Month: September 2019

Education

Breaking Barriers

Rose Egan was inspired to work at the CEP because she had a long and difficult journey to education and wants to be able to give the gift of learning to others.

For many people, going to school and preparing to enter the working world is the norm. Unfortunately, for many members of the Latino community in the city of Holyoke, this is easier said than done. The language barriers faced by those who do not speak English are often burdensome and prevent people from getting an education or finding a job. The Community Education Project provides classes to give individuals the tools they need to become successful and move forward with their lives.

Imagine that your one and only barrier to success was not speaking the language you need to speak in order to move forward in life.

This intimidating scenario is all too real for many people in the city of Holyoke. In the Paper City, 30% of the population age 18 and older does not have a high-school diploma, while 18.4% speak with limited English proficiency.

This language barrier creates setbacks for much of the Latino community, but the Community Education Project (CEP) is working to change that.

“The bottom line is, people want to better their lives, and they want better opportunities. A lot of them are doing it for their children so they have better opportunities as well.”

The CEP provides adult-literacy and language-education programs in an effort to achieve social and economic justice by contributing to the development of the Latino community in Holyoke. The organization offers two levels of native language literacy in Spanish to prepare students for HiSET and GED exams in Spanish, three levels of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), and adult basic education for transition to college and careers.

It is the only provider in the region that offers native language literacy, or GED preparation in Spanish, and all classes are provided for free to anyone who walks in the door.

Executive Director Rose Egan said most people come in because they desire a better quality of life and want to be more independent.

From left, Edith Rodriguez, and Sonia Girón Peña de Aponte take their first English class with Angelika Bay, lead instructor in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL).

“The bottom line is, people want to better their lives, and they want better opportunities,” she noted. “A lot of them are doing it for their children so they have better opportunities as well.”

People come to the CEP at all levels, including adult learners with grade-level equivalency of age 3 to high school. Some students haven’t stepped in a classroom in 20 years. Some must bring interpreters to doctors’ appointments. Some are parents who want to be able to talk to their kids’ teachers and other school personnel without having an outsider in the mix, because they feel like they cannot develop a solid relationship.

“They want to be able to advocate for themselves,” said Egan. “The issue we see is that people can get along in their daily life fine in this area because everyone around here speaks Spanish, but then when they try to step out of that zone, they find barriers due to their lack of English-language skills.”

CEP classes run throughout the day and at night, and summer classes are offered as well. Egan said about 110 students participate daily across all programs, and seven staff members make it all happen — a “small but mighty” team, as she calls it.

“I didn’t even know what college was — it could have been another planet. I knew no one that went to college in my entire life. My purpose here is to help open doors for students, but also help elevate the organization as a whole.”

One staff member in particular, Vida Zavala, made a positive impact on student Ingrid Arvelo’s life, and put her in the right direction to accomplish her goals.

Arvelo — an immigrant from Venezuela and a 40-year-old mother of two — has plenty on her hands, but still found time to take level three ESOL classes, including the hardest, most immersive class in the program.

“It worked for me because now I’m taking classes to go to college in January,” she said.

Arvelo is currently enrolled in the college-transition course with CEP, and wants to attend Holyoke Community College next year, hoping to study law or education to become a teacher. She is thankful to the CEP for helping give her the confidence to learn English.

From left, Maria Vasquez, Nydia Rodriguez, and Stephanie Trinidad take their first English class at the CEP.

“If they see that you are in trouble or struggling, they help,” she said. “I’m so grateful for the program.”

Broader Purpose

Putting on programs like this isn’t easy, but when things get tough, Egan says she remembers her journey through education and how much she wants to give that to others.

SEE: Colleges with MBA Programs

“I didn’t even know what college was — it could have been another planet. I knew no one that went to college in my entire life,” she said. “My purpose here is to help open doors for students, but also help elevate the organization as a whole.”

Egan is also a single mom and sent her daughter off to her first day of kindergarten recently. She recognizes — and is grateful — that her daughter will probably never experience what it’s like to not know what education is. Her job at the CEP is her way to make sure others can grow and learn every day.

“This is an opportunity for me to be able to come to work every day and feel like I’m not coming to work,” she said. “I’m doing what I love to do, which is sharing the gift of education with other people.”

And she has plans in motion to help support the classes the CEP offers.

The Community Education Project is a 501(c)(3) organization and is classified as a public charity. After attending an innovation accelerator program with Paul Silva, Egan came up with a few programs to expand its revenue streams.

The first is a document-translation service the CEP has been providing for 30 years, but recently opened up to nonprofit organizations in the area. She explained that document translation is very costly, and the CEP is able to come in about 20% below competitors, helping other local nonprofits get their documents translated into Spanish.

“It helps us because it provides us some unrestricted revenue so that we can focus on our core services, which are serving our students and providing them with native language literacy, English-language skills, transition to college and careers, things like that,” Egan said, adding that this is very difficult to do with a limited budget.

“We find the biggest barrier to people coming in our door is they didn’t know we existed,” she said, adding that conducting more outreach in the community and incorporating marketing strategies into the mix are also on her to-do list.

She’s also hoping to expand Spanish-language classes to both children and adult learners, such as those regularly tasked with interacting with Spanish-speaking employees.

“We’re targeting local employers so that we can train their staff to speak Spanish so they can develop a better relationship with people they are serving without having to have a middle person interpret,” Egan said. “Launching those classes will really help us worry less about how we’re going to fund our classes and our core program. We want to make sure we have the funds we need to continue providing the services that will better our community.”

Looking to the Future

With all these services, Egan is confident CEP will be able to help even more students like Arvelo reach their goals.

“This country gives you the opportunity to be a better person, a better professional, and a better worker,” Arvelo said. “But if you don’t speak English and if you don’t put in the effort, you can’t make it. So English is the first step.”

With that in mind, Egan and the staff at the CEP continue to look for new ways to support those who want a better quality of life and have big plans for the future, one step at a time.

“Education is such a gift, and without it, we don’t even know what we’re missing,” Egan said. “If I can be that conduit to just make education accessible to those who otherwise wouldn’t have that opportunity, then I’m more than happy to step into that role.”

Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]

Valley Solar Shines a Light on Benefits of Solar Panels

Green Business

Here Comes the Sun

Photo by Leigh Chodos

With green-energy usage in homes rapidly increasing, there is no shortage of competition in the solar field. Home and business owners are looking for ways to save money and protect the environment, and with 211 solar installers in the state of Massachusetts, there are plenty of options. This makes standing out even more important for companies like Valley Solar, which installs solar panels for families and businesses alike.

Sixteen months ago, Mike Hempstead was a landlord with a background in sales and marketing and an interest in alternative energy.

He had six solar systems installed on properties he owned, giving him plenty of experience with various solar companies, including Valley Solar, an energy division of Valley Home Improvement in Northampton, which installed his last two systems.

“I just felt that the experience of working with the team at Valley Solar was so far superior to what I experienced with other solar companies that I knew this was the place I wanted to work when I got into solar.”

Hempstead was so impressed with the service he received that he applied for a job with the company.

“I just felt that the experience of working with the team at Valley Solar was so far superior to what I experienced with other solar companies that I knew this was the place I wanted to work when I got into solar,” he said.

These days, he’s Valley Solar’s sales manager, part of the team that provides service to customers in the four counties of Western Mass.

That service, he said, is what helps the company shine (pun intended) in a very competitive field — so competitive, in fact, that Valley Solar is one of 211 solar installers in the state of Massachusetts.

“Most customers only buy solar one time in their lives, but we treat our customers for solar as if they’re going to be a repeat customer and we give them that level of care that sets us apart,” he said.

General Manager Patrick Rondeau agreed, adding that Valley Solar makes recommendations for homeowners based on what’s best for them, not what’s hottest on the market.

Mike Hempstead says his first experience with Valley Solar was when he installed systems on two of the houses he leased, which led him to pursue a position at the company. (Photo by Leigh Chodos)

“We’re just trying to advise homeowners in a way that we’d want to be advised if we weren’t specialists in the field,” he said.

Valley Solar is a division of Valley Home Improvement, which has been around for 25 years. “About five or six years ago, the former owner of the company installed solar at his house,” said Rondeau. “He watched the process, and, having been a builder for his whole life, he thought, ‘we could do that. We should do that.’”

So, five years ago, this vision was brought to life with Valley Solar, and its relatively new status hasn’t slowed it down. The company took the 2018 Daily Hampshire Gazette Readers’ Choice Award for Best Local Solar and continues to receive raving reviews from customers.

Hempstead said much of that success comes from the firm’s home-improvement background, better enabling it to help choose the right plan for each customer.

“We’re a division of a design and build firm, and we handle all aspects of building renovation and construction, and that gives us a broader perspective of how solar integrates with other energy systems,” he said.

A finished system that Valley Solar installed on a home in Pelham. (Photo by Leigh Chodos)

For this issue and its green-business focus, BusinessWest talked with Hempstead and Rondeau about the solar business and the advantages it brings to customers on both the residential side and business side.

Green Makes Green

Rondeau started by stating the obvious: solar technology is environmentally friendly.

But what many people don’t realize, he went on, is that it is also a huge money-saving strategy.

“Right now, if you’re simply paying the utility, you’re paying what they’ll have you pay,” said Rondeau. “If you have your own system, you don’t worry about what they’re charging; you’ve taken care of that.”

Perhaps one of the greatest incentives is the constantly rising cost of energy, which has been going up at twice the rate of inflation, Hempstead noted. Massachusetts has the third-highest residential electricity rate in the country, coming in at 22.57 cents per kilowatt-hour, topped only by Hawaii (32.09) and Rhode Island (22.67). And these numbers will only continue to rise.

“Your savings are far greater than they were in the past because the cost of energy is so much more than it was,” he said. “At the same time, panels have become more powerful, so you’re getting more energy for less cost.”

Webber and Grinnell Insurance is one local business that recently installed solar panels on their property, and Vice President of Operations Richard Webber said the investment has been 100% positive so far.

“We’ve basically eliminated our monthly electric charge, which is really our only utility in the building,” he said. “We do all of our limited heating and air conditioning with the solar panels now.”

Patrick Rondeau says Valley Solar recommends products for homeowners based on what’s best for them, not what’s hottest on the market.

President Bill Grinnell agreed, and said the incentives were another reason why the company chose to go solar.

“As a business owner, you’re very concerned with the investments you make and the return you get,” he said, adding that, while the upfront investment is a good chunk of change, the tax credit he gets will make it worthwhile. “With the incentives that are out there, I think it’s a great investment.”

These incentives are another reason why many businesses and homeowners alike have invested in solar energy, but they’re always shifting. Commercial and residential owners who have just installed their solar systems receive a federal tax credit for 30% of the system, but not for long. Congress passed a multi-year extension of the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) in 2015, with a 30% incentive for systems installed in 2019, a 26% incentive in 2020, 22% in 2021, and 10% in 2022 for commercial and utility scale, but none for residential.

Still, even with this news, there are still plenty of reasons to consider solar installation, including accelerated depreciation. While business customers still get the 30% federal tax credit for their business, they also get a 100% bonus depreciation in their first year with solar.

“This will effectively, depending on your tax rate, give you another 20-25% back in the first year,” said Hempstead. “So, you have 50-55% of your system paid for the next time you pay taxes.”

Bright Idea

The numbers speak for themselves, said Rondeau, adding that he predicts prices for solar installation will continue to drop in the next few years.

“Solar can and often does pay for itself in a relatively short period of time,” he said. “I think we have reached a tipping point where most folks, if they can see the numbers, can convince themselves that it’s worth the investment.”

Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]

Consumer Demand Is High in Home Improvement — but Skilled Labor Is Elusive

By Joseph Bednar September 17, 2019

Home Improvement

Help Wanted

With home-improvement demand surging in 2019, contractors say they can pick and choose from available jobs, which isn’t always ideal for consumers, who often have trouble finding a professional who can fit them in. In realty, most contractors would love to take on more jobs — but can’t because it’s not easy to find talent, especially young talent with the potential to grow with a company over the long term.

In one sense, it’s a good problem to have, Andy Crane said — but it’s still a problem.

He’s talking about an ongoing shortage of skilled labor in the construction field, making it difficult for companies to keep up with what continues to be high consumer demand for home-improvement projects.

The good part of the problem is that they can be more selective about the projects they want to tackle, but that’s not always great for the consumer, and it stifles growth, said Crane, executive director of the Home Builders and Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, but the workforce is very tight, and it’s difficult for companies to respond to everyone. They’re just booked out for a long period of time,” he went on. “Skilled labor — especially young skilled labor — is few and far between.”

Crane gets calls from homeowners looking for a contractor for a project but struggling to nail one down who can fit them in, and that labor shortage has a lot to do with it, he told BusinessWest. “A lot of contractors are in the same boat. I guess it’s a good problem on our side, but it’s bad PR.”

Stephen Ross, partner at Construct Associates in Northampton, understands the problem well. “We just hired two new guys, which is a nice thing to be able to do these days. We just snapped them up. It’s hard — the majority of people applying for jobs have been in their late 50s, even early 60s. But we try to hire for the long haul.”

Still, business has been positive for a long stretch now at Construct, which boasts plenty of residential construction in its mix of projects.

“Kitchens and bathrooms are still big sellers around here — lots and lots of them,” Ross said, noting that the prevailing design trends of the past couple of years continue to dominate, among them open floor plans, tile in bathrooms, hardwood floors, and granite and quartz surfaces in kitchens.

The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), which issues quarterly state-of-the-industry reports, is bullish on the rest of 2019. According to HIRI’s quarterly Project Sentiment Tracking Survey of 3,000 homeowners, several trends stand out:

• About 75% of homeowners are planning one or more projects in the next three months — the highest project-planning incidence since tracking began in 2012, according to the organization.

• The top motivators for projects include repair, replacement, and routine maintenance.

• The average homeowner plans to complete 4.3 projects in the next three months.

• The top projects include kitchens, windows, driveways, exterior paint, and roofs.

• The Northeast is home to the nation’s highest percentage of project planners in the second quarter — not surprising, as the region’s housing stock tends to be older than in many other areas of the country, so there’s plenty of work to be done.

Other Trends

Energy efficiency remains a trend at the forefront of home improvement as well. Each year, Fixr, an online home-improvement community, polls experts in the home-design industry to discover what the upcoming trends in home design and building will be. This year, the site polled industry experts on what they believe are the top ways that homeowners will utilize design trends and new innovations to help lower their energy bills in the coming years.

[email protected]

According to the poll, a majority of homeowners are personally motivated to save energy in order to save money, yet they also have a significant environmental awareness, which is driving some decisions.

The poll revealed that ducts and windows are the two most effective places to save through air sealing, heat pumps are the most popular method to heat an energy-efficient house, tankless heaters are the most efficient way to heat water, solar power remains the most common way to utilize renewable energy in the home, and cellulose and fiberglass are tied as the most popular ways to insulate an attic.

SEE: List of Home Builders

Another trend analysts have been keeping an eye on for years has been the rise of DIY (do-it-yourself) projects, spurred partly by a greater variety of resources available to homeowners and the abundance of inspiration available on home-improvement television programs and websites.

According to HIRI, roughly two-thirds of completed home-improvement projects are done completely DIY, and three-quarters have at lease some DIY involvement. The level of professional work is dependent on the project. Painting and landscaping are overwhelmingly DIY, while roof and siding replacement are heavily dependent on professional work. Interestingly, HIRI’s poll suggests that, while most who finish their projects are satisfied, those who complete them totally DIY report a higher satisfaction rate.

Not surprisingly, projects done with professionals cost significantly more than those undertaken DIY, and survey respondents who used professional contractors showed a higher likelihood of having the total cost of their project be higher than expected.

As homeowners age, they tend to move away from doing the work by themselves, shifting to professional contractors more frequently. Baby Boomers are twice as likely to hire a pro than a Millennial. The use of professionals is also largely dependent on household income. As family income goes up, so does the likelihood that a contractor is hired to complete a remodeling project.

Whether professional or DIY, annual gains in improvement and repair spending, while still healthy, are projected to continue decelerating through early 2020, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. LIRA forecasts that year-over-year growth in homeowner remodeling expenditure will slow from about 7% this summer to 2.6% by the first quarter of 2020.

“Cooling house price gains, home-sales activity, and remodeling permitting are lowering our expectations for home-improvement and repair spending this year and next,” said Chris Herbert, managing director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. “Yet, more favorable mortgage rates could still give a boost to home sales and refinancing … which could help buoy remodeling activity.”

Abbe Will, associate project director in the Remodeling Futures Program, added that “home-improvement and repair spending has been in an extended period of above-trend growth for several years, due to weak homebuilding, aging homes, and other factors. However, growth in remodeling is expected to fall below the market’s historical average of 5% for the first time since 2013.”

Aging in Place

One strong home-improvement trend in the Northeast involves Baby Boomers, who continue to pour into their retirement years at the rate of about 10,000 a day — and want to spend those years in their own homes if possible. As a result, many projects today involve making those homes safer and more accessible, with improvements ranging from night and security lights to wider interior walkways to curbless showers.

But older homeowners are also going for modern and attractive features, Ross said. “People are wrapping things up, things they’ve let go for decades. People are moving toward fixed incomes and are planning that last hurrah — maybe a garage addition. Or decks need replacing, or siding needs replacing — and nothing gets cheaper the longer you wait.”

In fact, building costs are more expensive than ever, Crane said, for reasons ranging from heavy regulation in Massachusetts to new tariffs at the federal level to inevitable economic trends. But the landscape remains a healthy one for builders and remodelers — if they can find the help they need.

“Construction companies can pick and choose their jobs,” he said. “It’s a great sellers’ market.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Announcing the 2019 Healthcare Heroes

Cover Story Features Healthcare Heroes

Healthcare Heroes Class of 2019 to Be Honored on Oct. 17

When BusinessWest and Healthcare News launched Healthcare Heroes in 2017, there was no doubt this was a long-overdue award program in Western Mass. — in fact, we knew the challenge wouldn’t be finding quality nominations, but choosing just a handful to honor each year. Indeed, this year’s judges (see below) carefully studied about 100 different nominees in seven categories to choose the impressive group to be honored at this year’s gala in October.

Collectively, they are innovators and game changers in the region’s rich and vibrant healthcare community, and their stories — told on the following pages — reveal large quantities of energy, imagination, compassion, entrepreneurship, forward thinking, and dedication to the community.

There are eight winners in this third class, with two in the category of Lifetime Achievement, because two candidates were tied with the top score. The Heroes for 2019 are:

• Lifetime Achievement (tie): Katherine Wilson, president and CEO, Behavioral Health Network Inc.; and Frank Robinson, vice president, Public Health, Baystate Health;

• Health/Wellness Administrator/Administration: Emily Uguccioni, executive director, Linda Manor Assisted Living;

• Collaboration in Health/Wellness: Carol Constant, convener, Dementia Friendly Western Massachusetts; and director of Community Engagement, Loomis Communities;

• Community Health: Amy Walker, certified nurse midwife, Cooley Dickinson Health Care;

• Emerging Leader: Tara Ferrante, program director of the Holyoke Outpatient Clinic, ServiceNet;

• Innovation in Health/Wellness: Cristina Huebner Torres, vice president, Research & Population Health, Caring Health Center Inc.; and

• Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider: Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield.

3rd Annual Healthcare Heroes Gala
Thursday, October 17, 2019
5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sheraton Springfield One Monarch Place Hotel

$90/person; $900/table of 10

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Submit nominations for 2020 consideration HERE

Deadline to submit nominations is July 10, 2020, 5 p.m. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Photography by Dani Fine Photography

Presenting Sponsors

Partner Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

Meet the Judges

Bob Fazzi

Bob Fazzi has spent a lifetime making a difference in healthcare, most notably with Fazzi Associates, the company he started 40 years ago and incorporated in 1995. Its stated mission is to make a real difference in healthcare by strengthening the quality, value, and impact of home care, hospice, and community-based services. Fazzi Associates has been a leader and a pioneer in this sector, developing products and services — including the industry’s first home-health patient-satisfaction services — as well as research to make agencies stronger and better able to serve their patients. For this work, Fazzi was honored as a Healthcare Hero in 2018 in the category of Lifetime Achievement.

Mary Paquette

Mary Paquette, director of Health Services at American International College, is another 2018 Healthcare Hero, in the category of Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider. AIC is only the latest stop in a 35-year career that has seen her take on a variety of roles, from director of Nursing at Ludlow Hospital to per-diem hospitalist at in the GI Department of the Eastern Connecticut Health Network, to assistant director of Health Services at Western New England University — the job that became the springboard to her post at AIC. Since arriving at AIC 2012, she has turned a moribund health-services facility that few students knew about or ventured to into a thriving, innovative, important campus service.

Alan Popp

Alan Popp joined the Mason Wright Foundation as its Chief Executive Officer in 2008. His previous experience includes head of school and CEO at White Mountain School, a college preparatory school; and chief operating officer at Pine River Institute, a residential treatment center. He has also served as a consultant to more than 200 New England nonprofits, many of them providers of services to seniors. He serves on the boards of LeadingAge Massachusetts, Salvation Army Citadel Corps, and OnBoard Inc., and on the Leadership Council of the Alzheimer’s Assoc. of Massachusetts/New Hampshire. He is also a trustee of Antioch University New England and previously served on the campaign cabinet for the United Way of Pioneer Valley.

