” Baker said, “there is growing concern inside and outside of the industry that a broader economic downturn may be materializing over the next 12 to 24 months.”

Nationally, growth in gross domestic product is estimated to be close to 3% in 2019, while the job market continues to be healthy, with more than 2.6 million net new payroll jobs added in 2018, an improvement over 2017’s figure of just under 2.2 million. In fact, the national unemployment rate was below 4% for most of 2018. Consumer-sentiment levels remained strong, and the nation’s factories also were busy, with industrial output achieving its strongest growth in almost a decade.

Jonathan Salvon says one of his firm’s three ‘legs,’ residential work, has been impacted by a slowdown in single-family construction

Jonathan Salvon says one of his firm’s three ‘legs,’ residential work, has been impacted by a slowdown in single-family construction over the past decade, but a rising portfolio of multi-family projects has picked up the slack.

However, there are several signals that point to an emerging slowdown in the broader economy, and therefore in the construction sector, Baker noted. These include declines in leading economic indicators, weakness in some key sectors of the economy, and softness in the markets of major U.S. trading partners. “These signals may be temporary responses to negative short-term conditions, but historically they have preceded a more widespread downturn.”

Meanwhile, since dropping sharply during the Great Recession, housing starts have had a very slow recovery, the AIA notes, and Salvon can attest to that reality locally. But Kuhn Riddle has adjusted in other ways.

“We’ve always been a stool with three legs,” he said. “One-third is work for various colleges, charter schools, prep schools, secondary schools, and even some day cares — we run the whole gamut in education. The second third is residential work; in the past, before the 2009 recession, that was often single-family residences. That market has never really come back, at least for us. But we’ve been lucky to develop a new market in multi-family projects.”

The third leg is a variety of commercial projects, including office buildings, restaurants, and bank renovations, to name a few, Salvon said.

“Hopefully we all stay busy. But we do know it goes in cycles; we’ve been through plenty of slower times and a lot of boom times. But we’ve been very blessed. We’re pretty busy and hope to stay that way.”

Nationally, Baker sees design work on the commercial front as a bit of a mixed bag at the moment.

“Business investments often reflect what corporate leaders feel is the growth potential for their companies. Investment nationally in new plants and equipment saw healthy growth in 2017 and through the first half of 2018, but slowed significantly beginning in the third quarter of last year,” he noted. “Given the recent trends in business-confidence scores, investment is unlikely to accelerate anytime soon. Business confidence fell sharply through 2018, with the fourth quarter showing the lowest levels in six years.”

In the Bay State, the picture is equally muddy. The Business Confidence Index issued monthly by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) reported a gain in February after dropping in January to its lowest level in more than two years.

“Employers remain generally optimistic about a state economy that continues to run at full-employment levels and a U.S. economy that is projected to grow by 2.2% this year,” said Raymond Torto, Chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. “At the same time, the erosion of confidence among Massachusetts manufacturers during the past 12 months raises some concern about the long-term sustainability of the recovery.”

On a sector-by-sector basis, Baker reported, design work for retail facilities continues to suffer from the growth on online shopping.

“E-commerce has been growing at about three times the rate of traditional brick-and-mortar sales. The slowdown in housing hasn’t helped, as new residential development often spurs new retail construction activity,” he noted. “Instead, larger shares of investment in these facilities is going to the renovation of existing buildings.”

On the other hand, office projects represent the strongest commercial sector in construction right now, with 5% growth projected for this year and 1% in 2020. “This sector has benefited from strong job growth and the apparent bottoming out of the years-long decline in office space per employee,” Baker said. “Much of the increase has come from the booming technology sector, so the outlook is dependent on continued growth in this industry sector.”

Meanwhile, eds and meds — or education and healthcare, two pillars of the Western Mass. economy — represent very healthy sectors nationally for architects and general contractors. AIA projects 5.5% in the education sector this year and an additional 4% in 2020, and 4% growth in healthcare in 2019 followed by 3.6% in 2020. 

“We’re pretty diversified and active in a lot of different environments,” Edgin said. “It’s not just schools, not just police stations, not just fire stations, but a little bit of everything.” He cited the recent renovation of Polish National Credit Union’s Front Street branch in Chicopee, as well as a new Arrha Credit Union branch in West Springfield and a project with the Boys and Girls Club of West Springfield. “A lot of things take a while, so it’s that advance planning that keeps you busy a year or two from now.”

Leading Indicator

Baker reported that business conditions at U.S. architecture firms in 2018, as measured by AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI), were essentially unchanged from 2017.

“Since the ABI has been shown to lead construction spending by an average of nine to 12 months, this would suggest that the growth in spending on non-residential buildings in 2019 should be close to the growth rate of 2018,” he noted. “Additionally, new design contracts coming into architecture firms grew at a healthy pace in 2018, underscoring the robust level of backlogs currently enjoyed by most firms.”

Meanwhile, Dodge Data & Analytics recently released its 2019 Dodge Construction Outlook, which predicted that total U.S. construction starts for 2019 will be $808 billion, staying essentially even with the $807 billion estimated for 2018.

“There are, of course, mounting headwinds affecting construction, namely rising interest rates and higher material costs, but for now these have been balanced by the stronger growth for the U.S. economy, some easing of bank lending standards, still-healthy market fundamentals for commercial real estate, and greater state financing for school construction and enhanced federal funding for public works,” said Robert Murray, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics.

Locally, both architects and builders are maintaining the same sort of cautious optimism, at least in the short term.

“Right now, it’s strong,” Edgin said. “We’ve increased our staffing.”

Finding talented staff remains a challenge, he said, because strong growth among architecture firms in general means stiff competition, and Greater Springfield isn’t always a top destination for young professionals in the field compared to, say, Boston or New York, where pay scales are higher (but, of course, so is the cost of living).

Salvon understands that reality as well, but said Kuhn Riddle has benefited from its location in downtown Amherst, where it has easy access to the UMass architecture program. “We’ve been a little spoiled — we’ve been privileged to get some employees out of that program over the last decade or so, and we’ve tried to make a nice work environment, so people been staying here.”

All things considered, he told BusinessWest, the outlook seems strong in architecture locally, and others agree.

“We’ve been able to build some good staff and a good team, so we’re happy about that,” Edgin said. “Hopefully we all stay busy. But we do know it goes in cycles; we’ve been through plenty of slower times and a lot of boom times. But we’ve been very blessed. We’re pretty busy and hope to stay that way.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Every Small Business Needs a Succession Plan

By
Estate Planning

Preparing for the Next Stage

By Barbara Trombley, MBA, CPA, CDFA

Life — and business — can shift in unexpected ways, and an ownership transition can sneak up on even someone who expected to be at the reins for a long time. That’s why it’s good to start preparing for that possibility well in advance.

A succession plan is a vital part of a small business.

Most small businesses were built from the ground up, with a dedicated founder and owner, and it may be very hard for the owner to consider a succession plan. But retirement — or worse, sudden illness or death — can creep up on an owner and create havoc. Without a solid plan, a family may suddenly lose their income or the inheritance that was counted on, or the business may cease to exist.

“Many succession plans are not carefully planned out or are devised as a result of health event. A good succession plan is made when the owner can think rationally and formally devise a sort of buy-sell agreement.”

My personal experience with a succession plan is based on our financial- planning business. My father-in-law did what quite a few financial planners do. He brought my husband (his son) and myself into his business a few years before he retired. My mother-in-law had a bad health scare, and he could see that his years in the business were numbered.

In our case, my husband and I were good candidates to take over the family financial-planning business. We were both graduates of Duke University; I was a CPA, and my husband had recently retired from a first career in major-league baseball. We had the backgrounds and were ready to assume the responsibility of maintaining and growing the business that he started.

The transition wasn’t easy; my father-in-law’s mind knew that it was the best course of actions for his clients, but his heart wasn’t ready to leave. In hindsight, it was a great decision, because his health deteriorated quickly after we took over, and he passed away three years ago.

Many succession plans are not carefully planned out or are devised as a result of a health event. A good succession plan is made when the owner can think rationally and formally devise a sort of buy-sell agreement.

The buy-sell agreement is a legally binding contract that says what will happen if the owner passes away, falls ill, or wants to retire. It will formalize information like the company sales price, the value of each share in the business, and how the sale of the company could be funded.

 

Barbara Trombley

Barbara Trombley

“Many buy-sell agreements are funded with life insurance; the company or the individual co-owners buy policies on the other co-owners that allow them to buy shares in the company using the proceeds from the insurance after the owner or shareholder’s death.”

 

Perhaps the simplest example of a buy-sell agreement is if there is more than one owner. The agreement will state that the co-owners can purchase each other’s shares in the event the buy-sell agreement is triggered.

Many buy-sell agreements are funded with life insurance; the company or the individual co-owners buy policies on the other co-owners that allow them to buy shares in the company using the proceeds from the insurance after the owner or shareholder’s death. A term policy is often more inexpensive, but a permanent policy may be more suitable for a longer period of time.

What if you are the only owner? What makes a good succession plan?

A good succession plan will consider the human-resources side of the transition as well as the financial aspects. Do you want to keep the business in the family? Are your family members qualified and knowledgeable about your business? Do they desire and have the heart to keep your business going? Will you choose certain family members over others?

Most businesses do better with a single overall successor as opposed to splitting ownership of the business. It may be possible to appoint different heirs to manage separate departments. Many small-business owners assume their children want to take over. We have heard many stories about family in-fighting or entitled heirs assuming roles that they are not prepared for. Many a business has suffered or failed after a leadership change; a good succession plan will look with an objective view at different family relationships.

Another option to a family succession plan would be to have a key employee buy the business.

The buy-sell agreement could be executed over time, giving the other employees and customers time to get used to the idea, or it can be triggered by an event such as an illness or death of the owner. Of course, not many employees have the funds to purchase a company.

One idea would be to provide seller financing. A loan from the owner to the buyer could provide a stream of income to the owner as he enters retirement. Another option would be outside financing. This would be the best course if the owner desires his funds up front.

In our financial-planning business, we are constantly urged to set up a succession plan. This is mainly to ensure that a properly licensed advisor can quickly service our clients in the event of the death or disability of myself and my husband. Our plan is to set up a buy-sell agreement with another financial advisor that would be triggered in an emergency but fully changeable in case one of our qualified children would like to take over the business for a third generation.

Taking the time to consider the human-resource angle as well as the financial angle can ensure an agreement that is beneficial to all parties involved and ensure the business you have built will last for a long time.

Barbara Trombley, MBA, CPA, CDFA is an LPL financial planner with Trombley Associates Investment and Retirement Planning in Wilbraham; securities offered through LPL Financial; member FINRA/SIPC. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Trombley Associates and LPL Financial do not provide legal advice or services. Consult your legal advisor regarding your specific situation.

Not All Accusations of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Are Valid

By
Law

A Sometimes Fine Line

By Marylou Fabbo, Esq.

There’s no doubt the #MeToo movement has brought positive change to the business world by creating a safer environment for women (and men) to come forward with accounts of sexual harassment. But what if the claims aren’t true, either because they don’t rise to the legal definition of harassment or they’re completely fabricated? The damage, to both individual and company reputations, can be significant.

Make no mistake. Subjecting an employee to sexual harassment in the workplace, at a company-sponsored event, or on a business trip is unacceptable and should be punished.

#MeToo has had a strong, positive impact on encouraging victims to come forward with valid claims that had been unreported or overlooked. Everyone who complains of sexual harassment should be heard, but should everyone be believed? Most people — men and women — are not sexual abusers, and yet most individuals would say they have experienced some form of sexual misconduct. Most also would agree that some sexual behavior, such as grabbing a co-worker’s breast, exposing oneself to another employee, or telling an employee that he or she will get a promotion if he or she sleeps with the boss are clear-cut cases of sexual harassment.

Marylou Fabbo, Esq

Still, even if sexual comments or behaviors are inappropriate for the workplace, not everything of a sexual nature rises to the level of illegal sexual harassment under the law. This leaves the door open to unfounded and/or, in some cases, intentionally false claims, which can have a damaging impact on company image and the accused person’s professional and personal life.

Sexual Harassment Defined

Title VII and Massachusetts law prohibit sex discrimination in the workplace, and sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. The harasser and the victim of sexual harassment can be the same or opposite gender and have the same or different sexual orientations.

Although this article addresses sexual harassment in the workplace, sexual harassment is also prohibited in places of public accommodation, educational facilities, and housing.

“Even if sexual comments or behaviors are inappropriate for the workplace, not everything of a sexual nature rises to the level of illegal sexual harassment under the law.”

There are two types of sexual harassment: ‘quid pro quo’ harassment and ‘hostile work environment’ harassment. Quid pro quo harassment includes sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when a term of employment or employment decision depends on whether an employee accepts or rejects those advances.

Many of the accusations asserted against producer Harvey Weinstein fall into the quid pro quo category. Actors have come forward stating that Weinstein promised them career advances in exchange for a positive response to his sexual advances; they also have stated that Weinstein failed to help them out if they chose not to meet his sexual demands. That’s unambiguous quid pro quo harassment.

In Massachusetts, employers are strictly liable for quid pro quo harassment, which means the business is on the hook for damages even if it did not know about the harassment.

The other type of sexual harassment is hostile work environment sexual harassment. Under Massachusetts law, illegal sexual harassment occurs when “requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance by creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating, or sexually offensive work environment.”

Complaints about Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose’s actions fall into the sexually hostile work environment category. Lauer is accused of exposing himself to staff, and the accusations against Rose included making lewd phone calls and groping women’s breasts. In both cases, the individuals’ employers have been accused of knowing about the harassment and doing little to stop it.

Subjective and Objectively Offensive

An employee who is offended by sexual behavior may file a claim of harassment with the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), believing that the actions were illegal simply because they were of a sexual nature.

However, to constitute illegal sexual harassment in the workplace, the behavior must be offensive both to the recipient and the general public. Ask yourself this question: if an employee shows co-workers vacation pictures on his phone that include friends in bikinis, is that sexual harassment? What about the long-term manager who refers to women as ‘girls,’ gives hugs occasionally, and makes jokes about the lack of sex in his long-term marriage?

Some may find those comments and actions offensive, and others may not. Is the manager just ‘old school’? If an employee subjectively perceives the behavior as hostile, intimidating, humiliating, or offensive, then the conduct may constitute sexual harassment. But that’s not enough — the question becomes whether a reasonable person in the employee’s position would find the conduct offensive.

“To constitute illegal sexual harassment in the workplace, the behavior must be offensive both to the recipient and the general public.”

Conduct of a sexual nature also must be unwelcome in order to constitute illegal sexual harassment, but it is almost impossible to be absolutely sure whether the conduct is welcome or unwelcome. The fact that an employee appears to be a willing participant in sexual discussions about weekend conquests may suggest that the employee was not opposed to the sexual discussions by the water cooler on Monday mornings. Yet, the employee may have actually been cringing on the inside.

Under the law, even if an employee makes sexual comments or jokes, or engages in sexual conduct, those actions do not automatically mean that all behavior is welcome. A disgruntled employee who appeared to be a willing participant may later claim that behavior that was welcome was in fact unwelcome.

Nimrod Reitman, a former NYU graduate student, accused his school adviser, Avita Ronell, of sexually harassing him over a three-year period. He claimed that she referred to him in e-mails by names such as “my most adored one” and “sweet cuddly baby,” and kissed and touched him repeatedly and required him to lie in her bed, among other things. Ronell did not deny the behavior but denied the harassment and claimed that the behavior had been welcomed.

While that case doesn’t arise in the employment context, it provides an example of one reason employers should implement zero-tolerance policies when it comes to sexual banter in the workplace. What may have been considered welcome sexual commentary or behavior may have actually have been unwelcome and could subject them to a lawsuit.

False Accusations of Sexual Harassment

Why would one make a false accusation of having been sexually harassed at work? It cannot be disputed that some people fabricate claims of sexual harassment in the workplace because alleged victims have admitted to making up allegations against co-workers or management for many different reasons.

In some cases, sexual-harassment claims may be made to ward off terminations because employers are fearful of being accused of illegal retaliation if they take (warranted) disciplinary action after an employee has come forward with a sexual-harassment complaint. Disgruntled employees have been found to have made false accusations against someone they believe is responsible for an adverse personnel action the employee received, such as a demotion or termination from employment.

Employees have admitted that they have intentionally made sexual-harassment complaints against co-workers for vindictive reasons or for attention.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult to determine whether specific allegations are true or false, as there usually are no witnesses or hard evidence. Because of this, businesses may overreact or react harshly without having all of the facts.

Nev Shulman, star of MTV’s Catfish, was accused of sexual assault. He denied the claims, but the show was suspended anyway. Upon a later investigation, the claims were deemed not credible, and the show was reinstated. A Sacred Heart University student falsely reported having been raped by two school football players and has since faced criminal charges. The leader of the New York City Ballet was accused of sexual harassment and retired. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Collateral damage follows baseless accusations of sexual harassment. Valid harassment claims are devalued and may be looked upon skeptically. When it becomes known that an accusation was false, it raises the possibility in individual’s minds that the next allegation of a similar nature may also not be credible.

Being falsely accused of sexual harassment is also a downfall to the accused’s career. Prior to having their names cleared, alleged harassers may quit or be required to resign, and they sometimes remain under suspicion even after the complaint is found to have been fabricated. The fact that a sexual harassment lawsuit has been filed against a company may be covered in the media, but when, years later, it is dismissed by the court before it gets to the jury stage because the case is without factual support, that information often is not made available to the public — perhaps forever leaving a bad mark on the employer in the eyes of its customers as well as employees. u

Marylou Fabbo is an attorney with Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., one of the largest law firms in New England exclusively practicing labor and employment law. She specializes in employment litigation, immigration, wage-and-hour compliance, and leaves of absence. Fabbo devotes much of her practice to defending employers in state and federal courts and administrative agencies. She also regularly assists her clients with day-to-day employment issues, including disciplinary matters, leave management, and compliance; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]

UMass Amherst Looks to Be a World Leader in Water-technology Innovation

By
Technology

Pipeline to Progress

When the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center released a study last fall examining potential locations for water-technology demonstration centers in Massachusetts — thus raising the Bay State’s profile and potential in the increasingly critical field of water supply, treatment, and sustainability — UMass Amherst was a natural choice, because it’s been making connections between water research and industry for some time. A host of key stakeholders believe it can become even more so in the decades to come.

Talk to experts in the broad realm of water technology innovation, and it doesn’t take long for Israel to come up, at least in terms of government investment.

It’s not exactly by choice.

“There are countries facing severe water issues right now,” said Loren Walker, director of the Office of Research Development at UMass Amherst. “Israel is the world leader in terms of state-led efforts to purify water — because they have to. They have a real water-constraint situation there.”

But several entities in the Bay State — from the university to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to a host of industry players, both established companies and startups — are intrigued by the potential to make Massachusetts an international leader in water innovation as well. And they’ve got plenty of progress to build on already.

“It’s obviously a big area — there’s a water crisis around the country, around the world, and it will be more critical as the years go on, so there’s a need to innovate ways to treat water, both wastewater and surface water,” Walker told BusinessWest.

“It’s an active area of university research, an active area of industrial research,” he went on, “but there’s a gap between the kind of research the universities do — federally funded, more basic or fundamental — and technologies being developed by industry that they can ultimately commercialize and sell. There’s a gap between that fundamental research and the later applied research where you’re prototyping, scaling up, and seeing what technologies really work — and that’s where you need a pilot site. You need a way to go from fundamental laboratory research to commercial-scale research.”

UMass could be that site, he said.

Loren Walker

Loren Walker says the Amherst Wastewater Treatment plant provides UMass researchers and partnering companies a flow of wastewater on which to test new technologies.

