GREENFIELD — Wilson’s Department Store in downtown Greenfield will soon shut its doors, the Republican reported. The liquidation sale begins on Black Friday, Nov. 29.
“After more than 38 years at Wilson’s, I have decided to retire. The time has come to enter a new phase of my life to enjoy more time with my wife and family,” company President Kevin O’Neil wrote. “As a result of my decision, there will be a store closing sale and liquidation of all merchandise.”
AMHERST — Hampshire College remains in compliance and will continue its accreditation, according to a vote by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) at its meeting on Nov. 22.
NECHE reviewed Hampshire’s progress report and five-year plans before acting to continue the college’s accreditation. The commissioners lifted their notation on Hampshire’s compliance with the standard of organization and governance, citing significant progress in this area. NECHE recognized such progress as the hiring of a new president, substantial achievements with respect to good practices for governing boards, and considerable progress in realistic planning with respect to enrollment, fundraising, and finances. The commissioners continued Hampshire’s notation on the standard of institutional resources and asked the college for a full progress report in two years, in December 2021.
“We thank the commissioners for their careful review and affirmation of our compliance with the commission’s standards for accreditation,” said President Ed Wingenbach, who made accreditation a priority when he began his tenure in August. “Upholding our accreditation is a critical step toward securing a long future for Hampshire College. As we told NECHE, we see our path forward as ambitious, data-driven, and achievable.”
A team of Hampshire College administrators and trustees, led by Wingenbach and board chair Luis Hernandez, met with the NECHE commissioners on Nov. 21 and reported that Hampshire’s leadership is secure and its board of trustees governance is strong. The college is actively recruiting new students for 2020, its 50th-anniversary year, as it plans to rebuild to full enrollment by 2023-24. The college has also been conducting a rapid, community-wide process to reinvent its curriculum and student experience.
In the coming months, Hampshire will draw on the continued support of its alumni, donors, friends, and community members to meet admissions and fundraising goals.
SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that three attorneys have been named to the 2019 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list of top attorneys in the Commonwealth, and two have been named to the 2019 Massachusetts Rising Stars list of up-and-comers. They are:
• Michael Katz (selected to Super Lawyers from 2004 to 2019), bankruptcy;
• Hyman Darling (selected to Super Lawyers from 2005 to 2019), estate planning and probate;
• Paul Rothschild (selected to Super Lawyers from 2004 to 2019), general litigation;
• Thomas Reidy (selected to Rising Stars from 2015 to 2019), land use/zoning; and
• Meaghan Murphy (selected to Rising Stars from 2018 to 2019), employment and labor.
Identified by a research team at Super Lawyers, the attorneys are selected for background, professional experience, achievement, and peer recognition. There is no opportunity to pay for a listing. Only 5% of New England’s lawyers are Super Lawyers. Rising Stars are under 40 years old or have been practicing law for less than 10 years. Fewer than 2.5% of New England lawyers were named Rising Stars.
CHICOPEE — Elms College ranks in the top 15% of 2020 Best Colleges for Veterans in Massachusetts, according to data-analytics company College Factual. The college is also in the top 15% of colleges and universities in the company’s national rankings.
In the list of Best Colleges for Veterans in Massachusetts, Elms College was rated ninth out of 70 higher-education institutions for veteran friendliness as reviewed by College Factual. Elms improved its standing five slots over last year’s 14th position.
According to College Factual’s national list, Elms College moved from the top 25% to the top 15% with a rating of 214 out of 1,751 institutions, improving its position by 225 slots over last year’s standing at 439.
This list highlights colleges and universities that are working hard to provide quality educational outcomes to veterans, active-duty military students, and their families, College Factual stated.
“We are exceptionally proud of our statewide and national Best Colleges for Veterans recognition by College Factual,” said Walter Breau, vice president of Academic Affairs at Elms College. “These results demonstrate Elms College’s strong commitment to supporting our veterans, students who are currently serving in the military, and their families, as they pursue their education.”
Some of the factors taken into account by College Factual include affordability to veterans, support services, and resources specific to the needs of veterans, whether they are traditional or non-traditional students.
SPRINGFIELD — Eleven years ago, BusinessWest created a new recognition program called Difference Makers. That carefully chosen name sums up what this initiative is all about — identifying and then celebrating individuals, groups, and agencies in this region that are making a difference in our communities. And now, it’s time to nominate candidates for the class of 2020.
Nominations must be submitted by Dec. 6. The nomination form can be found by clicking here.
As previous classes have shown, there are many ways to be a Difference Maker: through work within the community on one or many initiatives to improve quality of life; through success in business, public service, or education; through contributions that inspire others to get involved; through imaginative efforts to help solve one or more societal issues; or through a combination of the above. Those nominating candidates are encouraged to make their submissions detailed and explain why the individual or group in question is a true Difference Maker. For a full list of previous winners, click here.
More than 30 years ago, Paul DiGrigoli made it a goal to put his name on a line of hair-care products. It took nearly three decades to realize that dream, but ultimately it took more than time. It required him to step back from his business — or ‘away from the chair,’ as he put it — and attain the time and flexibility to fully flex his entrepreneurial muscles. There’s a lesson here, and he imparts it upon the many audiences who hear his motivational and hair-industry-focused speeches.Paul DiGrigoli couldn’t put his hands on it easily, but he knew he had the news clipping somewhere.
It’s a saved copy of a Daily Hampshire Gazette story on his salon in Easthampton, one of many news items he’s saved over the years. He doesn’t recall the exact date, but knows it’s from the late ’80s. The content he remembers most vividly — and references most often — are his remarks about someday having a product line with his name on it.
That someday turned out to be roughly three decades later, as DiGrigoli unveiled a full slate of products — everything from shampoo and conditioner to something that will reduce the time it takes to blow-dry hair (more on later) — about a year ago. The name on the bottle is Paul Jõseph, chosen because Joseph, his middle name, is much easier to pronounce than DiGrigoli.
And while that timeline certainly isn’t what he had in mind when he talked with the Gazette business writer back when Ronald Reagan was in the White House, there’s a reason why it took so long for the dream to become reality.
Actually, several of them.
They include everything from the immense amount of competition in this vast market segment and the difficulty of breaking in, to the vast amounts of research and trial and error that go into creating such products, to the challenge of simply getting products into salons. And perhaps the biggest reason is the time it takes to do all that and how DiGrigoli needed to get out from behind the chair, as he put it, and work on his business, not necessarily in it.
“Entrepreneurship is not an easy thing, and I think that, at the end of the day, you try to get to the point where the business can run without you,” he explained. “When you can do that, it’s a game changer because, for most people, they’re not running their business; their business is running them.
“Entrepreneurship is not an easy thing, and I think that, at the end of the day, you try to get to the point where the business can run without you.”
“I came to the realization that, in order to grow my business exponentially, I had to step away,” he went on, adding that he’s still very much involved in the many aspects of his company, but he doesn’t micromanage and does spend considerable time and energy grooming leaders to run these operations.
This has left him free of many of the day-to-day details and ‘distractions,’ as he called them, and with the time to travel the country speaking, write a book for those within the industry titled Booked Solid — the Ultimate Guide to Getting and Keeping Customers, grow and diversify his business with initiatives such as the new product line, and even take on some real-estate initatitives, such as a building he and some partners renovated on Capital Drive — it now boasts several tenants and will likely become the eventual home of his school and salon.
These are all lessons DiGrigoli tries to impart upon the audiences he speaks to on a frequent basis. These are most often cosmetology students and professionals already in the business. Many are where he was a few decades ago and generally have what it takes to get where he is now.
What they need to know is how to make that transition from being a stylist to being an entrepreneur, he went on, adding that he has plenty of guidance and advice for them on this subject.
“By stepping away, and by sitting still, I have been able to organize my thinking,” he explained. “When you organize your thinking, that’s pretty profound because you’re allowed to make the bigger decisions involving your company, not the smaller decisions; when you’re wrapped up in the day-to-day operations, you’re caught up.”
For this issue, BusinessWest talked with DiGrigoli about his new product line, but mostly about the ongoing journey that brought him to the day when he could put ‘Paul Jõseph’ on a bottle of conditioner, and the lessons this story offers — for people not only in cosmetology, but in every line of business.
DiGrigoli’s small office at his salon and school on Riverdale Street is crowded with photographs — there’s shots of him with Vidal Sassoon and John Paul Deloria, co-founder of Paul Mitchell, for example, as well awards from various local and national organizations, a few slogans in frames, and news clippings (but not the one mentioned earlier from the Gazette).
Paul DiGrigoli says it took many years of research, trial and error, and “tweaking” to bring his lineup of hair-care products to the marketplace.
There’s also a simple map of the 50 states, with the vast majority of them colored over with a blue highlighter. Those colored-in states are those that DiGrigoli has traveled to for his many speaking engagements, and when looking at it while talking with BusinessWest, he discovered he was a little behind in his work.
Indeed, Montana, still white on this map, needs to be crossed off the list, he said, adding that there are just a few states, mostly in the Midwest — Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming — that he has still to visit.
That map, especially when absorbed in concert with all that other memorabilia, provides solid evidence of just how far DiGrigoli has come in his life and his career, which now spans nearly 45 years. It’s a story he shares with those in his audiences, and one that most in this market know by now.
It’s about an aspiring stylist and entrepreneur who was once living at the YMCA of Greater Springfield while enrolled in cosmetology classes at Springfield Technical Community College. Like most who break into this profession, he started out working for someone else before putting his own name over the door. And the name has been put on not just the salon, but also a cosmetology school that has grown steadily over the years.
And now, as noted, it adorns a wide array of products now available at his salon and many others in this region and outside of it.
The line, all with the Paul Jõseph name on the bottles, includes Stacked, a volumizing shampoo and also a volumizing conditioner; Lock It In, a color-protecting shampoo and color-protecting conditioner; Real Clear, a clarifying shampoo; Intensity, a ‘leave-in treatment’; Upgrade, a quick-blow-dry spray; and Elevate, a color-protecting hairspray.
Bringing each product to the shelves was a lengthy, challenging exercise, he told BusinessWest, noting that the marketplace is flooded with similar products, and for his to succeed, they had to be different and represent some form of improvement over what was already on the shelves.
As a result, he would often hear conflicting advice from customers and friends alike.
“What started it was my clients, who would say things like, ‘Paul, maybe you should think about your own product line,’” he recalled. “But there were other people who were telling me I was crazy to want to do that because of all the products that were already out there.”
Ultimately, there was more than enough motivation to persevere, he said, summoning numbers that he knows by heart and rattles off pretty much every time he speaks publicly to get his message across.
“Last year, consumers spent $46 billion — that’s with a ‘b’ — on hair care and cosmetics,” he said. “Women spent $12.5 billion on color alone.”
But bringing the Paul Jõseph line to the shelves was a lengthy and challenging process that began with customers voicing needs and requests for solutions, and continued with years of R&D, product refinement, and, finally, getting something ready for public consumption.
“Last year, consumers spent $46 billion — that’s with a ‘b’ — on hair care and cosmetics. Women spent $12.5 billion on color alone.”
He used the Upgrade product to get these points across.
As noted, it usually began with customer input. “People would say, ‘you should come up with a product that actually blow-dries my hair quicker, because I have two kids and I have to get them to school and have to get to work myself, and I don’t have time to do my hair, but my hair’s important to me,’” he recalled, adding that he took these marching orders and went to work creating something he believes is unique in the marketplace.
Upgrade has a vegetable protein in it, and it actually pushes the water out of the cuticle of the hair, he explained, adding that the product enables the user to reduce blow-drying time by a full 30%.
It came about through considerable work with a chemist he hired, and thorough testing of the product in two intriguing laboratories — his school and his salon.
“I would give it to all my students and my clients,” he explained. “And we would have feedback sheets and would get comments like ‘the fragrance is too strong,’ or ‘the fragrance isn’t strong enough,’ or ‘it’s making my hair too dry.’ We got all this information back, and I would go to my chemist and say, ‘these are my concerns; this is what we’re finding,’ and we’d tweak it.”
It was this way with all the products in the lineup, he went on, adding that it took more than three years to finally get Upgrade on the shelves. His portfolio of products — he’s always looking to add new ones — is now in 42 salons across the country (many owned by people who attend his speaking engagements).
The goal for the first full year was to be in closer to 100 salons, he said, adding that he is still quite pleased with the results and knows those numbers will grow steadily in the years to come.
Paul DiGrigoli’s branded hair-care line is a dream 30 years in the making.
“Slow and steady wins the race; this is a marathon, not a sprint,” he told BusinessWest, summoning one of the many time-worn axioms about business, entrepreneurship, and life that he imparts upon his audiences and business writers alike.
“If you love what you’re doing, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he said, borrowing another one he uses frequently. They may sound like clichés, he acknowledged, but they are words to live by and run a business by.
And this is the one of the many messages he leaves with his audiences during talks that are motivational in nature and generally positive in tone. Indeed, DiGrigoli will almost certainly remind his audiences of the hair industry’s long-term security and how, while they can buy shoes, books, and golf clubs on the Internet, they can’t purchase a haircut there.
“No matter how big the information age gets or the social-media platform gets, no one’s ever going to take our jobs,” he told BusinessWest, paraphrasing what he tells those at gatherings like the one he spoke at a few weeks ago in Baltimore. “No one’s going to walk down the street and say, ‘where’d you get your hair cut?’ and hear ‘I got it on Facebook.’ That’s never going to happen. We still have to touch people to cut their hair, and that’s never going to change.”
But his talks are also loaded with hard talk about how salon owners — and those in other lines of work as well — need to step out from behind the chair, figuratively if not literally, to get the business to the next level.
Elaborating, he said that, while most all of those he addresses are ready and willing to become more entrepreneurial, as he did, many are just not able because they’re still doing too much work in their business.
“It’s not that they don’t have the knowledge or have the experience — they’re just physically exhausted, period,” he explained. “They’re trying to be all things to all people, and that’s impossible.”
He knows this from experience, and to get his point across, he summoned an anecdote that many of his younger audiences might not relate to directly — but they get the point.
“It was like watching The Ed Sullivan Show,” he said, referencing the variety show from a half-century ago. “I was the guy with the plates — the guy spinning a whole bunch of plates at one time. He had five plates going at one time … he’d go over here trying to spin one plate, and then over there to keep another plate spinning, and when that one got wobbly, he’d go over there and get it spinning again.
“That was me,” he went on. “Until I learned to step back and take a snapshot of my business, knowing that I had the things, or skills, I really enjoyed doing, and other things I didn’t want to do because I wasn’t good at them. Once I found that out, it was a game changer.”
Other salon owners — and those in every other business sector — can change their game by taking a similar step back, he said, adding that the keys are having a team behind you and the passion to turn dreams into reality.
When asked what’s next for him and what would have to be called his portfolio of businesses, DiGrigoli listed a number of goals and ambitions, from the very specific — writing a another book (this one for the public, not just salon owners) — to the very broad — making Paul Jõseph a “household name,” as he put it.
But his overriding ambition is to continue helping those in his industry — the 1.7 million stylists in this country, by his count — with everything from filling their scheduling books with appointments to diversifying their business operations.
Mostly, though, he’s focused on helping them becoming more entrepreneurial and able to work on their business, and not necessarily in it.
Yes, that’s another cliché, but it’s an important one, and he’s become a role model for how to take on that assignment — as that news clipping from 30 years ago, and all that have come since — will attest.
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
Peter and Michelle Wirth, co-owners of Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, stand in a showroom that is expected to see a heavy volume of shoppers looking to take advantage of end-of-year sales.
The commercials started appearing during the football games and the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, among other places, a few weeks ago.
You’ve seen them … the ones where mom or dad, or perhaps their college-age daughter, looks out the window on a snowy Christmas morning to find a new car in the driveway with a big red bow on the roof or the hood.
The commercials, and there are a lot of them now with a host of themes, are part of what has become a very important — and generally very joyous — time for car makers, car dealers, and, yes, consumers: the holiday, end-of-year sales.
These campaigns all have names now — there’s the Toyota-thon, the Lexus December to Remember, the Mercedes-Benz Winter Event, the Lincoln Wish List Sales Event, and many others. And while it was once mostly a luxury-brand initiative, it’s now generally across the board.
“You have all this inventory being built based on how many vehicles the industry analysts believe are going to be purchased that year. Well, if they forecasted ’19 to be up, and it’s flat, right away you have probably more inventory than you need; this is going to be a great holiday for consumers.”
As for those commercials, while farfetched to some, they are, well, spot on in some respects.
Indeed, a growing number of consumers will ask for that red bow, and, yes, they do like to have it on the car as it sits parked in the driveway or garage on the holiday morning, said Ben Sullivan, chief operating officer for Balise Motor Sales.
“It happens more than most people might think,” he told BusinessWest, adding that, while some dealers will make timely and perhaps dramatic deliveries — even on Christmas Eve — most buyers will get the car (and the bow) a few days before and stash them somewhere.
And there should be more cars with ribbons on them in driveways this year, figuratively if not literally, said Robinson and others we spoke with, because this year’s holiday season is shaping up to be a big one for consumers.
That’s because, overall, auto sales in 2019 have been flat, which is still good considering how strong they’ve been for the past few years. But they were projected to be a few percentage points higher than last year.
Roughly 3% to be more precise, Sullivan went on, adding that 3% of 17 million (the approximate number of cars sold in each of the past few years) is a big number.
“You have all this inventory being built based on how many vehicles the industry analysts believe are going to be purchased that year,” he explained. “Well, if they forecasted ’19 to be up, and it’s flat, right away you have probably more inventory than you need; this is going to be a great holiday for consumers.”
But that’s only one of the reasons why this could end up being an extraordinary holiday sales period, said those we talked with, adding that, in addition to the traditional tax breaks for commercial vehicles — especially the first-year bonus depreciation deduction — a number of other factors are quite favorable.
Ben Sullivan says the holidays sales event help clear lots of cars in advance of the new model-year arrivals, while also helping manufacturers meet their goals for a given year.
These include gas prices — a little higher than earlier in the year, but still relatively low — as well as interest rates (low but projected to climb in 2020) and consumer confidence, which is still rather high as recession fears have eased in recent weeks.
But even in what would be considered more typical years, the holiday-season sale has become an effective vehicle for clearing lots of cars before the new models roll in, and also for introducing a brand to people who might otherwise overlook it.
That’s the case with Mercedes, which has been working hard in recent years to convince car buyers that its models (or some of them, anyway) are within their reach.
Peter Wirth, co-owner of Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, said the dealership, which draws from a large geographic area that includes Southern Vermont, Southern New Hampshire, Eastern New York, and Northern Connecticut, has been active in trying to introduce itself to consumers seeking a lower price range. And the year-end event has been one of many drawing cards.
Joe Clark, general manager of Steve Lewis Subaru in Hadley, said that car maker’s holiday sales event has a different name and different twist. The former is Share the Love, which partially explains the latter, which involves contributions to charities, which adds another ‘win’ to what was already a win-win-win scenario.
Subaru donates $250 for each car sold to a charity of the buyer’s choice, said Clark, adding that there are national and local options, and Steve Lewis matches with $50.
“In 2019, it took until July before all the ’18s had been sold off. In the meantime, all the manufacturers are making ’19s, and here we are coming into the end of the year; you want to start as clean as you can with the next model year.”
“Over the past few years, we’ve been able to raise more than $50,000,” he said, adding that, while Subaru doesn’t offer the same kinds of incentives as other makers — he says it doesn’t need to because the cars are priced appropriately — the charitable donations act as an incentive to bring consumers to the showrooms at the end of the year.
For this issue and its focus on transportation, BusinessWest talked with area dealers about these year-end sales and how they’ve become a different type of holiday tradition.
Tracing the history of the holiday sales push, Sullivan, who works for a company with more than a dozen brands in its portfolio, said that, traditionally, November and December were not big months for dealers, emphasizing the past tense.
Weather played a part in this, he said, as well as the fact that people are, by and large, focusing their time, attention, and spending dollars on the holidays and not a new car.
To spark some life into end-of-year sales activity, manufacturers, as a group, began to offer some of their best incentives at that time of the year, with the goal of hitting sales targets set roughly 12 months earlier.
Now, the deals, the incentives, and, yes, those red ribbons have become a tradition, and savvy buyers set their watches by it.
So much so that October has become a somewhat lackluster month for many dealers.
It wasn’t for Mercedes, which stages an annual certified pre-owned sale that month, said Wirth, adding that the Springfield dealership had a great October and was challenged to keep a good inventory of used cars on the lot.
But that’s another story.
This one is about the holiday sales events, which have, overall, done what they were designed to do — clear inventory and help manufacturers and dealers hit their numbers.
Joe Clark says Subaru’s ‘Share the Love’ year-end event provides consumers with still another reason to shop that brand at the end of the year.
And this year, the sales will be needed to do both, said Sullivan, noting, again, that sales have been flat and there are a lot of 2019s still on the lots that manufacturers would prefer to see gone by year’s end or at least early next year.
“In 2019, it took until July before all the ’18s had been sold off,” he went on, adding that some 2019 models, like the Toyota Tacoma, are still being built. “In the meantime, all the manufacturers are making ’19s, and here we are coming into the end of the year; you want to start as clean as you can with the next model year.
“So this year, in particular, will be interesting because it took so long to get the ’18s sold off, and now we have ’19s that we have to sell off,” he continued. “I expect that the manufacturers are going to do even more in this holiday season than they would typically in order to alleviate that stock level.”
Wirth said Mercedes has two major seasonal pushes — its summer sales program, designed to help dealers clear out inventory before the new model year arrives, and the year-end initiative, which helps meet annual sales goals.
The latter, the Winter Sales Event, is among the oldest in the business, Wirth noted, adding that Mercedes throws not only large amounts of marketing dollars at the program, but some attractive incentives as well.
“And we latch onto these programs on a dealership level because it’s not just marketing,” he told BusinessWest. “The deals are actually really good; if you’re in the market for a new car, November and December is a really good time to buy.”
Elaborating, he said that, while the incentives might not change on some of the models — and Mercedes has quite a few of them — for those months, the deals will become better for models where there is significant inventory and an opportunity to make a dent in it.
And unlike the deals presented by many manufacturers, those at Mercedes involve the latest models, in this case 2020s, as opposed to the 2019s on most lots.
Wirth told BusinessWest there isn’t a deep body of work when it comes to this dealership and the year-end sales events; after all, it opened just a few weeks before the holidays in 2017. But already some trends have emerged.
One involves commercial vehicles, and, yes, Mercedes sells a good number of them. Its vans, the mid-sized Metris and full-size Sprinter, can compete with other makes on price, and they have the Mercedes star on the grill, said Wirth, adding that some of the SUVs also qualify for what’s known as the Chapter 179 tax deduction.
“The accountants talk to their clients and say, ‘hey, you need to do something,’” he noted, adding that, while he can’t remember whether November or December was the top month for van sales last year, the other came in just behind.
Another trend involves the last few months of the year becoming some of the busiest of the year, something that has pretty much always been the case for luxury imports. In fact, the week between Christmas and New Year’s might be the busiest of the entire year, although the week before the holiday is also quite busy, said Wirth, adding that the perception that the very best time of year to buy a car is toward the end of December may well have something to do with this.
But he said the dealership strives to make it a good experience regardless of the month or the date.
Overall, the year-end tax breaks on commercial vehicles have long made November and December strong months for those types of transactions, said Sullivan, adding that, over the past several years, the holiday sales events have broadened the scope of activity to pretty much all brands and all types of vehicles. They’ve made October a somewhat lonely month for dealers, but November and December a time of excitement and, well, anticipation as they wait to see what the incentives will be.
“It’s much like a Christmas present for dealers — we have to wait to open it up when they say ‘the event is now on, and here are the consumer incentives you’ll be able to offer,’” he explained, adding that the numbers are generally known by the middle of November.
