Month: April 2020

NORTHAMPTON — Home City Development Inc. (HCDI), a Springfield-based affordable-housing development organization, was awarded $2.88 million and seven project-based vouchers by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Funds were awarded for renovations of New South Street Apartments, an 18-unit historic building located at 24-34 New South St. in Northampton. Project-based vouchers and supportive service funds will provide housing for seven homeless families. In addition, the city of Northampton awarded $50,000 of Community Development Block Grant funds for this project.

“Home City Development is proud to provide quality affordable housing and supportive services in Northampton for homeless individuals and families,” said Peter Serafino, director of Real Estate Development at HCDI. “Gov. Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito, and the staff at DHCD understand the many challenges families face in finding housing. Home City Development would like to recognize and thank these Massachusetts leaders, as well as state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, state Sen. Jo Comerford, and Mayor Narkewicz, for funding the New South Street Apartments improvements.”

Homeless households will be selected from the Three County Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry system. This system includes Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire county emergency-assistance shelters and other assistance organizations. HCDI will provide case management and related support services for residents at New South Street Apartments, including those who were formerly homeless.

HCDI is working with Architecture EL as project architect and Henry General Contractors as contractor. Renovation work is expected to begin this fall and take about nine months to complete.

Home City Development Inc. is a nonprofit, resident-centered developer of multi-family and mixed-use properties in Western Mass. HCDI was founded as Better Homes Inc. in 1968 by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Over more than 50 years, HCDI has worked to facilitate community stability and growth in collaboration with numerous partners and residents.

Leadership Pioneer Valley Announces ‘Letting Leadership Shine’ Event

By Joseph Bednar April 30, 2020

SPRINGFIELD — Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) announced a virtual discussion with local leaders from different sectors about how they are leading during COVID-19, what is needed, and what we can expect. The event will be held on Tuesday, May 5 from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom.

Speakers for “Letting Leadership Shine” include Jessica Collins, executive director of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts; Justin Hurst, Springfield city councilor; Joanne Marqusee, president of Cooley Dickinson Hospital; Christina Royal, president of Holyoke Community College; and Katie Allan Zobel, executive director of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Other speakers will be announced.

“These unprecedented times are putting a real strain on everyone, but especially leaders,” said Lora Wondolowski, Leadership Pioneer Valley’s executive director. “We are excited to hear from local leaders on how they are leading and their forecasts for their sectors.”

To register or for more information on sessions, visit www.leadershippv.org.

Freedom Credit Union Makes $55,000 Community Donation for Coronavirus Crisis

By Joseph Bednar April 30, 2020

SPRINGFIELD — Freedom Credit Union (FCU) announced a donation of $55,000 to be dispersed among several community organizations at the front lines of the local fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The coronavirus crisis has required that the entire community come together in response,” FCU President and CEO Glenn Welch said. “At Freedom, we wanted to honor those organizations that are at the center of the community response and contribute to the resources they need to help others during the pandemic.”

FCU announced that the following slate of organizations will receive a portion of the $55,000 donation: Baystate Health Foundation; Mercy Medical Center; Cooley Dickinson Health Care; the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts; Hampshire Hospitality Group, whose Hampshire County Heroes feed first responders in Hampshire County; and Feed the Fight, an initiative of Peter Pan Bus Lines and area restaurants to feed healthcare workers and first responders in the community.

Welch indicated that FCU will continue to assist the community throughout the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to these community donations, Welch said FCU has offered resources to its individual members intended to provide financial assistance or relief during the crisis, including online banking services and the new Freedom Relief Loan, which provides up to $10,000 to members dealing with consequences of the pandemic, including layoffs, furloughs, and bills.

In addition, FCU’s Skip-a-Pay program allows members with a consumer loan — auto, mortgage, home equity, or home improvement — to defer payments up to 90 days. Members should contact their local branch for details. FCU can also work with member businesses needing financial relief on their specific circumstances. Business members should speak with the Member Business Lending department. For contact information, visit freedom.coop.

“Community and member support is a central tenet of Freedom’s work,” Welch said. “And there’s never been a more important time to give back. We’re grateful for the courageous and critical work being done by doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other first responders, as well as everyday heroes like grocery and restaurant workers, mail carriers, and delivery people. They are truly essential and appreciated, and we’re proud to join this effort to assist the entire community at a time of great need.”

Area Car Dealers Hit Some COVID-generated Speed Bumps

By George O'Brien April 29, 2020

Coronavirus Sections Special Coverage

Dropping Down a Gear

By George O’Brien

Steve Lewis spends a good amount of each winter in Florida, and this year was no exception. He was planning on returning to the Northeast in late February, but eventually saw little point in doing so.

As February turned to March, there was even less incentive.

“I figure if you’re going to work from home, you might as well do it where it’s warm and sunny, and where you can play golf,” said Lewis, owner of Steve Lewis Subaru in Hadley, whose Florida address is the Delray Beach area.

But, make no mistake, he is, like most people, WFH, and from Florida he has a very clear picture of what’s happening at his dealership — and within the auto industry itself — during this pandemic. As it is for most all businesses, this an ultra-challenging time that comes with some learning curves and a great deal of uncertainty about what’s going to happen over the next several months.

Sales for March and April of this year are down roughly 50% from what they were over this same period last year, said Lewis, echoing others we spoke with on that estimate. Meanwhile, service work is better, but not as good as in ‘normal’ times. Meanwhile, methods of doing business have changed, with both sales and a good amount of service being undertaken with the customer never visiting the dealership.

And as the pandemic continues, many in the industry, including those we spoke with, said these trends will continue, to one extent or another, even after people are talking about this virus in the past tense.

“We saw this coming — we slowly started to see this change,” said Carla Cosenzi, president of TommyCar Auto Group, referring to everything from online buying to pick-up and drop-off for service work. “We were one of the dealers that believed this this was going to be the future, and I believe this will train the consumer on just how easy it is to buy a car online. And I think this will push online buying to happen for car dealers sooner than it may have if the virus hadn’t happened. But this was coming.”

As for volume of sales, it is obviously down dramatically, as those projections for year-over-year numbers would indicate. But they’re actually better than some people thought they might be, and they might get better still if consumers gain the confidence to take advantage of a number of incentives now being offered.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a better time to buy in all the years that I’ve been in this business,” said Lewis, who has a roughly a half-century under his belt. Elaborating, he listed everything from lower sticker prices to deferred payments; from gas prices now under $2 a gallon (and likely headed lower) to lower insurance costs resulting from people driving less.

Peter Wirth, co-owner of Mercedes Benz of Springfield, agreed that these incentives might be enough to inspire some people who were thinking about buying or leasing and needed something to incite them to action.

“There are some people where it doesn’t matter what the incentives are, they won’t buy a car, and there are people who would have bought the car with or without the incentives,” he explained. “And then there this is middle piece where you can maybe push someone over the edge — they’ll buy if they think they’re getting a really good deal. That has happened, and it’s probably going to continue to happen through May and into the summer.”

And if these incentives aren’t enough, there’s ongoing speculation that, because many car manufacturers have shut down entirely or shifted to making respirators or other products, there may come a day — when, no one can really say — when getting the model you want might become more difficult.

For now, the lots are full, manufacturers and dealers are providing incentives to help clear that inventory, and the world waits to see if and when the economy improves to the point where more people gain the needed confidence to make such a large and important purchase.

That’s the view from Florida, and right here in Western Mass. as well, as this sector works to drive through something that no one currently working within it has dealt with before.

Hitting the Brakes

Lewis told BusinessWest his main role at the dealership with his name on it is to act as a type of cheerleader for his staff. And in the middle of a pandemic, if that’s where we are, there isn’t much need for a cheerleader.

“I get people up and running, but the people who are there are maxed out,” he explained. “We’re bringing people back bit by bit because our business is increasing on a daily basis, but we’re certainly not there yet.”

Elaborating, he said maybe half the company’s employees are back at the dealership, with the service department “insanely busy,” as he put it, and sales working its way back, but volume still well off last year’s pace during what is traditionally a good time for dealers.

On the service side, Lewis, like others we spoke with, said there’s a lot of recall work being done, and some routine, or scheduled, maintenance, but certainly not as much, because people aren’t driving as much, and they’re less inclined to visit the dealership for service — even those who drive the brand he sells.

“Subaru people are very diligent — if they’re 200 miles over their oil change, they think they’re going straight to hell,” said Lewis. “They say, ‘am I OK, is everything OK?’ And we say, ‘yeah, you’re OK.’”

Meanwhile, much of the service work being undertaken doesn’t involve visits to the dealership anyway, as those we spoke with said the pick-up/drop-off method is becoming increasingly popular, and it is likely to stick once this is over. And even those who do come to the dealership for service can’t hang out in the waiting room — at least to the extent they once did — so they’re given a loaner car, even if it’s only for a few hours.

To conduct this type of service, a dealership needs to build an infrastructure, meaning both staff to do the picking up and dropping off and the loaner cars to be left with customers while their vehicle is being worked on. And those we spoke with have been doing just that.

Indeed, Cosenzi said TommyCar saw this coming and put an operation in place. It’s called TommyCar Go.

“We had the infrastructure in place before COVID-19 struck, so it wasn’t a difficult transition for us,” she explained. “We already had the loaner fleet, we already had the personnel in place, we already had the advertising in place and the website organized; for us, we were ahead of the curve when many other dealerships were scrambling to get their operations in place.”

Wirth said Mercedes-Benz now has a fleet of 40 brand-new cars and a team of staff members he would like to grow that is assigned to picking up and dropping off, a service that was starting to catch on before the pandemic forced everyone into their homes, but now has become much more popular.

“Consumers are adjusting to a new normal — they’re not done adjusting, but they are getting more used to it,” he told BusinessWest. “We’re doing more pick-up and drop-off than we ever have before, and we were doing a fair amount before that. And on the flip side, we’re very active with reaching out to people to get service campaigns or recalls that were pending that we would ordinarily just take care of the next time the car comes in.

“And some of this is going to stay with us; consumer behavior will change — it won’t be 180 degrees, but it will be different, and more people will be comfortable with pick-up and drop-off,” Wirth said, adding that his dealership is working to improve the process and is currently researching an app that will enable customers to track where the driver is and when he or she will make that pick-up or drop-off.

Providing Incentive

Meanwhile, patterns are changing on the sales side, again out of necessity. Consumers are doing their shopping online, and increasingly, they’re getting into a new car without having to get into the showroom. And often without leaving their home.

Buyers are directed to the dealers’ websites, the paperwork is now handled via e-mail and DocuSign, and cars are either picked up outside the dealership or, increasingly, in their driveway. And in keeping with the times, the cars are thoroughly sanitized before the keys change hands.

“These are hermetically sealed — they’re like an operating room when people pick them up,” said Lewis, echoing the sentiments of others and speaking for them when he said that dealers are doing their best to make sure buyers get a full tutorial on how everything works, even if the sales associate isn’t sitting in the passenger seat explaining each feature, as has historically been the case.

“Through the internet, we go over the car as best we can,” he explained. “And we invite them back in when this is all over for a complete tour of their automobile.”

Cosenzi agreed. “We’ve done a lot of FaceTiming and Google conferencing, and we’ve set up every kind of conference, from Skype to Google — whatever the customer wants,” she said in reference to creating opportunities to learn all about their car. “There’s been a lot of Webexing.”

As for sales volume, as noted earlier, those numbers are well off last year’s pace, but in some respects better than some might have expected given the damage done to the economy, the huge numbers of people now unemployed, and the high degree of uncertainty when it comes to the future and when the region and the country can return to something approaching normal.

“The way we’re tracking now, April’s going to be about 50% of what it was last year, which is better than we thought,” said Wirth, noting that all the sales have been handled online. “In the beginning, people were thinking that there was no business to be had, but gradually things improved.”

Cosenzi agreed. “There was a lull at the beginning when this first happened,” she noted. “I think everyone was in shock and was really scared. But now, the manufacturers have come out with so many amazing offers, we’re seeing people want to take advantage of that.”

Indeed, the incentives have come in a number of forms, from lower prices, to deferred payments, to protection if the buyer loses their job to COVID-19, and they are commanding the attention of many consumers.

Because most sales are internet-driven, Lewis said, he’s drawing business from a wider geographic area as people shop for the best deal.

“People are really shopping for the best dollar now,” he explained, “because there’s no sales personality involved in the sale; it’s all through the internet, and it’s all about who has the best price, and our pricing is such that we need to move their cars.”

Indeed, his dealership, like most at the moment, has plenty of cars. Lewis said his dealership has a full lot, more cars stored elsewhere, and it’s currently holding up cars at Subaru’s port of entry in Rhode Island.

“We have 150 new cars in stock, and about 100 used cars in stock,” he noted. “That’s about a month’s supply normally, but now it’s a two-months’ supply; we’re paying interest on them, so we’ve got to move them once the floodgates open; I could probably have 300 cars on site right now that are either delivered and on the lot or allocated to us, and we’ve held their delivery up because we don’t have any place to put them.”

Lots of Questions

If sales pick up, as some project they might, and those inventories are depleted, getting new supplies of cars might become more difficult until the manufacturers ramp up production again, noted those we spoke with.

But that day is far off, and there is still a great amount of uncertainty about what can and will happen over the next few months or even the next few weeks, as the stay-at-home order has been extended to at least May 18.

For now, dealers are coping with lots of cars, lots of questions, new ways of doing things, and trends that might become the new norm.

It’s all part of life for a sector that was moving in the fast lane but has had to drop down a gear — or two. Or three.

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

Sharianne Walker Named Dean of WNEU College of Business

By BusinessWest Staff April 29, 2020

SPRINGFIELD — Sharianne Walker has been named dean of the Western New England University (WNEU) College of Business. Linda Jones, university provost, recently made the announcement, citing Walker’s dedication and commitment to the College of Business and her record of spearheading accreditation, strategic planning, and assessment projects at the university.

Walker joined the College of Business faculty in 1996, most recently serving as chair and professor of Sport Management, as well as co-director of the master of science in Sport Leadership and Coaching graduate program.

Walker is the co-author of the texts Managing Intercollegiate Athletics, Managing Sport Organizations: Responsibility for Performance, and Strategic Management in International Sport Management. Her current research focuses on revenue- and resource-development models in sports organizations, strategic management, and leadership. She has presented her research on leadership development, business operations, and revenue generation at various international, national, and regional conferences.

An influential figure in the growth of WNEU’s athletics program, she has served as a faculty fellow, an NCAA faculty representative, and chair of the Western New England Athletics Council, Athletic Direct Report, and was inducted into the university’s Downes Athletic Hall of Fame.

Walker was previously named Career Woman of the Year by the Massachusetts Business and Professional Women’s Assoc. and served as director of the Springfield Leadership Institute. She is currently chair of the board of trustees of Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park in Florence.

Walker earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Smith College, and master’s and Ph.D. degrees in sport management from the University of Massachusetts.

Pearson Wallace, Arbella Offer Premium Relief for Auto-insurance Customers

By BusinessWest Staff April 29, 2020

AMHERST — Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, Arbella has committed to providing a 20% credit for three months on all personal auto policies until June 30. This is a per-vehicle refund that applies to existing and new policies from Pearson Wallace Insurance, said Alex Bennett, the agency’s vice president.

“During these trying times, one thing is for certain — we will continue to be there for our valued customers, business partners, and friends,” he added. “Now, more than ever, is a great time to review your insurance coverages while saving money on your personal auto insurance.”

Arbella Insurance also announced the Arbella Here. For Good. Give Back Program. Subject to approval by state regulators, Arbella’s personal auto customers will receive a credit equal to 20% of their auto premium for the months of April, May, and June. These savings would result in an estimated average of $60 per vehicle, and customers with multiple vehicles on their policy could see significant savings, Bennett noted.

Ascent Laser Aesthetics Introduces Innovative Hair-removal System

By BusinessWest Staff April 29, 2020

EAST LONGMEADOW — Ascent Laser Aesthetics, a medical spa located in East Longmeadow, has partnered with Cartessa Aesthetics to bring the hair-removal system Motux AX to the practice.

Motux AX is the most effective laser wavelength for hair removal for the widest array of skin types, Dr. Kevin Coughlin said, adding that the procedure is virtually pain-free and significantly more comfortable than standard methods, while providing quicker treatment of large areas (less than five minutes) and fewer subsequent treatments to achieve optimal results. Through proprietary Moveo technology, risk of side effects is virtually non-existent.

“In the fast-paced, changing world of non-surgical aesthetics, knowledge and investing in the latest cutting-edge technology and equipment is crucial in providing the best results,” Coughlin added. “We understand the busy lifestyle our clients live and want to deliver the best results in the quickest time so they can get the results they want. We continue to bring cutting-edge technology to Western Mass.”

Baker-Polito Administration Extends Non-essential Business Closures to May 18

BOSTON — In what will surely be frustrating, if understandable, news to most Massachusetts businesses, the Baker-Polito administration has extended the statewide essential-services emergency order by two weeks.

Gov. Charlie Baker’s emergency order requiring that all businesses and organizations that do not provide “COVID-19 essential services” close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers, and the public will be extended until May 18. Businesses and organizations not on the list of essential services are encouraged to continue operations through remote means that do not require workers, customers, or the public to enter or appear at the brick-and-mortar premises closed by the order. This order also extends the existing ban on gatherings of more than 10 people until May 18.

Local economic leaders told BusinessWest that, while their frustration is real, it’s not targeted at the state, and they understand the delicate balance between public health and economic health.

“While the Springfield Regional Chamber expected and understands Governor Baker’s decision to extend the stay-at-home advisory, that tough decision underscores the challenging circumstances we find ourselves in as a business community,” chamber President Nancy Creed said. “We’re doing a balancing act between wanting to get back to work and getting back to work in a safe manner.”

In a poll of its members last week, she noted, the chamber asked what worried them more: the spread of the virus if restrictions were loosened too soon, or the negative economic impact of not reopening quick enough. It also asked if Massachusetts was ready for a May 4 reopening.

“Seventy-seven percent responded that the spread of the virus was more worrisome, and an overwhelming number — 91% — responded that Massachusetts was not ready for a May 4 reopening,” Creed said, “clearly revealing that much of the business community is concerned about protecting those most vulnerable and stopping the spread of the disease, and demonstrating the commitment our business community has to the community as a whole.”

Rick Sullivan, president of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, took a similar outlook.

“I do not think that anyone is surprised that the shutdown has been extended, as the governor has been clear he will follow the data as to when to begin reopening the economy,” Sullivan said. “We may be seeing the number of cases plateauing, but [development of] a vaccine, or treatment medication, is still in its infancy, so the data still says go slow. I do think some businesses previously deemed non-essential could have protocols put in place to allow partial reopening. However, nobody wants to reopen prematurely and see worse spikes later in the year.”

Baker also announced that the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) stay-at-home advisory will remain in effect. Residents are strongly urged to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel and other unnecessary person-to-person contact during this time period. Residents who are considered at high risk when exposed to COVID-19 should limit social interactions with other people as much as possible.

The administration also extended the guidance issued to executive-branch employees on protocol during the COVID-19 outbreak to ensure state government can continue to provide key services while protecting the health and safety of the public and the executive-branch workforce. Under the guidance, all employees performing non-core functions who are able to work remotely should continue to do so until May 18.