Last fall, MassCEC released a comprehensive study that evaluates the technical and financial feasibility of three potential water-technology demonstration centers across Massachusetts, including one at UMass Amherst. Such centers, proponents say, could offer a test bed to pilot new water technologies and position Massachusetts as a global leader in the water-innovation and energy-efficiency sector, providing significant business and employment opportunities.

Rick Sullivan, president of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council, said one of the EDC’s goals is to help identify and develop sectors where Massachusetts could become a center of excellence. Back when he served as secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs under then-Gov. Deval Patrick, he and the governor traveled to several locations, including Israel, to learn about water innovation, recognizing this was an issue of growing international concern.

“Water is just a really big issue, and becoming more important every day,” Sullivan said. “So we started asking, ‘can Massachusetts actually play in this water cluster?’ The short answer is, yes we can — because it’s already a multi-billion-dollar business in the Commonwealth.”

“It’s obviously a big area — there’s a water crisis around the country, around the world, and it will be more critical as the years go on.”

That figure includes everything from delivery systems to public-works projects; from filtering, purifying, and clarifying water to security of freshwater sources like the Quabbin Reservoir, he noted. “So it’s a bigger field than I think a lot of people realize.”

UMass Amherst has long been involved in water research. Then, in 2016, a $4.1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — on the heels of a state earmark of $1.5 million from the state Department of Environmental Protection for water innovation — helped launch one of only two national research centers (the other is in Boulder, Colo.) focused on testing and demonstrating cutting-edge technologies for drinking-water systems.

All things considered, Sullivan said, UMass Amherst is an ideal spot to develop a demonstration center. A conference last October, called “Innovations and Opportunities in Water Technologies,” brought together the business and startup community, area municipal leaders who spoke about challenges to current water and wastewater systems, and UMass experts who detailed some of the cutting-edge work already being done on campus.

“At the end of the day, all of those panels and all the discussion and information kind of led back to reinforcing the idea that this is a really smart investment for the Commonwealth,” Sullivan said, noting that the investment to create the three centers was approved as part of the state’s 2014 environmental bond bill, but has not yet been appropriated in the state budget.

“When you talk to the companies that are in the innovation sector, one of the biggest needs they have is to be able to take their product and demonstrate that it works in real life — and to be able to do that not just in a lab, but out there in the real world,” he continued. “UMass has the ability to provide that infrastructure with some investment from the Commonwealth.”

In the Flow

The MassCEC study analyzed the technical and financial feasibility of three potential water-technology demonstration centers around the state: the so-called Wastewater Pilot Plant at UMass Amherst, the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center in Barnstable, and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s Deer Island Treatment Plant in Boston Harbor.

Establishing this network could create jobs, lower energy costs, and optimize municipal operations in addition to supporting water-technology research, the study noted. A test-bed network could serve existing Massachusetts-based water technology companies, help attract new companies to the Commonwealth, advance new solutions to both local and global water challenges, and provide a strong foundation for innovation.

Key to UMass Amherst’s feasibility as a demonstration center is the fact that it already acts as a pilot site for industry — albeit on a limited basis — because of its access to flowing streams of municipal wastewater at the Amherst Wastewater Treatment Plant, located next to the university’s Water Energy Technology (WET) Center.

“You need flowing streams of municipal wastewater and surface water; you need to have access to this to test your filtration membrane or electrochemical treatment technologies, whatever they may be,” Walker said.

“Those facilities are few and far between,” he added. “But we happen to have one of just a couple facilities in the country that have some of the key attributes necessary to do some of this pilot testing — access to flowing wastewater and flowing surface-water streams, proximity to a research university, and access to stakeholders and end users.”

The issue, he said, is size and scale.

Rick Sullivan says Massachusetts can be a major player in the water cluster and, in many ways, already is.

Rick Sullivan says Massachusetts can be a major player in the water cluster and, in many ways, already is.

“We have the fundamental key attributes needed to make this kind of pilot facility, but we’re limited,” he went on. “We have bays now and already have companies using the facility to do their own research and scale up. It’s already an active space for research and development collaborations — but it gets filled up very quickly, so we would love to expand it, see even more companies come in and use this space, both established companies as well as new startups.”

The center was established in the 1970s and ran as a research pilot site for decades, but fell into disrepair in the late 1990s, he explained. Since its grant-funded renovation in 2016 as a research and collaboration space, it has hosted numerous industrial collaborators. “But it’s limited how many projects can happen in parallel. So there’s a case to be made for investing in infrastructure improvements, expansion, and modernization, do more projects in parallel.”

As an example of the kind of research being done there, Walker brought up ultrafiltration membranes — nanoscale membranes that can remove contaminants when water is forced through. One problem is that the membranes tend to get fouled up by materials in the water and eventually don’t work so well, and have to be replaced regularly, which is costly.

But Jessica Schiffman, an associate professor of Chemical Engineering at UMass Amherst, recently received a National Science Foundation grant to study the use of naturally occurring biopolymers that can be used as a nanofiber’s mat to prevent fouling in these ultrafiltration membranes, he explained. “Then you have a membrane that lasts longer and is more valuable, more efficient, and processes water more effectively.”

Then there are startups like Aclarity, whose CEO, Julie Bliss Mullen, presented at the fall conference. Her company specializes in electrochemical advanced oxidation, which is essentially using electricity to decontaminate water.

“Our faculty and students are looking for real-world problems to tackle. We’re on the research side of the equation, but the real world informs what gets done here.”

“Then there are companies developing their own technologies we don’t even know about,” Walker said. “When they get to the stage where they’ve tested it at the lab scale and they know it works at that scale, they still can’t sell it; they can’t turn it into a technology and market it to anyone until they’ve tested it at the municipal scale, and that’s where a facility like the WET Center comes in.

“We already know there’s interest here, and we have more interest than we can serve presently,” he went on. “And we’re hoping we can find ways to expand and renovate the facility so we can meet that interest.”

It’s not just companies that benefit, he added. “Our faculty and students are looking for real-world problems to tackle. We’re on the research side of the equation, but the real world informs what gets done here. So it’s a very fruitful partnership, to have our basic researchers working with companies, and companies hopefully getting some value out of the investigations we can lead, and we get a lot of value from the questions they ask, which informs the research we do here at the university.”

Current Events

One end result of all this innovation and connection, Sullivan said, is a real economic-development boost in a field that promises to become more critical over the next several decades.

“Companies these days are looking for direct ties to the university for two reasons: one, the students are graduating and they need the talent, and they also want to tie back to the research and development that’s occurring with the grad students and professors and other staff, so they can stay on the cutting edge,” he told BusinessWest.

The test-bed potential, to have a site big enough to accommodate real-life testing for more companies, only enhances that potential, he added, noting that it’s only one way UMass is leading the way in connecting scientific research with real economic development, with the core facilities at the Institute for Applied Life Sciences being another.

“It’s such a resource and economic opportunity for the region,” he said of the university as a whole, “and I think a lot of people don’t understand and appreciate the potential it has and the importance it has.”

Walker was quick to add that the state and region have been taking the water-technology issue seriously for some time. For example, the New England Water Innovation Network is a nonprofit trade group that examines the water cluster in Massachusetts — companies developing water-purification technologies, university researchers at UMass and other universities, and industry — and connects those dots to help foster collaboration and innovation that will develop technologies, attract companies interested in developing these technologies, and hopefully create more jobs and an economic boost, all while attacking a major global problem.

“So there’s a need, and it’s likely only going to grow,” he said. “UMass Amherst is going to help develop some of the solutions to solve that problem and, hopefully, in the process of doing so, create some economic opportunity for Massachusetts and Western Mass. in particular.”

While UMass is ahead of the curve, Walker noted, this isn’t an unknown area for innovation potential, and other states, like Georgia, are currently looking to develop similar pilot-scale and commercial-scale projects.

“Right now we’re in a good place. We have a lot of interest, and we have a lot of expertise here, but I think that, going forward, we’ll see a lot more competition from other states and other regions that want to get in on this game. But to be successful, you have to have combination of physical infrastructure, stakeholder relations, and, critically, the expertise. That means having experts at the university level, which we have in spades here.”

David Reckhow is one of the more prominent of that group. The director of the Water Innovation Network for Sustainable Small Systems at UMass Amherst, he has traveled to Israel, Singapore, and other places to learn about global water needs and the innovation occurring worldwide to meet those needs.

“They talk about water being the next oil,” Reckhow told BusinessWest in December 2014. “We’re running out of quality water. There’s plenty of water on the planet, but most of it is not usable; the water in the ocean is not usable, or, at least, it’s very expensive to use. So, as we move forward, there’s going to be more conflict over existing high-quality water sources. We have seen it in the Middle East for a long time, but it’s going to be more widespread. It’s an issue of national security around the world.”

The intervening years have only made it more of one. And UMass Amherst has the potential, Walker said, to be a national center for water innovation that will benefit the region, but also attract players from across the U.S., both industry and academic collaborators.

“I do think it’s new enough of a cluster that it’s just starting to get some real recognition of its importance,” Sullivan said. “I think there’s a real opportunity for Western Mass., and UMass in particular, to play a role here.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Developments Raise Profile of Great Barrington

By
Jennifer Tabakin
Community Spotlight

Community Spotlight

Jennifer Tabakin

Jennifer Tabakin says initiatives like high-speed broadband, environmental sustainability, and the arts all contribute to quality of life and help attract young people to town.

Jennifer Tabakin is a believer in using public investment to spur private investment. After six years as Great Barrington’s town manager — she’s stepping down in June — she has seen plenty of evidence to back up that philosophy.

“We’ve talked a lot about the investments we’ve made in Bridge Street, which is one of our side streets off Main Street,” she told BusinessWest. “Over the years, the public money put into it has been significant, and we’ve been able to see private development come along in response to it.”

Projects like Powerhouse Square, a mixed-use development on Bridge Street. “It’s literally steps from Main Street — exactly where new development should be,” said Town Planner Chris Rembold.

On the ground floor is Berkshire Co-op Market, a grocery store that’s moving from a different location and doubling its size. The development also includes space for smaller retail outlets and 20 new residential apartments on the second and third levels. In fact, that’s just a sample of a recent housing boom in town; in the past year alone, 228 new housing units were either built or permitted.

“We’ve been able to get far more downtown than I ever expected, ranging from affordable units to downtown condos. That meets the needs people have for a more walkable lifestyle” — one where residences are in close proximity to shopping, restaurants, and cultural amenities, Tabakin said.

One example of the latter is Saint James Place, which opened in 2017 as a home to small and mid-sized Berkshire County arts groups in need of performance, rehearsal, and office space. Created out of the historic St. James Episcopal Church on Main Street, several of its office spaces for lease have been filled by arts-related groups such the Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Flying Cloud, and the Berkshire Opera.

“It’s kind of a hub of supporting businesses and people. Not only are there traditional performing arts, but a dance studio, literary arts, and visual arts — and new media like computer design and software design.”

Saint James Place is now a thriving cultural venue, and we’re thrilled to have them here,” Tabakin said.

In October, in recognition of its vibrant arts life, the downtown was designated one of the state’s cultural districts by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

“It’s a geographic area with not only plenty of cultural venues and things to do — like the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and Saint James Place as performing-arts venues — but it’s kind of a hub of supporting businesses and people,” Rembold said. “Not only are there traditional performing arts, but a dance studio, literary arts, and visual arts — and new media like computer design and software design.”

The cultural-district designation, he added, is a recognition of the vitality of the arts and culture in downtown Great Barrington, but it also serves a practical purpose. Cultural districts can access a stream of services including tax credits, economic incentives, planning assistance, grants, historic-preservation help, signs, and tourism promotion. Among the town’s plans is a shared cultural events calendar, which will help the various venues better coordinate their booking schedules, making it easier for visitors to know what’s happening when they spend a weekend or more here.

“It’s kind of an organizational effort, a marketing effort for the downtown,” Rembold said, adding that there’s much to market: the Mahaiwe and Saint James Place alone offer some 200 nights of entertainment a year. “And if something’s not going on there, you can go see a movie or a poetry reading or a Friday night film at the library. If you’re bored in Great Barrington, that’s your own fault.”

Getting with the Times

Another recent boon for downtown is the installation of fiber service. “It’s a strategy to make sure our downtown has the highest-speed broadband and can be competitive with our neighbors in the area, so people can locate here and take advantage of that higher speed,” Tabakin said.

“We have a private company covering all the development cost and infrastructure cost to bring fiber to downtown, and we’ll eventually start moving out to the rest of the community,” said Ed Abrahams, vice chair of the Select Board.

Great Barrington at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1761
Population: 7,104
Area: 45.8 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $14.98
Commercial Tax Rate: $14.98
Median Household Income: $95,490
Median Family Income: $103,135
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Largest Employers: Fairview Hospital; Kutscher’s Sports Academy; Prairie Whale
* Latest information available

Meanwhile, the town continues to make environmental sustainability common practice, moving all municipal, school, and community buildings to green energy sources and reducing use of single-use plastic products.

“For the past four years, we’ve supported eight large solar projects with a combined value of $16 million,” Tabakin added, while many town residents have gone solar as well.

All these factors — culture, high-speed broadband, sustainability — aim to position Great Barrington as a thoroughly modern community, even as it retains much of its quintessential old New England character, thus attracting more young families. Like other towns in rural Berkshire and Franklin counties, Great Barrington has seen the average age of its residents rise in recent years; the community has always been a popular spot for retirees, and there are a number of New Yorkers with summer homes in town.

But by bolstering ingredients like attractive (and affordable) housing, a vibrant downtown, a burgeoning cultural community, and outdoor activities (Ski Butternut is a prominent attraction), Great Barrington’s leaders are looking clearly at the future, which means attracting young people and especially young families.

Of course, those families will need to find find jobs here, and Great Barrington boasts strengths in a number of sectors, including education (Simons Rock of Bard College is located in town), healthcare (Fairview Hospital), technology (perhaps a dozen IT companies call the town home), the arts and tourism, the nonprofit community, and restaurants (the town is home to around 80 of them).

“We have challenges like other places, and we have to deal with the limited resources of a small town, but we have a very committed group here, and I have no doubt that will continue.”

“The challenge for the Select Board, and all of us, for that matter, is to maintain the vibrancy we have and support for our local retailers and existing businesses, and also be open to new businesses — to keep that appropriate balance and make sure we have diversity in the local economy,” Tabakin said. “That’s something we speak about a lot.”

One area of the economy that’s growing — literally — is the cannabis sector, which is something BusinessWest has mentioned in almost every Community Spotlight over the past six months. Great Barrington is no exception, with Theory Wellness opening the first retail marijuana store in Berkshire County in January, with others to follow. In the first month, the shop netted $2 million in sales and $90,000 in taxes paid to the town.

“They opened to long lines, which should level off as they get more competition,” said Abrahams, who quickly added that any cannabis business in Great Barrington should do well, due to the town’s proximity to Connecticut and New York, states where the drug is not legal. “This is new for all of us, but so far, there have been logistically few problems, and police report no increase in people driving under the influence.”

Continuing Commitment

As Tabakin looks back on her six years in office, she’s especially gratified at a Town Hall full of energetic and committed people, and a lot of new faces — during her tenure, 26 people were either promoted or started a career there.

“Several years ago, we were warned we had a number of people approaching retirement age,” Abrahams added, “and it’s been a really smooth transition replacing them with newer people.”

Having a well-run town, Tabakin said, speaks to a commitment to quality of life, one that’s evident in Great Barrington’s vibrant retail district, cultural attractions, quality schools, and more, she said.

“Many times, government gets a bad rap, but I don’t feel that’s the case in Great Barrington,” she told BusinessWest. “We have challenges like other places, and we have to deal with the limited resources of a small town, but we have a very committed group here, and I have no doubt that will continue.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

New Adams & Ruxton Owner Walks a Surprising Career Path

By
Dorothy Ostrowski says she’s never been happier than she is at the helm of a venerable construction firm.
Construction

From Bedside to Job Site

Dorothy Ostrowski says she’s never been happier than she is at the helm of a venerable construction firm.

After more than a decade in nursing, Dorothy Ostrowski says she’s never been happier than she is at the helm of a venerable construction firm.

Dorothy Ostrowski has never settled for having just one ball in the air.

Like the time, a few years ago, when she was building a house with her husband, Mike, while pregnant with their second child, completing a dual master’s degree, and starting a new nursing job.

“Somehow, I don’t know how everything fits on my plate, but it all does,” she told BusinessWest. “One of the biggest things I believe is that anyone’s capable of anything. It’s really how bad do you want it, and how much does it impact you, your life, and your family?”

“One of the biggest things I believe is that anyone’s capable of anything. It’s really how bad do you want it, and how much does it impact you, your life, and your family?”

She had to ask all those questions, plus a few more, when the opportunity arose last April to purchase Adams & Ruxton Construction, a 110-year-old West Springfield company, from its then-owner, family friend Andy Touchette.

With Mike busy running his own company, Amp Electric, it was a decision that rested fully with Dorothy, who had worked in nursing for well over a decade but was intrigued by putting the MBA she earned in 2015 to good use.

He said, ‘what do you think? Do you think you can run it?’” she recalled. “And I was like, ‘you know what? It’s time to do something for me. It’s time to do something for our family. It’s time to do something where I know I have a passion and I can be a good leader.’ So I immediately contacted Andy and said we’re interested.”

Mike had long admired Adams & Ruxton and the work Touchette did there. “I knew it wasn’t a dud. It was all about if the numbers worked and whether or not we could afford it — and whether or not she wanted to run it. That’s how it came to be.”

Once the deal and a transition plan was in place, Dorothy spent the next six months working with Touchette, unpaid, learning every aspect of the business, from contracts and estimating to equipment and planning — “every nut and bolt,” as she put it.

Mike Ostrowski knew enough about his friend’s company

Mike Ostrowski knew enough about his friend’s company — and his wife’s skillset — to know this would be a good fit.

With a diverse range of work, from excavation to commercial buildings, the firm’s recent clients include Chicopee Electric Light, Bank of America, the Diocese of Springfield, Callaway, and Coldwell Banker, among others. The company is also currently being evaluated for woman-owned and veteran-owned certifications, which would open up more doors, especially in the realm of state and federal contracts.

It’s a new adventure for sure, one far different than her career stops to this point would have predicted. For this issue’s focus on construction and architecture, BusinessWest talked with Ostrowski about the many twists in her path, from the roads outside Afghanistan’s capital to emergency departments at area hospitals, to her new task, building a new career — both literally and figuratively.

Joining the Force

Growing up, Ostrowski’s plans were much different than her eventual path into nursing. Specifically, she wanted to be a police officer, eventually studying criminal justice at Holyoke Community College.

Before that, though, at age 17, she signed up with the Army National Guard. A friend had recently joined the service, so she spoke with the same recruiter, who explained the opportunities available in a military police role.

“It was one of those turning points in life, like, ‘what am I going to do with the rest of my life?’” she recalled. After attending boot camp the summer after her junior year, she left for Fort McClellan in Alabama the following year, after her high-school graduation, for what would become a seven-year stint, with stops in Italy, Honduras, Panama, and — most memorably — a nine-month tour in Afghanistan, two years after the 2001 U.S. invasion.

“Wherever I’ve been, we’ve always talked about us opening a business — maybe a daycare for special-needs children or something else. I’ve always had that desire to do more and be more.”

“We did a lot of security stuff in Kabul; we were there to support the rebuilding of the Afghan national army,” she explained. Partway through, she became a chase driver for Gen. Karl Eikenberry, tasked with ‘defensive driving’ to protect the general and others from gunfire and IEDs.

“I’ve had dinner at President [Hamid] Karzai’s palace,” she recalled. “We traveled by Chinooks and Blackhawks with Apache escorts through the mountains, met with warlords, and rode in armored-up Chevy Suburbans with thick, bulletproof glass.”