And while dealers and consumers are on the receiving end of presents, Subaru’s annual holiday event puts another group in that category — regional and national nonprofits.
“It’s not about car sales or how much you can save on a car,” said Clark. “It’s about Subaru doing what’s right and raising a bunch of money for some great charities.”
Like all the other programs, though, it provides consumers with a reason — or some additional reasons — to shop at the end of the year, he went on, adding that, over the years, the Steve Lewis dealership has supported groups and agencies ranging from area schools to the Dakin animal shelter. This year, the beneficiary will be Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Cooley Cares for Kids program.
While there are some inventory-clearing motivations for the holiday-sales event, generally Subaru doesn’t have excess-inventory issues, he noted, and, in fact, keeping a supply on the lot is the main challenge.
As he talked while walking through the Lexus dealership on Riverdale Street, Sullivan gestured to the ornate red ribbons atop each of the models on the floor.
He said they’re supplied by a local maker, and generally start appearing on car roofs a few weeks before Thanksgiving. He didn’t say whether this year’s order was larger than normal, but he certainly implied that more ribbons — again, figuratively if not literally — will be needed this year.
That’s because, as he said, this is shaping up to be a joyous a holiday for consumers — one right out of one of those commercials.
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
By Kristina Drzal Houghton, CPA, MST
Year-end tax planning in 2019 remains as complicated as ever. Notably, we are still coping with the massive changes included in the biggest tax law in decades — the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 — and pinpointing the optimal strategies. This monumental tax legislation includes myriad provisions affecting a wide range of individual and business taxpayers.
Among other key changes for individuals, the TCJA reduced tax rates, suspended personal exemptions, increased the standard deduction, and revamped the rules for itemized deductions. Generally, the provisions affecting individuals went into effect in 2018, but are scheduled to “sunset” after 2025. This provides a limited window of opportunity in some cases.
Kristina Drzal Houghton
The impact on businesses was just as significant. For starters, the TCJA imposed a flat 21% tax rate on corporations, doubled the maximum Section 179 ‘expensing’ allowance, limited business interest deductions, and repealed write-offs for entertainment expenses. Unlike the changes for individuals, most of these provisions are permanent, but could be revised if Congress acts again.
For your convenience, this article is divided into two sections: individual tax planning and business tax planning. Be aware that the concepts discussed in this article are intended to provide only a general overview of year-end tax planning. It is recommended that you review your personal situation with a tax professional.
Postpone income until 2020 and accelerate deductions into 2019 if doing so will enable you to claim larger deductions, credits, and other tax breaks for 2019 that are phased out over varying levels of adjusted gross income (AGI). These include deductible IRA contributions, child tax credits, higher-education tax credits, and deductions for student-loan interest. Postponing income also is desirable for those taxpayers who anticipate being in a lower tax bracket next year due to changed financial circumstances. In some cases, however, it may pay to actually accelerate income into 2019. For example, that may be the case where a person will have a more favorable filing status this year than next (e.g., head of household versus individual filing status), or expects to be in a higher tax bracket next year.
“Generally, the provisions affecting individuals went into effect in 2018, but are scheduled to ‘sunset’ after 2025. This provides a limited window of opportunity in some cases.”
If you believe a Roth IRA is better than a traditional IRA, consider converting traditional-IRA money invested in beaten-down stocks (or mutual funds) into a Roth IRA in 2019 if eligible to do so. Keep in mind, however, that such a conversion will increase your AGI for 2019, and possibly reduce tax breaks geared to AGI (or modified AGI).
It may be advantageous to try to arrange with your employer to defer, until early 2020, a bonus that may be coming your way. This could cut as well as defer your tax.
Long-term capital gain from sales of assets held for more than one year is taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on the taxpayer’s taxable income. The 0% rate generally applies to the excess of long-term capital gain over any short-term capital loss to the extent that it, when added to regular taxable income, is not more than the maximum zero-rate amount (e.g., $78,750 for a married couple).
YEAR-END ACTION: If the 0% rate applies to long-term capital gains you took earlier this year. For example, if you are a joint filer who made a profit of $5,000 on the sale of stock bought in 2009, and other taxable income for 2019 is $70,000, then before year-end, try not to sell assets yielding a capital loss because the first $5,000 of such losses won’t yield a benefit this year. And if you hold long-term appreciated-in-value assets, consider selling enough of them to generate long-term capital gains sheltered by the 0% rate.
Among the most prominent tax changes for individuals, the TCJA essentially doubled the standard deduction while modifying the itemized-deduction rules for 2018 through 2025. For 2019, the inflation-indexed standard deduction is $12,200 for single filers and $24,400 for joint filers.
YEAR-END ACTION: With the assistance of your professional tax advisor, figure out if you will be claiming the standard deduction or itemizing deductions in 2019. The results of this analysis will likely dictate your tax planning approach at the end of the year.
Some or all of these TCJA provisions on itemized deductions may affect the outcome:
• The deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) is limited to $10,000 annually. This includes any combination of SALT payments for (1) property taxes and (2) income or sales taxes.
• The deduction for mortgage interest expenses is modified, but you can still write off interest on ‘acquisition debt’ within generous limits.
• The deduction for casualty and theft losses is eliminated (except for disaster-area losses).
• The deduction for miscellaneous expenses is eliminated, but certain reimbursements made by employers may be tax-free to employees.
• The threshold for deducting medical and dental expenses, which was temporarily lowered to 7.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI), reverts to 10% of AGI, beginning in 2019.
TIP: Depending on your situation, you may want to accelerate deductible expenses into the current year to offset your 2019 tax liability. However, if you do not expect to itemize deductions in 2019, you might as well postpone these expenses to 2020 or beyond.
Generally, itemizers can deduct amounts donated to qualified charitable organizations, as long as substantiation requirements are met. The TCJA increased the annual deduction limit for monetary contributions from 50% of AGI to 60% for 2018 through 2025. Any excess is carried over for up to five years.
If you are age 70½ or older by the end of 2019, have traditional IRAs, and particularly if you can’t itemize your deductions, consider making 2019 charitable donations via qualified charitable distributions from your IRAs. Such distributions are made directly to charities from your IRAs, and the amount of the contribution is neither included in your gross income nor deductible on Schedule A, Form 1040. But the amount of the qualified charitable distribution reduces the amount of your required minimum distribution, which can result in tax savings.
YEAR-END ACTION: Absent extenuating circumstances, try to ‘bunch’ charitable donations in the year they will do you the most tax good. For instance, if you will be itemizing in 2019, boost your gift giving at the end of the year. Conversely, if you are claiming the standard deduction this year, you may decide to postpone contributions to 2020.
For donations of appreciated capital-gain property that you have owned longer than one year, such as stock, you can generally deduct an amount equal to the property’s fair market value (FMV). Otherwise, the deduction is typically limited to your initial cost. Also, other special rules may apply to gifts of property. Notably, the annual deduction for property donations generally cannot exceed 30% of AGI.
If you intend to donate securities to a charity, you might choose securities you have held longer than one year that have appreciated substantially in value. Conversely, it usually is preferable to keep securities you have owned less than a year.
TIP: If you donate to a charity by credit card late in the year — for example, if you are making an online contribution — you can write off the donation on your 2019 return, even if you do not actually pay the credit-card charge until 2020.
Briefly stated, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) is a complex calculation made parallel to your regular tax calculation. It features several technical adjustments, inclusion of ‘tax preference items,’ and subtraction of an exemption amount (subject to a phase-out based on your income). After comparing AMT liability to regular tax liability, you effectively pay the higher of the two.
YEAR-END ACTION: Have your AMT status assessed. Depending on the results, you may then shift certain income items to 2020 to reduce AMT liability for 2019. For instance, you might postpone the exercise of incentive stock options (ISOs) that count as tax preference items.
Thanks to the TCJA, the AMT is now affecting fewer taxpayers. Notably, the TCJA substantially increased the AMT exemption amounts (and the thresholds for the phase-out), unlike the minor annual ‘patches’ authorized by Congress in the recent past.
TIP: The two AMT rates for single and joint filers for 2019 are 26% on AMT income up to $194,800 ($97,400 if married and filing separately) and 28% on AMT income above this threshold. Note that the top AMT rate is still lower than the top ordinary income-tax rate of 37%.
The tax law provides tax benefits to parents of children in college, within certain limits. These tax breaks, including a choice involving two higher-education credits, have been preserved by the TCJA.
YEAR-END ACTION: If you pay qualified expenses for next semester by the end of the year, the costs will be eligible for a credit in 2019, even though the semester does not begin until 2020.
Typically, you must choose between the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC). The maximum AOTC of $2,500 is available for qualified expenses of each student, while the maximum $2,000 LLC is claimed on a per-family basis. Thus, the AOTC is usually preferable. Both credits are phased out based on modified adjusted gross income.
The TCJA also allows you to use Section 529 plan funds to pay for up to $10,000 of K-12 tuition expenses tax-free. Previously, qualified expenses only covered post-secondary schools.
TIP: If your student may be graduating in 2020, you may want to hold off and pay the spring 2020 tuition in early January 2020. The student can usually use this credit to offset their own 2020 tax liability even if the parent’s income exceeds the thresholds.
The IRS requires you to pay federal income tax through any combination of quarterly installments and tax withholding. Otherwise, it may impose an ‘estimated tax’ penalty.
YEAR-END ACTION: No estimated tax penalty is assessed if you meet one of these three ‘safe-harbor’ exceptions under the tax law. These exceptions consider the timing of quarterly estimates as well as your withholdings. You should review your payments with a tax professional prior to year-end.
Under the TCJA, a business may benefit from a combination of three depreciation-based tax breaks: (1) the Section 179 deduction, (2) ‘bonus’ depreciation, and (3) regular depreciation.
YEAR-END ACTION: Acquire property and make sure it is placed in service before the end of the year. Typically, a small business can then write off most, if not all, of the cost in 2019.
1. Section 179 deductions: This tax-code section allows you to ‘expense’ (i.e., currently deduct) the cost of qualified property placed in service during the year. The maximum annual deduction is phased out on a dollar-for-dollar basis above a specified threshold.
The maximum Section 179 allowance has been raised gradually over the last decade, but the TCJA gave it a massive boost. In 2017, the deduction limit was $510,000, and the phase-out threshold was $2.03 million. Those figures rose to $1 million and $2.5 million in 2018, and $1.02 million and $2.55 million in 2019.
However, note that the Section 179 deduction cannot exceed the taxable income from all your business activities this year. This could limit your deduction for 2019.
2. Bonus depreciation: The TCJA doubled the previous 50% first-year bonus depreciation deduction to 100% for property placed in service after Sept. 27, 2017. It also expanded the definition of qualified property to include used, not just new, property.
Note that the TCJA gradually phases out bonus depreciation after 2022. This tax break is scheduled to disappear completely after 2026.
3. Regular depreciation: Finally, if there is any remaining acquisition cost, the balance may be deducted over time under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS).
TIP: A MACRS depreciation deduction may be reduced if the cost of business assets placed in service during the last quarter of 2019 (Oct. 1 through Dec. 31) exceeds 40% of the cost of all assets placed in service during the year (not counting real estate). Additionally, many states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, do not recognize bonus depreciation. This should be included in your planning considerations.
Although the TCJA repealed the deduction for entertainment expenses beginning in 2018, you can still deduct expenses for travel and meal expenses while you are away from home on business and in other limited situations. The primary purpose of the expense must meet strict business-related rules.
If you travel by car, you may be able to deduct your actual expenses, including a depreciation allowance, or opt for the standard mileage deduction. The standard mileage rate for 2019 is 58 cents per business mile (plus tolls and parking fees). Annual depreciation deductions for ‘luxury cars’ are limited, but the TCJA generally enhanced those deductions for vehicles placed in service in 2018 and thereafter.
TIP: The IRS recently issued a ruling that explains when food and beverage costs are deductible when those costs are stated separately from entertainment on invoices or receipts.
The TCJA authorized a deduction of up to 20% of the ‘qualified business income’ (QBI) earned by a qualified taxpayer. This deduction may be claimed by owners of pass-through entities — partnerships, S corporations, and limited liability companies (LLCs) — as well as sole proprietors.
YEAR-END ACTION: The QBI deduction is reduced for some taxpayers based on the amount of their income. Depending on your situation, you may accelerate or defer income at the end of the year, according to the figures.
First, however, it must be determined if you are in a ‘specified service trade or business’ (SSTB). This includes most personal-service providers. Then three key rules apply:
1. If you are a single filer with income in 2019 below $160,725 or a joint filer below $321,400, you are entitled to the full 20% deduction.
2. If you are a single filer with income in 2019 above $210,700 or a joint filer above $421,400, your deduction is completely eliminated if you are in an SSTB. For non-SSTB taxpayers, the deduction is reduced, possibly down to zero.
3. If your income falls between the thresholds stated above, your QBI deduction is reduced, regardless of whether you are in an SSTB or not.
TIP: Other rules and limits may apply, including new guidelines for real-estate activities. Consult with your tax advisor for more details about your situation.
While expenses for business repairs are currently deductible, the cost of improvements to business property must be written off over time. The IRS recently issued regulations that clarify the distinctions between repairs and improvements.
YEAR-END ACTION: When appropriate, complete minor repairs before the end of the year. The deductions can offset taxable business income in 2019.
A corporation (other than a large corporation) that anticipates a small net operating loss for 2019 (and substantial net income in 2020) may find it worthwhile to accelerate just enough of its 2020 income (or to defer just enough of its 2019 deductions) to create a small amount of net income for 2019.
YEAR-END ACTION: This will permit the corporation to base its 2020 estimated tax installments on the relatively small amount of income shown on its 2019 return, rather than having to pay estimated taxes based on 100% of its much larger 2020 taxable income.
These are just some of the year-end steps that can be taken to save taxes. As previously mentioned, be aware that the concepts discussed in this article are intended to provide only a general overview of year-end tax planning. It is recommended that you review your personal situation with a tax professional.
Kristina Drzal-Houghton, CPA, MST is the partner in charge of Taxation at Holyoke-based Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 536-8510.
By Amelia J. Holstrom
On Nov. 3, 2019, news broke that the McDonald’s board of directors voted to terminate CEO Steve Easterbrook for having a consensual relationship with an employee.
Early reports indicate that, after a three-week internal investigation, McDonald’s board found the relationship to be inappropriate and in violation of its policies, including its standards of business conduct, which prohibits employees with “a direct or indirect reporting relationship” from “dating or having a sexual relationship.” McDonald’s makes clear in its policy that “it is not appropriate to show favoritism or make business decisions based on emotions or friendships rather than on the best interests of the company.”
Amelia J. Holstrom, Esq.
McDonald’s is not the first large corporation to find itself in this type of predicament. Companies like Boeing, in 2005, and Best Buy, in 2012, have parted ways with chief executives based on alleged relationships with employees. The decision to remove an employee at any level involves consideration, but to remove an employee at the top of the ladder should be no different.
You may be asking, can companies do that? Can they fire someone for a consensual relationship? Yes, they can — and so can you.
It isn’t any secret that people spend most of their waking hours at work. Not surprisingly, office romances sometimes bloom. What better place to meet your soulmate, right?
From the employer’s point of view, dating in the workplace can spell trouble. Office romances create many problems. Because employers cannot prevent their employees from developing emotions, it is important to address workplace romances well in advance of any potential problems.
Workplace dating is a recipe for disaster in more ways than one. In addition to decreasing morale and productivity, when true love goes sour, employees often cannot work with each other anymore, or worse, workplace romances can ultimately lead to sexual harassment and/or discrimination and retaliation claims.
“The decision to remove an employee at any level involves consideration, but to remove an employee at the top of the ladder should be no different.”
Assume, for example, that a superior and subordinate have been dating for some time. Their romance fizzles, and things end. What if the subordinate now claims to have felt pressured into the relationship? A supervisor’s relationship with a subordinate is most damaging to the company because of the legal consequences.
In Massachusetts, when a supervisor engages in harassment of a subordinate, even if there is no direct reporting relationship, a business is automatically liable for that harassment.
How should you combat workplace romances? Employers can adopt policies on personal relationships in the workplace that specifically prohibit supervisors and managers from engaging in any romantic relationships with employees at the company, including direct and indirect subordinates.
If you choose to adopt such a policy, it should state that such relationships raise ethical and fairness issues and problems with favoritism and morale, and that they will not be tolerated. Employers should also spell out what will happen if such a relationship is discovered.
Some employers confront the couple, indicate that, if they wish to continue the relationship, one must resign, and let the employees decide who will resign. Other employers confront the employees and terminate the employment of one or both of them effective immediately. It depends on the stance your business wants to take.
What if you don’t want to prohibit such relationships at your workplace? Another approach used by some employers is to have employees in a relationship enter into a ‘love contract.’
Such a document essentially memorializes, in writing, the consensual nature of the employees’ relationship. Be careful here, though. Love contracts are not prospective, as they will not limit the company’s liability for future sexual harassment and/or discrimination and retaliation claims. They may only be helpful to demonstrate that there was a consensual relationship between the employees before and at the time the employees signed the contract.
All employers can learn a valuable lesson from the situation involving McDonald’s. Each employer should consider how it wants to handle workplace romances before one becomes an issue for its business. Having a plan or policy in place could save you a lot of heartaches … I mean, headaches.
(The author wishes to thank Neil Sedaka, Nazareth, Meat Loaf, Don Henley, and Alanis Morissette for their wise lyrics about love.)
Amelia J. Holstrom is a partner with Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., one of the largest law firms in New England exclusively practicing labor and employment law. Holstrom specializes in employment litigation, including defending employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wrongful termination, as well as wage-and-hour lawsuits. She also frequently provides counsel to management on taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of legal liability; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]
Maria Pelletier found confidence — and a job — with the help of Dress for Success.
When Maria Pelletier lost her job in August 2017 — the first time she had ever been fired in her life — she felt like she hit rock bottom.
“It was the last thing I was expecting,” she said. “It really set me back and made me question who I am and what I’m able to do.”
Pelletier began collecting unemployment, and although she was applying for jobs, she wasn’t getting hired, and she couldn’t figure out why.
“I was just doubting myself,” she said. “I kept thinking, ‘why are they not hiring me? What is going on?’”
“We’re finding out where they want to work, how we can get them in the door, and what’s their path to move up the ladder and have career success, because ultimately, our goal is to help women gain economic independence.”
Fortunately, she stumbled upon a program called Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, which she says gave her the confidence she needed to get back on track. When asked about her journey through the program, Pelletier had three short words: “where to begin?”
The most important thing Dress for Success did for her was get her confidence back up. Pelletier applied and went through the Foot in the Door program, a course that helps women enter the workforce. She was able to get a job part-time at the Post Office while going to classes for the program.
Then, in April 2018, she got a full-time job as lead Client Service specialist at Baystate Medical Center, and has been working there ever since. In that role, she answers phone calls coming into the hospital, and hopes to continue to learn more about her department and grow into new responsibilities.
“The interview skills and the classes we were taught reinforced on my skills I already had,” she said. “It was just bringing it back out to the forefront and saying, ‘yes, you can do this.’”
That, said Executive Director Margaret Tantillo, is exactly what Dress for Success is about — giving women the confidence they need to get into the workforce, whether it is their first time or they need a little help to get back out there.
While the name entails part of the organization’s mission, to supply women with clothing for a job interview — or a few days of outfits once a job is secured — from the Dress for Success boutique at the Eastfield Mall, this is only part of the mission. “The suit is the vehicle, or just one aspect of what we’re able to do,” Tantillo said.
She told BusinessWest there are two workforce-development programs, and a third on the way, designed to help women become financially independent and confident in themselves.
Foot in the Door, launched in 2016 to help underemployed and unemployed women enter the workforce, is a collaboration between Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College instructors, who provide training on the interpersonal skills that are necessary for any workplace.
Margaret Tantillo says Dress for Success offers women a community of support — a sisterhood of sorts.
Within three months of graduating from this program, 70% of women, on average, are either in school and/or working, Tantillo explained. Program directors also make sure to prioritize putting women in jobs that are the right fit for them.
“We really work with our participants to find out what their interest is and what their skillset is,” said Tantillo. “We’re finding out where they want to work, how we can get them in the door, and what’s their path to move up the ladder and have career success, because ultimately, our goal is to help women gain economic independence.”
Having a good relationship with employers and referring agencies in the region is a big part of this, and Tantillo said practice interviews are available for women who finish the program successfully so they can receive feedback before going into the real interview. Some even get jobs right from the practice round.
On a more personal level, Dress for Success offers the Margaret Fitzgerald one-on-one mentorship program for women who are looking for jobs or recently entered the workforce. Each participant is paired with a professional woman in the community to work with on an individual basis.
“They are able to form a relationship so they can guide and support women in terms of whatever their unique, individual need is,” said Tantillo, adding that the program recently received an anonymous donation of $25,000. “The women who have come through that have had some really good results.”
She added that having a role model is a big part of women finding success in the programs, as many of them have not been fortunate enough to have role models in their lives.
The name of the program comes from a female mentor herself. Margaret Fitzgerald was a secretary and the only woman in the Physics department at Mount Holyoke College in the 1970s. She was called “mom” by many of the women enrolled in that program and acted as a mentor, advocate, and friend to the students. The female leaders in this program hope to do the same thing for their participants.
The newest program, The Professional Women’s Group, is set to launch in January 2020 with help from Eversource. It will focus on promoting employment retention and career advancement by providing valuable information, tools, and resources while creating a safe environment for participants to network with other professionals.
“They have a real sense of responsibility because what they do doesn’t just impact them, it impacts the next person we refer to that employer. It’s interesting to see how people respond when they feel like they’re part of something bigger.”
This group of women will be recruited from other programs and aims to help them especially in the first six months of a job, which are critical in terms of how people perform.
“The unemployment rate is lower, so there are more people in jobs that need the instruction and guidance about how to retain a job,” Tantillo said.
This new program, she explained, is intended to supplement the ones already in place at Dress for Success, and is framed around five pillars: workplace etiquette, work/life balance, financial health, health and wellness, and leadership and civic responsibility.
“We provide them with a community of support,” she noted. “We’ve had women talk about how they feel like this is a sisterhood and that they’ve never felt so supported before in their lives.”
Confidence. Community. Sisterhood.
These key words mentioned above several times are what Dress for Success instills in women utilizing its programs. And these women want to succeed not only for themselves, but for each other.
“The flip side is, now, when they’re in a job, they have a real sense of responsibility because what they do doesn’t just impact them, it impacts the next person we refer to that employer,” Tantillo said. “It’s interesting to see how people respond when they feel like they’re part of something bigger.”
For Pelletier, she gained not only a community of support, but a second chance.
“I was at rock bottom, and I said, ‘OK, let me try this. Let me see where it goes from there,’” she said. “They can either kick me to the curb or they can say, ‘hey, come on in.’ And luckily, they said, ‘come on in.’”
Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]
Some of the municipal leaders who spoke with BusinessWest about economic development and progress in Ludlow.
For more than a decade now, the Ludlow Mills project, a 20-year initiative that is changing the face of that historic complex and bringing jobs, new businesses, and new places to live to this community, has been the dominant talking point when it comes to the subject of economic development here.
But municipal officials are quick to point out that it’s just one of many intriguing stories unfolding in this town of around 21,000 people, the sum of which adds up to an intriguing, very positive chapter in the history of this community across the Chicopee River from Indian Orchard.
Indeed, there are a number of both municipal and private-sector commercial projects in various stages of development that are keeping town officials busy, and providing ample evidence that this is a community on the rise — in many different respects.