Baker also announced the formation of a Reopening Advisory Board, which will be co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. The board brings public-health officials together with leaders from the business community and municipal government from across the Commonwealth. This group is charged with advising the administration on strategies to reopen the economy in phases based on health and safety metrics. It will meet with key stakeholders and solicit input from a variety of constituencies over the next three weeks to develop a report by May 18 that will include DPH-approved workplace-safety standards, industry frameworks, and customer protocols and guidelines, including enforcement mechanisms and coordination with municipal leaders. While this report is due on the 18th, the administration has made clear that public-health data and guidance from healthcare experts will dictate the timeline of the reopening process.

The 17-member Reopening Advisory Board is composed of three public-health officials, including Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel, three municipal officials, and 11 leaders from the business community, including MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. Members of the board bring a range of perspectives to the table, such as an understanding of workplaces and workforces and insights into key areas like financial markets, education, manufacturing, and transportation.

SBA Begins Accepting Loan Applications for Second Round of PPP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) resumed accepting Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on April 27 from approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower, following an infusion of $310 billion into the program last week.

“The PPP has supported more than 1.66 million small businesses and protected over 30 million jobs for hardworking Americans. With the additional funds appropriated by Congress, tens of millions of additional workers will benefit from this critical relief,” SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “We encourage all approved lenders to process loan applications previously submitted by eligible borrowers and disburse funds expeditiously. All eligible borrowers who need these funds should work with an approved lender to apply. Borrowers should carefully review PPP regulations and guidance and the certifications required to obtain a loan.”

For more information on the PPP, visit sba.gov/paycheckprotection.

HCC Running Free Digital-literacy Program Starting May 5

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will run a free online program starting Tuesday, May 5 for people who want to sharpen their digital-literacy skills to become more effective remote workers and learners.

“How to Work & Learn Online,” offered through HCC’s Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development, is a four-part workshop series that will be conducted in a live, interactive, streaming forum on May 5, May 7, May 12, and May 14 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Participants will learn how to navigate computer settings, create and organize files, and safely use the internet and digital communication tools such as Zoom. Sessions will cover best practices for being an effective online learner, including tips on study habits, expectations of online learning, and how to use Google Drive and other computer applications.

The course was developed and will be taught by Jose Pedraza, assistant coordinator of HCC’s Gill Community Technology Center, which promotes technology literacy for HCC’s education and workforce-training programs.

“Our staff and faculty have been working hard to find creative ways to help students and people from the community during these challenging times,” said Michele Cabral, HCC’s executive director of Professional Development and Corporate Learning. “Knowledge of computers and online literacy have become more important than ever lately. This course is really designed for anyone — students, parents with young children, people forced to work at home because of COVID-19 restrictions, and others who want to develop a greater mastery of digital technology.”

Those enrolled will be sent a link to the class, which they can join using any device with an internet connection, such as a desktop computer, laptop, Chromebook, or smartphone.

For more information or to register, contact Valentyna Semyrog (413) 552-2123 or [email protected].

Mass2-1-1 Reaches 50,000 Calls Related to COVID-19

BOSTON — On April 24, Mass2-1-1 and its Call2Talk emotional-support and suicide-prevention hotline reached more than 50,000 calls regarding COVID-19. Mass2-1-1 is a program created and staffed by the United Ways of Massachusetts and designated by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency as the official hotline for COVID-19.

“All of us at United Way and Mass2-1-1 are proud of our Mass2-1-1 and Call2Talk call takers for doing such an outstanding job over these last 50,000 COVID-19-related calls from the citizens of the Commonwealth,” said Paul Mina, executive director of Mass2-1-1. “As time goes on, calls are becoming much more stressful and emotional, so stay strong, team!”

Any resident of Massachusetts with questions about COVID-19 or needs such as unemployment or food caused by the pandemic can call 2-1-1 at any time, from any phone in Massachusetts, in more than 150 languages.

STCC Respiratory Care Program Lends Ventilators to Hospitals

Commercial Real Estate Sections Special Coverage

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College’s respiratory care program is lending its five ventilators to area hospitals preparing for a surge in patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Christopher Scott, dean of the School of Health and Patient Simulation, said STCC is prepared to donate or lend any equipment hospitals need during the coronavirus emergency. The school recently donated all of its personal protective equipment to area hospitals, medical centers, and first responders.

STCC is lending its ventilators to Baystate Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center, both in Springfield, and to Holyoke Medical Center.

“We knew that hospitals are preparing for an influx of patients and will need ventilators,” Scott said. “We work closely with Baystate, Mercy, and Holyoke on a regular basis. We are grateful for all their support over the years, so we are happy to let them use whatever equipment we have to help their patients.”

Scott said STCC respiratory care students have trained on the ventilators, which are the same type the hospitals use. “Our semester is winding down, and we feel these vents can be put to better use on the front lines in hospitals.”

Ventilators are used by some patients infected with COVID-19 who have breathing problems. The breathing devices have been in demand since the start of the pandemic. Ventilators are one of the tools used to help some COVID-19 patients.

The coronavirus crisis has put a spotlight on the profession of respiratory care. In addition to helping patients with COVID-19, respiratory therapists treat people suffering from a range of chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea, and chronic bronchitis.

The two-year associate degree program at STCC trains students in the treatment, management, diagnosis, and care of patients with diseases related to the heart and lungs. Training includes the use of therapeutic gases, ventilator support, breathing exercises, aerosol administration, medications, humidification, and maintenance of airways. Graduates of the program can transfer to a four-year college or university to continue their education or begin working at a hospital or other healthcare facility.

Over the last several weeks, several STCC respiratory care students applied for limited-permit licenses to work at area hospitals and help meet the demand to help patients.

Health Graduates Enter the Field at an Anxious Moment

By Joseph Bednar April 28, 2020

Coronavirus

Trial by Fire

STCC respiratory-care students Stefani Glukhova and Max La work at Baystate Medical Center.

Tallon Tomasi used to punch the same clock everyone else does when starting her shift as an LPN at the Leavitt Family Jewish Home in Longmeadow.

Not anymore. Because she works in a COVID-positive unit at the skilled-nursing facility, she enters by a different way than those in the negative units.

“Now, when we come in, we do this check-in system where we wash our hands, get our temperatures taken, we’re asked about symptoms related to COVID, about recent travels, recent exposure to people who have traveled. Then we get our gear, we wash our hands, and go to work.”

As a nursing student at Holyoke Community College, Tomasi is just beginning her healthcare career, and doing so right on the front lines of a global pandemic the likes of which haven’t been seen in more than a century.

Some aspects of it are tough to bear.

“The thing that’s very hard is not having family members being able to come in and see their loved ones as we are going through this difficult time,” she told BusinessWest. “Some of our patients have dementia, and not being able to see their families, it is challenging.”

“The thing that’s very hard is not having family members being able to come in and see their loved ones as we are going through this difficult time. Some of our patients have dementia, and not being able to see their families, it is challenging.”

That said, “I think our facility has done a good job,” she went on. “We do phone calls with family, and we do FaceTime, so I think that helps a little bit. But not being able to physically touch loved ones is hard for some of the patients and their family members.”

Tomasi paused to consider what else has been challenging about working in healthcare during the time of COVID-19.

“Everyone is so fearful of not knowing what’s going to happen,” she finally said. “That’s a big problem. We are not fully aware of how this thing will go, how to treat it, so the new big problem is fear — fear of the unknown. We don’t know everything about it, there’s anxiety around it, and I sometimes get scared because I know that I have the ability to spread it. But you know what has to be done — you have to help.”

With graduation — such as it is this year — just around the corner, many more nurses and other healthcare professionals are getting ready to transition from college into full-time work, but they’re facing an uncertain job market when so much of the sector’s energy is tied up in simply containing the pandemic.

“I checked in with some of our soon-to-be-graduates, and as far as the job market goes, I would say it’s pretty much up in the air and confusing,” said Kathleen Scoble, dean of the School of Nursing at Elms College.

On one hand, she noted, Hartford Hospital and St. Francis Hospital just down I-91 have responded “pretty expeditiously” to graduating seniors, several of whom landed positions right away. On the other hand, Baystate Medical Center has informed applicants that its new-graduate nursing program, traditionally a very popular landing spot for Elms grads, has been postponed.

Brooke Hallowell

“We have mechanisms to do more triage and problem solving with patients before they come to a place where they’re exposing themselves to others.”

But the need is great, she added, and Elms President Harry Dumay agreed, adding, “I’m proud of being part of this sector and proud of not only our institution, but all students and graduates on the front lines during these difficult times.”

Even if, as we’ll see, it can be a little challenging getting to those front lines.

Field Work

For Springfield Technical Community College, which boasts the largest health-simulation center in the Northeast, students not having access to campus means not being able to use those tools in their training, President John Cook said.

“That does hinder the potential of our students to finish, graduate, and work in these fields, which, if they weren’t in demand before, are certainly in demand now.”

That’s a major factor in nursing right now, Scoble said.

“If you ask students what our major responsibility is, it’s preparing them for licensure; it’s our primary responsibility as a program, to make sure they meet all their graduation requirements. And that has been a keen challenge the last semester; all of our clinical learning experiences were canceled — understandably.”

Carol Leary, president of Bay Path College, also noted that nursing students have had their clinicals put off — and there’s only so much that can be accomplished online.

“For me, that is a concern because many of them need to sit for their licensing exams before they can begin to work,” she said. “The accrediting bodies are trying to work with all the programs across the country to figure out how students can sit for exams.”

Scoble noted that only one testing site is open in the entire state where nursing students can take their licensing exam, known as the NCLEX, and that site is following CDC requirements for social distancing. “So you can imagine, with thousands of nursing graduates in the state, how long it will take for them to test the class of 2020. But they’re trying to open as many sites as they can.”

SEE: Colleges with MBA Programs

In Gov. Charlie Baker’s guidance when shuttering the Massachusetts economy in March, language was included allowing new nurses to practice without a license, if supervised by a professional nurse of equal or higher education.

“It’s really up to the employers how they would receive a new graduate who is not licensed, how they would recruit and receive them,” Scoble said. “We would provide any supporting documentation they would require.

“I checked in with some of our soon-to-be-graduates, and as far as the job market goes, I would say it’s pretty much up in the air and confusing.”

In the past, she explained, a typical student would agree to a position in early spring, then take the exam in June and start work around July.

“All that is unknown right now. Students would say the only thing they can control is finishing the program and preparing for NCLEX. We’re stressing to our soon-to-be-graduates to prepare for the NCLEX — and continue to prepare — until they have the opportunity to sit for the exam.”

In a similar situation, three respiratory-care students from STCC recently began working at Baystate Medical Center after applying for and receiving limited permit licenses, said Esther Perrelli Brookes, director and department chair of the Respiratory Care program. Eight other students have applied for limited permit licenses so they can work in the field.

“Students chose to study respiratory care because they want to help people. They want to make a difference,” Perrelli Brookes said. “I’m extremely proud of my students who are stepping up during this unprecedented health crisis. I’ve had many students reach out to say they want to find out what they can do now. I’ve been helping them get their limited permit licenses.”

“I was one of the first in my class to do it,” student Max La said. “It’s a good learning experience because other respiratory therapists are there and you can learn from them.”

The limited permit license means he can perform certain tasks, but not everything a fully licensed respiratory care therapist would do. “We can’t touch the ventilators,” he said, referring to the devices that some seriously ill COVID-19 patients use in hospitals.

At Baystate, La does not work with COVID-19 patients, but must wear a gown, mask, and other personal protective equipment (PPE), and he said Baystate takes precautions to protect him and others from contracting the coronavirus. “There’s always concern, but Baystate has a good policy. Everyone has masks, and they do temperature checks when everyone is walking in.”

STCC’s respiratory care program trains students skills in treatment, management, diagnosis and care of patients with breathing problems associated with diseases such as COVID-19.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, respiratory therapists will continue to be in high demand at hospitals and medical facilities, with job growth of 21% projected between 2018 and 2028 — and that was before COVID-19 wrought what is essentially a respiratory crisis around the globe.

Seeds of Change

Demand should remain high in many health fields, said Brooke Hallowell, dean of the School of Health Sciences at Springfield College, though it may be uneven in the short term. Take physical and occupational therapists — in emergency-care settings, they’re playing an important role in patient care. But those who work with post-surgical patients for, say, joint replacement may find work more intermittent as many elective procedures are being postponed.

One area of growth is in the realm of telehealth, she added. “All of our health professionals are going through a rapid transition in terms of telehealth access, and Medicare and insurance companies are adjusting their policies related to telehealth, and reimbursement for telehealth visits is being revamped.”

These efforts are intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but the lessons being learned may be long-term, Hallowell noted.

“Instead of waiting in a room full of sick people to be seen at the doctor’s office, we have mechanisms to do more triage and problem solving with patients before they come to a place where they’re exposing themselves to others. I think this is here to stay … how we carry out our practices will be changing in big ways.”

Interest in some health programs may shift as well, she added. For example, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, a specialty within physical therapy, is getting more attention for the vital role it plays in COVID-19 treatment. And Springfield College is probably launching its new undergraduate program in public health this fall at the right time, too.

“We expect that will be a popular major, as people become more aware of what public health and epidemiology are,” Hallowell said. “That’s good timing for us.”

Christina Royal, president of Holyoke Community College, told BusinessWest that a great deal of first responders, nurses, and other healthcare workers have taken classes at community colleges like HCC at some point.

“When I think about our role in ensuring that we have the workforce talent we need in healthcare, which is the primary sector in Western Mass., I think it’s important that we continue to think about the kind of training we’re doing and how to continue to support this community.”

Scoble doesn’t foresee a time when nursing is not an in-demand profession.

“I’m not sure what we’re going to experience over the next few months,” she said. “A lot has to do with how we come back as a country, as a state, and as a community, but I have no doubt that every single one of my graduates will land a position at some point. If this was a normal period of time, a normal spring, many of the graduates would be on the fringe of accepting a position. They would have had interviews and been called back. Right now, a lot of that is at a standstill.”

When they do land jobs, Scoble added, “they’ll have the knowledge and skills and competencies, but lack a great deal of experience. So my number-one concern is, will they enter a work environment where they have the kinds of orientation and support they need? It’s definitely a concern.”

Stefani Glukhova, one of STCC’s respiratory-care students who started working at Baystate in March, may put some of those concerns to bed.

“All the staff here are very kind and generous and are always willing to help you,” she said. “As it gets busier at the hospital with fighting COVID-19, the registered respiratory therapists work around the clock to help fight the virus. My fellow classmates and I do our very best to be available and help out with treatments, floor therapies such as chest physical therapy, and much more.

“This is an amazing learning experience that I would recommend,” she concluded — even if it comes during a pandemic that no one would ever recommend.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Real-estate Market Slows as Landlords, Tenants Face New Realities

By George O'Brien April 28, 2020

Hitting ‘Pause’

Evan Plotkin calls it the “trickle-up effect.”

He was referring specifically to the pressures placed on the owners of multi-family dwellings and apartment complexes — and also to those landlords’ vendors — when, as a result of job losses forced by COVID-19, tenants cannot pay their rent, yet they’re protected from eviction by state and/or federal legislation.

“Multi-family property-management companies and landlords may be impacted disproportionately to the extent that there are forgiveness rules being discussed that would loosen rent-payment obligations and allow residential tenants to defer rent payments,” he said. “Clearly, unless there are provisions for the property owners to be made whole on the deferral or forgiveness of rent, it could create a variety of economic hardships to those property owners.”

But the trickle-up effect applies to virtually all types of commercial real estate and fallout from COVID-19, said Plotkin, president of Springfield-based NAI Plotkin, who tragically lost his mother to the virus earlier this month. He and other property managers who spoke with BusinessWest noted that the pandemic has forced the closure of all kinds of businesses and severely impacted the cash flow of almost all others. And this has obviously made it difficult for some to the pay the rent.

Some tenants have requested deferrals or other forms of help, but others didn’t exactly ask. They essentially just took them.

“I have some tenants, large, strong companies, that have sent letters saying they have stopped all payments to all vendors, landlords, etc. — period, without any time frame,” said Ken Vincunas, president of Development Associates, which has co-developed and now manages a number of office and retail properties in Western Mass. and Connecticut. “There was no explanation, really, just ‘we’re strong and we’ll be back, but … we’re not paying you.’”

Vincunas, who was in the process of writing e-mails to those at the top levels of those companies saying that such tactics were “un-American, like hoarding, and not the right thing to do,” said many other large companies have been far more diplomatic, with actual requests for 50% of rent payments, with offers to pay it back over the next six to 12 months.

Meanwhile, others we spoke with said they are working with tenants while also introducing, or reacquainting, them with the phrase force majeure (more on that later).

Ken Vincunas

“There was no explanation, really, just ‘we’re strong and we’ll be back, but … we’re not paying you.”

But issues with collecting rent comprise just one of the many COVID-19-related challenges now facing commercial real-estate brokers and managers. Others include trying to do business differently, with many people working remotely; a dramatic slowing of activity within the market as companies pause to assess the damage and debate whether to move forward with planned deals; and emerging concerns that, as time goes by and companies see the advantages to having people work at home, companies may adjust their needs for space downward in the years to come, creating more problems for building owners.

“Businesses are getting a test run right now with working from home,” said Plotkin. “And if that works for them, there’s a strong possibility they might want to continue that, which would create havoc in the office-leasing market — and the office-investment market.

“Everything flows from the occupancy of your building,” he went on. “If your building becomes less occupied, it’s worth less, the market value goes down, and it triggers all kinds of things that are not necessarily good for the office-business market; that’s a clear fear that we have.”

Jack Dill, a principal with Springfield-based Colebrook Realty Services, which manages a number of properties across the region, agreed, but offered the hope that these ongoing experiments will lead some to conclude, as he has, that having people working in one place promotes collaboration.

“Work is a social enterprise — it’s about relationships, and it’s about trust,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s about the free flow of information, and that’s a lot harder when people are disbursed.”

Vacancy Signs

As he talked with BusinessWest in mid-April, Vincunas noted that he had recently sent in his application for relief from the SBA-administered Paycheck Protection Program.

The application was made to essentially cover the costs of keeping the staff at Development Associates’ small office in Greenfield — located at the Greenfield Corporate Center, which the company manages — on the payroll.

And that’s just one of a long list of COVID-19-related hardships that the company is coping with. Indeed, Vincunas noted that one staff member, concerned about the health risks associated with coming to work, abruptly retired several weeks back, prompting some shuffling of duties and leaving the company generally short-handed.

“She didn’t want to leave the house,” he noted. “And that really set us back. She retired, and that was that, leaving us to pick up the slack.”

The story is generally the same with other property managers and brokers, who are, like businesses in virtually every other sector, coping with new realities when it comes to where and how work is being conducted.

Evan Plotkin

“Businesses are getting a test run right now with working from home. And if that works for them, there’s a strong possibility they might want to continue that, which would create havoc in the office-leasing market — and the office-investment market.”

As for business itself … on the brokerage side, things have slowed considerably, as might be expected given the vast amounts of disruption, fear, and general uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

But some deals have been completed. Vincunas said he signed on a new tenant at the beginning of the crisis, and some smaller build-out efforts — being undertaken “slowly and carefully to ensure social distancing” — are in progress.

Dill said the ‘deal flow,’ as he called it, is still moving, and his company closed on a few leases early in April. Properties are still being shown, he went on, albeit carefully, and while observing certain protocols, such as frequent use of hand sanitizer and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces.

But, like others we spoke with, he noted that, as the crisis has continued, the pace of business has slowed, and many who were in the exploratory stages of a potential move have backed off, waiting for the skies to clear.