But her future wouldn’t be in police work — civilian or military. Instead, while taking classes at HCC, she crossed paths with some people who got her interested in medical assisting. After earning her certification in that field and working for a podiatrist, she landed in the Emergency Department of Baystate Medical Center. It was an eye-opening experience.

“That was my first taste of the chaotic world of emergency-room nursing, and I loved it,” she said. “I don’t think you ever get stagnant in that kind of environment. You never know what’s going to come around the corner next, and if you become complacent somewhere, you start to miss things and start to make mistakes. It’s the ever-changing part of it and the constant knowledge. No two patients have the same cookie-cutter symptoms or diagnosis. It’s that constant education that keeps you on your toes.”

She performed well in that environment, and colleagues began suggesting she attend nursing school, which she did, earning an associate degree in nursing at Springfield Technical Community College with help from G.I. Bill benefits, and soon found herself in a new-graduate residency at Baystate.

“But I always wanted more,” she said. “I stayed there long enough to get experience, then I did travel nursing. I saw a lot of different places and different ways procedures are done.”

Ostrowski eventually returned to Western Mass., where she dated, then married Mike, and earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Elms College. She took ER jobs at Baystate and Mercy Medical Center, but soon decided she wanted to shift into a less hectic type of job that allowed her more time with family. So she accepted a job with Sound Physicians, a medical process-improvement company, and went back to Elms for a dual master’s degree in nursing and business administration.

“Throughout these transitions, I always wanted more,” she said. “I wanted to be more in a leadership position.”

She found that by buying Adams & Ruxton.

“Wherever I’ve been, we’ve always talked about us opening a business — maybe a daycare for special-needs children or something else,” she said. “I’ve always had that desire to do more and be more.”

After Sound Physicians, she worked at St. Francis Medical Center in Hartford as a process-improvement nurse, and had moved to a role as nurse manager at Connecticut Children’s Hospital when the opportunity arose to buy the construction company.

“I’ve never not been happy as a nurse, and I think I would have potentially stayed in nursing longer had I stayed at the bedside,” she explained. “But I had moved into more of that management piece of nursing, and I constantly struggled with being a nurse’s nurse versus the business of healthcare. It was a difficult internal turmoil to be in, when you know what you want to do through your nurses and patients, but your constraints are based on finances.”

Furthermore, the job was keeping her busy 60 hours a week or more, and she felt she wasn’t home nearly enough to be with her family, especially her older son. “He was struggling to read as a first-grader, and I could have counted on my two hands how many times I was home in time to be able to read to him.”

Time to Change

Something had to give. And her husband could see it, too.

“Between the unhappiness of where she was and having a friend of ours running this [construction] business the past 10 years and how well he’s done, that put it into perspective — ‘hey, it’s just another type of business,’” Mike said. “We’re buying a fully established business that’s completely up and running. All you have to do is go in and replicate what’s going on. You don’t have to build it from the ground up — you can make your changes, you can improve it and grow the business, but in the beginning, all you have to do is replicate it and keep it going.”

“Knowing where to get the answers and knowing to tell someone you don’t know the answer — you get more respect from that than from anything.”

The transition period was important, Dorothy said.

“Andy said he had gotten multiple offers from people he thought would potentially be able to take this business on, but they weren’t the right fit,” she noted. “There’s a certain quality that Adams & Ruxton provides. You have to be the right kind of person who’s going to be there for your clients and your prospective clients. And Andy really wanted to make this a warm handoff. So, the last six months, he made sure he introduced me to all his key clients, and he’s come back in a consultative way; if there’s someone I didn’t meet during those six months, he goes out and meets them with me so they know they’re in the same hands they were before.”

She said the most gratifying aspect of her career move was the fact that Adams & Ruxton’s employees, many of whom have been there more than 20 years, stayed on board when she arrived — and have been a rich resource.

“There’s a constant conversation — if I don’t know something in the construction realm, I have the support system and the knowledge within these walls to ask the questions. I know finances, and I understand how to run the business. I may not know everything there is to know about general contracting, but I know when to say I don’t know, and I know when to ask the questions. I have a great support team.”

Mike agreed. “Knowing where to get the answers and knowing to tell someone you don’t know the answer — you get more respect from that than from anything,” he said.

Both are pleased that business — both at the firm and in the industry as a whole — is healthy right now, Dorothy said. “Our construction rampup this year has started much earlier this year than previous years, so I have no worries about the busy-ness or sustainability.”

It’s a peace she said she began to forge during the period she worked directly with Touchette.

“Over those first six months, there were times I’d never been more sure of something in my career, even as a nurse, and I’ve never been happier than I am now,” she told BusinessWest. “I probably have more stress because I directly impact the livelihoods of the people who work for me, but I’m happier. I enjoy coming to work every day. I enjoy learning new things every day.”

Ostrowski thinks back to other times of transition during her life — like when she missed her graduation from Elms in 2010 because she was delivering her first child — and sees one whirlwind after another, but that suits her just fine.

“I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I think this is probably the coolest challenge I can embrace, and I will make this successful because I’ve got a great team around me,” she said. “I’m lucky to be where I am right now.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Weigh the Benefits of the Total-return and Bucket Approaches

By
Estate Planning

Retirement-income Planning

By Greg Sheehan

Most working Americans have only one source of steady income before they retire: Their jobs. But when you retire, your income will likely come from a number of sources, such as retirement accounts, Social Security benefits, pensions, and part-time work.

When deciding how to manage your various assets to ensure a steady retirement-income stream, there are two main strategies to consider: the total-return approach and the investment pool — or bucket — approach.

The Total-return Approach

With the total-return approach, you invest your assets in a diversified portfolio of investments with varying potential for growth, stability, and liquidity. The percentage you allot to each type of investment depends on your asset allocation plan, time horizon, risk tolerance, need for income, and other goals you may have.

The objective of your investment portfolio generally changes over time, depending on how close you are to retirement.

• Accumulation phase: During this phase, your portfolio’s objective is to increase in value as much as possible, focusing on investments with growth potential.

• Approaching retirement-age phase: As you near retirement, your portfolio becomes more conservative, moving toward more stable and liquid assets in order to help preserve your earnings.

• Retirement phase: Once you retire, the idea is to withdraw from your portfolio at an even rate that allows you to enjoy a sustainable lifestyle.

A widely quoted withdrawal rate for the first year of retirement has usually been 4%. Ideally, that 4% should be equal to the amount left over after you subtract your yearly retirement income (e.g., pensions, Social Security) from your total cost of living, including investment-management fees. Each year, you will most likely increase your withdrawal percentage to keep up with inflation. Keep in mind, however, that the appropriate withdrawal rate for you will depend on your personal situation as well as the current economic environment.

The Bucket Approach

The bucket approach also begins with a diversified portfolio, following the total-return approach throughout most of the accumulation period. Then, as retirement approaches, you divide your assets into several smaller portfolios (or buckets), each with different time horizons, to target specific needs.

There is no ‘right’ number of buckets, but three is fairly common.

• The first bucket would cover the three years leading up to retirement and the two years following retirement, providing income for near-term spending. It would likely include investments that historically have been relatively stable, such as short-term bonds, CDs, money-market funds, and cash.

• The second bucket would be used in years three through nine of retirement. Designed to preserve some capital while generating retirement income, it would include more assets with growth potential, such as certain mutual funds and dividend-paying stocks.

• The third bucket, designated to provide income in year 10 and beyond, would contain investments that have the most potential for growth, such as equities, commodities, real estate, and alternatives. Although the risk profile of this bucket is typically higher than the other two, its longer time horizon can help provide a buffer for short-term volatility.

As you enter the distribution phase, you draw from these buckets sequentially, using a withdrawal rate based on your specific lifestyle goals in a particular year.

The Big Picture

Many people are familiar with the total-return approach, but the bucket approach has been gaining popularity, thanks in large part to its simplicity. It also accounts for different time periods during retirement, potentially allowing you to allocate money more effectively based on your personal situation.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the bucket approach is that it can help provide a buffer during times of market volatility. If the value of the investments in buckets two and three fluctuates due to market conditions, your immediate cash income is coming from bucket one, which is likely to be less volatile. This may also alleviate the need to sell investments that have lost money in order to generate retirement income.

While the bucket approach has its advantages, some investors feel more comfortable using the total-return approach. The best strategy for your retirement is unique to you and your personal preferences and needs. However you choose to pursue your retirement dreams, it’s important to work with a financial professional who can help you create the most appropriate strategy based on your goals and situation.

Note that diversification does not assure against market loss, and there is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will outperform a non-diversified portfolio. 

Greg Sheehan is an accredited investment fiduciary and partner at the Wealth Transition Collective, a Northampton-based financial-advisory and planning firm. The firm offer securities and advisory services as a registered representative and investment adviser representative of Commonwealth Financial Network, Member FINRA/SIPC, a registered investment adviser; (413) 584-1805; [email protected]

Unmarried Couples Can Take Steps to Protect Partners’ Interests

By
Estate Planning

Now Is the Time to Plan

By Gina Barry

In recent times, many committed couples are choosing not to get married, especially if they have been previously divorced or widowed.

Gina Barry

By Gina M. Barry, Esq.

Although these couples are not married, many present themselves as a married couple. They live together, while sharing their assets and debts. While this arrangement may allow the happy couple to live in bliss while each partner is alive and well, trouble begins when one of the partners loses their competency or passes away.

Your partner does not have the same legal rights as would your spouse. In fact, their legal rights are usually no more than a stranger would have. Fortunately, with proper planning, an unmarried partner can be provided with some legal rights.

The first potential issue to be addressed is incapacity. If you lose your capacity, your partner will have no power to handle your financial affairs unless you have executed a valid durable power of attorney. This is a document in which you designate someone to make financial decisions for you. At a minimum, naming your partner in this document will allow your partner to pay bills, manage real property and other assets, and deal with government agencies, such as MassHealth.

Similarly, if you lose your capacity, your partner will have no power to make medical decisions for you unless you have executed a valid healthcare proxy, a document in which you designate someone to make healthcare decisions for you in the event that you are incapacitated and unable to make your own healthcare decisions. Language addressing your end-of-life decisions, which is known as a living will, is normally included within the healthcare proxy.

This language usually states that you do not want extraordinary medical procedures used to keep you alive when there is no likelihood that you will recover. Having a living will in place lets loved ones know your wishes and should reduce conflict should such a situation arise.

“Although these couples are not married, many present themselves as a married couple. They live together, while sharing their assets and debts. While this arrangement may allow the happy couple to live in bliss while each partner is alive and well, trouble begins when one of the partners loses their competency or passes away.”

Further, if you have not properly planned your estate and you pass away, you may unintentionally disinherit your partner. Your probate estate consists of any assets held in your name alone at the time of your passing that do not have a designated beneficiary. When you die without a will, the heirs at law of your probate estate are your spouse and your blood relatives. As your partner is neither your spouse nor a blood relative, your partner would not receive any assets from your probate estate if you die without a will.

While your partner may receive assets held jointly with you or the assets on which you have named your partner as beneficiary, your partner will not receive anything from your probate estate unless you have a last will and testament naming your partner as your beneficiary. Another reason to establish a will is so that you may name your partner as the personal representative of your estate, which will give your partner the authority to handle your estate for you.

If you have a taxable estate, which at the present time in Massachusetts means an estate greater than $1 million, you will not be able to take advantage of estate-tax laws that favor married couples. The unlimited marital deduction allows a deceased spouse to leave assets of any amount to the surviving spouse without having to pay any estate tax. Since this deduction may be taken only with respect to assets left to a surviving spouse, it is not available to your estate if you leave assets to a partner.

As such, it may be necessary for you to address your tax issues in other ways, such as by gifting, using the annual gift-tax exclusion of $15,000 per person in 2019, or by establishing an irrevocable trust that owns life insurance meant to replace the wealth that will be lost on estate tax.

Even though you may have committed to your partner, if you have not taken the legal steps necessary to protect your partner’s interests should you lose your capacity or pass away, you have overlooked a very important aspect of your relationship.

Once you have lost your capacity or passed away, it is too late to protect your partner. For the love of your partner, plan now, and ensure their legal rights.

Gina M. Barry is a partner with the law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C.. She is a member of the National Assoc. of Elder Law Attorneys, the Estate Planning Council, and the Western Mass. Elder Care Professionals Assoc. She concentrates her practice in the areas of estate and asset-protection planning, probate administration and litigation, guardianships, conservatorships and residential real estate; (413) 781-0560; [email protected]

‘Comma Case’ Puts Exclamation Point on Careful Practices

By
Law

Attention to Details Matters

By Timothy Netkovick, Esq.

As attorneys, we often hear comments like these: ‘we don’t need you to draft our handbook, we got one online,’ or ‘we got one from a third party.’

We also hear the same thing about employee trainings: ‘we don’t need an attorney to do our employee trainings; our HR department conducts our trainings,’ or ‘we’re having an outside contractor conduct the trainings.’

I could go on for hours talking about the importance of up-to-date employment trainings and making sure your employment policies are concise, to the point, and tailored to your company. But a recent case from Maine underscores this point better than I could.

By now you may have heard about the so-called ‘Oxford comma case,’ more formally known as O’Connor v. Oakhurst Dairy, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine. In the case, employees of Oakhurst Dairy filed suit against their employer alleging they were due unpaid overtime pay.

Timothy M. Netkovick

Timothy M. Netkovick

Oakhurst Dairy claimed that it did not have to pay overtime wages due to a qualifying exemption in the Maine overtime law. The entire case boiled down to the placement of a comma in the Maine overtime law. If Oakhurst Dairy was correct, it would incur no further expenses other than the time, expense, aggravation, and attorney’s fees incurred in defending the case. If the employees were correct, that meant that Oakhurst Dairy was in violation of the Maine overtime law, and could have had to pay the employees a substantial sum of money.

The case has reportedly settled for $5 million, an extremely hefty sum to pay based upon differing interpretations of the placement of a comma.

While the Oxford comma case dealt with the interpretation of a law, the lesson for employers is simple — attention to detail matters. In this age of cost cutting in HR departments and legal departments (both in-house counsel and the use of outside counsel), providing trainings for employees and having clear, concise employment policies can save your company immeasurably in the long run.

The Oxford comma case shows that even misplaced or missing punctuation could end up costing your company dearly. Trained legal counsel can provide comprehensive training that will help guide your employees, aid in defending your company in the event of litigation, and also review your handbook policies and give quality advice regarding updates that may be needed in the ever-changing world of employment law.

Holding off on trainings and handbook updates may save your company money in the short term; however, doing so invites the risk of unnecessary litigation based upon both naïve employees and outdated policies. Litigation can last for several years and can be a tremendous drain on your company, not only in terms of legal fees, but also in business disruption caused by the need to gather documents and comply with other discovery requests, including employee depositions.

A company’s managers are its first line of defense. Having regular trainings can help your managers identify potential issues and resolve them before the situation gets out of control. Likewise, having an annual review of your employee handbook can help ensure that all of your company’s policies are up to date and in compliance with applicable laws.

As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Timothy M. Netkovick, an attorney at Royal, P.C., has more than 15 years of litigation experience, and has successfully tried several cases to verdict. In addition to his trial experience, he has specific experience in handling labor and employment matters before a variety of administrative agencies. He also assists employers with unionized workforces during collective bargaining, at arbitrations, and with respect to employee grievances and unfair labor practice charges; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]

When it Comes to Cyberattacks, Prevent, Detect, and Respond

By
Technology

Attack the Problem

By Sean Hogan

Over the course of my time as a business owner, I’ve been asked many times, ‘what keeps you up at night?’

In the early days, I would have said ‘payroll, employees, and sales,’ and maybe not necessarily in that order. Today my answer would be ‘cybersecurity.’

As things have advanced in technology, the web, connectivity, and social media, we have created an easy avenue to our data. Our exposure to hacking is one port away on your firewall, and in some cases, someone may have already breached that firewall.

Security practices in the past do not hold up to complex hacking attacks that are constantly barraging the internet. It used to be adequate to have complex passwords and updated computers with all the patches and security updates. The hackers have concentrated on the lowest-cost and easiest way to infect your computers.

Sean Hogan

Sean Hogan

In most cases, it’s a phishing attack. Phishing attacks are e-mails disguised as a reputable company with a clickable link or some embedded malware. The cyberthieves send out thousands of these attacks and lie in wait until some innocent victim opens the e-mail and clicks on the link or attachment. The malicious robot servers automatically churn out these e-mails, and before they know it, their device and network are infected.

Many of these attacks are designed to install ransomware or access all your critical data. The ransomware will lock down the machine and encrypt your data. They will contact you and request bitcoin to then release your data. Some hackers will pull your data, including contacts and personal information, and post or sell your data to the dark web.

Hacking has evolved greatly within the past few years. In the early days, we would receive a letter from the Nigerian prince, looking to transfer $7 million to you just for good measure. Modern-day hacks and phishing e-mails are very complex; they quite often mimic FedEx, UPS, and customer e-mails so you are more prone to click on the bait.

“As things have advanced in technology, the web, connectivity, and social media we have created an easy avenue to our data. Our exposure to hacking is one port away on your firewall and in some cases, they may have already breached that firewall.”

The most successful program to prevent phishing attacks is training. There are several services that offer security-awareness training (SAT). When you sign up for this type of training, you will be taught what to look for in phishing e-mails and how to respond. The SAT will also include a ‘fake attack’ so you can measure the results at your business and use it as a teaching aid to prevent against future attacks.

Businesses need to embrace a cybersecurity strategy. There are three categories to cybersecurity: Protect, detect, and respond.

Protect

Ask yourself, do you lock your car? Do you lock your front door? Think of your connection (router) as your front door to the web.

Securing this device is the first step in preventing hackers from getting in. Not only should you have the best-in-class router, you also need to maintain the patches and security updates, so the unit does not fall to the constant attacks from the internet.

Beyond the firewall, you need to secure your ethernet switches and your wireless access points. Access points are an easy target for rogue hackers; they often log into a weakly secured access point, and once they have entered, they can navigate your entire network.

Most often, malicious attacks are delivered via e-mail. Logically, it is critical to have very updated anti-spam software, as well as antivirus and malware protection.

It is also critical to have current backups; best practices recommend a full on-site backup with a virtual cloud backup. It is crucial to know that your backups are tested; if you are backing up corrupted data, then your backups are useless.

Detect

Early detection can save lots of time and potential loss of data. Most breaches are not detected for more than 100 days after the breach. Once you detect a breach, you can contain and react to that breach. This begs the obvious question: how can you detect a breach?

There are several ways to go about detecting a breach within your system. First is to engage in a dark-web monitoring service. These services have ‘crawlers’ that are constantly scanning the dark web. They will scan your company and your personal information. When they find your data on the dark web, the service will alert you and let you know what that information is and where it came from, but don’t get your hopes up; you cannot remove your information once it is on the dark web. For instance, LinkedIn was breached more than 10 years ago, and if you had a LinkedIn account in that time frame, your username and password are available on the dark web.

Respond

It’s not a matter of if, but when you are a victim of a cyberattack. Rapid response to a breach or infection is critical, and the faster you respond, the faster it will reduce your exposure. In some cases, you will need a support team to assist in cleansing machines, loading backups, and scanning your network.

The proactive approach is to engage a security operations center. This is a team of security professionals that will monitor your network and device. In the case of an infection or breach, the team will jump into recovery mode and secure your data.

Bottom Line

Above all, it’s important to stress that cybersecurity is more of a culture than a service. Cyberattacks cannot be prevented, but they can be avoided by having the proper procedures and training. Cybersecurity requires awareness and the ability to eliminate your personal and company exposure. All the tools in the world won’t prevent someone from clicking on malware in an e-mail. It is important for a company to have a stable cybersecurity policy and program in place.