On the municipal side of the equation, construction of a new elementary school, approved by town voters in the spring of 2018, is underway. The facility, to be called Harris Brook Elementary School, will essentially combine the Chapin Street and Veterans Park elementary schools, two aging structures, under one far more efficient roof. It is being constructed on the playing fields adjacent to the current Chapin school.
“It’s always a balancing act. You want to give the students the world, but there’s only so much we can do within the constraints of our budget.”
Meanwhile, construction will soon begin on a new senior center that will replace a facility deemed generally unsafe and largely inadequate for the town’s growing senior population.
“We’re in the basement of a 115-year-old building that used to be a high school and junior high school,” said Jodi Zepke, director of the Council on Aging, adding that the long corridors in the structure are difficult for seniors to navigate. “We’ve done a lot with what we have, but it’s time for a new building.”
The town is also implementing a new communication system, a central hub for police, fire, and EMT services, and has embarked on an extensive renovation of Center Street, the main business thoroughfare, a project in the planning stages since 2008 and deemed long-overdue, said Town Administrator Ellie Villano.
“This is a MassDOT state construction,” she said, explaining that the Commonwealth is paying for the changes to the road. “It widens Center Street and adds a center turn, bike lanes, and new sidewalks.”
All this will make Center Street more presentable and easy to navigate for visitors to two new fast-food restaurants that will take shape there in the coming months — a Wendy’s and a KFC.
These various developments present a combination of benefits and challenges — benefits such as tax dollars and additional vibrancy from the new businesses, and challenges when it comes to paying for all those municipal projects. But the former should definitely help with the latter, said Derek DeBarge, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
“One of the challenges is that a number of these big projects have all happened at the same time,” added Todd Gazda, superintendent of Ludlow schools. “We’re having to essentially prioritize all of these things, which are all important projects.”
For the latest in its long-running Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest talked with a number of town officials about the many forms of progress taking place and what they mean for the community moving forward.
“Revenue, revenue, revenue.”
That’s the word DeBarge repeated several times when asked about the motivating factors behind all the recent municipal projects.
“My concern is obviously trying to do better with our taxes,” he said, adding that a growing senior population, many of whom are living on a single income, is also at the top of the list. “As this revenue is coming in, with the solar, the KFC … it’s all tax-based revenue for us. And the more revenue that comes in, the better we can do for our departments, and that means the better we can do for our tax base, and that’s better for our constituents and for everyone.”
Elaborating, he said that, while town officials have worked hard to secure grants for these municipal projects — and they have received quite a few — the town must bear a good percentage of the cost of each project, which presents a stern budget challenge.
Year Incorporated: 1774
Population: 21,103
Area: 28.2 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $19.82
Commercial Tax Rate: $19.82
Median Household Income: $53,244
Median Family Income: $67,797
Type of government: Town Council, Representative Town Meeting
Largest Employers: Hampden County House of Correction; Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital; Massachusetts Air National Guard; Kleeberg Sheet Metal Inc.
*Latest information available
Education, and the need to modernize facilities, is just one example of this.
Gazda said the town has been doing a lot of work on the schools recently to improve the quality of educational services provided to students, and one of the top priorities has been to do it in a cost-effective and fiscally responsible manner.
“It’s always a balancing act,” he said. “You want to give the students the world, but there’s only so much we can do within the constraints of our budget.”
Gazda noted that maintenance costs on both Chapin and Veterans Park elementary schools, both built around 60 years ago, had become exorbitant. So a decision was made to put forth a proposal to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
“We’re currently under budget and ahead of schedule,” he said of the $60 million project, adding that the new facility is slated to open in the fall of 2021 with an estimated student enrollment of 620 to 640 students.
About 10 minutes down the road on the corner of State Street and First Avenue, the new, 18,000-square-foot senior center is under construction and due to open in roughly a year.
Like the new school, its construction has been prompted by the need to replace aging facilities and provide the community with a center that is state-of-the-art.
“It’s no secret that there’s more people over 60 than under 20, and that population of seniors is only going to continue to grow,” said Zepke. “We just took a hard look at the numbers, and we can barely accommodate what we have now.”
As for the new communications system, Ludlow Police Chief Paul Madera says this will make communication between all town entities and the central hub much easier, using radio rather than having to pick up a phone.
“All of our communication systems are in need of refurbishing, so the most prudent and fiscal approach was to combine them all together,” he said, adding that this project, with a price tag of more than $4 million, includes the implementation of a public-safety dispatch which combines police, fire, and EMS services into one center.
While these initiatives proceed, the town is undertaking a host of initiatives aimed at improving quality of life and making this a better community in which to live, work, and conduct business.
Ludlow CARES is one such effort. A community-run organization, it was launched with the goal of educating children and their parents on drug and alcohol abuse in response to the opioid epidemic. Now, DeBarge says it has spread to become much more than that, and has inspired other towns and cities to adopt similar programs.
“It has gotten huge to a point where it has gotten other communities involved with their own towns in a similar way,” he said.
Another organization, the Michael J. Dias Foundation, serves as a resource and a home for recovering addicts.
All these initiatives, DeBarge, Madera, and other town officials agreed, reflect upon the tight-knit community that Ludlow has become.
As nine town officials sat around the table informing BusinessWest about everything going on in Ludlow, they spoke with one voice about how, through teamwork at City Hall and other settings, pressing challenges are being undertaken, and economic development — in all its various forms — is taking place.
“Our staffs are doing a tremendous job,” Madera said. “They’re wearing multiple hats doing multiple jobs. There’s always room for improvement, but the fact is, they have to be given credit because they’re the boots on the ground.”
And they are making considerable progress in ensuring that this community with a proud past has a secure future.
Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]
Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of a new series for BusinessWest — car reviews of a sort. These are first-person looks, and some commentary, about some of the vehicles — and issues — that are, let’s say, in the news.
The author found driving the Stinger to be, well, an adventure.
When last we left our heroes — yes, I’m a huge Rocky & Bullwinkle fan and still have a ‘WhatsamataU?’ T-shirt (oldest thing I own) — we were talking about how no one’s driving cars anymore and SUVs now rule the earth.
While that’s an exaggeration (and Bullwinkle loved to exaggerate), it’s not far from the truth. SUVs are the big sellers, and cars are taking, well, a back seat.
These days, people need a good reason to drive a sedan, or several of them. Which is a nice way to segue to the Kia Stinger, the coolest, baddest sedan you’ve probably never heard of. Truth is, you’ve probably seen one and gone ‘what the heck is that?’ You could answer your own question if you, or the car in question, happened to be moving slowly enough to see the word ‘Stinger’ or the Kia logo. Or you were at a red light. It’s probably the latter, because the Stinger doesn’t move slowly. But we’ll get to that later.
Let’s get back to that ‘never heard of’ part. There are reasons for that.
First off, they don’t make many Stingers — it’s a specialty car of sorts and certainly not a big seller. Secondly, it’s made by Kia, which, although it’s made some serious strides in recent years, is still … Kia, a relative newcomer known mostly for making solid, economical cars with lots of value.
And that’s being kind. The company had a reputation, just like Hyundai did 20 to 25 years ago and Honda and Nissan (yes, I know, it was Datsun back then) did 40 to 45 years ago for making practical but uninspiring — and, yes, cheap, cars. Those brands grew up, and Kia has as well.
“It’s a wonderful vehicle — we’ve received a lot of positive response for it; most of the time, when we get them in, they sell out within 48 hours.”
The Stinger provides all the evidence you need, but there’s plenty more, said Mike Spanilo, general manager of Balise Kia in West Springfield, adding that the new Telluride, an in-demand, mid-sized SUV, is certainly making people rethink what ‘Kia’ means.
“It’s a wonderful vehicle — we’ve received a lot of positive response for it; most of the time, when we get them in, they sell out within 48 hours,” he said, adding that Kia now has a deep lineup of cars and SUVs that attract area buyers in all age groups.
Spanilo, who has been with Balise for more than 20 years now and sold GM and Chrysler products most recently, said he came to Kia with some preconceived notions that he soon realized were quite dated.
“My perspective on this, coming from two American-made brands, is that I was pleasantly surprised at what I found when I got here — because I had never driven a Kia before I got here,” he said. “If you’ve gotta sell ’em, you’ve gotta like ’em, and that has not been a difficult thing for me to transition to; this brand has definitely come a long way.”
All this brings us to the Stinger, and also … Jose Perozo, a sales associate at Balise Kia, whose story sounds a little like that of Victor Kiam. Sort of.
You remember him — probably. Maybe not. He’s the guy who owned Remington shavers and, later, the New England Patriots — thankfully, not for very long; one of his teams went 1-15. Anyway, the line he used in his commercials for Remington was, “I liked the shaver so much, I bought the company.”
The Stinger blends concept-car looks with performance and value.
Perozo bought a Kia a few years back and liked them so much he went to work selling them. And while selling them, he absolutely fell in love with the Stinger. So much so, he bought one.
Coincidentally, he was bringing his home just a few hours before he took this writer along for a ride — not in his car, but the other Stinger on the lot.
To say that he could barely control his excitement would be an understatement. Every time he accelerated, and every time he thought he saw a Camaro, Mustang, or Charger driver looking over in what he perceived to be envy, you could see some discernable pride in ownership.
And that speaks quite loudly and effectively not only for this model, but the whole Kia lineup.
You don’t have to put the Kerwood Derby on your head (best Bullwinkle plotline ever; Google it) to know that Riverdale Street isn’t a good stretch for test-driving a car. There’s a ton of traffic, red lights that stay red for an hour or two, and long stretches where you have to go in the direction opposite from the one you want to in to get where you want to go.
Fortunately, a U-turn and a few of those lights later, you’re on that stretch of Route 5 that includes the North End, Memorial, and South End bridges, where the Stinger can begin to show what it can do. And after a quick trip over the last of those bridges and onto I-91, you can really get the idea.
The Stinger GT2 we drove ($51,000 fully loaded; top of the line) has a twin-turbo V-6 that delivers 360 horses and goes from zero to 60 in about 4.7 seconds. Drivers can choose a number of ‘modes’ for travel, or the car can pick one itself. These include ‘economy,’ ‘comfort,’ ‘smart,’ and ‘sport.’ The last of those options is obviously the most fun.
As Perozo punched the accelerator while in sport mode, the Stinger showed off its considerable straight-line speed, which is just one of its many positive traits. Others include the exterior design — it has concept-car looks — decent amounts of handling and comfort, optional all-wheel drive, and the requisite bells and whistles in the infotainment category — Apple CarPlay and Adroid Auto are standard.
While the Stinger has many of the safety features available on luxury brands — and even some non-luxury brands — today, it doesn’t go overboard, if you know what I mean.
And the trunk even passes the golf-club test, which, as we all know, is what the experts look for when scoring a vehicle. Forget those JD Power awards — can you get the golf clubs in the trunk?
And there’s something else. While the Stinger has many of the safety features available on luxury brands — and even some non-luxury brands — today, it doesn’t go overboard, if you know what I mean.
(Warning: old-man rant coming!) If you don’t know what I mean, cars that will alert you when to brake or if there’s a vehicle in your blind spot are fine, for the most part. Cars that flash the speed limit for the road you’re on and then make it blink on and off when going above it, and cars that not only alert you if you’re drafting from the center of your lane but yank you back to center, well … I have people yelling at me and telling I’m doing something wrong all day long; I don’t need the car to do that, too.
The Stinger doesn’t do any of that. What it does is almost defy categorization. It’s a luxury car, but not like most. It’s a performance vehicle, but not like most. It’s a muscle car (well, sort of, but not really) that’s not like most. And it can compete with cars in all those categories. It isn’t inexpensive — the entry-level, four-cylinder model is priced at $34,000 — but that’s far less than most of the luxury brands it competes against, and there is considerably more value.
Kia has indeed come of age, and the Stinger is just one of the models that makes this clear.
You’re wondering about that Kerwood Derby thing, aren’t you? See, there was this guy on Candid Camera (yes, from the early ’60s, I know), a co-host of sorts named Durwood Kirby who was bland and, quite frankly, dumber than a bag of hammers. The makers of Rocky & Bullwinkle spoofed the name in an episode all about a derby that had magical powers and could make its wearer the smartest person in the world. Guess you had to see it.
If you did, you’re getting old; you need to feel younger. Test driving a Stinger will certainly help.
As for this series of car reviews, in the true spirit of Rocky & Bullwinkle, tune in next time, when ‘O’Brien Vettes a Chevy,’ or ‘O’Brien takes on all Challengers.’
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
When the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) launched nonstop flights on Frontier Airlines from Bradley International Airport to Miami on Nov. 14, it marked yet another success in the airport’s goal of expanding destinations for customers, particularly budget, non-stop flights.
“We are excited to launch Frontier Airlines’ non-stop to Miami from Bradley International Airport,” said Kevin Dillon, executive director of the CAA. “Frontier Airlines’ low-cost model is a key addition to our route structure. We are pleased to offer our passengers this additional travel option along with the high level of customer service that Frontier offers to its customers.”
The non-stop service will operate seasonally starting through April 2020 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, aboard an A320 Neo aircraft. The outbound flight departs from Bradley at 8 p.m. and arrives at Miami International Airport at 11:23 p.m. The inbound flight leaves Miami at 3:55 p.m. and arrives at Bradley at 7:04 p.m.
Frontier Airlines also operates non-stop flights from Bradley to Denver, Orlando, and Raleigh-Durham. Non-stop flights to Orlando operate year-round, and the non-stop flights to Denver and Raleigh-Durham operate seasonally.
“We’re happy to expand our service at Bradley International Airport with non-stop flights to Miami,” said Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of Commercial for Frontier Airlines. “These new flights are an affordable and convenient option for travel to South Florida to explore the unique dining, sunny beaches, and endless activities. We appreciate the support of the community and look forward to continuing our outstanding partnership with the airport where we now offer four non-stop destinations.”
When the CAA took over operations at Bradley in 2013, it was handling roughly 5.5 million passengers a year. Now, that figure is more than 6.6 million.
Recent years have seen Bradley launch low-cost, non-stop service to Pittsburgh on Via Airlines, and to St. Louis on Southwest Airlines. Meanwhile, internationally, the daily Aer Lingus flight to Dublin introduced in 2016 has becoming increasingly popular with business and leisure flyers, and last year the airline committed to another four years at Bradley.
These developments, among others, have contributed to six straight years of passenger growth since the CAA began managing the airport in Windsor Locks in 2013. When the CAA took over operations at Bradley in 2013, it was handling roughly 5.5 million passengers a year. Now, that figure is more than 6.6 million.
And it’s not just flight expansion, but improvement in amenities as well. Bradley has added new eateries in recent years, such as Phillips Seafood and Two Roads Brewery. It also saw the opening earlier this month of Natalie’s Candy Jar, a self-serve candy store with more than 400 different sweet treats, beverages, and candy-related gift items.
“Natalie’s Candy Jar is a popular brand with a national footprint, making it a key addition to Bradley’s customer experience,” Dillon said. “The store’s unique and fun atmosphere, coupled with the high quality of candy, sugar-free treats, and gifts, will be well-received by travelers of all ages.”
Meanwhile, Travelers Aid International has begun serving Bradley’s passengers with a guest-service volunteer program. Travelers Aid currently operates similar guest-service volunteer programs at four other airports: New York JFK, Newark Liberty, Washington Dulles, and Washington Reagan.
These service-focused improvements have all helped Bradley International Airport earn a spot in the prestigious ranking of five best airports in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler three years in a row.
Dillon hopes readers keep the accolades coming for Bradley’s planned, $210 million ground transportation center, which recently broke ground for construction. When it’s open, passengers will be able to fly into Bradley and connect to the transportation center via a walkway from the terminal. All the rental-car companies serving Bradley will be located there, as well as 830 spaces of public parking.
The transportation facility will also serve as a transit hub for the various bus services into and out of Bradley, as a connecting point to the rail line that now connects New Haven with Springfield.
—Joseph Bednar
Mike Howard, assistant manager of ATG Westfield, stands by one of the many trucks for sale at the facility on Southampton Road.
John Paulik summed things up by saying that “something had to give.”
That’s how he described some conflicting forces within the truck sales and service industry in the Northeast, specifically an ongoing pattern of consolidation among many of the players, as well as a desire for some of these players to stay independent.
Again, something had to give. And it did.
While in most respects it looks like a merger, he called it a “joint venture,” the coming together roughly a year ago of Tri State Truck Center of Shrewsbury and McDevitt Trucks, which owned the Patriot Freightliner dealership on Southampton Road in Westfield — along with three other dealerships in New Hampshire and one in Vermont — to create Advantage Truck Group, or ATG.
This larger entity, a comprehensive dealer network, is now the largest Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) dealer network in New England, said Paulik, its senior vice president and general manager, and it uses this size and geographic reach to, well, its advantage as it specializes in sales, service, and support of DTNA’s Western Star and Freightliner branded trucks.
“Merging all these locations under one roof just made a good deal of sense on a number of levels — central management is a great advantage,” he said, noting that there are economies of scale to be gained and other benefits from the sheer size and scope of the operation. “Another advantage is that we’re not competing against one another anymore.”
Paulik said ATG’s customer base is broad and diverse, meaning it includes large fleets, small owner-operators in myriad businesses, and just about everything in between, including municipal vehicles, ambulances, and utility trucks. For entities of all sizes, keeping trucks on the road is the obvious goal, and ATG supports them in this quest in a number of ways.
For example, it has the largest parts network in New England, supported by a fleet of 25 parts-delivery vans that provide daily service to customers. There’s also an on-site maintenance program and on-call access 24/7/365 to emergency roadside assistance.
But while the business keeps rolling — that’s an industry term — and the merger, or joint venture, is working as those who orchestrated it had hoped it would, there are a number of challenges to continued growth, said Paulik, especially the recruitment of a skilled workforce.
“These small businesses can’t afford to have their vehicles down — that’s their livelihood. When their truck is down, we help get it back on the road again.”
And by workforce, he means much more than diesel technicians, although that’s a big part of it. Indeed, the challenge extends to every facet of the business.
“The biggest story for us is finding employees — not only technicians but parts people, warehouse workers, and those in truck sales,” he explained. “It’s all down the line.”
As a result, ATG works with local schools and the state’s workforce system to bring attention to the many attractive career opportunities within the trucking and transportation industry.
“We’re working to help young people interested in the trades and all aspects of this industry,” Paulik went on. “Yes, there is a huge problem with hiring technicians, but a dealership is more than just technicians; a dealership has many job titles.”
Backing up a bit — something else they do in this industry — Paulik said there were a number of forces that brought Tri State Truck Center and McDevitt Trucks together. Primarily, though, it was the size, strength, and flexibility that such a union can provide that made it attractive.
“DTNA has been promoting dealer consolidation for some time — it’s looking for regional rather than individual dealers,” he explained, adding that there were several reasons why such consolidation was somewhat slow to develop in New England — primarily because several of the locations were family owned, well-established in their respective markets, and wanted to stay independent.
But given the current climate, it simply made sense to bring the two companies and their various locations under one central ownership.
“This was the right time to do this — to create a regional truck dealership group,” he told BusinessWest. “This gives the customers a higher level of support, and it aligns the two dealers.”
Thus, the ATG name is now over the door of the sprawling Westfield facility, as well as those in Shrewsbury, Seabrook, N.H., and Westminster, Vt. Affiliated McDevitt dealers in both Lancaster and Manchester, N.H. are also part of the ATG dealer network.
The Westfield location, which, like the others, is well-situated off major arteries (in this case the Mass Pike, Route 20, and Routes 10/202), sells more than 100 trucks on average each year, and will service more than 700 vehicles of all sizes, from 18-wheelers to municipal vehicles, such as DPW and trash trucks.
ATG’s commitment to providing the highest standard of service for its customers is rooted in its dedication to Elite Support, said Paulik, referring to a collaborative initiative between Daimler Trucks North America and its dealers to improve the customer experience at Freightliner and Western Star dealerships. Elite Support certification involves a rigorous continuous-improvement process that covers all areas of customer service, overall quality of workmanship, rapid diagnosis, turnaround times, robust parts availability, and exceptional customer amenities. Both the ATG-Shrewsbury and ATG-Westfield locations are Elite Support-certified, he noted, and the company is taking the necessary steps to achieve certification at its other Freightliner and Western Star dealer locations.
ATG is adding resources and expanding other customer-support initiatives across its dealer network, he went on, including a “warranty on wheels” program for Freightliner and Western Star vehicles that enables warranty work to be performed by ATG technicians on site at customer locations, and service vans in each state that provide on-call access 24/7 to emergency roadside assistance for a wide range of vehicle brands. Meanwhile, dedicated service and support staff at each dealership have access to information systems that have been integrated across all ATG locations to give customers real-time visibility of parts inventory and service and repair status.
These are just some of the advantages that come with this joint venture, said Paulik, adding that the customers, which, again, come in all sizes, are the real beneficiaries.
Elaborating, he said that, while ATG handles a number of large fleets, including those for Stop & Shop, Burke Oil, and Regency Transport, among many others, the majority of its customers are smaller, locally based businesses that rely on their trucks to keep products moving and revenue coming in.
“We focus on local businesses, and we treat smaller businesses like large ones,” he told BusinessWest. “These small businesses can’t afford to have their vehicles down — that’s their livelihood. When their truck is down, we help get it back on the road again.”
Looking down that road, Paulik said the creation of ATG will continue to bring benefits for the dealers in the group as well as the customers they serve.
As he said at the top, something had to give, and what has emerged from this joint venture is a dealership group well-positioned to stay in the fast lane for years, and decades, to come.
— George O’Brien
By Chris St. Martin and Sarah Morgan
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published regulations on domestic hemp production. However, there remains significant confusion surrounding the legality of cannabis, marijuana, and hemp.
Chris St. Martin
Sarah Morgan
This confusion comes from state and federal governments’ shifting approaches to regulating these industries. It is even more difficult to understand the legal framework surrounding retail sales, which include hemp and CBD products, as well as marijuana products sold by state-licensed dispensaries. In this article, we hope to provide some clarity regarding what the laws say about cannabis and how they are being enforced.
Cannabis is a plant genus, or family, composed of three species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. The species have physical variations between them that allow them to grow in different environments, flower at different periods during the growth cycle, and contain different chemical properties (see discussion on cannabinoids below) that produce different sensations when ingested.
Strains (think, ‘flavors’) produced from the Cannabis sativa species tend to incite feelings of euphoria, boost energy and creativity, and lead to a more head-focused high. Cannabis indica, alternatively, primarily affects the body, and is often helpful in reducing muscle aches and pains and inducing sleep. For these reasons, strains cultivated from indica plants tend to be more useful for medicinal purposes.
“THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the cannabinoid responsible primarily for producing the psychoactive effect, or the ‘high,’ commonly associated with ingesting cannabis.”
Cannabis ruderalis is somewhat between sativa and indica, and has lower yields, but can often be cross-bred with other species to create medicinal strains. The stems of this species can also be used to make clothing and textiles.
The flowering buds of the cannabis plant produce a resin that contains cannabinoids, which are unique chemical compounds found only in cannabis and interact with different receptors in the user’s central nervous system to produce the effects described above.
The ratio of the cannabinoids in a particular strain depends on the genetics of the plant from which it is derived — in other words, how the plant has been bred by selectively combining sativa and indica plants to emphasize particular cannabinoids over others and create a unique strain with individualized characteristics.
More than 100 cannabinoids have been identified, most notably THC and CBD.
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the cannabinoid responsible primarily for producing the psychoactive effect, or the ‘high,’ commonly associated with ingesting cannabis. Although THC is most notable for its psychoactive properties, it has also been purported to have medical benefits on the user and can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including seizures, inflammation, pain, nausea, depression, and anxiety.