Stockbridge Boasts Local Flair, Year-round Activity

Community Spotlight

Margaret Kerswill (left) and Laureen Vizza in front of their Main Street shop, Mutability in Motion.

When Margaret Kerswill talks about her favorite part of the town of Stockbridge, she doesn’t mention a restaurant or the relatively low property-tax rate — she talks about the positive vibe and sense of community in town.

Although Kerswill’s favorite local shop is undoubtably Mutability in Motion, a store she owns with wife Laureen Vizza that sells crafts from more than 50 artisans in the U.S., the first thing she mentioned was the culture of the town.

“That’s the absolute joy of Stockbridge itself,” she said. “You see it in every aspect of Stockbridge, whether you’re just out and about for your daily activities like going to the post office. Doing those normal, daily things, you bump into people all over the place.”

And Kerswill experiences this sense of community in more ways than one. As president of the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce, she regularly attends meetings and finds that several town residents show up consistently, contradicting the typical stereotype for chambers of commerce.

“It’s a great force in the town,” she said. “The more members we have, the more feedback we get, and the more people who can take part in town meetings. It gives us a bigger voice, and it helps us when we come at this as a collective rather than trying to do all the same things, but as individuals.”

She joined the chamber soon after opening her business in town as an opportunity to be a part of a broader marketing reach, hoping to create relationships with other local businesses in town.

“The chamber has a much broader marketing reach than I might as an individual business,” Kerswill told BusinessWest. “Because of that much broader marketing reach, when the businesses come together and support the chamber, it can reach even further because those member dollars increase our marketing budget and increase our ability to interact with the town.”

When thinking of a small town that relies on tourism to support its economy, one might assume it turns into a ghost town during the winter months. But this is not the case for Stockbridge. In fact, this close-knit town provides plenty of museums, historic sites, and other activities for those who live there and visitors alike, and most don’t close down during the offseason. While summer and spring typically see the most tourism, Stockbridge still has plenty to offer during the other months of the year.

“We are a town that’s open all year long; nobody closes seasonally,” said Kerswill. “All of our shops are independently operated, and they’re all mom-and-pop shops. Everybody carries something you need; we try not to overlap what we sell. We all have different missions.”

Year-round Fun

And these missions all provide different forms of entertainment, 365 days a year.

Barbara Zanetti, executive director of the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce, noted that, while Stockbridge currently relies on tourism, the chamber is constantly looking for ways to grow the town and slowly move away from that necessity.

“We are a small community with just under 2,000 residents, but we have so much to offer as far as culture,” she said.

Along Main Street alone, one can find the Stockbridge Library, banks and real-estate offices, the Red Lion Inn, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Austen Riggs Center, the Mission House Museum, and many more.

Stockbridge at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1739
Population: 1,947
Area: 23.7 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $10.13
Commercial Tax Rate: $10.13
Median Household Income: $48,571
Median Family Income: $59,556
Type of government: Town Administrator; Open Town Meeting
Largest Employers: Austen Riggs Center; Tanglewood; Red Lion Inn
* Latest information available

Among the most popular is the Norman Rockwell Museum, which celebrates 50 years of exhibits this year. The museum holds the world’s largest and most significant collection of Rockwell art, and provides educational opportunities for those who are interested in learning more about the universal messages of humanity and kindness portrayed in his work.

Another popular destination is Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and one of the world’s most beloved music festivals. The 2019 Tanglewood season included everything from performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to showcases for up-and-coming artists.

During the warmer months, outdoor activities abound, Kerswill noted, and suggested visitors take a moment to explore nature in and around Stockbridge.

“Bring your kayak up here, get out on the water, and just let your body de-stress for a couple of hours,” she said. “And then take in the surroundings.”

The natural resources, hiking, and beauty of the countryside are a few things that Zanetti says consistently keep people coming to the area, in addition to the arts and cultural aspects that draw a steady flow of visitors.

And though some activities may slow down during the offseason, Kerswill said few close during the colder months. “There’s just this amazing bit of culture that happens. Whether you live here or whether you’re visiting, you will find something regardless of the time of year.”

Best of Both Worlds

While Stockbridge has the feel of being in the countryside, Kerswill says anything a person could need is only a short drive away.

“We like the small-town New England feel, but you’re also not too far from all the conveniences you need,” she said. “It’s like this illusion of living in the country, but you’re surrounded by everything you need, so nothing is really inconvenient.”

All it takes, she said, is a little bit of research to find a plethora of activities to explore in town.

“I think, unless people really get to know the town, they don’t really realize just how much there is here,” she said. “It’s the best of both worlds, for sure.”

Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]

Some Snapshots of Baystate Health’s Class of 2019

By George O'Brien September 17, 2019

Education

Doctors in Residence

Dr. Lauren Wagener

Dr. Lauren Wagener says she discovered roller derby before she enrolled in medical school, and continued to play while earning that degree.

She told BusinessWest she started playing in a league, taking shifts as both a ‘jammer’ and a ‘blocker,’ terms most Baby Boomers might remember — that’s might — from when they watched the sport on TV back in the ’70s.

Things are different now, said Wagener, noting that today’s game features less violence and fewer of the pro-wrestling-like antics that Boomers might remember.

“Roller derby has revamped into more of a fully realized team sport with rules and regulations and safety — we’re not allowed to trip, no punching, no hitting,” said Wagener, who did some extensive research on the scene well before she moved here and identified two leagues she might play in locally.

But she has a few problems.

The first is a completely torn anterior cruciate ligament in her knee, an injury suffered while playing the sport; she is scheduled to have surgery soon. The second is that she just started her residency at Baystate Medical Center.

“No one likes working on the computer, on the notes; it’s the patient care everyone enjoys. This is what internal medicine offers, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

And while residents don’t have the crazy schedules they did until a decade or so ago, they still put in 80 hours a week over six days, the equivalent of two full-time jobs. That won’t leave much time for roller derby, although Wagener is determined to make some — after the knee is healed, of course.

In the meantime, she plans to take some of the lessons she’s learned from roller derby about teamwork into her daily duties at Baystate’s Mason Square Neighborhood Health Center and myriad other settings she finds herself in. And there are many such lessons, as she will explain later.

Wagener is one of 90 new residents and fellows to arrive at Baystate this summer to begin the next chapter in their healthcare education. Each one has a different and compelling story.

Dr. Zoha Kahn is from Pakistan. But she was already quite familiar with Baystate and Western Mass. before starting her residency a few weeks ago because her sister is a cardiology fellow at the hospital, and her brother-in-law is a pulmonary and critical-care fellow.

Kahn is an internal-medicine resident who hasn’t quite figured out what she wants to a specialize in, and plans to spent at least the next year narrowing her focus.

“Internal medicine is very broad — you deal with everything,” she explained. “This gives you the opportunity to look at the full spectrum of diseases before choosing what you want to do; I get to find out what I truly like.”

Dr. Zoha Kahn

Dr. Tiago Martins, meanwhile, is from Ludlow. While attending Ludlow High School, he took part in a job-shadowing program that brought him to Baystate Medical Center, an experience that inspired him to choose healthcare as a career. Later, he did rotations at Baystate while attending the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Maine and was actually on a trauma-surgery rotation at the hospital when he learned he had matched there.

Today, he’s essentially starting his professional career there with the stated goal of becoming a hospitalist, a specialist who, as that name implies, cares for individuals while they are hospitalized.

“It provides a different type of challenge,” he said of the hospitalist role. “You see patients not on a long scale, like a primary-care physician does, but you deal with more healthcare needs, and you also get to work with them more on a social level; I really enjoy it.”

For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest talked with these residents and some of their supervisors about these intense experiences and how they help these newly minted doctors prepare for the careers in front of them.

Learning Curves

Kahn told BusinessWest there is certainly no shortage of poverty in Pakistan. She cared for that population while attending medical school in that country, and she said she’s generally aware of the myriad challenges that those living in poverty — there and here — face as they struggle to survive day to day.

But none of this prepared her for what’s known as ‘poverty simulation,’ an experience that seemingly every participant describes with the same adjective — eye-opening.

Kahn is no exception. She played the role of a young, single mother in this exercise, and over the course of the fast-moving, four-hour simulation, she learned first-hand all that life can throw at you — and take from you — when you’re living at a certain income level.

Dr. Tiago Martins

“When you’re in that place, it is so difficult,” she recalled. “I was a single mother with two kids, and I was going to school. The first week, I couldn’t pay my rent, my kid was taken away … it was really crazy. You don’t know how to handle all your expenses along with taking care of kids; it’s really eye-opening and gives you a better perspective on how to deal with the kind of patients you’re going to see.”

The poverty simulation is part of the orientation process for all new residents at Baystate, she explained, and, as she said, it’s designed to help ease residents into the community they’re going to serve and give them perspective into one of the larger populations they will serve.

Kahn said she knew more than a little about Springfield from visits to see her sister and brother-in-law, both of whom also did their residencies at Baystate. This familiarity, not to mention a host of positive reviews, put the hospital at or near the top of her wish list when it came to the matching process for her internal-medicine residency.

“When I came for the interview, it felt right,” she said, adding that feel is all-important when one is considering where to spend their next three years on their career journey.

In addition to the array of options it presents, she said she chose internal medicine for the high level of patient interaction.

“You get these long-term relationships — you’re following that one patient for a while, and you build a relationship with that patient, which is very important to me,” she said. “No one likes working on the computer, on the notes; it’s the patient care everyone enjoys. This is what internal medicine offers, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

“Some rotations are harder than others, so we try to pick the schedules carefully so the rotations are balanced in terms of the intensity of the number of hours they do.”

Since starting her residency, Kahn has been working mostly on the ‘floors,’ or wards within the hospital. The cardiac ward is coming up soon on the schedule, and she expects to be working with her sister. She described life so far as “crazy,” in part because she’s learning a new system.

“The way medicine is practiced in Pakistan is different from the way it’s practiced here,” she explained. “It’s a steep learning curve, even with something like the electronic system of documentation.”

Kahn said she’s managing to navigate all this change thanks to a solid support system, a sentiment echoed by all the residents we spoke with.

“Everyone is super helpful,” she explained, adding that it certainly helps to have family in the area — and at the same hospital. “I feel more confident in my ability to deal with patients, and things have gotten better with time, but in the first few days it was really tough; what’s helped has been all the support.”

Support System

Dr. Reham Shaaban is a big part of that support system that Kahn mentioned.

She’s program director of Internal Medicine Residency at Baystate and an academic hospitalist there. She also did her own residency at Baystate.

Each year, she told BusinessWest, a class of 18 new residents arrives at the Baystate system. The doctors come from across the region and around the world, she noted, adding that the class of 2019 is quite typical.

“They all have different backgrounds, different experiences, and different expectations,” she explained. “And knowing that, we start with a blank slate and put together a six-week orientation period for them to get them familiar with all of our resources, all of the help, to get to know them a little better, and ease them into understanding our system and what’s expected of them.

“And introduce them to our community,” she went on, adding that there is quite a bit that goes into that part of the equation.

Part of it involves work at Baystate’s various neighborhood clinics, like the one in Mason Square, she said, adding that the six-week orientation also involves rotations in various wards at the hospital. There are also shadowing programs with nurses and other healthcare professionals, and so-called boot camps, simulation-lab cases conducted with supervisors and chief residents to focus on some of what Shaaban called the “bread-and-butter medicine aspects we see in internal medicine to help them hit the ground running.”

The poverty-simulation program is another big part.

“This is the third year we’ve been doing it, and it’s a very powerful experience for our residents to understand our community and have a different perspective going into medicine,” she explained. “And we do it purposefully before they start seeing their first patients.”

When they do start seeing patients, they do so with large amounts of supervision and support from senior residents, who are two years ahead of them in training, she went on, adding that guidance is provided in everything from patient diagnosis and treatment to use of the computer system.

And the schedule is carefully choregraphed, she went on.

“Some rotations are harder than others, so we try to pick the schedules carefully so the rotations are balanced in terms of the intensity of the number of hours they do,” she explained. “We try to put easier rotations between harder rotations to give them some breathing room.”

Describing the sum of all this, both Shaaban and Marie Housey, administrator of the internal-medicine program, said it extremely rewarding work — and it’s a lot like parenting.

“It’s the best job I ever had,” said Shaaban, who devotes much of June and July to the new residents before shifting back to the second-and third-year doctors. “It’s like being a parent and seeing your kids go through and learn new things and grow each day until you let them out to real life.”

Housey agreed. She said she starts corresponding with residents soon after match day and continues to do so on a weekly basis, dealing with subjects ranging from the location of housing to how and when they get paid.

“It’s like having a lot of children and nurturing them and watching and helping them grow,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s very, very rewarding.”

At Home with the Idea

Flashing back to the job-shadowing experience nearly a decade ago, Martins said he was able to shadow a wide variety of professionals, including Emergency Department staffers, radiologists, physician assistants, nurses, and a variety of doctors.

The experience, as noted earlier, put his career path into focus.

“From that point, I knew that I wanted to go into medicine,” he told BusinessWest. “And, ideally, I knew that I wanted to work at Baystate.”

And today he is, with a badge that declares that he is a doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.

Martins said he has a number of connections to Baystate, and collectively they make the hospital feel like home.

Listing more of them, he said his mother works there as a housekeeper; he now rides to work with her most days. Also, he became familiar with the hospitalist and that unique role while visiting — and translating for — grandparents and parents when they were in the hospital.

“Coming from a first-generation family, I always had to interpret for my parents and grandparents,” he explained. “And I found myself always connecting very well with the hospitalist team that took care of them, one of them being my current advisor; she took care of my grandfather when he was here with cancer four years ago.”

This explains the wide range of emotions when he received the e-mail on match day informing him that he would be doing his residency at Baystate.

“It’s hard to describe,” he said. “It was a happy, emotional type of experience, but at the same time it was kind of surreal; I was very excited.”

When he spoke to BusinessWest, Martins was on rotation at the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at the hospital, but, like Wagener, he’s also doing work in the clinics as well, specifically the one on High Street, another facility that serves a generally low-income population.

“We see a wide variety of conditions, and we also deal with some complex social backgrounds that are not unique to Springfield but are very common here,” he explained. “In a sense, we’re helping them with the social determinants of healthcare; many of these patients can’t afford some of their medications and have to make decisions about what they can afford and can’t afford.”

The clinic setting contrasts sharply with the CICU, he said, adding that those working in the latter setting are far less focused on social concerns than the immediate medical necessities; going from one world to the other is part of the residency experience.

“There are high points of stress and low points of stress,” he said, referring initially to the CICU, but also the clinic setting as well.

Like Kahn, he said the poverty simulation brought home the challenges facing many of his patients in a very powerful way.

“Even though we all knew it was a game,” he recalled, adding that he played the father and head of a household in his simulation, “it became very real.”

Rolling with the Punches

Wagener told BusinessWest she had heart surgery as an infant and has vivid memories of some of the follow-up visits to the hospital.

She recalls having a temper tantrum upon being informed that she couldn’t keep an X-ray taken of her.

Overall, she said science and medicine are in her blood, and that’s why she took the healthcare fork along the career path. “I took an anatomy class in junior or senior year of high school, and that got me full into it,” she said, adding that further inspiration was provided by listening to the stories of some classmates diagnosed with cancer.

Dr. Lauren Wagener, seen here in her other uniform, will struggle to fit roller derby into her life — even after knee surgery.
Photo by Phantom Photographics

A native of the Pittsburgh area, she preferred to stay somewhat close to home for her residency, but she also read — and actually called up the quote on her phone to verify — that Baystate “has the happiest residents in the country.”

On match day, she got a text informing her that she would be one of them.

As noted, her residency is in what’s known as ‘med-peds,’ a combination of internal medicine and pediatrics, which means she has many career options to consider as her residency plays out over the next three years, both general and very specialized.

Early into her residency, she has spent considerable time at the clinic in Mason Square, where she’s taking care of patients and getting a first-hand look at the challenges facing a population that is, for the most part, living at or below the poverty line.

“At Mason Square, we have a very underserved population of patients,” she explained. “These are people not only with complicated medical issues, but also people who might struggle to get the resources that would help with their treatment. In the clinic, it’s not only learning the medicine, it’s also learning how to navigate the resources that we have for patients and helping them get what they need, not only medicine-wise, but with things in the home as well.”

Overall, it’s work that is in many ways different from medical school.

“It feels different when the decisions are yours and you’re not just recording for someone else,” she said, adding that she is new to such duties as ordering tests and prescribing medications. “There is a lot of responsibility that comes with that, and you want to do well by your patients.”

As for roller derby, she said it’s like medicine in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to teamwork.

“You have to have a good team and a strong sense of teamwork and collaboration,” she said, referring to both the roller-derby rink and a hospital or clinic. “Communication is the name of the game.

“You’ve got to put yourself out there,” she continued while expanding the analogy to her current work in residency. “In roller derby, one of the first things they teach us is falling and how to fall safely; they teach you how to fall so hopefully you can fall less in the future. If you make a mistake by falling, you know to get back up again and jump back into it — it’s in the same in this setting. And there’s a lot of encouragement as well; we pick each other up.”

Study in Determination

Wagener told BusinessWest she’s going to be very careful and patient when it comes to roller derby, and she wasn’t just talking about her knee.

“It’s a sport that can easily take over your life,” she said, while quickly noting that she’s already had her life taken over by something else — her med-peds residency.

It’s a three-year journey and a critical step in one’s career in healthcare. It’s a learning experience, but also a life-changing experience, as these residents, only a few weeks into the process, already know.

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

A New Report Details Impact of Food-waste Reduction Efforts

By Joseph Bednar September 17, 2019

Green Business

Bans and Beyond

Coryanne Mansell says CET understands how to balance conservation issues (like food-waste reduction)with business needs.

Ask a random person what percentage of food goes to waste. Maybe they’ll say 10% or 20% — some might guess a little more. But few would surmise the actual figure.

“Food waste is a nationally and even globally pervasive issue,” said Lorenzo Macaluso, director of Client Services at the Center for EcoTechnology (CET) in Northampton. “There have been a number of studies on this, all of which find that somewhere in the ballpark of 40% of all food produced is never actually consumed. There is loss at every step of the way along the chain. From a cost perspective, from an environmental perspective, from a resources perspective — basically, by every measure — it’s very significant.”

Massachusetts is one of only six states — five of them clustered in the Northeast, the other being California — and seven metro areas that have implemented organic waste bans on some level. And CET has helped area businesses develop strategies to reduce food waste, so a recent partnership with the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) — specifically, a ‘toolkit’ on organic waste bans and their potential to reduce food waste and strengthen local economies — made sense.

“Somewhere in the ballpark of 40% of all food produced is never actually consumed. There is loss at every step of the way along the chain.”

“Massachusetts in general has been a national leader on addressing this issue head-on, through a number of strategies to help keep food from the trash,” Macaluso told BusinessWest. “We’re focused on helping businesses implement those strategies because we have a long, rich history of doing that work. Harvard Law is great at analyzing policies with a legal lens, and we have the practical side, how those policies are actually playing out in real life.”

Food waste in the U.S. amounts to some $218 billion each year spent on food that is never eaten, according to the toolkit, which is basically a lengthy report (titled “Bans and Beyond”) that examines the issue, what those six states and seven cities have implemented, the challenges they’ve faced, and the economic impact of those policies.

As for the core issue, most wasted food ends up in landfills, where it produces greenhouse gases and contributes to states and localities running out of landfill capacity. State and local bans limit the amount of organic waste, including food waste, that businesses and individuals can dispose of in landfills — thus driving more sustainable practices, such as food-waste prevention, food donation, and sending food scraps to animal-feed operations or composting or anaerobic-digestion (AD) facilities.

“Food waste takes up space in landfills, contributes to climate change, and is a drain on the economy,” said Emily Broad Leib, director of FLPC. “Organic waste bans are one of the best tools we have seen that states and localities can use to transform business practices and drive the development of food-waste recycling infrastructure.”

While much work remains, Lorenzo Macaluso says the Bay State has been a national leader on the food-waste issue.

The toolkit walks readers through factors to consider in pursuing similar policies in their own state or locality. It also explores nine other categories of policies and programs — such as permitting and zoning regulations for organics-recycling facilities, grants to support food-waste reduction projects, and policies to create markets for biogas and compost — that can enhance the impact of an organic waste ban or advance food waste reduction and diversion independently.

“Over the years, we’ve seen firsthand how waste bans and the other policies and programs discussed in the toolkit can drive innovation and significantly reduce wasted food,” said John Majercak, president of CET. “The resulting impact is a big win for communities, regional economies, and the environment.”

The environmental impact is significant. According to the report, 21% of the U.S. freshwater supply and 300 million barrels of oil are used to produce food that goes to waste. And in 2012, more than 20% of municipal solid waste disposed of was food waste — especially noteworthy at a time when cities and states are running out of space to pile trash. Furthermore, organic materials in landfills decompose and release methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Food waste is responsible for at least 11% of methane emissions generated from landfills, an amount equivalent to the emissions of about 3.4 million vehicles.

“We’ve seen firsthand how waste bans and the other policies and programs discussed in the toolkit can drive innovation and significantly reduce wasted food.”

“We partnered with the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic to develop this toolkit because we have boots-on-the-ground experience with businesses to implement food-waste diversion programs, as well as understanding market needs,” said Coryanne Mansell, Strategic Services representative at CET, adding that individual businesses, at least locally, increasingly understand the problem, especially after hearing the 40% statistic. “That’s a huge impact on the environment.”

