April 14, 2020 - BusinessWest

Holyoke Company Tools Up to Manufacture Medical Face Shields

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

COVID-19 Daily News

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.

UMass Amherst Engineers Help Baystate Upgrade Control Cables, Power Systems for Ventilators

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

COVID-19 Daily News

AMHERST — Engineers from UMass Amherst responded to a request from Baystate Health in Springfield for help in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by designing new, longer control cables for ventilators and the elimination of battery power sources. The design changes, developed by a team of electrical and computer engineers, allow medical personnel to control the ventilators at a distance and without using personal protection equipment, and they provide a more reliable source of power.

The UMass Amherst team includes Christopher Hollot, professor and department head at the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE); Baird Soules, a senior lecturer at ECE; and Shira Epstein, a lecturer at ECE. Other contributing members are ECE alumnus Tom Kopec; undergraduate Jeremy Paradie; Scott Glorioso, president of the Battery Eliminator Store and son of former UMass ECE Professor Robert Glorioso; and Chris Denney, chief technical officer at Worthington Assembly in South Deerfield.

Hollot said these two projects were a team effort. “This engineering response spanned the greater UMass family, including alumni, undergraduate, the makerspace community, local industry, and faculty.”

Baystate Health resident physician Dr. Mat Goebel initially contacted the Electrical and Computer Engineering department to fabricate a 25-foot control cable for hospital ventilators. The existing cable length is less than 10 feet. The engineers determined that longer cables did not exist and that the original shorter cables are extremely back-ordered. They also found that a key part of the design, the connectors, is proprietary.

They modified an old control cable from Baystate to analyze the signaling and determined that a longer cable was theoretically viable. The team then fabricated a 50-foot cable that was successfully tested on one of Baystate’s ventilators for empirical validation.

The team then tracked down the control cable manufacturer, Amphenol Sine Systems. At the request of the UMass Amherst researchers, the company agreed to design and fabricate these longer control cables. Baystate is now ordering the longer cables directly from the manufacturer.

Goebel and Kyle Walsh, respiratory specialist in Clinical Engineering at Baystate Health, also requested a design to allow portable ventilators to run on ordinary electrical power from a wall socket. The portable ventilators are designed to run on two D batteries with a lifespan of 48 hours. In a clinical setting, a wall-power solution removes the need for checking and replacing batteries every two days.

The UMass team solved the problem using a commercial off-the-shelf battery eliminator. They ordered a suitable battery eliminator and successfully tested it on a portable ventilator at Baystate. Subsequently, Baystate ordered 50 of these power supplies directly from the Battery Eliminator Store.

It’s Time to Nominate an Outstanding 40 Under Forty Alum

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — When BusinessWest launched its 40 Under Forty program in 2007, it did so to identify rising stars across our region — individuals who were excelling in business and through involvement within the community — and celebrate their accomplishments.

In 2015, BusinessWest announced a new award, one that builds on the foundation upon which 40 Under Forty was created. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award (formerly the Continued Excellence Award). As the name suggests, it is presented to the 40 Under Forty honoree who, in the eyes of an independent panel of judges, has most impressively continued and built upon his or her track record of accomplishment.

To nominate someone for this award, click here. Only nominations submitted to BusinessWest on this form will be considered. The deadline is Friday, May 8 at 5 p.m. No exceptions.

Candidates must be from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007 to 2019. For a list of 40 Under Forty alumni, click here.

Past winners include: 2019: Cinda Jones, president, W.D. Cowls Inc. (40 Under Forty class of 2007); 2018: Samalid Hogan, regional director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (class of 2013); 2017: Scott Foster, attorney, Bulkley Richardson (class of 2011), and Nicole Griffin, owner, ManeHire (class of 2014); 2016: Dr. Jonathan Bayuk, president, Allergy & Immunology Associates of New England (class of 2008); 2015: Delcie Bean, president, Paragus Strategic IT (class of 2008).

The 2020 honoree will be announced at the 40 Under Forty gala on Thursday, June 25. The presenting sponsor of the Alumni Achievement Award is Health New England.

TommyCar Auto Group Donates $10,000 to Support Local Healthcare Workers

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

COVID-19 Daily News

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. Last week, $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.

“Within days of launching ‘Donate to Feed’ and ‘Donate to Protect,’ we were overwhelmed with messages of support from our loyal customers and members of the local community,” said Carla Cosenzi, president of TommyCar Auto Group. “During these unprecedented times, our local doctors, nurses, and members of the medical community are leaving their families and fighting this pandemic day in, day out, doing the best they can to protect us. It is our pleasure to have the opportunity to give back to these amazing local heroes with the support of our customers and our local restaurant partners. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing people, and are thankful to be a part of such a wonderful community.”

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.

Chambers of Commerce Face the Same Challenges as Their Members

By George O'Brien April 14, 2020

Coronavirus

Coping with a Changed Landscape

Kate Phelon says she misses her members.

Claudia Pazmany recalls the early days of this crisis, when she was bought to tears on an almost daily basis by the stories related to her by devastated business owners.

Nancy Creed says it’s become her mission to provide members with comprehensive and reliable information as they try to navigate their way through a crisis the likes of which they’ve never seen before.

Collectively, these chamber of commerce directors — Phelon in Westfield, Pazmany in Amherst, and Creed with the Springfield Regional Chamber — spoke not only for each other, but for colleagues across the country as chambers confront COVID-19.

And ‘confront’ is certainly the right word.

Indeed, as individual chambers work to keep members informed and assist them with the task of keeping the doors to their businesses open (figuratively if not literally — many of them have been ordered closed), they are in what amounts to survival mode themselves, especially since they are not at present eligible for federal stimulus money, though they’re lobbying to be included in the next stage of funding. And some of them may not, in fact, survive.

“I was on a call recently with our national association,” Creed recalled. “And they were saying that they expect 25% of the chambers not to survive this.”

The reasons for such dire predictions are obvious. Indeed, to serve their members, chambers rely on revenue from two primary sources — membership fees and events. And both are imperiled in some ways, the latter far more than the former, although overall membership and simply collecting fees that are due are certain to be impacted by this crisis.

Nancy Creed

“I was on a call recently with our national association. And they were saying that they expect 25% of the chambers not to survive this.”

As for those events, they range from the small — monthly after-5s, for example — to the large — the annual golf tournament in Westfield or Amherst’s Margarita Madness are in that category — to those in between, like regular breakfasts and legislative luncheons. Some events have been rescheduled for later in the year, but others have simply been lost, like Westfield’s popular St. Patrick’s Day breakfast — the first time it hasn’t been held in 40 years.

“At the same time as we’re worried about our members, we’re also worried about our chambers,” Phelon said. “There’s a huge concern for the chambers — we’re not having our events, which generate much of our revenue, and many of our members are really struggling.”

On March 6, the Springfield Regional Chamber staged its annual Outlook lunch at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. For many business leaders in the Pioneer Valley, that was the last large gathering they attended. Everything since has been wiped off the calendar; BusinessWest has no need to publish its Chamber Corners section dedicated to listing upcoming chamber events because there are none for at least several more weeks.

But while chambers work to maintain their own bottom lines, their primary function of late has been a conduit of information to members who desperately need it.

They’re doing it through their websites and webinars, through polls — the Springfield Regional Chamber has conducted a number of them — and through conference calls with state and national leaders, during which they relay questions from their members, such as a Tele-Town Hall with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, staged by the Springfield Regional Chamber on April 7.

Kate Phelon

“At the same time as we’re worried about our members, we’re also worried about our chambers. There’s a huge concern for the chambers — we’re not having our events, which generate much of our revenue, and many of our members are really struggling.”

Phelon said she and other chamber leaders have taken part in regular conference calls with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito; Mike Kennealy, secretary of Housing and Economic Development; and a host of other officials. It started with one call a week, and now there are two, she noted, adding that such sessions have not only provided information to the chamber leaders, but provided them a chance to convey what’s on their members’ minds.

“They want to hear from us — they want to know what the issues are,” she said. “They take all our questions, and it’s been very helpful for us.”

Meanwhile, chamber leaders have been doing a lot of listening — and that in itself has been hard.

Pazmany said Amherst, a college town with no college students and restaurants, taverns, and museums that can’t open, has been particularly hard hit.

“It’s like summer here — only it’s far, far worse than summer,” she said. “No one needed for summer to arrive this soon; many businesses in this community have been just devastated by this.”

Overall, most chambers are experiencing what their members are experiencing — an ultra-challenging time dominated by questions that are often difficult to answer.

Plain Speaking

Since the pandemic fully arrived in Western Mass., and especially since the governor ordered all non-essential businesses to close, the primary function for area chambers has been to act as a combination sounding board and conduit for information.

And the emphasis has always been on providing information that is accurate and reliable, said those we spoke with, adding that there is plenty of news, if it can be called that, which does not fall into that category.

Claudia Pazmany

“It’s like summer here — only it’s far, far worse than summer. No one needed for summer to arrive this soon; many businesses in this community have been just devastated by this.”

“We’re trying, on a daily basis, to grab credible sources, and we really rely on the administration, because that takes rumor out of it — it comes straight from the horse’s mouth,” said Creed. “Our polls are just to get a pulse of the community so we can see what’s going on and pivot as we need to and gauge the sentiment of the business community — so it’s by no means scientific.”

Elaborating, she said her chamber has been partnering with other groups, such as the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, in an effort to inform business owners, but without overwhelming them.

“If there are other subject-matter experts out there, we want to partner with them instead of recreating the wheel,” she explained, “because there’s so much information, so much activity, that we certainly don’t want to overwhelm members — they already have enough on their plates.”

Pazmany said her chamber has created a ‘Resources for Business’ page on its website that is updated daily in an effort to help keep members informed at a time when they cannot gather in a room for a breakfast or educational seminar.

Phelon said her chamber, like all others, has been focused on providing information and connecting members to resources, which is what it has always done, except now it’s doing more of it, and that role has perhaps never been more important.

“Some chambers are putting information out daily, and we’re doing it at least weekly,” she said, adding that chambers are doing all this under unique circumstances.

“Most of us are dealing with reduced staff, some of us are working at home, some of us are in the office,” Phelon went on, noting that chambers are considered ‘essential.’ She does go into the office, but remains at least six feet away from her assistant and sanitizes the space on a daily basis.

Pazmany said her chamber, located on Main Street in downtown Amherst, has closed that office and has staffers working at home, in a nod to edicts concerning social distancing.

“We have a very small space, and we’re used to getting a lot of people in the door, and we thought that keeping the office open wasn’t the right thing to do given the circumstances,” she explained. “We like to say that, while the door may be locked, we’re open for business.”