CBD, or cannabidiol, has anti-anxiety effects on the user and is utilized primarily for its purported medicinal benefits. It does not produce psychoactive effects (in fact, it may lessen the psychoactive effects of THC), and, for this reason, although CBD and THC have similar medicinal benefits, some people may choose to ingest only CBD to avoid feeling the ‘high’ brought about by THC.
CBD can be extracted from the resin of the cannabis plant and can be processed into essential oils, tinctures, and other non-smokable forms. CBD can even be added to body-care products and applied topically.
The term ‘marijuana’ is generally used to identify cannabis that is cultivated for its intoxicating effect on a user. Marijuana was made effectively illegal under federal law with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.
The Legislature later classified, and criminalized, marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, during the nascent ‘war on drugs’ declared by President Nixon. Classification as Schedule 1 — alongside heroin, LSD, and ecstasy — means that marijuana is deemed to have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential of abuse.
Public sentiment has recently begun to reject this classification of marijuana and the total federal prohibition. Although, at this writing, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, 11 states, including Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia, have passed laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use, and 23 others have legalized the use of medical marijuana. Since 2016 in Massachusetts, individuals age 21 or older may possess up to an ounce or more on their person and up to 10 ounces in their homes without violating Massachusetts law.
The Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), the agency tasked with regulating the state’s marijuana industry, provides further information regarding the Massachusetts law on its website.
Cannabis that is selectively bred for non-intoxicating properties is considered ‘hemp.’ Industrial hemp is one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world and is useful in formulating textiles, rope, paper, plastics, insulation, oil, and body-care products. Because of this selective breeding, hemp plants contain only trace amounts of THC, but their CBD levels are unchanged.
“State and federal legal developments have created a confusing CBD marketplace. Stores everywhere are selling CBD products intended for human consumption and making health claims about such products. However, both types of sales are illegal, according to state and federal agencies.”
Hemp is cultivated to enhance its distinctively versatile qualities, such as longer, more fibrous stalks and shorter leaves, rather than for the leaves and flower buds for which marijuana plants are cultivated. Because of this, hemp cannot be consumed as an intoxicant. Nevertheless, the Controlled Substances Act did not distinguish between marijuana and hemp (since both are technically cannabis) in classifying marijuana as a Schedule I substance; therefore, hemp was swept up in the heyday of the war on drugs and made illegal.
Under the Farm Bill of 2018, the U.S. Congress, for the first time, legalized the production and sale of hemp at the federal level, eliminating its status as a Schedule I narcotic. The Farm Bill and regulations define hemp as cannabis containing not more than 0.3% THC. Cannabis plants containing any quantity of THC above that amount are classified as marijuana, and remain illegal under federal law. In late October, the USDA published interim regulations on hemp production, which means they are subject to change after a public comment period but were effective immediately.
These regulations also set forth licensing requirements, procedures for testing THC levels and disposal of non-compliant plants, and rules governing other aspects of the industry.
The FDA has taken a more cautious approach, citing concerns about whether CBD is safe to consume in food and supplements. In an April 2019 statement, the agency sought to clarify its position on hemp products. The statement indicated that enforcement resources are directed toward illegal sales of CBD products that claim to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure serious diseases, such as cancer.
However, it also stated that it is unlawful to introduce CBD-containing food into interstate commerce or to market CBD products as dietary supplements.
This means that effectively all CBD food products, including those derived from legally grown hemp, are unlawful, according to the FDA. The only hemp products that can be legally added to foods are hulled hemp seed, hemp-seed protein powder, and hemp-seed oil, because the seed of the hemp plant contains neither CBD nor THC.
The FDA has undertaken to develop CBD regulations, but despite repeated urging from the USDA and members of Congress, the former FDA commissioner indicated that that the rule-making process around CBD food products would be more complex than conventional products and could take years.
Massachusetts legalized hemp production as a component of the same 2016 law that legalized recreational cannabis. However, after the change of law at the federal level, both the state Department of Agricultural Resources and Department of Public Health issued policy statements on the same day imposing strict rules on hemp products. These two statements echo the FDA’s prohibitions on adding CBD to food products and making health claims about CBD.
These state and federal legal developments have created a confusing CBD marketplace. Stores everywhere are selling CBD products intended for human consumption and making health claims about such products. However, both types of sales are illegal, according to state and federal agencies. Consumers, retailers, growers, and other stakeholders are looking for information about what is legal, what is not, and why there is so much ambiguity.
CBD derived from marijuana remains illegal under federal law. However, the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts has indicated he will not direct his office’s resources to federally prosecute cannabis companies that are permitted under state law, a move that has allowed the cannabis industry in Massachusetts to flourish. Under this state’s regulatory regime, marijuana products containing CBD, as well as THC, can be bought and sold at cannabis dispensaries that are licensed by the CCC.
Retailers in Massachusetts sell cannabis flower, edibles, concentrates, and other forms of marijuana containing both THC and CBD. CCC regulations do not classify edible marijuana products as food, allowing dispensaries to sell CBD-infused edibles without contravening the state Department of Public Health’s policy.
In contrast, despite the federal and state legality of producing hemp, some of the most popular hemp-derived CBD products — food and supplements — cannot be sold under either state or federal law. Nevertheless, the CBD industry may avoid total extinction, since CBD can be added to topical lotions and other cosmetics without defying the laws.
Non-food CBD products, however, represent a small percentage of the potential uses of CBD, and the loss of a valuable opportunity for introducing additional, more profitable products containing CBD into the marketplace adds further demand for the FDA to promulgate its promised CBD rules. Furthermore, hemp can be legally sold for rope, clothing, building material, and other non-ingestible uses, but hemp farmers have stated that Massachusetts currently lacks the manufacturing infrastructure necessary to process the plant for these purposes.
Chris St. Martin and Sarah Morgan are both litigation associates at Bulkley Richardson; (413) 781-2820.
A Listing of Available Commercial Properties for November 2019
By Rebecca Mercieri Rivaux, Esq.
Rebecca Mercieri Rivaux
Small-business owners will soon have a more affordable option to reorganize their companies. In February 2020, the Small Business Reorganization Act (SBRA) will go into effect, providing a new type of relief to small-business debtors.
The SBRA creates a new subchapter within Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. While Chapter 11 bankruptcy generally provides for business reorganization (usually involving a corporation or partnership), it can be an unappealing option for many small-business debtors, due to complex procedural requirements and high legal and administrative costs. The SBRA will expedite reorganization for small-business debtors by streamlining the burdensome requirements of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The SBRA is, in fact, very comparable to a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the kind used by individuals. Just as with Chapter 13 filings for individuals, an SBRA debtor can expect to have a trustee appointed by the bankruptcy court. The court-appointed trustee will aid the small business in developing a reorganization plan, but is not likely to be involved in any operational aspects of the business. This essentially allows the debtor to remain in possession and control of their own business during the bankruptcy process. The trustee is responsible for disbursing payments to creditors under the reorganization plan.
In order to take advantage of the new SBRA, a debtor must first qualify as a small business. To qualify, the debtor must be a person or entity engaged in a commercial or business activity. If such a business has secured and unsecured debt totaling less than $2,725,625, the business may propose a reorganization plan under the SBRA — so long as they use net income to repay creditors.
This is in keeping with the general practices of Chapter 11, where a debtor usually proposes a plan of reorganization to keep its business in existence and pay creditors over time.
SBRA debtors must produce a copy of the business’ most recent balance sheet, a statement of operations, a cash-flow statement, and a federal income — or file a sworn statement that such documents do not exist.
The SBRA allows the small-business debtor to repay its creditors within a payment plan of three to five years, as the bankruptcy court determines. The SBRA also allows small-business debtors a greater opportunity to retain their ownership interests in their business, even when claims have not been repaid in full (in contrast with a typical Chapter 11 bankruptcy, where a shareholder cannot retain equity in the business unless creditors are paid in full).
To qualify, the debtor must be a person or entity engaged in a commercial or business activity. If such a business has secured and unsecured debt totaling less than $2,725,625, the business may propose a reorganization plan under the SBRA — so long as they use net income to repay creditors.
Another significant benefit to the SBRA is a specialized restructuring strategy offered to individual debtors. An individual who qualifies as a small-business debtor can modify the mortgage on his or her principal residence, provided that the mortgage loan was not used to acquire the real property, but was used primarily in connection with the debtor’s business — such as an individual who is borrowing against the equity in their home for the purpose of supporting their business. This individual small-business debtor would then be able to reduce the loan to the value of the secured claim, propose a lower interest rate, or extend the maturity date of the loan. Once the small-business debtor has completed all payments to creditors, a discharge is granted.
Under the SBRA, the only excluded activity for the small business debtor is operating “single-asset real estate,” a term that describes a debtor who receives substantially all of its gross income from the operation of a single real property.
Despite this restriction, for many small business debtors, the SBRA will offer relief and a realistic means to reorganize and restructure their businesses under the Bankruptcy Code.
Rebecca Mercieri Rivaux is an associate with Bacon Wilson, P.C., and a member of the firm’s bankruptcy and business/corporate practice groups; [email protected]
Fern Selesnick says ageism does exist in the work world, but sometimes people also fall prey to harmful self-stereotypes.
Fern Selesnick says older job seekers have clear advantages over younger applicants — most notably, a lifetime of experience.
“You can say, ‘I have experience in this field, and I pretty much know what’s coming around the bend and can solve problems, and nothing can throw me,’” she told attendees of a recent workshop for mature workers at the MassHire Springfield Career Center.
“The people out there who are younger than you cannot say that,” she went on. “And the only reason you can say you know the problems that come up and you know how to solve them and you are unflappable is your age. That translates to an employer saying, ‘this person is going to save me time, money, and headaches. I won’t have to work so hard.’”
It’s a message she’s shared many times with clients of Fern Selesnick Consulting in Hatfield, which specializes in career decisions and job-search skills like interviewing and résumé writing for clients ranging from students to, yes, mature workers and career changers.
But she’s also realistic about the attitudes older job seekers will face during their search, and noted that ‘old’ means different things in different fields. For example, professional athletes are considered old by their 30s, airline pilots by their 50s, and Supreme Court justices not until their 80s. But anyone, in any field, can encounter ageism.
“The interesting thing about ageism is that it’s the only form of discrimination that people can practice on others when they’re young and become a victim of when they’re old. It’s a very weird ‘ism’ in that way.”
“It can also vary by industry,” she said. “In the United States today, there is ageism, and there is age discrimination — not across the board, but it is a strong enough force to be aware of.
“The interesting thing about ageism is that it’s the only form of discrimination that people can practice on others when they’re young and become a victim of when they’re old. It’s a very weird ‘ism’ in that way,” she added. “But there are laws that protect mature workers.”
Among these is the 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which protects workers and job applicants above age 40 from discrimination based on age. States have incorporated their own laws — but none of these guarantees that older job seekers won’t run into outdated attitudes, whether blatant or subtle, Selesnick said.
“But there are also opportunities,” she went on, noting that it’s important for mature workers to understand their worth, while doing what they can to boost their skills and readiness for a new job or career change. “It’s critically important to not believe the myths about ageism. Those myths impact finances and health, as well as quality of life.”
There are many reasons why someone chooses to remain in the job market past traditional retirement age. Finances are a major factor: 40% of Americans, including a large swath of older workers, have amassed retirement savings of less than $10,000.
But older workers bring plenty of adaptability to the table, Selesnick added, as they seek to extend their working years. Many are self-employed; in fact, according to the AARP, more than half of all new businesses are started by people over age 50. Meanwhile, people over age 75 have the highest rate of self-employment of any age group.
Being one’s own boss, of course, means not losing a job to age discrimination. But it can also mean long hours, and it’s risky — half of small businesses fail in the first five years. She recommended accessing resources like the Senior Corps of Retired Executives and the UMass Small Business Development Center for free advising on self-employment matters.
For those seeking to work well into retirement, whether for themselves or a boss, she listed a number of essential tasks, including learning how Social Security works, updating one’s résumé, researching occupational requirements, and even taking care of one’s health and managing chronic conditions. She was quick to add, however, that even people dealing with chronic illness can bring much to a job, from intelligence and wisdom to interpersonal skills and a keen sense of humor.
“Remember, a person is not their illness, even though it can be traumatic when a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness,” she added. “It’s important to remember that’s not all of who a person is, and a person can still have tremendous functioning with a chronic illness.”
Selesnick encouraged workshop attendees to avoid ‘internalized ageism,’ which are self-stereotypes often developed at a young age, and instead focus on positive qualities of aging, such as good judgment and impulse control developed over a lifetime.
“It’s important to consider what’s been gained rather than what’s been lost,” she said. “A lot of things my friends would do in their 20s, they would never do now. Which is not to say something negative about youth, because I don’t want to reverse age discriminate. But the judgment and ability to evaluate situations is something that develops with age. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
And it’s something employers value, she added. But more important is the ability to do the job, and it when it comes to changing careers, people need to consider what kind of retraining that might entail — a certificate that can be earned in a few months, perhaps online, or a full degree program they may not have the time or money to pursue.
“So, if you’re going to need to be retrained, is it a retraining you can take on? Or do you have transferrable skills, so you can just switch gears?”
Sometimes all it takes is an upgrade in technology skills, and MassHire Springfield is one of many agencies offering classes in computer use and specific programs. She said one positive stereotype of Baby Boomers is their work ethic, and that often manifests as a willingness to learn new technology if it’s needed for work.
But it’s equally important, she added, to be enthusiastic and confident with that technology, because those who seem hesitant or reluctant may be screened out by recruiters without a second thought.
Selesnick also went over the basics of résumé preparation with workshop attendees, noting that applicant-tracking software will filter out applications without certain keywords before they ever make it to an HR manager’s desk. In effect, applicants are writing a résumé for two audiences — the software and an actual human being.
From there, hopefully, it’s on to the interview, which allows applicants to showcase their skills, confidence, and, yes, wisdom and good judgment collected through the years.
But it also helps to know someone, which is why Selesnick encouraged her audience to network as much as possible. “Research has shown that, if an employer receives a tip from someone they trust about a potential candidate, they’re going to trust that more than the résumé.”
Still, if the playing field is even — and it sometimes isn’t, because ageism is still a fact of life — an interview should provide an opportunity to connect on a personal level and to prove that age is no liability.
“Remember, when you’re walking into that interview, that’s your ace in the hole,” she concluded. “Your age is not your downfall — it’s your plus.”
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
Dawn Creighton says she’s excited about finding solutions to area employers’ needs.
During her decade-long tenure as regional director for Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), Dawn Creighton’s role was basically to support member businesses in the 413.
“I went out and met with member companies, with their executive directors, and they would tell me what their biggest business challenges are, and I would try to find them a solution,” she told BusinessWest. “Sure enough, every single one of them said, ‘Dawn, if you could get me the bodies, I could double my workforce.’ No matter what the industry was, I’d meet with the HR person, and she’d say, ‘oh my God, Dawn, help me find somebody.’”
In those years, she formed connections between companies and resources like the region’s colleges and universities, but she wanted to be more than a connector.
And now she is. In her new position, as chief Workforce Development officer for Greenfield Community College (GCC), she can actually help build the programs that create that worker pipeline — and she’s excited about the possibilities.
“This opportunity became available, and I was like, ‘wait — I actually get to do something about this.’ It’s really exciting.”
Creighton, who works at GCC’s Downtown Center at 270 Main St. in Greenfield, had been on the job only three weeks when she sat down with BusinessWest to share that excitement, although she described her job in vague terms for a reason: at the moment, she’s mostly listening — and learning.
“What’s the purpose of higher education if we’re not building the student for the workforce they’re entering? We get it, and want to be able to do that.”
“My first 30 days have been really meeting with the employees at GCC and what they’re doing in the community. Then I’m spending the next 30 days meeting with the employers in the community, finding out what their needs are to make sure we’re building the programs they need. Then the next 30 days will be spent with our community partners, finding out how we can build programs together,” she explained.
“Once all that comes together, we’ll be figuring out what we’re already doing and doing well, and building new programs,” she went on. “What does that look like? Do we need to add more technology training? What are the needs of the community?”
Creighton is no stranger to GCC — she’s a 2005 graduate of the college who began her career as an employment specialist at MassLive before becoming AIM’s regional director for Western Mass. in 2009. During her tenure at AIM, she served thousands of employer members, uniting them around issues ranging from healthcare and employment law to sustainability, budgeting, and hiring.
In doing so, she developed an understanding of the diverse needs of employers across the region, including manufacturing, but she is also invested in furthering innovation and bolstering the creative economy. Thus, she’s in a good position to help GCC integrate the liberal arts and technical education it offers, said college President Yves Salomon-Fernandez.
“As an alumna, we are especially proud of Dawn’s professional achievements and are delighted that she wants to serve her alma mater and community this way,” Salomon-Fernandez said. “She rose to the top in the search process. There is much anticipation for her to lead us to new heights.”
Among her responsibilities, Creighton oversees the college’s non-credit programs, from manufacturing to personal enrichment — “you’d be amazed how many people are interested in taking ukulele lessons and salsa dancing and tango.”
But when it comes to crafting programs that better train students for fertile career opportunities — thus helping companies grow — “there’s always more potential, and that’s why I’m here,” she said.
“Many, many moons ago, the impression [of community colleges] from the business world was, ‘here’s our student, take it.’ Now the business community has a chance to be the model for the student,” she went on. “What’s the purpose of higher education if we’re not building the student for the workforce they’re entering? We get it, and want to be able to do that.”
The college is currently crafting a strategic plan, seeking input from the community and companies of all types and sizes, to better hone and respond to those workforce needs, she explained. “It’s an exciting time, and the vision for what people want to see from the community college is huge. We’re reaching out to people and asking for their time to help us build the product they need — the student.
“They’re so excited to have their voice heard,” she added. “They’re calling me and telling me what they need, and they want to be a part of it — ‘how can I help?’ It’s this contagious vibe of getting involved. I’ve had people say, ‘if you build this program or do this training, I’ll even send some of my people in to talk about it in a real-world context. I’ll even do apprenticeships; I’ll do internships.’ They’re not interested in a handoff; they want to be hands-on.”
The goal, Creighton noted, is to get those ‘bodies’ in positions of need — actually, not just any bodies, but well-trained individuals — and help companies grow, at the same time establishing Western Mass. as a strong job market, attracting still more talent, which helps companies grow more, and it becomes a snowball effect.
“Every industry has a shortage of people,” she said, but specifically people with essential life skills — what some call soft skills, though she doesn’t like that term. “It sounds fluffy — but it’s real.”
For example, many employees and job seekers simply don’t understand the need to be punctual, or to stay off their smartphone during work hours, or that a 9-to-5 job means actually working 9 to 5. “To some people, it’s common sense; to others, it’s not. It’s just not an environment they’ve been in.”
And while Millennials have gotten a bad rap, this soft-skills gap spans the generations, Creighton said. In fact, in many ways, Millennials are a positive force, forcing companies to rethink old ways of doing business.
“With all this new leadership in the community, it’s just a fun, exciting buzz and vibe in Franklin County.”
She recalled participating on a panel with a banker who told her about a job he had early in his career. He was so savvy with technology, he’d get a day’s work done in five hours, but his boss wouldn’t give him additional duties, as not to show up his co-workers, so once his day’s work was complete, he’d sit at his desk, buried in his phone.
“Everyone looks at him like he’s this slacker,” she said. “He ended up leaving — no surprise there. And how many other people are leaving because they’re underutilized?”
The bottom line is that companies and their employees can learn from each other to help each other succeed, she explained — and that’s another way organizations can grow.
As the former board president of Dress for Success, Creighton also built Foot in the Door, a workforce-readiness program dedicated to helping women develop critical skills for entering and re-entering the workforce. So she’s no stranger to these issues.
And she’s energized by all the new blood in regional leadership. For example, Salomon-Fernandez has been on the job just a year, and so has Diana Szynal, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.
“With all this new leadership in the community, it’s just a fun, exciting buzz and vibe in Franklin County,” Creighton said. “Everyone’s saying, ‘let’s try it this way,’ and nobody’s saying, ‘no, we did that before.’ And we’re working collaboratively together.”
While touring manufacturers and other businesses to determine what they need to grow, she added, it’s important to understand that many tools and programs are already in place. “We just need to package them differently. I’m excited when I hear the things people want and realize we’re already doing it and we could just do it in a more robust way.”
Finally, Creighton wants to celebrate the region’s economic successes while striving to add to them — and make sure GCC has a key role in doing so.
“So many people talk about how many people leave the region. OK, people leave — we get that,” she said. “But let’s focus on how many people stay, and what their economic impact is on our community. That’s where our focus should be.”
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
On the gridiron, they call it ‘piling on.’
That’s when one tackler stops the ball carrier and begins to take him down, and a number of teammates come over and help him get the job done. That’s piling on.
The phrase has been adapted for use off the football field as well. It has taken on several meanings, and is often used in the context of debates and adding many voices to an expressed opinion on a particular subject.
With that, we’ll say we’re piling on today on the subject of UMass football, or the sorry state of UMass Amherst football, to be more precise. To be sarcastic, and a little snarky, this team probably hasn’t piled on all season, and that explains why it’s giving up more than 50 points a game on average. And this isn’t to LSU, Ohio State, or Oklahoma, either. It’s to Army, Liberty, UConn, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern, and other non-powerhouses in college football.
But this isn’t a column for the sports page. It’s an editorial for a business publication. College football is business, but, more to the point, we believe the sad state of the football team is hurting the business — and the brand — of the state university.
We’re not the only ones expressing this opinion, hence that comment about piling on.
Indeed, other media outlets have gone beyond printing the abysmal scores of the UMass games — 44-0, 69-21, 63-21, and 63-7 have been some of the recent ones — and are now asking, ‘why are we still doing this?’
‘This,’ of course, is playing football in what’s known as the Football Bowl Subdivision, where the Alabamas, Georgias, and Notre Dames live. UMass has played all those schools and others, generally receiving more than $1 million for the privilege of traveling to those college towns, becoming a designated cupcake on the schedule, and getting trucked by the home team.
We’d say it’s getting embarrassing, but it’s well past the ‘getting’ stage — so much so that UMass President Marty Meehan, who was at the Army game at West Point a few weeks back and witnessed the carnage (that’s the 63-7 score, and it wasn’t really that close) first-hand, knew what reporters were calling about the following Monday before they asked their first question.
When asked by the Boston Globe whether the school should give up the ghost and drop back down a level in college football, Meehan danced around the matter and essentially said it was up to the school and its chancellor to make that decision.
Maybe he’s right, but he could certainly help them make it, and we believe he should.
Over the past several years, we’ve written countless stories about a university on the rise — a business school climbing up the ranks nationally, astronomers helping to provide proof of black holes, student scientists and entrepreneurs turning discoveries in the lab into new businesses, and a food-service program second to none — and a brand taking hold nationally.
Football can’t and won’t kill the brand, but these scores, this embarrassment on the field, certainly isn’t helping, and of late, it has become a distraction.
Yes, this football season will mercifully end in a few weeks, and maybe the press will go away for a while and stop talking about football. But the problem isn’t going away — and it is a problem, a very big problem.
Nearly a decade after entering the Football Bowl Subdivision, UMass isn’t making any progress. In fact, it’s regressing. It is struggling mightily to recruit solid players, as might be expected given the school’s location and its track record for losing by 40 points every week. And that’s not going to change anytime soon. The school is finding out that this is a cycle you can’t break.
Maybe the money is working out, but we think it’s more of a wash than anything else. And the school’s reputation, or brand, is taking a serious hit that can’t be mitigated by the hockey team going to the national finals last spring.
The team has become a punching bag and a punchline, and it’s time for the university to cut its losses.
By Kristen Rupert
Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) and its 3,500 members urge the U.S. Congress to approve the new USMCA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.