“When I mention that number,” Macaluso added, “100% of the people are really surprised when they first hear it.”

The Massachusetts Model

Unlike other states with organic waste bans, Massachusetts established its disposal ban through regulation rather than legislation. In 2014, the Commonwealth’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) amended regulations on solid-waste disposal by adding ‘commercial organic material’ to a list of several materials already barred from entering solid-waste disposal streams.

The ban applies only to commercial and institutional food-waste generators (not households) that dispose of at least one ton of those materials in waste per week, and and only for weeks during which they surpass that one-ton threshold. Temporary exemptions from the ban may be issued if the waste is contaminated or unacceptable for composting or other use, and the entity takes steps to prevent the contamination from recurring, or if a waste generator’s usual composting or other processing service declines the waste and the generator cannot find an alternative within a reasonable time.

Food-scrap generators may comply by reducing their waste production below the one-ton-per-week threshold, donating surplus food, processing food scraps on site, or sending food scraps to an animal-feed, composting, or AD facility.

To aid in compliance, Massachusetts offers several options for funding organics-processing operations. The DEP also partners with BDC Capital to administer the Massachusetts Recycling Loan Fund, which provides loans to eligible businesses, including recycling and composting companies. The fund offers preferred terms for composting, AD, and other food-waste processing facilities. Another funding source for renewable-energy projects is the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, a quasi-public agency that provides grants and technical assistance for clean-energy innovators.

Due to the efforts of organizations like RecyclingWorks, food-rescue organizations, and state and local agencies, the amount of food donated or rescued in Massachusetts has increased at least 22% since the organic-waste ban went into effect, from 21,300 tons in 2014 to 25,900 tons in 2017.

“We’ve had great results,” Macaluso said. “An economic-impact study was conducted, showing increased investment and job creation and large diversion of food-waste tonnage … it’s been quite effective.”

That economic impact has been an underreported part of the story. The Massachusetts DEP contracted with ICF, a management-consulting company, in 2016 to conduct an analysis of the impacts of Massachusetts’ commercial food-waste ban and broader trends in the state’s organic waste industry. To accomplish this, they developed a survey targeting three primary sectors: organic waste haulers, processors and composters, and food-rescue and recovery organizations.

The study found that the three sectors together supported more than 900 total jobs in 2016, and that all three sectors reported significant growth in employment in recent years, with more than 500 jobs added between 2010 and 2016. In 2016, the jobs supported by all three sectors combined generated more than $46 million in labor income, and the industries contributed nearly $77 million to the gross state product and produced almost $175 million in industry activity. Finally, the organic-waste industry contributed more than $5 million in state and local tax revenue in 2016. The analysis projected that growth would continue in 2017 in beyond.

“When we evaluate the impact of these waste bans,” Mansell told BusinessWest, “we see they can create job growth, help feed more hungry people, and, of course, increase capacity at existing landfills.”

All Aboard?

The toolkit lays out this data in detail not just for Massachusetts, but for New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, California, and the seven metro areas (New York City; Seattle; San Francisco; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colo.; and Hennepin County, Minn.). The hope now, among those who prepared the toolkit, is that other states will consider these case studies and be part of a national effort to lower that daunting 40% statistic.

CET has been promoting waste-reduction efforts on the local level for a long time, Mansell said. “We help people understand what the regulatory requirements are, but we also come at it from a company perspective, helping them implement a program that’s best suited for their needs, really meeting those businesses where they are. And we’ve seen some pretty positive experiences because companies are seeing the financial savings and seeing the social and environmental opportunities from these programs as well.”

For states wondering if a food-waste ban would work, she added, “we do hope this toolkit provides a roadmap.”

The report makes clear that it’s not an easy decision. A state or locality must determine whether it has, or plans to develop, the necessary infrastructure to process the organic waste that a ban would divert from landfills, from composting and AD facilities that accept food scraps to collection services and food-rescue organizations.

A state or city must also determine whether implementing an organic waste ban would be politically and financially feasible, the report notes. “In the absence of a plan to develop sufficient infrastructure, or without political support or financial resources, a state or locality may wish to focus on a non-binding strategy such as a zero-waste plan or waste-management strategy, or on more targeted policies to support infrastructure development, before pursuing an enforceable organic waste ban or mandate.”

So change doesn’t necessarily happen overnight. But Macaluso says these kinds of changes are worth pursuing.

“We understand business. We understand things have to make business sense,” he said. “But we do feel like this is a win all around.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Lovin’ Spoonfuls Provides Fresh Meals to Food-insecure Families

Green Business

Tyler Crawford (left), Lovin’ Spoonfuls Hampden County food rescue coordinator, and Big Y president and CEO Charlie D’Amour help make a delivery to the Longmeadow Food Pantry.

Meeting a Need

Hampden County has the highest rate of child food insecurity in the state of Massachusetts. In fact, more than 15% of children in the region may not know where or when their next meal will come from, and may lack access to enough food to lead an active, healthy life.

This is one of the reasons Lovin’ Spoonfuls, an organization dedicated to rescuing and distributing fresh food to communities in need, brought its project to Hampden County.

In explaining the significance of an elevated child food-insecurity rate, Lauren Palumbo notes that it not only affects those kids now, but may also negatively impact communities in the long term.

“You can’t expect these children to succeed in school if they’re not accessing adequate nutrition.”

“The challenging thing about food insecurity is that it often affects households with children at a much higher rate than it affects general households,” said Palumbo, the organization’s chief operating officer. “You can’t expect these children to succeed in school if they’re not accessing adequate nutrition.”

Palumbo told BusinessWest that Lovin’ Spoonfuls has been eyeing Hampden County for a couple years now, partially due to that high level of child food insecurity, and she hopes Lovin’ Spoonfuls can help aid those in need.

So far, Lovin’ Spoonfuls has rescued and delivered more than 13,300,000 pounds of food to nearly 40 cities and towns across Eastern Mass., she noted. “For us, it’s about growing regionally and serving the areas that have some of the greatest need, but our long-term goal is really to serve all of Massachusetts.”

Food Waste to Food Placed

Although it may not always be obvious, there is plenty of need in Hampden County.

Kathy Henry, food administrator at Friend’s Place Food Pantry in Springfield, serves up to 180 people and households on one of her two distribution days throughout the week. Monday is reserved for senior citizens age 60 or older, and normally draws up to 135 seniors, while Wednesday is open to all ages, and typically brings in up to 180 people or families.

Founder and Executive Director Ashley Stanley kicks off the launch of Lovin’ Spoonfuls in Hampden County.

Henry said Lovin’ Spoonfuls reached out to her about delivering food right when she lost a few volunteers who used to pick up food for her.

“It was perfect timing that they stepped in,” she said. “I have no complaints. I greatly appreciate the service.”

Henry’s food pantry is one of 17 that Lovin’ Spoonfuls delivers to in Hampden County. The organization works to deliver food that would otherwise be wasted to nonprofits in Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Holyoke, Longmeadow, South Hadley, Springfield, and West Springfield.

The route in Hampden County is expected to rescue an estimated 10,000 pounds of fresh produce, dairy, proteins, and prepared foods from grocery stores in the region every week, including inaugural retail partner Big Y, whom Palumbo says has been a pleasure to work with.

“Oftentimes, it’s sort of a learning curve to get a business on board, but their team has been absolutely on board since day one and has been really consistent and amazing to work with,” she noted.

This proved to be true at the Hampden County launch of Lovin’ Spoonfuls on July 22, when Big Y President and CEO Charlie D’Amour was the first volunteer to jump in the back of the truck to help deliver food to Longmeadow Open Pantry.

“It’s not every day we get the president and CEO of a retailer into the back of a truck to move boxes,” Palumbo said.

At the launch, D’Amour said he’s always been troubled by the waste endemic to the supermarket business, and he’s glad there is now a way to use the extra food to serve those in need.

Tyler Crawford says working for Lovin’ Spoonfuls gives him the opportunity to give back to the community he grew up in.

“With Lovin’ Spoonfuls, we have a wonderful opportunity to connect that much more and in a very timely way,” he said. “It’s food rescue for a reason because it would just be going to waste, and there’s an opportunity to have it not go into the landfills, but have it go and do some wonderful good.”

Right now, Hampden County food dropoffs are run by driver Tyler Crawford, a 23-year-old who grew up in Springfield. He said he was looking for a way to give back to the community when he saw Lovin’ Spoonfuls was coming to the area.

“I had been looking for something meaningful for work,” he said. “I don’t like just having a job to make money; I prefer to do something I’m passionate about, which is mostly helping people.”

Food for Thought

But a dedicated team isn’t the only thing that makes what Lovin’ Spoonfuls does possible. Palumbo says it takes about $140,000 a year to run this operation, from staffing costs to training right down to the truck itself.

“The real lift is, obviously, making sure that we have the funds in place to stay and make a strong commitment to the community,” she said, adding that the last thing she wants to do is enter a community and have to pull back if the funding is not there.

“With Lovin’ Spoonfuls, we have a wonderful opportunity to connect that much more and in a very timely way. It’s food rescue for a reason because it would just be going to waste, and there’s an opportunity to have it not go into the landfills, but have it go and do some wonderful good.”

If operating at full capacity, each truck can rescue up to 600,000 pounds of food a year, adding up to more than 3 pounds per dollar for the cost of operating the vehicle.

“There is not a single county in this country that is not wasting food,” she noted. “So much energy goes into producing and transporting food, and then to throw 40% of it away, you’re wasting the resources and the human labor and all of the effort that went into doing this in the first place. For us, it’s an environmental issue as well.”

The most important impact, however, may be on the thousands of people who are food-insecure across the state.

“This is not a problem of supply. Hunger has been a problem in this country for a number of years, but it is not a question of us not having enough food,” Palumbo said. “We produce more than enough food to feed everyone, but it’s about getting it to them.”

Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]

Reducing Food Waste Is a Team Effort

By Editorial September 17, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

In the U.S., 150,000 tons of food is wasted every day.

This equals about a pound of food per person, or about a third of the daily calories that each American consumes. What may not be totally obvious when we throw out that banana with a brown spot on it, or the slightly mushy red pepper, is that all this food waste contributes to a much bigger problem in America — the waste of about 40% of country’s food production.

This shocking fact shared by the Center for EcoTechnology is a testament for just how serious the food-waste epidemic is.

In addition, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, wasted food is the single biggest occupant in American landfills. The food we throw out affects our lives in more ways than one, including our own financial resources and a bigger carbon footprint.

Thankfully, while food waste remains a huge problem in America and the world, more and more awareness is being brought to this subject, and more action is being taken to significantly reduce this problem. This includes organizations like Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a nonprofit dedicated solely to food rescue and distribution in Massachusetts.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls picks up food from more than 75 vendor partners in refrigerated trucks and serves more than 40 cities and towns across Massachusetts. It focuses primarily on perishable foods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy, which are the most likely to be wasted, and provides meals to more than 30,000 people a week.

Aside from organizations like this, there are simple ways families can do their part to significantly reduce food waste — everything from planning meals for the week before going to the grocery store to freezing foods that won’t be eaten right away. Looking in the refrigerator and cabinets and cooking food already on hand — and saving leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day — are other habits that add up over 128 million American households.

Businesses are increasingly implementing food-waste reduction strategies as well — spurred in many cases by state regulation. The bottom line is, if everyone tries a little each day to help, significantly less food will be wasted and dumped into landfills.

While Massachusetts in general has been a national leader in addressing food waste, it is important that individuals do their part by implementing their own strategies. With the help of organizations like the Center for EcoTechnology and Lovin’ Spoonfuls, we can only hope those shocking food-waste numbers begin to go down in the next several decades.

Creating an Environment for Recovery

By Columnist September 17, 2019

Opinion

By Christine Palmieri

September is National Recovery Month. ‘Recovery’ is a word that gets used a lot in the world of mental health and addiction services, sometimes so much so that I think we can easily lose sight of what it represents. In my role with the Mental Health Assoc. (MHA), I often have the opportunity to talk to newly hired staff about the idea of recovery. We discuss what it means and what it can look like in the context of working with people who have experienced trauma, homelessness, psychiatric diagnosis, and substance problems.

When I ask new staff the question, “what does it mean to recover?” I frequently hear things like “getting better” or “getting back to where you were” or “having a better quality of life.” Although I tell staff there are no wrong answers to this question, secretly I think there are. They’re common and easy, but insufficient.

As with many things, I think it’s easier to talk about what recovery is by defining what it isn’t. For me, recovery isn’t a cure. It isn’t a finish line or a place people get to. It isn’t a goal that can be neatly summarized in a treatment plan. I believe recovery is a process that is unique and intimately personal to the individual going through it. Ultimately, though, I think the answer to the question “what does it mean to recover?” should be “it isn’t for me to say.”

I believe recovery is a process that is unique and intimately personal to the individual going through it.

As providers of services, or as loved ones, community members, and policy makers, I don’t believe it’s up to us to define what recovery means or looks like for people going through it. Each person needs to examine and define what it means to them. For the rest of us, I think the more important question is “what makes recovery possible?” When the question is posed this way, we are able to engage this idea of recovery in a much different and more productive way. This question offers the opportunity to share the responsibility and partner with those we support.

The analogy of a seedling is often used when describing this process of recovery, and one I use when I talk to our new hires about their roles and responsibilities as providers of service. Seeds are remarkable little things. For me, they represent unlimited potential. A seed no bigger than a grain of rice contains within it everything it needs to grow into a giant sequoia. But no seed can grow without the right environmental conditions. No amount of force or assertion of control can make a seed grow. It needs the right soil, the right amount of water, and the right amount of light.

In the same way, within each person who has experienced trauma, homelessness, psychiatric diagnosis, or problems with substances, I believe there lies unlimited potential for growth, and each person needs the right environment for the process of recovery to take place. As providers, loved ones, community members, and policy makers, we very often control that environment. Metaphorically, we provide the soil, the water and the light.

Soil is the place where recovery begins. It offers a place for the seed to grow roots, to gather strength, security, and safety. Soil is what keeps trees rooted tightly to the ground through storms. It is our responsibility to offer environments where people in recovery feel safe and secure, to try out new ways of coping and new ways of managing the difficulties and challenges that life presents to all of us.

Water provides a seedling with essential nourishment. We need to find ways to support people in recovery to discover what truly nourishes them. The work of recovery is hard. It requires taking risks and feeling uncomfortable. We cannot do the work of recovery for anyone else, but we can and should work to help people in recovery find the supportive relationships, meaningful roles, and reasons to do that hard work.

Light provides the energy necessary for growth. In recovery, I believe light is offered through the hope and understanding that every person has within them the potential to live a full and active life in the community, whatever that means for them. As providers, loved ones, community members, and policy makers, it is our role to shine the light of hope for people who have experienced discrimination, loss of power and control, and in many cases a loss of their identity. We hold this hope and offer this light because we know, without question, that recovery, however it is defined, is not only possible, but is happening, right now, all around us.

Christine Palmieri is vice president of the Division of Recovery and Housing at MHA.

Picture This

Picture This

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

Project SEARCH

Springfield College is once again collaborating with New England Business Associates and recently introduced the second cohort of interns participating in the community’s Project SEARCH program. The second cohort started at Springfield College the week of Sept. 2-6, and will continue on throughout the 2019-20 academic year. Project SEARCH’s mission is to help young adults with disabilities transition from school to work through a community agency partnership while gaining employability skills. The model involves an extensive period of training and career exploration, innovation adaptations, long-term job coaching, and feedback from teachers, job coaches, and employers.

Pictured, from left: Project SEARCH participants Zach and Jose; Springfield College Director of Multicultural Affairs Felicia Lundquist; and Ruth Poirier, New England Business Associates Project SEARCH program coordinator and division supervisor.

Effective Gateway

The Gateway to College program at Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been recognized for the third year in a row for its outstanding graduation rate, one of the best of all programs of its kind in the nation. The award for Graduation Achievement was presented in July to HCC Gateway’s director, Vivian Ostrowski (left, with Julissa Colon, special programs coordinator). Gateway to College is an alternative high-school program that offers dropouts and struggling teens a chance to earn their high-school diplomas through dual enrollment by taking college classes. Gateway students also collect transferable college credits they can apply toward a college certificate or degree. Since 2008, 384 students have earned their high-school diplomas through HCC’s Gateway to College program, and 33 have continued on to earn their associate degrees from HCC.

HCC Gateway’s director, Vivian Ostrowski (left, with Julissa Colon, special programs coordinator).

Pedal Power

More than 300 participants and volunteers gathered on Aug. 25 at Greenfield Community College for Wheeling for Healing, Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s yearly ride, walk, and run benefit to support oncology services. Past donations have been used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment such as new infusion chairs and exam tables to ensure patient comfort, support improvements for a better healing environment, and fund programs such as art therapy and yoga to encourage wholesome healing for patients and survivors.

Name That Ice Cream

In collaboration with Gran-Val Scoop, maker of gourmet homemade ice cream, Bulkley Richardson recently launched a challenge to create a new ice-cream flavor. The top three flavors were produced by Gran-Val Scoop and sampled by attorneys and staff at Bulkley Richardson on Aug. 20. The overwhelming winner was Executive Director Betsey Quick with ‘Butter Representation,’ a play on the law firm’s tagline, ‘better representation.’ The flavor consisted of peanut-butter ice cream with marshmallow and fudge swirls and crushed peanut-butter cups.

Community Support

Phillips Insurance Agency recently donated $1,000 to the Melha Shriners. Chris McMaster of Phillips Insurance (right) recently presented the check to Shriner Shonn Monday to support the 2019 Shriners Music Feztival, held Sept. 7 at the Three County Fair in Northampton.

Court Dockets

Court Dockets

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

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT
Anna Coriano v. Chapin Laurel, LLC; Atlas Property Management Inc.; and Ilya Shnayder
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $2,094
Filed: 8/12/19

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Crystal Rodriguez v. Big Y Foods
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $11,903.08
Filed: 7/26/19

Ted Decosmo v. MGM Springfield, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract, unjust enrichment: $25,000+
Filed: 7/29/19

Carlos Santiago v. Wil-Sites Truck Lines, LLC and Top Truck Services Corp.
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury and property damage: $288,000
Filed: 7/29/19

F.P. McNamara Rubbish Removal Inc. v. Joseph Freedman Co. Inc. and Stevens Street Realty Inc.
Allegation: Nuisance, negligence, trespass: $25,000+
Filed: 7/30/19

NMD Inc. d/b/a A&M Landscaping v. Wingate Healthcare Inc., SRC East Longmeadow Inc. d/b/a Wingate at East Longmeadow, and SRC Springfield Inc. d/b/a Wingate at Springfield
Allegation: Breach of contract, unjust enrichment: $55,245
Filed: 7/31/19

Anileda Tudisco v. Riverside Park Enterprises d/b/a Six Flags New England
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury, breach of warranty: $368,132
Filed: 8/2/19

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Jehann Elbisi v. Related Village Park, LLC
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $6,388
Filed: 8/7/19

Kate Faulkner v. Double Edge Theatre Productions Inc.
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $233,202.13
Filed: 8/9/19

PALMER DISTRICT COURT
QuadGraphics Inc. v. Turley Publications Inc.
Allegation: Balance due for marketing and printing services rendered: $4,795
Filed: 8/23/19

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Saltine Warrior Inc. v. C and C Contractors, LLC and Reginald Cole
Allegation: Breach of contract, unpaid bills: $7,572.34
Filed: 8/7/19

People on the Move

People on the Move

Jeffrey Roberts

Jeffrey McCormick

James Martin

Nancy Frankel Pelletier

Patricia Rapinchuk

Carla Newton

Richard Gaberman

Jeffrey Trapani

Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced seven attorneys were listed in Best Lawyers in America 2020. Jeffrey Roberts, managing partner, practices corporate and business counseling and estate planning, and was named in the practice areas of Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 28 consecutive years. Jeffrey McCormick, partner, was listed in the fields of Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. A member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group, he practices complex litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 20 consecutive years. James Martin, partner, was listed in the practice areas of Franchise Law and Real Estate Law. He concentrates his practice on corporate and business counseling, litigation, and commercial real-estate law, and is a member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 20 consecutive years. Nancy Frankel Pelletier, partner, was listed in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. A member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group, she concentrates her practice in the areas of litigation and insurance defense. She has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 15 consecutive years. Patricia Rapinchuk, partner, was listed in the fields of Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment. She was also named Lawyer of the Year in the field of Litigation – Labor and Employment. She practices employment law and litigation and has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 11 consecutive years. Carla Newton, partner, was named in the field of Family Law. She focuses her practice on divorce and family law, litigation, corporate and business counseling, and commercial real estate, and is a member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group. She has received the Best Lawyers recognition for eight consecutive years. Richard Gaberman was named in the fields of Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates. He focuses his practice on corporate and business counseling, commercial real estate, and estate and tax-planning law. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 28 consecutive years. Robinson Donovan also announced that Jeffrey Trapani, partner, will receive the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. (MBA) Community Service Award during the Hampshire County Bar Assoc. (HCBA) annual meeting on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Garden House at Look Park in Florence. Trapani concentrates his practice in civil litigation, including insurance defense, employment law, municipal liability, business litigation, and professional malpractice. He also represents landlords in summary process action and housing-discrimination claims, and insurance companies in unfair-settlement claims and coverage issues.