Don’t wait until you are hacked to implement a cybersecurity prevention and awareness program.

Sean Hogan is president of Hogan Technology, a full-service managed IT, structured cabling, and cloud-services provider; (413) 779-0079.

News Flash: ‘Check Out Our Products’ Is Not a News Story

By
Features

Using Brand Journalism

By John Garvey

Do you want to know what strikes fear in every marketing manager? It’s when someone from C-level walks in their office and asks, “hey, can you get this into the newspaper? Better yet, call the TV stations and have them come by for an interview.”

Sure, if you have a crisis (e.g., your CEO is being led out of the building in handcuffs or one of your employees stole money from a customer), you will have the media at your door. But this column is not going to be dedicated to crisis management. Instead, let’s focus on when you have good news. How do you get the good word out when the mainstream media these days is pretty much focused on dumpster fires?

Let’s look at the problem first. You are part of it. You and a lot of other people are not buying the newspaper anymore. Don’t even get me started on how much time you’re spending on Facebook rather than watching your local news. Here’s a shocker: media is a business, and because they have shed an incredible numbers of eyeballs, not to mention subscribers, a lot of them are having a tough time making a go at it. The first thing that gets cut under this immense pressure is reporters. The second thing is your good news story.

Where do you go with your good news story? Take heart; the answer is right in front of you. Here is a hint: the first word in PR is ‘public.’ Second word is ‘relations,’ of course. That’s it. Nobody put the word ‘media’ in there. Back in the day, media was the way you connected with the public. But, being back in the day, you had access to probably two papers (a morning paper and an evening paper) and three television stations. That black-and-white existence was a long time ago, so it is time to throw out most of the promotional tools we used back then as well.

“What is good brand journalism? You need to tell a story about something you are proud of and why, and do it without using the words ‘proud,’ ‘proudly,’ or ‘check it out.’”

The good news? Connecting with the public, your public, has never been easier. That is where brand journalism comes in.

Brand journalism, in today’s digital world, is very powerful. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Your good news has to be relevant to your audience. That relevance is not judged by you, it is judged by your target audience. If you were the king or queen of relevance, then you could post all day about how proud you are to support this or that. You would use #proud and probably an image of you giving some organization a big check. Or, you would simply start your lead sentence with “check it out,” and your audience, of course, would gobble up your good news. But, alas, you are not the king or queen, and “proudly proud/check it out” is not brand journalism.

Here is another news flash. Machines run the digital world. If your audience doesn’t like your content, chances are the machines won’t either. Quite simply, if you are relevant in your audience’s eyes, they will click, read, spend time on your page, and maybe share, and all that will be observed by the machines. They will then help your content to travel to even more eyeballs. Sure, I know, you can boost (pay to promote) “proudly proud/check it out” news, but that just means you’re shoving that content into your audience’s face. Ever try to get a toddler to eat creamed corn? It’s a mess.

What is good brand journalism? You need to tell a story about something you are proud of and why, and do it without using the words ‘proud,’ ‘proudly,’ or ‘check it out.’ If you’re supporting a cause, tell the story of that cause and why it is important to the community. That is a story that gets read and shared. You can also have employees tell stories about how and why they feel they make a difference in the community and or in the lives of their customers. If these stories are authentic, they also will pass the relevance smell test.

It doesn’t end with just causes and good deeds. You can tell stories about products and services. ‘Check out our products’ is not a story. On the other hand, digital audiences relish how-to’s, so how to use your product or service to do something they want to do is a subject that is meaningful. If you are in business, you are an expert at something, so try to think of how your product or service improves your customers’ lives. That style of content, sometimes referred to as content marketing and a cousin of brand journalism, can be very effective.

Here is where the fun starts: you don’t have to write all this stuff. You can use video. I know, video is so scary, and cameras have been proven to make people sound stupid. Find someone who can talk on a subject and ask them to do the video. The internet loves video. Google loves video. Search-engine optimization (SEO) loves video. You need video. I’m not kidding … run out and start videotaping right this second. Then throw it away and get a pro to help you.

This content in its full form should live on your website. You do want to pay for dissemination of both your brand journalism and content marketing. Using social-media marketing or Google Ads gives you tremendous reach and targeting power and it is very affordable. Your plan should be to promote this content to your target audience and lead them back to your website for consumption. That, of course, is where the sales funnel starts, and should you have Google Analytics on your site, you can observe their behavior once they get there (traffic, unique visitors, time on page, migration to other pages, etc.).

Oh, one last thought. Those of you who are smartypants already know that this article is an example of what I was talking about: brand journalism and content marketing.

John Garvey is president of GCAi — Digital Marketing Innovation; (413) 736-2245; [email protected]

Catching the $4.2 Billion Wave

By
Opinion

Editorial

They called the event ‘The New Wave’ — and that’s an appropriate name for the annual update on Springfield’s business and civic projects.

Staged by the city in partnership with the Springfield Regional Chamber, this annual late-winter event, the latest installment of which was staged recently at the Basketball Hall of Fame, has had several names over the years, most of them rail-oriented — to coincide with the long-awaited revitalization of Union Station and also to provide plays on words such as the city being on the proverbial ‘right track.’

Most just call this the ‘update meeting,’ and they’ve been staged for maybe six or seven years now. That timeline coincides with Kevin Kennedy’s arrival as the city’s chief Economic Development officer and his more aggressive approach to telling the city’s story. It’s also a stretch when there has been a much better story to tell.

Which brings us back to the title of this year’s presentation. What’s been happening in Springfield over the past several years can truly be described as a wave — a $4.19 billion wave that is gathering momentum, and riders, as it moves.

That number conveys the dollar value of business and civic projects since that fateful day in 2011 when a tornado roared through the city. It’s an impressive number that, of course, includes MGM Springfield (almost a quarter of the total), CRRC, and several other nine- and eight-digit projects. But it also includes dozens, if not hundreds, of seven-, six-, and even five-digit projects that all add up — to a wave of positive energy.

“What’s been happening in Springfield over the past several years can truly be described as a wave — a $4.19 billion wave that is gathering momentum, and riders, as it moves.”

And while that number is impressive, perhaps the more meaningful one is $400.4 million. That’s the dollar amount for projects announced since the last of these update meetings, a number that reflects everything from Big Y’s $42 million distribution expansion to MassMutual’s $50 million in investments in Springfield; from the new $14 million Educare facility to the $14 million headquarters for Way Finders taking shape on the site on the old Peter Pan bus station; from the planned renovation of the Paramount ($41 million) to the soon-to-be-announced (we hope) plans to renovate the long-vacant Elm Street block. And we’re pretty sure it doesn’t include a host of cannabis-related businesses now in the talking stages and a planned hotel on the site of the old York Street Jail.

This is what happens when a city gathers momentum and the attention of the development community. People want to be part of what’s happening. People want to ride the wave.

It’s a refreshing change from a dozen years ago when people were talking about the lights going out in this city with doubts about when and if they would go back on.

They have gone back on — and in a big way. And there should be even more evidence of this at the next update meeting.

Let’s Tie School Funding to Results

By
Opinion

Opinion

By Tricia Canavan

United Personnel Services is a staffing company specializing in professional, information technology, and manufacturing placement throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. We experience firsthand the impact of the achievement gap on our young people and their ability to succeed at work and in post-secondary education. We also clearly understand how these educational deficits contribute to the significant skills gap that exists between the jobs available in the Commonwealth and the qualifications of many of our residents.

Many young adults are entering the job market without the knowledge and skills needed to secure living-wage jobs, never mind the high-wage, high-potential jobs that would move them and their families on an upward trajectory. This disconnect impedes our economy, limits opportunities for future economic development, and, most importantly, is a real injustice to our kids here in Massachusetts. In our gateway cities in particular, student achievement and mastery of key skills lag behind those of their peers at a sometimes-staggering rate through elementary and high school.

Consider the fact that 72% of jobs will require a career certificate or college degree by 2020. In Springfield, 23% of our kids don’t graduate from high school in four years. Only 17% of our ninth-graders earn a post-secondary degree or credential within six years of high-school graduation, in part because many graduate unprepared for post-secondary success. For those students who do pursue higher education, a huge number require remedial classwork, wasting valuable time and financial aid on classes that don’t get them closer to a degree.

Massachusetts needs to build upon its long tradition of educational excellence to ensure that all of our kids have the education they need to pursue the good jobs that exist in Western Mass. and throughout the Commonwealth. These are jobs like nurses, advanced manufacturing machine operators, web developers, and physical therapists — all sectors with hiring demands that exceed the supply of candidates — and all jobs that provide wages beyond the region’s median income.

The disconnect between the qualifications of our young adults and the jobs our employers need filled is the reason I co-chair Springfield Business Leaders for Education and serve on the boards of directors of the Springfield Regional Chamber and Associated Industries of Massachusetts. Like so many of my colleagues throughout the state, I am deeply committed to our kids and our Commonwealth and want to be part of the solution to these urgent issues.

We know that the way communities spend state education money has a direct impact on student knowledge acquisition and achievement. It is imperative, then, that any infusion of funding is tied to results — for our kids, their futures, and the economic strength of Massachusetts. We also know that innovative reforms, such as the Springfield Empowerment Zone model that has potential to be expanded statewide, must be accompanied by renewed investment in education.

But we must be cautious as we pursue increased financial resources for our schools. Springfield public schools have received large boosts in funding before, through the introduction of federal grant programs like Race to the Top. But these infusions have not translated to sufficient progress that adequately addresses all that our students need. If we are successful in changing the current funding for our schools without using it as a leverage to do better for our kids, we will have failed.

The cost of the status quo — the achievement gap, the failure to maximize our kids’ promise, the inability of businesses to find the workers they need — is huge. Additional money needs to be used strategically, informed by data and evidence, to accomplish specific goals. We deserve to know what those goals are and whether our schools are meeting them — and, if not, why.

Tricia Canavan is president of United Personnel Services in Springfield. This article first appeared in the blog of Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

Picture This

By
Picture This

A photo essay of recent business events in Western Massachusetts / March 2019

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

Vivid Vocal Visionary

The Women’s Fund of Western Mass. (WFWM) paid tribute to four of its pioneers at an event it called Vivid Vocal Visionary on March 18 at the Tower Square Hotel in Springfield. The event honored the group’s three founders, Dianne Fuller Doherty, the late Sally Livingston, and Martha Richards, as well as its founding executive director, Kristi Nelson.

From left, Donna Haghighat, CEO of the WFWM, Doherty, Richards, Nelson, Mimi Ginsberg (accepting for Sally Livingston’s family), and Haydee Lamberty-Rodriguez, board chair of the WFMA)

From left, Donna Haghighat, CEO of the WFWM, Doherty, Richards, Nelson, Mimi Ginsberg (accepting for Sally Livingston’s family), and Haydee Lamberty-Rodriguez, board chair of the WFMA)


Former board members Jane Sapp, left, and Brenda Lopez

Former board members Jane Sapp, left, and Brenda Lopez


From left, Eugenie Sills, Eleanor Lord, Shirley Edgerton (all former board members), Abbie von Schlegell, and Barbara Viniar

From left, Eugenie Sills, Eleanor Lord, Shirley Edgerton (all former board members), Abbie von Schlegell, and Barbara Viniar


Haghighat (left) with featured speaker Teresa Younger, president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women

Haghighat (left) with featured speaker Teresa Younger, president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women


New Name, Same Mission

Girls Inc. of Holyoke officially changed its name to Girls Inc. of the Valley last month to reflect its broader reach — it now serves girls in several communities across the region — and deeper impact. The name change was announced at a press conference at WGBY’s headquarters in Springfield that featured a number of speakers talking about the agency’s critical mission within the region.

From left, Luis Soria, principal of the Marcella R. Kelly School in Holyoke; Safiatu Sam, mother of a Girls Inc. Eureka scholar who lives in Chicopee; Suzanne Parker, executive director of Girls Inc. of the Valley; Roxanne Atterbury, a teacher at Rebecca Johnson Elementary School in Springfield; and Melyssa Brown-Porter, chair of the board for Girls Inc. of the Valley.

From left, Luis Soria, principal of the Marcella R. Kelly School in Holyoke; Safiatu Sam, mother of a Girls Inc. Eureka scholar who lives in Chicopee; Suzanne Parker, executive director of Girls Inc. of the Valley; Roxanne Atterbury, a teacher at Rebecca Johnson Elementary School in Springfield; and Melyssa Brown-Porter, chair of the board for Girls Inc. of the Valley.

A New Chapter

The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation announced late last month that the Springfield City Library will assume management of the Reading Success by 4th Grade initiative launched by the foundation in 2009 and managed by Sally Fuller until her retirement last year. The new chapter for the initiative was announced at a press conference at the Mason Square branch of the library attended by a host of area civic and business leaders as well as third-graders from nearby DeBerry Elementary School.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno meets with several of those students.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno meets with several of those students.

Students from DeBerry pose with the book bags, filled with books, that they received

Students from DeBerry pose with the book bags, filled with books, that they received

From left, Sarno, state Rep. Bud Williamson, and Mary Walachy, executive director of the Davis Foundation

From left, Sarno, state Rep. Bud Williamson, and Mary Walachy, executive director of the Davis Foundation

Hometown Heroes

The Western Mass. Chapter of the American Red Cross staged its annual Hometown Heroes Breakfast on March 21 at MGM Springfield. The event recognized 10 heroes from across the region.

Columbia Gas was the presenting sponsor

Columbia Gas was the presenting sponsor for Matthew Turgeon and Michael Croteau of the Chicopee Fire Department (center), who saved a toddler and her father while ice fishing off duty

Brad Campbell, board chair of the Western Mass. chapter, and Holly Grant, regional CEO of Massachusetts

Brad Campbell, board chair of the Western Mass. chapter, and Holly Grant, regional CEO of Massachusetts

From left, Sheila Doiron, director of Communications & Community Relations for Columbia Gas, Hometown Hero Holly Holden, and Beverly Tangvik, president of the Arbella Insurance Charitable Foundation

From left, Sheila Doiron, director of Communications & Community Relations for Columbia Gas, Hometown Hero Holly Holden, and Beverly Tangvik, president of the Arbella Insurance Charitable Foundation

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

John M. Corridan v. Auctions/Real Estate by Schackmann Inc. and Mark Schackmann

Allegation: Breach of contract, fraud: $16,458.80

Filed: 3/1/19

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Jonathan Bones v. Stokes and Lipski Construction Inc.

Allegation: Failure to pay prevailing rate of wages

Filed: 3/5/19

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

Etta Wells v. Fathima, LLC

Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $6,475.77

Filed: 2/20/19

Ivy Hill Commodities Corp. v. Turn Key Lumber Corp.

Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $4,412.32

Filed: 3/1/19

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Grace Greski and Leon Greski v. Bob’s Discount Furniture; NEHDS Logistics, LLC; Carlos Cosme d/b/a NEHDS Logistics, LLC; and Carlos Cosme d/b/a Carlos Professional Deliveries

Allegation: Breach of warranty, breach of contract, negligence: $8,884.62

Filed: 1/16/19

Leah Keeley v. First Student Inc.

Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+

Filed: 2/5/19

Tracy Lynn Daborowski f/k/a Tracy Cesan v. Town of Southwick

Allegation: Employment discrimination: $107,800

Filed: 2/5/19

Kurt Champagne v. Callaway Golf Ball Operations Inc.

Allegation: Employment discrimination: $425,000

Filed: 2/11/19

Deborah St. Peter v. Westfield State University

Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+

Filed: 2/11/19

Peter Bowes and June Bowes v. Jason Port, M.D.

Allegation: Medical malpractice: $3,400,000+

Filed: 2/13/19

RF Realty Co., LLC v. Sunset Hydroponics & Home Brewing, LLC and Aaron P. Bishop

Allegation: Breach of contract: $51,125

Filed: 2/14/19

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

Johnson Controls Inc. v. Bercom, LLC d/b/a Berkshire Commons

Allegation: Money owed for maintenance and repair services: $10,199.40

Filed: 3/1/19

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Isaac Gravel p/p/a Mel-Jean Gravel v. Baystate Wing Hospital Corp. d/b/a Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, Charles Simmons, David Shenker, and Morris Leibowitz

Allegation: Medical malpractice: $35,000+

Filed: 2/14/19

Coughlin Electrical Contractors Inc. v. Barr & Barr Inc. and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.

Allegation: Breach of contract: $7,348,279.76

Filed: 2/26/19

Adam Burt v. Zingara Ltd. d/b/a Packard’s, Robert E. McGovern Jr., and Tobias K. Luz

Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury and property damage: $35,368.04

Filed: 2/26/19

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Kerry Granfield d/b/a Granfield Tree Service v. Transaxle, LLC

Allegation: Misrepresentation, negligence, breach of express warranties, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, breach of contract: $60,196.11

Filed: 2/25/19

Agenda

By
Agenda

STCC Majors and Career Fair

April 3: Springfield Technical Community College will host a Majors and Career Fair for students, local vocational high schools, and community agencies interested in exploring opportunities in the biomedical, architectural, civil and mechanical engineering, optics and photonics, social work, landscape and design, digital media, graphic communications, IT security, and many other STEM fields. The Majors and Career Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Scibelli Hall Gymnasium in Building 2. This event is a collaboration among the Career Development Center, the HSI-STEM Grant, and the Perkins Grant. Representatives from academic majors, career fields, and local employers will be on hand. With a goal of raising awareness about STEM majors and careers, the fair will give attendees an opportunity to speak with employers about potential opportunities in their field. For more information, contact Felicia Griffin-Fennell at [email protected] or (413) 755-4819.

EANE Leadership Conference

April 4: The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) will stage its annual Leadership Conference on Thursday, April 4 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place with a focus on measuring success while motivating and inspiring one’s team to improve performance. The program will feature Jim McPartlin, vice president of Leadership Development for Forbes Travel Guide. McPartlin’s keynote will challenge attendees to bring integrity to their leadership responsibilities, even when times get tough. A second keynote will be presented by Tim Hebert, a perennial entrepreneur, innovator, author, speaker, and adventurer. Hebert will ignite the leadership spark in attendees in a keynote focused on the choices of leadership and techniques to help live life by design, not by default. Between keynote presentations, conference attendees will have access to dozens of breakout session topics ranging from performance management to diversity and inclusion, to perfecting ‘C-suite speak,’ and more. The cost for the program is $360 per person with discounts for three or more. Register at www.eane.org/leadership-2019 or by calling (877) 662-6444. The program will offer 5.75 credits from the HR Certification Institute and SHRM.

Riverside Industries Silent & Live Auction

April 5: Riverside Industries’ 15th annual Silent & Live Auction, featuring more than 250 silent-auction items and a live auction full of experiences from the Valley and beyond, will be held at One Cottage St. in Easthampton from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees can expect plenty of food, casual attire, and a cash bar. Tickets cost $30 in advance. Securely register online at rsi.org. The presenting sponsor is bankESB; the associate sponsor is Harvard Pilgrim; the table sponsors are Finck & Perras Insurance Agency and Mutual of America; and the collaborator sponsors are A-Z Storage & Properties, Helping Hand Society, SBI Benefits Consulting Group, Ruth and Spencer Timm, Whittlesey & Hadley P.C., and Williston Northampton School.

‘What Is Spiritual Direction?’