The reason is simple — Canada and Mexico purchase more U.S.-made goods than the next 11 trading partner countries combined. USMCA will help to preserve more than 2 million American manufacturing jobs — at least 15,000 of them in Massachusetts — that rely on trade with Canada and Mexico.
Time is short for Congress to act. The U.S. House and Senate need to pass the USMCA before the year’s end.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said Democrats have inched closer to supporting the deal. They have worked to iron out lingering concerns in weeks of talks with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
The USMCA was negotiated by the Trump administration to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). USMCA strengthens and modernizes intellectual-property rules, sets new digital-economy standards, expands U.S. manufacturers’ access to Canada and Mexico, ensures that U.S. companies can sell their products duty-free into these markets, eliminates red tape at the border, and levels the playing field by raising standards, prohibiting anti-U.S. discrimination, and strengthening enforcement.
AIM is in contact with the Massachusetts delegation in Congress to encourage them to pass the USMCA. Gov. Charlie Baker calls the agreement “strong, fair and flexible.” Among the many products that are traded between Massachusetts and Canada and Mexico are auto parts, medical devices, lab instruments, semiconductors, paper products, and aerospace parts. Most of the manufacturing exports from Massachusetts going to Canada and Mexico are produced by small and medium-sized businesses.
AIM urges employers to contact their members of Congress to emphasize how important the USMCA is to manufacturing companies in Massachusetts. Industry associations, individual companies, and elected officials across the U.S. encourage an immediate vote on USMCA.
Kristen Rupert is senior vice president of External Affairs at Associated Industries of Massachusetts and director of AIM’s International Business Council.
Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]
Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood and Massachusetts State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin, along with Springfield police officers and state troopers, recently went shopping at Walmart on Boston Road on Tuesday morning with a special delivery in mind. Afterward, they made a large donation of toys to Baystate Children’s Hospital.
At the launch of the college’s first major gifts campaign in more than a decade, Springfield Technical Community College President John Cook announced the naming of the Tuohey Family Welcome Center at the Student Learning Commons. Brian Tuohey (pictured), a generous supporter of STCC, beamed with delight after hearing the news. His family, including his five children and 12 grandchildren, made a surprise appearance at the kickoff event on Oct. 22.
Balise Auto Group recently held its 100th-anniversary employee-recognition event at the Basketball Hall of Fame.
President Jeb Balise
A shot of all Balise associates who have been with the company for 10 years or more
The West of the River Chamber of Commerce (WRC) held its annual Food Fest West on Nov. 7 at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield. The event featured the foods of area restaurants, including Carrabba’s Italian Grill, bNapoli, 110 Grill, Hamel’s Creative Catering, Courtyard by Marriott, Pintu’s Indian Cuisine, Partners Restaurant, Springfield Country Club, Storrowton Tavern, Tekoa Country Club, and more. Storrowton Tavern in West Springfield won the People’s Choice Award.
Guests Kelli Lemelin and Ron Lemelin enjoy food from Springfield Country Club
A chef from bNapoli serves WRC Chairman Ryan McL
Health New England recently awarded five $50,000 Where Health Matters grants to organizations that have a positive impact among vulnerable population groups in Western and Central Mass. The honorees included Men of Color Health Awareness, or MOCHA (represented by Lamont Scott, pictured below); Square One (represented by Joan Kagan and Kristine Allard, pictured at bottom); 18 Degrees, a division of Berkshire Children and Families Inc.; Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services; and the Center for Youth Engagement at UMass Amherst.
Lamont Scott
Joan Kagan and Kristine Allard
The start of the 2019-20 school year marked several significant milestones for Link to Libraries. First, thanks to the generosity of local businesses and families, including Monson Savings Bank (MSB), which now sponsors a record five schools, every public elementary school in the city of Springfield is now a part of Link to Libraries’ Community Book Link sponsorship program. During the 2018-19 academic year, Link to Libraries donated 23,000 new books to sponsored libraries throughout the region. In addition, a record 200-plus Link to Libraries volunteer readers began reading in classrooms in underserved elementary schools in Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Hartford counties.
Principal Terry Powe and students from Elias Brookings Elementary School welcome their new sponsor, MSB President Steve Lowell, and Link to Libraries President and CEO Laurie Flynn
William Johnson, vice president of St. Germain Investments, reads to students at Lincoln Elementary School
Longtime volunteer Francie Cornwell reads to students at Homer Elementary School
Carlos Santiago, commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, spoke to a crowd at Holyoke Community College on Nov. 5. He emphasized the importance of reconceptualizing the work that educators have been doing for the past 20 to 30 years, examining the students that are coming into the system, and changing the perception of the students themselves.
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.
The Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Co. v. Diecutting Tooling Services Inc.
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $8,486.23
Filed: 10/28/19
Lloyd Bowser v. FIC Restaurants Inc. and SIC Property, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $257,366.03
Filed: 10/17/19
Perkins Paper, LLC v. Stone & Skillet, LLC; Dan Crothers a/k/a Daniel Ryan Crothers a/k/a Daniel R. Crothers; and Kyle Meekins a/k/a Kyle Lennon Meekins a/k/a Kyle L. Meekins
Allegation: Failure to make further payments in accordance with contract: $57,660.05
Filed: 10/18/2019
Kristine Mitchell v. 61 Cooper Street Operations, LLC and Genesis Healthcare, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $76,222.96
Filed: 10/15/2019
The estate of Mary Garibian and Sarkis Garibian v. East Longmeadow Nursing Home Inc. d/b/a East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center and other unnamed employees
Allegation: Medical malpractice
Filed: 10/15/2019
Gary Nault v. LLMT, LLC
Allegation: Balance due on uncompleted project, services, labor, and materials: $33,333
Filed: 10/18/2019
Guns Inc. et al v. Mass Gun Shop d/b/a Pioneer Valley Arms
Allegation: Fraud/interference with business, conversion, intentional interference with advantageous business and contractual relationships
Filed: 10/21/2019
Sertex, LLC v. Westfield Gas and Electric Light Department, et al
Allegation: Breach of non-raiding agreement by hiring one of Sertex’s key technical employees
Filed: 10/21/2019
Split Excvating Inc. v. Silverman Realty Group Inc. and Haven Plaza East, LP
Allegation: Fraud, breach of contract, breach of warranty, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, negligence: $59,745.25
Filed: 10/22/19
Lisa Thibodeau v. PBHQ Whitney Inc.; Colebrook Management, LLC; and G & H Landscaping Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $250,000
Filed: 10/23/19
Carl Lehberger v. David W. Berry Jr., Bruce Cooper, and Berry Construction Group, LLC
Allegation: Assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, property damage/loss: $7,738.86+
Filed: 10/9/19
Dec. 5: BusinessWest will present its second annual Woman of Impact Luncheon on on Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Sheraton Springfield. The keynote speaker will be Lisa Tanzer, president of Life Is Good. The 2019 Women of Impact honorees were profiled in the Oct. 28 issue of BusinessWest and HERE. The event has been sold out. The Women of Impact program is sponsored by Country Bank and TommyCar Auto Group (presenting sponsors), Comcast Business and Granite State Developing (supporting sponsors), New Valley Bank & Trust (speaker sponsor), and WWLP 22 News/CW Springfield (media sponsor).
Dec. 7: The Massachusetts chapter of Pinups for Pitbulls, an international not-for-profit organization, announced an upcoming fundraising event to be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton. The “Calendars, Cheers & Beer” party will feature an opportunity for guests to have their 2020 calendar autographed by calendar model and South Hadley native Bryn Nowell. The event will also feature a dogs-and-Santa photo shoot, provided by Julie Ann Blonaisz Photography, along with raffles and merchandise sales. Pinups for Pitbulls — an organization that aims to do away with breed-specific legislation, among other goals — has published its annual fundraising calendar for the past 15 years. The calendar release party is free to attend, and guests should be age 21 and older. There is a $10 suggested donation for dog photos with Santa.
Dec. 14: The Starting Gate at GreatHorse will host a holiday party — including decorations, music, and menu — for any company or group that wants to take part. Attendees can enjoy dinner and dance the night away with staff, co-workers, family, and friends — an ideal option for small businesses. The Clark Eno Orchestra will be playing today’s hits and rock and pop songs from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and beyond, plus big band, swing, and Motown. The event is open to the public for $95 per person. A cash bar will be available. For reservations, call (413) 566-5158.
March 27: Bay Path University’s division of Strategic Alliances announced that producer, author, entrepreneur, educator, and, of course, top model Tyra Banks will bring her bold attitude, unique style, and well-honed business acumen to Springfield as the keynote speaker at the 25th annual Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC). This year’s theme, “Own Your Now,” will encourage conference guests to examine the forces that have shaped their careers, relationships, and aspirations; recognize what drives them and what holds them back; and empower them to confidently move forward. Banks is the creator of America’s Next Top Model, the reality show and modeling competition that has been replicated in 47 international markets and viewed in 150 countries. A graduate of Harvard’s Executive Education program, she has taught graduate courses at Stanford University and is opening Modelland, an interactive attraction based in Los Angeles that will allow visitors to experience a fantasy version of the modeling world. This year’s conference also will feature breakout sessions focused on navigating the complicated relationships, personalities, and dynamics of the workplace and the impact those have on our careers and opportunities. Sessions will be led by bestselling authors and researchers including Laura Huang, Harvard Business School professor and author of Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage; Emily Esfahani Smith, author of The Power of Meaning; Dr. Ramani Durvasula, licensed clinical psychologist and author of Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility; and Jennifer Romolini, author of Weird in a World That’s Not: A Career Guide for Misfits. For further information on the conference and to register, visit www.baypathconference.com.
Rachel Rubinstein
Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Rachel Rubinstein as its first vice president of Academic and Student Affairs. Prior to her arrival, Rubinstein spent 16 years at Hampshire College in Amherst, where she was a professor of American Literature and Jewish Studies and from 2010 to 2018 served as dean of Academic Support and Advising. At HCC, she will oversee the divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs in what is a newly unified role at the college. Rubinstein holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University and a Ph.D. from the Department of English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University. A child of Mexican-born, Jewish immigrants, she grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and also studied Yiddish. Her academic studies, professional scholarship, and teaching have largely focused on immigration, migration, and multi-lingualism. She was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship and a Whiting Foundation Travel Fellowship. She has taught at Smith College and Mount Holyoke College and also taught adult learners and high-school students through community organizations including the Jones Library and the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. Her scholarly work includes two co-edited volumes, Arguing the Modern Jewish Canon: Essays on Literature and Culture in Honor of Ruth R. Wisse and the forthcoming Teaching Jewish-American Literature. She is the author of Members of the Tribe: Native America in the Jewish Imagination, which earned a Jordan Schnitzer Book Award honorable mention.
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Dawn Forbes DiStefano
The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling announced the appointment of Dawn Forbes DiStefano to its board of directors. DiStefano is the executive vice president at Square One, where she manages contracts and annual budgeting of $9 million. Square One is a private, nonprofit organization that provides early education and care to 500 children each day, as well as a range of family-support services to 1,500 families each year. Founded in 1983, the Mass Council on Compulsive Gambling has been instrumental in bringing the issue of gambling disorder to the attention of the public and policymakers. With the gambling landscape evolving and expanding, the council has continued to play a leading role in protecting and educating the public. DiStefano r eceived her master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management from Westfield State University. She serves on several boards, including Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts, the Springfield Regional Chamber, and Baystate Community Relations at Westover Job Corps. In addition, she chairs the Hampden County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.
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The National Science Foundation recently awarded two grants to support research by two Western New England University faculty members — Robert Barron, assistant professor of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, and Amer Qouneh, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering — and their collaborative partners. Barron is a co-principal investigator on a project titled “INFEWS/T2 FEWtures: Innovation Analysis Framework for Resilient Futures, with Application to the Central Arkansas River Basin.” The project will develop strategies to promote resilient small-town and rural (STAR) communities using renewably powered fertilizer production and wastewater treatment. FEWtures will equip STAR communities to face urgent challenges such as low crop prices, high prices for energy and fertilizer, pollution, and depleting water supplies. Barron is among a team of researchers led by the University of Kansas and including Western New England University, Kansas State University, and Washington State University that have been awarded $2.5 million to craft a creative, multi-faceted set of responses to these challenges. The focus of Qouneh’s research is “SHF: Medium: Collaborative Research: Enhancing Mobile VR/AR User Experience: An Integrated Architecture-System Approach.” This research will open the door for next-generation mobile platforms that provide high-quality, low-power applications for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). It seeks to develop a synergetic architecture-system approach to improve the user’s experience with AR and VR by addressing performance, battery life, and thermal issues. The project is a collaboration effort between Qouneh and faculty at the University of Florida and the University of Houston. The total amount of the grant is $1.1 million.
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Melissa Fales
Kerry Homstead
NeighborWorks America, through its affiliate Way Finders, has awarded Congressman John W. Olver Scholarships to two individuals — Melissa Fales, program manager for Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp., and Kerry Homstead, community facilitator for the Treehouse Foundation — to attend the NeighborWorks America Training Institute (NTI). The scholarships provide travel, lodging, and tuition to a catalogue of more than 100 topic- and skill-focused courses. NTI creates an opportunity to network with other community-development organizations from across the country to share ideas and learn best practices in their field. Two scholarships are awarded annually to NTI attendees. The Congressman John W. Olver Scholarship recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that demonstrate leadership, dedication, and commitment in the housing and community-development field in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. Olver retired in 2012 after more than 40 years in public service, including 20 years serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. While in office, he not only provided strong support for NeighborWorks America, but also increased funding for housing vouchers, community block grants, and other affordable-housing programs. He was instrumental in the establishment of the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program, which assisted more than 1.5 million distressed homeowners through May 2013.
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Brian Benson, CPA has joined the investment-management team at St. Germain Investment Management as a financial planner, while Kathy Stewart has joined the firm’s client services group. Benson has extensive experience in accounting, risk assessment, audit procedures, and planning methodologies, and adds client relationship management to his quantitative and analytical competencies. Previously, he was a senior audit associate at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. He also held accounting and auditing responsibilities at Menzel & Associates, P.C. Benson earned bachelor’s degrees in accounting and business management as well as an MBA with a concentration in financial planning from Elms College. He is an active volunteer and organizer involved with charity golf tournaments as well as sharing his time with Junior Achievement and the MSCPA. At World Sports Camp in Easthampton, he produced individualized coaching lessons for golfers and tennis players. Stewart brings skill and experience in communications, corporate administration, client engagement, and secondary research. Most recently, she was the executive assistant for the operations & production manager at WWLP-TV22 News. She also held responsibilities as an executive producer for As School Match Wits, as well as administrative coordinator for the FCC 398 Children Television’s programming quarterly reports. Prior to her broadcast television experience, she worked in the Community Relations and Marketing department at the Sisters of Providence Health System. She earned an associate degree in administration from Bay Path University.
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James Garvey
Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAi) announced that James Garvey, a digital marketing analyst with the company, has recently earned a digital marketing certificate from Cornell University’s online certification program. “I viewed it as a retreat of sorts where I could isolate the tactical and focus on overall strategy development,” Garvey said. “In turn, our emphasis has now become working with our clients to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) prior to planning the tactical considerations. It sounds simple, but tactical is always the shiny object. Which platform to use and what creative often takes precedent over what the actual objective is. That tendency underserves the client and the potential of digital marketing, and is something we are working hard to avoid.” According to Cornell University, the objectives of the program are to learn and implement proven frameworks, assess opportunities and strategies associated with leading channels, and create integrated digital-marketing plans based on priorities and resources.
•••••
Scott Foster, partner at Bulkley Richardson, has been recognized as a New England Trailblazer in American Lawyer Media’s (ALM) inaugural publication. ALM recently introduced New England Trailblazers, a special supplement developed to recognize professionals in New England who have “moved the needle” in the legal industry, are “agents of change,” and have made significant marks on the practice, policy, and advancements in their sector. Foster’s nomination notes that “he is recognized as a trailblazer because of his unwavering commitment to the business community in Western Massachusetts, providing the resources for emerging businesses that encourage growth, provide education, and make collaboration possible. As a partner at Bulkley Richardson, he is responsible for the recent launch of important practice areas, including cannabis, cybersecurity, emerging businesses, and craft breweries.” All of the honorees are featured in the Nov. 4 issue of the Connecticut Law Tribune.
•••••
Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) recently welcomed Michelle Barthelemy of Greenfield Community College, Calvin Hill of Springfield College, Gladys Lebron-Martinez of MassHire Holyoke and the Holyoke City Council, Callie Niezgoda of Common Capital, Tony Maroulis of UMass Amherst, and Yemisi Oloruntola-Coates of Baystate Health to its board of directors. In addition, Francia Wisnewski has been elected clerk. Each brings a passion for both the work of the organization and the continued success of the Pioneer Valley, said Lora Wondolowski, LPV Executive Director. “We are delighted to have these dynamic community leaders join us. They will bring important skills and experience to the board and will help to fulfill our mission of building and connecting more diverse, committed, and effective leadership for the Pioneer Valley.”
•••••
Dr. Said Nafai
Dr. Said Nafai, professor of Occupational Therapy at American International College (AIC), has been selected to receive the American Occupational Therapy Assoc. (AOTA) International Service Award at the 2020 annual conference in Boston in March. The AOTA International Service Award recognizes occupational therapists who demonstrate a sustained, outstanding commitment to international service in this field; promote and advance occupational therapy abroad in regard to occupational health and/or occupational justice in underserved countries, thereby promoting a globally connected community; and provide incentive to extend international relationships and contributions to address global health issues. Nafai, known as the ‘father of occupational therapy’ in his home country of Morocco, returns several times a year to volunteer, teach, and raise awareness of occupational therapy as a profession and a tool for empowering people of all ages who face physical, cognitive, or behavioral challenges. Students and faculty from across the U.S. and Europe frequently accompany him to learn about Morocco’s healthcare system. Among his credits, Nafai is the Moroccan delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists; co-founder of the OT Project in Morocco; founder and president of the Occupational Therapy Assoc. of Morocco; vice president of Emmanuel’s Dream, a nonprofit for children with special needs; and a board member of the Lymphedema Advocacy Group, which currently has the most co-sponsored healthcare bill in the U.S. Congress.
WILBRAHAM — Colony Hills Capital (CHC), based in Wilbraham, announced it recently purchased Windfield Senior Estates and Windfield Family Estates, a combined 160-unit multi-family apartment community located in nearby Hadley. It was purchased for $14,035,000 on Oct. 23. Built in 2002, the property consists of 80 independent senior apartments and 80 family apartments. The property was originally developed and financed using the LIHTC (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) program and currently has income and rent restrictions on 80% of the units. The community is located just off Route 9 in close proximity to UMass Amherst. It is also within a mile of top retailers such as Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, LL Bean, and numerous restaurants and entertainment venues. Windfields also offers direct access to the Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail, part of the 104-mile Mass Central Rail Trail system. Colony Hills Capital is rolling out a capital-improvement plan that includes upgrades and remodeling to interior resident common areas, hallways, and office areas, as well as adding exterior amenities including a dog park; additional sitting, picnic, and garden areas; and grilling stations. There will also be a complete repaving of parking areas and interior roadways. Additionally, the company plans to make the community more energy-efficient, bike friendly, and environmentally conscious. Colony Hills Capital is a multi-family real-estate investment company that targets workforce, value-add investment opportunities located primarily in secondary markets in the Southeastern U.S. Since its inception in 2008, Colony and its affiliates have acquired more than 8,800 apartment in seven states.
SPRINGFIELD — Smith & Wesson plans to separate from the outdoor products and accessories businesses of American Outdoor Brands Corp. (AOBC). Smith & Wesson changed its name to American Outdoor Brands in 2016. Instead, the organization will include two separate companies: Smith & Wesson Brands Inc., which will encompass the firearms business, and American Outdoor Brands Inc., which will include the outdoor products and accessories businesses. “There have been significant changes in the political climate as well as the economic, investing, and insurance markets since we embarked upon what we believe have been our very successful diversification efforts,” said Barry Monheit, chairman of the board, in a press release. “We believe that separating into two independent public companies will allow each company to better align its strategic objectives with its capital allocation priorities. James Debney, currently president and CEO of American Outdoor Brands Corp., will lead American Outdoor Brands Inc., while Mark Smith, currently head of firearms manufacturing operations, will be CEO of Smith & Wesson Brands Inc.
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E) has earned a Smart Energy Provider (SEP) designation from the American Public Power Assoc. for demonstrating commitment to and proficiency in energy efficiency, distributed generation, and environmental initiatives that support a goal of providing low-cost, quality, safe, and reliable electric service. Chris Van Dokkumburg, planning analyst at Holland Board of Public Works and chair of the Energy Services Committee in Michigan presented the designations on Oct. 29 during the association’s annual Customer Connections Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The SEP designation, which lasts for two years, recognizes public power utilities for demonstrating leading practices in four key disciplines: smart energy-program structure, energy-efficiency and distributed-energy programs, environmental and sustainability initiatives, and the customer experience. This is the first year the association has offered the SEP designation. HG&E joins a pioneering group of 60 public power utilities nationwide that received the inaugural SEP designation.
HOLYOKE — Marcus Printing announced it has acquired ILS Business Services of West Springfield, strengthening the capabilities of both companies. Both Marcus Printing and ILS Business Services are local Western Mass. companies built on the shared values of providing exceptional customer service at excellent prices, said Marcus Printing President Susan Goldsmith. Marcus Printing was established in 1930 by Goldsmith’s grandparents, Phil and Sarah Marcus. ILS Business Services was founded by Bob and Irene Scalise in 1980, and their daughter, Amy Scalise, grew up around the business and officially joined the family business in 2014. Amy joins Marcus as the mailing manager, Bob will remain on board as a consultant, and the other ILS employees have joined the Marcus staff. The operations of ILS will move in the near future to the 33,000-square-foot Marcus Printing plant at 750 Main St. in Holyoke.
SPRINGFIELD — Law firm Pullman & Comley, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary of practicing law, recently expanded into Springfield with an office in Tower Square at 1500 Main St. Pullman & Comley’s new Springfield office is its first in the Bay State, adding to offices in Bridgeport (where the firm was founded 100 years ago), Hartford, Westport, Stamford, and Waterbury, Conn., as well as an office in White Plains, N.Y. With nearly 100 attorneys, Pullman & Comley is one of the area’s largest law firms. The law firm’s expansion into Massachusetts gives its local clients — whom it has served for years — easy access to their lawyers. The lawyers in the Springfield office currently focus on legal matters relating to property tax and valuation, labor and employment law, and litigation. In addition, the firm’s Springfield location allows Pullman’s real-estate and public-finance attorneys, who often collaborate with the firm’s environmental, land-use, and energy practices, to serve the commercial real-estate industry in Western Mass. and bring their experience to local public and private development projects.
AMHERST — C&H Architects is celebrating 30 years of designing sustainable architecture. The firm’s work serves as an example of how, in a time of critical climate challenges, developers can add to the built environment in a way that improves the sustainability of future generations, rather than threatening it, partner Jesse Selman said. At their most basic level, buildings protect individuals from the elements. Beyond that, they shape the environment and provide texture to people’s lives. Buildings, however, are also one of the largest contributors to global warming, accounting for nearly 40% of all greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide — a statistic expected to double by 2050. In an effort to mitigate these impacts, there has been a steady increase in sustainable architecture — the design of buildings that work in harmony with the environment. C&H Architects has been at the forefront of this effort for the past 30 years. It designed the fifth-ever certified Living Building Challenge project in the world (and the first in New England) for Smith College’s MacLeish Field Station, the most rigorous performance standard for buildings available. The firm has designed more than 10 net-zero homes, the most recent of which won the top honor at AIA (American Institute of Architecture) Rhode Island in 2018, and includes a solar array that powers both the house and the car of its occupants. Founded in 1989 by Bruce Coldham to create architecture that responds to our rapidly changing climate and resources, the Amherst-based firm has served hundreds of clients with projects at every scale, from small residential renovations to large institutional construction. Today, the firm’s four partners — Tom Hartman, Garth Schwellenbach, Jesse Selman, and Elizabeth Morgan — carry on the tradition Coldham started, while constantly incorporating advances in building technology, materials, and practices.