“We’ve had some say, ‘interesting, attractive property, we’re interested, but things are so unsure, let’s let this settle down and we’ll re-engage at the other end of this.’”

Vincunas agreed. “At the beginning of this, I lost three hot deals that were going ahead, and none of them have come through,” he said, noting that one involved a building in Agawam he was going to buy and lease to an interested tenant. That interest is now gone.

“I had two other tenants who were going to lease space in a building we own already, and both of them said, ‘we have to slow down, things are changing … we don’t know,’” he went on. “Everyone has this uncertainty, and they’re thinking, ‘let’s not do anything for a while.’”

As for existing tenants, while some are experiencing something approaching business as usual — Vincunas has a kidney-dialysis venture and an ambulance company in his portfolio of tenants, and they certainly fall into that category — many have been forced to close their doors because they’re not essential, and most others are hurting to some degree.

Therefore, property owners are working with these tenants, offering some deferrals on at least a portion of their rent, Plotkin explained, noting that there is what amounts to a ‘base rent’ amount in each lease, as well as an additional amount to cover operating expenses, including security, cleaning, utilities, and others.

“The base-rent amount can be deferred, not abated, for a period of time,” he explained. “But the amount for operating expenses can’t, because we still have to keep the lights on, and we still have to pay the bills.”

Extraordinary Times

This brings us back to ‘force majeure,’ a common clause in contracts that essentially frees both parties from liability and obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance — such as a war, riot, hurricane, or flood — prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract.

A pandemic certainly fits that description because some businesses have been forced to close by state decree, and almost all others have been negatively impacted in some way. It’s the force majeure clause that no doubt prompted those letters that Vincunas described earlier.

Dill said Colebrook is working with clients on a case-by-case basis, and is working with tenants experiencing hardships. Like the others we spoke with, he referenced the trickle-up effect, or the ripple effect, that tenants not being able pay some or all of their rent will generate.

“When you go to the next circle out … if landlords have tenants who can’t operate and therefore don’t have the cash flow to pay rent and other changes, that immediately impacts landlords and their ability to meet their obligations, including debt service,” he explained.

While coping with the present, those we spoke with are also looking to the future, and they project that the pandemic will change the landscape in perhaps profound ways.

For starters, Vincunas believes that the current trend toward more purchases being made online, with items — from groceries to books to sporting goods — being delivered to the home will continue, and it will drive need for additional warehouse space.

“So many things are drop-shipped,” he explained. “The warehouse and logistics business is due for a big infusion of activity, just by the nature of a growing reluctance among people to leave the house.”

Conversely, this trend will negatively impact the retail side of the business, a trend that’s already playing out on Main Streets and in malls across the country.

SEE: Commercial Real Estate Listings for Western Mass.

But it’s the office sector that has those looking down the road most concerned. Indeed, those we spoke with said it’s possible, and perhaps likely, that companies will learn from this pandemic that there are advantages to having some people working at home and fewer people at the office. And, eventually, this will lead to downsizing and less overall demand for office space.

“The office market, and retail, are the two sectors of real estate that will be most impacted by this,” said Plotkin. “In the case of office, we were seeing some pretty good momentum right before COVID-19 — Springfield usually lags behind, but nationally, the office segment was doing very well. That has come to a complete standstill.

“And the fear amongst my colleagues is that people are starting to realize that this home-work model works for them, and will this replace the need for office space?” he went on. “It remains to be seen how this is going to play out, but that’s a real fear out there; as leases renew, those tenants might be evaluating whether they need the amount of space they occupied. They may do a home/office model that would reduce the amount of space they need.”

Those we spoke with are certainly hoping that, while businesses get this ‘test run,’ as Plotkin described it, they decide there are advantages to having co-workers in one place.

“That collaborative model is important for innovation,” said Plotkin. “Having people together in close proximity offers the sharing of ideas and collaboration in ways you can’t get with a Zoom meeting.”

Dill agreed. He said companies, and his is one of them, are experimenting with having workers dispersed and working from home, and some of the results are trickling in.

“It’s working pretty well,” he said. “But it’s not the same as having your people together, where they can meet casually, sit down in the same room, and solve a problem.”

Time and Place

Just what will come of the ongoing ‘test run’ of remote working remains to be seen.

What’s clear now, though, is that this pandemic is having a significant impact on the commercial real-estate market locally, and across the country.

The ‘trickle-up’ effect, as well as the trickle-down effect, are real, and as the crisis continues, the toll it is taking on this important sector continues to mount.

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

Accountants Take on a Broader Role as Clients Cope with the Pandemic

By George O'Brien April 28, 2020

Coronavirus Sections Special Coverage

The New Math

Julie Quink noted that, at her accounting firm — as well as most others — it is tradition to have a large party on April 15, the tax-filing deadline, or perhaps the 16th.

Steve Erickson

Patrick Leary

Julie Quink

Jim Barrett

These are celebrations of hard work well done, she told BusinessWest, adding that staff members who have been under a great deal of stress and working long hours and long weeks can take a deep breath and relax, knowing that the worst is over for another year.

This April 15, there was no party at Burkhart Pizzanelli, the firm she serves as managing partner, or at most other firms. And it’s not just because the filing deadline has been extended to July 15 by both the state and federal governments.

It’s because there is still a great deal of stress, and the long hours continue as accounting firms play a huge role in trying to help their clients get to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“On a personal level, I’ve probably never worked as hard in my entire career as I have this year,” she noted. “I’ve put in many more hours than I have other years, and I know others have as well.”

Quink was one of several area accounting-firm executives to speak with BusinessWest as part of the latest in a series of virtual roundtable discussions concerning COVID-19. Those at the ‘table’ said these are, quite obviously, different times for accountants. While some of the work hasn’t changed, like all those tax returns, some of it has, including efforts to help clients of all sizes and in virtually every sector file for disaster relief (especially through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program), and — now that the money has started coming in — properly manage those funds so that the loans granted are forgivable.

But the work goes well beyond helping clients fill out the necessary paperwork, said Steve Erickson, CPA, partner in charge of Whittlesey’s Holyoke office. He said clients need to carefully manage cash flow, and they also need plans for the short and long term as they address life during — and after — this pandemic, and his firm, like others, has stepped in to assist with this often-difficult work.

“The biggest concern we see is cash flow and advising clients on what’s coming down the pike and making good long-term plans for whatever they’re doing,” he told BusinessWest. “And each one of them is unique; I can’t say that there’s one that’s very similar to the other.”

Meanwhile, the manner in which work is being done is obviously changing as well. Many of those we spoke with are working at home — some or all of the time — while discussions with clients and co-workers are now done mostly by phone, e-mail, or Zoom. And since accountants are working with clients’ sensitive financial information while at home, proper protocols and security measures have been added.

There are lessons being learned. Summing up the comments offered, it seems that those in accounting work much more efficiently — and certainly communicate much better — when they’re together in the same office, sharing ideas and collaborating. As for clients … the remote meetings have worked well, for the most part, and they may be the preferred method moving forward.

“From a positive standpoint, this has shined a bit of a light on our firm as far as our processes, our policies, how we can do things better, and what we should be looking to do better, said Patrick Leary, CPA, a partner with Springfield-based MP CPAs. “Hopefully, we’re going to learn from this and everyone else will learn from this and make themselves a stronger firm.”

“The biggest concern we see is cash flow and advising clients on what’s coming down the pike and making good long-term plans for whatever they’re doing. And each one of them is unique; I can’t say that there’s one that’s very similar to the other.”

Overall, this has been, and will continue to be, an intriguing, challenging, and in most all ways rewarding time for accountants, said those at the virtual table. Clients are calling them — and leaning on them for help — like never before, and as a result, relationships are being strengthened, and new ones are being formed.

Jim Barrett, managing partner at Holyoke-based Meyers Brothers Kalicka, said that, for some time, his firm — and most all firms, for that matter — have been working to broaden the umbrella of services to clients and develop relationships that are more advisory and consultative in nature.

The pandemic has in some ways forced the issue.

“This crisis has spurred us to do more consultative and advisory work with clients, not only with navigating the stimulus package, but also navigating any changes in their business, be it with employees or costs,” Barrett explained, adding that this work is certainly ongoing and is likely to continue for some time.

Beyond the Numbers

All through her career, Quink told BusinessWest, she’s prided herself on having the answers when clients have questions.

She still has most of the answers, but COVID-19 has changed that equation as well, because now, the questions are, well, different — in many cases, much different.

“This is my 29th year doing this, and I can’t recall a time when I’ve said ‘I don’t know the answer to that’ as much as I have these past few months, and follow it up with ‘I’ll have to get back to you,’” she told BusinessWest, adding that, in many cases, the answers don’t come easily.

That’s because clients are asking about whether to furlough employees or lay them off; or about whether employees can be ordered back to work; or about how to handle a situation where a laid-off employee is making far more on unemployment than they would on the job — and, therefore, wants to stay laid off; or about what to do with employees who must stay on the payroll for the loan from the SBA to be forgivable, but have no work to do because the business can’t open yet because it’s not deemed ‘essential.’

“People who scrambled to apply for the loan as soon as they could for fear that the funds were going to run out are now starting to receive those proceeds, and they’re asking, ‘if I bring my employees back, what am I going to do with them?’” said Leary, noting that there are many types of businesses that fall into this category. “Do they paint the walls?

“If you’re a lower-wage earner, and you can make the same or more on employment, what’s the incentive to go back to work and help my employer have some of his loans forgiven?” he went on. “It’s a predicament that a lot of companies are facing, and we haven’t seen any real guidance on it.”

Coping with such questions is a new reality for accountants. Actually, it’s one of many new realities. And they all come on top of the oldest of realties — tax season.

Add it all up — pun intended — and this has been a very different start to the year for accountants. Things began as they generally do, with tax-return work starting to flow in during the winter months and building toward the annual late-March, early April crush. By mid-March, though, as the pandemic reached Western Mass., and especially after non-essential businesses were ordered closed on March 24, things changed dramatically.

Clients were suddenly thrust into a situation unlike anything they’d seen before, said Barrett, and they were calling their accountant in search of some answers and, more importantly, some guidance.

“There’s a lot of companies and medical practices who have never gone through this before, and they’re doing the appropriate thing … their financial people are going through their expenses, they’re going through what needs to be paid and what should be paid — basic business decisions that they’re trying to make under a period of duress,” said Barrett. “What we see is that either the company doesn’t have a financial person — it’s the owner asking us — or they do have a financial person, and that person is, for the most part, by themselves, and they’re looking for advice or just want to bounce their plan off someone to see that it makes sense.”

And as clients started calling with new and different needs, accountants were having to adjust to new ways to work.

Indeed, most have been working at home — another of those new realities that brings its own set of challenges — and thus communicating with clients and colleagues alike in ways other than face-to-face.

“We’ve instituted procedures and policies that we never had before because we’ve never had that many people working out of the office,” said Barrett, whose sentiments were echoed by others at the ‘table.’ “We’re still fine-tuning those moving forward, but it’s changing the way we work, without a doubt.”

Erickson agreed. He said Whittlesey closed its three offices on March 18 and went to remote access. Like everyone else who’s gone through it, he called it a learning experience.

“It was a little bumpy at first, just getting used to the whole thing and trying to stay out of the kitchen and all the snacks in there,” he noted. “But, overall, it’s gone smoothly.”

Quink noted that, while Burkhart Pizzanelli has closed its office to outside traffic, some staffers still come to the office most days, and carefully practice social distancing — while taking a number of other steps in the name of safety — while doing so.

“We’re not on top of each other; we have a nice layout so we can maintain the appropriate distance,” she explained. “At lunchtime, it might look like you’re looking at the royal family — there’s one on one end of the table and one at the other end, and we’re always going around and reminding each other about being safe and taking the steps to stay safe; we emphasize that, if one of us goes down, the entire firm is down.”

Forms and Function

But it’s the nature of the work, more than how it’s carried out, that has been the more dramatic, and impactful, change for accountants.

Much of it has involved filing for PPP relief and now helping clients carefully manage that money, but, as noted earlier, it goes well beyond that.

There are all those questions to answer, or try to answer, as the case may be, but there’s also the task of helping companies plan — something that’s very difficult to do in these times — for whatever might happen in the coming months.

“We have spent quite a bit of time with our corporate clients talking about cash-flow management and cash-flow projections,” said Leary. “We’re talking through ‘what-if’ scenarios with a range of clients that runs the gamut, from those in the cleaning-supply business who cannot get enough product in the door to those in the hospitality industry who have shuttered their doors.

“We’ve had some discussions with some distributors and manufacturers who are now being more cognizant of their suppliers and their inventory levels,” he went on, offering a specific example of the consultative work going on. “They’re looking at having redundant suppliers; instead of having just a West Coast supplier, they’re asking whether they should also have one from Canada or one in the Asia market. If borders get closed, do they have a redundant supplier, and what is the proper inventory level? There’s a lot of thoughtful planning going on.”

Erickson concurred, and noted that, while planning, clients of all sizes are grappling with the moment as well, and this means dealing with everything from cash flow to employment matters to discussions with the landlord and the bank about possible deferrals of payments.

Quink agreed and noted that, overall, there are important conversations to be had with clients. And while some of them, especially those with the cleaning companies that have more work than they can handle, are upbeat in nature, most are exactly the opposite.

“We’re having a lot of strategy conversations with clients, and the reality is that some of the clients we’re taking to … we know they’re not going to make it through this,” she said. “So we’re having the best conversations we can to position them so that when that happens — if it happens — they’re at least well-advised.”

While it’s difficult to see any silver linings to the current crisis situation, the accountants at the ‘table’ said they can find some in the way that clients are looking to learn from what’s happened and take steps to not only survive the pandemic but be a better, stronger company for the future.

“There are a lot of people proactively planning for the long term,” Leary said. “And to me, that’s positive; they’re not making impulsive decisions and thinking that this is going to close their doors permanently. It’s more, ‘when we come out of this, how do we do it better?’ And that’s encouraging.”

As for the accounting firms themselves, they’re dealing with the moment themselves, and it’s a challenging time. Most of the consulting work mentioned above is provided at the upper levels, by the partners, who, at the same time, are trying to manage younger staff members, many of them working remotely.

“We’re trying to juggle two things at once, and we’re frustrated that we can’t teach as much, and it’s difficult to manage younger people at home,” Barrett said. “Meanwhile, there’s that thought in the back of our minds … ‘boy, I hope we get paid for this.’”

Indeed, while firms are eager to help, they are advising clients knowing that the bills for their services may wind up at or near the bottom of the pile of those that get paid. Such fears are the basis for comments shared by many at the table that, while this will be a busy year, it may not be a good one when it comes to the bottom line.

This is just one of many stress-inducing matters to contend with during a year that will be unlike any other for the accounting firms in the region.

“The toll that this pandemic has taken on our team from the mental perspective is enormous,” said Quink. “It not just how it’s extended the season, but how it’s added a lot to our workloads.”

Bottom Line

Getting back to the annual April 15 celebration … Quink told BusinessWest there might be a party on July 15, when tax returns are now due. But maybe not.

Tax season will be over, but the work of helping clients navigate their way through COVID-19-generated whitewater will be ongoing.

That’s part of the new reality for accountants, and it will become the status quo for the foreseeable future. It will be a challenging time in many different respects, and one that gives new meaning to the phrase ‘taxing situation.’

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

Commercial Real Estate

Download the PDF HERE

Commercial Real Estate

For Sale, for Lease

A listing of available commercial real estate properties in western Mass. April 2020

PPP Creates Positive Stories — and Lots of Frustration

By Joseph Bednar April 28, 2020

Coronavirus

Mixed Bag

Matt Sosik helped Char Gentes secure a PPP loan through bankESB that kept Riverside Industries employees paid for eight weeks

Char Gentes calls the Paycheck Protection Program “a lifeline.” Her nearly 200 employees no doubt agree.

Gentes is the president and CEO of Riverside Industries, a nonprofit that serves people with disabilities, helping them find ways to achieve daily independence, from securing and maintaining jobs to undertaking activities like voting and going to the store.

In mid-March, the organization was shut down by the same mandate that has shuttered the doors on countless businesses and nonprofits across Massachusetts. Four weeks later, Riverside hadn’t laid anyone off — but that situation was unsustainable.

“We had been keeping our employees paid as we were waiting to hear what the state reimbursement was going to be; actually, a lot of nonprofits were doing that,” Gentes told BusinessWest. “The senior management, myself, and the board were all on the same page — we wanted to keep our employees home, we wanted to have their back, and we wanted, as much as possible, to continue to pay them 100% and make sure they had health insurance. These human-service workers are often people who live paycheck to paycheck.”

When bankESB approved a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to Riverside Industries, Gentes could breathe a little easier, as the loan will allow it to pay its employees for the next eight weeks.

“We’re grateful for those eight weeks, and we certainly hope to be able to open our doors sometime in June,” she said.

While Riverside’s Easthampton facilities are closed, its mission has not stopped, as the organization continues working with clients under a new remote service model. Without the PPP loan, Gentes said that she would be facing some difficult decisions on how to keep her organization operational.

That contrast — between desperation and relief — explains why so many small businesses are frustrated with the PPP, which quickly ran out of money, and also generated plenty of confusion in the banks where business owners applied for loans.

The PPP is a small-business stimulus program included in the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The PPP initially provided $349 billion for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lenders like bankESB to fund loans to businesses in order to guarantee eight weeks of payroll and other costs to help businesses remain viable. To qualify, businesses must have 500 or fewer employees and demonstrate that they have been negatively affected by COVID-19.

When the $349 billion ran out in less than two weeks, the shortfall generated an immediate outcry — not only for a second infusion of funding, but because of news that large, national companies were claiming tens of millions in PPP funds while small businesses couldn’t get access.

That second round of funding — $310 billion in total, approved by the U.S. Congress on April 22 — may not last much longer, but banks have likely learned lessons from the first round.

Sense of Urgency

Matt Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, remembers those first days of the PPP well.

“It was harrowing. They did, in fact, rush it because they felt the urgency … but the program was not ready for prime time,” he recalled. “When it rolled out, a lot of people were frustrated, but — and I’m not trying to sound defensive — I wish people wouldn’t blame local banks. We were in the dark; the customers knew what we knew, and it wasn’t enough. They didn’t provide enough instruction.

“In the end, we made it out on the other side, and we got caught up,” Sosik told BusinessWest in mid-April, noting that the three banks in the Hometown Financial Group family, including bankESB, approved $100 million under the program, and spent the next week getting money into the hands of the people who were approved.

“It was very, very difficult — a massive amount of work by our employees. They kept grinding and got us out on the other side of things,” he said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reported that, following the PPP launch, the SBA processed more than 14 years’ worth of loans in less than 14 days.

“The PPP enjoyed broad-based participation across the country from lenders of all sizes and a wide array of industries and businesses,” he noted. “From its start on April 3, PPP provided payroll assistance to more than 1.6 million small businesses in all 50 states and territories. Nearly 5,000 lenders participated in this critical program, including significant lending by community banks and credit unions. Nearly 20% of the amount approved was processed by lenders with less than $1 billion in assets, and approximately 60% of the loans were approved by banks with $10 billion of assets or less. No lender accounted for more than 5% of the total dollar amount of the program.”

“It was harrowing. They did, in fact, rush it because they felt the urgency … but the program was not ready for prime time.”

The majority of these loans — 74% — were for under $150,000, he noted, but that didn’t stop a swell of outrage following reports of large companies, from Ruth’s Chris Steak House to Hallidor Energy, claiming eight-figure PPP loans.