April 6: Elms College will host a day of reflection titled “What Is Spiritual Direction? Is It for Me?” from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Decice Hall at the Marian Center, located at 1365 Northampton St. in Holyoke. The event will include an introduction to what spiritual direction is (and what it is not), some exploration of different ways to be with God in prayer, reflection on each participant’s own sacred story, discussion of several approaches to spiritual direction, and time for both shared and personal prayer. Virginia Collins-English, a certified spiritual director, retreat director, writer, and psychotherapist, will lead the day of reflection. All are welcome, including those who are ‘spiritual but not religious,’ those who feel marginalized by the church, and those of all faiths. Sponsored by the Religious Studies Department and the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies at Elms, this event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, call (413) 265-2575 or e-mail [email protected]. Attendees should bring a bag lunch. Beverages and dessert will be provided.

‘Growing Up WILD’

April 13: The School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Elms College, in partnership with Berkshire Community College and 1Berkshire, will host an early-childhood-education workshop from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the cafeteria at Berkshire Community College. The workshop, titled “A Glimpse at Growing Up WILD,” is free and open to the public. In this extensive training for educators run through MassWildlife, Jane McCarry, academic coordinator and advisor for the Early Care and Education program at Elms, and also a trained Growing Up WILD facilitator, will present two of the program’s activities: “Seed Need” and “Lunch for a Bear.” These hands-on activities encourage participants to move, learn to collect data, and make science-based observations, all at a preschool level. Participants in this workshop will take part in these activities and learn how to use them in childcare settings. The primary intended audience includes people who are already working in early education at preschools or in group care who are required to obtain 20 hours of training per year, but the workshop is also open to BCC students currently earning their associate degrees in early education or a related field, prospective early-childhood-education students, and any community members who are interested in learning about Growing Up WILD. Upon completion of the training, participants will receive a certificate of attendance confirming they have successfully completed two hours of training in Core Competency Area 5: Learning Environments and Implementing Curriculum. The total participants are limited to 50. For more information or to register, e-mail Kelly Zieba at [email protected].

Paid Family and Medical Leave Seminar

April 18: Over the past few months, Massachusetts-based employers have been inundated with information about the upcoming Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave requirements. Unfortunately, this deluge of information has done little to answer employers’ pressing questions. To date, most of this information has been speculative or otherwise subject to change before implementation. In fact, the most helpful information thus far, the new Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave’s draft regulations, has only given an idea of what the program will probably look like. These draft regulations are just that: a draft. They are subject to change prior to the issuance of final regulations. The good news is there are some things we do know for sure, and there is still some time before employer obligations go into effect. Royal, P.C. will host a discussion of the steps employers can begin to take to prepare for the implementation of Paid Family and Medical Leave. The event will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at 270 Pleasant St., Northampton. The price is $30 per person, and registration is limited. For more information or to register, contact Heather Loges at (413) 586-2288 or [email protected].

Springfield Art Stop

April 26: The Springfield Cultural Partnership (SCP) announced the return of Art Stop, a pop-up gallery/street festival hybrid, from 5 to 8 p.m. The SCP is partnering with venues downtown to open galleries in unexpected spaces simultaneously. Additionally, several existing Springfield art galleries along this year’s route will also participate as stops along the Art Stop. Between the galleries, which will have the typical artist talks and receptions, there will be street performances. Art Stop was designed to activate underutilized community spaces with colorful art, create economic opportunity for artists, and bring communities together. Galleries will all be located in downtown Springfield. Each individual gallery opening will have an reception with the artist on site to both sell and talk about their work. This year, the SCP has also partnered with several downtown restaurants that will offer a discount on food to Art Stop attendees who present their Art Stop ‘passport’ on April 26. The SCP, along with organizing the curation of art in the pop-up spaces, is hiring unique buskers to encourage attendees to walk from place to place. Guides will be strategically placed to guide attendees along the Art Stop route. The performers will showcase an array of dance, music, and entertainment. All locations are within a walkable area.

DiGrigoli Educational Programs

April 29: For the first time in many years, Paul DiGrigoli, owner of DiGrigoli Salon and DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology in West Springfield and a national spokesperson and educator for the beauty industry, will offer his popular seminars to all local salon professionals and business owners. The all-day program at the Log Cabin in Holyoke will kick off at 10 a.m. with DiGrigoli’s most popular program, “Booked Solid,” based off his best-selling book in the beauty industry of the same name. Designed to help stylists, estheticians, nail techs, or anyone in the service industry to increase sales and retention, “Booked Solid” has inspired professionals across the country at major beauty shows, colleges, and businesses for more than 15 years. After lunch, the day will conclude with “How to Build a Healthy Salon or Business” from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. This leadership program, geared towards salon and beauty professionals, business owners, managers, or anyone in a leadership position, will use DiGrigoli’s more than 35 years of experience in the industry to educate on the best leadership practices, how to cultivate a healthy team or healthy business, and how to outperform the competition. This intensive workshop is being made possible through the sponsorship of Sullivan Beauty in New Hampshire. For more information and to purchase tickets, interested stylists and professionals should visit www.sullivanbeauty.com.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners

1BERKSHIRE

www.1berkshire.com

(413) 499-1600

• April 24: Good News Business Salute, 7:30-9 a.m. Throughout the year, 1Berkshire selects businesses and organizations to recognize at events called Good News Business Salutes. These may honor an expansion, creation of new jobs, a significant milestone or anniversary, the unveiling of a new program, or a substantial new commitment to the community. The Esther Quinn Award will be given out at this event to an actively involved community member. Cost: $35 for members; $50 for non-members. Register at bit.ly/2H71NS6.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• April 10: April After 5 – Battle of the Admins, 5-7 p.m., hosted by PinZ at the Hampshire Mall. In celebration of Administrative Professionals Day, offices will compete in fun team-building events to foster a sense of community and camaraderie among staff and show them how much you appreciate their hard work. Cornhole, ping-pong, and axe throwing are just a few of the fun events the Hampshire Mall has prepared. Looking to meet new people? We will pair you up with someone you don’t know to network.

• April 17: Amherst Area Economic Development Panel, 4-6 p.m., hosted by UMass Old Chapel. A presentation of the state of economic development in Amherst and a panel discussion of the community’s strategic advantage as well as a vision for the future of economic development in the Amherst area.

• April 19-28: Daffodil Days. In celebration of spring, the Amherst downtown will be adorned with sprouting daffodils and artistic storefront windows. Many restaurants, cafés, and shops will have special spring offerings and sales.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.franklincc.org

(413) 773-5463

• April 18: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Polish American Citizens Club, 46 South Main St., South Deerfield. Sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. A networking event featuring a cash bar and an all-Polish menu by Hamel’s Catering. Register at franklincc.org or by e-mailing [email protected].

• April 26: Monthly Chamber Breakfast Series, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Terrazza Restaurant. Sponsored by the Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice. Full breakfast will be served during the program, featuring a panel celebrating the contribution of today’s immigrants. Speakers include Laurie Millman, executive director for the Center for New Americans; Abas Cecunjanin, owner of Terrazza Restaurant; Arjen Vriend, owner of Pioneer Gardens Inc.; and Geetu Shokeen, owner of Montague Dental Arts. Register at franklincc.org or by e-mailing [email protected].

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• April 5: Shining Stars Gala, 6-10 p.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, Chicopee. Presented by Westfield Bank. Sponsored by PeoplesBank, Polish National Credit Union, Health New England, BusinessWest, Siddall & Siddall, P.C., the Arbors Kids, N. Riley Construction, the Chicopee Herald, and Hampton Inn of Chicopee. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 17: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Willits-Hallowell Center. Sponsored by Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, N. Riley Construction Inc., Polish National Credit Union, USI Insurance Services, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Marketing for small business chief greeter: Chris Thompson of CT Enterprises. Keynote speaker: Alfonso Santaniello of Creative Strategy Agency. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 25: Business After Hours – Happy Hour After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Exchange St. Station. Come after work and relax and enjoy a drink and some light refreshments. Don’t forget your business cards. Cost: $10 for member, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• April 3: Networking by Night, 5-9 p.m., hosted by the Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center. Networking 5-7 p.m., followed by a game courtesy of the Thunderbirds. This event is free to members and their families. Pre-registration is required, as there will be no tickets available at the door. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• April 25: Food 4 Thought Lunch & Learn, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Mill 180 Park, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Robin Kline, director of Volunteer & Guest Services at Cooley Dickinson Health Care, will facilitate a program about customer Service. If you think it’s no big deal, think again. This seemingly innocuous little detail can make or break an organization. A box lunch is included with registration. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for future members. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.northamptonchamber.com

(413) 584-1900

• April 2: Workshop: “Excel Tips & Tricks, Part 2,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This class will present a series of tips and shortcuts that will help attendees work more efficiently and complete more complex tasks with Microsoft Excel. Learn how to assign range names to groups of cells and how to use range names in formulas and functions. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members.

• April 3: April Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Danco, 10 West St., West Hatfield. A networking event sponsored by Northeast Solar, NEPR, Health New England, and MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board. Cost: $10 for members.

• April 23: Workshop: CyberSafe, 9 a.m. to noon, hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. CyberSafe is a three-hour workshop for non-technical users that focuses on using technology without compromising personal or organizational security. Students will learn the skills they need to protect digital data on computers, networks, mobile devices, and the internet. They will learn how to identify many of the common risks involved in using technology, such as phishing, spoofing, malware, and social engineering, and then learn how to protect themselves and their organizations from those risks. Cost: $50 for members, $60 for non-members.

• 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 1: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m, hosted by Westfield Sportsman’s Club, 98 Furrowtown 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.

• April 8: After 5 Connections, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Armbrook Village, 551 North Road, Westfield. 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 (cash or credit paid at the door). Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• April 12: Legislative Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. Tony Cignoli of A.L. Cignoli Co. will be moderating a panel of legislators at our annual Legislative Luncheon. Don’t miss this opportunity for your voice to be heard on issues or budget items that affect your business or employees. Invited panelists include state Sens. Don Humason and Adam Hinds, and state Reps. Natalie Blais, Nicholas Boldyga, Smitty Pignatelli, Lindsay Sabadosa, and John Velis. Cost: $35 for members, $50 for non-members. Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For sponsorships or more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• April 25: Westfield Education to Business Alliance High School Career Fair, 8-10:30 a.m., hosted by Westfield State University, Woodward Center, 395 Western Ave., Westfield. Don’t miss the chance to help shape the future through workforce development in the community. Create connections for your business and the next generation of your workforce by inspiring Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy students with career and college exploration. More than 500 students will be in attendance. There is no charge to be a vendor. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events. For sponsorships or more information, call the chamber at (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.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.shgchamber.com

(413) 532-6451

• April 6: Mohegan Sun Bus Trip, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hop on King Ward’s 40-person bus for a day of fun at one of the world’s finest casinos. Pickup and dropoff at the Chicopee Home Depot parking lot at 9 a.m. Cost: $50 per person, which includes bus fare, $15 food voucher, and $15 gambling voucher. Call Steven Laplante at (413) 246-4911 for more information, or e-mail [email protected] to reserve seating.

• April 17: Business After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by the Thirsty Mind, located in South Hadley’s Village Commons, across the street from Mount Holyoke College. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP and direct questions to [email protected], and mail a check, payable to the South Hadley & Granby Chamber of Commerce, to 2 Lyman St., South Hadley, MA 01075.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• April 3: Mayor’s Forum, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Delaney House, One Country Club Road, Holyoke. Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Featuring Mayor Domenic Sarno of Springfield, Mayor Nicole LaChapelle of Easthampton, and Mayor William Sapelli of Agawam. Cost: $30 for members ($40 at the door), $35 for non-members ($45 at the door).

• April 11: Beacon Hill Summit, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., sponsored by Baystate Health and Comcast. A day at the State House in Boston hosted by state Sen. James Welch and state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez. An opportunity to spend a day with members of the Baker-Polito administration. Cost: $180 for members, $225 for non-members, which includes lunch and reception.

• April 11: Professional Women’s Chamber Tabletop Showcase, 5-8 p.m., hosted by Carriage House, Storrowton Village, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Cost: $40 admission includes food and one drink; $150 for exhibitor table. 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

• April 3: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information about this event, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

springfieldyps.com

• April 19: April Third Thursday featuring area graduate schools, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Samuel’s at the Hall of Fame. Join us for our monthly Third Thursday while learning about graduate schools from representatives from various area colleges and universities. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members. Learn more at springfieldyps.com.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move
David Lawless

David Lawless

Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that attorney David Lawless has been named a partner at the firm. Lawless previously served as an investigative analyst in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in New York City. He focuses his practice on civil litigation in federal and state courts, including employment law and litigation, business litigation, and municipal defense litigation. A member of the American, Massachusetts, Franklin County, Hampden County, and Federal bar associations, Lawless graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2005. He was named to the Super Lawyers Rising Star list every year from 2008 to 2015. He is active in the legal community, serving as a board member of the Federal Bar Assoc., Massachusetts chapter, and co-chair of its civil rights and new programming committees. He also serves on the board of the Northeast Center for Youth and Families.

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Lea Occhialini

Lea Occhialini

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Lea Occhialini as its first ombudsperson and chief culture officer. Occhialini is the former faculty and staff ombudsperson at Hampshire College and mediator/trainer in the Smith College Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. Prior to that, she worked as a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court qualified mediator for the Mediation and Training Collaborative in Greenfield and helped oversee the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Face-to-Face mediation program in Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield small-claims courts. The ombudsperson/chief culture officer position is new at HCC. Occhialini has worked in the mediation field since 2013. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College, a law degree from American University’s Washington College School of Law, and a certificate in the foundations of organizational ombudsman practice from the International Ombudsman Assoc.

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Peter Novak, general agent of Charter Oak Financial, a MassMutual firm, was inducted into the GAMA International Management Hall of Fame on March 18 in recognition of his career-long contributions to and leadership in the financial-services industry. A 35-year industry veteran, Novak has been a MassMutual field leader since joining the company in 1995. Under the leadership of Novak and his partner, General Agent Brendan Naughton, Charter Oak has grown regionally to include presence in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. The firm has historically won MassMutual’s most prestigious awards for growth and leadership. Novak previously served as general agent to MassMutual’s Rochester, N.Y. agency; co-general agent at the New England/Robinson Co. in Waterbury, Conn.; and as an agent at New York Life Insurance Co. Novak has been a GAMA member since 1985, with service to the boards of both GAMA International (2015-17) and the GAMA Foundation (2004-06). A contributor to the organization’s research, publications, and conferences, he has been recognized regularly with numerous GAMA awards. In addition to his work with GAMA, Novak is the co-founder of the Charter Oak Fund, Charter Oak’s charitable arm, which supports numerous local philanthropic causes and organizations; a member of the board of trustees of the Kosciuszko Foundation; and a board member of the Central European Institute (CEI) at Quinnipiac University. In 2013, he and his wife, Kasia, established the Novak Family Polish Chair at the university in support of CEI to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Eastern European countries with developing economies. His travels to Poland in this capacity have been instrumental in bridging the gap between the business and insurance industries here and in Poland.

•••••

Jennifer Lawton

Jennifer Lawton

David Hess

David Hess

Suzanne Mlinarcik

Suzanne Mlinarcik

The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced the promotion of Jennifer Lawton to vice president of Insurance Operations, and the addition of David Hess as an insurance producer and Suzanne Mlinarcik as a commercial account manager and marketer. Lawton, who began her career with Dowd in 2014, was formerly the agencies’ personal-lines manager. In her new position, she provides leadership in the development, implementation, and oversight of systems and procedures that align with Dowd’s organizational strategic initiatives, helping to ensure the achievement of business results. She also serves as the primary advisor to the company’s senior executive leadership team on operational efficiencies. A certified insurance service representative, Lawton received her associate degree in business from Holyoke Community College. She is the chairperson and program coordinator for Distinguished Young Women of Greater Easthampton, a scholarship program for high-school girls. Hess is responsible for writing personal, commercial, and life-insurance plans at Dowd. He brings more than 14 years of experience to his role at Dowd. After graduating from UMass Amherst in 2003, he worked as an insurance agent with a local agency until his recent transition to the Dowd Agencies. He is licensed as a producer for property, casualty, life, and health insurance in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. Mlinarcik is responsible for marketing new and renewal business and managing in-house accounts. She has been an insurance professional for more than 25 years, specializing in commercial insurance and training and mentoring employees. Her career began at an insurance agency in Connecticut, where she climbed the ranks from a part-time employee to manager of the Commercial Lines department. She eventually stepped into the role of senior account manager, where she mentored new hires and managed her own client portfolio. Mlinarcik is an active member of the motorcycle community, regularly participating in charitable events including Brightside’s Hope for the Holidays Toy Drive/Run, Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, and the Wicked in Pink Cancer Run.

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Bruce Holley

Bruce Holley

Kimberly Jennison

Kimberly Jennison

Florence Bank recently announced that Bruce Holley and Kimberly Jennison have been named recipients of the President’s Club Award for 2019. The President’s Club program affords employees opportunities to nominate their peers for the honor, which recognizes superior performance, customer service, and overall contributions to Florence Bank. Holley, an e-banking technology specialist in the main office’s eBanking Department, joined Florence Bank in 2015 and has 20 years of technology experience. He is a Springfield Technical Community College graduate and serves his community as a member of the board of directors for the Therapeutic Equestrian Center of Holyoke. Jennison, a customer-service specialist in the main office’s Customer Service Center, joined Florence Bank in 2014 and has nine years of banking experience.

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Timothy Garstka

Timothy Garstka

Eastern States Exposition announced that Timothy Garstka has joined ESE and will serve as the organization’s director of Sales. Garstka comes to ESE from his position at Williams Distributing in Chicopee, where he served as Sales manager and Brand Marketing manager. He has more than 15 years of experience in strategic direction, coaching and counseling, performance management, and revenue growth, overseeing inside and outside sales professionals. His skills range from direct sales management and revenue growth to team building and training initiatives. Prior to joining Williams Distributing, Garstka was a Field Sales manager for Molson/Coors Brewing Co. in Burlington, Vt., and worked as a salesperson for Burke Beverage in Chicopee. As director of Sales, he will be responsible for the oversight of the department, including the extensive number of year-round events held at ESE, Big E sponsorships and vendor/concessionaire space sales, advance ticket-sales outreach, and group sales. Garstka graduated from West Springfield High School in 1991. He serves as the vice president of the East Longmeadow Baseball Assoc. and is a former board member of the Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter. He and his wife, Christine, are active volunteers for local Jimmy Fund events. He was also an assistant golf professional at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield and the Forest Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla.

•••••

Wanda Mooney

Wanda Mooney

Wanda Mooney, associate-broker with Coldwell Banker Upton Massamont Realtors, has been awarded the 2018 Coldwell Banker International President’s Elite. Only the top 5% of all sales associates worldwide in the Coldwell Banker system qualified for this group. Mooney also received the 2018 Platinum Award from the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley and the Platinum Award from Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors.

•••••

The Westfield Starfires and Director of Baseball Operations Evan Moorhouse announced the hiring of East Longmeadow native and former Baltimore Orioles prospect Frank Crinella to serve as special advisor to Baseball Operations. Crinella comes to the Starfires after spending four seasons playing in the Orioles farm system, both in the infield and outfield. The Merrimack College graduate and former NE-10 Player of the Year is no stranger to summer collegiate baseball. Crinella has made stops at each of the three major summer leagues in New England, the FCBL (Pittsfield Suns), NECBL (Holyoke Blue Sox), and Cape Cod League (Bourne Braves). His responsibilities will vary from day to day, ranging from promotional execution to community engagement to helping players get acclimated to summer baseball.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

Girls Inc. of Holyoke Is Now Girls Inc. of the Valley

HOLYOKE — Poised to boost its reach three-fold over the next five years, Girls Inc. of Holyoke has chosen a new name — Girls Inc. of the Valley — to embody its bigger, wider impact across Western Mass. The agency will keep its headquarters in Holyoke, said Executive Director Suzanne Parker at a press conference this morning at WGBY’s headquarters in downtown Springfield, and stay as committed as ever to the city of its origin. But with Girls Inc. members now hailing from Springfield, Chicopee, South Hadley, and other surrounding communities, a name change was certainly needed. Girls from area communities will continue to benefit from Girls Inc. of the Valley programs held at the Holyoke center headquarters on everything from literacy to leadership, said Parker, but the agency is also expanding into surrounding communities and has partnered to work inside 10 schools, including Springfield’s Chestnut Academy Middle School and Chicopee’s Bellamy Middle School and Dupont Middle School.