•••••

Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that eight of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2020. The firm’s managing partner, Kenneth Albano, was selected for business organizations including LLCs and partnerships; Michael Katz for bankruptcy and reorganization; Stephen Krevalin for family law; Hyman Darling for elder law; Gary Breton for banking/finance law and business organizations; Jeffrey Fialky for commercial finance; Gina Barry for elder law; and Paul Rothschild for litigation. Best Lawyers compiles data from confidential evaluations. More than 8 million attorneys participated in the peer-review survey for the 2020 edition. There is no opportunity to pay for a listing.

•••••

Bernitta Burnett

The nation’s 24th Educare early-education center will be led by Springfield native Bernitta “Nikki” Burnett, who has been hired as Educare Springfield’s first executive director. Burnett was raised in the nearby Mason Square neighborhood, attended neighborhood public schools, and earned her undergraduate degree in leadership and organizational science from Bay Path University. She will be completing her master’s degree in leadership and negotiation from Bay Path in 2020. Most recently, Burnett served as regional vice president of Multicultural Initiatives for the American Heart Assoc., where she worked throughout the New England region to build capacity and support revenue generation around community health and education initiatives. She has more than a decade of leadership experience and, prior to her position with the American Heart Assoc., worked at Baystate Health as education coordinator of Cardiopulmonary Services. At Baystate, she managed three cardiology fellowship programs. Burnett also has been actively involved in community organizations in Springfield and in the region, having served on the board of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, the Baystate Health community benefits advisory board, and Live Well Springfield, an organization that promotes a culture of health in Springfield. Her duties as executive director of Educare Springfield will include oversight of strategic leadership, operational execution, and ensuring the effective implementation of the Educare model to the highest standards of excellence. Burnett will also be responsible for community engagement, fundraising, and resource development.

•••••

Sharianne Walker

Sharianne Walker has been named interim dean of the Western New England University (WNEU) College of Business. Walker joined the College of Business faculty in 1996, most recently serving as chair and professor of Sport Management, as well as co-director of the Sport Leadership and Coaching graduate program. She is the co-author of the texts “Managing Intercollegiate Athletics,” “Managing Sport Organizations: Responsibility for Performance,” and “Strategic Management in International Sport Management.” She has presented her research in leadership development, business operations, and revenue generation at various international, national, and regional conferences. She has also spearheaded accreditation, strategic-planning, and assessment projects at the university. An influential figure in the growth of the university’s athletics program, Walker has served as a faculty fellow, an NCAA faculty representative, and chair of the Western New England Athletics Council, and was inducted into the university’s Downes Athletic Hall of Fame. She was named Career Woman of the Year by the Massachusetts Business and Professional Women’s Assoc. and served as director of the Springfield Leadership Institute. She currently chairs the board of trustees of Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park in Florence. Walker earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Smith College and her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in sport management from UMass.

•••••

MassHire Holyoke Career Center announced the appointment of Shawn Teece as its new vice president of Finance. He has several years of successful leadership in nonprofit financial and accounting operations. He assumed the vice presidency of MassHire Holyoke on Aug. 29 and is responsible for strategically overseeing all aspects of the career center’s financial and accounting systems.

Prior to this appointment, Teece was an accounting manager for Head Start Inc. and an account/auditor for the Holyoke Health Center and Lester Halpern, P.C. He has a master of accountancy degree from Westfield State University.

•••••

Jiulie Phillps

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Jiulie Phillps as its coordinator of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving. Phillips comes to HCC from Westfield State University, where she held positions in Institutional Advancement as associate director of Advancement Services and coordinator of Donor Relations and Annual Giving. At HCC, Phillips completes an Institutional Advancement team that also includes Director Patrick Carpenter and Vice President Amanda Sbriscia. Phillips’s primary responsibilities at HCC will be engaging with alumni and building the college’s annual fund. Phillips holds a bachelor’s degree from Western New England University in communications and is working toward her master’s degree in public administration (concentration in nonprofit management) from Westfield State.

•••••

OTELCO recently welcomed back David Chaplin as a senior ISP engineer in the company’s Granby office. Chaplin has an associate degree in telecommunications from Springfield Technical Community College and a bachelor’s degree in church leadership from Southeastern University. He spent 31 years with Verizon as an OSP technician and staff management assistant, and has additional experience working as an engineering project manager for Verizon and as an electronics and communications specialist for ISO New England.

•••••

TD Bank named Steve Webb regional president for Southern New England. In this role, Webb will lead commercial and retail banking teams in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Upstate New York, and Connecticut. Webb has more than 30 years of banking experience and has worked across several businesses at TD Bank. He most recently served as New Hampshire market president – Commercial, where he was responsible for the growth and expansion of commercial and small-business lending, cash management, and government banking in the state. Prior to assuming this role, Webb was responsible for the Commercial Division of TD Banknorth in New Hampshire, including credit risk management, cash management, commercial lending, commercial real estate, leasing, and healthcare. Webb also brings a wealth of retail experience to this role, having previously helped to optimize store operations.

•••••

Judge Mary-Lou Rup, a retired Massachusetts Superior Court judge, has completed a workshop and received certification in civil mediation in conformity with Supreme Judicial Court Rules, Rule 1:18 Dispute Resolution, Rule 8. Administered by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Inc., the course covered principles of positional and interest-based negotiation, mediation procedures and techniques, settlement agreements, confidentiality, and ethics. Rup recently returned to private practice at Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP, where her mediation experience adds value to the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution practice.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook

Wellfleet Acquires National Guardian’s Student and Special Risk Business

SPRINGFIELD — Wellfleet, an insurance provider and a Berkshire Hathaway company, has agreed to terms with National Guardian Life Insurance Co. (NGL) to acquire through renewals its Student and Special Risk business. Much of that business is processed through Commercial Travelers Life Insurance Co. in Utica, N.Y., a wholly owned NGL subsidiary. Wellfleet will immediately assume responsibility for administrating NGL’s special-risk policies and collegiate accident and health insurance, which insures more than 26,000 students on approximately 100 campuses across the U.S. Wellfleet will maintain NGL’s Utica office, employing more than 30 insurance professionals. Completion of the transaction is subject to various conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approval, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019.

Elms College Announces 100% Hire Rate for Education Graduates

CHICOPEE — Elms College announced that all of its class of 2019 education licensure graduates — both undergraduate and graduate — have successfully landed jobs as teachers in their licensure fields or are pursuing advanced degrees. This is the sixth year in a row that the Elms College Education Division has reported a 100% hire rate for its graduates. Elms College allows education majors to specialize in elementary, early childhood, English as a second language, moderate special needs, or secondary education. Graduate students can work toward a master of arts in teaching degree in a variety of fields, including reading specialist, a master of education degree, or a certificate of advanced graduate study (CAGS). The college’s programs offer real-world, student-centric, pedagogical training that prepares teachers to serve as leaders in the changing field of education.

UMass Amherst Welcomes Largest-ever Entering Class

AMHERST — UMass Amherst will welcome the largest entering class in university history when students return to the Commonwealth’s flagship campus over Labor Day weekend. The size of the entering class, approximately 5,800 students, represents an increase of 790 compared to last year. This includes 4,300 in-state students, an increase of 800 over last fall. Massachusetts students represent 74% of the first-year class. Out-of-state enrollment remained strong at 1,500, including 470 international students. The university received a record 42,110 applications. Overall undergraduate enrollment this fall is projected to be 22,700. The academic profile of the class of 2023 is impressive. The average SAT score is 1292, and the average GPA is 3.90. The class also represents an increase in the number of ALANA (African, Latino/Hispanic, Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Native American) students at 33%. The percentage of underrepresented minority students is 17%, matching last year’s number. Half of the incoming class is female. Commonwealth Honors College will welcome 660 students, up 35 students over last year. Their average SAT score is 1400. Along with the first-year class, nearly 1,050 transfer students will be arriving on campus this fall. The transfers include 380 community-college students enrolling through the MassTransfer program. MassTransfer guarantees admission to Massachusetts community-college students who complete a designated program with a GPA of 2.5 or above. The overall GPA for entering transfer students is 3.40.

Eversource Honored for Encouraging, Empowering Employees in the Military

BOSTON — Eversource Energy has been recognized with the nation’s highest honor recognizing support of employees in the military. Eversource was one of 15 companies selected from 2,500 nominations to receive the 2019 Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. Eversource Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Judge and control-room supervisor Bill Gelinas accepted the Freedom Award at a ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Eversource’s recruitment and military reserve policies make it one of the nation’s leading companies for veterans and other service members. Of Eversource’s 8,000 employees, more than 600 have served in the military. The energy company offers advancement programs that provide opportunities to apply military training in a supervisory level position. In addition, the Eversource Veterans Assoc., made up of employees who served their country, provides support and recognition to current veteran employees and raises funds to support military veterans throughout New England.

STCC, Bay Path University Announce Psychology Transfer Agreements

SPRINGFIELD — Officials from Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) and Bay Path University will sign two agreements today at 1 p.m. creating an affordable pathway for female students with an associate degree from STCC to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bay Path. Under one articulation agreement, students who receive an associate degree in liberal arts/general studies (applied psychology option) can pursue a bachelor of arts in psychology from Bay Path. Under the second agreement, students who receive an associate degree in liberal arts transfer (human services/social work option) can pursue a bachelor of arts in psychology. Bay Path and STCC recognize that, for many students, the path to a bachelor’s degree may begin at a community college. Moreover, for STCC’s female students, diverse educational opportunities, including the advantages of enrolling in a women’s university to earn a bachelor’s degree, adds value to educational experiences. These agreements acknowledge that significance and are formed to enable the smooth transfer of STCC graduates to either the traditional undergraduate program or the American Women’s College of Bay Path University.

STCC Gateway to College Program Earns Recognition

SPRINGFIELD — The Gateway to College program at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) received a Program Excellence Award in recognition of exceeding all four benchmarks used to assess the performance of Gateway to College programs nationwide. Through Gateway to College, students who have dropped out of high school or who are significantly off track complete their high-school diplomas in college-based programs while simultaneously earning credits toward a post-secondary credential. STCC has hosted a Gateway to College program since 2013, and the program enrolled 67 students during the academic year when it received the award. In 2017 and 2018, the STCC Gateway to College program was recognized with a Graduation Achievement Award. This marks its first Program Excellence Award and represents one of only 11 such awards given to Gateway to College programs nationally. At the Gateway to College Directors Convening in New Haven, Conn. at the end of July, Achieving the Dream President Karen Stout and Executive Vice President Emily Froimson presented the award to STCC Gateway Program Director Katara Robinson.

Kresge Foundation Awards $100,000 to Public Health Institute of Western Mass.

SPRINGFIELD — The Kresge Foundation awarded the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts a $100,000 grant to advance policy solutions aimed at improving climate resilience and equitably reducing health risks in low-income communities. The Springfield Climate Justice Initiative, a new project of the Live Well Springfield coalition convened by the Public Health Institute, is one of 15 community-based collaborations nationwide receiving grant funding as part of the planning phase of Kresge’s Climate Change, Health and Equity initiative. The Springfield Climate Justice Initiative will focus on planning and implementing strategies identified in the 2017 “Strong, Healthy, & Just: Springfield Climate Action & Resilience Plan” for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and improving climate resilience in Springfield. The planning will focus on developing front-line residents’ capacity to accelerate municipal action on the top greenhouse-gas emissions reduction strategies included in the Climate Action Plan. With this funding, the collaborators who worked together to develop the city’s “Strong, Healthy & Just” plan — the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Arise for Social Justice, and the city of Springfield — will work with partners from other sectors to develop multi-year work plans to address community-defined health and climate priorities.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

Chamber Corners

EAST OF THE RIVER FIVE TOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.erc5.com
(413) 575-7230

• Sept. 27: ERC5 2019 Golf Tournament, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted by the Country Club of Wilbraham, 859 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham. Join us and enjoy food, raffles and awards, contests of skill, networking, and spirited competition. The Golf Classic helps to support the ERC5 scholarship fund, which has awarded more than $155,000 to local high-school students. Visit www.erc5.com for sponsorship and player-registration information.

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

• Sept. 17: Business After Hours at the United Way of Franklin County’s Taste & Toast ’Round the County, 5-8 p.m., hosted by Franklin County Fairgrounds. Join us at the historic Round House at the Franklin County Fairgrounds for the United Way of Franklin County’s Taste & Toast tournament. Mixologists are invited to face off for the chance to be named the ultimate in crafting cocktails. Register at (413) 772-2168 or uw-fc.org.

• Sept. 27: Monthly Breakfast and United Way Kickoff, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Franklin County Technical High School, 82 Industrial Blvd., Turners Falls. The United Way of Franklin County is kicking off its 2019 campaign. Learn about the upcoming campaign and how you can participate. Sponsored by Melanson Heath. Cost: $15 for members, $20 general admission. Register at [email protected] or franklincc.org.

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

• Sept. 18: Salute Breakfast: “Maintaining the Work-Life Balance,” 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by MassMutual Learning and Conference Center, Chicopee. Sponsored by Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, N. Riley Construction Inc., Polish National Credit Union, USI Insurance Services, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Featuring state Rep. Aaron Vega (chief greeter) and Kathy Anderson of Holyoke Medical Center (keynote speaker). An interactive opportunity for small businesses and startups to learn how to tap into state and local support. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Register at www.chicopeechamber.org/events.

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

• Sept. 27: “Women and the Art of Risk,” 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. This year’s women’s leadership event will feature workshops, discussions, and career-development opportunities, all led by distinguished women from the Pioneer Valley. Hear personal and professional stories of how taking calculated risks led these women to new adventures and made them stronger leaders. Keynote speaker: Jody Kasper, chief of Police, city of Northampton. Cost: $119, which includes breakfast and lunch. A table of 10 may be purchased for $875. Pre-registration is required, and no tickets will be sold at the door. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

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

• Sept. 16: After 5 Connections, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Polish National Credit Union, 1 Parkside Ave., 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 to both chamber members and non-members. For more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618, or register online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events.

• Sept. 20: September Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by the 104th Fighter Wing ANG, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. Platinum sponsor: Baystate Noble Hospital; gold sponsors: Westfield Gas & Electric/Whip City Fiber; silver sponsor: A Plus HVAC Inc.; bronze sponsors: BHN/Carson Center, Governor’s Center, and the Arbors. Cost: $28/ for members, $43 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618.

• Sept. 21: September Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by the 104th Fighter Wing ANG, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. Platinum event sponsor: Baystate Noble Hospital. Gold sponsor: Westfield Gas & Electric. Silver sponsor: A Plus HVAC Inc. Bronze sponsors: Behavioral Health Network/the Carson Center, Governor’s Center, and the Arbors. For sponsorships or registration questions, e-mail [email protected] or call (413) 568-1618. Cost to attend: $28 for members, $43 for non-members. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Oct. 17: Renaissance of Springfield Leadership Forum, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Springfield Museums. Panelists will include female leaders in Springfield who will share their visions and contributions to the current Springfield renaissance. Kay Simpson, president of Springfield Museums, will moderate the panel. Cost: $35 for members, $40 for non-members. To register, e-mail [email protected].

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

• Sept. 17: Legislative Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Presenting sponsor: Health New England. A panel of legislators, featuring state Sens. James Welch and Donald Humason and state Reps. Nicholas Boldyga and Michael Finn, will provide updates from Beacon Hill, followed by a question-and-answer session. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For sponsorships or to register online, visit www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information on ticket sales, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• Sept. 25: “Mingle with Dingle” networking event with guests from Dingle, Ireland, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Irish Cultural Center/Trinity Pub, West Springfield. Join us for a night of networking with our sister-city friends from Dingle, Ireland. Food, raffle prizes, and fun for all. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members. Sponsorship opportunities available. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• Oct. 2: Inaugural Lexington Group Aeron Chair Hockey Tournament, 5:30-8 p.m., hosted by Lexington Group, 380 Union St., West Springfield. Co-hosted by BusinessWest, ERC5, and the West of the River Chamber of Commerce. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Lexington Group is hosting this tournament benefiting the Foundation for TJO Animals, which supports veterinary needs and services for local, homeless animals at the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center. This will be an after-5 anniversary celebration and networking event. Players and administrative staff from area elite hockey teams, American International College and UMass Amherst, will battle it out in a friendly competition on the rink. The winning team of the battle round will play against the Springfield Thunderbirds. Cost: free, but registration is required. Register at lexington-aeronhockey.eventbrite.com.

• Oct. 14: Annual Scholarship/Business Grant Golf Tournament, hosted by Springfield Country Club, West Springfield. Registration at 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon, shotgun start at 1 p.m. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information or tickets, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• Oct. 23: Mingle with the Mayors VIP Luncheon, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, West Springfield. Join us for an update from the mayors of Agawam and West Springfield over lunch, and mingle with the mayors afterward during this private, VIP event. Seating is limited. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

Agenda

Agenda

White Lion Harvest Nights

Through Oct. 30: White Lion Brewing’s summer beer garden officially ended on Aug. 31. During the summer months, the downtown beer garden, which occupies a private park in downtown Springfield, offered an eclectic lineup of events and community collaborations, hosting local musicians, food trucks, restaurants, special events, and nonprofit and private companies. Because of continuing demand for such events, White Lion will present Harvest Nights at 1477 Main St. each Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. through Oct. 30. Events will include White Lion Wednesdays, street food Fridays, local musicians and DJs, special evening hookah nights, and a Hop Headz home-brewer collaboration. Follow White Lion Brewing on all social-media platforms for ongoing updates.

Author Talk with Lesléa Newman

Sept. 19: Jewish Family Services will host a presentation by author Lesléa Newman on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. Newman will talk about her journey to become a children’s book writer and present and discuss some of her Jewish children’s books, including Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story. She will also show a short film titled We Are a Country of Immigrants in which she interviews Phyllis Rubin, her godmother and daughter of the real Gittel. The program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served, and books by the author will be available for purchase. Jewish Family Services’ Community Room is located at 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield (the parking lot is on the Converse Street side).

AAFPAA Awards

Sept. 26: The African American Female Professors Award Assoc. (AAFPAA) will host its third annual awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at Bay Path University, 588 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. The association will salute three professors, as well as present an Alumnae Award and Legacy Award. The keynote speaker is Yves Salomon-Fernandez, president of Greenfield Community College and a staunch advocate for reinventing higher education in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. She has been recognized as a thought leader, writing and speaking on issues related to rural innovation, workforce development, and women’s leadership. With her passion for access and equity, she was named one of the “Top 25 Women in Higher Education” by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education in March 2018. Tickets are $20 per person, with half the proceeds going toward the AAFPAA Scholarship Fund.

Source to Sea Cleanup

Sept. 27-28: Registration is now open for the Connecticut River Conservancy’s (CRC) Source to Sea Cleanup. This annual event, now in its 23rd year, has grown into one of the largest river cleanups in the country. There are three ways for volunteers to get involved in the Source to Sea Cleanup this year: report a trash site in need of cleaning, find a nearby cleanup group to join, or organize and register a local cleanup group. For more information or to register, visit www.ctriver.org/cleanup. If your group wants to get involved but needs a cleanup site, if you have questions, or if you know of a trash site in need of cleaning, e-mail Lennard at [email protected]. Learn more about the event at www.ctriver.org/cleanup.

Run for the Bar

Sept. 29: The Hampden County Bar Assoc. will hold its sixth annual 5K Run/Walk Race Judicata – A Run for the Bar at Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke. Registration begins at 9 a.m., followed by the start of the event at 11 a.m. Proceeds raised from this year’s event will benefit the Children’s Law Project and the Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship fund. For more information, call the Hampden County Bar Assoc. at (413) 732-4660.

Aeron Chair Hockey Tournament

Oct. 2: In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Lexington Group will host an Aeron chair hockey tournament from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at its showroom located at 380 Union St., West Springfield. For this first-of-its-kind event in New England, Lexington Group has invited players, and their administrative staff, from elite area hockey teams — American International College and UMass Amherst — to battle it out in a friendly competition on the ‘ice.’ The winning team from the first round will play against members of the Springfield Thunderbirds. The tournament will be incorporated into an After 5 networking event, with about 300 business and community professionals expected to attend. The event will help raise funds and awareness for the Foundation for TJO Animals. Admission to the event is complimentary, but registration is required and can be made at lexington-aeronhockey.eventbrite.com. Donations to the Foundation for TJO Animals are appreciated and can be made in advance directly through the foundation’s website, www.tjofoundation.org, or may be made at the event. Sponsors include MP CPAs, St. Germain Investments, Sitterly Movers, and Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel (cup sponsors); bankESB, Behavioral Health Network, Complete Payroll Solutions, Dietz & Co. Architects, Fire Service Group, HUB International New England, Massachusetts Fire Technologies, Mercier Carpet, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, and New England Promotional Marketing (chair sponsors); AIS, Baystate Ob/Gyn, Contract Sources, Excel Dryer, KI, Lexington Group, Paragus IT, People’s United Bank, the Republican, and Westfield Bank (rink sponsors); Go Graphix and Herman Miller (goods sponsors); BusinessWest, ERC5, and West of the River Chamber of Commerce (event partners).