While life has changed for chambers, it has for their members as well, certainly, and chambers are adjusting as these members struggle to keep their own doors open.

“We’re giving our members options on payments, and we’re even deferring it for 60 days,” Phelon explained, noting that many chambers are doing the same. “We understand the impact this is having on their business, and we want to be sympathetic.”

She noted that one additional challenge for chambers is that the needs of the members vary, generally with the size of the venture, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula for providing assistance.

“We’ve got our very small micro-businesses that really need the help — it’s overwhelming for them; they’re struggling, and they don’t know if they’re going to make it,” she explained. “We also have major corporations that have an HR department and have significant resources, and everything in between. So it’s challenging.”

Lost Days

Beyond providing information, the other major role for chambers, historically, has been to provide networking opportunities for members. And it is this role that has been most impacted by the pandemic.

Indeed, gatherings of more than 10 people have been banned, which effectively eliminates after-5s, breakfasts, tabletop events, golf tournaments, annual meetings, legislative luncheons, and more — events staged to inform, bring members together, and generate revenue.

While some events have been pushed back or canceled altogether (like the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast in Westfield), chambers are looking to create what are being called ‘virtual networking events.’

They’re not exactly like the real thing, said those we spoke with, but they do enable people to see one another and interact, even if it’s on a computer screen, rather than in a local restaurant, golf course, banquet hall, or the showroom at Mercedes-Benz of Springfield. That was the site of a large after-5 involving a number of chambers early in March, said Pazmany, adding that, in a number of ways, that seems like a long time ago.

“We had 300 people there — it was a great event,” she recalled. “Who could believe that we’re now all sequestered in our homes?”

While looking to stage some events virtually, chambers are pushing their spring events further back into the calendar year. Phelon had a legislative luncheon slated for later this month and is now eyeing June. Meanwhile, her golf tournament, that chamber’s largest fundraiser, slated for East Mountain Country Club, was set for May, but it’s now rescheduled for June 22, with the hope that this is far enough out.

Pazmany said all of her chamber’s events into June have been canceled or moved back. Margarita Madness has been rescheduled for Sept. 24, but she’s not sure if that will work.

“We thought it was a safe date, but you just don’t know,” she said. “Every day I look at all the statistics, and I can’t tell you that date is safe.”

Creed told BusinessWest that the Springfield Regional Chamber is fortunate in several respects. For starters, it was able to stage perhaps its largest fundraiser of the year, the Outlook event, before the ban on large gatherings was put in place. Also, the chamber has reserves that it has not had to tap into as yet, and it has been able to “repurpose” staff members — its events coordinator has been shifted to member-engagement duties, for example — rather than lay them off, as some chambers have.

While the Outlook lunch went on as scheduled, the Springfield Regional Chamber has been forced to move its Fire & Ice signature cocktail event, which gave area bars and restaurants a chance to shine, said Creed, noting that it was scheduled for March. The next large fundraiser is the Super 60 event, which is scheduled for mid-fall and thus has not been impacted yet.

“Our events are so diversified that, if we lost one, we would still be in good shape,” she noted.

It remains to be seen if other chambers can say the same.

Spreading the Word

Summing up the situation for the business community and the chambers serving it, Phelon again spoke for all her colleagues.

“We’re all feeling … I wish I knew the right word; we’re all feeling the pressure and the concern,” she told BusinessWest. “We’re trying to stay positive, too, thinking ‘this will pass.’ But there are so many unknowns. This is unprecedented.”

It is, and for chambers, it’s an extreme challenge that comes when they already had their full share of challenges.

Like their members, to come out on the other side, they’re going to have to be resourceful, persistent, and willing and able to find new ways to do business.

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

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal Offers Updates on Fiscal Stimulus

By Joseph Bednar April 14, 2020

Coronavirus

Progress Report

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, took part in a Tele-Town Hall staged by the Springfield Regional Chamber on April 7 to talk about some of the relief measures flowing out of Capitol Hill to help families and businesses battered by the COVID-19 pandemic — specifically, the large-scale economic shutdown it has caused. Here are some takeaways from that conversation.

Why was it important to take action in Washington quickly?

“We’re weathering an unprecedented public-health crisis, one that demands an unprecedented response from the federal government,” Neal said. “I’m proud of what we were able to do quickly.”

Those measures include the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provides paid-leave benefits to employees affected by the coronavirus emergency and new tax credits and tax relief to employers; the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which delivers tax rebates to families, a payroll-tax credit to employers, and expanded unemployment assistance to states; and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which authorizes up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to businesses to pay their employees during the crisis.

Implementation of these three phases of relief has been challenging, Neal conceded, but once problems are worked out, lawmakers will move on to a fourth phase, expanding on much of what has already been set in motion while eyeing large-scale economic investments like infrastructure (more on that later).

He stressed that the pandemic is a health crisis first, and praised the healthcare workers on the front lines of the crisis. “They have done a first-class job trying to contain this disease. It’s important to understand that we can’t get back to rebuilding our economy until we’re able to corral the healthcare challenges.”

“Economists agree that we need to get money into the hands of people in the lower and middle income groups fastest because not only do they need it, but they’ll spend it.”

That’s why short-term relief measures are so critical, he went on. “The most important thing to do was to get a cash infusion to people on the middle and lower economic scale, who will spend that money on the day-to-day necessities families need,” he said, listing food, rent, and medications among them.

So, when are the rebates coming?

Neal noted that people whose direct-deposit information is on file with the IRS will see the funds — $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, in most cases — as soon as this week. After that, paper checks will begin to flow, starting with those on the lower end of the income scale.

“Economists agree that we need to get money into the hands of people in the lower and middle income groups fastest because not only do they need it, but they’ll spend it,” he said. “The most important thing we did is get cash to taxpayers quickly, to make sure there’s cash in their pockets to put food on the table.”

Why are some small businesses struggling with the loan-application process?

“Part of the problem is there’s no book on the shelf for this one,” Neal said, adding that banks are concerned about liability. One solution might be to relax what are commonly called ‘know your customer’ standards, so banks are willing to take on new clients in this situation.

How does the CARES Act address organizations helping people avoid loss of housing?

The CARES Act and PPP apply to all nonprofit organizations as well as for-profit entities, Neal noted. As he and his colleagues have heard about increased housing needs as people’s income situations become more uncertain, they’ve been talking about ways to address this, such as bolstering the low-income housing tax credit. As it stands, the CARES Act does include $4 billion for homeless assistance.

Does the CARES Act discourage people from working by dramatically expanding unemployment assistance?

With some people already having trouble making ends meet, to cut their salary to the level unemployment benefits would typically pay — at a time when the economy is being put into what one of his staffers called a ‘medically induced coma’ — is too much to bear, Neal said.

“We had long, contentious conversations that went on for a couple of days, and I understand the argument made by the other side, and they understand our argument as well,” he added. “In the end, the better idea is to get people what they need right now.”

What can we expect in phase 4?

“I think infrastructure is the immediate need,” Neal said. “The president has already volunteered a number of $2 trillion, and I’m accepting of that. We need, at this time, to address this very core economic issue, and we have the opportunity to do it, given that interest rates are close to zero.”

One area of focus should be broadband access, he noted. “There are areas of this country that don’t even have 911 access, areas of Massachusetts where parents drive to the library parking lot at night so their kids can do homework.”

Then, of course, are needed improvements to highways, bridges, airports, water and sewer, and rail, the latter being a particular interest among lawmakers and municipal officials in Massachusetts. “Infrastructure is investment, and that’s how we should treat it — and, by the way, it’s badly needed.”

When should people expect to get back to work?

Simply put, “when we rein in the pandemic,” the congressman said, noting that health professionals at all levels are constantly assessing the track of the virus to make those determinations, but no one should expect the economy to rev back to life soon, despite President Trump’s stated wishes to the contrary. Instead, Neal said, people should listen to people like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has emerged as the public-health face of the pandemic.

“It’s the role of the professionals to advise when the pandemic is under control, because it could flare up again,” Neal said. “I think every time Dr. Fauci steps to the microphone, people should say, ‘this is the standard; this is what we should be doing.’ He has wide regard from Democrats, Republicans, and everyone else on Capitol Hill.”

Do you have any final thoughts?

“People are actually taking the advice of public officials in social distancing,” Neal said, and that’s good — and he understands how frustrating that routine may become as the weeks drag on. But there are worse sacrifices to make. “I saw a cartoon describing veterans and what they went through — Vietnam, Korea, World War II — and all we’re being asked to do is stay six feet from each other.”

At the same time, Neal said, “we’ve heard from those on the ground about the need for more supplies and personal protective equipment, and once a vaccine is available, we want to make sure it gets to people for free.” Other healthcare-related measures being put in place are 90-day medication refills so people don’t have to visit pharmacies as often, and expanded telehealth services so people can see their doctors from home.

As for the fiscal measures put in place so far, “even though it’s been described as stimulus, many of us consider it relief and recovery,” he went on. “I will predict unemployment insurance has to be extended, and we need more money for small-business assistance … as well as more direct payments to American families.”

—Joseph Bednar

Enforcement of Contracts During a Public-health Emergency

By Contributor April 14, 2020

Coronavirus

The Bottom Line

By Michael A. Fenton, Esq. and Mark J. Esposito, Esq.

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched the lives of billions across the globe. In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker recently extended an emergency order directing that all non-essential businesses cease in-person operations and banning large gatherings.

Michael A. Fenton, Esq.

Mark J. Esposito, Esq.

With each closure, cancellation, or indefinite postponement comes a flurry of legal questions pertaining to contract law. Indeed, the postponement of the comic-book convention scheduled to take place in Boston in March has already resulted in a lawsuit stemming from a disagreement over a contract.

This article focuses on how contracting parties may be excused from certain obligations due to COVID-19.

To a great extent, businesses are in uncharted waters. The last comparable public-health emergency occurred more than 100 years ago: the Spanish Flu of 1918-19. Partly as a result of that rarity, instructive legal precedents are also few and far between. In these unprecedented times, the often-overlooked doctrine of impossibility of contract and the underlying legal concept of force majeure are positioned to play primary roles in the interpretation of contracts during the coming weeks and months.

Doctrine of Impossibility of Contract

The doctrine of impossibility of contract may be raised as a defense in response to a lawsuit seeking to enforce a contract. Under the legal theory, if both parties entered into the contract assuming that a certain state of facts would continue to exist, and that assumption turned out to be wrong, without the fault of either party, the obligation to perform under the contract would be excused (Chase Precast Corp. v. John J. Paonessa Co. Inc., 409 Mass. 371, 373 [1991]). While the doctrine of impossibility of contract may be (somewhat) succinctly summarized, it is not necessarily so easy to interpret in practice.