Few in Washington balked at the need for additional funding. The second round of $310 billion is part of a larger, $480 billion relief package that also includes money for hospitals and expanded COVID-19 testing. Of the $310 billion, $60 billion will be set aside for smaller lending facilities, including community financial institutions; small, insured depository institutions; and credit unions with assets under $10 billion.

The Next Wave

Bankers hope for a smoother process getting the new funds approved.

“It got off to a rocky start and got a lot of bad press — I Googled and found maybe one story with a remotely positive angle to it,” Sosik said, before coming back to Riverside Industries. “This is a story about the good parts of humanity — the work Riverside does and our ability to play a small role in helping them stay alive. They do such incredible work, such necessary work.

“Riverside is a strong organization financially,” he went on. “It’s just that, when funding isn’t coming in, it doesn’t have a war chest to keep dipping into.”

As for Gentes, she’s hoping the loan helps her not only take care of employees, but prepare them to return when the governor says it’s OK to open the doors and restart person-to-person services.

“When we’re ready, we need our workforce to come back, and we need them to be ready to come back,” she said, adding that the organization’s roughly 150 clients are called once a week, maybe twice, to make sure they’re OK. “We’re in the process of developing remote learning, and assessing what each client has available to them in terms of technology to make this happen.”

Countless other small businesses and nonprofits have equally pressing needs, and could use a lifeline, she told BusinessWest. “Without it, a lot of nonprofits will go under.”

Sosik likes hearing that.

“I have to admit, it’s heartwarming to make a difference,” he said. “And I’ve heard some other good stories. There’s so much uncertainty — ‘I’ve put all my blood, sweat, and tears into my business; is it all over for me?’ To relieve that pressure has been a heartwarming experience for us.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Architects Busy Right Now, but COVID-19 Clouds the Future

By Joseph Bednar April 28, 2020

Coronavirus Sections Special Coverage

Shaky Ground

Curtis Edgin says the status of jobs often comes down to how far along in the pipeline they are.

Kevin Rothschild-Shea had just gotten off a conference call with employees of his company, Architecture EL in East Longmeadow — one of many he’s undertaken since his team begam working largely remotely.

“We’re doing well. We’ve jumped to working remotely and continue to function,” he said. “We’re maintaining our focus on multi-family and affordable housing, which has been strong, and we’re fortunate to have a number of projects.”

Looking 12 to 24 months out, the outlook is a bit murkier.

“We’re fortunate to have a lot of work in the pipeline, but we’re definitely seeing a reduction in new work and jobs starting out,” he told BusinessWest. “Quite a number of projects have been put on hold given the economic and COVID climate, so we’re seeing new projects hit ‘pause’ to a greater or lesser degree.

“We feel pretty comfortable with the workload right now, but when we look down the road, there are definitely concerns,” Rothschild-Shea went on. “We just want to keep everyone working and employed, keep everyone safe, and keep doing what we do.”

Curtis Edgin, president of Caolo & Bieniek Associates in Chicopee, told a similar story as he keeps in contact with his team remotely as well.

“We’re still busy — it’s not quite as efficient as working side by side and collaborating,” he said, adding quickly that his team has had no problem managing a number of projects currently in the pipeline. After that, though…

“We’re fortunate to have a lot of work in the pipeline, but we’re definitely seeing a reduction in new work and jobs starting out.”

“I think there will be a long-term impact in that people will be afraid — or forced, based on economic reasons, to slow down — until things stabilize and get back to where they need to be,” he said. “Right now, it’s hard to ask taxpayers or a corporation to spend additional money when they’re worried about other things.

“For the near term, we’re going to be busy, then we’ll probably see a slowdown,” Edgin went on. “That’s more of a long-term impact that will eventually correct itself like any other construction cycle.”

That’s the hope, anyway. Meanwhile, as definitive answers about the eventual length of the economic shutdown, and the damage it will cause, are difficult to assess right now, firms continue to plan for an uncertain future.

Moving Forward

Edgin said Caolo & Bieniek has plenty projects in various phases, and how the pandemic affects individual project can vary dramatically between jobs.

“Some projects are able to maintain their schedule,” he noted. “One of our school projects is going on, there’s a lot of site work, so nothing keeps people from working at different ends of the site. At some other projects, interior ones, [COVID-19] is starting to impact the ability to perform the work if people are working side by side. It depends on the project.”

On the municipal side, he explained, everything that needs to be voter-approved going forward — that is, when city and town halls begin ramping back up — may be a harder sell, an any tax increases during these times of sudden unemployment will be met with resistance.

“On the flip side, with the interest rates being so low, now is a wonderful time to continue,” Edgin added. “Many of these municipalities have already secured the approval of taxpayers, selectmen, or whoever makes the decision to actually move forward, and a lot of them getting really great financing rates, getting a lot of mileage out of their dollar.”

On the private commercial side, many companies and developers will wait for the dust to settle. “If they’re already committed, if we’re already moving forward, typically they keep going. If they’re just about to move on a project, maybe they have just a little hesitation.”

Kevin Rothschild-Shea says his firm is on solid footing in the short term, but expects work across the industry to slow somewhat after that.

In addition to its usual array of multi-family and affordable-housing projects, Architecture EL has been tackling, among other things, a Holyoke project with Local 104 Plumbers and Pipefitters and a project for Theodores’ in downtown Springfield.

“They’ve had significant slowdowns, as all restaurants have, but continue to look down the road at their overall restaurant needs, and they’re looking to keep that project on track,” Rothschild-Shea said. Meanwhile, he understands that other businesses will respond to the current economic climate by tapping the brakes and preserving cash flow.

The architecture world has responded to the COVID-19 crisis in other ways, too. For example, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) launched a task force to help inform public officials, healthcare-facility owners, and architects on adapting buildings into temporary healthcare facilities.

“On a daily basis, I am hearing from our architects who feel a deep sense of moral duty to support our healthcare providers on the front lines of this pandemic,” AIA President Jane Frederick wrote on the AIA website. “As our communities assess buildings to address growing surge capacity, we hope this task force will be a resource to ensure buildings are appropriately and safely adapted for our doctors and nurses.”

“I think there will be a long-term impact in that people will be afraid — or forced, based on economic reasons, to slow down — until things stabilize and get back to where they need to be.”

The task force has developed a model of ‘rapid-response safety space asssessment’ for AIA members that will include considerations for the suitability of buildings, spaces, and other sites for patient care.

“This is a race against time for healthcare facilities to meet bed surge-capacity needs,” Kirsten Waltz, president of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health and director of Facilities, Planning, and Design for Baystate Health, also noted on the website. “This task force will help inform best practices for quickly assessing building inventory and identifying locations that are most appropriate to be adapted for this crisis.”

Waiting Game

Meanwhile, life goes on for local firms like Architecture EL, even if the team can’t see each other face to face.

“We see a little loss of efficiency in terms of communicating, trying to connect with the team, but we’re doing well on that front,” Rothschild-Shea said, adding that he conducts at least three project-management conference calls a week. “I’m looking forward to the camaraderie of working together.”

He believes companies, in architecture and elsewhere, will take lessons from these many weeks of remote work, many of them positive, if only an understanding the capabilities technology-supported teams have to do things more efficiently.

“It’s a whole different way of working,” he added. “We’re already looking down the road at the so-called recovery and how we will reintegrate and get back to work. But we expect there will be some changes for the better. We’re trying to look at the positives.”

Edgin said Caolo & Bieniek, like other firms, is able to keep employees busy in the short team because of the long arc of many projects, but no one can really predict the impact of a sustained economic shutdown.

“It’s different here than in retail, where you need to have someone coming through the door purchasing something to pay the sales clerk,” he noted. “We’ve got things in the works in the near term. As for the more intermediate term and the future … we’ll see.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Stimulus Money Goes to Wrong Places

By Editorial April 28, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

“Free money.”

That’s the phrase one of the region’s bank presidents used in a recent interview with BusinessWest to describe funds contained within the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) being administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

He’s not entirely accurate with that choice of words — these loans are forgivable only if the companies receiving them keep everyone on the payroll for the prescribed period. But ‘free money’ is essentially what this is, if those requirements are met.

And the lure of free money is obviously quite strong, because interest in this program is off the charts. And as news starts to leak out about some of the large, national companies that are receiving this free money, it’s clear to us, and most everyone else, that some of it — and, unfortunately, a large portion of it — is not going to the desperate small businesses that need it most.

Hedge funds, national restaurant chains like Ruth’s Chris Steak House and J. Alexander’s, and a host of other large, public companies have all received several million dollars from the $369 billion fund, which was totally depleted less than two weeks after the program was officially launched. Meanwhile, Harvard University, with its $40 billion endowment, received nearly $9 million in aid from the federal government through the CARES Act — specifically, a $14 billion fund to support higher-education institutions during the pandemic. More ‘free money.’

Actually, Harvard received less than some other either Ivy League schools — Columbia and Cornell each got almost $13 million.

Whatever those numbers are, they represent poor allocation of money that is desperately needed to keep smaller businesses afloat during these ultra-challenging times. Harvard could certainly use $9 million, but it doesn’t need $9 million — not nearly as much as hundreds of struggling small colleges across the country do.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House could certainly use the $20 million it received, but it doesn’t need it to survive like the myriad small restaurants pushed to the brink of collapse need it.

Before we go any further, we’ll acknowledge that big companies have just as much right to apply for, and receive, stimulus money as the small ones do. They’re not breaking any laws by doing so. And we understand that a job saved is a job saved, whether that job was provided by a national taco chain or the corner pizza joint.

But the reality is, with a great many small businesses across this country, when it comes to the pandemic, we’re not talking about a bad quarter or a bad year — we’re talking about survival.

And while it wasn’t written into the legislation that created the Paycheck Protection Program and other forms of relief, enabling threatened companies to survive was, or should have been, the intent.

Moving forward, it should be. Many more relief measures will be passed in the months to come, and with these, Congress should be more diligent about who is eligible and who is actually awarded funds.

Meanwhile, we encourage those larger businesses to follow the lead of Shake Shack, the giant chain that was awarded PPP money and then gave it back amid the outcry from smaller businesses left high and dry.

“As we watched this opportunity play out over the weeks, it was very clear that the program was underfunded and wasn’t set up for everyone to win,” Shake Shack CEO and Chairman Danny Meyer said of his decision. “By returning our $10 million, that $10 million can go back into the pot and go to the people that deserve it.”

He’s right about that, and by ‘deserve,’ he means the hardworking small-business owners who simply don’t have the resources to weather this storm.

These are the people who deserve this ‘free money,’ and we’re hoping that, from this point forward, more of them wind up getting it.

For Springfield, a Loss of Momentum

By Editorial April 28, 2020

Opinion

By George O’Brien

If one were to take a walk down Main Street — and I just did — it would be tempting to say that, if Springfield had any luck at all, it would be bad.

Yes, the pandemic is hitting every country, every state, every city and town, hard. As in very hard. But in Springfield, it seems worse, because things were — and I hope I don’t have to keep using the past tense — so much better. And the outlook was certainly bright and quite intriguing.

Now?

Now, we’re left to hope that, when this state gradually turns the economy back on again, the city can maybe pick up where it left off. That might be the best we can hope for at this point, but let’s stay optimistic.

After a quick walk around, it’s hard not to lament all that’s been lost, even though it’s clear that a shutdown was absolutely necessary to flatten the curve and put the region’s healthcare system in a position to do battle with this pandemic.

And it’s momentum that we’ve lost most of all.

Let’s start at MGM Springfield. It’s eerily quiet there, almost as if things are frozen in time. The doors that were never supposed to be locked are now locked. And who can say when they will open again? Likewise, who can say what business will be like when the doors do open again?

After a quick walk around, it’s hard not to lament all that’s been lost, even though it’s clear that a shutdown was absolutely necessary to flatten the curve and put the region’s healthcare system in a position to do battle with this pandemic.

Casino floors are — in the best of times — crowded places with people sitting around blackjack tables, positioned just a few feet from each other at the rows of slot machines, jammed into the food court, and generally milling about, taking it all in. On a busy Friday or Saturday night, it’s difficult to find elbow room. When are people going to want to be in such a place again — especially the older population that makes up such a large part of this casino’s clientele? Indeed, the casino’s best customers are those most at risk.

But that’s just the casino floor. Perhaps the bigger contribution the casino has made has been to vibrancy in the downtown, the nightlife, through events in its ballrooms and shows at the MassMutual Center, Symphony Hall, and other venues. Who can say when there will be another concert, another convention, or even a fundraising dinner for a local nonprofit agency?

People are optimistically eyeing late summer or perhaps the fall as a time when we can return to something approaching ‘normal.’ But how realistic are those projections?

Walk around Springfield, and most of the signs of progress, the indicators that this was a city on the rise, are now as silent as the casino.

There’s the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, which was bringing families from every corner of the country to Springfield. It is now closed. So too is the Basketball Hall of Fame, which has undergone extensive renovations and was looking forward to a huge year as it inducts one of its most prestigious classes of honorees this fall.

The YMCA of Greater Springfield, which recently moved into Tower Square amid considerable fanfare as it started an intriguing chapter in its life, has seen both its fitness center and daycare center, its two largest revenue producers, shut down within just a month or two of opening.

At Union Station, the rail service that was starting to pick up steam has suffered a tremendous setback. People are now reluctant to get on trains, and even if they weren’t reluctant, there are really no places the train can take them — most workplaces are shut down, and so is every cultural attraction in New York.

Meanwhile, the restaurants that were such a big part of the city’s rebirth are now quiet, except for takeout, and many of the new businesses that had moved onto Bridge Street and other locations are locked down with their employees working from home — if they’re still working.

The lockdown, or shutdown, or whatever one wants to call it, isn’t even a month old yet. But it seems like an eternity. And for Springfield, it could not have come at a worse time — not that there’s ever a good time for a pandemic.

The pieces were starting to fall into the place, and the outlook was generally quite positive.

And now?

We have to hope that momentum is all we’ve lost, and that we haven’t lost too much of that precious commodity.

George O’Brien is the editor of BusinessWest.

Picture This

Picture This

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

Meeting the Need

Action Ambulance Supervisor Kyle Rondeau, HMC President and CEO Spiros Hatiras, and HMC Chief Operating Officer Carl Cameron.

Holyoke Medical Center has shared personal protective equipment (PPE) with local first responders, including Action Ambulance, South Hadley Fire Department, and the city of Springfield. The donations included 700 face shields, 1,000 KN95 face masks, and 1,500 standard face masks for the responders to give to people they interact with at a distance closer than six feet. Holyoke Medical Center executives also spoke with officials in other surrounding municipalities, most of which had an adequate current supply of masks and face shields.

Bedtime Stories

Link to Libraries recently launched a new initiative called “Link Live: Bedtime Stories,” airing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 8 p.m. on Facebook Live. Children’s book authors are reading their own books and then taking questions from participants. With the use of Facebook, children and their parents can not only enjoy being read to, but also have the unique opportunity to interact with the author in real time. The first authors who participated were Ashley Morse (The Big E Book, pictured), Jamie Michalak (The Coziest Place), Anika Aldamuy Denise (The Love Letter), Josh Funk (Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast), and Cynthia Platt (A Little Bit of Love). Link to Libraries is planning to extend the program into May and will release an updated schedule soon.

Mask Maker, Mask Maker, Make Me a Mask

When the COVID-19 pandemic made wearing face masks a public health concern, those masks suddenly become hard to find — and Lauren Hummel and Donna Fournier sprang into action. Fournier’s mother taught her to sew long ago, and she had a lot of fabric on hand, so she started making masks — 50 to begin with, mostly for her family. Hummel started by making a mask for herself, and friends reached out wondering if she would make masks for them. Both eventually connected with the Mental Health Assoc. to make masks for staff who work in MHA’s group homes, who are considered essential workers. Hummel got her daughter, Kellie, involved as well (pictured), and MHA continues to look for volunteer sewers.

Agenda

Agenda

Zoom Series on Elder Law, Estate Planning

May 4, 11, 18: Adapting to COVID-19 restrictions, Attorney Karen Jackson of Jackson Law will teach a series of Holyoke Community College classes through Zoom, highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning. An elder-law and estate-planning attorney, Jackson will present her six-hour course, called “Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know,” on Zoom in three two-hour sessions on consecutive Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $99. To register, e-mail Valentyna Semyrog at [email protected], leave a message at (413) 552-2123, or visit www.hcc.edu/bce. Participants will be sent a link to join the class and can join using PCs, laptops, or smartphones. In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan. She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life. The second session will address four areas: trusts, the probate court process, Medicare hot topics, and options for community care and home care. Jackson will provide pertinent information and details about each to assist attendees in their planning now. In the third and final session, Jackson will introduce the various Medicaid programs that provide long-term skilled nursing-home care in Massachusetts and the financial assistance associated with each. While participants may choose to attend any or all of the sessions, they must still pay the full course cost of $99.

Difference Makers

Sept. 10: BusinessWest has moved its 12th annual Difference Makers event, originally scheduled for March 19, to Sept. 10 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The class of 2020 was profiled in the Feb. 3 issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com. Tickets cost $75. To reserve a spot, e-mail [email protected] or visit businesswest.com. Event sponsors include Burkhart Pizzanelli, Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England, Royal, P.C., and TommyCar Auto Group, while the Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament, MHA, and United Way of Pioneer Valley are partners.

Elms College Executive Leadership Breakfast

Sept. 22: Elms College has rescheduled its third annual Executive Leadership Breakfast due to state-mandated caution regarding large crowds and coronavirus. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal is still slated to be the keynote speaker for the event, which was originally scheduled for April 9. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold, the college will announce more details as necessary. This annual event features talks by the region’s leaders on topics of relevance that impact all sectors of business and the economy in Western Mass. Speakers at past events have included Dennis Duquette, head of Community Responsibility at MassMutual and president of the MassMutual Foundation, and Regina Noonan Hitchery, retired vice president of Human Resources at Alcoa.

People on the Move

People on the Move

David Cisek

Florence Bank announced that David Cisek was recently selected as a recipient of its President’s Award. The President’s Award was established by the bank in 1995, affording employees the annual opportunity to nominate their peers for this prestigious honor that recognizes outstanding performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank. Cisek was nominated by numerous colleagues. Cisek, a senior accounting associate in Florence Bank’s main office, has been with the bank for five years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in ethnic and gender studies and a master’s degree from Westfield State University. In addition, he also serves as an adjunct professor at Westfield State’s Department of Ethnic & Gender Studies. “The long list of comments we received about David tells the story — from ‘he consistently goes above and beyond’ to ‘his enthusiasm and commitment to his job puts everyone in a positive, happy mood,’” said Kevin Day, president of Florence Bank. “David is a true asset to the bank, and the President’s Award is well-deserved.”

•••••

Berkshire Money Management (BMM) recently welcomed Tammy Gaherty to its fast-growing team. Gaherty is the second hire for 2020 and will be handling scheduling for advisors, managing content distribution, and helping with the flow of operations throughout the firm. Prior to joining BMM, she worked for nearly two decades as an administrative assistant with the Dalton Housing Authority. “Everyone is going through a difficult time right now,” BMM president Barbara Schmick said. “We are hiring in order to better service our clients now and in the future. We are getting far more requests and questions during this pandemic. At this time, our clients need more services than ever, and Tammy is our answer to that growing need.” Gaherty is a Berkshire native and graduate of Monument Mountain Regional High School. She has been the volunteer secretary and president of the Friends of the Lanesborough Public Library, and an active participant there for fundraisers to support library programming.