Jazz Brunch

Oct. 6: Tickets are now on sale for the 2019 Northampton Jazz Festival Brunch, a fundraiser to benefit the Jazz Artists in the Schools Program at John F. Kennedy Middle School, which exposes Northampton’s student musicians to the valuable mentorship of professional jazz artists. The DeChamplain Quartet, based out of Hartford, Conn., will perform their gypsy-style music from noon to 2 p.m. with Atla DeChamplain on vocals, Matt DeChamplain on piano, Chris Morrison on guitar, and Matt Dwonszyk on bass. Thanks to donations from the Davis Financial Group of Hadley, the program has been able to offer unique workshops with professional jazz artists to the jazz-band students at JFK and Northampton High School. The jazz brunch will be held at the Delaney House, 3 Country Club Road in Holyoke, starting at 11 a.m. Tickets to the brunch cost $40, and $10 from each purchase will benefit the Davis Financial Group Jazz Artists in the Schools Program at JFK Middle School for the 2019-20 school year. The brunch will wrap up the 2019 Northampton Jazz Festival, set for Friday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 6. The event features three days of live music at various venues in downtown Northampton, including the main-stage act, the Kurt Elling Quintet, which will perform on Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy of Music. For more information, to purchase tickets, or to donate to the Jazz Artists in the Schools Program, visit northamptonjazzfest.org.

Healthcare Heroes Gala

Oct. 17: The third annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Sheraton Springfield from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched in 2017 by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care. The class of 2019 was profiled in the Sept. 2 issue of BusinessWest and on businesswest.com. Tickets cost $90 or $900 for a table of 10. To reserve a spot, visit www.businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes-2 or e-mail [email protected]. Healthcare Heroes is sponsored by American International College and Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsors), Behavioral Health Network, Comcast Business, and Development Associates (partner sponsors), and Bulkley Richardson, Design to Finish, Elms College, and Keiter Builders (supporting sponsors).

Women of Impact Luncheon

Dec. 4: The keynote speaker for the 2019 Women of Impact luncheon will be Lisa Tanzer, president of Life Is Good. Tanzer has more than 25 years of consumer brand experience. Prior to becoming president, she served as the company’s head of Marketing after spending more than 20 years on the board of directors of the Life is Good Kids Foundation. She’s held executive positions in the entertainment, e-commerce, and education sectors. Earlier in her career, she held marketing and strategy roles at Hasbro, Staples, Gillette, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The 2019 Women of Impact honorees will be announced in the Oct. 14 issue of BusinessWest and feted at a celebration on Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Sheraton Springfield. Tickets cost $65 per person, or $650 for a table of 10. To purchase tickets, visit www.businesswest.com/women-of-impact or e-mail [email protected]. The Women of Impact program is sponsored by Country Bank and TommyCar Auto Group (presenting sponsors), Comcast Business (supporting sponsor), New Valley Bank & Trust (speaker sponsor), and WWLP 22 News/CW Springfield (media sponsor).

Incorporations

Incorporations

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

AMHERST

New England RV Rentals Inc., 463 Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002. Julie Printy, same. RV rental.

CHICOPEE

New England Express Logistics Inc., 172 Prospect St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Lyudmila Kudrya, same. Transportation.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Meadows Health Center, P.C., 40 Crane Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Muhammad Gul, 53 Williamsburg Dr., Longmeadow, MA 01028. Medical office.

HADLEY

New England West Skating Club Inc., 7 Frallo Dr., Hadley, MA 01035. Linda Taylor, 860 Cape St., Ashfield, MA 01330. Providing education, training, and competitive figure-skating opportunities at all levels in order to foster and develop the sport and art of figure skating.

INDIAN ORCHARD

Mass.Scalp Inc., 202 Essex St., Indian Orchard, MA 01151. Lordi Smith, same. Micropigmentation.

LEE

Nejaime’s Enterprises Inc., 245 East Center St., Lee, MA 01238. Fadi Nejaime, same. Food services.

PITTSFIELD

Meadowview Consulting Inc., 216 Eleanor Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Kathleen Phillips, same. Community-based consulting.

SHEFFIELD

Meridian Learning Corp., 674 Rannapo Road, Sheffield, MA 01257. Matt Mervis, same. Education, training, and learning design.

SHELBURNE FALLS

Mohawk Athletic Assoc. Inc., 24 Ashfield Road, c/o Mohawk Trail Regional High School, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Brandon Boucias, 51 Upper St., Buckland, MA 01338. Provide financial support for student athletic programs in the Mohawk Regional school district.

SOUTH DEERFIELD

Medicaid Crossing Inc., 158 North Main St., P.O. Box 143, South Deerfield, MA 01373. Patricia Friedman, same. Health-insurance application assistance.

SPRINGFIELD

LOX Foundation Inc., 180 King St., Springfield, MA 01109. Tyra Downie, 195 Hickory St., Springfield, MA 01109. Empowering and engaging youth and community through charity, scholarship, and mentorship.

Master Wireless – JM Inc., 1228 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. David Kim, 3900 City Ave., Unit A522, Phildelphia, PA 19131. Wireless phones.

Migs Youth Development Inc., 97 Wachusett St., Springfield, MA 01108. Jose Feliciano, same. Help improve quality of life for the youth of Springfield by fostering individual and social health and responsibility, character development, and athletic and academic achievement.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

MN Home Renovation Inc., 101 River St., Apt. 5, West Springfield, MA 01089. Dumitru Moroianu, same. Construction.

WILBRAHAM

Mercieri Inc., 220 Monson Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Leonard Mercieri, same. Aerospace quality management system auditor.

Doing Business As Certificates

DBA Certificates

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

AMHERST

Amherst Lockworks
145 University Dr., #2455
Derek Lauder

The Cottage Garden
135 Cottage St.
Celia Riahi

Gen10 Associates
1193 South East St.
Michael Wright

Wheelhouse Farm, LLC
383 Main St.
William Van Heuvelen, Jake Mazar

BELCHERTOWN

Another Pair of Eyes
340 Warren Wright Road
Erin Martineau

Arcpoint Brewing Co.
207 Warner St.
Christopher Peterson, Christopher Eldridge

Belchertown Kidz Club, LLC
4 Stadler St.
Daryl Anne Peck

Dragonfly Services
410 Amherst Road
Margaret Adamson-Gour

Gray Craig Farm
11 Jeffrey Lane
Barbara Hastings, Thomas Hastings

CHICOPEE

Elara Caring
450 Memorial Dr.
Medical Resources Home Health Corp.

Fiona’s Spa
1888 Memorial Dr.
Meijuan Zhou, Xinli Quaw

G.G. Grace Delivery
21 Woodland Ave.
Gnobo Gnopo, Ahou Kouakou Gnopo

Kalele Daycare
15 Edgewood Ave.
Nelitza Martinez

OrnANDmeants
80 Billings St.
Amber Deshaies

DEERFIELD

Harvest Health & Recreation
198 Mill Village Road
Suns Mass II, LLC

EASTHAMPTON

Forever Poe
15 Cottage St.
Jeffrey Dahlberg

Z Worker Bees, LLC
14 Russell Lane
Michelle Zimora

EAST LONGMEADOW

Agility Equine Massage
35 Rockingham Circle
Laura Peteros

Dr. Robert Caprile, Chiropractor
181 Maple St.
Robert Caprile

Fashion Warehouz, LLC
95 Somers Road
Olevia Wilson

Hampden County Property Services, LLC
674 North Main St.
Steven Rovithis

Red Falcon Realty Management, LLC
674 North Main St.
Steven Rovithis

Rovithis Realty, LLC
674 North Main St.
Steven Rovithis

Seven Roads Media
674 North Main St.
Steven Rovithis

SR Commercial Realty
674 North Main St.
Steven Rovithis

GREENFIELD

Abramson’s Renovations
111 Beacon St.
Brian Abramson

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar
141 Mohawk Trail
Apple New England, LLC

Auto Trim and Sign
24 Place Terrace
Fred Wheeler

BC Redesign, LLC
59 Meridian St.
Rebecca Crapo

Cohn & Co. Real Estate
117 Main St.
Robert Cohn

Cook Restoration & Construction
908 Bernardston Road
Benton Cook

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches
68 Mohawk Trail
Landd Corp.

Dollar General Store #14956
369 Federal St.
DG Retail, LLC

Franklin First Federal Credit Union
57 Newton St.
Michelle Dwyer

Greenfield Bicycles Unlimited Inc.
322 High St.
Mary Ellen Perry

Home Body
231 Main St.
Haley Morgan, Eric Hnatow

Marina Pyro
100 Elm St.
Marina Pirozhkov

Sarah M. Frye Mind and Bodywork
246 Davis St., Apt. 2
Sarah Frye

Western Mass. Organic Supply
12 Kenwood St.
Josh Lagreze

HOLYOKE

DeRoy-Olivero, LICSW
37 Myrtle Ave.
Kristi Olivero

Finn’s Ice Cream
2 Fini Road
Dianne Sutherland Fini

My Car
177 High St.
Miguel Carrasco

Quick Stop Food Mart
171 Sargeant St.
Fouzia Nahid Raheel

LUDLOW

Fatima Afonso-Mendes
116 Sewall St.
Fatima Afonso-Mendes

Hub International New England, LLC
564 Center St.
Timothy Marini

NORTHAMPTON

Couple and Family Institute of New England
53 Center St.
Nancy Knudsen

Hampshire Theater Co.
8 Nonotuck St.
Stan Freeman

Institute of Healing Journeys
2 Strong Ave.
Peter Corbett

Kidstuff
90 Maple St.
Stacy Buhl

L & T Respess Books
136 West St.
Linwood Respess

My Virtual Bankruptcy Paralegal
244 Damon Road
Candace Clarke

NewsForKids.net
45 Jackson St.
William Adams

POE Light US
88 King St.
Rob Chambers

Washut & Ware Inc.
17 King St.
Christopher Ware, Alexander Washut

PALMER

Benoit’s Auto
346 Boston Road
Josh Benoit

Enisde Salt Therapy, LLC
1372 Main St.
Denise Pelletier

Finesse Garage
21 Wilbraham St.
Jason Methe

SOUTHWICK

KeenKut Landscaping
146 Vining Hill Road
Lailonnie Keene

Really Cool Electronics
117 Sheep Pasture Road
Jacob Howe

Salon Amici
515 College Highway
Susan D’Amours

Yellow Bear
642 College Highway
Vicki Benford

SPRINGFIELD

AC Consulting and Media
7 Schley St.
Ayanna Crawford

Alicsia O the Salon Inc.
1199 Sumner Ave.
Alicsia O’Connor

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar
1359 Boston Road
Apple New England, LLC

B’s Towing & Recovery
11 Front St.
Branden Stanek

Chuchazo
233 Seymour Ave.
Jose Brito

Court of Bliss
47 Michigan St.
Courtney Sanders

CozyBzzz
2000 Parker St.
Stephanie Burgess

Cummings Remodeling & Floor Covering
34 Front St.
James Cummings

GRP Funding
1350 Main St.
GRP Funding Holdings

Hair Comes the Bride
116 Champlain Ave.
Rachel Newton

Halloween City
356 Cooley St.
Party City

Hiffman International, LLC
55 St. George St.
Hiffman Asset

Human to Human
37 Chestnut St.
Episcopal Diocese of Western Mass.

Luxury Tax Solutions
118 Commonwealth Ave.
Kyara Wiggins

Man Buns
1 MGM Way
Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC

Mass Home Remodeling Service
185 Dwight St.
Javier Rosario

NeatCREW Home Services
27 Ames St.
Paul Dyricacz

No Stigma
46 Melha Ave.
Johanna Maldonado

A Touch of Class Barbershop
8 Kendell St.
David Diaz

York Street
1 Federal St.
Michael Mastriani

WESTFIELD

A & Z Auto Repair
23A Orange St.
Farzaan Mufeed

ATG Westfield
910 Southampton Road
ATG Patriot, LLC

Bruce H. Bonsall, LLC
12 Salvatore Dr.
Bruce Bonsall

Eastern Touch Bodywork
83B Main St.
Liyin Zhen

FinishWorks
21 Union St.
RPM Wood Finishes Group Inc.

Gorilla Vapes
121 North Elm St.
Ape Vape Inc.

Island of Flowers
127 Springdale Road
Marina Kostenko

Karen’s Hair Salon
338 Springdale Road
Karen Croteau

MedExpress Urgent Care – Westfield
311 East Main St.
MedExpress Urgent Care, P.C.

Roberts Construction
31 Valley View Dr.
Jeffrey Roberts

Skyline Beer Co.
98 Southwick Road
Skyline Beer Co., LLC

Timothy M. Nalepinski
74 Plantation Circle
Timothy Nalepinski

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Anderson Cleaning Inc.
103 Wayside Ave.
Gomes Anderson

Baystate Family Chiropractic
346 Main St.
Roy Rojas Correa

Debrons Salon
242 Westfield St.
Deborah Scharmann

Manchester Home Improvement
209 Rogers Ave.
Barry Manchester

WILBRAHAM

3D Biomedical
8 Addison Road
Paul Pelletier Jr.

Artsong, LLC
21 Merrill Road
Amy Porchelli

JFI Tile
2 Mohawk St.
John Ingalls

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies

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

Almeida, Dana L.
7 Linwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/08/19

Babineau, Susan Ruth
390 Vine St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/08/19

Bernardi, Christopher
21 Lyman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/01/19

Butler, Justin M.
Butler, Jessica Leigh
168 Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Centeno, Cheryl E.
439 Oldfield Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Chaput, Miriam V.
28 Miles Morgan Court
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/13/19

Chenette, Lee Anthony
64 Rochford Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

DelValle, Marisol
264 Chicopee St., Apt 2
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Diaz, Jesus
650 Main St., 2nd Fl.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/12/19

Figueroa, Felix
Colon, Mariela
33 Lancaster St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/13/19

Funari, Jean
6C Park Villa Dr.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/15/19

Guglielmo, Georgette
68 Holland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Hart, Amanda A.
100 Autumn Dr.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/13/19

Henry, Lorri J
160 Point Grove Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Houle, Richard P.
440 Broadway, 2nd Fl.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/15/19

Jusino, Juan A.
Jusino, Monserrate
56 Mosher St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/01/19

Kocot, Elizabeth Ann
3 Lyman St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Kopec, Karla Marie
a/k/a Lawrence, Karla Marie
5 Enterprise St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/12/19

Krzeminski, Jennifer
130 Peterson Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Lawrence, Scott A.
229 North Brookfield Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/14/19

Lindsey, Keith A
P.O. Box 275
Gilbertville, MA 01031
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/08/19

Little, Scott A.
723 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/12/19

Maia, Edward A
42 Main St., Apt. C
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/06/19

Morales, Cindy Liz
a/k/a Santiago, Cindy Liz
52 Jefferson St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Neal, Deborah Jean
24 Brickett St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/15/19

Nutrition and Healthy Sole
Stellato, Douglas Anthony
Tetrault-Stellato, Kelly Lynn
64 Aldrich St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Petracone, Rosemary A.
P.O. Box 533
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/12/19

Raco, Brian S.
Raco, Christina L.
11 Nancy Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/12/19

Roy, Lorree Mae
27 Massachusetts Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/14/19

Smith, Clarence W.
149 Forest Hills Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 07/31/19

Staples, Christina R.
131 Victoria St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/09/19

Steinbock, Kyle D.
109 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/12/19

Therrien, Roger
Therrien, Susan M.
1112 Massachusetts Ave.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/13/19

Timberlake, Joan E.
527 West Main St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/15/19

Tourville, Glenn A.
70 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/08/19

Velez, Carlos
Castro, Sarilyn
1853 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/15/19

Williams, Roger Angelo
Williams, Inez
37 Grover St., Apt 1
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/06/19

Woodbury, Susan M.
118 Clairmont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/09/19

Real Estate Transactions

Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

526 Main St.
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Kyla M. McMahon
Seller: Grace E. Lesure
Date: 08/23/19

199-D Stonewall Dr.
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Talia Miller
Seller: Caroline Sly
Date: 08/19/19

1042 Williamsburg Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Calvin M. Clark
Seller: David G. Culver
Date: 08/15/19

1327 Williamsburg Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $301,000
Buyer: Travis Minnick
Seller: Michele D. Maznick
Date: 08/21/19

BERNARDSTON

55 River St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Urban Veneer LLC
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/19/19

BUCKLAND

79 North St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Elizabeth F. Morgan
Seller: Dorothy L. White
Date: 08/16/19

CONWAY

96 Parsons Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $226,500
Buyer: Jacob A. Carter
Seller: Louis F. Paparazzo
Date: 08/23/19

DEERFIELD

21 Kelleher Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $401,000
Buyer: Joseph L. McMillan
Seller: Todd M. Daniels
Date: 08/16/19

11 North Hillside Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Dean R. Cloninger
Seller: Viktor P. Vlasenko
Date: 08/14/19

217 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: J2K Realty LLC
Seller: Ridge Road Properties LLC
Date: 08/15/19

498 River Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Hilary W. Barber
Seller: Carol A. Connare
Date: 08/15/19

325 Upper Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Robert G. Ozanich
Seller: Redmond, Francis R. Jr, (Estate)
Date: 08/14/19

GREENFIELD

33 Allen St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Logan Reynolds-Whalen
Seller: King INT
Date: 08/26/19

230 Davis St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Camilla Albani-Elizeu
Seller: Gertrude E. Hooks
Date: 08/23/19

114 Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Gerald E. Sykes
Seller: Joseph W. Llamas
Date: 08/15/19

155-157 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jacqueline Mathers
Seller: Emmalyn Hicks
Date: 08/23/19

25 Ferrante Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Brian J. Leibinger
Seller: John S. McKenzie
Date: 08/15/19

36 Ferrante Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Kretzer
Seller: Thomas A. Hyer
Date: 08/16/19

19 Green River Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Madeline R. Maxam
Seller: MTGLQ Investors LP
Date: 08/15/19

254 Green River Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Remy Miller
Seller: John Rymes
Date: 08/23/19

348 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Scenic Enterprises LLC
Seller: DND Properties LLC
Date: 08/23/19

32-34 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $261,500
Buyer: Benjamin P. Goldsher
Seller: Dennis S. Warren
Date: 08/20/19

118 Laurel St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $328,000
Buyer: Brian F. Tausendfreund
Seller: Melanie J. Moran-Smith
Date: 08/19/19

24 Park Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Francis Phelps
Seller: Ashley R. Mancini
Date: 08/21/19

42-44 Pierce St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $190,500
Buyer: William E. Swihart
Seller: PDV Inc.
Date: 08/16/19

LEYDEN

44 Keets Brook Road
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Isabel B. Whiston
Seller: Glen Benson
Date: 08/20/19

MONTAGUE

54 Oakman St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Justin M. Johnson
Seller: Heather L. Gagne
Date: 08/22/19

ORANGE

120 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Farrow
Seller: Scott A. Parker
Date: 08/23/19

255 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Alexander Mihalich
Seller: Alanna L. Barnes
Date: 08/23/19

33 Summit St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Timothy A. Newton
Seller: Sarah S. Ryan
Date: 08/20/19

17-19 West Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Ibrahim Dahlstrom-Hakki
Seller: K&C Real LLC
Date: 08/21/19

239 West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Daley
Seller: Webster, June B., (Estate)
Date: 08/26/19

25 Wheeler Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Adam J. Felton
Seller: Zachary J. Favreau
Date: 08/26/19

SUNDERLAND

290 South Silver Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Edward C. Korpita
Seller: New City Properties LLC
Date: 08/16/19

WENDELL

50 West St.
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Jesse A. Eisenheim
Seller: Cecile Guilbault
Date: 08/16/19

WHATELY

36 Christian Lane
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: 37 Christian Lane RT
Seller: Nancy C. Steeper
Date: 08/19/19

8 Long Plain Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Benjamin Cenedella
Seller: MTGLQ Investors LP
Date: 08/19/19

7 Mieczkowski Circle
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $409,000
Buyer: John M. Lukin
Seller: Suzanne Arnopolin TR
Date: 08/23/19

226 State Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: 226 State Road LLC
Seller: Barbara Konstantopoulos
Date: 08/19/19

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

45 Birch Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Sergey Savonin
Seller: Patricia T. Poehler
Date: 08/23/19

13 Broz Terrace
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $215,500
Buyer: Dana E. Fessenden
Seller: Pavel Kot
Date: 08/22/19

3 Centerwood Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $154,530
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Carl E. Meyer
Date: 08/15/19

59 Channell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Nikolay Melnichuk
Seller: Melodie A. Haas
Date: 08/26/19

15 Clematis Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Patriot Living LLC
Seller: Kerri A. O’Connor
Date: 08/14/19

358 Corey St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Seller: 26-Tov LLC
Date: 08/20/19

55 Garden St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Mackenzie Q. Keohane
Seller: Sharon H. Clement
Date: 08/23/19

11 Harvey Johnson Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Celine O. Bushior
Seller: Christina A. Ritter
Date: 08/15/19

7 Losito Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Steven W. Blair
Seller: Kenneth E. Bryars
Date: 08/22/19

717 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Gary Germain
Seller: Moustafa I. Tahoun
Date: 08/15/19

148 Roosevelt Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $321,000
Buyer: Patricia Milardo
Seller: Roger L. Bessette
Date: 08/16/19

41 Stewart Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Yuriy Levchuk
Seller: Edward Lisouski
Date: 08/14/19

1329 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Paul A. Ramsey
Seller: Theodore E. Fydenkevez
Date: 08/16/19

138 Valentine St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $225,800
Buyer: George H. Graves
Seller: Gary A. Labelle
Date: 08/15/19

CHICOPEE

84 2nd St.
Chicopee, MA 01104
Amount: $2,850,000
Buyer: PRN Tower LLC
Seller: Dow Jones & Co. Inc.
Date: 08/16/19