The circumstances triggering the doctrine of impossibility need not be written into an agreement in order for the doctrine to apply. However, the applicability of the legal theory can be expressed in a contract through what is called a force majeure clause.

Force Majeure

Black’s Law Dictionary defines force majeure as “an event or effect that can be neither anticipated nor controlled; esp., an unexpected event that prevents someone from doing or completing something that he or she had agreed or officially planned to do. The term includes both acts of nature (e.g., floods and hurricanes) and acts of people (e.g., riots, strikes, and wars).” Force majeure intersects with the doctrine of impossibility when a contract cannot be performed as intended because of a war, natural disaster, or the like.

The general definition of force majeure can be customized in an individual contract. Each contract should be reviewed carefully to determine how force majeure is defined, if at all, and to assess whether the current pandemic circumstances preclude enforcement of the contract obligations.

Force majeure clauses are clearly implicated if they explicitly include pandemics or public-health crises within the contractual definition, but what about less obvious situations? Does the COVID-19 crisis qualify as an unanticipated, uncontrolled ‘act of nature’ or ‘act of people’? The pandemic certainly is an unexpected event that is preventing a great many people from doing or completing a great many things. But an insurer being sued in Louisiana disagrees.

Which Applies?

In the midst of the current health crisis, parties with (and some without) a force majeure clause in their agreements find themselves wondering if the doctrine of impossibility of contract applies. Is a commercial tenant required to continue to pay rent to a landlord, when the leased premises have been ordered closed by the governor because of a public-health emergency? What rights does the landlord have in the same situation? Surely the tenant anticipated that it would be able to operate its business out of the space; otherwise, there would have been no reason to rent it. What specifically did the parties think at the time that they entered the agreement?

The general definition of force majeure can be customized in an individual contract. Each contract should be reviewed carefully to determine how force majeure is defined, if at all, and to assess whether the current pandemic circumstances preclude enforcement of the contract obligations.

The general definition of force majeure can be customized in an individual contract. Each contract should be reviewed carefully to determine how force majeure is defined, if at all, and to assess whether the current pandemic circumstances preclude enforcement of the contract obligations.

If the doctrine of impossibility of contract applies, whether through the express provisions of a force majeure clause or otherwise, contracting parties must determine what obligations are excused and to what extent. Most contracts will not be completely invalidated by a force majeure event. Rather, force majeure will operate to relax certain obligations based on the facts and circumstances (e.g., extending deadlines, waiving mandatory production requirements, abating rent, or other payments owed).

It is worth noting that many commercial leases have provisions that expressly define what qualifies as force majeure and narrowly enumerate what obligations can be excused under it. Many commercial leases state plainly that the tenant’s obligation to pay rent cannot be excused by triggering the force majeure provisions. Where losses are realized as a result of the doctrine of impossibility of contract and/or force majeure provisions in a contract, an aggrieved party might reasonably consult with their insurance carrier as business interruption insurance could conceivably be a useful tool in mitigating these losses. Unfortunately, insurance companies are almost uniformly denying such claims.

Uncertain Times

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our lives upside down. While contractual obligations are the last thing many of us want to be thinking about during this time, it is an undeniable truth that business and professional obligations are on the minds of many as we struggle to honor our commitments. For some, the doctrine of impossibility of contract and force majeure contractual provisions may provide some measure of relief from obligations, while it will only further compound the damage for others who seek to enforce such obligations.

Michael A. Fenton, Esq. and Mark J. Esposito, Esq. are attorneys at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., and specialize in business and estate planning, commercial and tax-exempt bond financing, real estate, litigation, and bankruptcy; (413) 737-1131; ssfpc.com

Pandemic Is Prompting Many to Get Important Estate-planning Work Completed

By George O'Brien April 14, 2020

Estate Planning

Signs of the Times

Hyman Darling says the calls started coming in several weeks ago.

At first, there were a few, and then, as the news about the COVID-19 pandemic became steadily worse and the grim reality of the situation became ever more apparent, the volume started increasing.

On the other end of the line were people looking to update a will or estate plan, or, more likely, finish the one they’d started but never finished or finally get started with one, he said, adding that there are obvious reasons why.

“Everyone knows someone who knows someone who has the virus, and they’re worried — about their parents, their brothers, their cousins … somebody,” said Darling, a partner with the Springfield-based law firm Bacon Wilson and one of the region’s pre-eminent estate-planning specialists. “And there’s more people sitting at home with less to do; they’re paying attention to this and thinking about it. The news is very distressing, and people are responding to it.”

Meanwhile, healthcare workers, and especially those on the front lines of the crisis, don’t have to watch on TV — they can see it right in from them — and, thus, they’re responsible for many of these calls to Darling and specialists like him across the area.

This phenomenon, if it can be called that, is certainly keeping area estate planners much busier than they were, providing some much-needed peace of mind to those who are watching the news and seeing the death tolls rise, and even adding some new phrases to the lexicon, like ‘driveway signing.’

Hyman Darling

“Everyone knows someone who knows someone who has the virus, and they’re worried — about their parents, their brothers, their cousins … somebody. And there’s more people sitting at home with less to do; they’re paying attention to this and thinking about it. The news is very distressing, and people are responding to it.”

That’s the phrase Liz Sillin, an estate-planning specialist with Springfield-based Bulkley Richardson, summoned as she talked about one of the more challenging aspects of this development: documents need to be signed and notarized, and at this moment (things may well change), Massachusetts does not allow electronic signatures for such documents as wills and healthcare proxies.

That’s why there really are signings in the driveway — and with all the proper precautions taken for preventing or at least minimizing the spread of the virus.

“We take as many steps as possible to keep us all away from one another and not cross-contaminate the paper,” said Sillin, who has now been part of a few of these elaborate exercises, which involve the lawyers and four participants — the party creating the document, two witnesses, and a notary. “Everyone brings their own pen, and everyone steps back while one person signs, preferably without touching the paper with his or her hand. We use lots of hand sanitizer; we use a clipboard, and we sanitize the clipboard. It’s kind of a bizarre process, but there are people for whom getting these documents done is paramount, and if remote signing isn’t legal, this is the only way we can do it.”

Liz Sillin

“Everyone brings their own pen, and everyone steps back while one person signs, preferably without touching the paper with his or her hand. We use lots of hand sanitizer; we use a clipboard, and we sanitize the clipboard. It’s kind of a bizarre process, but there are people for whom getting these documents done is paramount, and if remote signing isn’t legal, this is the only way we can do it.”

Mike Simolo, an estate-planning specialist with Springfield-based Robinson Donovan, who, like most all of his counterparts, has taken part in a few driveway signings himself, agreed. And, like others we spoke with, he said that, while it’s unfortunate that it took a pandemic to get people to do what they should have some time ago, he’s glad that many have been motivated to get this important work done.

“People who had been putting this off for one reason or another are suddenly deciding not to put it off anymore,” he said. “They’re calling up, hoping to get a plan a plan in place sooner, rather than later.”

With the accent on sooner.

And while their phones are ringing more often, those we spoke with noted that they are apprehensive that some, in an effort to get something done, and in a hurry, will take shortcuts, perhaps visit one of the legal websites out there, or, worse still, take the DIY route.

“This is LegalZoom’s dream situation,” said Simolo, referring to the popular website that provides legal assistance. “People are waking up, watching the news, and realizing, ‘I don’t have anything.’”

He said that, while people can certainly take that route, he projects that many who do will leave out something or make a mistake that could have serious implications later, when loved ones are left to settle an estate (more on that later).

Mike Simolo

“People who had been putting this off for one reason or another are suddenly deciding not to put it off anymore. They’re calling up, hoping to get a plan in place sooner, rather than later. ”

For this issue and its focus on estate planning, BusinessWest looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic is prompting many to get important estate-planning work done, and how the legal community is responding.

Where There’s a Will…

As she talked about her greater workload and when and why it came about, Gina Barry, another partner and estate-planning specialist with Bacon Wilson, used the story of a pharmacist at one of the local hospitals — an individual with a number of the health risks that make him especially vulnerable to the virus — to touch on a number of the relevant points in this intriguing development.

“He’s working long hours in the hospital,” she said, “and he was terrified — and he probably still is — that, because of his high-risk concerns, he would be one of those who would contract the virus and not survive it.

“We started his plan a few years back,” she went on. “Recently, he e-mailed me and said, ‘I have no right to ask this, given that I delayed a bit, but can you rush?’ And I said, ‘absolutely, I can rush.’ I dropped everything and got it done.”

Continuing that story, Barry said this individual managed to get the notary from the hospital and two of his co-workers together to sign these documents, and she Zoomed in for the gathering to make sure everyone was signing in the right place.

As noted, this anecdote touches on a number of the many elements of this story, from the fear exhibited by healthcare workers to the need to move fast; from the logistics involved with getting a signing done to the technology used by lawyers to get the documents signed, sealed, and delivered.

And it’s a story that is now playing itself out countless times across the region.

Indeed, while not everyone calling to write or update a will or a related document is in healthcare — and the lawyers we spoke with said these individuals have been given first priority — most everyone is terrified. And they’re also in a hurry.

And, for the most part, estate-planning specialists are able to accommodate them.

Simolo said a process that might normally take several weeks can be expedited and handled in perhaps a week to 10 days, with a fairly simple will being done in just a few days.

Meanwhile, many of these wills and other documents — living wills and healthcare proxies are also being sought — are being created in what would be considered non-traditional ways. Indeed, since face-to-face meetings are all but out given new social-distancing guidelines, estate-planning specialists are using the phone, Zoom, and other vehicles for communicating with clients and getting documents reviewed.

“People don’t care about coming in now,” said Darling. “They’re happy to do the telephone messaging, e-mails, Zoom … as long as it gets done, they don’t care if they meet us in person.”

Interest in getting documents written and notarized is especially acute among those in healthcare, and often it’s those individuals’ loved ones who are getting the ball rolling.

“I’ve been contacted by the husbands and wives of doctors,” Simolo said. “They’re saying, ‘let’s get this done as soon as humanly possible.”

Sillin agreed, and noted that there is interest among those old and young to have their affairs in order.

“Just today, I got a call from someone who is a doctor — he’s very young and has a young family,” she explained. “He’s in a facility that has cases around him, and he’s like, ‘yikes, I have to do something.”

But interest is across the board, said those we spoke with, adding that some of those calling are finally getting around to having these documents written, while others are realizing that the ones they have are dated and need to be made current.