CommunicateHealth Celebrates 10th Anniversary

NORTHAMPTON — CommunicateHealth announced its 10th anniversary as a national consulting firm specializing in health information design. CommunicateHealth started as a consulting practice focusing on translating health information into plain language. Co-founders Xanthi Scrimgeour and Stacy Robison started the business in their Northampton attic. The couple quickly outgrew that space, eventually establishing an office on nearby Market Street. Over the past 10 years, the company has been successfully evolving into a full-service communications shop. The mission-based company works for some of the biggest names in healthcare and public health, including health-insurance companies, health systems, patient-advocacy groups, and government. They also take on projects for local hospitals and community organizations. CommunicateHealth is headquartered in Northampton with a second office in the Washington, D.C. area. It employs more than 65 employees across both offices. In 2018, the company recorded more than $12 million in sales.

Hazen Paper Co. Wins AIMCAL Product of the Year

HOLYOKE — Turning a simple box into an unusual ‘beauty and the beast’ packaging statement, Hazen Paper Co. was honored for the second year in a row with Product of the Year honors at the annual meeting of the Assoc. of International Metallizers, Coaters, and Laminators (AIMCAL), held recently in Palm Beach, Calif. The winning entry was a folding carton titled “The Spirit of Innovation” for prestige luxury box maker Autajon Packaging USA, which featured a three-dimensional, jewel-toned snake and a female model whose face transformed from flawless to gorgeously reptilian when the box is tilted. The folding carton was made with precisely registered custom color-motion holography that reflects and refracts light to bring the snake’s sinuous curves to life and allows the woman’s face and eye to blaze with unexpected snake-like gleam. The box is embossed with a snakeskin pattern and finished with a soft-touch coating. Inside, a sea-green coating contrasts with the rich black exterior. Hazen also received a “Product Excellence” award for Benefit Cosmetics’ Hoola Quickie Contour Stick packaging, created with silver Ultracure acrylic-coated metallized polyester laminated to paperboard, offset-printed in transparent and opaque colors, and embossed. Judges rewarded the package for its extensive use of embossing, halftone reproduction, tight registration, and vivid green interior.

Complete Payroll Solutions Reports Record Growth

SPRINGFIELD — Complete Payroll Solutions announced it saw more than 100% year-over-year revenue growth compared to a year ago, setting a record pace of new customer acquisitions. The momentum reflects the company’s investment in its people and processes to better serve clients. This momentum is evidenced by several highlights from 2018, including four location openings in Wakefield, Mass., White Plains, N.Y., West Warwick, R.I., and Portsmouth, N.H.; 35 new employees across all offices and an expanded sales force with 10 additional salespeople, providing enhanced resources in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Connecticut; a new HR consulting division that delivers local, personalized HR solutions to clients; partnerships with industry leaders like BankRI, Brookline Bank, and First Ipswich Bank, along with the company’s continued relationship with Webster Bank; and the addition of iSolved, an HCM technology, to complement its existing platform, Kronos. Together, the solutions help clients with their workforce-management processes, including payroll, time and attendance, benefits, and HR to recruit, onboard, and manage employees. Founded in 2003 as a startup venture by owners with a long tradition in the industry, Complete Payroll Solutions now has 14 locations throughout the Northeast with 150 employees, and services over 6,000 clients across all 50 states.

Financial Times Ranks Isenberg’s Online MBA First among U.S. Programs

AMHERST — The online MBA offered by the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst has been ranked first in the U.S. and third in the world by the Financial Times. With one of the largest and most established accredited online MBA programs in the country, the Isenberg School of Management has provided online education opportunities for nearly 16 years. More than 1,100 students are currently enrolled in the program. The Isenberg School stood out in the Financial Times’ 2019 rankings in a number of areas. The online MBA program ranked first for increase in salary after earning an MBA, with a 39% increase; first in the U.S. for total salary; and first for percentage of female faculty, with 45%. Furthermore, the program ranked fifth in online interaction, which measures how well alumni rate interactions between students, teamwork, and availability of faculty. Isenberg’s online MBA program offers an expansive course of study, from business analytics, finance, and healthcare administration to marketing and sports management. Isenberg students come from all 50 states and around the globe, and include physicians, attorneys, entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, and scientists.

Bay Path University Receives Grant for Student Internship Experiences

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University has been awarded $5,000 in grant funding support from the Charles H. Hall Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., trustee, for its project, “Impacting the Community: Fostering Social Justice Through Student Internships.” The foundation’s support will benefit Bay Path undergraduate students who are performing internships at nonprofits in Hampden County, including Square One, the Jewish Community Center, and Girls Inc., all of whom service at-risk children and youth. Bay Path requires its traditional undergraduate students to complete a three- or six-credit internship, research project, or field-work experience, depending on their major, to ensure they have the opportunities to develop the skills and competencies that will help them launch their careers. This funding, which will cover four internships, will help relieve the financial worry that unpaid internships can bring for students. Many Bay Path students hold part-time jobs to make ends meet, and adding an unpaid internship to the mix can be stressful.

BFMC Receives Grants for Community Film Fund

PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) received two grant awards for its newly established Community Film Fund, which is a matching fund to help local nonprofit organizations create videos for their branding, marketing, fundraising, and social media. The grants were received from the Berkshire Bank Foundation and the Feigenbaum Foundation, each in the amount of $2,500. In today’s world, video messaging is becoming increasingly important. Wordstream, an online advertising company, states that the average user spends 88% more time on a website with video. Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text, and an initial e-mail with a video receives an click-through rate increase of 96%. BFMC is in the process of raising $50,000 for this new initiative, which it expects to launch later this spring. BFMC is partnering with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires to provide information to local organizations about this opportunity.

Springfield College Students Volunteer in Trinidad and Tobago

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College Physical Therapy Professor Kim Nowakowski led a group of graduate students in the health sciences at Springfield College on a global health service trip during spring break. For the third consecutive year, Nowakowski’s group, together with healthcare professionals from Trinidad and Tobago, provided a National Fall Prevention Program in Trinidad and Tobago. The National Fall Prevention program in Trinidad and Tobago was developed based on a needs assessment conducted with physiotherapists from Total Rehabilitation Centre Limited and the Physiotherapy Assoc. of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT). PATT is the sole professional body that represents all physiotherapists in Trinidad and Tobago. Total Rehabilitation Centre Limited was established in 2007 to provide quality healthcare in a friendly, compassionate environment that is geared towards facilitating healing and return to the function of living. Carla Rauseo, a 2005 alumna of the Springfield College physical therapy program who is a physical therapist and co-owner of Total Rehabilitation and a member of PATT, initiated the collaborative effort with Springfield College’s physical therapy program. Since the initiation of the program, the Stay Steady Foundation, a non-governmental organization, has been created to promote sustainability of the Stay Steady Fall Prevention Program, and the involvement of Springfield College has been instrumental to provide the screenings, Rauseo said.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase

BusinessWest Accepting Continued Excellence Award Nominations

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest is looking for nominees for its fifth Continued Excellence Award, and will accept nominations through Friday, May 3. The winner of the award will be unveiled at the magazine’s 40 Under Forty gala on Thursday, June 20. Four years ago, BusinessWest inaugurated the award to recognize past 40 Under Forty honorees who had significantly built on their achievements since they were honored. The first two winners were Delcie Bean, president of Paragus Strategic IT, and Dr. Jonathan Bayuk, president of Allergy and Immunology Associates of Western Mass. and chief of Allergy and Immunology at Baystate Medical Center. Both were originally named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2008. The judges chose two winners in 2017: Scott Foster, an attorney with Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas (40 Under Forty class of 2011); and Nicole Griffin, owner of Griffin Staffing Network (class of 2014). Last year, Samalid Hogan, regional director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (class of 2013), took home the honor. Candidates must hail from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007-18 — and will be judged on qualities including outstanding leadership, dedicated community involvement, professional achievement, and ability to inspire. The award’s presenting sponsor is Health New Enlgand. The nomination form is available HERE. A list of the past 12 40 Under Forty classes may be found HERE. For more information call Bevin Peters, Marketing and Events Director, at (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

Jewish Nursing Home, Six Other Facilities Reach Settlement with State

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that the state reached settlements with seven nursing homes, including Jewish Nursing Home of Longmeadow, after an investigation found “systemic failures” at the facilities that led to the death or injury of some residents. About $500,000 in penalties were announced during a news conference Wednesday, the Boston Globe reported. The seven facilities will now be enrolled in strict compliance programs and must undergo safety and care-quality improvements. Settlements were reached with Jewish Nursing Home of Longmeadow (which received an $85,000 fine), Oxford Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Haverhill ($180,000), Wakefield Center in Wakefield ($30,000), the Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Everett ($40,000), Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center in Westboro ($37,500), Braemoor Health Center in Brockton, and Woodbriar Health Center in Wilmington. Synergy Health Centers, which owns Braemoor and Woodbriar, is banned from operating in Massachusetts for seven years. Synergy will pay between $100,000 and $200,000 in fines.

Phase 3 Complete at Atwood Professional Campus

NORTHAMPTON — A ribbon-cutting ceremony has been scheduled for Friday, April 5 at 1 p.m. at the site of phase 3 of the Atwood Professional Campus located at 15 Atwood Dr. in Northampton. This 66,000-square-foot, Class A, three-story professional office building compliments the existing office buildings located across the street at 8 and 22 Atwood Dr., immediately off exit 18 on I-91. Both previous buildings are fully occupied, with notable tenants including Cooley Dickinson Health Care Corp., Clinical & Support Options Inc., and New England Dermatology. The new building was erected at the site of the former Clarion Inn & Conference Center and is designed to appeal to professional and medical office tenants. The owners of Northwood Development, LLC — Edward O’Leary, Eileen O’Leary Sullivan, and Susan O’Leary Mulhern — developed this project. The construction of the building was completed in January 2019. The Hampshire County Probate and Family Court has leased 22,000 square feet in the new building consisting of the entire first floor along with a portion of the second floor. Cooley Dickinson Health Care Corp. has also leased 7,682 square feet on the second floor for medical offices, and construction for that space is currently underway. Development Associates of Agawam, the project manager and leasing agent for the project, has been developing commercial and industrial property throughout the Pioneer Valley for more than 35 years.

Employer Confidence Inches Up in February

BOSTON — Business confidence rebounded modestly during February as optimism about the state and national economies outweighed a darkening outlook among Massachusetts manufacturers. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index gained 0.5 points to 58.2 after dropping in January to its lowest level since October 2016. Confidence remains within optimistic territory but has lost 6.8 points during the past 12 months. The February increase was driven by a 3.4% jump in employer views of the state economy and a 3.3% rise for the national economy. The government announced last week that the U.S. economy grew at a 2.9% rate in 2018, matching 2015 as the biggest increase since the end of the 2007-09 Great Recession. “Employers remain generally optimistic about a state economy that continues to run at full-employment levels and a U.S. economy that is projected to grow by 2.2% this year” said Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. “At the same time, the erosion of confidence among Massachusetts manufacturers during the past 12 months raises some concern about the long-term sustainability of the recovery.”

Grant Funds Opioid-addiction Treatment in Two County Jails

AMHERST — In what could serve as a model for tackling one of the nation’s top public-health crises, a UMass Amherst epidemiology researcher is teaming up with two Western Mass. sheriff’s offices to design, implement, and study an opioid-treatment program for jail detainees in Franklin and Hampshire counties. Funded with a $1.5 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the three-year project aims to deliver medications to some 500 detainees who agree to treatment, and connect them to follow-up care through a comprehensive community re-entry program after their release. Elizabeth Evans, assistant professor in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences and one of the grant recipients, will collect data from all the stakeholders to measure the project’s outcomes. “The idea is to distill the lessons learned into a playbook or guide that can be used in jails in Massachusetts and across the nation,” she said. “Evidence supports the use of medications to treat opioid-use disorder. This model signifies a willingness of the sheriffs to deliver care to reduce recidivism and to save people’s lives.” Evans will help Franklin County Sheriff Christopher Donelan, Assistant Superintendent Ed Hayes, and their staff expand and formalize the groundbreaking opioid treatment they began offering inmates in 2015 at the county jail in Greenfield. She also will work with Hampshire County Sheriff Patrick Cahillane, Assistant Superintendent Melinda Cady, and their staff to implement the same program in the Northampton jail.

Hampden County Bar Assoc. Offers Two Law School Scholarships

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Assoc. is now accepting applications for the John F. Moriarty Scholarship and the Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship. The John F. Moriarty Scholarship is available to any Hampden County resident who has been admitted to or is attending a certified law school for the 2019-20 academic year. Applicants must have been residents of Hampden County for at least five years. The deadline date for the John F. Moriarty Scholarship is May 31. The Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship is available to any veteran with an honorable discharge or a current member of the U.S. military who has been admitted to or is attending a certified law school in New England for the 2019-20 year. The deadline for the Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship is May 15. Both scholarships are based on merit and financial need. Applications and additional information are available by contacting Caitlin Glenn at the Hampden County Bar Assoc. at (413) 732-4660 or [email protected] or by visiting www.hcbar.org/about-us/scholarships/.

YouthWorks Program Seeks Employers to Participate in Summer-jobs Program

SPRINGFIELD — The MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board will hold a press conference on Friday, April 5 to launch its 2019 YouthWorks summer-jobs campaign. The event will take place at 1 p.m. at the Reed Institute, located at 152 Notre Dame St., Westfield. The agency’s goal is to place up to 800 youth in summer jobs. Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan will be joined by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, and Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos to announce the summer youth-employment initiative. Also in attendance will be state Sen. James Welch and state Reps. Joseph Wagner, John Velis, Jose Tosado, Aaron Vega, Carlos Gonzalez, and Bud Williams. Each year, thousands of YouthWorks applications are received for a few hundred jobs. Employer participation is paramount to ensure a successful summer for youth between ages 14 and 21. Youth employed through the YouthWorks summer-jobs program will earn $12 per hour, work an average of 125 hours over six weeks, and receive 15 hours of training in workplace-readiness skills and workplace safety. Employers who are interested in hiring a youth, becoming a YouthWorks worksite, or donating money to help pay the wages for a youth to work should contact Kathryn Kirby, manager of Youth Employment and Workforce Programs, at (413) 755-1359.

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

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

AMHERST

James G. Hunt, DDS, P.C., 148 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002. James G. Hunt, 24 Canterbury Lane, Amherst, MA 01002. Dental services.

CHICOPEE

L.A. Cleaning Inc., 189 Broadway St., # 2, Chicopee, MA 01020. Leonardo Alvares, same. Commercial and residential cleaning services.

EASTHAMPTON

Let the Fur Fly Inc., 45 Westview Terrace, Easthampton, MA 01027. Kate M. Hancock, same. Mobile dog grooming services.

GREENFIELD

Kobe Company Inc., 2 Solon St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Xinou Zheng, same. Restaurant.

Looky Here Inc., 28 Chapman St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Hannah Brookman, same. To promote and develop an organization for providing free and inexpensive access to arts programming and materials.

Moonlight Rose Inc., 151 Smead Hill Road, Greenfield, MA 01301. David Davenport, same. To hold real estate.

LUDLOW

M. Trant Campbell, Esq., P.C., 119 Winsor St., Ludlow, MA 01056. M. Trant Campbell, 7 Inwood Dr., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Practice of law.

SOUTH HADLEY

Luke Stronger Inc., C/O Ryan Bradley, President, 8 Spring Meadow Road, South Hadley, MA 01075. Ryan Bradley, same. Raise funds to support families paying bills related to cancer and other medical conditions, support for medical research, and all other lawful charitable purposes.

SPRINGFIELD

Mapleleaf Holdings Inc., 311 Industry Ave., Springfield, MA 01104. Todd A. Goodrich, same. Logistics and warehousing.

WARE

KJB Affiliates Inc., 31 Pleasant St., 2nd Floor, Ware, MA 01082. Kevin Brown, same. E-commerce.

Moore Printing Inc., 27 North St., Ware, MA 01082. Jeffery R. Moore, same. Printing, copying, fax services.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

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

AMHERST

Advanced Healthcare Consulting
163 Northampton Road
Kathleen Haughton

Athena’s Pizza
65 University Dr.
Kemalettin Ibas

IYA Sushi and Noodle Kitchen
One East Pleasant St., Suite 2
IYA TOO, LLC

Stolle Intelligent Machine Consulting
222 North East St., Apt. 4
Frank Stolle, Heyue Stolle

Tree of Life
1261 South East St.
Andrew Hatfield

BELCHERTOWN

Ace Repair and Maintenance
9 Eastview Dr.
Anthony Ceria Jr.

Amy’s Animals
170 Jackson St.
Amy Clegg

Beauty of Orchards
1 Main St.
Charisma Som

Brett’s Property Service
549 South Washington St.
Brett Crowther

Feathers & Fur Pet Care Services, LLC
589 Federal St.
Peggy McLeod, Robert McLeod

Kitchen Works II
270 West St.
James Austin

CHICOPEE

Express Mini Mart
95 School St.
Muhammad Khawasa

Health Science Academy Booster Club
820 Front St.
Danielle Hill, Carrie Vickers

Lab Rats Medical Courier
37 John St.
Ellery Brevard

LightHouse Realty
1199 Grattan St.
Vaycheslav Fokgha

MCL Landscaping
15 Yorktown Court
Jason Cancel, Ashley Harder

Medical Resources Home Health Corp.
450 Memorial Dr., Suite 401
G. Scott Herman

DEERFIELD

Leo’s Table
55A North Main St.
Jennifer Howard

On Cue Global
8 Old Main St.
Katherine Arms

EASTHAMPTON

Dogwood Trees
8 Groveland St.
Stephen Chute

Embark Films
116 Pleasant St., Suite 245
Dmitry Gordievsky

Pioneer Valley Fencing Academy
94 Cottage St.
Paul Sise

SET Americas Inc.
180 Pleasant St., Suite 207
Christopher Bakker

Tech 180 Corp.
180 Pleasant St., Suite 211
Christopher Bakker

EAST LONGMEADOW

A & E Styles
2 North Main St.
Emanuela Hernandez

Ichiban
422 North Main St.
Hong Huang

Justin Howell Site Welding Services
475 Somers Road
Justin Howell

Lambert & Pryor Insurance Agency
595 North Main St.
Mark Lambert

GREENFIELD

Bedrooms by Andy’s
329 Deerfield St.
Joseph Easton

Endless Beauty Boutique
83 Thayer Road
Tammy Zellmann

Eversource Energy
215 Shelburne Road
NStar Electric Co.