AGAWAM — CIS Abroad of Northampton was selected as the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) Employer of Choice award recipient for 2019. The award was presented at EANE’s Employment Law and HR Practices Conference luncheon at the Sheraton Monarch Place in Springfield on Nov. 7. The Employer of Choice award recognizes companies and organizations for developing workplaces that value employees, foster engagement, invest in employee development, and reward performance. Past winners view the award as a cornerstone of their company credentials and often highlight the award in recruiting and retention, grants and funding applications, and business development. Many past winners have gone on to sit on the application review board to help select future winners of this award. CIS Abroad provides innovative education programs that broaden academic perspectives, promote global awareness, and encourage personal development while laying the foundation for student participants to become engaged world citizens.
AMHERST — Dillon Bodley & Associates, P.C., owned and operated by certified public accountants Brian Dillon and Catherine Bodley, recently moved its Amherst location to 196 North Pleasant St. to offer its clients more convenient parking and better access. The firm closed at its former location at 37 South Pleasant St. on Oct. 27 and reopened at the new address on Nov. 1. Dillon Bodley & Associates, P.C. provides a broad range of accounting and tax services, including tax preparation and planning engagements for individuals, small businesses, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. It also offers bookkeeping services to its business tax clients and provides consulting to small businesses and startups. The firm was located on South Pleasant Street for four years, with Bodley working on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Dillon working on Wednesdays during tax season. Services are provided on other days of the week and throughout the rest of the year by appointment. Dillon Bodley & Associates, P.C. also has a West Springfield office at 63 Myron St., which will move to 71 Park Ave., Suite C, on Dec. 4 to accommodate an increased number of staff members.
SPRINGFIELD — Teach Western Mass was recently selected as a member of the Diverse Teachers cohort at NewSchools Venture Fund, supported by the Walton Family Foundation. Teach Western Mass is one of 14 organizations in the cohort. Each cohort member is committed to enhancing the recruitment, development, and retention of underrepresented teachers (including Black, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American/Alaskan Native teachers). In addition to financial support, NewSchools will provide management assistance and create a community of practice for the cohort members. The TWM Residency is a customized credentialing program training new teachers to be effective in the classroom while building strong relationships in their school communities and developing standards-based and culturally relevant curriculum for students in the region’s highest-need schools.
SPRINGFIELD — Health New England, a regional health plan based in Springfield, was named a 2019 WorkWell Massachusetts Award Program Silver Level winner for exemplary worksite health promotion. The award recognizes Health New England’s achievements developing, implementing, and participating in corporate health-improvement and wellness programs. The Health New England Healthy Directions wellness program encourages overall well-being, helping employees focus on prevention, nutrition, and physical activity. With leadership support, Healthy Directions is able to offer engaging and evidence-based health tools and incentives. An easy-to-access online portal, onsite nutritional counseling, tread desks, healthy dining options, group fitness challenges, and intensive lifestyle-change programs are examples of Health New England’s dedication to creating an enjoyable and healthy work culture for all its employees. WorkWell Massachusetts Award is a corporate award program created by the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA), a not-for-profit member organization dedicated to the advancement of worksite wellness programs. The award program’s criteria are based on the employers’ strategic planning and organizational support, program design and implementation, participant engagement, and measurements and evaluation.
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700
• Through Dec. 11: First annual Red Ticket Month in Downtown Amherst. For every $25 spent at participating downtown businesses, receive a red ticket. Come to Kendrick Park on Dec. 21 to celebrate winter’s arrival with music, carriage rides, a hot-cocoa stroll, and a ticket drawing for $250 or $1,000. For more details, visit amherstdowntown.com.
• Dec. 11: Annual Chamber Holiday Party, 5-7 p.m., hosted by AmherstWorks, 11 Amity St., Amherst. An evening of merriment to celebrate the year. Reflections, networking, and an opportunity to deepen relationships with each other. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For tickets and more information, visit amherstarea.com.
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414
• Dec. 5: Jingle Bell Mixer, 5-8 p.m., hosted by Boylston Rooms, 122 Pleasant St., Suite 112, Easthampton. Listen to the music of Feel Good Drift while enjoying passed appetizers. Cost: $50 per person. Pre-registration is required. 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.
(413) 568-1618
• Nov. 26: After 5 Connections, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Rosewood Home & Gifts, 34 Elm St., Westfield. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber’s scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: free for members and non-members. For more information and to register, visit westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618.
• Nov. 29-30: Westfield #ShopSmall. The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with many local businesses throughout Westfield, will support Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29-30. Forty businesses are featured on a game board. Event sponsor, Staples, will provide a posterboard of the game board for the 40 businesses to display in their window. Another event sponsor, the Pennysaver, will include the game board in its Nov. 21 issue. Shoppers can visit a minimum of 10 participating merchants to be eligible for cash prizes of $500, $300, and $150. For more information, visit westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618.
• Dec. 13: December Holiday Breakfast, hosted by East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Featuring the Westfield High School Show Choir. Join us in celebrating the holidays and support the chamber’s 2019 holiday spirit beneficiary. Attendees are encouraged to bring a donation for the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes ANG, Airman & Family Readiness Program. Event Sponsor: Staples; silver sponsor: Easthampton Savings Bank; bronze sponsor: Shortstop Bar & Grill; coffee bar sponsor: Westfield Starfires. Tickets: $28 for members, $43 for non-members. For more information, to become a sponsor, or to register, visit westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618.
• Dec. 16: After 5 Connections, 5-7 p.m., hosted by the Arbors, 40 Court St., Westfield. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Free for both chamber members and non-members. For more information and to register, visit westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618.
(413) 532-6451
• Dec. 6: 30th annual Holiday Stroll on the Town Common in South Hadley, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Event includes face painting, coloring contest, cookie decorating, various crafts, and a parade with Santa and tree lighting. This event is free to the public.
• Dec. 11: Business After 5 with the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, 5 p.m., hosted by Summitview Banquet House, Holyoke. We will be collecting donations and toys for Toys for Tots. Summitview will be providing dinner and a cash bar. Cost: $15 with a new, unwrapped gift; $25 without gift (donation of $10 to be made to Toys for Tots in advance). Tickets and registration are available at shgchamber.com.
(413) 426-3880
• Dec. 4: Holiday ‘Ugly Sweater’ Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Courtyard by Marriott, West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members. For more information about this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.
• Jan. 16: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief introduction and company overview. You must be a member or guest of a member to attend. The only cost to attend for members is the cost of lunch. Non-members pay $10 plus lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. Please note, we cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.
The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.
AGAWAM
Gopinathji Inc., 36 Yarmouth Dr., Agawam, MA 01001. Dinesh B. Patel, same. Convenience store and gas service station.
BELCHERTOWN
Happy Valley Senior Consulting Inc., 121 Barton Ave., Belchertown, MA 01007. Eric Aasheim, same. Senor care services.
CHICOPEE
G and N Corp., 687 James St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Kosta Ndreu, 11 Landy Ave., Florence, MA 01062. Restaurant.
HOLYOKE
Hedron Corporation, 54 Winter St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Wolfgang Schloesser, 34 Ellington Road, Florence, MA 01062. Manufacturing and distribution of industrial vacuum cleaners and related equipment.
LENOX
Idle Smart Inc., 36 Schermerhorn Park, Lenox, MA 01240. Jeffrey Lynch, same. Software and hardware solutions for transportation industry.
LONGMEADOW
Heat Softball Team Inc., 28 Eastham Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Dominic L Blue, same. To foster the amateur sport of girls softball in a manner that promotes teamwork, leadership, self-confidence, exercise and competition and any other charitable purpose designated by the board of directors.
PITTSFIELD
Heimann Wealth Management Inc., 46 Northumberland Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Shaun W. Heimann, same. Investment, advisory and brokerage services.
RICHMOND
Hackin’ Shack Inc., 186 Lenox Road, Richmond, MA 01254. Christopher Begley, same. Promote, encourage, and facilitate educational opportunities in science and technology, and to engage in all lawful activities related thereto.
SOUTHWICK
Fathers & Sons Tooling Inc., 38 Beach St., Southwick, MA 01077. Daniel R. Thompson, same. Tooling.
SPRINGFIELD
Frosted Studio 73 Inc., 48 Edgewood St., Springfield, MA 01109. Jana Allen, same. Custom cakes and sweets.
Hendel, Collins & O’Connor, P.C., 101 State St., Springfield, MA 01103. Andrea M. O’Connor, same. Legal services.
WARREN
Evergreen Design Build Inc., 750 Main St., PO Box 850, Warren, MA 01080. Daniel R. Sheldon, 223 East St., Springfield, MA 01104. Purchase real estate; design, build, and sell homes.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
GGNP Inc., 3 Central St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Hasmukh Gogri, 61 Appaloosa Lane, West Springfield, MA 01089. Liquor store.
Ice Systems Inc., 65 River St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Genadiy Vashchuk, same. Equipment services.
WESTFIELD
Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter Barnes Barnstormers Inc., 111 Airport Rd Hanger 3, Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport Westfield, MA01085. David M. Miller, 59 Columbia St., South Hadley, MA 01075. To promote and encourage education of the general public about the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the experimental aircraft association incorporated through various chapter programs and services.
The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of November 2019.
AMHERST
Celebrate Wellness
272 Amity St.
Sweetgrass, LLC
Jacquelyn Andrews, LICSW
96 North Pleasant St., Suite 202
Jacquelyn Andrews
Jena Schwartz
17 Kellogg Ave., Suite 25
Jena Schwartz
Karen’s Hair Design
15 Pray St.
Karen Alvarado
Round the Corner Brownie Co.
3 Laurel Lane
Dawn Lepere
BELCHERTOWN
Master of Sparks Welding Co.
27 Main St.
Sonja Carroll
Michael P. Flynn Electrician
110 Kennedy Road
Michael Flynn
Mystic Headbands
545 Federal St.
Pamela McConnell
Quabbin Valley Acupuncture
32 Park St.
Dana Burton
Squires Seafood & Fish Market
25 Main St.
Sonja Carroll
Valley Eco Laundry
213 Summit St.
Allen Fitzsimmons
Vermage Productions
44 Brandywine Dr.
Colleen Lyon
CHICOPEE
Royal Real Estate Service
31 Devlin Dr.
Gerard Roy
Style & Grace Hair Studio
460 Chicopee St.
Ruben Camacho Jr.
DEERFIELD
Dr. Amanda Barnes
110 Hillside Road
Amanda Barnes
Peak Performance Center
110 Hillside Road
Amanda Barnes
US Equity Finance
250 Conway Road
Gary Bowen
EASTHAMPTON
Arrow Machine
54 O’Neill St.
Rock Valley Tool, LLC
Never Alone Companion Care
22 Treehouse Circle, Apt. 2
Pamela Lumpkin
EAST LONGMEADOW
The Reserve at East Longmeadow
741 Parker St.
The Reserve at East Longmeadow
Walgreens
54 Center St.
Walgreens
GREENFIELD
Changing Minds
278 Main St., #406
Amanda Mullen
Hair by Lindsey
94 Main St.
Lindsey Savinski
Local Access to Valley Arts
38 Forest Ave.
Local Access
MX Phone, LLC
108 Hastings St.
Michael McIntyre
Radial Dynamics, LLC
975 Bernardston Road
Eric Amato
Rice Energy
334 Chapman St.
Suburban Propane, LP
Susan Gershwin, LICSW, LLC
10 Fiske Ave., #6
Susan Gershwin
Tasgal Music
39 Gold St.
Faith Kaufmann
Western Mass Radio Group
81 Woodard Road
Saga Communications of New England, LLC
W.H. Hutchinson Services
28 White Birch Ave.
Heath Hutchinson
Yankee Realty
74 Mohawk Trail
Cheryl Ingersoll
HADLEY
Jan Simard Aesthetics
8 River Dr.
Jan Simard
Tandem Bagel Co.
191 Russell St.
GZ Bagels Inc.
Tandem Bakery
191 Russell St.
GZ Bagels Inc.
HOLYOKE
Jehovah Jireh Christian Library
600 Dwight St.
Yaniana Mendoza
PRYR Clothing
291 Linden St.
Francis Ramos
Solutions
6 Radcliffe St.
Kenneth Hebert Jr.
Trulieve
56 Canal St.
Life Essence Inc.
Trulieve
7 North Bridge St.
Life Essence Inc.
LUDLOW
Robert A. Provost Cleaning Service
34 Aldo Dr.
Robert Provost
NORTHAMPTON
Build Repair Grow
9 Berkshire Ter.
Amy McFadden
Dynamic Flow Fitness
22 Swan St.
James Lobley
Eastside Grill
19 Strong Ave.
Debra Flynn
Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates
10 Main St.
Joseph Tassoni
Mallar Reeds
67 Prospect St.
Aaron Lakota
Matt K Training
22 Brierwood Dr.
Matthew Koslek
S. Briggs Psychotherapy/Sarah Briggs, LMHC
78 Main St.
Sarah Briggs
PALMER
Office Care of New England
55 Beacon Dr.
Kathleen Dyer
Osterman Propane
1 Blanchard St.
Superior Plus Energy Services Inc.
SOUTHWICK
Coward Farms
13 Congamond Road
John Coward
Rite Aid #10105
592 College Highway
Susan Halliday
SPRINGFIELD
413 Breakthrough Nutrition
195 Pine St.
Yashira Soto-Perez
Christian Brothers Builders
195 Arcadia Blvd.
Gary Pippin
Chung’s Beauty Inc.
160 Catharine St.
Shania Smith
Cindy’s Bath & Biscuit
24 Sara Lynn Dr.
Cynthia Parenteau
Cookies Car Connection
501 Main St.
Karen Parker
Family Barber Shop
2890 Main St.
Alex Nieves
Franchise Barbershop
388 Dickinson St.
Francisco Perez
K & J
15 Dorne St.
Kelvin Rivera
K & Y Solutions
24 Powell Ave.
Ketzal Rodriguez
LFF Variety 1
302 Belmont Ave.
Hercules Robinson
OMG Comedy Club
232 Worthington St.
Jess Miller
Reeds Painting & Home Improvement
126 Harvard St.
Earl Reed
RTS Improvements
38 Brightwood Ave.
Richard Soto
Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin
1441 Main St.
Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin
Soulau D Kitchen
606 Page Blvd.
Vanna Phommatham
Sunny Nails
801 Belmont Ave.
Van Phi Nguyen
Your Educational Success
57 School St.
Paula Starnes
Zenith Zone Imports
180 Warrenton St.
Donovan Nelson
WARE
Guy with Glasses Design
271 Palmer Road
John Devanski
LaPetite Salon
28 West Main St., Suite 1
Tenah Richardson
Milestone Real Estate
221 North St. #16
George Staiti
Quabbin Valley Yoga
89 Main St., Unit 5
Justine Rovezzi
Taste of Us 3
28 Pulaski St.
Kyle Evans, Henry Baldwin III
Woodland Massage Therapy & Wellness
14 Woodland Heights
Caroline Neffinger
WESTFIELD
Affordable Tax & Bookkeeping Services
5 Alice St.
Paula Piette
B3 Creative
50 Barrister Circle
Robert Bernardara
C & M Finishes Inc.
63 Russellville Road
Milan Peich
Holota Cleaning
154 Little River Road
Alan Holota
Jetsetter Playing Cards
16 Angelica Dr.
Paul Ruccio
Kim Moses Bookkeeping/KM Taxes
181 Main St.
Kimberly Moses
Megan Stanton
147 Tannery Road
Megan Stanton
Law Office of Thomas Roy
80 Old Stage Road
Thomas Roy
Schooley Mitchell of Westfield
419 Southwick Road, H-37
George Demambro
The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.
Ahern, Patricia A.
a/k/a Long-Ahern, Patricia A.
43 Powder Hill Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/19
Andre, Lenna
137 Vienna Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/18/19
Barnes, Melannie
62 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Baskin, Peter A.
55 Maple Hurst Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/19
Boyer, Jon P.
15 Power Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/19
Brandon, Joseph A.
444 Church St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/19
Brooke, Kevin
2 Barker St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/29/19
Ceylinberk, Inc. d/b/a Gyro & Kebab House
Tos, Handan
24 James Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Coffey, Robert Hugh
163 Bay Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Competelle, Patricia G.
1343 Riverdale St., Apt 1
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/19
Crowther, TerryLee
PO Box 146
Goshen, MA 01032
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/22/19
Cummings, Amanda Lee
60 Cleveland St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
DeCoste, Carol A.
56 S. Mount Holyoke Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/19
DeMagistris, Robert T.
4 Geryk Court
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/19
Dion, John S.
33 Central Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/19
Dookhran, Joseph L.
Dookhran, Robert N.
5 High St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/19
Eak, Robert J.
16 Malone Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Eddy, Arthur L.
Eddy, Stephanie A.
40 Church St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/19
Garcia, Elpidio
a/k/a Rodriguez-Garcia, Elpidio
a/k/a Garcia Rodriguez, Elpidio
147 Allen St., Apt. E
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/23/19
Gibson, Michelle A.
278 Ely Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/19
Grzyb, Andrzej
763 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/19
Guillemette, Mark Henry
Guillemette, Caroline Mae
259 Millers Falls Road, L
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Howard, Matthew Anson
Howard, Tammy Jones
95 Barrett St., Unit 3
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/19
Kevny Transportation Service
Beverage Depot
Yorn, Kevny
Choun, Pana
60 Leary Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Klusman, Brandon K.
Breault-Klusman, Angela P.
29 Concord St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/27/19
Lacki, Lester Stanley
Lacki, Mary Alyce
650 Silver Lake St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/23/19
Lavoie, Kathleen E.
Lavoie, Jeannine
229 Miller St.
Trailer C9
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/19
Lunt, Paul Robert
298 Fountain St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/19
Machuca-Santana, Veronica
115 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/19
Martinez, Angel J.
41 Montclair St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/20/19
McGinnis, Scott
35 Alcove St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/24/19
Morris, Brendan C.
225 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Motorcycle Medic
Boyle, Kevin L.
12 Brunswick St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/19
Mraz, Zachary L.
18 Weston St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/19
Papuga, Donald
59 Portulaca Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/27/19
Parent, Kevin W.
Parent, Shelly A.
11 Pinebrook Circle
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/19
Perkins, Kathleen F.
a/k/a Perkins, Kate
677 Station Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/19
Pisani, Katherine H.
3 Virginia Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/19
Rodriguez, Jose A.
170 Goodwin St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/19
Samuels, Winsome Bernadette
62 Martel Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/24/19
Santana, Juan L.
582 South Summer St., Apt. 1312
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/19
Santana, Rosa Ramona
20 Medford St. Apt. 2
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/19
Seabrooks, Cleveland
38 Olive St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/19
Sims, Jamie A.
9 Franconia St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/19
Smith, Syreeta A.
a/k/a Williams, Syreeta A.
189 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/19
Soares, George R.
351 Poponessett Road
PO Box 551
Cotuit, MA 02635
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/18/19
Solock, Elaine C.
27 Central Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Vega, Henry A.
Vega, Catherine P.
D’Agostino Vega, Catherine
13 Day Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/19
Watts, Rhonda E.
P.O. Box 4356
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/21/19
Williams, Keisha N.
82 Arnold Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/19
Williams, Rickey A.
67 Boyer St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/21/19
Vega, Annisha J.
118 Victoria St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/23/19
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.
ASHFIELD
268 Buckland Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $130,800
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Klemer
Seller: Steven Klemer
Date: 10/30/19
BUCKLAND
28 Conway Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $173,500
Buyer: Charles S. Klosson
Seller: Scott L. Gagnon
Date: 11/04/19
135 North St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $250,010
Buyer: Judith W. Hoyt
Seller: Donna M. Reilly RET
Date: 10/28/19
COLRAIN
22 Greenfield Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Joseph M. Kibe
Seller: Ree S. Mozeleski
Date: 10/31/19
180 Heath Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $165,500
Buyer: Thomas H. Fenton
Seller: Grossberger INT
Date: 10/28/19
42 Shelburne Line Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Blythe
Seller: Roger A. Phillips
Date: 10/29/19
CONWAY
80 Baptist Hill Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Benneth G. Phelps
Seller: Jill-Beth V. Sweeney
Date: 11/01/19
DEERFIELD
34 Graves St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Richard W. Peterson
Seller: Joseph E. Carey
Date: 11/01/19
7 Graves St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Karen L. Murphy-Eckel
Date: 10/30/19
340 Greenfield Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Joseph E. Carey
Seller: Jennifer L. Bennett
Date: 11/01/19
49 Sawmill Plain Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Kyle R. Bryant
Seller: Michael A. Zaranek
Date: 10/29/19
222 Upper Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Henry Komosa
Seller: Deborah A. Brown
Date: 10/31/19
ERVING
57 River Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Brian L. Prondecki
Seller: David C. Mankowsky
Date: 10/25/19
GILL
138 West Gill Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Denise L. Hunt
Seller: Jacqueline L. Wisotsky
Date: 10/31/19
GREENFIELD
345-347 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Benjamen Delozier
Seller: MW&MW Realty LLC
Date: 10/25/19
55 Grinnell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Gregory R. Augustine
Seller: Mark W. Colby
Date: 10/28/19
33 Grove St.
Greenfield, MA 01376
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Curtis A. Barnaby
Seller: Terry J. Kimball
Date: 10/23/19
21 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Benegan 2 LLC
Seller: Leslie A. Lapointe
Date: 11/01/19
149 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Sage Housing Inc.
Seller: Litvak LLC
Date: 10/28/19
32 Peabody Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $428,000
Buyer: Walter K. Boas
Seller: Thomas R. Currie
Date: 11/01/19
19 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Nicolene K. Corey
Seller: Andrew F. Miniuks
Date: 10/28/19
151 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,900
Buyer: James C. Welch
Seller: George R. Marchacos
Date: 11/01/19
104 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Graydon E. Vigneau
Seller: Andrew H. Killeen
Date: 10/25/19
LEVERETT
21 Teawaddle Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Flemming
Seller: Daniel S. Smith
Date: 10/31/19
LEYDEN
145 Eden Trail
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Stanley W. Lewandowski
Seller: Keith L. Gagnon
Date: 10/28/19
Greenfield Road
Leyden, MA 01301
Amount: $123,314
Buyer: Jeffery M. Cowan
Seller: Terrence J. McGurk RET
Date: 10/24/19
MONTAGUE
7 Avenue B
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $235,500
Buyer: David A. Cullen
Seller: Dawson INT
Date: 10/30/19
134 2nd St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Richie Richardson Fab Inc.