“People are at home reading about nothing but COVID-19,” said Sillin. “They begin to contemplate this aspect of life, and we’ve been getting a lot of calls from people of all ages who want to get going on some estate planning.”

Simolo agreed.

“It’s mostly been people who don’t have a plan in place or had a plan in place 25 years ago, when the kids were 3,” said Simolo. “Now, the grandkids are 3 — that kind of thing.”

But while those we spoke with are certainly pleased that their phones are ringing more — for themselves, but especially for their clients — they are concerned that many may try to do this work online or even draft something themselves.

“It’s been my experience that, nine times out of 10, something’s missing from those documents,” said Darling, adding that, in many other cases, documents are not signed properly. “You get what you pay for, and mistakes made now can be very costly later — not for the deceased, but for their loved ones; litigation is very expensive in a will contest, not to mention the emotional stress that it brings on family members.”

Barry agreed and summoned an analogy she’s used many times during her career — too many to count by her estimate — when talking about do-it-yourself wills and related documents.

“You can pull your own tooth, too,” she said. “But would you rather visit a dentist or tie a string to a doorknob and try it that way?”

Peace of Mind

Finishing her story about the pharmacist in one of the local hospitals, Barry said that, at the conclusion of the signing — which, again, she witnessed via Zoom — she asked her client if he now had some peace of mind.

“He signed, and his shoulders must have dropped like four inches visibly,” she told BusinessWest. “They were up around his ears, and he just relaxed and dropped his shoulders. And I said to myself, ‘this is why we’re doing this.’”

And doing a lot of this.

There aren’t very many bright spots to be found in the midst of this pandemic, but this is clearly one of them. People across the region are becoming proactive and getting needed documents in place.

And that’s allowing many more people to sigh, relax, and drop their shoulders.

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

Hospitals Gird for a Potential COVID-19 Surge

By Joseph Bednar April 14, 2020

Health Care

Life on the Front Lines

Dr. Andrew Artenstein, chief physician executive and chief academic officer for Baystate Health.
Photo courtesy of Baystate Health

Dr. Andrew Artenstein isn’t the first to notice the lack of cars on the roads, but he’s certainly among those most invested in those open roads.

“When I leave work, I’m used to traffic, and there’s no traffic,” said the chief physician executive and chief academic officer at Baystate Health. “Every day feels like Sunday out there. The streets are a lot quieter. Hospitals don’t have visitors, so the hallways are quieter.”

Fewer people out and about means the social-distancing movement has largely taken hold in Western Mass., meaning fewer transmissions of the novel coronavirus and fewer cases of COVID-19 than would be present if people weren’t staying home. The question is, how much difference will it make in the end?

“I can tell you that I don’t know the effect, but I do know anything will help,” Artenstein told BusinessWest. “It’s the right thing to do, and it will hopefully blunt the peak. It will not prevent it totally, but if you can blunt the peak, flatten the curve, we can possibly manage the surge.”

What that surge will represent wasn’t clear at press time, when the state had tallied close to 17,000 cases of COVID-19 — a number that may be much higher as you’re reading this.

Based on expert estimates, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that coronavirus hospitalizations in the state will likely peak between April 10 and April 20, with the total estimate of coronavirus cases in the state ranging from 47,000 to 172,000 over the course of the epidemic, or about 0.7% to 2.5% of the population.

“It appears the community has done a really good job of generally heeding the recommendations from our national and state public-health experts, which is, if you’re not sick, don’t come to the hospital,” Artenstein went on. “People still need other types of care; people still have cardiac issues or lung issues or kidney issues. That’s not going to stop. But people who don’t need emergency or hospital-level care, for the most part, are finding care in other ways, which is what they’re being told to do. That keeps people from transmitting infection in hospitals, and keeps them away from other patients who might be sick.”

That means patient volume for non-urgent matters is indeed down at Baystate, with some of that work being moved to telephone or telehealth platforms (more on that later), as well as outpatient clinics and urgent-care centers, all of which are also trying to enforce social distancing as best they can.

What is on the rise in the emergency room are cases of respiratory illness, fevers, and coughs, with many of those being admitted and testing positive for coronavirus.

“It appears the community has done a really good job of generally heeding the recommendations from our national and state public-health experts, which is, if you’re not sick, don’t come to the hospital.”

“There’s clearly a lot of transmission going on in the community, which is exactly what you’d expect from a pandemic,” he said. “If you look at the data, the vast majority of people [with the virus] are not sick enough to need to go to the hospital, but they’re still infectious and potentially transmitting it if they’re not isolating themselves.”

Artenstein should know all about the effects of isolation on pandemics. He founded and directed the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Pathogens at Brown University for more than a decade before arriving at Baystate, so “I have a fair amount of experience with these things. But this is a unique experience … a 100-year event.”

It’s an event that has seen Mercy Medical Center, like Baystate, shift from a strategy prioritizing preventive wellness to one that focuses on readiness and the immediate response to coronavirus — and an expansion of capacity where possible, said Dr. Robert Roose, the hospital’s chief medical officer.

“At this point, we have been heavily focused on increasing our available beds and staffing to continue to respond to the needs of the community, and we have been seeing increasing numbers of patients infected with COVID — and the acuity of those cases continues to increase,” he told BusinessWest.

That increase in the number of patients requiring hospitalization reflects what Mercy’s leaders are tracking on a national level, and he expects the trend to increase over the coming weeks.

HCC Police Captain Dale Brown stacks boxes of personal protection equipment for delivery to area hospitals.

“In regard to our local preparedness, we have a robust surge plan that identifies three different levels of escalation to increase our capacity to treat increasing numbers of patients,” he explained. “We’re also coordinating with other local and regional hospitals on a surge-capacity plan in the event we need to share resources among different hospitals in the region.”

Testing, Testing

What would help predict and manage the coming surge is a more robust array of testing resources, but local hospitals are still hampered by a limit on how much is available at the state level.

“At the present moment, we’re prioritizing testing patients who are symptomatic and in need of care in the Emergency Department, as well as healthcare workers and first responders,” Roose said. “We’re prioritizing those groups per the CDC, and as testing capacity increases, then we’ll be able to offer more testing as it becomes more readily available.”

Artenstein reported the same protocol for priority test groups: patients hospitalized with symptoms, employees showing symptoms, and some first responders who are symptomatic. “We know it’s not in our control; it’s a national issue, and we’ve been severely limited in our ability to test. It’s starting to improve because of a tremendous effort by people at Baystate and some of our government officials to help us get more testing and more capacity and more rapid turnaround time. We’re starting to see an improvement, but it’s still not where it needs to be.”

As for the coming surge, Baystate began preparing for that in a number of ways over the past few weeks, including the construction of a rapid-response triage facility just outside the entrance to the ER. It holds around 40 chairs — each of them six feet apart — for individuals entering the ER.

“There’s community transmission of the virus at this point,” said Dr. Niels Rathlev, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, when the project was announced last month. “And we really are preparing for more patients showing up for screening. This is not to expand testing; the real issue is to try to keep patients that don’t require admission to the hospital — acute emergency care — and screen them rapidly out here.”

Construction of the triage center is a step that mirrors what is happening in other parts of the country, Rathlev noted, adding that some areas, such as the state of Washington, established such centers weeks ago in anticipation of a surge in visits to the ER and the critical need to triage those coming in. Meanwhile, field hospitals are being created at sites like Worcester’s DCU Center and the Boston Convention and Exposition Center.

Capacity concerns also cross over into the realm of protective equipment like masks and gloves. Roose said Mercy is working aggressively with suppliers to make sure it has what it needs. “I will say we have supplies, but I don’t think any hospital around here feels particularly comfortable with the amount they have because there may be a large influx of patients at any time.”

It’s a problem that has required some creativity. Earlier this month, Patriots owner Robert Kraft sent a team plane to China to pick up 1.2 million N95 masks. In all, Kraft partnered with the state to purchase 1.4 million masks for Massachusetts, and purchased another 300,000 protective masks for New York.

Locally, institutions have stepped up enthusiastically to meet the need. Springfield Technical Community College’s (STCC) School of Health and Patient Simulation donated personal protective equipment — including surgical masks, isolation gowns, and exam gloves — to Baystate Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, Holyoke Medical Center, and Cooley Dickinson Hospital, in addition to emergency medical services personnel in the West Springfield Fire Department.

SEE: List of Hospitals (Acute Care)

“We recognize there is a critical need for personal protective equipment at hospitals and medical centers,” said Christopher Scott, dean of the School of Health and Patient Simulation at STCC. “By donating our supplies, we are doing what we can to protect the healthcare workers who are running short on masks and other protective equipment. The community needs to work together to ensure we defeat this pandemic.”

Holyoke Community College donated similar equipment from its health-science programs to area hospitals. HCC Police Captain Dale Brown spent a day last month conducting an inventory of collected supplies — including boxes of isolation gowns, exam gloves, masks, goggles, hand sanitizer, and microbial wipes — at the Campus Police station. A representative from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency picked everything up to coordinate delivery to area hospitals.

“At this point, we have been heavily focused on increasing our available beds and staffing to continue to respond to the needs of the community, and we have been seeing increasing numbers of patients infected with COVID — and the acuity of those cases continues to increase.”

Even Dakin Humane Society pitched in, donating its in-house supply of disposable surgical gowns and booties, along with other personal protective equipment, to Baystate.

“We’ve seen news stories about the need for protective equipment being faced by those in human healthcare, so we reached out to Baystate Medical Center because they’re local,” said Karina King, Dakin’s director of Operations. “We anticipated that human health workers would need these supplies soon, so we recently stopped using disposable items at Dakin and found alternative equipment, including smocks that could be laundered and re-used instead of being disposed of.”

A researcher from UMass Amherst contributed in a different way, with a dose of data. Richard Peltier, a professor in the university’s School of Public Health and Health Sciences, partnered with Dr. Brian Hollenbeck, chief of Infectious Disease at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, to test in his lab whether used N95 facemasks were still effective at blocking infectious particles after sterilization. They determined that, yes, masks could be safely sterilized and reused.

“While these are ordinarily disposable protective devices for medical workers, these are not ordinary times,” Peltier said, “and this science shows that sterilized face masks will protect our healthcare providers who are working under extraordinary conditions.”

Across the Distance

In short, there’s a lot going on to both help hospitals prepare for the surge and to reduce non-critical traffic as much as possible. To that end, a number of institutions have stepped up their telehealth efforts, including Valley Health Systems, which includes Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke Medical Group, and River Valley Counseling Center.