Extreme Styles
34 Bank Row
Linda Peters

Greenfield Coffee
1 Bank Row
Curtis Rich

Homespun by Andy’s
329 Deerfield St.
Joseph Easton

Kevin’s Auto Body & Sales
35 Montague City Road
Kevin LaBelle

Lucy Fagella Pottery
86 Leyden Road
Lucy Fagella

Magickal Moments
72 Smith St.
Robert Cross, Cindy Cross

Margaret’s Cleaning Service
54 Grove St.
Margaret Fisher

Mr. Hamdi’s Tailoring
367 Main St.
Hamdi Yildiz

Sudzway Laundromat
343 Federal St.
Xin On Zheng, Ming Yan Lu

HOLYOKE

Jay Bug Apparel
206 Pine St., Apt. 2
Jesus Tanon

Kim Lee Nails
322 Appleton St.
Luy Nguyen

Lacus Systems
245 Lacus Dr.
Michael Hearn

Muse Custom Framing
220 South Water St.
Debra Luzny

New Horizons Child Care
189 Pine St.
Felicita Lopez

The Right Touch Painting
1069 Main St.
Ramon Ortiz

Sadie Spins Yarn
65 Sycamore St.
Sadie Cora

Stop and Go
399 Hillside Ave.
Rajendra Modi

T-Mobile
50 Holyoke St., Suite D263
Chris Miller

LUDLOW

Bella Couture Salon & Day Spa
154 East St.
Michelle Ruark

SAS Comfort Shoes
433 Center St.
Donna Wishart

Warrior Nation Xtreme Fighters Alliance
885 East St.
Jess Camp

NORTHAMPTON

1812 Paint and Body
130 Spring St.
Kristopher Pease

Arrive Yoga
90 King St.
Lise Lawrence

Duffy Tire Service
252 Bridge St.
James Duffy

Eliza Rose Psychotherapy
40 Center St., Suite 1
Eliza Daniels

(Fun)struction
2 Conz St., #38
Brent Anderson

Genesis of Northampton
347 King St.
Carla Cosenzi-Zayac

Hair Etc.
2 Conz St., Unit 8
Kathleen Mologoski

Northampton Coffee
269 Pleasant St.
Annabelle Lytle-Rich

Old English Services
68 Williams St.
Robert Englaish

Orein Arts
161 South St., #1R
Nicholas Maione

Riddle and Jinx
48 Country Way
Emily Lopuch

Salon 68
2 Conz St., Unit 8
Robin LaFleur

Smith Corner Convenience
8-10 Green St.
Mohamed Abdulazeez

Tart Baking Co.
192 Main St.
Annabelle Lytle-Rich

Yesko Group
336 Hatfield St., Apt. D
Yao Kouame, Rodolphe Silvere

PALMER

Mind Over Matter
1223 Thorndike St.
Emily Arena

Ortiz Trinity Services
46 Walnut St.
Pamela Ortiz

Palmer Antiques Co-op, LLC
1239 South Main St.
Louise Krassler, Michael Krassler

Positivity Magic, LLC
2064 Main St.
Jonas Cain

Pure Flight Disc Golf
1478 North Main St.
Jeffrey Fleury, Pete Charron

R.J. Foskit Building & Remodeling
42 Barker St.
Ronald Foskit

Rondeau’s Dairy Bar, LLC
1300 Ware Road
Michael Rondeau

SPRINGFIELD

Angel’s Auto Detailing
1122 St. James Ave.
Angel Rivera

Angie’s Elegance Boutique
88 Commonwealth Ave.
Angela Soto

Boriken
344 Bay St.
Jahaira Torres

Carodan
125 Marsden St.
Carolina Velasquez

Centro de Herbalife
195 Pine St.
Maria Perez

Exclusive Flooring
56 Lois St.
Deanna Silva

The Final Touch Barber Shop
821 State St.
Clarence Smith

Forest Park Real Estate & Financial Services
668 Dickinson St.
Son Vo

Hafey Funeral Service & Cremation
494 Belmont Ave.
Forastiere Family

Kajukembo Self Defense
441 White St.
Glenn Sullivan

Kings and Queens Clothing
1655 Boston Road
Bria Wilson

Lily Crow Aesthetics
899 Carew St.
Lilian Ramos David

Los Bravos Restaurant
1003 St. James Ave.
Ronald Soto

Nick’s Auto Parts
13 Naismith Place
Usman Nadeen

Nidia Cleaning
48 Kenwood Park
Nidia Perez Luna

Otero Multi Services
97 Ardmore St.
Raysa Otero

Racsey Transport
41 Tyler St.
Carlos Otero

Radio Mi Casa y Serviremos a Jehova
66 Sorrento St.
Elvin Rivera

Star KS Transformation
917 Sumner Ave.
Anthony Starks

Taylor Made Communication
1500 Main St., Suite 1
Michael Taylor

Tejada Gonzalez Market
21 Locust St.
Carlos Tejada

Unique Beauty Salon
170 Boston Road
Suanne Murrell

United Unlimited Construction
328 Allen St.
Christopher Wright

WESTFIELD

Creative Little Minds
419 West Road
Tia Boisseau

Guidance for Inner Peace
5 Noble Ave.
Janice Pagano

Kimberly Hatch Photography
77 Mill St.
Kimberly Hatch

Northeast Paving
311 East Mountain Road
Eurovia Atlantic Coast, LLC

Responsible Driving of Westfield
132 Elm St.
Responsible Driving of Westfield

Western Mass Demolition Corp.
64 Medeiros Way
Western Mass Demolition Corp.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

DNS Construction, LLC
180 Kings Highway
Nilso Desa

Evgo Services, LLC
143 Park Ave.
Morris Zagha

Evgo Services, LLC
2068 Riverdale St.
Morris Zagha

Imedia Studio
433 Cold Spring Ave.
Denis Iushkov

Ricardo Robles Transportation
190 Day St.
Ricardo Robles

Roy Phoenix Property Management
59 Hewitt St.
Roy Phoenix

SMD and Associates
343 Birnie Ave.
Suzanne Demers

Super Washing Well Laundry
1126 Union St.
David Cortis

The Venetian Bakery
90 Baldwin St.
Adam Oliveri

WILBRAHAM

The Crispy Biscuit
2341 Boston Road
Alison Whitehill

The Massage Clinic
2341 Boston Road, Unit 301
Anne Ambrose

Mitchell Mechanicals
87 Manchonis Road
Russell Mitchell

Touch of G.
2141 Boston Road, Unit K
Gilmarys Marrero

Wilbraham Commons
269 Stony Hill Road
Chris Bowden

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Adams, Katherine M.
6 King George Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/22/19

Baker, Jennifer
a/k/a Thompson, Jennifer
253 Amherst Road Apt. D6
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/19

Blakely, Jason Michael
54 Beverly Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/20/19

Breor, Laurie
14 Columbia Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/19

Central Mass Interiors
Norton, Sandra L.
a/k/a Weber, Sandra L.
65 Regewood Dr.
Phillpston, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/19

Cognac, Matthew R.
58 Allison Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/14/19

Conklin, Joseph R.
Conklin, Katelyn C.
45 William St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/19

DeAngelis, Michael T.
DeAngelis, Amy
125 Barton Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/19

Fontaine, Richard R.
35 New Boston Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/19

Fortier, Kim
88 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/27/19

Foxe, William
Foxe, Rachel
a/k/a Williams, Rachel
15 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/26/19

Frazer, Kenneth E.
110 North Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/19/19

Germain, Jennifer A.
130 Edgewood Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/19/19

Goodreau, Christine M.
14 Cresent Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/24/19

Hallums, Johnny R.
791 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/20/19

Hoffmann, Mark D.
1379 Main St.
Lancaster, MA 01523
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/19

Holt, Eric B.
14 Kowal Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/19

LeBlanc, Sarah Marie
53 Pine Acre Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/19

Lisi, Savannah
16 Montgomery Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/19

McCarthy, Brian P.
71 South Westfield St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/25/19

Miranda, Jesvier R.
406 Fernbank Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/19/19

Raimer, Josephine A.
2 Harvest Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/20/19

Ray Corbeil’s Lawncare
Corbeil, Raymond S.
26 Corey Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/19

Sandomierski, Tammy L.
62 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/19

Santiago, Jesenia
28 Nathaniel St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/19/19

Silvestri, Kelly
55 Northwest Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/20/19

Smith, Shanice
a/k/a Raschilla, Shanice
14 King Ave., Unit 1
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/19

Southwick Computer Service
Cranston, Robert E.
4 Island Pond Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/19/19

Thang, Carrie Lyn
26 Easy Way
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/21/19

Williamson, Julie M.
Levine, Juile M.
17 Crandall St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/25/19

Woolley, Mason Kenneth
434 North Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/22/19

Real Estate Transactions

By
Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

837 Murray Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: 837 Murray Road TR
Seller: Murray Road TR
Date: 02/28/19

CHARLEMONT

1689 Route 2
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $151,400
Buyer: Robert D. Burrington
Seller: Burrington IRT
Date: 03/01/19

DEERFIELD

69 Graves St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Matthew W. Shamey
Seller: Michael Magelinski
Date: 03/01/19

12 North Hillside Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $308,000
Buyer: Austin J. Snape
Seller: Joshua D. Schimmel
Date: 03/01/19

30 Stillwater Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: John Oates
Seller: Richard J. Baranoski
Date: 03/12/19

ERVING

15 Maple Ave.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Jason L. Robinson
Seller: Justin A. Fellows
Date: 02/27/19

157 North St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Justin A. Fellows
Seller: Edwin E. Flagg
Date: 02/28/19

GILL

180 French King Hwy.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Robert Higgins
Seller: Calvin T. Parsons
Date: 02/27/19

GREENFIELD

73 Burnham Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: David A. Durrell
Seller: Saul Sherter
Date: 03/06/19

155 South Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Douglas C. Ewing
Seller: Gene R. Crochier
Date: 02/28/19

41 Stevens St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Nathan A. Peirce
Seller: Leslie A. Zraunig
Date: 03/01/19

31 Wildwood Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Paul D. McWilliams
Seller: Finn, William T., (Estate)
Date: 03/01/19

LEVERETT

100 Depot Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $199,500
Buyer: Jennie M. Brannen
Seller: Woodard, Philip O., (Estate)
Date: 03/08/19

LEYDEN

87 Bell Road
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Patricia A. Dempsey
Seller: Harris, William S., (Estate)
Date: 03/07/19

MONTAGUE

11 Central St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Nash
Seller: Freedom Credit Union
Date: 03/01/19

NEW SALEM

16 Old Petersham Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Roger L. Hughes
Seller: Dorothy A. Laukaitis
Date: 02/28/19

ORANGE

49 Cherry St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $210,080
Buyer: Kenneth M. Capasso
Seller: Brian N. Bernard
Date: 03/11/19

32 Coombs Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Robert Czerpak
Seller: PNC Bank
Date: 03/01/19

426 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: 426 East River St. LLC
Seller: Silver Property Investments
Date: 02/28/19

80 Sandrah Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Diana M. Watkins
Seller: Richard Fairman
Date: 03/08/19

47 Shelter St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Gilbert J. Harrison
Seller: Joseph A. Easton
Date: 02/27/19

179 West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $121,500
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Brian M. Covel
Date: 03/05/19

SHELBURNE

10 Old Greenfield Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Brian Calder-McBride
Seller: Dennis P. McBride
Date: 03/08/19

SHUTESBURY

273-275 Wendell Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Yecheng Yang
Seller: Northeast Market Trade
Date: 02/28/19

WHATELY

Dickinson Hill Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Quonquont Farm LLC
Seller: Nelson, Wayne S., (Estate)
Date: 03/07/19

267 Long Plain Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jacob A. Macko
Seller: Michael P. Hayden
Date: 03/08/19

9 Mieczkowski Circle
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $249,650
Buyer: Phillip R. Allard
Seller: Joanne M. Dickinson
Date: 03/01/19

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

62 Alhambra Circle North
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Poplar Development LLC
Seller: Moonyean M. Field
Date: 02/28/19

15 Mardale Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Daniel T. Balbony
Seller: Joan A. Tetreault
Date: 03/06/19

27 Maynard St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: James D. Dipinto
Seller: Sergey Savonin
Date: 02/28/19

30 Royal Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Sharleen Diaz
Seller: Volodymyr Boyko
Date: 02/28/19

141 South St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Erik J. Wagner
Seller: Michael F. Albro
Date: 03/08/19

151 Valley Brook Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Anthony C. Albano
Seller: Daniel J. Grabowski
Date: 03/12/19

51 Wrenwood Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $233,100
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Lynne A. Rogerson
Date: 03/05/19

BLANDFORD

1 Diane Dr.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: David Galpin
Seller: Daniel P. Loris
Date: 03/01/19

BRIMFIELD

151 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Phat D. Ly
Seller: Sam Zhao
Date: 03/01/19

167 Warren Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Andrew Filler
Seller: Gail L. West
Date: 02/27/19

CHICOPEE

18 Casino Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: College Of Our Lady
Seller: Judith A. Cadden
Date: 03/01/19

519 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Lemay
Seller: Jennifer L. Lemay
Date: 02/27/19

15 Como Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $243,900
Buyer: Shannon E. Carmody
Seller: Shan S. Zhao
Date: 02/28/19

20 Concord St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jeremy Rivas
Seller: Matthew J. Corrado
Date: 03/01/19

49 Cyman Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Amidon
Seller: Charlene Dominik
Date: 03/11/19

46 Emmet St.
Chicopee, MA 01119
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Sara D. Barnes
Seller: Timothy M. Hurley
Date: 02/28/19

24 Ferry St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Victor M. Sanchez
Seller: Stallings Realty Group
Date: 03/05/19

162 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Krista Surprenant
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 03/11/19

111 Lukasik St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Lemire
Seller: Suzanne T. Cote
Date: 03/08/19

21 Lyman Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jeremy S. Armitage
Seller: Majkowski, Robert F., (Estate)
Date: 03/08/19

Olivine St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: 52 Perrault Street LLC
Seller: Olivine Realty Corp.
Date: 03/12/19

66 Perrault St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: 52 Perrault Street LLC
Seller: Olivine Realty Corp.
Date: 03/12/19

14 Perry St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Stacy Bernier
Seller: Joann M. Garelli
Date: 03/01/19

556 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $205,900
Buyer: Benjamin Perez
Seller: Mister Mister LLC
Date: 02/28/19

12 Stebbins St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Justin E. Packard
Seller: Christopher Phillips
Date: 03/08/19

41 Wilmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Richard L. Dion
Seller: Felix L. Lopez
Date: 02/28/19

Yvonne St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: 52 Perrault Street LLC
Seller: Olivine Realty Corp.
Date: 03/12/19

EAST LONGMEADOW

9 Laurence Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Robert A. Holden
Seller: James B. Harris
Date: 03/08/19

299 Maple St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Michael Carabetta
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 03/08/19

32 Rural Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Thompson
Seller: Vincent Desantis
Date: 03/08/19

GRANVILLE

550 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $337,500
Buyer: Joyce M. Donohue
Seller: Steven R. Spencer
Date: 03/01/19

HAMPDEN

119 Chapin Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: Cumberland Blues RT
Seller: Moran, Mary R., (Estate)
Date: 03/08/19

28 Commercial Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: 28 Commercial Drive LLC
Seller: Spartan Realty Inc.
Date: 02/28/19

41 Mountain Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Derek Downey
Seller: Susan Robinson
Date: 03/06/19

47 Old Coach Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $438,800
Buyer: Nicole A. Contois
Seller: George C. Sarkis
Date: 03/08/19

16 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: 16 Somers Road LLC
Seller: Michael J. Sicbaldi LLP
Date: 03/01/19

HOLLAND

89 Union Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Lunshou Wang
Seller: Donald F. Sanders
Date: 03/04/19

HOLYOKE

5-9 Hampshire St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Hampshire Row LLC
Seller: Witman Properties Inc.
Date: 03/01/19

15 Holy Family Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Robert-Thomas Construction LLC
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop Of Springfield
Date: 03/12/19

142 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Coakley Corp.
Seller: FNMA
Date: 02/27/19

20 James St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Judy Murray
Seller: Rsquareb Properties LLC
Date: 02/27/19

253 Locust St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Jeffrey A. Dulude
Seller: Miriam J. Desprey
Date: 02/28/19

67 Merrick Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $149,350
Buyer: Robert K. Barron
Seller: Leslie R. Fenn
Date: 03/04/19

77 Nonotuck St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Sonja Latimore
Seller: Jillian B. Carty
Date: 03/05/19

1825 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $329,500
Buyer: Holyoke Rentals LLC
Seller: Scott Family Properties
Date: 02/28/19

34 Saint James Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Ashanta C. Ester
Seller: David P. Micka
Date: 02/28/19

393-395 South Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $177,859
Buyer: AAD LLC
Seller: AAD LLC
Date: 03/08/19

LONGMEADOW

108 Avondale Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: 108 Avondale Road TR
Seller: Samuel J. Alston
Date: 03/07/19

136 Bliss Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $131,500
Buyer: Eagle Crest RT
Seller: Shirley L. Dashnaw
Date: 03/05/19

34 Green Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $438,500
Buyer: Adam S. Katz
Seller: Brian A. Kimball
Date: 02/28/19

49 Hanover Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Matthew Castner
Seller: 88 Casino Terrace LLC
Date: 03/01/19

19 Kimberly Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: John Bonatakis
Seller: Charles Bonatakis
Date: 03/07/19

20 Laurel Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: 88 Casino Terrace LLC
Seller: Kenneth Costa
Date: 03/04/19

103 Laurel St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Maxwell D. Sullivan
Seller: Christina Turgeon
Date: 02/27/19

224 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Suzanne White
Seller: Sherman E. Fein
Date: 03/01/19

200 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Zachary L. Jacobson
Seller: Inger E. Bolduc
Date: 02/28/19

68 Massachusetts Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Jeffrey Kidd
Date: 02/28/19

43 Salem Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: James G. Kantany
Seller: David G. Chapdelaine
Date: 03/01/19

LUDLOW

56 Church St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Bettencourt
Seller: Pauline M. Lariviere
Date: 03/01/19

78 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Chad H. Abare
Seller: Edward R. Jalowski
Date: 03/11/19

204 Lawton St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Santucci
Seller: James R. Lamica
Date: 03/08/19

21 Park Terrace
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Paul Dube
Seller: Tara J. Bennett
Date: 03/01/19

MONSON

53 Beebe Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jacob L. Haley
Seller: Elias Poulopoulos
Date: 02/28/19

2 Boston Road East
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $194,500
Buyer: Abimael Claudio
Seller: NRZ REO 10 LLC
Date: 03/08/19

80 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Mahmood Realty LLC
Seller: Stanley E. Piecuch
Date: 02/28/19

PALMER

5-7 Beech St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Whitney Kusy
Seller: Richard N. Lavallee
Date: 03/11/19

2038 Central St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $130,100
Buyer: Grosz RT
Seller: Quicken Loans Inc.
Date: 03/11/19

5 Kelly Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Relo Direct Government
Seller: James P. Martin
Date: 03/04/19

1372 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Enisde Holdings LLC
Seller: Carol Henriques
Date: 02/27/19

1405-1415 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: KDV Realty LLC
Seller: George A. Roberts
Date: 02/28/19

430 Old Warren Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: William J. Lusty
Seller: William J. Lusty
Date: 03/08/19

31 Smith St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Christina Pelland
Seller: David B. Deraleau
Date: 03/12/19

1239 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: KRA Holdings LLC
Seller: Oliver L. Howlett
Date: 02/27/19

1243 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: KRA Holdings LLC
Seller: Oliver L. Howlett
Date: 02/27/19

125 State St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: John Hoy
Date: 03/12/19

SOUTHWICK

71 Klaus Anderson Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Dorota Strycharz
Seller: Citibank
Date: 03/07/19

1 Pine St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Kim E. Jackson
Seller: Lawrence E. Durocher
Date: 02/28/19

49 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Norman Liquori
Seller: Mark R. Higgins
Date: 02/28/19

7 Tree Top Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: James L. Lobik
Seller: Michael A. Green
Date: 03/08/19

SPRINGFIELD

87-89 Abbe Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $134,740
Buyer: Thomas Mejia
Seller: Giselle Reome
Date: 02/28/19

853 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Acevedo
Seller: James Niedbala
Date: 03/07/19

Bancroft St. (NS)
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Martin Severino
Seller: Angel L. Berrios
Date: 03/04/19

59-61 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Vyacheslav Privedenyuk
Seller: Guiseppe Cicchetti
Date: 03/08/19