•••••

The Springfield Thunderbirds announced that Paul Thompson has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Springfield community during the 2019-20 season. In his third season as a Thunderbird and his second as team captain, the New England native has continued to show his commitment to the community beyond the ice surface. Before the 2019-20 season began, Thompson was a regular sight at a number of offseason functions, including the Thunderbirds’ Street Hockey Tournament, which was born following the untimely passing of a young local hockey player, Alex Blais, two summers ago. Thompson also gave back to the youth-hockey community of Western Mass., starting and running the Paul Thompson Hockey Camp out of MassConn United for beginning hockey players. In November, in advance of the club’s second annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Thompson lent his hand to share a deeply personal story to aid a cause near and dear to his family — his cousin Angela’s cancer battle and #AngelasArmy initiative. Angela’s Army makes ‘care packages’ for patients undergoing cancer treatment, and was born out of Angela’s desire to assist other patients, providing comfort to them even as she was going through her own battle. In addition to participating in a number of team events, one that shined through the most was during the holiday season. Along with teammates Ethan Prow, Rob O’Gara, and Tommy Cross, Thompson led a selfless journey to brighten the lives of a mother and two young children who suddenly had to endure the passing of their father just weeks before the Christmas holiday. The captain and his teammates spent hundreds of dollars on toys and essential items to make the family feel special during their most trying time. Thompson is now one of 31 finalists for the AHL’s 2019-20 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the AHL at a later date.

•••••

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kellie Welch has found that writing is a way to help. Welch has taken pen to paper for a project she founded called Write Aid. Her mission is to write for people in return for donations to GetUsPPE (getusppe.org), a new website founded by a group of medical professionals on the front lines of the pandemic. GetUsPPE coordinates donations of needed masks, gloves, and gowns to hospitals and healthcare professionals. Since the launch of Write Aid on Instagram (@welchkell), Welch has written sonnets about dogs and cats, poetry about sourdough and happiness, a fictional Twitter thread, and a play about birds. Requests have come from friends locally, as well as from Boston, New York City, and Texas. “Words are my reliable outlet and really all I have to offer while at home, but even they have felt empty lately,” Welch said. “Let’s work together to raise money and use storytelling to uplift each other. I will write you anything — a letter to a friend, a sonnet about your labradoodle, a eulogy for someone you’ve lost, a Dear John letter to that person you were sort of seeing before this happened. The sky’s the limit. Tell your friends! The more random things I write, the more money we raise.” After having lived in New York City for nearly 10 years, Welch moved back to Western Mass. last fall. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of General Studies, where she studied anthropology and was part of the university’s Honor Society. She is a singer and songwriter whose lyrics have won awards in international songwriting competitions, including American Songwriter and Songdoor International. She currently works as a writer for an educational nonprofit organization.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook

Country Bank Donates $50,000 to First Responder Recovery Home

LUDLOW — To help the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department successfully operate the First Responder Recovery Home for COVID-19-diagnosed first responders, Country Bank announced it will contribute $50,000 to the efforts. The contribution from the Ware-based financial institution comes with the aim of inspiring other similar organizations to do what they can to assist the department’s effort to help the people who typically help others. The donation, which brings the overall community contributions above $87,000, will help ensure that every COVID-19-positive first responder who comes to stay at the facility has the food and comforts necessary for recovery. The Hampden County Sheriff’s Department opened the First Responder Recovery Home this week to fill an unmet need in the Commonwealth of providing a safe haven for our doctors, nurses, EMTs, police, firefighters, and corrections professionals who are diagnosed with COVID-19, but can’t safely go home to recover without jeopardizing the health of a vulnerable family member. Located at the department’s Pre-Release Center on its campus in Ludlow, the refuge is provided free of charge, thanks to the department’s community supporters and partners. Cocchi and staff started accepting guests this week, with 84 single-occupancy rooms available. Anyone coming to stay must be healthy enough to care for themselves; however, a pool of voluntary medical professionals from the community, led by Ludlow physician Dr. Shaukat Matin, will be making rounds, and if someone needs more comprehensive medical care, the Sheriff’s Department will help coordinate transportation. Any doctor, nurse, police, firefighter, EMT, correctional professional, or military member can call (413) 858-0801 or (413) 858-0819 to request a room or ask questions. The facility needs the person’s full name, gender, and expected length of stay, among other information, and all correspondence will be kept confidential. Community partners include Country Bank, Anthony Ravosa and the 91 Supper Club, Charlie D’Amour and Guy McFarlane of Big Y Foods, Bob Bolduc and Pride Stores, Cesar Ruiz Jr. and Golden Years Home Care, Jim Brennan on behalf of the Edward J. Brennan Jr. Family Foundation, Anthony Cignoli of A.L. Cignoli Co., Jeff Polep of J. Polep Distribution Services, Jay Caron of Bee-Line Corp., Larry Katz of Arnold’s Meats, Andy Yee and Peter Picknelly, and Matin. Anyone wishing to contribute to the First Responder Recovery Home initiative can send tax-deductible donations to Criminal Justice Organization, 627 Randall Road, Ludlow, MA 01056, and write “First Responder Recovery Home” on the memo line.

Ohana School of Performing Arts Looks to Community for Support

CHICOPEE — The future of small businesses hangs in the balance due to the coronavirus pandemic, and despite uncertainty and disruption, one local dance studio stands firm in its mission: to spread peace and positivity through performance. Ohana School of Performing Arts, located at 41 Sheridan St. in Chicopee, had to make significant changes to its business model as social-distancing guidelines and safety initiatives were put into place. The studio transitioned to online classes and continues to support families with an interactive Facebook group for dancers and their families, where instructors share craft ideas, new dance moves, story time, and messages of hope and joy. “We are bringing 50 virtual classes to our studio family each week,” said Ashley Kohl, owner and creative director. She explained that teachers are recording classes from their own homes to ensure that the dancers are staying engaged and active. In addition to moving to virtual programming, Ohana also shifted tuition terms for the studio — pay what you can, if you can. Due to the stay-at-home advisory, which Gov. Charlie Baker has implemented until further notice, it is likely that Ohana will not be hosting its June performance, which is the studio’s only for-profit recital of the year. The funds from this performance are typically used to cover overhead costs in the summer months. In addition to the annual performance, Ohana hosts two charity performances as fundraisers for local nonprofits. To date, Ohana has donated more than $30,000 to various organizations, including Make-A-Wish Foundation Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Willpower Foundation, Miracle League of Western Massachusetts, We Love Riley Fan Club, Arik(q)ue, in addition to Ohana’s nonprofit, One Ohana Inc., that provides scholarships to dancers across the Pioneer Valley. The impact of lost revenue comes at a particularly challenging time, as the studio was forced to relocate last year, and the business had to secure significant loan funding. Without the consistent tuition and performance revenue, Kohl fears she may have to close Ohana’s doors. With that in mind, two of Kohl’s close friends, Danielle Barone and Tanyelle Duchesne, organized a fundraiser with a goal of $20,000. For more information on how to support Ohana School of Performing Arts, visit gofundme.com/we-are-ohana or ohanaperformingarts.com.

TommyCar Auto Group Donates $10,000 to Support Health Workers

NORTHAMPTON — TommyCar Auto Group — consisting of Country Hyundai, Country Nissan, Genesis of Northampton, Northampton Volkswagen, and Volvo Cars Pioneer Valley — announced it has donated a total of $10,000 to local healthcare workers through its “Donate to Feed” and “Donate to Protect” initiatives. With the COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on the doctors, nurses, and frontline medical workers at local hospitals, TommyCar Auto Group launched a two-part campaign to help support these local heroes. Members of the TommyCard Rewards loyalty program were able to donate up to 50 points to help the cause, making it easy to support the efforts without having to leave the safety of home to make an in-person donation. The points were then matched in dollars by TommyCar Auto Group. By early April, $5,000 was raised to provide meals to the Emergency Department staff at Baystate Medical Center. As of April 10, another $5,000 was donated to Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which is used to purchase needed equipment such as N95 masks, gowns, gloves, and more. To learn more and follow the “Donate to Feed” and “Donate to Protect” campaigns, visit the Country Hyundai, Country Nissan, Genesis of Northampton, Northampton Volkswagen, and Volvo Cars of Pioneer Valley Facebook pages.

Holyoke Company Tools Up to Manufacture Medical Face Shields

HOLYOKE — Walter Drake Inc., a Holyoke manufacturing company, has responded to the urgent need for medical face shields by healthcare systems. In a matter of days, workers have designed, prototyped, built tooling for, and manufactured a medical face shield of the type that is in desperate demand by hospitals, nursing facilities, and other essential workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Joseph Feigen, company president, announced that the face shield is called ‘Corona Shield’ for the time being, but will be renamed for permanent use in the healthcare field after the current pandemic ends. Walter Drake staff is now contacting dozens of hospitals around the country to deliver this badly needed personal protective equipment and to help ensure employment opportunities during this extended Massachusetts business shutdown. Established in 1962, Walter Drake Inc. primarily manufactures custom thermoformed packaging in the form of clamshells, trays, and blisters for medical, electronic, consumer, and industrial packaging applications.

MGM Springfield Donates Sleeping Cots, Outdoor Heaters

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield announced a donation of 160 portable sleeping cots and 16 outdoor heaters to Mercy Medical Center and the city of Springfield. A portion of the cots will provide much-needed overflow support for the hospital, while the other portion of cots and the outdoor heaters will assist the city’s work to help the homeless population amid the COVID-19 crisis. “We are a strong community, but this is a challenging time, and MGM Springfield will continue to do what we can to support those impacted and those on the front line,” said Chris Kelley, president and chief operating officer of MGM Springfield. Added Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, “I want to thank MGM President and COO Chris Kelley and his MGM team for stepping up in support of our city’s ongoing and continued efforts in responding to this coronavirus situation. These much-needed items will go a long way in assisting our city’s coronavirus response.” Deborah Bitsoli, president of Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates, added that “we are grateful to MGM Springfield for the generous donation of cots for use during the pandemic. This is another example of the local area’s remarkable community partnerships that assist our efforts to care for patients during this difficult time.”

UMass Amherst Food Scientist Helps Unravel COVID-19 Mysteries

AMHERST — With the rapid onset of smell and taste loss emerging as symptoms of COVID-19, scientists around the world — including a sensory expert at UMass Amherst — have united to investigate the connection between the chemical senses and the novel coronavirus. The wave of reports from patients and clinicians about anosmia, or smell loss, inspired the creation of the Global Consortium of Chemosensory Researchers. Alissa Nolden, UMass Amherst assistant professor of Food Science, is among the 500 clinicians, neurobiologists, data and cognitive scientists, sensory researchers, and technicians from 38 countries gathering data in a worldwide survey to unravel how the virus is transmitted and how to prevent its spread. Nolden was invited by a colleague at the National Institutes of Health to help develop strategies around measuring the sensory-related symptoms of the coronavirus. “Smell and/or taste loss may be an early indicator of COVID-19, as individuals appear to report loss of smell or taste prior to other symptoms,” she said. “We also want to better understand the mechanism behind taste and smell loss as a result of this virus.” Nolden noted that some people with COVID-19 who experience sensory losses may not have any other coronavirus symptoms. The researchers hope to learn more about this from the survey, since people with sensory symptoms alone are not likely to qualify for a COVID-19 test. “This has been a tremendous effort from collaborators from around the globe to gain a better understanding of the negative impact of COVID-19 on loss of taste and smell,” she said. “We hope to learn a lot about these symptoms and believe it will have a great impact on our understanding of the virus.”

Log Cabin, Delaney House Launch ‘Feed a Local Hero/Someone in Need’

HOLYOKE — Many people and organizations are looking for ways to help others during this trying time. In that spirit, the Delaney House and Log Cabin have created the “Feed a Local Hero/Someone in Need” meal-donation program. People can purchase meals at a discounted rate, which will then be distributed to local businesses with essential employees or community members struggling to gain access to fresh food during this difficult time. Some of the organizations that will receive these donations are Baystate Health System, Providence Ministries (Loreto House), Amherst Survival Center, Mercy Medical Center, Springfield first responders, Holyoke first responders, and many others. To donate, visit www.delaneyhouse.com/feedalocalhero.

MassHire Holyoke Career Center Continues to Offer Services Remotely

HOLYOKE — The MassHire Holyoke Career Center is letting the public known it is open for business remotely for new and current customers and members of the career center. Individuals can visit www.masshireholyoke.org to access information and staff contact numbers for career-counseling and job-search services. Staff members are available to answer questions and provide support such as résumé review and career counseling. These services are available in English and Spanish. Job postings are also available on the website. People with questions about job-seeker services can call (413) 532-4900 and leave a message, and a staff member will be in contact as soon as possible. People who need to file an unemployment claim can call (877) 626-6800 or visit www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-unemployment-benefits. Businesses can call (413) 654-1650, and a business service representative will be in touch.

Incorporations

Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Barking Stoat Inc., 870 South East St., Amherst, MA 01002. Catherine Bell, same. Agriculture and related business.

BRIMFIELD

Daniel Beaulieu Custom Carpentry Inc., 1010 Dunhamtown Road, Brimfield, MA 01010. Daniel Beaulieu, same. Custom carpentry.

CHICOPEE

Capital Auto Finance Inc., 55 Taylor St., Chicopee, MA 01105. Zachary Mourad, 54 Woodcrest Dr., Chicopee, MA 01020. Exports of automobiles.

DALTON

Always Grow Green Inc., 890 Main St., Dalton, MA 01226. Diana Noble, same. Applying for license with cannabis control.

Crustpz Corp., 95 Main St., Dalton, MA 01226. James Cervone, same. Pizza restaurant.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Am Medical P.C., 741 Parker St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. May A. Awkal, 135 Anvil St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Primary care medical services.

HADLEY

Born-Digital Inc., 84 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Noah W. Smith, 25 Main St., Montague, MA 01351. Digitalization of media.

HOLYOKE

Arman Tours Inc., 18 Canby St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Yasser Arman, 145 Lawndale St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Tourism.

Car&Truck Max Inc., 395 Maple St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Mazen Awkal, 24 Hickory St., Agawam, MA 01030. Purchase, re-sale, reconditioning of automobiles.

LENOX

American BCG Laboratory Inc., 10 Birchwood Lane, Lenox, MA 01240. Tsungda Hsu, same. Developing, manufacturing, and marketing of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG for use as BCG immunotherapeutic agents to treat patients with early-stage bladder cancer.

LONGMEADOW

4run3 Inc., 680 Bliss Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Timothy Murphy, 117 Longwood Ave., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Retail sales of shoes, clothing, and apparel.

PITTSFIELD

A+ Integrative Brain Restoration Program, A Nursing Corporation, 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Dennis Redubla, same. Nursing services.

C&C Luxury Coach Inc., 11 Glenwood Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Anthony Baptiste, same. Bus operation.

Desert Insurance Solutions Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Carrie Babij, same. Property and casualty coverage for customers with admitted and non-admitted authorized multi-line carriers.

Dorsey Consortium Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Ste 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Andrew Dorsey, same. Animal husbandry.

SPRINGFIELD

Dr. Dental of Massachusetts P.C., 1101 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01119. Julia O. Faigel, 20 Boulder Road, Newton, MA 02459. Dental practice.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

All American Carpeting and Flooring Corp., 204 New Bridge St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Imran Manzoor, 697 Elm St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Residential and commercial construction and renovation.

America Go Tours Inc., 203 Circuit Ave., Suite 124, West Springfield, MA 01089. Xiu Hua Wang, 33 Arizona Ave., Syosset, NY 11791. Bus tour services.

Central New England AG Service Inc., 39 Timber Ridge Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. Donald R. Chase, same. Services with respect to farming, fertilizing, lime and appropriate chemicals to agricultural pastures.

WESTFIELD

C&M Finishes Inc., 63 Russellvillage Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Milan P. Peich, same. Painting services.

Day Way Express Inc., 73 Cranston St., Westfield, MA 01085. Samer Khaleel, same. Transportation.

Doing Business as Certificates

DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of April 2020.

DEERFIELD

Andrea Mizula
110 North Hillside Road
Andrea Mizula

Coldwell Banker Community Realtors
4 Elm St.
Christine Aubrey

Laura Pontani, LMHC
110 North Hillside Road, #17
Laura Pontani

BELCHERTOWN

Hutchinson Logging
49 Sabin St.
Robert Hutchinson

M & K Cattle Co.
270 West St.
Michael Austin. Katherine Austin

WESTFIELD

Bhatnagar Enterprises
19 Winding Ridge Lane
Nitin Bhatnagar

Direct Home Improvement
71 Wyben Road
Mark Sychev

Forever Dream Boutique
20 Goose Hollow Road
Holly Janisieski

Little River Agency
88 Knollwood Dr.
David Bubois

M.D. Siebert Renovations
51 Barbara St.
Mark Siebert

Phenomenails
17 Jeanne Marie Dr.
Elizabeth Potts

Rick’s Home Improvement
63 Country Club Dr.
Richard Doiron

Rosanna Wagner
37 Broadway St.
Rosanna Wagner

Sergey Express
44 Mill St.
Sergey Lisitsin

Wilmary Martinez
549 Russell Road, 6C
Wilmary Martinez

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies

The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court (bankruptcy petitions omitted from our last are include hereunder). Readers should confirm all information with the court.