“We are expanding our capabilities to meet the needs of our patients, especially those with ongoing health concerns that need to be treated and in contact with their healthcare providers,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of HMC. “It is important for everyone to maintain their health and safety regarding pre-existing conditions, as much as it is to protect from COVID-19.”

Behavioral Health Network (BHN) introduced a new program, BHNTeleCare, that allows individuals to continue counseling sessions with their therapists from the safety of their own homes.

According to Katherine Wilson, president and CEO of BHN, “this innovation in the way we provide therapy and counseling services is groundbreaking and allows us to render services where people are. This is particularly critical as a result of the needs that have emerged due to the spread of COVID-19. It allows a counseling avenue for those suffering anxiety and in need of support during this time of crisis affecting individuals and families.”

Meanwhile, MHA also introduced its new TeleWell virtual service delivery, which allows mental-health clinicians and their clients make virtual connections using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

“With social distancing now part of daily life, people who receive therapy for emotional support, or who would like to, may experience uncertainty when it comes to making and keeping office-based appointments,” said Sara Kendall, vice president of Clinical Operations for MHA. “TeleWell provides another option by enabling people to keep their appointments virtually. Every day, more BestLife clients are using this option.”

All these efforts — including simply staying at home to avoid transmission — are helping, Roose said.

“I cannot stress enough how important the efforts of the community are in ensuring that our healthcare providers and resources adequately meet the needs of this crisis,” he said. “Physical distancing, diligent hand washing, isolating and quarantines when appropriate — those are the efforts that will flatten the curve and lessen the impact of this disease, and ensure that our healthcare providers have what they need to provide the care the community needs.

Meanwhile, Mercy’s incident command center continues to keep in contact with the entire Trinity Health system every day. “And every single day, I stress the importance of efforts we can all take to impact this disease. It’s something we all have the power to impact if we take proper precautions and follow the guidelines around physical distancing and quarantines. I can’t stress that enough.”

Those community efforts don’t guarantee Massachusetts won’t become as strained as New York City, Artenstein said, but they help.

“My feeling is that April is going to be very challenging in Western Massachusetts, and after that, I don’t know,” he told BusinessWest. “It quite possibly could extend well into May. I don’t think we’ll be completely out of the woods, and I do think, if you look at epidemics and pandemics, there are second and third waves sometimes.”

For example, he explained, the Spanish flu of 1918 saw a second wave late that year, and an even worse third wave arrived the following spring. COVID-19 has the potential of following a similar track because it’s new, and people haven’t built up the blanket of underlying immunity that keeps seasonal flu, while dangerous as well, under control.

“With each passing day, it becomes clearer we’re living in an unprecedented time, and with that comes uncertainty,” Roose added. “As this pandemic evolves, we are all called upon to learn quickly, work collaboratively, and constantly change how we do things. This is a community crisis, and it takes involvement and the efforts and support of everyone in our community.”

Ready for the Surge

Roose emphasized that he greatly appreciates those efforts, not just in the community, but from the selfless healthcare workers on the front lines.

“I could not be more inspired and impressed by our teams of providers, clinicians, nurses, everyone showing a commitment to putting patients first and responding to the needs of the community,” he said. “In a crisis like this, people show their true character, and it’s clear to me we’re much stronger together, and our teams are rising to this challenge.”

Artenstein agreed.

“I’ve never seen a group of more dedicated, committed, and compassionate people than I’ve seen here,” he said. “They’re working hard in adverse conditions.”

At the same time, he added, “they’re nervous, scared for their familes, and scared for themselves — and they have the right to be scared. But our people are true to their mission to provide excellent, compassionate care.”

No matter what form the April surge may take.

“This is a very unique point in our history — one that, hopefully, we’ll look back on and not have to relive.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Individuals Need to Have These Four Documents in Place

By Contributor April 14, 2020

Estate Planning

A Pandemic Estate Plan

By Gina M. Barry

COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, has arrived in our communities. While statistics show that many people will survive being infected, they may experience incapacity due to significant symptoms, such as breathing difficulties and fever, and, for some, the infection will be fatal.

Most have diligently stocked up on food and household supplies, particularly disinfectants. Some have also prepared a kit of ‘illness supplies,’ containing items that would be needed in the event of illness, such as a thermometer, acetaminophen, and herbal teas. Surely, this preparedness helps to alleviate some of the anxiety that has become rampant as this virus takes its toll on our communities.

However, if you were to become so ill that you could not communicate, do you know who would handle your affairs? Have you given that person the legal authority that they would need to do so without added cost, time, and administrative difficulties? Additional peace of mind can be found in ensuring that you have a plan in place should you become ill or pass away.

Gina M. Barry

“Estate planners are using modern technology, such as videoconferencing, to help you plan with the least amount of risk to all involved.”

Fortunately, legal services have been deemed to be ‘essential’ during this pandemic, and estate planners are using modern technology, such as videoconferencing, to help you plan with the least amount of risk to all involved.

Further, unless remote notarizations become legally acceptable, strict office protocols are in place to minimize the risk of illness transmission when documents are being signed.

A pandemic estate plan should, at minimum, contain the following documents:

Last Will and Testament

Your will directs how your probate assets will be distributed after you pass away. Your probate assets are those assets held in your name alone that do not have a designated beneficiary. A will is also necessary for you to name a personal representative (formerly known as executor), who will carry out your estate. Your personal representative will gather your probate assets, pay valid debts, and distribute the balance as set forth in your will. Further, a guardian can be named in your will to take custody of minor or disabled children. Likewise, a trust may be established in your will to provide ongoing financial protection for these children and other beneficiaries who should not receive their inheritance outright, usually due to spendthrift or addiction concerns.

Healthcare Proxy — and Possibly a MOLST

A healthcare proxy is a document that designates a person to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself. Your healthcare agent should make your decisions as you would make them if you were able.

Should you lose capacity and not have a proxy in place, your loved ones will need to petition the Probate Court to become your guardian, which is a lengthy, expensive, and public process. Further, access to the courts is more restricted during the pandemic, with a number of courts being accessible only for emergencies due to court staff having received positive COVID-19 diagnoses.

‘Living-will’ language should be included within the proxy to address your end-of-life decisions. This language generally sets forth that you do not want extraordinary medical procedures used to keep you alive when there is no likelihood of recovery. Due to the need for ventilators for COVID-19 treatment, many have asked whether they would be placed on a ventilator if needed.

Fortunately, recovery is quite possible with ventilator support; therefore, the triggering event of ‘no likelihood of recovery’ would not be present in most cases, and ventilator support for COVID-19 would be instituted. Here, it is especially important to review the language in an existing document and to discuss these concerns with your named proxy.

Those of advanced age, the terminally ill, and those with painful, chronic conditions may also consider establishing medical orders for life-sustaining treatment (MOLST) in addition to a healthcare proxy. A MOLST is a form, usually printed on bright pink paper, that contains actionable medical orders that are effective immediately based upon your current medical condition. A MOLST would eliminate the need for living-will language, but the best practice would be to reference the MOLST in your proxy.

“It is important to note that a living will and a MOLST are very different. A MOLST form needs to be signed by both you and your physician and is used by physicians to understand your wishes at a glance.”

It is important to note that a living will and a MOLST are very different. A MOLST form needs to be signed by both you and your physician and is used by physicians to understand your wishes at a glance.

A healthcare proxy, on the ther hand, only takes effect if you are incapacitated. Also, a living will asks the health care agent to take into account all facts and circumstances to decide whether recovery is likely before carrying out instructions to withhold or terminate life support, whereas a MOLST sets forth decisions you have already made about what you do and do not want as far as medical care.

The MOLST takes the place of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) and do-not-intubate (DNI) forms, as the MOLST is more comprehensive, but existing DNR and DNI forms remain valid. The MOLST not only addresses these situations, but also sets forth wishes regarding hospitalization, dialysis, and artificial means of receiving nutrition and hydration.

Durable Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney is a document that designates someone to make financial decisions for you. The durable power of attorney is a very powerful document with authority that is as broad as the powers granted within it.

It gives power to the person you name to handle all your financial decisions, not just pay your bills. Should you lose capacity and not have a durable power of attorney in place, your loved ones will have to petition the Probate Court to become your conservator, which involves the same obstacles described above as to the appointment of a guardian.

Homestead Declaration

If you own your primary residence in Massachusetts, you should also record a homestead declaration in order to protect the equity in your primary residence up to $500,000 from attachment, seizure, execution on judgment, levy, or sale for the payment of debts. In some cases, such as advanced age or disability, the equity protection can be up to $1 million.

If a homestead declaration is not recorded, there is an automatic $125,000 of equity protection, which may be adequate for some. Homestead protection will likely be particularly important as the financial consequences of this pandemic take hold.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the possibility of disability or death to the fore, and prior dismissals of ‘it won’t happen to me’ ring hollow.

We are at a time when you should presume that it will, in fact, happen to you.

That being the case, would you prefer to have a plan in place to ensure your loved ones can manage your affairs with the least amount of delay, cost, and stress? If the answer is yes, please call an estate-planning attorney today, establish or update your plan, and give yourself and your family that much more peace of mind during this pandemic.

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

Area Doctors Take Care of Patients During Challenging Times

By Contributor April 14, 2020

Health Care

A New Normal

By Mark Morris

Dr. S. Lowell Kahn says he feels an obligation to the community to offer his services because it’s so difficult for people to get healthcare right now.

At a time when COVID-19 is dominating everyone’s attention and resources, people are still experiencing other urgent health issues such as heart attacks, strokes, and any number of other medical conditions that require treatment.

During the last few days of March, BusinessWest spoke with several area physicians about the challenges they are confronting in trying to serve the needs of their patients who require medical attention that is not related to the coronavirus.

The doctors BusinessWest spoke with have all reduced their normal business activity and only see patients for emergency or medically necessary reasons. They all said they closely follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), notices from Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, as well as information from their respective medical societies.

“It’s a challenging environment, to say the least,” said Dr. S. Lowell Kahn, president of New England Endovascular Center.

Kahn said he feels an obligation to the community to offer his services because it’s so difficult for people to get healthcare during these times. The procedures he is doing are non-elective, and in many cases essential for patients, as well as their doctors.

“People with cancer still need chemotherapy, and those with bad peripheral veins need a biopsy first,” he explained. “If we don’t provide that biopsy, the oncologist can’t properly treat them.”

Dr. Stephen Jacapraro, a dentist with Family Dental Care, is only opening his office when someone has a dental emergency. He said moving from reduced hours to closing up completely was a fast transition.

“We are filling a need because my patient doesn’t want go to the emergency room, and the ER staff doesn’t want him there at this time.”