48 Allen St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Lisa A. Clark
Seller: Robillard, Roland N., (Estate)
Date: 08/20/19

14 Alvord Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,750
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Lydia M. O’Sullivan
Date: 08/23/19

52 Boulay Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $204,990
Buyer: Mark A. Minkos
Seller: Ryan Merritt
Date: 08/23/19

13 Bourbeau St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Lakeisha M. Tillman
Seller: Jessica M. Larivee
Date: 08/22/19

87 Cyran St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $238,758
Buyer: 87 Cyran Street RT
Seller: Edward F. Laroche
Date: 08/23/19

161 Dayton St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Nicholas Butman
Seller: Sean Robinson
Date: 08/15/19

75 Dejordy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: Brett T. Galas
Seller: Thomas J. Wodecki
Date: 08/22/19

42 Edbert St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Zachariah French
Seller: Wolfpack Realty Corp.
Date: 08/23/19

55 Fernhill St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Joann Descoteaux
Seller: Thomas J. Lehouillier
Date: 08/20/19

32 Jefferson Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Anita Patrie
Seller: Paula Massano-Borges
Date: 08/15/19

103 Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Harold M. Francis
Seller: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Date: 08/26/19

9 Mayflower Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Sergio F. Goncalves
Seller: Danuta Starsiak
Date: 08/19/19

117 Northwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Taylor J. Flamand
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop Of Springfield
Date: 08/15/19

31-33 Old Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Paul Modelski
Seller: Leszek A. Bledzki
Date: 08/16/19

130 Oldfield Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jensy Liriano
Seller: Casa Bonita Apartments
Date: 08/21/19

88 Saratoga Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $264,900
Buyer: Thomas Gardiner
Seller: Randy J. Scottoni
Date: 08/15/19

380 Shawinigan Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $228,500
Buyer: Johnathan M. Valentin
Seller: Dorothy V. Benware
Date: 08/21/19

138 Telegraph Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Carole L. Bernard
Seller: Kim C. Paul
Date: 08/15/19

62 Thaddeus St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Steven M. Funk
Seller: E&N Laliberte LLC
Date: 08/16/19

59 Wilmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: NRZ REO 6B LLC
Seller: Jan J. Lockhart
Date: 08/15/19

EAST LONGMEADOW

101 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Robert B. Hawley
Seller: Howard E. Belliveau
Date: 08/22/19

121 Evergreen Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Robert W. Menard
Seller: Mark S. Flood
Date: 08/15/19

39 Kibbe Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: Aditus Inc.
Date: 08/22/19

334 Kibbe Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Minh-Phuong T. Nguyen-Pho
Seller: Lindsey A. Adams-Rivera
Date: 08/19/19

76 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Nicole E. Greene
Seller: Matthew J. Turowsky
Date: 08/14/19

37 Oak Brook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Timothy E. Bozak
Seller: Denise M. Moore
Date: 08/23/19

17 Rankin Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Lavoie
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/22/19

14 Roderick Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Amber Stadtlander
Seller: Brett Richard
Date: 08/23/19

25 Savoy Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Timothy Garstka
Seller: Kathleen E. Kalmbach
Date: 08/19/19

56 Tanglewood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $372,000
Buyer: Kimberly D. Rizzo
Seller: Anthony S. Melione
Date: 08/20/19

23 Thompkins Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Paolone
Seller: Daniel P. Boyle
Date: 08/26/19

GRANVILLE

61 Borden Brook Road
Granville, MA 01008
Amount: $509,900
Buyer: John Reuss
Seller: Stephen A. Serafin
Date: 08/19/19

HAMPDEN

575 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Paul Kellner
Seller: MTGLQ Investors LP
Date: 08/16/19

266 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Barber
Seller: Susan A. Murray
Date: 08/16/19

155 South Monson Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Allan M. Coolong
Seller: Richard A. Hatch
Date: 08/15/19

27 Steepleview Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Lauryn C. Picknelly
Seller: Michael L. Rainwater
Date: 08/23/19

100 Stony Hill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: James Cherewatti
Seller: David E. Gorski
Date: 08/16/19

HOLLAND

112 Butterworth Ext.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kymberly Sneade
Seller: William T. Gamble
Date: 08/22/19

49 Island Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Michael Devoe
Seller: Diane P. Machamer
Date: 08/26/19

19 Leisure Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: Travis J. Koske
Seller: Frank Capizzano
Date: 08/16/19

HOLYOKE

302 Apremont Hwy.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Anthony Pellegrini
Seller: Donna M. Champagne
Date: 08/15/19

66 Brookline Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Samantha A. Kelly
Seller: Keri L. Dejong
Date: 08/23/19

107 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Julio C. Uribe
Seller: Richard Santos
Date: 08/23/19

32 Fairfield Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $348,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Clark
Seller: Heather M. Lashway
Date: 08/19/19

8 Granville St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $188,800
Buyer: Darren L. Masloski
Seller: James H. Lovett
Date: 08/20/19

284 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Hector Torres-Velez
Seller: Ilya Parker
Date: 08/16/19

87 Hillview Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $315,300
Buyer: Adam Parker
Seller: Jeffrey J. Pelinsky
Date: 08/15/19

526 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Kermuel RT
Seller: John D. Kadlewicz
Date: 08/16/19

3 Memorial Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Debra J. O’Connor
Seller: Eileen Bresnahan
Date: 08/22/19

25 Morgan St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Alexandra W. Nyary
Seller: Paola Ferrario
Date: 08/19/19

1685-1687 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Holyoke Rentals LLC
Seller: Thomas N. Wilson
Date: 08/26/19

218 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $252,300
Buyer: Stephen C. Fay
Seller: Scott A. Clark
Date: 08/20/19

234 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Tamara Rivera-Rodriguez
Seller: Marilyn J. Boudreau
Date: 08/19/19

15 Springdale Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Rosemary Almodovar
Seller: Jennifer A. Ladue
Date: 08/14/19

75 Vermont St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Tiphareth R. Ananda
Seller: Philip G. Airoldi
Date: 08/21/19

7 View St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Amanda Brough
Seller: Eric T. Fortier
Date: 08/16/19

16 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Pablo E. Rodriguez
Seller: Charlene T. Haluck
Date: 08/15/19

466 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Aaron M. Manley
Seller: Silas T. Holesovsky
Date: 08/26/19

67 Yale St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: Elena M. Langdon-Fortier
Seller: Heath P. Naquin
Date: 08/16/19

LONGMEADOW

22 Belleclaire Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: PLS Realty Inc.
Seller: Mary Harding-Falk
Date: 08/23/19

96 Birnie Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Gregory W. Budd
Seller: Michael Gralia
Date: 08/23/19

221 Brookwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Abdikarim H. Ali
Seller: George Torrey
Date: 08/16/19

69 Canterbury Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Roman D. Berman
Seller: Timothy J. Quirk
Date: 08/23/19

75 Crestview Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Kate M. Polga
Seller: Jody Helmus
Date: 08/19/19

32 Deerfield Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $577,500
Buyer: Tetyana Buescher
Seller: Ronald T. Rolston
Date: 08/14/19

285 Ellington Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $550,888
Buyer: Meredith A. Ulrich
Seller: Carolyn S. Race
Date: 08/26/19

172 Franklin Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Stuart B. Gordon
Seller: Harry J. Weinmann
Date: 08/16/19

83 Lincoln Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Sara Skarp
Seller: Arthur Nowik
Date: 08/16/19

206 Lynnwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Arthur Nowik
Seller: Boris Kremer
Date: 08/16/19

131 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Luke P. Stankowski
Seller: Jason N. Tsitso
Date: 08/21/19

7 Maplewood St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Renovagent LLC
Seller: Jean D. Carbonneau
Date: 08/23/19

173 Morningside Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $524,000
Buyer: Jackie Garrett
Seller: Shari B. Schwartz
Date: 08/21/19

164 Pinewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Khawar Maqsood
Seller: Thomas McLaughlin
Date: 08/15/19

139 Rugby Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $780,000
Buyer: Todd A. Goodrich
Seller: Nicolas Jabbour
Date: 08/20/19

LUDLOW

457 Alden St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Matthew Zawrotny
Seller: Charlene Diaz
Date: 08/23/19

96 Aldo Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: David M. Tranghese
Seller: Tony L. Desousa
Date: 08/15/19

472 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Carlos M. Rivera-Delvalle
Seller: Jacqueline M. Lapierre
Date: 08/15/19

47 Dinis Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Kenneth R. Tereso
Seller: Joao P. Matias
Date: 08/23/19

50-52 Duke St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Prime Partners LLC
Seller: Justine M. Pereira
Date: 08/14/19

24 Hunter Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Michelle Goncalves
Seller: Anthony T. Quiterio
Date: 08/16/19

83 Laroche St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Brigette M. Porth
Seller: Reggie L. Lamothe
Date: 08/21/19

180 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Ryan Dickinson
Seller: Rosa M. Tereso
Date: 08/23/19

52 Napoleon Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $171,905
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Jon R. Latorella
Date: 08/14/19

618 Poole St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Konstantin Shageev
Seller: Peter S. Slivka
Date: 08/14/19

Sunset Ridge #9
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Paul E. Jerusik
Seller: Baystate Developers Inc.
Date: 08/16/19

20 Valley View Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Paula Massano-Borges
Seller: Kenneth R. Tereso
Date: 08/23/19

305 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Anthony Quiterio
Seller: William L. Laughlin
Date: 08/16/19

MONSON

38 Circle Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $341,000
Buyer: Daniel J. O’Neill
Seller: Remo J. Pizzichemi
Date: 08/21/19

141 East Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Joaquim Pereira
Seller: Sheila M. Rivest
Date: 08/16/19

48 Robbins Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Sean L. Judkins
Seller: Dale S. Hancock
Date: 08/16/19

39 Thompson St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Krystin Lefebvre
Seller: Antonio J. Siciliano
Date: 08/23/19

101 Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Matthew C. Cranham
Seller: Eugene H. Stroh
Date: 08/19/19

43 Woodhill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Efren Figueroa
Seller: Jeffry A. Kerr
Date: 08/26/19

PALMER

141 Burlingame Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Kevin Kularski
Seller: Corey S. Blanchette
Date: 08/22/19

3041 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Samantha A. Marty
Seller: Debra J. O’Connor
Date: 08/15/19

395 Old Warren Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Zachary E. Olson
Seller: Nathan R. Olson
Date: 08/20/19

216 Peterson Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Stolar
Seller: Todd W. Ely
Date: 08/20/19

15 Sasur St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $142,885
Buyer: Lakeview Loan Servicing
Seller: Scott P. Randall
Date: 08/20/19

24 Searle St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Mark B. Bradshaw
Seller: Roman Berman
Date: 08/23/19

SPRINGFIELD

42 Alderman St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Ramesh Biswa
Seller: Bud, Frances P., (Estate)
Date: 08/16/19

66 Audley Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $201,500
Buyer: Carol Lyman
Seller: Archie P. Torrenzano
Date: 08/16/19

62-64 Avon Place
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $880,000
Buyer: 62-64 Avon Place LLC
Seller: MNBC LLC
Date: 08/21/19

75 Avon Place
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $860,000
Buyer: 75 Avon Place LLC
Seller: MNBC LLC
Date: 08/21/19

206 Balboa Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Clyde N. Epps
Seller: Elizabeth Roman
Date: 08/23/19

Balfour Dr.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Brittney G. Hubbard
Seller: Gary E. Slate
Date: 08/20/19

1344 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Teron Brown
Seller: Nicholas M. Brown
Date: 08/23/19

51 Chapin Terrace
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Luis Espinal
Seller: Gilberto Jimenez
Date: 08/20/19

87 Cherrelyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,483
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Mayra Lugo
Date: 08/20/19

144-146 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Springfield Bridge Holdings
Seller: Chestnut Springfield Inc.
Date: 08/20/19

229-231 College St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $148,250
Buyer: Ruby Roach
Seller: Viktor Adzhigirey
Date: 08/16/19

38 Colorado St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $117,810
Buyer: Marline A. Claremont
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 08/15/19

87 Davis St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Tiarra Henderson
Seller: Suzanna M. Frati
Date: 08/22/19

1353 Dwight St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $185,900
Buyer: Francisco M. Reyes
Seller: Hector Diaz
Date: 08/22/19

39 East Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Kristen Orr-Westbrook
Seller: Danielle Oates
Date: 08/20/19

11-15 East Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $224,500
Buyer: Cristina M. Torres
Seller: Gary J. Nader
Date: 08/15/19

346 Eastern Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jose M. Crespo
Seller: Maria F. Del-Rio
Date: 08/16/19

85 Elaine Circle
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Juan Colon
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 08/21/19

68 Ellsworth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $157,900
Buyer: Albert Addonizio
Seller: Reuki B. Schutt
Date: 08/16/19

72 Fieldston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: Kenya Y. Adorno
Seller: Onota Rental LLC
Date: 08/23/19

55 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Nicole Barnett
Seller: Tommie O. Hart
Date: 08/26/19

142 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Theresa Cimino
Seller: Donna A. Bottari
Date: 08/23/19

103 Glenoak Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Kenneth R. Bisi
Seller: Geoffrey R. Farrington
Date: 08/16/19

30 Gorman Lane
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,500
Buyer: Jorge Carrasco-Vega
Seller: Thomas J. Barber
Date: 08/16/19

86 Gralia Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $125,150
Buyer: Brital 1987 LLC
Seller: Barbara L. Rider
Date: 08/16/19

984-986 Grayson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Opus Durum LLC
Seller: Brett Tabor
Date: 08/19/19

101 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Erica N. Chest
Seller: Annie Joiner
Date: 08/20/19

64 Harmon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Paul Hebert
Seller: Efren R. Figueroa
Date: 08/26/19

77 Haskin St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Shania E. Bell
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 08/16/19

38 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Mediatrice Nizigama
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 08/14/19

110 Keddy St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Robin A. Gray
Seller: Bobby Threat
Date: 08/19/19

23 Kerry Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Samantha L. Coventry
Seller: Jeffrey D. Judd
Date: 08/23/19

29 Ladd St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Kassandra Maldonado
Seller: Rafael Peralta
Date: 08/20/19

18-20 Leonard St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Elvis J. Pujols
Seller: Omar Yousef
Date: 08/22/19

37-39 Longview St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Xavier J. Rosario
Seller: Hernando Cartagena
Date: 08/16/19

307 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Jashidi R. Pressley
Seller: Zuleika Rivera
Date: 08/19/19

320 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Brandon J. Russell
Seller: Renaissance 510 LLC
Date: 08/21/19

30 Mayfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Yolanda Aponte
Seller: Mary L. Dragone
Date: 08/23/19

186 Maynard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Shayna Correa
Seller: RSquareB Properties LLC
Date: 08/16/19

79 Merida St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Veronica Peralta
Seller: Casey Placek
Date: 08/21/19

104-106 Milton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Luz S. Velez
Seller: Rosa R. Dias
Date: 08/26/19

49 Montrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Vivienne Morrison
Seller: Omar Loaiza
Date: 08/19/19

33 Mountainview St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Raul Montes
Seller: Joel Pagan-Gonzalez
Date: 08/22/19

123-125 Moxon St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: G. A. Irizarry-Marrero
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 08/20/19

148 Nagle St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Mundy
Seller: Kiseol Nam
Date: 08/16/19

59-1/2 Norfolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Benito D. Santiago
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 08/20/19

320 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Juan C. Crespo
Seller: Kimyen Nguyen
Date: 08/16/19

1239 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Omayra Rodriguez-Ortiz
Seller: Della Ripa Real Estate
Date: 08/15/19

1292 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Derek O’Toole
Seller: NSCM 2018-4 LLC
Date: 08/20/19

14 Pelham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: E. M. Pereztourtelle
Seller: Anibal Bermudez
Date: 08/23/19

15 Penrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $278,900
Buyer: Sherrica Allen
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 08/15/19

88 Phoenix Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Desean L. Auston
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 08/22/19

63 Pinevale St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Joselyn Castillo
Seller: Sheila M. Binyenya
Date: 08/15/19

65 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $191,500
Buyer: Hector A. Orta-Rivera
Seller: Anthony W. Davila
Date: 08/16/19

120 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Antonio Cavallaro
Seller: Michelle Stuart
Date: 08/14/19

148 Regal St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $168,800
Buyer: Joshua Fois
Seller: Stephen Thee
Date: 08/15/19

32 Scarsdale Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Andria Boland
Seller: Loni Pringle
Date: 08/15/19

677 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Yasmin M. Rivera
Seller: Robert G. Sabato
Date: 08/22/19

15 Sparrow Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $164,500
Buyer: Doreen L. Dawes-Rhodd
Seller: Isadora Sarto
Date: 08/16/19

144 Spring St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $760,000
Buyer: 144 Spring Street LLC
Seller: MNBC LLC
Date: 08/21/19

19 Stephanie Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Diaz
Seller: Dana R. Swinney
Date: 08/22/19

40 Strong St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Marilyn E. Soares
Seller: Efrain Martinez
Date: 08/14/19

144 Spring St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $760,000
Buyer: 144 Spring Street LLC
Seller: MNBC LLC
Date: 08/21/19

19 Stephanie Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Diaz
Seller: Dana R. Swinney
Date: 08/22/19

43 Sullivan St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Hann Realty Berkshire LLC
Seller: Daniel W. Roy
Date: 08/23/19

32-34 Van Buren Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Rivera
Seller: Fritz Bosquet
Date: 08/14/19

48 Van Ness St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Philip G. Airoldi
Seller: Lucille Caffrey
Date: 08/26/19

24 Vincent St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Michelle A. Groux
Date: 08/14/19

18-20 Wayne St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Ryan Deland
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 08/19/19

172 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Ernest Mejias
Seller: Eva Cassesse
Date: 08/16/19

69 Willowbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $191,500
Buyer: Daniel J. Lemay
Seller: Wendy M. Leak
Date: 08/22/19

172 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Shawndel Simpson
Seller: Arthur R. Deome
Date: 08/16/19

188 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Dimary Santiago
Seller: Ryan A. Wheaton
Date: 08/16/19

56 Windsor St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Veronica Maldonado
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 08/21/19

83 Winter St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $760,000
Buyer: 144 Spring Street LLC
Seller: MNBC LLC
Date: 08/21/19

113 Winton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Elaine A. Stellato
Seller: William T. Raleigh
Date: 08/23/19

SOUTHWICK

92 Bungalow St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Sarah A. Garguilo
Seller: George H. Graves
Date: 08/15/19

17 Sawgrass Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Joseph Chiancola
Seller: Hillside Development Corp.
Date: 08/15/19

Sawgrass Lane #7
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Denis Matsuk
Seller: Fiore Realty Holdings LLC
Date: 08/19/19

74 Tannery Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Daniel G. Cook
Seller: Jocelyn S. Linnekin
Date: 08/20/19

WEST SPRINGFIELD

44 Field St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Michael A. Grenier
Seller: Whisperwood LLC
Date: 08/19/19

58 Gay Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Karen Feeley
Seller: David R. Meagher
Date: 08/19/19

132 Great Plains Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Barry A. Dorman
Seller: Craig Courchesne
Date: 08/16/19

36 Guy Place
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Tymofiy Andriychuk
Seller: James P. Ingegneri
Date: 08/16/19

26 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Allison M. Bradway
Seller: Mary A. Sleeper
Date: 08/15/19

205 Monastery Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Tek Chhetri
Seller: Ethna J. Ginty
Date: 08/16/19

791 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Barbara J. Beckwith
Seller: Jonathan W. Chappel
Date: 08/19/19

24 Nelson St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Neil S. Scully
Seller: Brahman Holdings LLC
Date: 08/26/19

20 Northwood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $222,500
Buyer: Alicia Fitzemeyer
Seller: Catherine V. Hannum
Date: 08/15/19

Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Town Of West Springfield
Seller: Gail D. Mulcahy
Date: 08/15/19

125 Sibley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Michael Sadak
Seller: Vitaliy Voznyuk
Date: 08/19/19

43 Wilder Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Dana Ivers
Seller: Susan C. Young
Date: 08/15/19

74 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $226,500
Buyer: Zachary A. Lyne
Seller: Lynne Rowland
Date: 08/19/19

WESTFIELD

196 Barbara St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Michael B. Wailgum
Seller: Potts, Edward E. Jr, (Estate)
Date: 08/19/19

35 Bowdoin St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Shane Ellis
Seller: Derek Burdick
Date: 08/16/19

39 Chapel St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Kyle A. Paquette
Seller: Joseph M. Wagner
Date: 08/19/19

40 Crane Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: John Rockwell-Allen
Seller: Joseph G. Flahive
Date: 08/15/19

22 Dubois St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,500
Buyer: Leila M. Cintron
Seller: Linda D. Benoit
Date: 08/21/19

1188 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Michael C. Giasson
Seller: Paul R. Beebe
Date: 08/20/19

16 Hawks Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $485,700
Buyer: Michael Starke
Seller: John C. Alexopoulos
Date: 08/23/19

3 Lathrop Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Catherine A. Bannish
Seller: Wensley, Jane C., (Estate)
Date: 08/15/19

29 Leaview Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: David R. Meagher
Seller: Kyle M. Burton
Date: 08/19/19

60 Lewis Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $115,500
Buyer: Sergiy Suprunchuk
Seller: City Of Westfield
Date: 08/16/19

4 Linden Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Yi
Seller: Jeffrey S. Bradford
Date: 08/20/19

26 Mill St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Luuy V. Hoang
Seller: Joseph J. Renzo
Date: 08/14/19

275 North Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: APA Properties LLC
Seller: MJC Properties LLC
Date: 08/14/19