Ayr, Diane M.
a/k/a Lyncosky, Diane
a/k/a Klein, Diane
490 Gooseberry Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/20/2020

Bergeron, Kenneth William
399 Pinedale Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/19/2020

Bray, Sarah Yoon Na
40 Amherst Ave.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/20/2020

Crystal Haven Reiki
Hermitage, James Henry
Hermitage, Patricia Girardin
58 Regency Park Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/20/2020

Kosowski, Edward
P.O. Box 1243
Westfield, MA 01086
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/19/2020

Masse, Michael D.
73 Jericho Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/20/2020

Mills, Kevin Carroll
32 Gay St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/18/2020

Mizell, Mindy
a/k/a Norton, Mindy
775 Springfield St. 2B
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/20/2020

Reed, Joshua James
29 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/17/2020

Vargas, Elvin
Vargas, Brenda L.
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/19/2020

Vorobei, Vladislav
1004 North St., Ext
Feeding Hills, MA 01030|
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/18/2020

Real Estate Transactions

Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

68 Cross St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Suzanne J. Sumner
Seller: Maria E. Carey
Date: 03/27/20

BUCKLAND

277 Ashfield Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Stephen E. Smith
Seller: Howes, Doris L., (Estate)
Date: 03/27/20

33 Bray Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $301,000
Buyer: Ann A. Lofquist
Seller: Sidney C. Anderson
Date: 03/27/20

86 East Buckland Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Kurtis A. Williams
Seller: Ricky L. Sumner
Date: 03/27/20

CHARLEMONT

240 E. Oxbow Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $367,400
Buyer: Levi J. Roman
Seller: James E. Ovitt
Date: 03/27/20

COLRAIN

Greenfield Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Marden
Seller: Phillips B. Sherburne
Date: 04/03/20

Prolovich Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Marden
Seller: Phillips B. Sherburne
Date: 04/03/20

DEERFIELD

394 Long Plain Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Patrick Finn
Seller: Sheila A. Wentzel
Date: 03/31/20

4 Porter St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $213,450
Buyer: Amy Herfurth
Seller: Thorpe, Donald J., (Estate)
Date: 03/31/20

31 Thayer St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Debra A. Laberge
Seller: Donna L. Blackney
Date: 04/03/20

ERVING

29 Forest St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Richard T. Breor
Seller: Robert S. Roy
Date: 03/31/20

GREENFIELD

398 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Sheila Orecchio
Seller: Meadows Café & Golf Center
Date: 04/03/20

11 Pickett Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Lorian A. Tonna-Lamuniere
Seller: Emily R. Rowell
Date: 04/03/20

MONTAGUE

100 2nd St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Crystalyn A. Russell
Seller: Shawn Johnson
Date: 04/02/20

106 Turnpike Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $157,800
Buyer: Brent Walton-Griffin
Seller: Michael J. Whiteman
Date: 03/25/20

NORTHFIELD

21 Linseed Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Peter Black
Seller: Stephen P. Gaughan
Date: 03/31/20

ORANGE

58 Stone Valley Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $243,500
Buyer: Judy A. Vantrece
Seller: John M. McCarthy
Date: 03/25/20

SHELBURNE

904 Mohawk Trail
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Hilltown Lodge LLC
Seller: Caldwell Richard, (Estate)
Date: 04/01/20

SUNDERLAND

22 North Silver Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $478,000
Buyer: Martha E. Lorantos
Seller: Goodyear FT
Date: 03/30/20

145 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Weiai Xu
Seller: Paul Stavropulos
Date: 03/30/20

WARWICK

60 Athol Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jacob Cooke
Seller: Kevin M. Cooke
Date: 04/03/20

WHATELY

394 Long Plain Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Patrick Finn
Seller: Sheila A. Wentzel
Date: 03/31/20

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

71 Bridge St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Pavel Duducal
Seller: Joseph Frigo
Date: 03/23/20

32 Center St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Christina Duquette
Seller: James G. Couture
Date: 03/27/20

52 Deering St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Mark E. Benoit
Seller: Cynthia Fern-King
Date: 03/26/20

38 Depalma St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: MAA Property LLC
Seller: Michael Sohay
Date: 03/26/20

56 Dutchmaster Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $396,250
Buyer: Timothy Loudon
Seller: David L. Morrie
Date: 04/03/20

41 Elm St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Fatima Obaid
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 03/23/20

23 Giffin Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $178,592
Buyer: Eric Lottermoser
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 03/30/20

144 Hendom Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Andrew Bortolussi
Seller: Joann Juliano-Nadolny
Date: 04/01/20

30 Hunting Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Roxanne S. Lamb
Seller: Jacqueline L. Rivers
Date: 04/06/20

36 Juniper Ridge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Cristina M. Cintron
Seller: Brian P. Machos
Date: 03/20/20

104 Kanawha Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Oleg Zgherea
Seller: Posiadlosc LLC
Date: 04/03/20

231 Lancaster Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Brian Brady
Seller: Peter Panchelyuga
Date: 03/23/20

16 Lealand Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Christopher Quigley
Seller: JMQ RT
Date: 03/20/20

172 Leonard St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Edmund S. Salva
Seller: Yelena Kizilova
Date: 03/31/20

60 Liberty St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $227,900
Buyer: Ashley K. Brodeur
Seller: Karen M. Brown
Date: 03/20/20

1031 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $262,400
Buyer: Gerald L. Nicholson
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 03/27/20

1077 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: John Houle
Seller: 26-Tov LLC
Date: 04/07/20

40 Marlene Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Brian P. Machos
Seller: Thomas E. Marmo
Date: 03/23/20

351 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Norman Cheever
Seller: Richard M. Lewis
Date: 03/27/20

23 Portland St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Keith R. Laflamme
Seller: Leo J. Hamel
Date: 03/25/20

829 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Joan Vilmenay
Seller: Denise V. Scibelli
Date: 03/30/20

61 South Park Ter.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Anthony F. Lopes
Seller: Sandra A. Viens
Date: 03/27/20

3 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Stephen Nelson
Seller: Rita M. Lollio
Date: 04/03/20

129 Wagon Wheel Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Nicholas D. Griffin
Seller: Michael J. McElligott
Date: 03/27/20

103 White Fox Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jason D. Desclos
Seller: Brian P. McCabe
Date: 03/26/20

BLANDFORD

125 Chester Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Donald Arel
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/20/20

BRIMFIELD

116 Wales Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Kathryn Chicione
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 03/27/20

CHESTER

14 Johnson Hill Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $695,000
Buyer: Brookside Springs LLC
Seller: William J. Thomas
Date: 03/27/20

CHICOPEE

139 Casey Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Ethan Baird
Seller: Roland A. Robidoux
Date: 04/03/20

7 Charbonneau Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,355,000
Buyer: Nolava LLC
Seller: Gladysh Capital LLC
Date: 03/20/20

395 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Reynaldo Santana
Seller: Premium Properties Inc.
Date: 03/23/20

924 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,355,000
Buyer: Nolava LLC
Seller: Gladysh Capital LLC
Date: 03/20/20

82 Dillon St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Ivelisse Hicks
Seller: Rufino Rodriguez
Date: 04/03/20

3 Emery St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: J&M Premier Properties
Seller: Emery Street LLC
Date: 03/27/20

36 Felix St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Gene M. Desko
Seller: Paul A. Lebeau
Date: 03/27/20

1066 Granby Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: 1066 Granby Road LLC
Seller: WGW Assoc
Date: 04/06/20

26 Holland St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Blanco Realty LLC
Seller: John P. Meroski
Date: 03/23/20

79 Huntington Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $167,772
Buyer: James M. Sydrak
Seller: David W. Sirard
Date: 03/31/20

22 Hyde Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Tyler J. Sexton
Seller: Christopher Rzeszutek
Date: 04/01/20

169 Joy St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Johnathan H. Bernard
Seller: Debra Leclerc
Date: 03/31/20

87 Keddy Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Tracie L. Santiago
Seller: Edward S. Wolowicz
Date: 03/31/20

13 Keith St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,500
Buyer: Sergey Dikan
Seller: David F. Lamontagne
Date: 04/03/20

60 Marble Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $145,900
Buyer: JBD Empire LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 04/03/20

420 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $202,500
Buyer: Amys Landscaping LLC
Seller: Chicopee Acquisitions LLC
Date: 03/26/20

21 Overlook Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Dominic V. Alfano
Seller: Ashley K. Shinkwin
Date: 03/23/20

143 Sesame Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Jerome J. Maczka
Seller: Dee A. Civello
Date: 03/31/20

564 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Dominique Properties LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 03/23/20

128 Sunnymeade Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $151,700
Buyer: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Ruthie M. Therrien
Date: 03/23/20

106 Taylor St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Leonce Obas
Seller: Thomas M. Marshall
Date: 03/24/20

32 Thaddeus St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Javon C. Myers
Seller: Christopher P. Harry
Date: 03/31/20

106 Tolpa Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Pablo Colon
Seller: Patrick M. Lathrop
Date: 04/01/20

32 Walsh St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Carleny Henriquez
Seller: Robert N. Dougherty
Date: 03/26/20

34 Woodcrest Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Diana Frappier
Seller: Eric Graziano
Date: 04/07/20

EAST LONGMEADOW

136 Allen St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $197,600
Buyer: Quang Luu
Seller: Prabhdeep S. Sethi
Date: 03/27/20

55 Alpine Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $297,500
Buyer: Kathleen B. Kelly
Seller: Karen L. O’Connor
Date: 03/27/20

18 Channing Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01108
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Heather Chaplin
Seller: Jennifer L. Fijol
Date: 03/31/20

130 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Forrest Devine
Seller: Brian J. McNally
Date: 04/06/20

360 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Alexandrea Sears
Seller: AEM Property Investment
Date: 04/07/20

70 Fairview St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Chuck Ferros
Seller: Cbatts Properties LLC
Date: 03/27/20

36 Fraser Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Alex J. Serra
Seller: James M. Serra
Date: 03/27/20

6 Garland Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: John E. Chase
Seller: William O. Kerr
Date: 03/20/20

16 Lori Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Frederic Almeida
Seller: Gary C. Pomeroy
Date: 04/03/20

29 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Robert R. O’Connell
Seller: Robert W. Benns
Date: 04/03/20

62 Pembroke Ter.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Daniel T. Loftus
Seller: Michael E. Martin
Date: 03/31/20

145 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Todd G. McCauley
Seller: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Date: 03/20/20

122 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $252,900
Buyer: Daniel Castro
Seller: Amberly K. Matt
Date: 03/20/20

421 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Emilio Guadalupe
Date: 03/20/20

16 Ramonas Way
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $499,000
Buyer: James J. Zera
Seller: Daniel Loftus
Date: 04/03/20

198 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Chad P. Herrick
Seller: Megan Hall
Date: 03/27/20

GRANVILLE

146 Silver St.
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $241,200
Buyer: Neal D. Colburn
Seller: Daniel G. Dubay
Date: 04/07/20

HOLLAND

15 Cherokee Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Christopher Knight
Seller: Brian Gagnon
Date: 04/02/20

HOLLAND

16 Vinton Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Keith M. Corey
Seller: Dishington Construction
Date: 03/26/20

HOLYOKE

461-463 Appleton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $880,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Bosco
Seller: Appleton Exchange LLC
Date: 04/02/20

44 Bay State Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Samuel C. Gaskin
Seller: Lawlor, Brian J., (Estate)
Date: 03/20/20

21-31 Essex St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: B&LG Realty LLC
Seller: Fisette Realty Corp.
Date: 03/31/20

83 Evergreen Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Meghan M. Brown
Seller: Robert R. O’Connell
Date: 04/01/20

650 High St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $433,500
Buyer: High Street Apartments
Seller: 650 High Street LLC
Date: 04/07/20

887 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Amy E. Hutchins
Seller: Ronald P. Methe
Date: 03/23/20

29 Magnolia Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Joseph G. Lamour
Seller: Kenneth Voorhees
Date: 03/31/20

1319 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $353,000
Buyer: Philip F. Langevin
Seller: Matthew C. Love
Date: 03/31/20

180-182 Oak St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: B&LG Realty LLC
Seller: Fisette Realty Corp.
Date: 03/31/20

100 Pearl St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $377,500
Buyer: Joseph Greene
Seller: Alex S. Engelson
Date: 03/25/20

34 Pinehurst Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Marcos Marrero
Seller: Diego Garcia
Date: 03/27/20

40 Sherwood Ter.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Sean G. Kelly
Seller: Martha E. Stewart RET
Date: 03/27/20

LONGMEADOW

44 Birnie Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Alexander M. Byrne
Seller: Susan K. Thomas
Date: 03/30/20

10 Chatham Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Ruixiu Lin
Seller: Robert C. Barkman
Date: 03/25/20

95 Colton Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Sarah Morgan
Seller: Michael A. Smith
Date: 03/31/20

1197 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Mohammad J. Bhuyan
Seller: Alliance Of Orthodox Congregation
Date: 03/20/20

11 Harwich Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $638,145
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Michael V. Porcello
Date: 03/24/20

4 Hillcrest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Matthew P. Tanis
Seller: Richard J. Ward
Date: 04/03/20

59 Lynnwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $502,000
Buyer: Lori Goldsmith
Seller: Sheila Goodless RET
Date: 03/20/20

285 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Lori Russo
Seller: James J. Garvey
Date: 04/01/20

185 Pleasantview Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $555,000
Buyer: Lei Zhao
Seller: Ruolin Zhou
Date: 04/03/20

181 Prynnwood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Howard A. Dickstein
Seller: Jeffrey L. Kaufman
Date: 03/26/20

44 Riverview Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Hogan
Seller: Cheryl N. Boone
Date: 03/24/20

104 Williston Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Tovy Haber-Kamine
Seller: Meadows RE LLC
Date: 03/30/20

LUDLOW

34 Carol St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Margaret E. Mayberry
Seller: Donna Beaulieau
Date: 03/24/20

33 Evergreen Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Linda Nawracaj
Seller: AJ Electric LLC
Date: 03/30/20

194 Highland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Emily Supernant
Seller: Ashleigh M. Ouimette
Date: 04/01/20

115 Howard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Jazmin Serrano
Seller: Mpower Capital LLC
Date: 03/25/20

71 Woodside Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Monique L. Verteramo
Seller: Michael J. Turgeon
Date: 03/26/20

MONSON

4 Country Club Heights
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: David Parson
Seller: Brandon W. Houle
Date: 04/03/20

4 Fern Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $159,075
Buyer: Denali Properties LLC
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/27/20

19 Flynt Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Cascade Funding 2017-1
Seller: Jerome E. Wayson
Date: 04/07/20

6 Hilltop Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Michael Pelland
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 03/26/20

Thayer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Kyle R. Howell
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 03/27/20

MONTGOMERY

509 Main Road
Montgomery, MA 01050
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: G&H Homes LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 04/06/20

PALMER

9 Cabot St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $221,900
Buyer: Patricia A. Cable
Seller: Kristina M. Hawley
Date: 04/06/20

12-16 Commercial St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Roger Parker
Seller: Melissa K. O’Connell
Date: 03/25/20

22 Dublin St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Jerrid J. Aldrich
Seller: Brian Seibold
Date: 04/03/20

198 Emery St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Donald J. Potter
Seller: Roger W. Barnes
Date: 03/27/20

2142 Palmer Road
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Jonathan E. Towne
Seller: Judy Bergdoll
Date: 03/25/20

42-44 South St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Kimberly E. Clarke
Seller: Jill A. Laganas
Date: 03/24/20

RUSSELL

170 South Quarter Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Travis Walker
Seller: Carla E. Gesek
Date: 03/20/20

550 South Quarter Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Timothy C. Healy
Seller: Ronald Johnson
Date: 03/31/20

SPRINGFIELD

245 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Dinessa Figueroa
Seller: Buong V. Le
Date: 03/25/20

491 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Sham Petroleum LLC
Seller: Arya Petroleum Corp.
Date: 04/01/20

803 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Darren D. Petraske
Seller: Lisa J. Russell
Date: 04/02/20

18 Beaufort Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Hector R. Baez
Seller: Karen R. Waterman
Date: 03/31/20

61 Bellwood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Daniel T. Beauregard
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 03/27/20

1274 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Madison L. Taylor
Seller: Stephen M. Nareau
Date: 03/26/20

128-130 Breckwood Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Opus Durum LLC
Seller: Marc V. Costanzi
Date: 03/27/20

34 Brewster St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: John J. Callahan
Seller: Denali Properties LLC
Date: 03/30/20

36 Burns Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Matthew T. Moylan
Seller: Yarlene Sanchez
Date: 03/23/20

30 Burnside Ter.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Carlos Estrada-Castillo
Seller: Adilenys Z. Rivera
Date: 04/01/20

625 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $6,050,000
Buyer: N. M. Baron Las Villas LLC
Seller: 625 Carew Street LLC
Date: 04/02/20

49 Caseland St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Lucky 13 Homes LLC
Seller: Sheila M. Grassetti
Date: 03/26/20

253-255 Center St.
Springfield, MA 01013
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Charles B. Proctor
Seller: Michael J. Cavatorta
Date: 03/31/20

225 Circle Dr.
Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: James L. Discenza
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 04/03/20

17 Clantoy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Damaris Lopez-Robles
Seller: Anthony Bourget
Date: 03/27/20

9-11 Cloran St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Michael Gardner
Seller: Bank New York Mellon
Date: 03/27/20

237 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Aguasvivas Realty LLC
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 03/31/20

77 Corey Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Jennifer Bilodeau
Seller: Jason G. Bilodeau
Date: 03/31/20

12 Danaher Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Marzena Sochacka-Medina
Seller: Richard D. Baez
Date: 03/27/20

38 Dexter St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Miguel A. Suarez-Agosto
Seller: Terry-Lee A. McCarthy
Date: 04/07/20

69 Dexter St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jianneng Wu
Seller: Isairis Estrella
Date: 03/20/20

100 Eleanor Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Sandra K. Henry
Seller: Glen D. Horrigan
Date: 03/23/20

99 Elliot St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Wesley Yu
Seller: Sarah A. Germain
Date: 03/30/20

126 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $183,900
Buyer: Aimee K. Lessard
Seller: Luis A. Diaz
Date: 03/27/20

23 Fairway Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Nicholas Benoit
Seller: Emerald City Rentals LLC
Date: 03/27/20

45-47 Florence St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Hector L. Marte
Seller: Modesto Delgado
Date: 03/25/20

43 Flower St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Michael Hess
Seller: Eric Geldart
Date: 03/31/20

166 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $117,111
Buyer: William T. Raleigh
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 03/20/20

208 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Ruben L. Rivera
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 03/26/20

Groton St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Molly A. Biechle
Seller: Home Investment Fund 5 LP
Date: 03/25/20

16 Hall St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Aurea E. Soler
Seller: Ely Realty LLC
Date: 03/30/20

16-18 Hampden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jevaughn McMillan
Seller: Erica N. Alvarez
Date: 03/20/20

89 Harrow Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jeffrey P. Bouyea
Seller: William R. Herman
Date: 03/20/20

51-53 Hastings St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Nhung T. Nguyen
Seller: Claire Mastey
Date: 03/30/20

15 Hazen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Ibrahim Abdi
Seller: Tina M. Cordi
Date: 03/20/20

23 Hillside Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Melanie Bisson
Seller: Minh T. Lam
Date: 04/01/20

5 Kay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Wade D. Thurston
Seller: Value Properties LLC
Date: 04/07/20

75 Leyfred Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Fyxer Up Properties LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 04/06/20

185 Lower Beverly Hills
Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Karen O’Connor
Seller: Donald C. Bechard
Date: 03/27/20

100 Marengo Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $228,700
Buyer: Mark Jones
Seller: Cecelia Mendez
Date: 03/31/20

51 Marmon Court
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Leo J. Williams
Seller: Jerald E. Jacobs
Date: 03/31/20

52 Marmon Court
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Cindy Vera
Seller: Alyssa L. Williams
Date: 03/31/20

22 Mary St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: John T. Leydon
Seller: Constance E. Allen
Date: 03/26/20

61 Mayher St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jazlyn N. Dejesus
Seller: Tricia A. Stallman
Date: 03/31/20

94 Monmouth St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Uziel Q. Martinez-Barrios
Seller: KG Holdings Inc.
Date: 04/06/20

83 Moss Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $235,800
Buyer: Ariel R. Clemmer
Seller: Sawyer B. Pellegrino
Date: 03/30/20

16 Nelson Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,300
Buyer: Kevin D. Tran
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 03/20/20

336 Newhouse St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Matthew Byrnes
Seller: Blueline Management LLC
Date: 03/24/20

125-127 Noel St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Mabel Ramos-Solares
Seller: AAD LLC
Date: 04/07/20

47 Old Farm Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $128,500
Buyer: Basile Realty LLC
Seller: Claire L. Ives
Date: 03/30/20

45 Orpheum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Robert L. Mook
Seller: Andrew T. McAlary
Date: 03/30/20

162 Packard Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Nelson Cruz-Resto
Seller: Georgina Roy
Date: 03/26/20

623 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Asia Kenney
Seller: Matthew J. Spence
Date: 03/24/20

1730 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $200,500
Buyer: Allison M. Hanna
Seller: A. Plus Enterprises Inc.
Date: 03/23/20

46 Parkside St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Tyrie J. Pearson
Seller: Dulce M. Garcia-Vasquez
Date: 03/27/20

174 Pasco Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Jose L. Mojica
Seller: Prime Partners LLC
Date: 04/03/20

202 Pasco Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Edward Perez
Seller: Simone S. Carvalho
Date: 03/27/20

71 Peach St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $174,999
Buyer: Janet L. Franklin
Seller: District Capital LLC
Date: 03/27/20