“Back on March 16, the Massachusetts Dental Association recommended that we start limiting hours; then, on March 19th, the state became more stringent, and since then, we shut down completely except for emergencies,” said Jacapraro. “If someone has severe pain or swelling, I can diagnose it, but even in normal circumstances, I would refer the patient to the proper specialist, such as an endodontist or dental surgeon.”

Dr. Christopher Peteros, a podiatrist with New England Foot Specialists, is limiting his practice to seeing post-surgical patients who need follow-up attention, diabetics with foot issues, and others with medically urgent foot conditions.

“If I have a diabetic patient with an infection in his foot, I don’t want to send him to the emergency room at this time,” Peteros said, adding that there is less risk involved in taking care of the patient in his office than sending him to the hospital. “We are filling a need because my patient doesn’t want go to the emergency room, and the ER staff doesn’t want him there at this time.”

Not Business as Usual

Even fairly routine procedures that are usually done in a hospital setting have become more difficult due to hospitals preparing to be overwhelmed with coronavirus cases. Replacing a dialysis catheter for patients would normally be handled in a hospital, but Kahn has been doing them in his office.

“Even though this isn’t considered an emergency procedure, for dialysis patients, it really needs to get done,” he noted, adding that patients prefer to go to his office these days rather than risk exposure to COVID-19 at the hospital.

Dr. Christopher Peteros is seeing patients with urgent issues for two reasons: because they need care right away, and to keep them out of hospitals.

All three doctors spoke of following the latest protocols for constantly wiping down their offices, as well as screening patients more carefully before they arrive. They all said that, if there is any reason to believe a patient has been exposed to the coronavirus, they are kept away from the office.

In the interest of social distancing, the doctors are spreading out appointment times to prevent more than one patient from being in the waiting room at any time. Kahn has taken it one step further, and offers patients the option of waiting in their car until they are ready to be seen.

“We used to let family members come in and sit with the patient in our recovery area after their procedure, said Kahn. “We don’t allow that anymore.”

The safety of their teams is an obvious priority for all three doctors as well. Kahn said all his staff wear masks the entire time they are in the office.

“We screen ourselves every single day using screening questions issued by the CDC,” Kahn said, noting that they go through the entire list of questions to check every staff member for a fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.

“People are scared these days. It’s not fun being a healthcare worker like it was before,” he told BusinessWest.

Jacapraro said one of his concerns is that he and his staff are “toward the older, more vulnerable age group,” so one upside of seeing only emergency cases is that it limits his staff’s exposure to the public. He also mentioned that, with masks and gloves in such high demand, the limited hours allows him to conserve his supplies.

“We’ve been cohesive as a team, trying to keep each other healthy both physically and mentally. We’re staying strong through it to make sure we can stay open to help patients who need us.”

“Our suppliers are taking care of the hospitals first, as they should,” he said, adding that, even with limited supplies, he has enough in stock to handle emergencies.

With his primary supplier unavailable, Jacapraro has been using a secondary supplier for masks whose price is four times higher. Jacapraro doesn’t believe the supplier is jacking up the price, but that it’s more likely a cost difference between suppliers. “When you’re not making any money, however, you still have to pay them four times as much.”

Back in mid-March, the U.S. surgeon general asked doctors to stop all elective procedures, a move that has proven almost self-regulating as the doctors have said patients are more reluctant to seek services at this time.

“Some of my patients are asking me to push off appointments, and I’m asking the others to do so as well,” said Peteros.

Jacapraro added that, once social distancing was being encouraged, the Massachusetts Dental Assoc. recommended stopping all elective treatments. “Obviously, we have to get closer than six feet to help our patients.”

Some of the most common procedures are being seen in a different light in the environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) issued a reminder to doctors about a basic procedure that Kahn had done many times in his office.

The procedure involves inserting a feeding tube through the skin and into the stomach. Before doing that, however, the doctor inserts a catheter into the patient’s nose, through the esophagus, and into the stomach to determine the best location for the feeding tube. When the catheter is being inserted into the patient’s nose, it is common for them to have a gag reflex. The SIR cautioned that the gag reflex could aerosolize the COVID-19 virus, and recommended that, unless the doctor and staff wear N95 masks and full headgear, they could potentially expose themselves to the virus.

“This has always been a quick and safe procedure, but we’ve had to rethink it,” Kahn said. “And for the time being, we have backed off on doing feeding tubes, per these recommendations.”

Carrying On

The doctors who spoke with BusinessWest have all based their COVID-19 protocols on information from the CDC, and they advise consumers do the same.

“There’s a lot of bad information out there on social media, where suddenly, everyone thinks they’re an epidemiologist,” said Kahn, adding that consumers should get their information from reliable sources.

Early on, as they understood the significance of the coronavirus, Kahn met with his staff to allow everyone to voice their concerns about practicing medicine at this time. By the end of the meeting, he noted, everyone was on board with how they needed to proceed.

“We’ve been cohesive as a team, trying to keep each other healthy both physically and mentally,” he said, while seemingly speaking for everyone in the industry. “We’re staying strong through it to make sure we can stay open to help patients who need us.”

What Does It Mean to Strengthen Our Immunity?

By Contributor April 14, 2020

Health Care

Back to Basics

By Ashley Tresoline

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We are all trying to navigate through figuring out what is best for ourselves and our families in these uncertain times. As we all stock our homes with extra food, hand sanitizer, and the toilet paper we waited four hours for at the store, we need to be thinking about how we can keep ourselves healthy too: not just by preparing our homes, but by preparing our bodies as well. All of us are facing a new normal for the foreseeable future.

We need to refocus and go back to basics of everyday living to help us support our immune systems. Here are some tips to do just that.

Get enough sleep. I know your latest binge-worthy Netflix show is calling your name, but you still need to be trying to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. When we are sleep-deprived, we are more likely to get sick. When we sleep, we make proteins called cytokines, which help regulate the immune system.

Stay hydrated. Drinking water seems so simple. Drinking plenty of water ensures that your blood will carry plenty of oxygen to all the cells of your body. This means all of your body’s systems will function properly, because they’ll be getting plenty of oxygen. Your immune system functions best when your muscles and organs are functioning best. If the taste of plain water is hard for you to stomach, add a little lemon, lime, or cucumber.

“Drinking plenty of water ensures that your blood will carry plenty of oxygen to all the cells of your body. This means all of your body’s systems will function properly, because they’ll be getting plenty of oxygen.”

Stay as active as possible. It is so easy to sit around more than we usually do because we are in our houses and don’t have many social activities. Make your workout a priority for your mental and physical health. There are so many gyms and studios that are offering online training and classes for you to do in your own living room. Being active will help you feel less stressed and help keep your immune system functioning in tip-top shape.

Eat your greens. Do you remember when your mom used to tell you to eat your broccoli because it would make you big and strong? Well, guess what? She was right. When you want to boost your body’s immune system, you can do it naturally by eating the most nutritious foods. Dark, leafy greens and cruciferous veggies are recommended by dietitians because these foods contain high levels of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. Broccoli is considered one of the most versatile vegetables to buy because you can consume it in a variety of ways, such as raw in salad, steamed, or sautéed.

Eat other foods that help with your immune system. These include citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, and lemons to help with vitamin C, ginger to protect against bacteria and inflammation, sweet potatoes, green and black tea for the amino acids, mushrooms rich in B vitamins and minerals, yogurt for the probiotics and vitamin D, spinach because of its vitamin C and iron, and turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties and flavonoids to help fight off countless infections.

Avoid alcohol and processed sugar. I know these are difficult times and drinking in moderation in most cases is OK, but an increase in your alcohol intake can increase a person’s exposure to bacterial and viral infections. Processed sugar can weaken the immune system, and we all know we should limit our processed sugar on a normal basis. Realistically, we all will have a treat or two every now and then, but processed foods are nutrient-poor. When we eat a lot of sugar, the immune system is habitually deprived of nutrients. We need nutrient-dense food to help our immune system fight off colds and viruses.

Incorporate supplements and vitamins. A lot of us take a daily multi-vitamin, which is a good way for us to help get the recommended vitamins and minerals we need in our diet. There are many other supplements that claim they can help you boost your immunity but be careful, as they can load you up with vitamins and minerals your body can’t absorb. Loading up on some minerals and vitamins in large doses can cause you to have other health problems, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, kidney problems, headaches, and many more serious conditions, depending on your health situation.

There are a few natural cold supplements that aren’t all bad to add to your health regimen, such as elderberry syrup and zinc lozenges. Elderberry contains natural substances called flavonoids, which can help reduce swelling, fight inflammation, and boost immunity. Studies have shown elderberry can ease the symptoms of the flu, bacterial sinus infections, and bronchitis. The benefits seem to be most effective when started 24 to 48 hours after symptoms begin. (However, never consume a product made with raw elderberry.) Zinc lozenges can also help reduce cold and flu symptoms, but they come with the risk of overwhelming your body with too much zinc. If you take too much, you may be at risk for nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, copper deficiency, and risk of suppressing the immune system. Be sure to speak to a healthcare professional before adding any supplements to your healthcare regimen. Some supplements can react with prescription medications and over-the-counter medications you are taking.

Your body is working hard to keep you healthy. Help your body by eating right, getting proper sleep, staying hydrated, and keeping active. Health is a cumulative thing, so keep up your best health and wellness practices while we are in this difficult time — and, of course, wash your hands!

Ashley Tresoline is the founder of Bella Foodie, LLC; [email protected]

Picture This

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

Picture This

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

Community Support

Earlier this month, UMassFive College Federal Credit Union reached out to support community members and healthcare workers heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, sponsoring 150 portions of chicken pot pie (made fresh and delivered by Log Cabin Rolling) that were served at the Amherst Survival Center daily community meal, and also sponsoring the delivery of 200 meals to emergency-room staff, split between Springfield’s Mercy Medical Center and Worcester’s UMass Memorial Medical Center. These meals were delivered to the staff at lunchtime, with extra meals to support the next shift as well.

Meeting the Need

The United Way of Pioneer Valley recently donated 5,000 frozen meals to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. The transfer took place at Springfield City Hall, with Mayor Domenic Sarno and United Way President and CEO Paul Mina, in attendance. With the economic effects of COVID-19 causing many area businesses to close, the Food Bank and the food pantries it serves have seen a dramatic increase in need. This donation was a part of the Western Massachusetts United Ways’ combined efforts to provide relief for COVID-19. Pictured: Mina (left) and Tom Leporati of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts handle a pallet of food.