Seller: Tim Dechristopher
Date: 10/29/19
355 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $439,900
Buyer: Albert P. Handel
Seller: Saul Kent
Date: 10/25/19
411 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Justin D. Killeen
Seller: David C. Brooks
Date: 10/24/19
58 High St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Morgan Bailey-Aronson
Seller: Joseph F. Sulda
Date: 10/23/19
23 L St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: James G. Martineau
Seller: ATC L. Street LLC
Date: 10/29/19
53 Old Sunderland Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Chad M. Sumner
Seller: Pepper, Max P., (Estate)
Date: 10/31/19
NORTHFIELD
20 Alexander Hill Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $334,000
Buyer: Keith Stark
Seller: Joshua D. Witherell
Date: 10/31/19
300 Winchester Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Jason M. Fournier
Seller: Kevin P. Erway
Date: 10/23/19
ORANGE
44 Moss Brook Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Robert T. Reed
Seller: Todd E. Harbour
Date: 10/25/19
521 Oxbow Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Richard A. Anair
Seller: Katherine Donahue
Date: 10/31/19
48 West Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Laelia LLC
Seller: Sarah A. Brouillet
Date: 10/30/19
27 Whitney St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Mark W. Pedercini
Seller: Daniel F. Nichols
Date: 10/25/19
SHUTESBURY
26 Lake Dr.
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Anna Mancebo
Seller: Laurence E. Lindquist
Date: 11/04/19
SUNDERLAND
78 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Spring E. Horne
Seller: Robert G. Cellucci
Date: 11/01/19
AGAWAM
83 Barney St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: Kimberly A. Woods
Seller: Andrew S. Leblanc
Date: 10/30/19
44 Belvidere Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Serena M. Tylenda
Seller: Sitek, Elda J., (Estate)
Date: 11/01/19
320 Bowles Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $5,025,000
Buyer: Agawam TGCI LLC
Seller: Blue Fin Associates LLC
Date: 10/31/19
50 Bradford Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $253,500
Buyer: Terri S. Gardner
Seller: Peter J. Smist
Date: 10/23/19
80 Chestnut Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $233,500
Buyer: Kenneth D. Blews
Seller: Fischer, Irene L., (Estate)
Date: 10/31/19
152 Coyote Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Robert J. Goodfellow
Seller: Christopher D. Scott
Date: 10/25/19
73 Edward St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: David Yates
Seller: David P. Federico
Date: 10/25/19
94 Florida Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: David F. St.John
Seller: Viktor Savonin
Date: 10/31/19
75 Fox Farm Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Melissa Cuzzone
Seller: Taylor R. Moore
Date: 10/28/19
23 Giffin Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $193,512
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Mark A. Reed
Date: 10/28/19
49 Homer St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Edmund Bissonnette
Seller: C. Lee Verrill
Date: 10/25/19
180 James St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Jeffrey A. Vogel
Seller: McCarthy, Eleanor M., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/19
47 Kathy Ter.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Robert Hackett
Seller: Sarah M. Calvanese
Date: 10/31/19
23 Katy Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Elina Oganyan
Seller: Lisa A. Demery
Date: 10/31/19
15 Keller Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: David P. Federico
Seller: John H. Houle
Date: 10/25/19
132 Liberty St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $210,815
Buyer: Heather F. Rainville
Seller: Danny M. Marsili
Date: 11/01/19
1197 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Stephanie L. Savard
Seller: Michael T. Perry
Date: 10/24/19
220 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Cornerstone Homebuying
Seller: Demarest, Kathleen M., (Estate)
Date: 10/30/19
68 Redwood Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Emely M. Chenard
Seller: Jared M. Hamre
Date: 10/28/19
50 Stony Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jared Hamre
Seller: Kenneth E. Santucci
Date: 10/28/19
BRIMFIELD
1240 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Jonathan Ramzell
Seller: Stuart C. Hazen
Date: 10/24/19
CHESTER
122 East River Road
Chester, MA 01050
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Courtney Preston
Seller: Lawrence J. Grimm
Date: 10/29/19
500 East River Road
Chester, MA 01050
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Daniel S. Reider
Seller: Robert M. Johnson
Date: 11/01/19
CHICOPEE
77 Amherst St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Katie A. Gallagher
Seller: Karen A. Herzig
Date: 11/01/19
15 Berger St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Nuno Nunes
Seller: Marsha K. Pelc
Date: 10/30/19
126 Blanchwood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Allen G. Croteau
Seller: Germain, Alice E., (Estate)
Date: 10/28/19
186 Bostwick Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Arthur J. Berube
Seller: Edward J. Montemagni
Date: 10/30/19
530 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Svetlana Akpayne
Seller: John H. Amlaw
Date: 11/04/19
34 Canal St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,375,000
Buyer: 16 Grape Street LLC
Seller: Jersey Shore Properties
Date: 10/29/19
35 Casino Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Veronica Degonzalez
Seller: James J. Demers
Date: 10/23/19
527 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: JWK Real Estate LLC
Seller: Thomas G. Charette
Date: 10/31/19
116 Dixie Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Stacey Y. Tencza
Seller: Robert W. Jennings
Date: 10/25/19
111 Edmund St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Asma Abdur-Rahman
Seller: Dennis A. Neylon
Date: 10/30/19
44 Fanwood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Justin J. Gutierrez
Seller: Evelyn B. Irzyk
Date: 11/01/19
34 Frontenac St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Jennifer Summers
Seller: Maria Villandry
Date: 10/25/19
53 Gladdu Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Hunter J. Parks
Seller: Daniel L. Desjeans
Date: 11/01/19
18 Grape St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,375,000
Buyer: 16 Grape Street LLC
Seller: Jersey Shore Properties
Date: 10/29/19
19 Grape St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,375,000
Buyer: 16 Grape Street LLC
Seller: Jersey Shore Properties
Date: 10/29/19
24 Grape St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,375,000
Buyer: 16 Grape Street LLC
Seller: Jersey Shore Properties
Date: 10/29/19
611 Granby Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Brandon J. Collinge
Seller: David W. Collinge
Date: 11/01/19
27 Hillman St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Charles F. Rhodes
Seller: Luis S. Sousa
Date: 11/01/19
41 Homer Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Olga S. Fisenko
Seller: Dale View Apartments LLC
Date: 10/31/19
505 Irene St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: James A. Saul
Seller: Scott M. Cote
Date: 10/31/19
112 Montcalm St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Brookelyn E. Lapointe
Seller: June M. Sulewski
Date: 11/01/19
203 Montcalm St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Burgen
Seller: David E. Neiford
Date: 10/29/19
409 Montcalm St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $182,900
Buyer: Joseph M. Parmenter
Seller: William Simmons
Date: 10/30/19
70 Newbury St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Phelan
Seller: Claire A. Guimond
Date: 11/05/19
25 Otis St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: Paul Washington
Seller: Erica Cadiz
Date: 11/01/19
16 Parshley St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,375,000
Buyer: 16 Grape Street LLC
Seller: Jersey Shore Properties
Date: 10/29/19
20 Parshley St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,375,000
Buyer: 16 Grape Street LLC
Seller: Jersey Shore Properties
Date: 10/29/19
715 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: Dejordy, Henry H., (Estate)
Date: 11/01/19
716 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Lucy Muche
Seller: Mesa Enterprises LLC
Date: 10/31/19
Sheridan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Westover Metropolitan Development Corp.
Seller: A&C Fernandes LLC
Date: 11/01/19
51 Southwick St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Hurricane Properties LLC
Seller: Michael C. Goff
Date: 10/24/19
124 Sunflower Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Tony Laboy
Seller: Michael C. Bonatakis
Date: 10/30/19
11 Victoria Park
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Hurricane Properties LLC
Seller: Kenneth Tan
Date: 10/24/19
38 Virginia Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Jose I. Gonzalez
Seller: Maryann Nunez
Date: 10/28/19
54 Walnut Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Michael Clemente
Seller: Philip J. Alarie
Date: 11/05/19
EAST LONGMEADOW
51 Birchland Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Douglas F. Blake
Seller: Thomas L. Ross
Date: 10/28/19
101 Braeburn Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $226,500
Buyer: Nicolas P. Brosseau
Seller: Wilbraham Builders Inc.
Date: 10/25/19
69 Brynmawr Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Santiago
Seller: Oliveri Properties LLC
Date: 10/30/19
12 Chatham Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $376,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Burack
Seller: Eileen A. Buehrle
Date: 11/01/19
21 Deer Park Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $2,100,000
Buyer: WMMM LLC
Seller: Fiddlers Point LLC
Date: 10/30/19
47 Forest Hills Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Kristyn G. Kellner
Seller: Therese M. Quinn
Date: 10/29/19
87 Gates Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $282,500
Buyer: Kelly Osada
Seller: Melissa Cuzzone
Date: 10/25/19
33 Glen Heather Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: John F. Mahan
Seller: John F. Mahan
Date: 10/25/19
19 Hanward Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Melissa C. Ford
Seller: Kenneth G. Maxwell
Date: 10/25/19
57 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Sean M. Cooney
Seller: William D. Garber
Date: 10/23/19
228 Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Connor Frigon
Seller: Timber Development LLC
Date: 10/25/19
511 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Michael Denson
Seller: Merrill, Margaret, (Estate)
Date: 10/25/19
117 South Brook Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Scott W. Blais
Seller: Karin E. Spencer
Date: 11/01/19
144 Stonehill Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $346,000
Buyer: Rodolphe Rivaux
Seller: Mary A. O’Connor
Date: 10/25/19
42 Vadnais St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Hannah Misiuk
Seller: Richard Dzierwinski
Date: 11/04/19
54 Westernview Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Richard L. Moro
Seller: Tonette Paulsen
Date: 11/01/19
HAMPDEN
359 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Darren Barnes
Seller: Ruth B. Turcotte
Date: 10/31/19
33 Colony Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Mary A. O’Connor
Seller: Douglas A. Yandow
Date: 10/25/19
134 Glendale Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: David J. Demers
Seller: Scott E. Shepard
Date: 10/23/19
593-595 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Dwayne Lipinski
Seller: US Bank
Date: 10/31/19
31 Stafford Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Daniel Berneche
Date: 10/31/19
138 Stony Hill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Alyssa Anderson
Seller: Gretchen J. Warner
Date: 11/05/19
HOLLAND
30 Leno Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Andrew Colon
Seller: Anthony Ardizzoni
Date: 10/31/19
90 May Brook Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kevin B. Kennedy
Seller: Robert J. Benoit
Date: 10/25/19
9 Shore Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Christopher Polkowski
Seller: Lynn F. Arnold
Date: 11/05/19
9 Sutcliffe Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Brandon S. Wright
Seller: Paula Vail-Gerard
Date: 11/01/19
17 Williams Lane
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $302,500
Buyer: Gary Sloan
Seller: Sean R. Higgins
Date: 10/25/19
HOLYOKE
17-21 Allyn St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,035,000
Buyer: Blythewood Property Management
Seller: OneHolyoke Community Development
Date: 10/29/19
183 Allyn St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $308,000
Buyer: Victor H. Rodriguez
Seller: Stephen M. Corrigan
Date: 10/24/19
20 Arden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Jose D. Colon
Seller: Hoar, James B. J., (Estate)
Date: 10/24/19
42 Claremont Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Micaiah R. Jacques
Seller: Susan M. Storozuk
Date: 10/28/19
8 Coronet Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,500
Buyer: John F. Fogarty
Seller: Brian A. Gamache
Date: 10/23/19
39 Fairfield Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $195,900
Buyer: Darcy Lambert
Seller: Robert M. Jones
Date: 10/25/19
655-657 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Kena L. Thomas
Seller: 655-657 Hampden St LLC
Date: 10/31/19
68 Harvard St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: Judith Bromley RET
Seller: Christian T. Gregory
Date: 11/01/19
3 Ivy Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $130,529
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Marisabel Alvarez
Date: 10/23/19
174 Locust St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Aliz M. Gerena
Seller: Jasmine C. Decarlo
Date: 10/31/19
7-9 Myrtle Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $298,900
Buyer: Ellen Correa
Seller: William D. Egan
Date: 10/29/19
51 Park Slope
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: B&B Real Estate LLC
Seller: Edward J. Wrobleski
Date: 10/31/19
5 Parkview Ter.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Greenesmith LLC
Seller: Urbanowicz, Krystyna, (Estate)
Date: 10/24/19
387 South Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Nelson Ramos
Seller: Evelyn Cruz-Colon
Date: 10/24/19
168 Sycamore St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jeffrey S. Landfried
Seller: Ryan P. Murphy
Date: 10/23/19
5 Timber Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Jason Casella
Seller: Daniel E. O’Neill
Date: 11/01/19
15 View St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Rita Parra
Seller: Sean Sylvester
Date: 10/25/19
25 Willow St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Jenny Rivera
Seller: Thomas N. Wilson
Date: 10/30/19
LONGMEADOW
22 Belleclaire Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jose L. Irizzary
Seller: PLS Realty Inc.
Date: 10/28/19
148 Birch Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Maria Albano
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 10/28/19
248 Blueberry Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Thomas C. Ingram
Seller: Osita R. Phillips
Date: 10/31/19
22 Englewood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Christopher Carr
Seller: Betty R. Poppo
Date: 10/23/19
174 Hopkins Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Rachel J. Mendez
Seller: Justus J. Guerrieri
Date: 11/01/19
130 Lawnwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Thek N. Kyaw
Seller: Nicholas A. Wert
Date: 10/25/19
836 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Mckenna A. Cox
Seller: Paul B. Markarian
Date: 10/24/19
455 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Brian T. Buchalski
Seller: Cabot P. Raymond
Date: 10/31/19
90 Meadowbrook Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Caitlin Millett
Seller: Powers, Patricia C., (Estate)
Date: 10/30/19
185 Nevins Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Carol Lynn
Seller: Joseph L. Gauthier
Date: 10/30/19
46 Pinewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Gabriel
Seller: Donald E. Griffith
Date: 10/30/19
132 Prynnwood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Richar C. Franco
Seller: Lynn I. Newlove
Date: 10/25/19
120 Warren Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Michael C. Rzegocki
Seller: Christine Greenleaf
Date: 10/31/19
447 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kenneth Tamsin
Seller: Thomas C. Ingram
Date: 10/31/19
LUDLOW
98 Amherst St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Kyle S. Laires
Seller: Mark A. Condon
Date: 10/29/19
Autumn Ridge Road #41
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Justin Martins
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 10/25/19
23 Briarwood Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Jose Diaz-Gutierrez
Seller: Richard L. Moro
Date: 11/01/19
84 Bridle Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Stephanie Van-Aller
Seller: Melissa A. Dion
Date: 11/01/19
45 Cardinal Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $347,500
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Bohonowicz
Seller: Joseph S. Pio
Date: 10/29/19
58 East Akard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Travis J. Cooke
Seller: Bruce P. Beaudry
Date: 11/05/19
52 Hampden St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Inci Kavraz
Seller: Elisio C. Fernandes
Date: 11/01/19
146 Highland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $143,600
Buyer: Meghan A. Lynch
Seller: Kevin Schwerdtfeger
Date: 11/04/19
52 Hill Ter.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $257,900
Buyer: Matthew Pagliaro
Seller: Janet Rivera
Date: 10/25/19
185 Kendall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Kyle M. Whelan
Seller: Melissa A. Tereso
Date: 11/01/19
40-42 Minechoag Heights
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Jason Barroso
Seller: Julia Barroso
Date: 11/01/19
39 Nash Hill Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: E. Marshall Lauber
Seller: Gloria A. Axiotis
Date: 10/25/19
8 New Crest St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Dmitriy Patsera
Seller: James M. Jorge
Date: 11/04/19
52 Posner Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $246,900
Buyer: Brendan T. Cavanaugh
Seller: Cheryl A. Couture
Date: 11/04/19
37 Stanley St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jennifer Aniolowski
Seller: Elizabeth A. Lauber
Date: 10/25/19
115 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Cassie M. Warren
Seller: Joan M. Dambrosia
Date: 10/31/19
7 Wyndermere Place
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $433,000
Buyer: Stephen G. Swift
Seller: Paul T. Babin
Date: 10/31/19
MONSON
9 Elm St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Jake Ferrara
Seller: Antonio J. Siciliano
Date: 11/05/19
34 May Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $297,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Jordan
Seller: Quaboag Construction Corp.
Date: 10/25/19
211 Moulton Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $316,000
Buyer: Eric J. Colon
Seller: Anthony W. Fischetti
Date: 10/25/19
1 Thayer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Emtay Inc.
Seller: Melro Associates Inc.
Date: 10/30/19
PALMER
384 Boston Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Rock Thibeault
Seller: Jerrett Robertson
Date: 10/31/19
20 Bourne St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Mearlin Dwyer
Seller: Lisa Borlen
Date: 10/23/19
58 Bourne St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $119,500
Buyer: Janet E. Zajac
Seller: Henry J. Senecal
Date: 11/05/19
29 Cedar Hill St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Steven J. Paul
Seller: Nicholas Renzette
Date: 10/31/19
1075 Central St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Jin X. Ren
Seller: Michael J. Hogan
Date: 10/31/19
3 Colonial St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Robert T. Galazka
Seller: Steven J. Paul
Date: 10/31/19
194 Emery St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Michael J. Norton
Seller: Roger W. Barnes
Date: 11/01/19
3175 Foster St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Irene M. Moylan
Seller: Kevin G. Chapman
Date: 10/29/19
32-36 Fox St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: NPM Realty LLC
Seller: PC Team Realty LLC
Date: 10/30/19
20 Memory Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Peter Olanyk
Seller: Julie A. Gromosky
Date: 10/31/19
165 Peterson Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Ryan Dominik
Seller: Henry S. Piepho
Date: 10/25/19
61 Randall St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: William Gonzalez
Seller: Christopher Nascembeni
Date: 10/31/19
109 Robinson Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Mark J. Soja
Seller: Frances M. Rutkowski
Date: 10/24/19
1302 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $534,000
Buyer: Fredricka Horne
Seller: Warka Associates LLC
Date: 11/05/19
1306-1310 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $534,000
Buyer: Fredricka Horne
Seller: Warka Associates LLC
Date: 11/05/19
RUSSELL
103 Dickinson Hill Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Sergey Glukhovskiy
Seller: Jason Pappas
Date: 10/25/19
90 Shattuck Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Christopher N. Tuzzio
Seller: Dorothy J. Goewey
Date: 10/30/19
SOUTHWICK
16 Birchwood Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Andrew D. Galaska
Seller: Travis Moszynski
Date: 10/25/19
35 Deer Run
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $610,000
Buyer: Christopher D. Scott
Seller: Joseph A. Rovelli
Date: 10/25/19
4 Hidden Place
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $424,000
Buyer: Zulfiya Radcliffe
Seller: Robert M. Langevin
Date: 10/28/19
247-A Hillside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $438,000
Buyer: John D. Kadlewicz
Seller: Laura L. Parker
Date: 10/30/19
33 Sheep Pasture Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Zachary M. Brunelle
Seller: Bran H. Phelps
Date: 10/31/19
SPRINGFIELD
20 Abbe Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Joshua D. Shelton
Seller: Janet E. Denney
Date: 10/31/19
646 Alden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $161,794
Buyer: Adnan E. Paloja
Seller: FNMA
Date: 10/29/19
36 Alderman St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Hanh N. Pham
Seller: FHLM
Date: 10/31/19
7-9 Algonquin Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Aguasvivas Realty LLC
Seller: Clinton J. Carroll
Date: 11/01/19
669 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Abeidys Martinez-Santos
Seller: John S. Bagge
Date: 10/29/19
81 Bairdcrest Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Erica Cadiz
Seller: Phong P. Nguyen
Date: 11/01/19
36 Barry Wills Place
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $238,900
Buyer: Debra J. Margoles
Seller: Douglas Leclair
Date: 10/25/19
94 Bartels St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Steven P. Carosello
Seller: Patricia A. Kaplan
Date: 11/05/19
142 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: David B. Conde
Seller: John F. Moriarty
Date: 10/28/19
149 Berkshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal
Seller: J&J Genesis LLC
Date: 11/01/19
28 Biella St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Benjamin Rivera
Seller: William J. Sepaniak
Date: 10/25/19
16 Bog Hollow Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Tiana Henderson
Seller: Corey B. Wilson
Date: 11/01/19
1686 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $3,504,000
Buyer: OSJ Of Springfield LLC
Seller: Springsan Co. LLC
Date: 10/25/19
77 Bowles St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $143,500
Buyer: Edwin M. Sanchez
Seller: Silverio A. Tavarez
Date: 10/29/19
1293 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $199,500
Buyer: Jessica Spiece
Seller: Erica Barker
Date: 10/25/19
47 Brook St.
Springfield, MA 01028
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Wesley H. James
Seller: Walker, Omo S., (Estate)
Date: 10/24/19
25 Burke St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Eric Rivera
Date: 10/28/19
72 California Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Ovideo E. Rodriguez
Seller: B9 Industries Inc.
Date: 10/31/19
175 Carando Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $2,300,000
Buyer: AGNL Pane LLC
Seller: Harvey Propco LLC
Date: 10/28/19
34 Carew Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Juan Santana
Seller: Carlos A. Collazo
Date: 11/01/19
446-448 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Luz M. Pacheco
Seller: Lela M. Bennett
Date: 10/25/19
16 Carlos St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Cassandra Rivers
Seller: Cheryl K. Boissonneault
Date: 10/24/19
89 Carol Ann St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Wilmington Trust
Seller: Durward J. Pepoon
Date: 10/29/19
47 Chesterfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Marlean Haughton
Seller: Andrew C. Hall
Date: 10/30/19
67-69 Clantoy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Amos E. Thomas
Seller: Peter N. Milidakis
Date: 11/05/19
48 Clement St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Melissa L. Gibson
Seller: Barry J. Cook
Date: 10/30/19
16 Collins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Danielle Lewis
Seller: Valley Castle Holdings
Date: 11/01/19
71 Cooley St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Ana L. Irizarry
Seller: Carol E. Brennan
Date: 11/01/19
71 Daviston St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Christine E. O’Neil
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 10/30/19
24 Deveau St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Lilliam E. Ramos
Seller: Bovat, Francis R., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/19
97 Drexel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Roberto Lopez
Seller: Robert A. Lopez
Date: 10/25/19
199 Eastern Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Christopher Lo
Seller: Benchmark Holdings LLC
Date: 10/28/19
52 Eckington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $297,500
Buyer: Christopher B. Kultzow
Seller: Caryn Salwen
Date: 10/25/19
378 El Paso St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Pedro Rios
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 11/04/19
22 Eleanor Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Leonora L. Scarnici
Seller: Beverley, Stanley C., (Estate)
Date: 10/31/19
117-119 Fenwick St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Darryl C. Hines
Seller: Alvin Medina
Date: 10/30/19
93 Finch Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Annie Y. Vila
Seller: Karen A. Mulvihill
Date: 10/25/19
172 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Carlos J. Morales-Vargas
Seller: Zachary J. Lyman
Date: 11/05/19
276 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Marwan Alassan
Seller: Oloan, Jacqueline B., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/19
51-53 Grover St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Christian O. Rodriguez
Seller: Abigail Larroy
Date: 11/01/19
148 Hadley St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Pierre P. Girard
Seller: Lee A. Mailhot
Date: 10/31/19
129 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Samantha Jones
Seller: Keith Roy
Date: 10/25/19
106 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Steven Demers
Seller: Craig R. Harbour
Date: 10/24/19
23-25 Hiawatha St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Fabricio Ochoa
Seller: Coombs, Douglas C., (Estate)
Date: 10/31/19
31-33 Home St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Jeyson A. Soto-Ocasio
Seller: Derrick J. Hatwood
Date: 10/31/19
19 Hughes St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Edwin Velez
Seller: Matthew S. Fearn
Date: 10/25/19
25-27 Humbert St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: MBC Properties LLC
Seller: Nafiz Al-Khatib
Date: 10/23/19
96 Joan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Bedore
Seller: Misael Ramos
Date: 10/28/19
24 Keith St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Silverio A. Tavarez
Seller: Angiolina Laflamme
Date: 10/29/19
111 Kirby St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Asma Abdur-Rahman
Seller: Dennis A. Neylon
Date: 10/30/19
70 Leete St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: All Nation Church Of God
Seller: ASG Seamless Gutters Inc.