210 Peekskill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: John Martin
Seller: Kent L. Woods
Date: 03/27/20

29-31 Ralph St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Gabriel Ortiz
Seller: MHFA
Date: 03/27/20

33-35 Rittenhouse Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $147,600
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Roberto Villalba
Date: 03/31/20

820 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $146,300
Buyer: Cynthia M. Vives
Seller: Amber C. Haywood
Date: 03/27/20

377 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Yveline M. Hulse
Seller: Darrly O. Pollard
Date: 03/27/20

12 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $164,800
Buyer: Whitney L. Serrano
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 03/20/20

191 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Nydia Burgos
Seller: John Martin
Date: 03/25/20

14 Silas St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jose H. Perez
Seller: Shi X. Wu
Date: 03/30/20

120 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Katherine L. Boyle
Seller: Stephen Lonergan
Date: 03/24/20

380 Tinkham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $252,300
Buyer: Addison R. Brewer
Seller: Ryan J. McDowell
Date: 03/27/20

367 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Christinas House Inc.
Seller: Patrick O. Murray
Date: 04/06/20

27 Vail St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Gregory C. Parrott
Seller: Janet S. Crum
Date: 03/20/20

50-52 Vermont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Benitez-Garcia
Seller: MEG Realty LLC
Date: 03/24/20

42-44 Virginia St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: On The Mark LLC
Seller: Helder Nunes
Date: 03/23/20

170 Walnut St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: David Pujols
Seller: Djuan Barklow
Date: 03/24/20

18 Walsh St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $287,900
Buyer: Emely Santiago
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 04/07/20

62 Washburn St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Claire Carter
Seller: Michal S. Czerwinski
Date: 03/26/20

236 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Luis Figueroa-Ortega
Seller: Ravin S. Acharya
Date: 03/20/20

94 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Richardson Oise
Seller: Amaan Realty LLC
Date: 04/03/20

119 White Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Cole D. Stuart
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/30/20

477 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Carolyn Morera
Seller: Tommy Espinal
Date: 03/25/20

SOUTHWICK

94 Bungalow St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Robert E. Matthews
Seller: Laura I. Ferrentino
Date: 03/23/20

18 Matthews Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Richard S. Lempke
Seller: Marcia J. Pickard
Date: 03/24/20

59 Miller Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Mark F. Jerusik
Seller: Anne S. Miller
Date: 03/25/20

6 Pine Knoll
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Adam Hart
Seller: Robert Hart
Date: 03/24/20

23 Pine Knoll
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $406,000
Buyer: Clara Conklin
Seller: Brian R. Pray
Date: 04/03/20

5 Revere Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $344,000
Buyer: Ryan C. Lehrmitt
Seller: George J. Poulo
Date: 04/03/20

75 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Wade R. Modestow
Seller: Vanessa Filiault
Date: 03/24/20

112 Vining Hill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Sean P. Bruno
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 03/30/20

WALES

2 Monson Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Thomas Trafford
Seller: JTL Construction LLC
Date: 03/24/20

4 Monson Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $171,796
Buyer: David M. Vanwagoner
Seller: Crystal L. Ryan
Date: 03/27/20

10 Polly Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $139,330
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Brad C. Buteau
Date: 03/30/20

WESTFIELD

54 Beverly Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Luke Paull
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 03/27/20

16 Clinton Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Richard E. Clark
Seller: Sinh La
Date: 03/20/20

43 Darby Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Kyle A. Murphy
Seller: Mary A. Tatro
Date: 03/26/20

38 Dickens Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Cheryl Giusti
Seller: Strong, David R., (Estate)
Date: 03/20/20

7 Dubois St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Peter Chrzanowski
Seller: Gerald P. Pierce
Date: 04/02/20

98 George St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jorge G. Paredes-Bermejo
Seller: Jason D. Desclos
Date: 03/26/20

46 Highland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: David E. Nitsch
Seller: Eric H. Nitsch
Date: 04/03/20

26 Holland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Craig B. Schacher
Seller: Rose A. Nash
Date: 03/27/20

30 Kane Brothers Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Jessica E. Obrzut
Seller: Kristine M. Cook
Date: 03/31/20

52 Marla Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $452,400
Buyer: Andrea Strom
Seller: Carlos Bermejo-Tenesaca
Date: 03/20/20

1 Meadowbrook Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Cory Page
Seller: Joshua J. Walts
Date: 04/01/20

469 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Robert J. Iacovelli
Seller: Daniel P. Morrissey
Date: 03/31/20

13 Montgomery St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Devon B. Hicks
Seller: Lori L. Laplante
Date: 03/27/20

2-4 Morris Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Nilda I. Santiago-Rivera
Seller: Mark Sears
Date: 03/31/20

3 Old Quarry Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Hunter
Seller: Scott P. Martell
Date: 03/25/20

13 Pleasant St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Brent Chalmers
Seller: Moore, Daniel E., (Estate)
Date: 04/01/20

691 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Gebop LLC
Seller: Jazab LLC
Date: 04/01/20

482 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $343,000
Buyer: Paul W. Fisher
Seller: Mahlon G. Cashman
Date: 03/27/20

243 Southwick Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Jennifer L. Bennett
Seller: Evelyn Tirado
Date: 03/20/20

41 Southview Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Valerie L. Longey
Seller: Jamie F. Murphy
Date: 03/30/20

19 West School St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Jennifer McDonnell
Seller: Squire, Jane A., (Estate)
Date: 04/03/20

16 Whitaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $408,000
Buyer: Deborah J. Czupkiewicz
Seller: Susan M. Robert
Date: 03/31/20

55 Woodside Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Robert R. Morin
Seller: Frances A. Slasienski
Date: 03/20/20

WILBRAHAM

39 Bennett Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Michael J. Duquette
Seller: Joanne O. Robinson
Date: 03/24/20

2661 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kathleen A. Bailey
Seller: Gail M. Richmond
Date: 03/30/20

8 Bruuer Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $304,000
Buyer: Zachary H. Keaton
Seller: Daniel T. Corthell
Date: 03/23/20

3 Mountainbrook Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Anthony Roberts
Seller: Renata Nowak-Skar
Date: 04/07/20

728 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jasmin Lowe
Seller: Joseph P. Martial
Date: 04/03/20

870 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jack McIntyre
Seller: Mathew N. Chaplin
Date: 03/20/20

1003 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: John P. Severin
Seller: Richard G. Tomchik
Date: 04/03/20

46 Weston St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Hugh C. Scott
Seller: Lisa A. Bessette
Date: 04/03/20

11 Woodland Dell Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Aidan P. Butler
Seller: Derek J. Chandonnet
Date: 03/26/20

WEST SPRINGFIELD

243 Circle Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: CIG 4 LLC
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/24/20

106 Greystone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $240,900
Buyer: Matthew J. Plasse
Seller: Vincent T. Bovino
Date: 03/20/20

96 Kings Hwy.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Egor M. Cheremushkin
Seller: Yekaterina Dipon
Date: 04/01/20

51 Lantern Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: Nathan E. Staples
Seller: Brian S. Brady
Date: 03/20/20

91 Larivee Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $282,500
Buyer: Christopher Rzeszutek
Seller: Ellen A. Glosick
Date: 04/01/20

754 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Patrick R. Inglesby
Seller: Timothy E. Cupp
Date: 03/27/20

34 Nelson St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Vasila Usmonova
Seller: Wyman, Lena M., (Estate)
Date: 04/07/20

60 Neptune Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Charles C. Cooley
Seller: Ronald E. Lohnes
Date: 03/27/20

15 North St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Jessica Diaz-Campbell
Seller: Shannon Kumiega
Date: 03/27/20

45 Oakland St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $176,603
Buyer: Guild Mortgage Co.
Seller: Ashley R. Cabana
Date: 03/30/20

62 Paulson Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Amina Asvandiyeva
Seller: Christopher A. Nyman
Date: 03/27/20

615 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Mark D. Hunter
Seller: Angel R. Villar
Date: 03/27/20

137 Squassick Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Henry F. Spadoni
Seller: Spadoni, Melissa C., (Estate)
Date: 03/24/20

4 Worthy Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Todd B. Thebodo
Seller: Omar I. AlJuboori
Date: 04/06/20

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

15 Eames Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Frederik Baumgardt
Seller: Maeve Howett
Date: 03/31/20

464 Market Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Stephen Brevik
Seller: Robert Stebbins
Date: 03/26/20

236 North Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: J. Curtis Shumway
Seller: Gray Street LLC
Date: 04/01/20

BELCHERTOWN

27 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Jill Hoover-Attebury
Seller: Jacquie Kurland
Date: 04/06/20

11 Blacksmith Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Douglas Sourdiffe
Seller: Nicholas E. Bernard
Date: 03/31/20

25 Lexington Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $512,000
Buyer: Niloufar Shoushtari
Seller: Norman B. Veroneau
Date: 03/27/20

Magnolia Lane #CB
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Rheal Duquette
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 03/30/20

23 Mill Valley Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Russell S. Annis
Seller: Michael E. Sroka
Date: 03/27/20

108 Sabin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Teresa J. Halperin
Seller: Suzanne M. Meehan
Date: 03/27/20

248 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Daniel Veratti
Seller: Maurice J. Lalumiere
Date: 03/31/20

57 Warren Wright Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Robert N. Dougherty
Seller: Keem LLC
Date: 03/26/20

CHESTERFIELD

409 Main Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $418,000
Buyer: David W. Stratton
Seller: Erin M. McEnaney
Date: 04/03/20

EASTHAMPTON

21-23 Clinton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $146,904
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Traci Bartlett
Date: 03/26/20

36 Groveland St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $315,500
Buyer: Alexandra Sheskin-Hurd
Seller: Rebecca Lansky
Date: 04/07/20

217 Hendrick St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $210,909
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Scott A. Bergeron
Date: 04/02/20

57 Parsons St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Amy K. Teffer
Seller: Michael F. Huard
Date: 03/30/20

42 Peloquin Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Christopher C. Barcomb
Seller: Scott E. Wark
Date: 04/03/20

14 Winter St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Rod Motamedi
Seller: Eagle Home Buyers LLC
Date: 03/31/20

GRANBY

35 Lyn Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Martin Cepeda
Seller: Robert T. Brisebois
Date: 04/03/20

HADLEY

148 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Michael Colwell-Lafleur
Seller: Plumtree Real Estate LLC
Date: 03/26/20

HATFIELD

140 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Logan M. Ebbets
Seller: John E. Ebbets
Date: 03/31/20

21 Linseed Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Peter Black
Seller: Stephen P. Gaughan
Date: 03/31/20

HUNTINGTON

25 Montgomery Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Robert T. Brisebois
Seller: Katie L. Boisseau
Date: 04/03/20

MIDDLEFIELD

139 Arthur Pease Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: John P. Waldheim
Seller: Roger E. Pagerey
Date: 04/01/20

45 Chester Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Michael F. Huard
Seller: Elaine D. Gorham
Date: 03/30/20

NORTHAMPTON

34 Cahillane Ter.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Andrew J. Fleming
Seller: Katherine Oberwager
Date: 04/01/20

18 Dickinson St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Sofia A. Frydman
Seller: James P. Krawczynski
Date: 04/07/20

547 Easthampton Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Meetinghouse Realty Investment
Seller: Robert D. Raymond
Date: 03/27/20

19 Ellington Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Nancy A. Koleski
Date: 03/25/20

193 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: Suzanne Allen
Seller: Emerson Way LLC
Date: 04/03/20

11 Ford Xing
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $693,472
Buyer: Jamie Elkin
Seller: Wright Builders Inc.
Date: 03/30/20

17 Highland Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Ana Arregui
Seller: Tadeusz J. Grygorcewicz
Date: 04/03/20

72 Lake St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Langlais FT
Seller: Linda L. Adams
Date: 04/03/20

99 Massasoit St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Sabina Knight-Deirdre
Seller: Tytell, Barbara P., (Estate)
Date: 04/03/20

107 Moser St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $515,888
Buyer: Caie Ma
Seller: Blessing From God
Date: 04/06/20

11 School St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Timothy Pitkin
Seller: Ethan Vandermark
Date: 04/03/20

15 Sumner Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $271,000
Buyer: Claire Christopherson
Seller: Ryan, Michael T., (Estate)
Date: 04/06/20

55 Winterberry Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $545,000
Buyer: Julia Brown
Seller: Patrick J. Joyce
Date: 04/01/20

PELHAM

12 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Alison Annes
Seller: E. A. Blumgarten RET
Date: 04/01/20

17 Jones Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Noah A. Wartenberg
Seller: Donald F. Archer
Date: 03/27/20

SOUTH HADLEY

1 Burnett Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Lucy M. Conley
Seller: Kathleen M. Cole
Date: 04/02/20

12 Hickory Place
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Anthony G. Schiappa
Seller: Michelle A. Liberto
Date: 03/27/20

26 Lamb St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Michael Kuhn
Seller: Kevin Haczynski
Date: 04/01/20

141 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Cassandra R. Ahern
Seller: Kyle E. Hajec
Date: 03/27/20

266 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kevin Haczyneki
Seller: David A. Langone
Date: 04/06/20

12 Young Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Scott Family Properties
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 03/27/20

SOUTHAMPTON

Cook Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $148,313
Buyer: Barbara M. Laflam
Seller: Richard P. Gwinner
Date: 04/01/20

93 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Baron
Seller: Armond J. Baron TR
Date: 03/31/20

8 Strong Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $238,500
Buyer: Miranda J. Jacobus
Seller: Louis P. Migliozzi
Date: 03/27/20

WARE

95 Babcock Tavern Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Joseph O. Critelli
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 03/31/20

9-17 Canal St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $165,500
Buyer: J. R. Real Estate LLC
Seller: Jeffrey VonDauber
Date: 03/27/20

198 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Josepjh E. Metcalfe
Seller: Goodreau, Gary F., (Estate)
Date: 03/27/20

19 Gilbert Court
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Scott Tkatz
Seller: Mechanic Street Assocs. RT
Date: 03/26/20

408 Palmer Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Christine Hadley
Seller: Cooper LT
Date: 03/26/20

139 West St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $1,300,000
Buyer: Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc.
Seller: PJC Realty MA Inc.
Date: 04/02/20

Building Permits

Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of April 2020.

AMHERST

Jeffery Brown
253 Triangle St.
$170,000 — Renovate former bank space for new tenant, Hometown Bank

CHICOPEE

Ron Anglio
43 West St.
$90,000 — Interior remodeling on first and second floors

Big Y
650B Memorial Dr.
$30,929 — Install new wet/dry sprinkler system throughout new addition and rack storage

LEE

Berkshire Corporate Realty, LLC
480 Pleasant St.
$2,400 — Relocate 11 existing sprinklers from existing wet sprinkler system

LENOX

Kenneth Harrison
260 Pittsfield Road, A12
$7,200 — Replace damaged floor and wall sheetrock from burst pipe

SPRINGFIELD

299 Page Blvd, LLC
299 Page Blvd.
$1,270,786.76 — Interior demolition of existing gun range for future buildout

Dennis Everett
320 Parker St.
$367,500 — Install replacement cyclone unit at WestRock Sheet Plant

A Date with Destiny — or, Probably, a New Date

By George O'Brien April 27, 2020

Coronavirus

Opinion

By George O’Brien

May 4.

Who would ever have known that so much importance would be attached to such a random date on the calendar?

But here we are in late April wishing that May 4 would come. It’s sort of like Christmas or your birthday when you were 5 years old. You couldn’t wait for it to get here, and you inevitably started counting down the weeks and then the days, wishing it would get here faster.

But this is much, much different.

May 4 is the slated end of Gov. Charlie Baker’s already-extended stay-at-home order, imposed to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not that anyone uses an actual calendar anymore, but people have had that date circled for weeks now. That was the date that maybe, just maybe, things could start returning to normal.

People are still hoping that, but overall, there isn’t much hope May 4 will be that day. Massachusetts is still a hotspot for the virus, and the governor says the Bay State is still very much still in the ‘surge.’ Any day now, it’s likely he will announce the stay-at-home order has been extended. It might be a few weeks, it might be until June 1, it might be all the way to the end of the school year — not that school schedules should matter much. After all, the state’s economy does function in the summer, when children are out of school for 10 weeks.

No one knows, but what we do know is that soon there will likely be a new date to circle on the calendar, and a new date for wondering if that is when things will start getting back to normal.

This is no way for a state, for an economy, to function. But that’s the new reality.

Some states have decided they just don’t want to wait any longer. Their dates have already arrived. Time will tell if the proper decisions have been made.

Here, it’s almost certain that we’re going to wait a while longer. And with the waiting comes more anxiety, more questions, more uncertainty about how and when we’re going to turn the economy back on in the Bay State.

It would be easy — and also very tempting — to say, as many others have, that the cure can’t be worse than the disease, and that we need to get on with our lives and get on with the economy. But we can’t really turn the economy back on until people feel safe enough to go to a casino or a hair salon or a restaurant or even the emergency room. And right now, far too many people just don’t feel safe enough to do any of those things.

So, in that respect, these arbitrary dates don’t really have much meaning. It will be the consuming public that will ultimately decide when the economy gets turned back on, not a governor. And at the moment, we can’t exactly set a time for that.

Still, we’ve all looked at that momentarily magical date of May 4 with hope and anticipation — again like a 5-year-old during mid-December, wishing for that day to arrive and thinking time is moving much too slowly. April has been the longest month any of us can remember, and May 4 might be the date when we can start to put all this behind us.

But it seems almost certain that we’ll have a new magical date — and the hope, and the anticipation, will begin anew.

It’s not like anything any of us have been through before, but, then again, that’s what this pandemic has been all about.

George O’Brien is the editor of BusinessWest.

40 Under Forty to Be Unveiled May 11

SPRINGFIELD — Ready for a break from the non-stop COVID-19 news and a diversion — well, sort of — from life during a pandemic?

Great. So are we.

And BusinessWest will provide one with its announcement in two weeks of the 40 Under Forty class of 2020, a group that might become known as the ‘pandemic class’ years down the road, because life has certainly been different for this group of winners. Indeed, the annual gala, scheduled for June, has been pushed back to late August, and even taking photos of the winners became a real challenge due to social-distancing efforts, and many wound up taking photos themselves.

As for the unveiling … it will come in a special section in the May 11 issue of BusinessWest, and, in many respects, it will be a lot like the recent NFL draft. By that, we mean it will go on, as always, but it will be a little different. And there are likely to be some dogs and young children in the images.

Beyond that, this announcement is similar to the draft in that we hope that it will provide a quick respite from the tedium of the pandemic and offer an enthusiastic look at the many rising stars now taking the stage here in Western Mass.

The unveiling of the 40 Under Forty has always been a special moment for us, and the region, and this year, we expect it will be even more so. It will be an opportunity to bring some much-needed light into some otherwise dark times.

First American Insurance Agency Launches New Client Portal

CHICOPEE — First American Insurance Agency, an independent insurance firm, announced the launch of a new online customer portal designed to enhance service and support for its customers.

The portal, called CSR24, enables clients to access insurance ID cards and insurance documents (including renewal paperwork), request policy changes, and more. Clients can also submit claim photos, such as a cracked windshield. For truckers, the portal allows the quick and straightforward download of certificates.

“During this unprecedented time of COVID-19, we need to make the insurance processes easier and improve communication for clients,” President Corey Murphy said. “The portal speaks to our commitment to providing a more valuable and simplified experience for our clients. CSR24 allows easier access to their documents and information.”

The portal is accessible on any device via the agency’s website and requires a login and username. The agency will release a matching app later in the year.