88 Notre Dame St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $378,000
Buyer: KM Enterprises Realty LLC
Seller: Roy R. Shea
Date: 08/16/19

57 Orchard St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $248,998
Buyer: Patricia Seymour
Seller: Martyn G. Green
Date: 08/26/19

485 Pochassic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $334,000
Buyer: Edward M. Tosado
Seller: Edward Tosado
Date: 08/16/19

39 Pochassic St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Elizabeth E. Champagne
Seller: Edward M. Tosado
Date: 08/16/19

24 Rambling Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Eric Liptak
Seller: Gerald P. Fillion
Date: 08/22/19

209 Steiger Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Christopher J. Masi
Seller: David R. Baird
Date: 08/19/19

250 Steiger Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Renee C. Holmes
Seller: Phyllis D. Bonini
Date: 08/26/19

15 Wilson Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Extremely Clean
Date: 08/21/19

WILBRAHAM

2 Addison Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Blake Harris
Seller: Andrea Barrett-Hollander
Date: 08/23/19

4 Algonquin Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Sonia A. Tereso
Seller: Kenneth P. Gamble
Date: 08/23/19

18 Apple Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Joanne Trase
Seller: Veena K. Kantesaria
Date: 08/19/19

2493 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: William K. Poehlman
Seller: Boston Road Enterprises
Date: 08/21/19

8 Brookdale Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $295,900
Buyer: Sarah E. Morris
Seller: Susan F. Crocker
Date: 08/15/19

6 Decorie Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $297,000
Buyer: Jonathan W. Chappel
Seller: Tanya M. Vital-Basile
Date: 08/20/19

9 Deerfield Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $527,000
Buyer: Tod A. O’Brien
Seller: Patrick J. Kendall
Date: 08/23/19

8 Dollar Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Harris Properties LLC
Seller: David B. Ervin
Date: 08/26/19

2 Edson Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Cheryl A. Prezezdziecki
Seller: Casey A. Siok
Date: 08/19/19

534 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Raymond L. Bucknell
Seller: Custom Homes Development Group
Date: 08/21/19

563 Monson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Matthew Turowsky
Seller: Melinda J. Nadeau
Date: 08/14/19

7 Squire Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Mark E. Loos
Seller: Boston Road Properties
Date: 08/14/19

Willow Brook Lane #6
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Thomas I. Nehmer
Seller: 601 Main Street LLC
Date: 08/19/19

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

696 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Nicholas R. Dicaprio
Seller: Watson, Kris E., (Estate)
Date: 08/23/19

36 Chesterfield Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $390,500
Buyer: Yiming Chen
Seller: Cynthia T. Galante
Date: 08/15/19

4 Clifton Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $498,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Hall
Seller: Diana Denyse
Date: 08/15/19

3 Evergreen Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $374,900
Buyer: James J. Rutter
Seller: Shmuel Bolozky
Date: 08/15/19

90 Fearing St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Saye
Seller: Fox, Gretchen G., (Estate)
Date: 08/21/19

351 Henry St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Anantjit Singh
Seller: Zayac Construction Co. LLC
Date: 08/26/19

428 Henry St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Stephanie Hanley
Seller: Susan P. Alward
Date: 08/23/19

373 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: EHTS Inc.
Seller: Jeffrey B. Krauth
Date: 08/14/19

534 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Christine L. Lindstrom
Seller: Claudette Boudreau
Date: 08/21/19

435 Market Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Mark A. Lange
Seller: Anne Maxson
Date: 08/15/19

26 Spring St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,250,000
Buyer: 26 Spring Street LLC
Seller: San Realty Inc.
Date: 08/16/19

128 State St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $369,900
Buyer: Julia Jorati
Seller: Priscilla Scott
Date: 08/15/19

18 Wildflower Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Linda Calmes Jones LT
Seller: Boris Lau
Date: 08/22/19

BELCHERTOWN

27 Blue Meadow Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Matthew S. Weller
Seller: Katherine S. Nickel
Date: 08/22/19

13 Everett Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Shattuck
Seller: Matthew J. Rivest
Date: 08/16/19

266 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Kalju V. Lee
Seller: Stephen M. Montemagni
Date: 08/22/19

25 Ledgewood Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Edgardo L. Cortes
Seller: Thomas J. Howell
Date: 08/23/19

16 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Erik Correa
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 08/22/19

29 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $417,900
Buyer: Joanna R. Kent
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 08/14/19

41 Maplecrest Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: William S. Russell
Seller: Derek J. Stebbins
Date: 08/16/19

406 Michael Sears Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $332,500
Buyer: Rocco M. Micelotta
Seller: Normand D. Beauchemin
Date: 08/26/19

205 Munsell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $416,000
Buyer: Tongping Liu
Seller: Jay A. Shands
Date: 08/14/19

81 Old Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $177,500
Buyer: Anastasia Heron-Duranti
Seller: April Cannon
Date: 08/14/19

33 Poole Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $221,900
Buyer: Michael J. Byrne
Seller: David F. Habicht
Date: 08/15/19

40 Sylvan Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Jared Pringle
Seller: John L. Cole
Date: 08/15/19

605 Warren Wright Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $501,000
Buyer: Vincent P. Hohreiter
Seller: Anthony Maietta
Date: 08/14/19

CUMMINGTON

47 Main St.
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Lyle M. Hazel
Seller: Kathryn L. Jensen
Date: 08/15/19

EASTHAMPTON

1 Autumn Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $416,000
Buyer: Karen S. Kuhr
Seller: Jason Curtis
Date: 08/26/19

33 Beyer Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Caitlin B. Shepherd
Seller: Perri A. Taylor
Date: 08/21/19

4 Briggs St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Nicholas D. Duprey
Seller: Joan Mocarski-Dupuis
Date: 08/16/19

50 Church St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Brian D. Slezek
Seller: Best4u RT
Date: 08/26/19

14 Deerfield Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Michael C. Gale
Seller: Lynn T. Malouin
Date: 08/15/19

71 Florence Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Michael W. Smith
Seller: Richard P. Hooker
Date: 08/15/19

33 Garfield Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Andrea L. Garon
Seller: Jennifer S. Mark
Date: 08/14/19

34 Highland Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $172,395
Buyer: Cynthia M. Lukowski
Seller: Lukowski, Michale P., (Estate)
Date: 08/16/19

71 Highland Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $369,900
Buyer: Noah C. Dowd
Seller: New England Remodeling
Date: 08/23/19

94 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Eric Rohan
Seller: Christine A. Bergeron
Date: 08/20/19

1 Louise Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Cassy A. Cohoon
Seller: Phyllis M. Welch
Date: 08/16/19

105 Maple St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: William R. Norman
Seller: Robert J. Szalankiewicz
Date: 08/15/19

34 Meadowbrook Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Karissa Caraballo
Seller: David J. Strong
Date: 08/20/19

5 Saint James Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Robert J. Naumowicz
Seller: Vandal, Marcel P., (Estate)
Date: 08/21/19

5 Stanley St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Joshua Faller
Seller: Watras, Geraldine V., (Estate)
Date: 08/21/19

75 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Casimir J. Stankiewicz
Seller: Cassandra J. Niziolek
Date: 08/16/19

87 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Roberto Aguilu-Cartagena
Seller: Nikolay M. Lapin
Date: 08/21/19

GOSHEN

542 East St.
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Justin T. Barnes
Seller: Michael Strong
Date: 08/23/19

GRANBY

131 Cold Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: David E. Turner
Seller: Virginia R. Ellis IRT
Date: 08/16/19

468 East State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Hajrudin Babic
Seller: Bridget A. Roguz
Date: 08/20/19

93 Kendall St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $639,000
Buyer: Ross Muir-Gardner
Seller: Eleanor J. Sexton
Date: 08/23/19

41 Morgan St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Brian R. Anderson
Seller: Jonathan Veillette
Date: 08/14/19

HADLEY

99 Bay Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Trevor W. Graham
Seller: Farrelly FT
Date: 08/16/19

7 Cemetery Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Molly Smith
Seller: Yvette A. Mushenski
Date: 08/15/19

16 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Marin Amundson-Graham
Seller: James M. Rodrigue
Date: 08/15/19

HATFIELD

69 Chestnut St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Caitlyn J. Powers
Seller: Thomas J. Smith
Date: 08/22/19

71 Chestnut St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Mary C. Powers
Seller: Geraldine D. Smith
Date: 08/22/19

5 King St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Alyssa K. Klepacki
Seller: Elizabeth L. Kotch
Date: 08/14/19

Linseed Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: TNT Properties LLC
Seller: Beverly A. Labbee
Date: 08/20/19

17 North St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Bannister
Seller: Dube LT
Date: 08/23/19

HUNTINGTON

8 Pisgah Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Alan J. Kochanek
Seller: Dean E. Lafond
Date: 08/19/19

8 Prospect St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Aaron E. Dirgo
Seller: Christopher M. Webb
Date: 08/22/19

14 Sampson Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $295,618
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Suzann Millette-Kucinski
Date: 08/22/19

14 Stanton Ave.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $151,800
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: David L. Borden
Date: 08/19/19

NORTHAMPTON

575 Bridge Road #G6
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Paul J. Carey
Seller: Kimberly Talbot
Date: 08/14/19

26 Fairfield Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Dorothy J. Barr
Seller: Todd J. Sienkiewicz
Date: 08/14/19

Ford Xing
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Wright Builders Inc.
Seller: Hospital Hill Development
Date: 08/15/19

26 Longfellow Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Michael Thurston
Seller: Keefe & Sons NT
Date: 08/16/19

24 North Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: David Starr
Seller: JW Inc.
Date: 08/14/19

224 North Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Constance G. Burkhardt
Seller: Whitman INT
Date: 08/16/19

66 Sherman Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $128,500
Buyer: CTNA Construction LLC
Seller: Christopher Karney
Date: 08/16/19

139 South St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Northampton Community Music
Seller: City Of Northampton
Date: 08/14/19

236 State St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $412,000
Buyer: Benjamin M. Kalish
Seller: Stephen Pelhan
Date: 08/23/19

613 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $392,070
Buyer: Michael T. Bullock
Seller: Stephen C. Robinson
Date: 08/23/19

PELHAM

7 Arnold Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Robert Redwood
Seller: Kirsten J. Modestow
Date: 08/23/19

15 Gulf Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Wouter Hoogkamer
Seller: Trevor A. Baptiste
Date: 08/19/19

54 Meetinghouse Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $520,800
Buyer: Guy G. Pettit
Seller: Oliver T. Miller
Date: 08/23/19

SOUTH HADLEY

26 Berwyn St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Mary C. Mukimba
Seller: Michael Smith
Date: 08/15/19

606 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Matthew G. Bohl
Seller: Irena Kubel
Date: 08/20/19

100 Hildreth Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Richard K. Landry
Seller: Scott Family Properties
Date: 08/23/19

13 Hunter Terrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Joyce G. Dalton
Seller: Joshua C. Love
Date: 08/23/19

5-7 Ingram St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Alexander C. Thiel
Seller: Pro-Style Properties LLC
Date: 08/19/19

9 Lexington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Scott Family Properties
Seller: WF Reverse REO HECM 2015
Date: 08/21/19

137 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Tencati
Seller: Kathryn S. Lee
Date: 08/23/19

30 North St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $243,500
Buyer: Dominic M. Pelletier
Seller: Thomas R. Wahlund
Date: 08/14/19

26 Ranger St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Hector Lomelin
Seller: Arthur F. Tuttle
Date: 08/21/19

79 River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $372,500
Buyer: Jack Muth
Seller: Gilroy Property Renewal
Date: 08/15/19

29 Riverlodge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Kyle Burton
Seller: Andrew M. Berrios
Date: 08/19/19

17 Summit St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: George W. Francis
Seller: Danielle A. Langevin
Date: 08/26/19

34 Yale St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jack Evans
Seller: Tetyana G. Buescher
Date: 08/14/19

SOUTHAMPTON

4 Anita Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jacqueline B. Riel
Seller: Rosemary D. Marceau
Date: 08/22/19

124 Brickyard Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Ta-Mara A. Meuse
Seller: Judith M. Binsky TR
Date: 08/16/19

2 Mountain Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Robert M. Buckingham
Seller: Robert W. Buckingham
Date: 08/23/19

11 Mountain View Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Gilana N. Chelimsky
Seller: Jacqueline B. Riel
Date: 08/22/19

33 Pequot Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass Inc.
Seller: Irene Liquori
Date: 08/21/19

12 Susan Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Kevin C. Netto
Seller: David J. & B. A. Arrighi IRT
Date: 08/14/19

WARE

73 Anderson Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jonathan L. Brodeur
Seller: Laura J. Miner
Date: 08/23/19

50 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Laura J. Miner
Seller: Najma R. Mahmood
Date: 08/23/19

139 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Selena M. Huber
Seller: Travis W. Padgett
Date: 08/26/19

49 Eddy St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Gregory P. Sullivan
Seller: Kelly M. MacIntyre
Date: 08/16/19

WILLIAMSBURG

35 Kingsley Ave.
Williamsburg, MA 01060
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: James C. Kohler
Seller: Donald C. Owens
Date: 08/19/19

91 Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $439,000
Buyer: Amity K. Perman
Seller: Susan E. Stebbins
Date: 08/23/19

WESTHAMPTON

117 Edwards Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $441,563
Buyer: Michael L. Phelan
Seller: James E. Sleboda
Date: 08/19/19

Building Permits

Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of August 2019.

AMHERST

Amherst College
25 Jeffrey Lane
$15,400 — Strip and reside house

Amherst College
61 Quadrangle Dr.
$435,565 — Replace shelving in Frost Library

Amherst College
20 Triangle St.
$457,000 — Convert single-family house into administrative offices

CHICOPEE

AJW Realty, LLC
766 Memorial Dr.
$15,000 — Install new vinyl siding and trim

Li Jin Min
1995 Memorial Dr.
Repair damaged concert wall, replace carpet, repair damaged seats and tables, repaint exterior walls

Walmart Real Estate Business Trust
591 Memorial Dr.
$15,000 — Remove racks in refrigerators, restripe parking stalls, add strip crosswalk, add two signs for pedestrians

DEERFIELD

Deerfield Academy
9 Albany Road
$20,750 — Roofing

EASTHAMPTON

Ferry Street Partners Investment Trust
1 Ferry St.
$1,500,000 — Interior and exterior renovations to Building 1

Northeast Center for Youth & Families
201 East St.
$9,950 — Renovation and addition of fire-suppression system at NEARI School

EAST LONGMEADOW

A & E Styles
2 North Main St.
$9,300 — Roofing

East Longmeadow Center Village
78 Center Square
$38,118 – Move wall, elements

Elmcrest Country Club
105 Somersville Road
$100,000 — Tent structure

GREENFIELD

DCTL, LLC
109-113 School St.
$6,000 — Install 20 vinyl windows

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
133 Main St.
$8,000 — Insulation, weather stripping, vent bath fan at Holy Trinity Catholic Church

Arvanitis Vassilios
105 Mohawk Trail
$188,661 — Remove and replace block wall and roofing

HADLEY

Andrea Bordenca
200 Venture Way
$1,257,200 — Construct new office building

ENZ, LLC
207 Russell St.
$5,080 — New wall sign and new ground sign for Hampshire Meadow Family & Pediatric Dentistry

Town of Hadley
15 East St.
$5,000 — Remove and install gable vent fan in rear and front of public safety complex building

Town of Hadley
304 River Dr.
$2,385,550 — Construct new fire substation

Town of Hadley
304 River Dr.
$285,000 — Complete ductwork system for new fire substation

W/S Hadley Properties II, LLC
353 Russell St.
$450,000 — Interior tenant buildout in new building for Five Guys

LEE

Dawn Arseneau, Bob Arseneau
905 Pleasant St.
$220,000 — Construct warehouse/fabrication facility

D.F. Lane
105 Run Way
$92,500 — Construct accessory shed

LENOX

Morgan Manor
2 Walker St.
$13,000 — Insulation and air sealing

Morgan Manor
2 Walker St.
$6,000 — Insulation and air sealing

MRG CRW Holdings, LLC
55 Lee Road
$133,000 — Renovate and relocate sprinkler system

Sumer, LLC
90 Pittsfield Road
$22,000 — Create cryotherapy room at Lenox Fit

LONGMEADOW

Longmeadow Mall, LP
801 Williams St.
$49,600 — Demise wall and bathroom; add one sprinkler head and relocate one

Longmeadow Mall, LP
847 Williams St.
$134,000 — Update finishes and equipment for TD Bank

Town of Longmeadow
211 Maple Road
$10,680,500 — Demolish shed; construct new adult community center

NORTHAMPTON

298 Main Street, LLC
298 Main St.
$275,150 — Completion of remodel

Carina Wohl
61 Locust St.
$2,750 — Non-illuminated ground sign for Wohl Family and Urology Group

SPRINGFIELD

David Duncan Sr., Walter Patterson, Robert Sullivan
115 Progress Ave.
$20,000 — Alter restrooms for architectural access compliance

John Futter
41 Nantasket St.
$3,300 — Install handicap ramp on front of property

McDonald’s Real Estate Co.
386 Main St.
$43,000 — Change drive-thru to side-by-side layout

Mark Morisi, Martin O’Connell
155 Maple St.
$82,725 — Renovate three commercial bathrooms

Mark Morisi, Martin O’Connell
155 Maple St.
$82,725 — Remodel three common bathrooms

WARE

West Brookfield Congregation Jehovah’s Witnesses Inc.
124 Gilbertville Road
$9,975 — Roofing

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Anderson Cleaning Realty, LLC
103 Wayside Ave.
$29,000 — Strip and replace shingles

Steve Buynicki
52 Westfield St.
$82,800 — Roofing

Cinemark
864 Riverdale St.
$444,820 — Roofing

Costco Wholesale
125 Daggett Dr.
$2,544,554 — New fuel facility with nine islands and 18 fueling positions

Theodore Kmiecik
763 Prospect Ave.
$11,000 — Deliver storage shed to be placed on back of property

Lower Pioneer Valley Education Corp.
174 Brush Hill Ave.
$572,342 — Elevator modernization, install new stairs to upper roof, roof cover on shaft

Lyons Package Store
1399 Westfield St.
$39,000 — Roofing

On the Border Acquisitions, LLC
33 Border Way
$300,000 — Renovate interior and exterior of building, including painting and lighting upgrades, furniture upgrades, and new bar liquor and stemware cabinets

WILBRAHAM

Gregory Cusson
2714 Boston Road
$36,500 — Roofing

Sen. Eric Lesser Calls for East-West Rail at Western Mass. Transportation Forum

NORTHAMPTON — State Sen. Eric Lesser said the biggest step toward unlocking the vast economic potential of Western Mass. is solving the region’s transportation crisis. In a keynote address Friday at the Food Bank of Western Mass. Transportation Forum, the senator outlined a modern transportation network that would finally connect Springfield and its surrounding areas to Boston.

“In many ways, Western Mass. has an inverse challenge from Metro Boston. We have a fantastic quality of life; we have a lot to offer,” Lesser said. “Imagine if we had a one-seat ride — 80 minutes — from Springfield’s Union Station to Boston’s South Station 16 times per day. Think about what that would do for our communities. It would be a game-changer for us in so many ways.”

Lesser, who serves as the Senate chairperson for the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies and vice chair for the Joint Committee on Transportation, presented preliminary findings from MassDOT’s recent study of the service. One of the six alternatives touts the possibility of high-speed rail service between Springfield and Boston that could take as little as 80 minutes each way.

The senator also praised his colleagues in the Western Mass. delegation for their work toward enacting an equitable transit system statewide. Last month, the Valley Flyer program between Greenfield and Springfield started service, making it possible for commuters to travel from Greenfield to Manhattan and back on the same day.

Sens. Jo Comferford and Adam Hinds and Reps. Joseph Wagner, Mindy Domb, Dan Carey, Natalie Blais, John Velis, Lindsay Sabadosa, and Tricia Farley-Bouvier attended the forum as well.

“How many people here have a son or daughter, family member, or friend that grew up here in Western Mass., but had to leave to find a good job?” Lesser said. “I ask this question everywhere I go because our transportation crisis in Western Mass. shows us the cost of not investing in transportation — both in lost economic opportunity and in deeply personal ways such as this.”

Michael Dias Promoted to Assistant Branch Manager of LUSO Federal Credit Union

LUDLOW — LUSO Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of Michael Dias to assistant manager of its Ludlow and Wilbraham branches. In his new role, Dias will be responsible for overseeing member service and daily branch operations, as well as increasing business-development efforts.

Dias began his banking career at LUSO as a Member Service representative in early 2018 and has most recently served as Member Service Department supervisor and lead VIP banker. In addition to his role at the credit union, he is working on obtaining his MBA in business analytics from Western New England University and serves on the board of directors for the Our Lady of Fatima Festival.

“During his time here, Michael has been a great asset to LUSO and the community as a whole,” said Jennifer Calheno, president and CEO of the credit union. “He has been an amazing addition to our team, and we hope his continued success is just the start of a long-standing relationship with LUSO.”

Family Business Center Announces Two Events This Week

AMHERST — The Family Business Center’s (FBC) dinner forum on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke will address three issues that are critical to every business. The presenters are strategic partners of the FBC, including Ross Giombetti discussing “How to Not Go Off Track with Onboarding,” Lauren Ostberg of Bulkley Richardson on “Cybersecurity Is More Than Virus-protection Software,” and Tim Murphy of Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. on “Your Employee Handbook: Is It a Ticking Time Bomb?”