Date: 11/01/19
35 Lenn Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Steven Potter
Seller: Kristyn Grasso-Kellner
Date: 10/29/19
882-884 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Wesley Swan
Seller: Brian Mcelhone
Date: 11/01/19
4 Mandalay Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Noberto Perez
Seller: Judith Tratenberg
Date: 10/31/19
14 Marchioness Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Joel Lugo
Seller: Kamari A. Collins
Date: 11/01/19
87 Mayfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Anzolotti Carol E., (Estate)
Seller: Donna M. Birtwell
Date: 10/30/19
97-99 Michon St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Maxim M. Arbuzov
Seller: Eric M. Goddard
Date: 10/24/19
145 Michon St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: Kevin Rachmaciej
Seller: GEG Realty LLC
Date: 10/31/19
37 Middlebrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $198,500
Buyer: Amanda R. Poirier
Seller: Matthew W. Pagliaro
Date: 10/25/19
100-102 Milton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Eryka Denson
Seller: Christopher J. Behnk
Date: 11/01/19
175 Moss Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Edwin Johnson
Seller: Paul J. Stasiak
Date: 10/29/19
347-349 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: NSP Residential LLC
Seller: Anjeannette M. Dowd
Date: 10/29/19
50 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Laurie A. Jolly
Seller: Sandra P. West
Date: 10/23/19
49 Nutmeg Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Lindsey M. Knodler
Seller: Thomas J. Paull
Date: 10/31/19
83 Oakdale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Jose L. Ortiz
Seller: FNMA
Date: 10/24/19
447 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Chris J. Dobbins
Seller: Lynne A. Martinez
Date: 10/31/19
411 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Ashley Miller
Seller: Miriam Ramos
Date: 10/28/19
2055 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: High Ridge Real Estate
Seller: Arlene M. Corey
Date: 11/01/19
95 Paulk Ter.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Kaitlin M. Kostek
Seller: Catherine M. Lapine
Date: 10/30/19
78 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Stephanie D. Lepsch
Seller: Kevin E. Sullivan
Date: 10/31/19
8 Redlands St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: William Aldoy
Seller: Walide Soufane
Date: 11/05/19
24 Ringgold St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Lloyd Milton
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 10/28/19
46 Ringgold St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: MRC LLC
Seller: WQN Management LLC
Date: 10/31/19
261 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Dolly A. Clarke
Seller: Matthew T. Clarke
Date: 11/05/19
134 Roy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Christa Bennett
Seller: Rock Thibeault
Date: 10/31/19
368 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Luis A. Cruz-Rivera
Seller: 613 LLC
Date: 10/30/19
155 Senator St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Marcos A. Ortiz
Seller: Corwin C. Waddell
Date: 11/04/19
177 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $145,500
Buyer: Antonio Rodriguez
Seller: Michelle M. Lewis
Date: 10/25/19
16 Sheldon St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $473,000
Buyer: Rosa Montero
Seller: Clay M. Binkley
Date: 11/01/19
28 Silver St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Roxana Santana-Torres
Seller: Sandra Rios
Date: 11/01/19
75-77 Silver St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Arabel Payamps-Cepeda
Seller: Ann M. Pastula
Date: 10/31/19
83 Somerset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Selsa A. Maria
Seller: Matthew J. Wierzchowski
Date: 10/31/19
21 Sorrento St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Aminadai T. Rosario
Seller: Fumi Realty Inc.
Date: 11/05/19
283 Spikenard Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Megan R. Williamson
Seller: Steven Cassesse
Date: 10/25/19
57 Sunapee St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Lauren A. Woodard
Seller: Michele C. Claing
Date: 10/31/19
57 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $116,800
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Meghan B. Mctear
Date: 10/29/19
6 Teakwood Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $137,760
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Joseph M. Rogers
Date: 10/28/19
146 Thompson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Mary-Ann Barnes
Seller: Bethel African Methodist Episcopal
Date: 10/24/19
447 Trafton Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $260,400
Buyer: Kenneth M. Devoie
Seller: Shane J. Gebo
Date: 10/31/19
24 Webster St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Frederick M. Shinholster
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 10/31/19
239 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Collin Drew
Seller: Timber Development LLC
Date: 10/25/19
101 West Canton Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $121,000
Buyer: Camilla Miller
Seller: FHLM
Date: 10/29/19
192-194 Westford Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Tannesa Suban
Seller: Akers, Mary E., (Estate)
Date: 10/24/19
143 Woodland Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Sandra P. West
Seller: Frank Nataloni
Date: 10/25/19
WALES
39 Fountain Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Locks Nest LLC
Seller: Joseph O. Lavoie
Date: 10/25/19
15 Lake Shore Dr.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Joan M. Dambrosia
Seller: Lakeside Properties LLC
Date: 10/31/19
WEST SPRINGFIELD
127 Adrian Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Claire A. Guimond
Seller: Talal A. Makkaoui
Date: 11/05/19
56 Armstrong St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jessica M. Nieves
Seller: Garrett P. Erwin
Date: 11/01/19
32 Chapin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Luis G. Pagan
Seller: Ram K. Sanyasi
Date: 10/25/19
104 Charles Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Angel L. Crespo
Seller: Sanborn, Mabel E., (Estate)
Date: 10/24/19
21 Chester St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Dreamscape Homes LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 10/29/19
154 Ely Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Matthew A. Preuss
Seller: Joanne M. Cebula
Date: 10/25/19
48-50 Elm Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Daniel A. Kennedy
Seller: Stewart T. Hillios
Date: 11/01/19
187 Highland Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Joshua Saulenas
Seller: Sandra Parsons
Date: 10/28/19
55 Janet St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Tracey L. Navone
Seller: Roland M. Navone
Date: 10/25/19
43 Queen Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $257,500
Buyer: Anthony J. Hanke
Seller: Kyle A. Giovannoni
Date: 10/30/19
65 Talcott Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $177,400
Buyer: Arthur E. Wheeler
Seller: Steve T. Iacolo
Date: 10/25/19
139 Upper Beverly Hills
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: MAA Property LLC
Seller: Robert W. Hannigan
Date: 10/31/19
53 Warren St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $147,175
Buyer: Gene Davis
Seller: Patrick D. Carpenter
Date: 11/01/19
WESTFIELD
188 Apple Blossom Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $174,750
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Brian McCarthy
Date: 10/23/19
5 Ashley St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Gagnon
Seller: Shelley S. Gutowski
Date: 10/25/19
23 Atwater St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Laprade
Seller: Vladimir Ruha
Date: 11/01/19
38 Buschmann Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Valerie Ramos-Pok
Seller: James R. Budreau
Date: 10/25/19
17 Curtis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Jeremy J. Rivera
Seller: MJ Homes LLC
Date: 10/31/19
43 Deer Path Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Adam J. Midura
Seller: Gary A. Midura
Date: 10/30/19
76 East Silver St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Gene Pierce
Seller: Michael A. Ruffo
Date: 10/25/19
167 Elizabeth Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Deana M. Gasperini
Seller: Joseph D. Binan
Date: 10/25/19
41 Grenier Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Michael A. Ruffo
Seller: Stephen J. Oleksak
Date: 10/25/19
29 Honey Pot Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $409,900
Buyer: James M. Greene
Seller: Steven A. Brochetti
Date: 10/29/19
95 Honey Pot Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Robert M. Lafrance
Seller: Russell S. Radcliffe
Date: 10/28/19
110 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: 110 Lockhouse LLC
Seller: Mercer Island Realty Inc.
Date: 10/29/19
598 Loomis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Aleksandar Gnjidic
Seller: Matthew A. Preuss
Date: 10/25/19
6 Miller St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $126,750
Buyer: Prime Partners LLC
Seller: John P. Zielinski
Date: 10/24/19
17 Mockingbird Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $448,800
Buyer: Patrick C. Chambers
Seller: Douglas J. Fuller
Date: 10/24/19
280 Munger Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $531,000
Buyer: Jason Leduc
Seller: Carl A. Bellefeuille
Date: 11/04/19
5 Pearl St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Jennifer Bonenfant
Seller: Joseph R. Charter
Date: 10/31/19
48 Pequot Point Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $317,500
Buyer: Alex D. Raimer
Seller: Paul Drzewianowski
Date: 11/01/19
144 Pineridge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Barry S. Lanham
Seller: Robert P. Cunningham
Date: 10/25/19
130 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Vincent M. Fattorini
Seller: Marc J. Longtin
Date: 10/31/19
350 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: James R. Budreau
Seller: Richard T. Loftus
Date: 10/25/19
112 Westwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Ryan T. Lamagdeleine
Seller: Ouimet, Barbara A., (Estate)
Date: 10/28/19
50 Wilson Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Donna B. Cole
Seller: John M. Volpe
Date: 11/01/19
WILBRAHAM
1846 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $1,440,000
Buyer: Mannbarb LLC
Seller: 935-979 Main Street Realty
Date: 10/31/19
3276 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Mouna Almasri
Seller: Jeffrey C. Lewis
Date: 10/25/19
9 Chilson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Justin P. Tatsch
Seller: Michael G. Dowd
Date: 10/25/19
19-21 Dalton St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Donna J. Paull
Seller: 19-21 Dalton Street LLC
Date: 10/31/19
1 Hitching Post Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Michael A. Hatch
Seller: Shirley A. Dziadzio
Date: 10/28/19
4 Old Farm Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Douglas D. Clark
Seller: Michael P. Ferzoco
Date: 11/01/19
6 Oxford Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Anthony Carnevale
Seller: Nancy I. Fitzgerald
Date: 11/05/19
7 Woodland Dell Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $404,000
Buyer: Jesse T. Sayers
Seller: Lauren S. Stanley
Date: 10/29/19
AMHERST
11 Duxbury Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jennifer D. Randall
Seller: Michael Famighette
Date: 10/28/19
289 East Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: John W. Kinchla
Seller: Raymond H. Otto
Date: 10/23/19
133 Fearing St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: 133 Fearing LLC
Seller: Ting FT
Date: 10/25/19
21 Frost Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Gregory R. Haughton
Seller: Andrea A. Dustin RET
Date: 10/28/19
30 Glendale Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Kristen Ripley
Seller: Jones Properties LP
Date: 10/28/19
84 Glendale Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Kima Romito
Seller: Maria C. Sunkel
Date: 10/28/19
16 Kestrel Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Cathal J. Kearney
Seller: James J. Brennan
Date: 10/31/19
16 Morgan Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Inci Korkmaz
Seller: Lucie H. Devries
Date: 10/25/19
207 Snell St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $347,500
Buyer: Kevin J. Cullen
Seller: Joy, Robert J., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/19
BELCHERTOWN
62 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Chocorua Realty Invests
Seller: GP 10 LLC
Date: 10/31/19
218 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Thomas Roberts
Seller: Wenzel, Deborah L., (Estate)
Date: 10/28/19
58 Cheryl Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Michael D. Desmith
Seller: Rachel J. Mendez
Date: 10/31/19
17 Clark St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Jason Ducharme
Seller: George Wolfe
Date: 10/25/19
700 Franklin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Maria F. Marshall
Seller: Todd A. Bucklin
Date: 10/25/19
19 Helen Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Allen J. Fitzsimmons
Seller: Stephen Swift
Date: 10/25/19
North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Thomas Roberts
Seller: Wenzel, Deborah L., (Estate)
Date: 10/28/19
21 South Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $223,500
Buyer: George Wolfe
Seller: Edible Properties LLC
Date: 10/25/19
26 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Darren Smith
Seller: Diane P. Mager
Date: 10/25/19
18 Summit St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: William J. Golash
Seller: Loretta J. Adams
Date: 10/30/19
CHESTERFIELD
157 Damon Pond Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Ashley Lebeau
Seller: Jane M. Harpole
Date: 10/28/19
62 East St.
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Suzanne D. Blair
Date: 10/30/19
CUMMINGTON
12 Brown Ave.
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $245,500
Buyer: Stephen M. Shaw
Seller: Caitlin E. Jennings
Date: 10/24/19
EASTHAMPTON
16 Clark Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Shum 2 LLC
Seller: Jason P. Graham
Date: 11/01/19
5 Coed Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: David H. Smith
Seller: Jeffrey S. Landfried
Date: 10/23/19
103 Cottage St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Milo Properties LLC
Seller: Edward R. Downer
Date: 11/04/19
8 East Green St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Darragh
Seller: Michael Rice-Packard
Date: 10/31/19
235 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $260,900
Buyer: John P. Barna
Seller: Kelly, John E., (Estate)
Date: 10/31/19
41 Franklin St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $271,500
Buyer: Ryan M. Hellyar
Seller: Mary Bozek RET
Date: 10/31/19
142 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: John G. Sheehan
Seller: Stephen A. Gentile
Date: 11/05/19
90 Line St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Shean E. Bussler
Seller: Kathleen F. Whitten
Date: 10/31/19
312 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Alexis A. Callender
Seller: Matthew L. Goldman
Date: 11/01/19
337 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Peter H. Geis
Seller: O’Connor, Jeanne D., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/19
41-1/2 Maple St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Ryan C. Coopee
Seller: KM Properties LLC
Date: 10/25/19
32 Mayher St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Caitlin M. Bunning
Seller: Thomas J. Stone
Date: 11/01/19
3 Melinda Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: John Lilly
Seller: Patricia C. Casavant
Date: 10/25/19
96 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Debra J. Young
Seller: Michael Connor
Date: 10/24/19
11 Plaza Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Alexander N. Buendo
Seller: Neil A. Delisle
Date: 10/31/19
43 Westview Ter.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Max R. Talley
Seller: Sarah A. Liles
Date: 10/30/19
GOSHEN
42 West Shore Dr.
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $331,550
Buyer: Amy L. Rhodes
Seller: Michelle Raffol
Date: 10/29/19
GRANBY
108 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Steven Trznadel
Seller: Justin W. Smith
Date: 10/30/19
266 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Richard J. Gaj
Seller: Edward F. Jackson
Date: 11/01/19
13 Deerbrook Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Jesse Moreno
Seller: Theofilos Eliopoulos
Date: 11/01/19
East State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $123,917
Buyer: Cindys AM LLC
Seller: International EC LLC
Date: 11/05/19
171 Kendall St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Ryan Gaudrault
Seller: Richard J. Gaj
Date: 11/01/19
15 Lyn Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Alyssa J. Vah
Seller: Khaled Instrum
Date: 10/29/19
124 School St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Michael R. Haas
Seller: James M. Hamel
Date: 10/30/19
HADLEY
31 East St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Ian G. Macgregor
Seller: John Hanks
Date: 11/01/19
123 East St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $153,378
Buyer: Kuei L. Lo
Seller: US Bank
Date: 10/29/19
14 Meadow St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Fydenkevez
Seller: Janet T. Choiniere
Date: 11/01/19
18 Mount Warner Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Nicholas R. Marino
Seller: Marjorie P. Townsend
Date: 10/23/19
39 Roosevelt St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Walter J. Swartz
Seller: Walter J. Swartz
Date: 10/24/19
439 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $8,035,000
Buyer: CHC Windfield LLC
Seller: Windfield Family Apts. LP
Date: 10/25/19
439-1/2 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $6,000,000
Buyer: CHC Windfield LLC
Seller: Windfields Senior Estates
Date: 10/25/19
Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Vertical Assets LLC
Seller: Jeffrey C. Mish
Date: 10/25/19
35 Shattuck Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $520,000
Buyer: Vickie Chen
Seller: Mark D. Lloyd
Date: 10/28/19
HUNTINGTON
Goss Hill Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $231,500
Buyer: Stacy M. Fisk
Seller: Goss Road Estates LLC
Date: 10/31/19
60 Worthington Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $327,500
Buyer: Steven J. Knachel
Seller: Laura Sector-Ross
Date: 10/28/19
NORTHAMPTON
343 Brookside Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Kelly R. Lewis
Seller: Andrew J. Tessier
Date: 10/31/19
53 Gothic St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Tragin Properties LLC
Seller: Kathleen Burke Foley RET
Date: 10/30/19
38 High St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Lynn M. Curry
Seller: Michael V. Sola
Date: 10/30/19
21 Hooker Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Carol L. Glaskin
Seller: Justin M. Kemp
Date: 11/04/19
194 Jackson St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Alison Morse
Seller: Dustin A. Cote
Date: 10/31/19
129 North St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Michael A. Fisher
Seller: Elizabeth A. McDonald
Date: 10/31/19
69 North Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: Kimberly Hoff
Seller: Lisa A. Darragh
Date: 10/31/19
27 Northern Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Barbara L. Black
Seller: Joel Dansky
Date: 10/29/19
40 Oak St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $536,000
Buyer: Haytham Omar
Seller: Jens Schlueter
Date: 10/31/19
984 Park Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $231,250
Buyer: Matthew R. Bushey
Seller: Bushey, Joanne C., (Estate)
Date: 10/24/19
29 Pleasant St. #9
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: J. Geoffrey Taylor
Seller: Alexander Bykhovsky
Date: 10/29/19
229 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Hai V. Ly
Seller: H. G. Ter-Meulen-Decowski
Date: 10/30/19
35 Village Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: 35 Village Hill Road LLC
Seller: Hospital Hill Development
Date: 10/31/19
3 Wright Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: Gretna Green Development
Seller: Isobel A. Mcmahon
Date: 10/25/19
PELHAM
51 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Frank Ernest FT
Seller: William C. Weimar
Date: 10/24/19
342 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Julie A. Boucher
Seller: Kelvin L. Kindahl
Date: 10/31/19
57 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $366,000
Buyer: Michael Famighette
Seller: Christina P. Taylor
Date: 10/28/19
SOUTH HADLEY
36 Abbey St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Edward F. Jackson
Seller: Robert E. Gondek
Date: 11/01/19
18 Central Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Austin J. Huot
Seller: Blaney Y. Sabbs
Date: 10/31/19
12 Cypress Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Joseph W. Isabelle
Seller: Margaret C. Giustina
Date: 10/23/19
27 Edison Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Ali Hamdan
Seller: Bernard A. Marois
Date: 10/29/19
1 Harvard St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $198,900
Buyer: Nicole L. Casolari
Seller: Allyson M. Garcia
Date: 10/30/19
59 High St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $231,680
Buyer: Ibrahim Ali
Seller: Deborah A. Noyes
Date: 10/24/19
7 Linden Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Devin Gale
Seller: Katie M. Denison
Date: 10/25/19
25 McKinley Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $221,500
Buyer: Brian A. Baird
Seller: Genti Lagji
Date: 10/23/19
127 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Rachel N. Mick
Seller: Leja Anna, (Estate)
Date: 10/30/19
55 River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Connor R. Burgess
Seller: CRA Holdings Inc.
Date: 10/31/19
17 San Souci Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $412,000
Buyer: Darby L. Bashista
Seller: Robert C. Jackson
Date: 10/31/19
23 Spring St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Schnitzer
Seller: Jennifer A. Deforge
Date: 10/30/19
24 Westbrook Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: Keith Roy
Seller: Jed T. Hollingsworth
Date: 10/25/19
SOUTHAMPTON
Quigley Road #31
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Daviau & Robert Properties LLC
Seller: Pellegrini Development
Date: 11/05/19
WARE
4 Dora St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Doris I. Porowski
Seller: Blanche V. Condren
Date: 10/31/19
30 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Devin Ruiz
Seller: Andre J. Letendre
Date: 10/31/19
29 Highland St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Melissa R. Benoit
Seller: Kristin Trudel
Date: 10/25/19
12 Oakridge Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Erik P. Wattu
Seller: Ronald L. Rivers
Date: 11/01/19
45 Old Poor Farm Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Sam Zhao
Seller: Diana C. Frappier
Date: 10/28/19
76 Shoreline Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Quabbin Wire & Cable Co. Inc.
Seller: Susan Gamelli
Date: 11/05/19
22 Warebrook Village
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $115,900
Buyer: Javier Lugo
Seller: Amy F. Wattu
Date: 10/31/19
WESTHAMPTON
41 Loudville Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $137,546
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Karen J. Young
Date: 11/01/19
196 Reservoir Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Kilbride
Seller: Ian T. Stith
Date: 10/25/19
WILLIAMSBURG
6 Maple St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Hansell
Seller: Walter K. Boas
Date: 11/01/19
The following building permits were issued during the month of November 2019.
CHICOPEE
Grattan Street Realty, LLC
671 Grattan St.
$3,200 — Emergency repairs to front of building impacted by motor vehicle
John Hart, Denise Hart
252 Montcalm St.
$20,000 — Roofing, siding, rebuild concrete stairs
JWD Holdings, LLC
25-95 North Chicopee St.
Remove portion of exterior brick wall, foundation, and concrete floor slabs to install overhead door frame and door, repour concrete floor slab
William Santaniello
535 East St.
$38,000 — Add wall for kitchen retrofit
DEERFIELD
Suns Mass, LLC
198 Mill Village Road
Demolish small barn
VESH
141 Greenfield Road
$89,200 — Sprinkler system
EASTHAMPTON
Big Y Trust
Main Street
$172,500 — Install water booster pump station
EAST LONGMEADOW
Secure Energy
515 Shaker Road
$8,500 — Vinyl fence
Ventry Properties
124 Shaker Road
$3,000 — Sign
GREENFIELD
Baystate Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$8,600 — Relocate 13 existing sprinklers for pharmacy office renovation
Berkshire Gas Co.
40 Mill St.
$108,000 — Install new fire-protection system
Stoneleigh Burnham School
574 Bernardston Road
$495,000 — Renovate Geissler Gym and construct addition for fitness center
Mark Valone
CHICOPEE
Grattan Street Realty, LLC
671 Grattan St.
$3,200 — Emergency repairs to front of building impacted by motor vehicle
John Hart, Denise Hart
252 Montcalm St.
$20,000 — Roofing, siding, rebuild concrete stairs
JWD Holdings, LLC
25-95 North Chicopee St.
Remove portion of exterior brick wall, foundation, and concrete floor slabs to install overhead door frame and door, repour concrete floor slab
William Santaniello
535 East St.
$38,000 — Add wall for kitchen retrofit
DEERFIELD
Suns Mass, LLC
198 Mill Village Road
Demolish small barn
VESH
141 Greenfield Road
$89,200 — Sprinkler system
EASTHAMPTON
Big Y Trust
Main Street
$172,500 — Install water booster pump station
EAST LONGMEADOW
Secure Energy
515 Shaker Road
$8,500 — Vinyl fence
Ventry Properties
124 Shaker Road
$3,000 — Sign
GREENFIELD
Baystate Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$8,600 — Relocate 13 existing sprinklers for pharmacy office renovation
Berkshire Gas Co.
40 Mill St.
$108,000 — Install new fire-protection system
Stoneleigh Burnham School
574 Bernardston Road
$495,000 — Renovate Geissler Gym and construct addition for fitness center
Mark Valone
319 Wells St.
$80,799 — Interior renovations
HADLEY
Pearson Hadley, LLC
380 Russell St.
$153,500 — Reconfigure space for new tenant, including minor demolition, new interior partition walls, ceiling, painting, and flooring
Pearson Hadley, LLC
380 Russell St.
$137,500 — Reconfigure space for new tenant, including minor demolition, new interior partition walls, ceiling, painting, and flooring
LEE
Time Warner Cable Northeast, LLC
20 Silver St.
$42,000 — Bathroom renovations and new finishes in conference room
LENOX
Lenox Club
111 Yokun Ave.
$9,000 — New storage shed
SPRINGFIELD
1492 Redevelopment, LLC
90 Carew St.
$790,000 — Alter interior space for tenant fit-out of new building for Springfield Dialysis Center
Albany Road – St. James Avenue, LLC
1250 St. James Ave.
$392,016.72 — Alter tenant office space for state 911 training center
DF Main Street, LLC
991 Main St.
$33,000 — Install fire-alarm system for CVS Pharmacy
Financial Plaza Trust
1350 Main St.
$6,175 — Divide tenant space into two units on 12th floor for MassLive
Kayrouz Realty, LLC
1037 St. James Ave.
$175,000 — Addition to rear of convenience store and alter existing interior space
MassMutual
1295 State St.
$155,400 — Alter interior space, renovate ceiling in office area on second floor of main building
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Tony Alfarone
1140 Memorial Dr.
$5,000 — Remove existing walls for future store and restaurant
319 Wells St.
$80,799 — Interior renovations