34-36 Bartlett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: New Chapter Real Estate Development
Seller: Naif Manahi
Date: 03/04/19

28 Barton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jose Cordova
Seller: Jeffrie Bodon
Date: 03/12/19

100 Bowles Park
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: J. L. Rodriguez-Nieves
Seller: Notre Dame Properties LLC
Date: 02/28/19

81 Bowles St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Luis A. Andino-Vazquez
Seller: Emelina Figueroa
Date: 02/28/19

93 Bowles St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $149,400
Buyer: Agustin Sosa
Seller: TM Properties Inc.
Date: 03/01/19

8-10 Braddock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Cherise Ellis
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 03/11/19

110 Brandon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $154,750
Buyer: Charlie Melo-Perez
Seller: Gabriel E. Sanchez
Date: 02/28/19

79 Brandon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $115,218
Buyer: Dorina Pearson
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/27/19

58 Brentwood St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Latara Green
Seller: Loren C. Green
Date: 03/08/19

98 Bretton Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $145,220
Buyer: Old Green Acres LLC
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/28/19

34 Brewster St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $132,840
Buyer: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Samantha Laporte
Date: 03/05/19

15 Briardcrest Road
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Nicole Brown
Seller: Van Q. Nguyen
Date: 03/01/19

74 Brighton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Katherine Copson
Seller: Jeremy Rivas
Date: 03/01/19

105-107 Buckingham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Isidoro Ramos-Parra
Seller: Sharon R. Kelly
Date: 03/06/19

14 Canton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Santiago Torres
Seller: Krista Surprenant
Date: 03/11/19

40 Champlain Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $161,500
Buyer: Grace Perez
Seller: Linda McNamara
Date: 02/27/19

122 College St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $146,001
Buyer: Thuy L. Seward
Seller: George E. Thompson
Date: 03/01/19

130 Cooley St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Harry C. Alvarado
Seller: Edward J. Haluch
Date: 03/08/19

114 Corona St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Cristine M. White
Seller: Living Stone LLC
Date: 03/01/19

31 Delaware Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $158,900
Buyer: Adam P. Gauthier
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 02/28/19

197 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Noelia M. Rodriguez
Seller: SLC Associates LLC
Date: 02/27/19

37 Drexel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Sandy Israel
Seller: Aaron E. Williams
Date: 03/06/19

376 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Luis Rosa
Seller: Harvey, Barbara Mary, (Estate)
Date: 02/28/19

1344-1352 Dwight St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Martin Severino
Seller: Angel L. Berrios
Date: 03/04/19

204 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Carlos M. Rivera
Seller: Patrick A. McFarlin
Date: 02/28/19

15 Ferncliff Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Ana M. Fontanez
Seller: Properties R Us & Investments
Date: 02/28/19

31 Fitzgerald Road
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Joshua Flores
Seller: Thomas F. Fredette
Date: 02/28/19

87 Florence St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Luz Gonzalez
Date: 03/12/19

98 Freeman Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Edwin Abrew
Seller: Steven O. Chapman
Date: 02/28/19

37 Health Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Barbara L. Smith
Seller: Sharon Javier
Date: 02/28/19

203 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $199,500
Buyer: Paul Ouellette
Seller: Maria Vanegas
Date: 02/27/19

85 Judson St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Yomary Montilla
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 02/28/19

65 Kenway Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Mariel Villafane-Camacho
Seller: Jose A. Sanchez
Date: 03/05/19

112 Leavitt St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Emmanuel A. Rosario
Seller: Bianca Polk
Date: 03/01/19

108 Lyons St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $168,200
Buyer: Nabil Arocho-Santiago
Seller: Antonio S. Henriques
Date: 03/08/19

111 Mayher St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Evan T. Dziuba
Seller: James Sanders
Date: 03/12/19

74 Nagle St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Tara A. Juzba
Seller: Davluc Investments LLC
Date: 03/08/19

34 Nantasket St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Jose Diaz-Martinez
Seller: Christian Wiernasz
Date: 03/11/19

82-84 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Shani M. Vargas
Seller: Angel R. Sierra
Date: 02/28/19

173 Navajo Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Natividad Rios
Seller: Craig A. Comer
Date: 02/28/19

282 Newhouse St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Arthur S. Cain
Seller: Amy R. Bostian
Date: 02/28/19

194 Nottingham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Janet Gomez
Seller: Chad T. Lynch
Date: 02/28/19

150 Oklahoma St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,989
Buyer: OCWEN Loan Servicing LLC
Seller: James W. Denson
Date: 03/01/19

700 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Joshua Lacroix
Seller: Daniel R. Lacroix
Date: 02/28/19

65 Pinecrest Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: Scott Woodaman
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 03/08/19

591 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Tony Lozano
Seller: Walter J. Langlois
Date: 03/05/19

28 Porter St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Christopher E. Rosado
Seller: Fumi Realty Inc.
Date: 03/08/19

42 Richelieu St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $213,400
Buyer: Oscar Monegro
Seller: Extremely Clean LLC
Date: 03/07/19

68-70 Rittenhouse Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Joel M. Marrero
Seller: Oden M. Gomez
Date: 02/28/19

116 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Ram K. Tiwari
Seller: Caroline Keady
Date: 03/12/19

477 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Cherie A. Costa
Seller: Ann L. Albert
Date: 03/08/19

111 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Marisol Correa
Seller: Dominic M. Cessarini
Date: 03/11/19

5 Sedgewick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Willett
Seller: Jordan C. Leonard
Date: 03/04/19

110 Sierra Vista Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: John G. Wood
Seller: Agustin Morales
Date: 02/28/19

1584 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Pamela E. Coombs
Seller: Paula Euber
Date: 02/28/19

165 Sunridge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Luis Pacheco
Seller: Daniel Devine
Date: 03/01/19

37 Sunrise Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Joshua D. Ehle
Seller: Onota Rental LLC
Date: 02/27/19

7 Turner St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Kaitlyn H. Peterson
Seller: Timothy J. Willett
Date: 03/04/19

583 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jacob Savageau
Seller: I-Buysellhomes LLC
Date: 03/01/19

21 Wachusett St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $214,500
Buyer: Elizabeth Hayes
Seller: Kashmin Dinanath
Date: 03/08/19

82 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Cristi Carter
Seller: Picard, Nicole M., (Estate)
Date: 03/01/19

730-732 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $125,272
Buyer: Mamba Capital LLC
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 03/01/19

40-42 Willard Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Francisco Leonardo
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 02/27/19

22 Winnipeg St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Pablo R. Margarin-Saro
Seller: Shane J. Gebo
Date: 02/28/19

90 Woodlawn St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Jose A. Maldonado
Seller: William T. Raleigh
Date: 03/12/19

TOLLAND

305 Moreau Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $1,900,000
Buyer: Jonathan J. Lerner
Seller: Songwood Partners LLC
Date: 03/08/19

WEST SPRINGFIELD

861 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: B&B Properties LLC
Seller: Holly A. Krota
Date: 03/08/19

72 Bridle Path Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $274,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Scytkowski
Seller: Marie A. Devlin
Date: 02/27/19

54 Kelso Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Christy Real Estate LLC
Seller: James E. Crawford
Date: 02/27/19

1520 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Jason K. Devlin
Seller: Maroun N. Hannoush
Date: 03/05/19

483 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Jason W. Swindle
Seller: Beausoleil, Brian D., (Estate)
Date: 03/04/19

811 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Francis Sajjad
Date: 03/01/19

153 Poplar Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Marc Donahue
Seller: Mark Senecal
Date: 03/08/19

44 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Tara Rai
Seller: Veniamin Shokov
Date: 02/28/19

11 Stone Path Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Defranco
Seller: Strozzi, Theresa L., (Estate)
Date: 02/28/19

WESTFIELD

49 Cardinal Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: G. Ogochukwu-Odunukwe
Seller: David A. Harvey
Date: 03/07/19

28 Harrison Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Roland J. Ducharme
Seller: Laura A. Caristi
Date: 02/28/19

79 Hawks Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Etabav RT
Seller: Christopher K. Lyons
Date: 03/07/19

23 Lindbergh Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Elizabeth Roy
Seller: Jose A. Santos
Date: 02/28/19

57 Orchard St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $148,500
Buyer: Martyn G. Green
Seller: Jeffrey Routhier
Date: 02/27/19

42 Queen St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jennie L. Ouellette
Seller: Patricia M. Johnson
Date: 02/28/19

907 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Seane M. Waterbury
Seller: Ted Madru
Date: 02/27/19

139 Wyben Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: James F. Sanders
Seller: Colin D. Neylon
Date: 03/12/19

WILBRAHAM

53 Brainard Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Timothy W. Tugie
Seller: William W. Prendergast
Date: 02/28/19

39 Bridge St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Matias Templeman
Seller: Lisa J. Bolek
Date: 02/28/19

22 Carla Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $489,000
Buyer: Leslie Lyness
Seller: Mary A. Fusco
Date: 02/27/19

42 Decorie Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: Raymond G. Rowe
Seller: Linda J. Thomas
Date: 03/01/19

5 Glenn Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: Marianne C. Merritt
Seller: Marcia F. Arooth
Date: 02/28/19

4 Hunting Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Lydia M. Bell
Seller: Jonina Herter
Date: 02/27/19

2 Longview Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Mikko E. Nygren
Seller: William H. Sweeney
Date: 03/08/19

113 Manchonis Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Nicholas M. Bertoncelli
Seller: Jean M. King
Date: 02/28/19

9 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Bruno Sessions
Seller: Kyle B. Hauser
Date: 02/28/19

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

88 Blue Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Robert C. Stebbins
Seller: Holden, Doris R., (Estate)
Date: 03/08/19

20 Charles Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $289,050
Buyer: Isabel Smidy
Seller: Faith, Valerie J., (Estate)
Date: 02/28/19

41 High St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Hannah Holleman
Seller: Jan Dizard
Date: 02/28/19

44 Jenks St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $228,800
Buyer: Lisa A. Fontes
Seller: Mary L. Johnson
Date: 03/04/19

317 Meadow St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $391,500
Buyer: Daniel J. Matuszko
Seller: Matuszko, Joyce A., (Estate)
Date: 03/06/19

826 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $390,500
Buyer: Jie Liang
Seller: Gladys C. Rege TR
Date: 03/01/19

100 Sunderland Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: 100 Sunderland Road LLC
Seller: Jernigan FT
Date: 03/08/19

CHESTERFIELD

209 Old Chesterfield Road
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Michael F. Kinsella
Seller: Zakary H. McCready
Date: 03/08/19

BELCHERTOWN

355 Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $338,000
Buyer: Jerry N. Lachance
Seller: Erik Nedeau
Date: 02/28/19

18 Rainbow Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Brian K. Noyes
Seller: Michael E. Stebenne
Date: 02/28/19

EASTHAMPTON

44 Ashley Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $457,355
Buyer: Peter Y. Hoag
Seller: Alan Dietrich
Date: 03/08/19

5 Jessie Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $370,500
Buyer: Mark S. Silvers
Seller: Rainbow Properties LLC
Date: 03/01/19

43 Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Christopher A. Webber
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/27/19

76 Phelps St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $285,900
Buyer: Lindsey Broussard
Seller: Patrick E. O’Neil
Date: 02/28/19

GRANBY

241 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: Robert P. Turner
Seller: Gerald R. Archambault
Date: 02/27/19

375 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Jeanne F. Tower
Seller: Thomas G. Mercier IRT
Date: 02/28/19

165 Kendall St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Oziel Woodward
Seller: Kimberly A. Lachance
Date: 02/28/19

9 Lyman St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: William M. Swanigan
Seller: Michael A. Depino
Date: 02/28/19

65 South St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jake Q. Hebert
Seller: Silsby, Eleanor B., (Estate)
Date: 03/01/19

HADLEY

4 Crestview Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: James Michalopoulos
Seller: Orene J. Berg
Date: 03/01/19

5 Ladyslipper Lane
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Kristi M. Stefanoni
Seller: Brigette A. Jason
Date: 02/27/19

70 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Mickey Long
Seller: Debtors Trust In Bankruptcy
Date: 03/06/19

HATFIELD

79 Main St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Dr. Hauschka Skin Care Inc.
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop Of Springfield
Date: 03/08/19

HUNTINGTON

23 Old Chester Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Ryan P. Foley
Seller: Dennis K. Meskevich
Date: 03/12/19

NORTHAMPTON

87 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01039
Amount: $3,250,000
Buyer: Pombridge Manor LLC
Seller: Winterberry LLC
Date: 02/28/19

9 Corticelli St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Linnell
Seller: Hardy, Helen A., (Estate)
Date: 02/28/19

11 Higgins Way
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $524,500
Buyer: Lauren E. Duncan
Seller: Sturbridge Development
Date: 03/11/19

5 Meroy Terrace
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $3,250,000
Buyer: Pombridge Manor LLC
Seller: Winterberry LLC
Date: 02/28/19

9 Meroy Terrace
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $3,250,000
Buyer: Pombridge Manor LLC
Seller: Winterberry LLC
Date: 02/28/19

8 Middle St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $451,000
Buyer: Roger C. Taylor
Seller: Anne-Liesl Swogger
Date: 03/08/19

337 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $341,600
Buyer: Ian W. Gaida
Seller: James N. Wagner
Date: 03/08/19

SOUTH HADLEY

15 Bunker Hill
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Adrian J. Anderson
Seller: Vitaliy V. Gladysh
Date: 03/08/19

6 Central Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Adriane L. Racine
Seller: Janice C. Bigelow
Date: 03/01/19

7 Chestnut Hill Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Maureen L. Callahan
Seller: Home Improvement Assocs.
Date: 03/01/19

12 Ferry St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $313,700
Buyer: Claire N. Shillington TR
Seller: Sarah Hart-Agudelo
Date: 02/28/19

81 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Gregory E. Quill
Seller: FNMA
Date: 02/27/19

29 Hildreth Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Matthew F. Tatro
Seller: Meredith A. Hogarty
Date: 03/08/19

18 Maria Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Edwin H. Ordway
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/28/19

404 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Tina Wildhagen
Seller: Kevin Phillips
Date: 03/01/19

52 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Dana R. Katz
Seller: Stella L. Alstede
Date: 03/11/19

487 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Greenfield Coop Bank
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 03/11/19

27 Waite Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Ian P. Jalbert
Seller: Brian Phillips
Date: 02/27/19

SOUTHAMPTON

260 County Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Brian Lamirande
Seller: Robert V. Alicea
Date: 02/28/19

111 Glendale Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $720,000
Buyer: Town Of Southampton
Seller: Denise Wayne
Date: 02/28/19

WARE

5 Kelly Road
Ware, MA 01069
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Roland Gratton
Seller: Relo Direct Government
Date: 02/28/19

9 Lee Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Daniel A. Harris
Seller: Fountain, Charis B., (Estate)
Date: 02/28/19

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2019.

AMHERST

55 University Drive, LLC
55 University Dr.
$7,500 — Interior demolition, flooring only; acoustical ceilings, trim, sheetrock

Amherst Shopping Center Associates, LLC
181D University Dr.
$67,000 — Build-out for fast-casual Vietnamese sandwich eatery

Slobody Development Corp.
7 Pomeroy Lane
$4,560 — Expand All About Learning to join two spaces via a cased opening; add sink

Town of Amherst
51 Boltwood Walk
$7,390 — Roofing

Trolley Barn Development, LLC
68 Cowls Road
$4,941 — Install three awnings on front of building; install 16 fire-retardant sound panels

CHICOPEE

City of Chicopee
17 Springfield St.
$11,632,395 — City Hall exterior and auditorium rehab and accessibility upgrades

Edward Chapdelaine
356 Front St.
$10,000 — Repairs

Hyde Park Burgers, LLC
474B Memorial Dr.
$325,000 — Fit-up for Five Guys Burgers & Fries in newly constructed base building

DEERFIELD

J2K Realty, LLC
55 North Main St.
$10,000 — Construct office in basement

EASTHAMPTON

1776 Brewing Co., LLC
30 Fort Hill Road
$65,385 — Install roof-mounted solar array

Denmark Property Group, LLC
126-128 Northampton St.
$20,000 — Install new exhaust hood system

EAST LONGMEADOW

Cartamundi
443 Shaker Road
$117,155 — Remove wall in new lab area

Cartamundi
443 Shaker Road
$27,940 — Remove interior wall

CHD
742 Parker St.
$115,500 — Fire system, rehab, change of use

Iglesia Osdres Nuevos
30 Somers Road
$2,250 — Sign

Pho Delicious
14 Maple St.
$3,000 — Sign

Secure Energy
515 Shaker Road
$1,750 — Modify sprinkler system

Ventry Property
124 Shaker Road
$15,000 — Sheet metal

GREENFIELD

American House, LLC
258 Main St.
$78,155 — Reconfigure two existing bathrooms for accessibility

Syfeld Greenfield Associates
259 Mohawk Trail
$20,000 — Install fire-alarm system

HADLEY

200 Russell Realty Management, LLC
200 Russell St.
$8,500 — Split HVAC systems with ductwork at the Valley Dentist

ENZ, LLC
207 Russell St., #15
$69,000 — Renovation in new building for Vision Showcase

LONGMEADOW

The Longmeadow Mall, LP
811 Williams St.
$3,000 — New sign for Allstate

Town of Longmeadow
275 Blueberry Hill Road
$70,000 — Install concrete panels at Russell Field to construct wall ball for athletic use

NORTHAMPTON

Atwood Drive, LLC
22 Atwood Dr.
$20,000 — T-Mobile to install three antennas, three remote radio units, and hybrid fiber cable to existing antenna platform

City of Northampton
320 North Maple St.
Interior renovations to DPW maintenance building

Dipwell Co. Inc.
106 Industrial Dr.
$184,000 — Construct modular clean room within existing building

Hampshire Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society
54 Fair St.
$15,000 — Install metal roof on farm museum building along with new ventilation

Wesley Malzone
238 Bridge St.
$7,500 — Demolition

Matt & Nick, LLC
199 Pine St.
$1,296,771 — Roof-mounted solar system

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
85 Beacon St.
$21,056 — Remodel existing single-user toilet room for accessibility at Church of the Annunciation

Smith College
54 Green St.
$5,000 — Exterior rot repair

Thornes Marketplace
150 Main St.
$45,000 — Remodel existing second-floor women’s restroom to meet building code and ADA compliance

PALMER

Enisde Properties, LLC
1372 Main St.
$8,000 — Interior demolition

Penna Holdings, LLC
1497 North Main St.
$30,200 — Roofing

Valero
1520 North Main St.
Repairs after vehicle struck gas station

SPRINGFIELD

Apremont Properties, LLC
492 Bridge St.
$20,000 — Alter interior tenant space for retail liquor store

Baystate Medical Center Inc.
759 Chestnut St.
$184,179 — Alter office space

Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC
12 MGM Way
$485,000 — Alter existing shell space for a new plaza bar at MGM Springfield

Center Square Inc.
1441 Main St.
$50,000 — Alter tenant office space on 12th floor

Scott Humphries
155 Maple St.
$5,000 — Relocate existing counter bar

Dinesh Patel
1500 Main St.
$675,000 — Alter tenant space on street level for a day-care center; alter tenant space on second floor for YMCA fitness center; alter tenant space on second floor for YMCA business office space

WILBRAHAM

2034-2040 Boston Road, LLP
2040 Boston Road
$18,000 — Interior buildout of Unit A

Blue Elephant
2000 Boston Road
$13,000 — New sign

Rice’s Fruit Farm
751-753 Main St.
$54,500 — Complete floor framing, interior framing, windows, bedroom, kitchen, and bath

Rice’s Fruit Farm
757 Main St.
$8,000 — New goat shed

Sullivan & Associates Inc.
113 Stony Hill Road
$1,450 — Three replacement windows