The Family Business Center’s morning workshop on Friday, Sept. 20 at South Hadley Public Library will show attendees how and why to build a great corporate culture. It will be presented by Elizabeth Solomon, longtime researcher and writer for Great Place to Work United States and a certified Daniel Goleman emotional intelligence coach; and Jim Young, who has had several leadership roles in private business and coaches leadership teams in transition, as well as helping people “find the gentle man in you.” The workshop is free to FBC members and partners and $40 for all other owners and key managers of Western Mass. closely held and family-owned companies.

To register for either event, visit fambizpv.com/calendar/index.html.

Area Lawyer to Lead Series on Elder Law, Estate Planning at HCC

HOLYOKE — Attorney Karen Jackson of Jackson Law, an elder-law and estate-planning firm, will teach a series of classes at Holyoke Community College highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning.

The six-hour course, called “Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know,” will be presented in three two-hour sessions on Mondays, Oct. 7, 21, and 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $99.

“The course will explain the basic building blocks of an estate plan,” Jackson said. “From that foundation, we will also consider the various specialized trust documents that support this planning. I will clarify the probate-court process and what it means to probate a will. And I will explore current Medicare and MassHealth issues that are affecting seniors.”

In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan and discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life.

The second session will address trusts, the probate-court process, Medicare hot topics, and options for community care and home care. Jackson will provide pertinent information and details about each to assist attendees in their planning now.

In the third and final session, Jackson will introduce the various Medicaid programs that provide long-term skilled nursing-home care in Massachusetts and the financial assistance associated with each.

While participants may attend as many sessions as they choose, they must still pay the full course cost of $99. To register, call (413) 552-2500 or visit www.hcc.edu/bce.

Gov. Baker Appoints Joanne Marqusee to GCC Board of Trustees

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College (GCC) recently welcomed Joanne Marqusee, president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Health Care (CDHC), to its board of trustees. One of 11 trustees, she was officially appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker on Aug. 30 and will replace former trustee Elizabeth Sillin.

Marqusee has been a respected healthcare leader for over three decades. Before coming to Cooley in 2014, she served as chief operating officer and executive vice president of Hallmark Health, after having spent 15 years at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston as senior vice president. With a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University, her career began in government, where she served in agencies including the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. and the New York State Department of Health.

Well-known for its nursing and allied-health programs, “GCC is really important for the success and sustainability of healthcare. The population of adults 65 and older is expected to grow by nearly 15% in the next decade, and there is a growing need for enough staff and providers to carry us into the future,” Marqusee said, adding that she aims to strengthen the relationship between healthcare and academia.

“We are delighted to have Joanne appointed to our board,” said GCC President Yves Salomon-Fernandez. “Healthcare is so important to our region. We thank Governor Baker for keeping our board diverse and representative of the employers in the region.”

Added trustee Robert Cohn, “Joanne Marqusee is a perfect match for our diverse board of skillsets. As CEO of CDHC, she has proven skills in finance, strategic planning, and collaborating with all employees to ensure the best outcomes for all. These are the exact skills that work well for GCC. We are thrilled with her appointment.”

Marqusee said the college’s motto, “You Belong Here,” reflects her own long-held passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion. “I have tried to do a lot of work throughout my career on making sure people feel like they belong. My passion as a leader is in creating a culture of teamwork.”

Country Bank Recognized by Boston Business Journal for Charitable Giving

WARE — Each year, the Boston Business Journal celebrates Massachusetts corporations and nonprofits for their contributions in giving back to communities in Massachusetts. During this year’s celebration held on Sept. 5, Country Bank was recognized as one of the Top Charitable Contributors in 2019 and received a Corporate Citizenship Award.

A total of 105 companies were recognized during the evening; Country Bank ranked 62nd with total donations of $1 million to various nonprofits within the region.

Country Bank employs 235 staff members within Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties. In 2018, staff members actively promoted the bank’s mission of giving back to the communities they serve by volunteering more than 1,100 hours in community service.

HCC Slates Fourth Annual 24-hour Theater Festival for Sept. 28

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) theater alumni, together with students from the HCC Theater Department, will gather for the fourth year in a row to produce an evening of one-act plays written in just 24 hours.

The fourth annual HCC 24-hour theater festival, renamed the HCC Phillips Festival last year in memory of the late HCC drama teacher Leslie Phillips, who inspired the festival’s creation, will be presented on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Leslie Phillips Theater in HCC’s Fine & Performing Arts Building. Participants will first gather on Friday, Sept. 27 in the theater to begin planning and writing the plays to be performed the following night.

Like the previous three festivals, the fourth is a benefit show, and all proceeds will go toward the Leslie Phillips Fund for Theater Arts and Education at Holyoke Community College.

This event was first organized in 2016 by HCC alumni working with Pat Sandoval, HCC Theater professor, as a tribute to Phillips, founder of the HCC drama program, who died in 1988. Phillips played a pivotal role in the formation of HCC’s Theater department and lent her creative talent and intense focus to inspiring students to explore and discover their passion for the performing arts.

Tickets for the show are $15 for general admission and $10 for students, seniors, HCC faculty, and staff. Advance tickets are being sold online at brownpapertickets.com. Search for ‘Phillips Festival.’

Anyone who would like to participate in this year’s festival can contact the HCC Alumni Players at [email protected] or on the HCC Alumni Players Facebook page.

UMass Amherst Startup a Winner in Massachusetts Tech Transfer Contest

AMHERST — Ernest Pharmaceuticals, a startup venture based at UMass Amherst’s Institute of Applied Life Sciences (IALS), is one of four companies to win $2,500 from the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) in a business-pitch poster competition in Boston. This recognizes the groundbreaking young biotech firm as it brings its research on programmed bacteria that deliver anti-cancer treatment to tumors from lab to market.

Ernest Pharmaceuticals CEO and bioengineer Nele Van Dessel presented the poster at MTTC’s 12th annual Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day; the company was one among 30 vying for four prizes. She said she and co-founder Neil Forbes, a professor of Chemical Engineering at UMass Amherst, believe the company’s association with IALS has been a crucial factor in its steady success.

“We showed up three years ago at IALS with good science but no business plan,” Van Dessel said, adding that the IALS venture mentoring team “showed us how to start speaking to business to identify our market.” The biotech entrepreneurs also learned how to identify the most effective cancer target type, how to apply for grants, and how to help their treatment reach patients sooner. “Basically, we went from speaking to scientists to pitching to investors.”

Furthermore, IALS’ strategic planning, technology transfer, and other business services, such as developing conflict-of-interest, research, and compliance guidelines have been essential for the development of Ernest Pharmaceuticals. “On the science side, we were good,” Van Dessel said. “We just needed help on the business side, and IALS came through. Where there’s a need they can help you with, they will. We’re very grateful.”

Van Dessel, who earned a Ph.D. in bioengineering at home in Belgium, came to UMass Amherst looking specifically for Forbes after she read all his published papers on what she calls his unconventional but effective use of Salmonella bacteria to deliver cancer-busting compounds to kill metastatic breast cancer tumors from inside. Forbes named the company after his grandfather Ernest, who died of prostate cancer.

Since co-founding Ernest Pharmaceuticals with Forbes, Van Dessel has talked with a large number of oncologists to learn where the greatest need is in cancer treatment today, in particular which metastatic diseases are the hardest to treat. In this way, she and Forbes identified an urgent need for new tools to treat metastatic liver, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers. “So we broadened our approach and went after federal funding to specifically address those,” Van Dessel said.

Also benefiting from the UMass Amherst – IALS Business Innovation Fellows program, Ernest and three other campus startups received Small Business Innovation Research phase I grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health in 2018, bringing them into this year with significant funding, Van Dessel noted. “So now we are looking to raise $1 million to focus on bacterial strain development, for a safe and effective bacteria to deliver to target tumors.”

Peter Reinhart, IALS director, noted that “I am delighted that Ernest Pharmaceuticals, an innovative startup advancing their novel oncology drug-delivery platform with technology licensed from UMass Amherst, won the poster competition in a strong collection of emerging companies.”

Hosted at the UMass President’s Office, MTTC enables public and private research universities and medical centers in Massachusetts to lead the nation in translating basic research to the market, creating jobs and spurring economic development.

YPS Announces Election of Executive Committee Members

SPRINGFIELD — The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) board of directors elected Amie Miarecki, director of Community Relations at Sunshine Village, as the new board president.

Miarecki is the former vice president and will serve a two-year term, succeeding Ashley Clark, Cash Management officer at Berkshire Bank, who has six years of board service and leadership, including a two-year term as president. As provided by the organization’s bylaws, Clark has reached her maximum consecutive years of board service and will remain an advisor to the board of directors.

The YPS board of directors also elected Meredith Perri, High School Sports editor for MassLive, to a two-year term as the vice president, and Andrew Mankus, director of Operations for Residential Dining at UMass Amherst, to a two-year term as treasurer.

“I am excited to follow in the footsteps of the visionaries that began YPS all those years ago,” Miarecki said. “I look forward to continuing a legacy of leadership that celebrates all our area has to offer. Along with a dynamic board of directors, we will fulfill the mission and bring even more professional-development, cultural, and recreational opportunities to our membership as well as make contributions through our YPS Cares foundation. We welcome our members and community partners to join YPS as we do our part in the renaissance of Springfield.”

Added Clark, “YPS is built to provide Springfield’s young professionals with the tools they need to succeed, personally and professionally. Many great leaders have passed through our doors over the last 12 years. Today’s new leadership team will undoubtedly continue to embrace the mission of YPS and provide Springfield with positive impact and value for our membership. It was a great honor to serve as president, and I have made many lasting connections because of YPS.”

Attorney Michele Feinstein Accepted into National Assoc. of Estate Planners & Councils

SPRINGFIELD — Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that attorney Michele Feinstein, a shareholder in the firm, has been certified as an accredited estate planner (AEP) by the National Assoc. of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC).

The AEP designation is a graduate-level, multi-disciplinary specialization in estate planning that requires estate-planning professionals to meet special education, experience, and knowledge requirements, as well as ongoing continuing-education requirements.

The NAEPC is a national network of affiliated estate-planning councils and credentialed professionals. It includes more than 270 estate-planning councils and provides services to an estimated 30,000 individual members. It has nearly 2,000 active AEP designees with representation in nearly every state of the country. The professionals are typically within the accounting, insurance, legal, trust-services, philanthropic, or financial-planning fields, all of whom spend at least a third of the time on estate planning.

In addition to estate-planning administration, Feinstein concentrates her practice in the areas of elder law, health law, and corporate and business planning, including all aspects of planning for the succession of business interests, representation of closely held businesses and their owners, and representation of physicians in their individual and group practices.

Feinstein has received many professional recognitions, including repeated selection to Super Lawyers of Massachusetts, Top Women Attorneys of New England, Best Lawyers in America, and Top Women of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

Arrha Credit Union Raising Alzheimer’s Awareness in Pioneer Valley

SPRINGFIELD — Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO; John Lund, chief financial officer; and Michael Kelley, mortgage originator at Arrha Credit Union, invite everyone of all ages and abilities to help raise Alzheimer’s awareness funds toward a cure at the James E. Graham Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 14 and the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday, Sept. 15.

“The golf tournament and walk are about continuing to build a community to honor our loved ones and find a cure,” Lund said.

During the golf tournament Lund, on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Assoc. and as chair of the executive leadership committee, will read a proclamation from the City Council proclaiming Sept. 14 Jimmy Graham Day.

“It is a great honor to help champion the walk,” he said. “My sincerest thanks goes to Justin Hurst, president of Springfield City Council, and the council at large for their tremendous acknowledgement. As a caregiver of my father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and recently passed away, I appreciate the importance of a support network. It’s hard to watch a loved one lose their memory and no longer know who you are. There are many stories just like mine, and at Arrha, we want others to share theirs. Together, we can build awareness and shine a light on this terrible disease.”

Added Kelly, “my family and I are honored to help fight against Alzheimer’s, a disease that has affected several members in our family. We are proud to be involved with the Alzheimer’s Association and take part in the walk. We welcome everyone to join us.”

On Sept. 14, the four-person scramble begins at 11:30 a.m. at Agawam Municipal Golf Course (click here to register), and on Sept. 15, the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s opens 8:30 a.m. at Holyoke Community College (click here to register).

AIM Names Brooke Thomson Executive Vice President of Government Affairs

BOSTON — Brooke Thomson, most recently vice president of Government Affairs for AT&T and a former senior official with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, will become executive vice president of Government Affairs at Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM).

Thomson is no stranger to AIM. She has served as a member of the its board of directors and executive committee and chaired the board’s government affairs committee for the past year. She replaces John Regan, who took over as president and CEO of the 3,500-member business association in May.

“Brooke Thomson will allow AIM to move forward without missing a beat on critical upcoming debates on transportation, healthcare costs, and education funding. She brings unparalleled intelligence and experience to the complex issues that AIM tackles every day on behalf of Massachusetts employers,” Regan said.

Joanne Hilferty, president and CEO of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries in Boston and chair of the AIM board of directors, added that “Brooke understands both government affairs and the broader mission of AIM as an association of forward-thinking employers working to make Massachusetts a better place for everyone by empowering success and creating change.”

Thomson joined AT&T in 2013. Her duties for the telecommunications company include legislative and regulatory affairs in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She came to AT&T after six years in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, where she served as chief of the Business, Technology and Economic Development Division. Prior to that, she worked as legal counsel to the Massachusetts Legislature’s Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

Thomson is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and Mount Holyoke College. Her political experience includes managing the successful campaign of Martha Coakley for attorney general in 2010.

“I am thrilled to be joining AIM, the leading voice for businesses for 104 years,” Thomson said. “I look forward to working with the outstanding AIM Government Affairs team to ensure that the organization remains a champion of business in the state as we continue to move Massachusetts forward.”

Employer Confidence Retreats in August

BOSTON — Business confidence continued to seesaw during August as employers warily eyed a possible economic slowdown and the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China.

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index fell 3.3 points to 58.7 last month after surging 4.4 points during July. The Index has lost 4.5 points since August 2018 but remains within optimistic territory.

The August decline was driven by growing concern about the U.S. economy and the outlook among manufacturers — both elements driven by trade concerns.

Analysts cautioned against reading too much into the month-to-month gyrations of the Business Confidence Index, but noted that every measure of confidence now sits below its level of a year ago.

“The imposition of 15% tariffs on $112 billion worth of Chinese goods on September 1 underscores the uncertainty facing employers, particularly manufacturers, who do business in overseas markets,” 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, employers are beginning to see evidence from both customers and suppliers of a slowdown in the U.S. economy. That caution is reflected in the 7.4-point confidence drop in the national outlook.”

The nation’s gross domestic product — the broadest gauge of economic health — grew at a moderate 2.0% annual rate in the April-June quarter, down from a 3.1% growth rate in the first quarter.

The AIM Index, based on a survey of more than 100 Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative.

The constituent indicators that make up the Index all decreased during August. The Massachusetts Index assessing business conditions within the commonwealth fell 4.3 points to 63.9, while the U.S. Index dropped to 55.2. The Massachusetts reading has decreased 0.8 points and the U.S. reading 9.5 points during the past 12 months.

The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, declined 3.9 points to 56.9, leaving it 3.3 points lower than a year ago. The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, lost 2.7 points to 60.5, 5.6 points lower than its reading from August 2018.

The Employment Index slipped 1.5 points for the month and 3.8 points for the year even as the state unemployment rate fell to 2.9%. Employers continue to struggle to find qualified workers in a full-employment state economy.

Non-manufacturers (60.3) were more confident than manufacturers (57.1). Small companies (61.5) remained more confident than large companies (58.7) or medium-sized companies (56.3). Companies in Eastern Mass. (60.7) continue to be more optimistic than those in Western Mass. (56.0).

Katherine Kiel, professor of Economics at the College of the Holy Cross and a BEA member, said business confidence reflects the same volatility that has shaken global financial markets in recent months. “Economic growth in Massachusetts slowed from 2.7% during the first quarter to 1.4% in the second. Employers remain optimistic overall, but see growing downside risks ranging from demographic constraints on the labor force to international uncertainty caused by factors such as tariffs and Brexit.”

Elms College Ranked Highly by U.S. News in Northern Region, Social Mobility

CHICOPEE — Elms College ranks in the top half of schools in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 list of Best Regional Universities (North).

Elms College improved significantly in the 2020 rankings, moving to 86th among regional universities in the northern U.S. region, up from 99th in 2019.

Elms College also was named in the top 20% (37th) among Regional Universities (North) in a new category, Top Performers on Social Mobility, which ranks schools for enrolling and graduating large proportions of students who have received federal Pell Grants.

Elms College President Harry Dumay said the rankings demonstrate the quality of an Elms education. “We are especially proud of our high ranking in this new category, as it is strong evidence of the Elms commitment to supporting an economically diverse student population every step of the way as they earn their degrees.”

U.S. News ranks Elms College as a university because of changes to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s basic classification system and the number of graduate programs Elms offers. The Carnegie categories are the accepted standard in U.S. higher education.

Berkshire Design Group Welcomes Tim Armstrong

NORTHAMPTON — Berkshire Design Group (BDG), a landscape-architecture, civil-engineering, and survey firm, recently welcomed Tim Armstrong, PLS in the role of survey manager.

Armstrong comes to BDG with more than 20 years of land-survey experience, and has experience managing staff and data on small and large projects from local boundary surveys to interstate energy-transmission projects. Prior to joining BDG, he was the chief land surveyor at Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners in Dalton.

Lexington Group to Host Aeron Chair Hockey Tournament on Oct. 2

WEST SPRINGFIELD — In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Lexington Group will host an Aeron chair hockey tournament on Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at its showroom located at 380 Union St., West Springfield.

For this first-of-its-kind event in New England, Lexington Group has invited players, and their administrative staff, from elite area hockey teams — American International College and UMass Amherst — to battle it out in a friendly competition on the ‘ice.’ The winning team from the first round will play against members of the Springfield Thunderbirds. The tournament will be incorporated into an After 5 networking event, with about 300 business and community professionals expected to attend.

The event will help raise funds and awareness for the Foundation for TJO Animals. Founded in 2007, the Foundation for TJO Animals is dedicated to raising much-needed funds to help the local, homeless animals at the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, which serves the cities of Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee. With a focus on providing financial assistance and grants for veterinary care, the foundation has had a direct impact on saving the lives of animals at the shelter.

“We hope you will join us as a spectator or as a sponsor to ensure that we raise much-needed funds for Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center,” said Mark Proshan, president of Lexington Group.

Admission to the event is complimentary, but registration is required and can be made at lexington-aeronhockey.eventbrite.com. Donations to the Foundation for TJO Animals are appreciated and can be made in advance directly through the foundation’s website, www.tjofoundation.org, or may be made at the event.

The event is currently sponsored by MP CPAs, St. Germain Investments, Sitterly Movers, and Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel (cup sponsors); bankESB, Behavioral Health Network, Complete Payroll Solutions, Dietz & Co. Architects, Fire Service Group, HUB International New England, Massachusetts Fire Technologies, Mercier Carpet, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, and New England Promotional Marketing (chair sponsors); AIS, Baystate Ob/Gyn, Contract Sources, Excel Dryer, KI, Lexington Group, Paragus IT, People’s United Bank, the Republican, and Westfield Bank (rink sponsors); Go Graphix and Herman Miller (goods sponsors); BusinessWest, ERC5, and West of the River Chamber of Commerce (event partners). Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.

UMass Amherst Ranks 24th Among Public Universities in U.S. News Rankings

By BusinessWest Staff September 10, 2019

AMHERST — UMass Amherst has climbed into the top 25 of the nation’s premier public universities, coming in 24th among the approximately 130 public institutions ranked in the “Best Colleges 2020” guide published by U.S. News & World Report.

The Commonwealth’s flagship campus moved up two slots this year. With student success, graduation rates, and other key metrics on the rise, the university continued its ascent as one of the fastest-rising, top-tier public-research universities in the country, advancing from 52nd in 2010 to 24th in 2020.

“UMass Amherst’s rise to national prominence reflects our commitment to excellence and innovative thinking,” said Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. “We are dedicated to serving the people of Massachusetts by providing a public university that produces revolutionary ideas and impact on par with the best universities in the nation and the world. As the largest producer of undergraduate STEM degrees in the Commonwealth, the flagship campus plays a vital role in filling the talent pipeline that drives the Massachusetts knowledge economy. We are preparing the scientists, leaders, and innovators who will advance solutions to some of the world’s most complex challenges and will help to maintain Massachusetts’ competitive edge.”

For six years running, UMass Amherst has been ranked in the top 30 public universities. UMass Amherst also ranks 64th in the U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities category, moving up six places from last year’s rankings among 312 public and private institutions rated by U.S. News.

The U.S. News rankings are based on a variety of weighted factors: graduation rate, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources, graduation and retention rates, social mobility, alumni giving, financial resources, student selectivity, and high-school counselor ratings. All of the schools in the National Universities category offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master’s and doctoral degrees, while emphasizing faculty research.

The size of UMass Amherst’s entering class this fall, approximately 5,800 students, represents an increase of 790 compared to last year. The university received a record 42,110 applications. Overall undergraduate enrollment this fall is projected to be 22,700.

Free Professional Headshots Available at Bay Path’s Fall Graduate Open House

By BusinessWest Staff September 10, 2019