A Story Worth Reading

Last month, Link to Libraries and MGM Springfield announced a partnership to promote learning and literacy in support of Springfield students who are out of the classroom and learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Link to Libraries and MGM Springfield donated more than 1,000 books to children ranging from kindergarten through high school. The books were distributed to families through the 15 schools designated as lunch pick-up sites.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

Court Dockets

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

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

Pignatare & Sagan, LLC v. Steven J. McNamara and Robert J. McNamara d/b/a T.J.J. Brothers Inc.
Allegation: Money owed for professional services rendered: $19,070
Filed: 2/18/20

Pignatare & Sagan, LLC v. FRS McNamara Wilbraham, LLC
Allegation: Money owed for professional services rendered: $8,095
Filed: 2/18/20

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Leon Booklall v. Waste Management of Massachusetts Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $50,000+
Filed: 2/21/20

Jorge L. Alvarez v. KFC/Taco Bell
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $50,000
Filed: 2/25/20

S & S Activewear, LLC v. Bolduc’s Apparel, LLC d/b/a Bolduc’s Apparel/Lil Dogs and Todd Adelson a/k/a Todd M. Adelson
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $143,244.72
Filed: 2/25/20

Theresa Bernard v. Lancer Transportation & Logistics Inc., Todd Goodrich, R.M. Sullivan Transportation Inc., and Robert M. Sullivan
Allegation: Breach of agreement, interference with advantageous business relationship: $235,000
Filed: 2/26/20

Dennis J. Clark et al v. CDA Roofing and Siding Contractors et al
Allegation: Breach of contract, unfair and deceptive acts or practices: $40,000
Filed: 3/3/20

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

People on the Move

Antoinette Candia-Bailey

Elms College has named accomplished higher-education executive Antoinette Candia-Bailey the college’s first vice president of Student Affairs and chief Diversity officer. Reporting directly to the president, Candia-Bailey, who will join Elms College on April 1, will be responsible for the strategic oversight and management of the college’s Student Affairs and Diversity and Inclusion offices. Candia-Bailey is joining Elms from the University of Wisconsin Madison (UWM), where she currently serves as senior project coordinator to the deputy vice chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion. Prior to that, she was associate dean of students and Student Life at UWM. Abiding by the college’s social-distancing policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, she will be working remotely at the start of her tenure. The position of vice president of Student Affairs and chief Diversity officer is a new one for the college. Candia-Bailey will be responsible for providing leadership, management, and supervision to the director of Diversity and Inclusion, the dean of students, the director of Campus Ministry, and the director of Athletics. She will advise the president and other members of the executive leadership team on all student-affairs and diversity matters. Candia-Bailey has more than 20 years of progressive experience in student affairs and diversity and inclusion at higher-education institutions, including North Carolina State University, Towson University in Maryland, and North Carolina A&T State University. She holds a doctoral degree in leadership studies from North Carolina A&T State University, a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and disability studies from Michigan State University, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Lincoln University in Missouri.

•••••

Nicholas Reich

Nicholas Reich, a UMass Amherst biostatistician who directs the UMass-based Flu Forecasting Center of Excellence, was invited by the White House Coronavirus Task Force to participate in last month’s coronavirus modeling webinar. The four-hour, virtual gathering included 20 of the world’s leading infectious-disease and pandemic forecasting modelers, from researchers at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. to those based at institutions in England, Hong Kong, South Africa, and the Netherlands. Reich, associate professor in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at UMass Amherst, heads a flu-forecasting collaborative that has produced some of the world’s most accurate models in recent years. He and postdoctoral researcher Thomas McAndrew have been conducting weekly surveys of more than 20 infectious-disease-modeling researchers to assess their collective expert opinion on the trajectory of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. The researchers and modeling experts design, build, and interpret models to explain and understand infectious-disease dynamics and the associated policy implications in human populations. Reich is co-author of a new study in Annals of Internal Medicine that calculates that the median incubation period for COVID-19 is just over five days and that 97.5% of people who develop symptoms will do so within 11.5 days of infection. The incubation period refers to the time between exposure to the virus and the appearance of the first symptoms. The study’s lead author is UMass Amherst biostatistics doctoral alumnus Stephen Lauer, a former member of the Reich Lab and current postdoctoral researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

•••••

PeoplesBank announced the appointments and promotion of several key associates. Eric Coutinho has been appointed mortgage consultant for Hartford and Tolland counties. In his new position, he assists homebuyers with finding the right mortgage option as well as guiding them through the application process. Coutinho has a history of volunteer service that includes serving on the fundraising committee for Longmeadow Knights Cheerleading. Aieshya Jackson has been appointed Westfield Banking Center manager. She has more than 10 years of financial services and banking experience. In her new position, she oversees and manages all aspects of a full-service banking center, including staffing, sales, lending, operations, business development, and community relations. Jackson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bay Path University. Her volunteer service includes serving as an executive member of the board of directors of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, where she serves as chair of the financial committee. She also serves on the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts. Daniel Malkin has been appointed East Granby Banking Center manager. He has more than eight years of financial services and banking experience. In his new position, he oversees sales and operational success of the banking center. Malkin is a member of the board of directors for the Bradley Chamber of Commerce and Kent Memorial Library in Suffield. Sara Roberts has been promoted to Sixteen Acres Banking Center manager. She has more than 10 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she aims to ensure the banking center meets and exceeds service and sales goals, provides excellent customer service, operates according to all bank policies and procedures, and serves as a leader within the community. She previously served as the assistant Banking Center manager in Holyoke. Roberts has a history of volunteer service that includes providing financial-literacy instruction for Credit for Life and at the Picknelly Adult and Family Education Center.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

Company Notebook

Community Foundation Grants $700,000 Through COVID-19 Response Fund

SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) announced the release of its first grants, totaling $700,000, to community organizations and nonprofits from its recently-established COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley. The fund has raised $2,480,000 from local philanthropic and business organizations and over 50 individuals. The first round of funding to support local response to the crisis includes $190,000 to distribute food through the region’s system of food pantries; $120,000 to address the needs of vulnerable elders, including home-delivered meals; $120,000 to provide critical health services and outreach through the Valley’s federally designated Community Health Centers; $150,000 to provide shelter for those without homes and those impacted by domestic violence; and $120,000 to provide flexible supports to the region’s lowest-income families and individuals. Organizations receiving funding include Caring Health Center, Catholic Charities Agency – Diocese of Springfield, Center for Human Development, Community Action Pioneer Valley, Community Health Center of Franklin County, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Friends of the Homeless (Clinical & Support Options), Greater Springfield Senior Services, Highland Valley Elder Services, Hilltown Community Health Center, Holyoke Health Center, LifePath, New England Learning Center for Women in Transition, Safe Passage, ServiceNet, Springfield Partners for Community Action, Springfield Rescue Mission, Valley Opportunity Council, WestMass ElderCare, Womanshelter Companeras, and YWCA of Western Massachusetts. More grants are expected to be announced and released to respond to emerging needs. In subsequent phases, grants will be made to address needs of nonprofit organizations that have been financially impacted by the crisis. The Community Foundation welcomes additional donations to the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley. Donate online at communityfoundation.org/coronavirus-donations.

Fire Investigation Transfer Program Launched at STCC

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) has a hot new program. Starting this fall, the college will offer a new option in the Fire Protection and Safety Technology department: fire investigation transfer. Students who choose this option will study fire behavior, fire operations, prevention, investigations, and criminal law through courses in fire science and criminal justice. Fire investigators often work for local, state, and federal agencies, but also pursue opportunities in the private sector. The program is offered in the evening only, which will give students who work more flexibility. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for fire inspectors and investigators are expected to grow by 8% between 2018 and 2028. The median pay in 2018 was $60,200. Students who successfully complete the two-year program will receive an associate of science degree in fire protection and safety technology. To learn more about the program and to apply for the fall, visit stcc.edu/explore/programs/fitr.as. Individuals with questions may contact Tenczar at [email protected] or call (413) 755-4596.

HCC President Pledges $10,000 to ‘Together HCC’ Campaign

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) President Christina Royal has issued a personal $10,000 challenge gift toward a new HCC campaign that is as much about building moral support in a time of great uncertainty as it is about raising money for students experiencing financial distress. As part of the HCC Foundation’s “Together HCC — A Campaign for Caring,” students, staff, faculty, alumni, relatives, and friends are being asked to use the hashtag #TogetherHCC to share stories and images on social media that show the strength of the college community in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Royal’s $10,000 challenge is not just a financial one. Instead, the goal is to gather 1,000 contributions of any kind toward the #TogetherHCC campaign. That includes monetary donations as well as social-media posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as e-mail submissions that describe an inspirational tale or messages of encouragement relating to the ongoing pandemic. Besides scholarships, the HCC Foundation manages several funds that directly support students facing financial emergencies as well as those experiencing food and housing insecurity. These include the President’s Student Emergency Fund, which was established by Royal, and another that supports HCC’s Thrive Student Resource Center, which manages the HCC Food Pantry.

Northampton Survival Center Updates Public on Services

NORTHAMPTON — While concern for staff, client, and volunteer health during the COVID-19 pandemic recently forced Northampton Survival Center to temporarily stop client visits to pick up food, the center anticipates resuming modified operations as soon as possible. Even though the building is closed, however, new community partnerships and initiatives have sprung into action. The center has teamed up with Community Action Pioneer Valley to begin distributing food out of Jackson Street School, a nearby location with ample, circular parking and cafeteria and refrigeration capabilities. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, food will be delivered by the Survival Center to the school, where a team of trained personnel will be able to create pre-bagged packages of nutritious food while maintaining safe distancing and other health precautions. On those same afternoons, bags will be carted outdoors under a tent, for quick drive-up intake and food transfer to clients safely in their cars. Another initiative between the Northampton Survival Center and Grow Food Northampton delivers fresh produce and groceries every Tuesday to high-need sites including Hampshire Heights, Florence Heights, Meadowbrook, and the Lumber Yard on Pleasant Street. Food distribution at all four sites will work in tandem with the Northampton public-school system and Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School’s new meal-delivery program for children, in order to amplify each other’s efforts to keep children and their entire families fed. Shelf-stable groceries will be paired with fresh produce purchased directly from local farms, as well as produce and other goods purchased from distributors via River Valley Co-op. To serve clients in the hilltowns, food is being brought from the Hilltown Pantry and Northampton Survival Center to the various Councils on Aging that serve the region. COAs in Chesterfield, Worthington, and Goshen have already begun distributing this food from their sites, and further outreach is being coordinated with the Hilltown Community Health Center and the Hilltown Community Development Corp. The center is exploring using a school classroom in Worthington as a mini-pantry, and fresh produce has been shared with the Maples senior housing in Worthington. Eggs from Northampton Survival Center have been shared with the MANNA hot meal program, and fresh produce and retail donations of bread and other items usually reserved for the center are now being shared with other food pantries in the area, via the center’s partners at the Food Bank.