Phillips Insurance Agency Delivers Pizza, Food Boxes to Clients, First Responders

CHICOPEE — Phillips Insurance partnered with clients Fazio’s Ristorante of East Longmeadow and Simos Produce of Springfield to deliver pizza and grocery boxes to its clients and first responders.

Phillips Insurance delivered dozens of grocery boxes from Simos Produce to clients so they could avoid going to the supermarket. In addition, Phillips and Fazio’s Ristorante delivered pizzas and grinders to first responders and heathcare providers, while Phillips Insurance delivered pizza and subs to the Chicopee Police Department in appreciation of all they do for the community.

Phillips Insurance Agency was established in 1953 and is a full-service risk-management firm with a staff of 28 professionals.

bankESB Promotes Erin Joyce to Vice President, Special Assets

EASTHAMPTON — Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that Erin Joyce has been promoted to vice president, special assets.

Joyce has more than 30 years of banking experience, much of it in the areas of residential and consumer collections. She joined bankESB in 2014 as special assets manager, and since then has been promoted to special assets officer and assistant vice president, special assets.

Prior to joining bankESB, Joyce was the credit and collections manager for Greenfield Savings Bank and the residential and consumer collector for Florence Savings Bank. She also previously served as an online instructor for the Center for Financial Training.

She attended UMass Amherst and holds several diplomas and certificates in financial services and lending from the Center for Financial Training. She is also very active in the community, delivering meals and offering money-management and bill-pay services to Highland Valley Elder Services, and serving as a board member and co-treasurer of Northampton Dollars for Scholars and a board member and auditor for the Northampton High School Alumni Assoc. For 12 years, she also participated in the Volunteer in Tax Assistance program.

With Campuses Quiet, College Leaders Ponder the Future

By Joseph Bednar April 27, 2020

Coronavirus Cover Story

Hard Lessons

‘Extraordinary.’ That’s how one area college president described the massive shift to online learning that colleges and universities nationwide were forced to undertake back in March. And he’s right. But these are extraordinary times — and beyond the questions about when students can safety return to campus, and concerns about declining enrollment and revenues going forward, are a series of equally extraordinary conversations about what higher education might look like on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis, and why.

Back in March, when colleges and universities everywhere began sending students home, the obvious question was, ‘when will they come back?’

That’s still the question — or, more accurately, one of many, many pressing questions.

Here’s another one: when students do eventually come back, how many will not? At a time when enrollment is already declining nationally, mainly due to smaller high-school graduating classes, some trade groups, like the American Council on Education, are predicting a national enrollment drop of 15% this fall, higher for international students.

“On one hand, it could be anxiety about students returning to the campus environment or students wanting to take a pause and see how things are going,” said Harry Dumay president of Elms College. “Then, their financial circumstances might make it difficult for them — although, with the stimulus funds, we are working with families to help them with those concerns.”

Dumay said Elms leaders are preparing for all contingencies when it comes to how and where summer and fall classes will be delivered, though it seems likely that at least the initial summer sessions, starting in May, will have to be remote.

“Every one of us is looking at potential loss in revenue. Obviously, if the parents lost jobs, or if students lost jobs, will they be able to afford to go back?”

“What’s less certain is what will happen in the fall. A number of factors go into making this decision, beginning, of course, with when it’s safe for our students, safe for our employees and faculty, and safe for the general public,” he noted, adding that Elms leadership constantly tracks the guidelines it receives from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will not reopen the campus if doing so would provide an opportunity for the pandemic to spike, even if the curve is starting to flatten now.

Working in Elms’ favor, he noted, is the fact that it draws mainly from the Greater Springfield region, and in this current environment, graduating high-school seniors, whether in 2020 or 2021, and their families might prefer to choose a college closer to home.

“Those are discussions seniors and their parents are making around the kitchen table,” Dumay said. “We are certainly working with all of those students who have been admitted to Elms, trying to answer their questions so they can continue to pursue their dreams in a safe manner, and guide them in making those critical decisions in this critical time.”

From its perspective, Elms — and all colleges, for that matter — is making contingency plans of its own if enrollment does come in lower than the target.

“We’ll have a plan-A budget, a plan-B budget, and a plan-C budget. But Elms is on solid financial footing. We’re not wealthy — we don’t have a large endowment — but the institution is financially healthy, and we can withstand some shock in enrollment.”

Carol Leary, who is stepping down in June after 25 years as president of Bay Path University, certainly didn’t expect to spend her final weeks communicating with her staff remotely.

“Every one of us is looking at potential loss in revenue,” Leary said of … well, virtually all colleges and universities. “Obviously, if the parents lost jobs, or if students lost jobs, will they be able to afford to go back?”

With that in mind, she said, “everyone is doing their business-continuity planning and deciding what to do if there’s a decrease in enrollment for the fall. It’s on the table for most institutions, and certainly, at Bay Path, we’re talking about it. But we’re very well-placed in some ways; we usually use 4% or less of our endowment on operating costs. Obviously, when enrollment goes down, it will hit schools harder that rely more heavily on their endowment for the operating budget. I’m not sure that’s going to be an issue here.”

That said, Bay Path may freeze hiring and not fill open positions that aren’t absolutely essential, Leary said, while curtailing travel in the short term as well. “Every institution is looking at how the budget is crafted and may have to make some tough decisions — maybe even some furloughs and layoffs in the future.”

At the same time, she added, most institutions will have to start looking at themselves through a different lens — a topic she recently wrote about in an article marking 25 years in the president’s chair. Specifically, how can higher education, with its ever-spiraling costs, better reach and serve the majority of Americans, including those in lower income strata?

“I think the model and the cost are definitely areas that will change in the future, and the COVID crisis has forced all of us to look internally at how to begin to address those two issues,” she said.

With that, she raised perhaps the most intriguing question of all — how will higher education look when it emerges on the other side of the pandemic, and students do return to campus? Because most in this critical industry — and all four area presidents BusinessWest spoke with for this story — don’t believe it’s going to be status quo.

Digital Dilemma

Before considering those questions, John Cook took a moment to appreciate what a momentous challenge it has been for an entire nation’s higher-education system to go online with very little preparation.

John Cook says STCC is modeling fall enrollment forecasts and developing budget options that consider all contingencies.

“It’s been extraordinary for higher education, and certainly at STCC, to make such a comprehensive change,” said Cook, president of Springfield Technical Community College. He explained that the college, like most others in Western Mass., was fortunate to be able to leverage spring break to transition to distance learning.

Christina Royal, president of Holyoke Community College (HCC), said it was a challenge to help 4,500 students, many of whom had never experienced online learning, to become familiar with all the technology, software, and scheduling. At the same time, many students were losing their jobs — for example, in restaurants and hospitality — and exacerbating issues of food and housing insecurity among lower-income students.

“That creates a lot of extra stress with students — ‘I’m losing my job and trying to figure out how to take classes online.’ We’ve had to spend a lot of time helping students through that,” she said, adding that HCC has hooked students up with Chromebooks and other equipment as needed. “I’ve done several town-hall meetings with faculty and staff, and meetings with students, to answer their questions and validate their feelings and acknowledge the uncertainty they’re feeling.”

Dumay was similarly thankful for the spring-break cushion that gave professors extra time to adapt their courses to the online environment.

“That creates a lot of extra stress with students — ‘I’m losing my job and trying to figure out how to take classes online.’ We’ve had to spend a lot of time helping students through that.”

“The faculty were amazing, and they turned it around,” he said. “The courses are being delivered in different ways — some are using live Zoom sessions, some are using asynchronous Zoom sessions, and some used narrated PowerPoint delivery that students can access on their own time.”

Elms recently reached out to all students to poll them on how classes were going, and 30% responded, Dumay said. Of those, the vast majority said they had what they needed to continue their learning online, while about 2.5% reported difficulty with Internet access. In response, Elms is keeping its library open for that reason — with social-distancing measures in place, of course.

“More than 86% feel confident being successful in the online environment; some students said this is a lot more work,” Dumay said, conceding that in-person learning is preferable in most cases, and for myriad reasons. “Elms is a lot more than being academically successful. Part of the value proposition for Elms College is its small, very intimate environment that emphasizes growth of the whole person — the spiritual component, the psychosocial component.”

Trying to replicate that online is difficult, Dumay said, but the college is doing what it can to build an online community where students can connect with each other and access the campus resources they need.

Perhaps no institution in the region was more prepared for the online transition than Bay Path, which has been offering its graduate programs almost entirely online since 2006, and its undergraduate American Women’s College is totally online as well. Leary feels like that’s a path forward to help all students afford an education.

“There will always be people who can afford institutions like Harvard and Princeton and Yale, but the majority of Americans can’t afford that type of education,” she said. “That’s why we’ve created a very low-cost model in the American Women’s College, putting together a well-crafted curriculum and a model that supports students, so very few will fall through the cracks.”

For now, she added, the percentage of classes that will continue online is up in the air.

“Most of us are thinking that summer school will be online, and then then we start looking at the fall. Even if social distancing is lifted, we don’t know what the impact on the college will be — on the residence halls, the classrooms, the dining rooms. As we look to the fall, we’ll be prepared to open, and we’ll also be prepared to go online. We have to be nimble.”

Profit and Loss

Leaders of the 15 community colleges in Massachusetts have kept in touch about when they might open campuses up, and even then, under what kind of social-distancing parameters, Royal said. As for summer programs, HCC’s first session has already been moved fully online, but because a handful of second-session classes will be more difficult to deliver remotely, that decision is in limbo — not to mention what will happen in the fall.

Christina Royal says many students are dealing with not just a shift to online classes, but job loss and food and housing insecurity.

“It’s hard to say definitively what the situation will be in September or October,” she told BusinessWest. “What I’m trying to do is position us so that, whatever the situation, we can pivot on very short notice, and respond even faster than we did this time around, because all the parameters are in place to do so.”

Cook said STCC is currently modeling enrollment projections and working with trustees on a budget that takes into consideration a possible enrollment hit. He noted, however, that community colleges in Massachusetts tend to do well during economic downturns.

Royal noted that trend as well. “We run counter-cyclical to the economy. When the economy starts to go down, people start thinking, ‘what do I need to retool myself, and how can I prepare for a career change?’ — and our enrollment goes up.”

She noted the trend becomes noticeable about 12 months after a recession begins, and, indeed, 2010 — the height of the Great Recession, which began in late 2008 — was HCC’s most recent enrollment peak; as the economy has improved, enrollment has steadily declined.

The question, both she and Cook said, is whether the same rules apply in the current environment, which is not a slow-building recession, but a full-stop economic shutdown that could, in turn, lead to an extended economic lull.

“When you think of recessions we’ve had in the past, we built toward them, but this is so sudden, with high numbers of people filing for unemployment,” Royal said. “It’s very unexpected, and we’re not sure how it’s going to play out.”

One wild card in the mix is what she called the “emotional recovery” from what’s happening now. “People have been jarred to their core; they’re concerned about their own safety and concerned about engaging in the world.”

That said, HCC was already planning for a 5% enrollment reduction this fall — largely due to demographic trends — but is now thinking in terms of 10%. “We have to plan for that contingency, and we have to deliver a balanced budget to the trustees. So that’s what we’re looking at.”

“When you think of recessions we’ve had in the past, we built toward them, but this is so sudden, with high numbers of people filing for unemployment. It’s very unexpected, and we’re not sure how it’s going to play out.”

If enrollment does decline by 15% nationally, that represents a $23 billion revenue loss for colleges — money that will be only partly offset by government relief funds. For example, more than 80 colleges and universities in Massachusetts will collectively receive more than $270 million as part of a federal relief package intended to help schools and students during the pandemic. UMass Amherst tops that list with an estimated $18.3 million in aid. Nationally, the Higher Education Relief Fund allocated $12.5 billion to 5,125 colleges and universities.

Collectively, the 15 community colleges in Massachusetts will receive $48.8 million in aid — certainly a help, but not enough to ease enrollment concerns going forward. Cook agreed with Royal that community colleges shouldn’t assume the sort of enrollment bump they usually see during recessions, even though they offer a more affordable model than private, residential colleges.

“This isn’t like any economic downturn the nation has ever experienced in the past, even the Great Recession,” he said. “Because of the public-health impact on people’s lives, it’s hard to assume enrollment will be up in the near future. People are dealing with so much else in their lives, they’re not able to turn their attention to education and workforce development.”

Future Shock

If there’s a positive lesson from the pandemic to bring into the future, Royal said, it’s the massive potential of technology to streamline education and make it more affordable and accessible.

“What’s happening now isn’t online learning; it’s emergency remote learning. I don’t want people to think that someone having to pivot and put together course materials with one or two weeks notice to deliver for the second half of the semester is the bar of online learning,” said Royal, who has a Ph.D. in instructional design and spent years heading up distance learning for a large community college in Ohio.

“I think of the potential for more innovative learning designs, highly interactive simulation labs augmented in virtual reality — those are more sophisticated than what we see in online courses now,” she added. “I believe the promise of online learning will be realized someday, but that’s going to require more inclusion and investment and professional development to really expose our educators to the possibilities.”

Some good can come out of every crisis, Leary said, citing in particular the rise of telemedicine, which will likely get a permanent boost from the COVID-19 crisis, as well as companies learning the value of remote work, lower emissions generating cleaner air in cities right now, and, yes, a greater focus on how to not only teach students remotely, but do it better.

Another takeaway, Royal said, might be a new focus on process improvement that extends well beyond remote learning. “If something takes six steps but we’ve learned how to do it in three, why are we going back to six? So, when we open our doors again, we’ll be looking at how we can streamline processes — and how to offer more virtual services in general.”

She’s not speaking about classes here; rather, it’s the routine business of paying bills, getting forms signed, and other administrative functions. “They might want to do that remotely, at 8 in the evening, at their computer, while they’re thinking about it. So, I see a lot of room for process improvement and streamlining student services overall.”

STCC is also learning it can offer value through streamlining its admissions, enrollment, and financial-aid operations online, “to make it more seamless for our students to work through the experience of getting into college and staying with the college,” Cook said — even while continuing to promote the face-to-face value of its campus advising center.

Meanwhile, through the online transition, “we’ve learned that we can move pretty quickly,” Cook said. “Sometimes higher education gets painted as slow to respond, slow to adapt, but we’ve demonstrated that we can move quickly and with a degree of grace when we need to.”

Dumay said lessons learned from the COVID-19 shutdown might change college life in America in ways both good and bad. On the positive side, while online learning can’t replicate the important interpersonal development built by campus life, going online has demonstrated there is a bigger place than college leaders might have imagined for remote programs.

“This will alleviate a lot of the fears people have about the efficacy of online learning. They’ll realize they can do it where it works, so we can have a lot more learning in the online environment,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean education will move completely online. The residential experience is a rite of passage for the growth of a lot of American youth. It would be a loss if we didn’t return to that at some point in the future.”

More worrisome, Dumay said, is the potential this crisis has to shut down many schools completely.

“It may be that some don’t make it and close their doors,” he said, noting that the most vulnerable colleges include many that serve lower-income, first-generation students, often students of color. “If higher education became less accessible, that would be an unfortunate casualty of this pandemic.”

Grade: Incomplete

The presidents who spoke with BusinessWest had a lot to say — much, much more than could fit in this story — but, while their comments were insightful, they were in many cases less than definitive. After all, it’s hard to speak definitively about a pandemic — and an economic shutdown — that offer no sure timeline.

“Within our student body and our employees, people are really hoping for clarity — that’s the element in short supply right now,” Cook said. “As we continue to work with these health guidelines, as we flatten the curve and pay attention to social distancing, when and how will that allow us to get back to some version of where our value lies — leveraging on-campus resources like labs and simulation?

“No one knows when we’ll get back to leveraging those resources,” he added, “but there’s still a lot of hope around that — and worry, because those are incredible resources for our students.”

In short, it’s impossible to deliver all the value a college offers over a computer screen, from miles away. In the meantime, everyone is learning valuable lessons — which is, after all, the point of higher education.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Massachusetts Reports Weekly Initial Unemployment Claimant Data

BOSTON — Massachusetts had 80,153 individuals file an initial claim for unemployment insurance from April 12 to April 18. This represented a decrease of 22% over the previous week, as most of the workers who have been laid off as a result of work closures related to COVID-19 have already filed claims in the previous weeks.

As in the previous week, retail trade (12,669), food and accommodation (9,564), and health and social assistance (9,249) continued to show the largest number of initial claims filed this week. Since March 15, a total of 651,457 initial claims were filed. Food and accommodation, retail trade, and health and social assistance accounted for more than 41% of all initial claims filed, at 16.8%, 12.8%, and 11.8%, respectively.

Currently, the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is paying unemployment benefits to nearly 400,000 people. Over the last month, the customer-service staff at DUA has grown from around 50 employees to nearly 1,000. The remote customer-service operation is now making more than 20,000 individual contacts per day, and DUA continues to host daily unemployment town halls, held in both English and Spanish, which have been attended by nearly 200,000 constituents.

This week, Massachusetts launched Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) for groups like the self-employed, becoming one of the first states in the country to begin providing financial assistance to those not traditionally eligible for unemployment compensation. In just the first few days of the program launch, DUA has already received more than 200,000 PUA applications.

Graduation Sign Fundraiser to Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County

GREENFIELD — Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Franklin County announced the launch of its 2020 Graduation Sign Fundraiser. Be it kindergarten, sixth grade, eighth grade, high school, or college, graduation is a huge milestone, and Big Brothers Big Sisters wants to help celebrate.

“An Awesome 2020 Graduate Lives Here” signs are available for sale on the Big Brothers Big Sisters website, www.bbbs-fc.org. Each single-sided sign measures 24 inches wide by 18 inches high, comes complete with a metal-frame sign stand, and will be delivered free anywhere in Franklin County. The cost is $22 per sign, with proceeds benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County. Anyone outside of Franklin County is welcome to order and arrange for pickup or to meet a BBBS staff member.

“There are two styles to choose from,” said Ericka Almeida, Development director of Big Brothers Big Sisters. One is printed to the full size of the sign, and the other has extra space, making it self-customizable. “It has about 9 inches of space to add a pic of your graduate, a sticker of their school, a personal message, or simply their name,” she added.

Questions about this fundraiser may be directed to [email protected].

Western Mass. Wedding Vendors Say ‘Thank You’ to Frontline Workers

HOLYOKE — The wedding industry is being hit hard due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Couples are being forced to restructure or delay their wedding plans, leaving wedding vendors struggling with the financial challenges of delayed business.

Thankfully, the wedding industry is also one marked by resilience and camaraderie. That is why a group of Western Mass. wedding vendors has come together to give back and say ‘thank you’ to frontline workers. Spearheaded by local DJ Anthony Corlis from TC’s Disc Jockey Services with assistance from the Log Cabin/Delaney House meal-donation program, more than 75 meals will be delivered to employees of Stop and Shop in Westfield today, April 24, at 11 a.m. by Corlis and Peter Rosskothen, owner of the Log Cabin/Delaney House. One of those employees just happens to be a Log Cabin groom who needed to reschedule his April 26 wedding.

Meals were donated by Vivan B Photography, Events by Jackie M., Aliber Bridal Shops, Michelle Anne Hair Design, SHO Productions, Durocher’s Florist, Catherine Jindela, Kasey Richards of Mountain Rose Inn, TC’s Disc Jockey Services, and Log Cabin/Delaney House.

Anyone looking to donate meals should visit delaneyhouse.com/feedalocalhero.

COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley Issues Fourth Round of Grants