Monson Savings Bank Donates $25,000 to Baystate Health’s Greatest Needs Fund

MONSON — Baystate Health has just completed construction of a rapid-response triage area outside of the Baystate Medical Center Emergency Department, allowing the hospital to better protect patients and medical staff from exposure to the virus as patients are being screened and tested. This new triage area is just one of the many large, unplanned expenses this health emergency has created. Additionally, the exploding demand for personal protection equipment for staff and myriad other needs to fight this outbreak are stretching resources and finances to the limit. Monson Savings Bank has donated $25,000 to Baystate’s Greatest Needs Fund. This gift will directly support resources needed at Baystate Health as it continues to address and prepare for the care the community needs during this worldwide pandemic.

UMassFive College Credit Union Offers Financial Resources, Support

HADLEY — As a local nonprofit financial cooperative, UMassFive College Federal Credit Union (UMassFive) is known for playing an active role in supporting and educating members and local communities. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UMassFive has launched a number of initiatives to continue supporting its membership and people in the local community. For example, UMassFive has joined forces with Log Rolling Catering to donate 350 meals to individuals and families in need, as well as those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. The Amherst Survival Center received 150 prepared meals for distribution to those in need, and another 200 meals went to the ER staff at both Mercy Medical Center in Springfield and UMass Medical Center in Worcester. In addition, UMassFive has pledged $1,000 to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and donated another $1,000 to the local farming nonprofit Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, which will use the funds as part of its campaign to raise $50,000 for emergency loans to local farms. Credit-union members can also participate by making charitable donations in support of their local community through the UMassFive Buzz Points program, including options benefiting the Food Bank and the Amherst Survival Center. UMassFive is committed to answering questions and providing financial guidance to its members throughout this ongoing time of economic uncertainty. Members are encouraged to reach out for one-on-one phone consultations with credit union staff to better understand what options are available to them at this time. For instance, UMassFive is offering loan-payment deferral for up to three months on all qualified consumer loans. Members can visit www.umassfive.coop/emergency-relief to learn which loans qualify and to submit their emergency-relief payment-deferral requests through an easy-to-fill-out web form. As a way to make things a little easier for qualified borrowers who decide to take on some short-term debt to address their current needs, UMassFive has temporarily lowered the rate of all new personal loans to 5.99% APR for amounts of $2,000 or less. New and existing members can apply for this loan online at www.umassfive.coop/personalloan. After signing up (for new users) or logging in, applicants should select ‘fixed-term loan,’ then ‘loan special,’ and continue filling out the form until fully submitted. The credit union strongly encourages seeking alternative options before taking on additional debt.

Country Bank Donates $250,000 to Four Hospitals

WARE — Country Bank announced it has donated $250,000 to four local hospitals to help assist with the work they are doing for patients as they fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospitals receiving donations include Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Harrington Hospital in Southbridge, UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, and Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester. Paul Scully, president and CEO at Country Bank, noted that “these are challenging and ever-evolving times as we face uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. As a community partner, we care deeply about our communities, and we wanted to support our local hospitals to help ease their financial burden as they continue to offer exceptional care to our friends and neighbors in the region.”

Providence Ministries Services Continue Through Pandemic

HOLYOKE — Providence Ministries will continue to offer essential support services to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, Executive Director Shannon Rudder shared precautions being made to ensure continuity of services while protecting program participants. Effective immediately, the following program shifts will occur: Kate’s Community Kitchen will provide warm, nutritious takeout meals; dining-room services will be suspended until further notice. Margaret’s Pantry will continue to welcome those in need of supplemental groceries to enjoy its community services. This includes both monthly guests along with anyone impacted by loss of work or simply realizing greater need at this time. Make an appointment by calling Brenda at (413) 536-9109, ext. 119. St. Jude’s Clothing Center will be closed until further notice to contain exposure, while the foodWorks culinary-training program will suspend current classes until further notice; the April 1 graduation will be rescheduled. Providence is taking every precaution to ensure its single-room-occupancy recovery housing spaces maintain cleanliness and overall health. It is difficult to ensure a true quarantine due to shared spaces, such as bathrooms and kitchens. At Loreto House, residents will suspend weekend passes and all planned workshops, no general public will be allowed entrance, a daily temperature check has been instituted, and any resident presenting symptoms and fever will be sent to the hospital or their primary-care provider. At both Broderick House and McCleary Manor, no outside visitors or overnight guests are permitted. No new residents will be admitted to any of these houses during this time. Each home has adequate cleaning products and hand soaps. Volunteers are asked to exercise caution and use their best judgement to continue in their service.

Girls Inc. Receives Grants from Baystate Health, Women Empowered

HOLYOKE — Girls Inc. of the Valley received a community-benefits discretionary grant of $5,000 from Baystate Health to Girls Inc. of the Valley’s “Informed and In Charge” program, which is designed to teach healthy sexuality. Through “Informed and In Charge,” girls acquire the knowledge and skills for taking charge of and making informed decisions about their sexual health. Exploring values, practicing responses in different situations, and thinking about their futures helps girls identify ways and reasons to avoid early pregnancy and prevent sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Meanwhile, Women Empowered, a group that strives to promote body positivity and acceptance for both adult women and future generations of girls, has donated $2,500 in proceeds of its Women Empowered calendar sales to Girls Inc. of the Valley. The receipt of this gift will support Girls Inc. of the Valley’s current research-based program offerings designed to empower girls, and will provide a boost in its annual fundraising efforts. The Women Empowered calendar features a diverse group of everyday women who have embraced their uniqueness, have overcome physical and mental obstacles, celebrate their bodies, and want to share their story to inspire others. This calendar provides the chance to send a message of body positivity and acceptance in order to teach other women and future generations to embrace the totality of who they are, and use their gifts, their beauty, and their stories to change the world. Everyone involved with the production of the calendar and all sponsors are women-owned businesses.

Amherst Area Tip Jar Launched

AMHERST — The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and the Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) have launched the Amherst Area Tip Jar. Many locals would regularly be patronizing their favorite restaurants, bars, salons, coffeehouses, and other businesses that have been ordered closed or have shifted to take-out only, depending on the type of business, due to the COVID-19 crisis and related health and safety restrictions. The Tip Jar, first established in Pittsburgh, allows people to support local service industry staff and businesses. It allows them to send a ‘tip’ to their favorite business, which will share it with their staff — bartenders, servers, kitchen staff, stylists, aestheticians, mechanics, etc. The Amherst Area Tip Jar offers an option for these businesses and individuals to post their Venmo or PayPal information so that customers, family members, neighbors, and community members, near and far, can continue to support them using this open-source concept — a way to maximize social distancing while supporting these workers and small businesses. E-mail Claudia Pazmany, the chamber’s executive director, at [email protected] or Gould at [email protected]m with any inquiries.

Big Y Announces Support for Five Food Banks

SPRINGFIELD — On March 16, Big Y World Class Markets donated $125,000 to three Massachusetts food banks and two in Connecticut in order to help them respond to the challenges they face in helping to feed others during these challenging times. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Worcester County Food Bank, Foodshare, and the Connecticut Food Bank will each receive an immediate donation of $25,000. All Big Y stores also now have collection boxes to allow customers to make food donations for local pantries and shelters. As part of its recent 10th annual Sack Hunger/Care to Share program, Big Y also provided more than $11.5 million in food to area food banks, which amounts to a total of 5.7 million meals to help those in need throughout the region. In addition to Sack Hunger, it donates healthy food to these food banks six days a week throughout the year. Two-thirds of those 5.7 million meals include donations of meat and fresh produce, while bakery, non-perishable grocery items, frozen food, and dairy products account for the rest. In fact, these almost-daily donations have become a routine part of Big Y’s operations. These food banks depend upon this steady flow of food to feed those in need. Big Y also encourages support in any amount for area food banks right now. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts estimates that every dollar donated will provide four meals for those in need. Visit foodbankwma.org for more information. Additionally, Big Y donated $50,000 to the COVID-19 Response Fund hosted by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. The fund will provide flexible resources to Pioneer Valley nonprofit organizations serving populations most impacted by the crisis, such as the elderly, those without stable housing, families needing food, and those with particular health vulnerabilities.

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

Incorporations

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

BELCHERTOWN

Furever Homes for Felines Inc., 5 Atherton Lane, Belchertown, MA 01007. Roxanne C. Costigan, same. Provide for the foster care, adoption, and placement of rescued cats and kittens into permanent homes.

EAST LONGMEADOW

First Time Home Buyers of New England Inc., 280 North Main St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Robert L. Jones, 51 Westwood Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. To provide community outreach and education regarding first-time-home buyers and home buying services; and to engage in fund-raising to support education and awareness about home buying assistance.

FEEDING HILLS

Lovotti Distribution Inc., 422 Pine St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Nicholas F. Lovotti, same. Distribution of bakery items.

FLORENCE

Florence Community Playground for All Inc., 95 Straw Ave., Florence, MA 01062. Patrick Boughan, same. Grass roots neighborhood organization seeking to build and maintain a variety of small public playground venues in the Florence village neighborhood of Northampton, Massachusetts

LENOX

Green Railroad Group Inc., 68 Main St., Lenox, MA 01240. Paul Aronofsky, same. Retail.

LONGMEADOW

M. Bernstein Insurance Agency Inc., 15 White Oaks Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Maxine L. Bernstein, same. Insurance.

LUDLOW

Ebenezer Corporation, 116 Sewall St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Loving Angels LLC, same. Non-medical health and social care services.

NORTH ADAMS

Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxiliary 310 Inc., 157 River St., North Adams, MA 01247. Catherine Barrett, 320 Cross Road, Clarksburg, MA 01247. Non-profit organization uniting fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills and promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope.

ORANGE

Hoof, Paw and Claw Inc., 900 North Main St., Orange, MA 01364. Rosalind Valentina Miller, same. Non-profit organization engaged in animal welfare, upholding the welfare of farm animals and those animals in rural communities, assisting rural inhabitants in the financial burden of veterinary costs, especially those associated with neutering barn cats, assisting future rural veterinarians pursuing their education. And offering support to rurally practicing veterinarians.

PITTSFIELD

Green Endeavor Capital Inc., 34 Depot St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. George C. Whaling, same. Retail sales.

SPRINGFIELD

Le Nails Spa Inc., 1704 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01129. Tommy Nguyen, 980 Summer Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Nail salon.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

MacGuffin Corporation, 900 Riverdale Road, Suite 285, West Springfield, MA 01089. John Miarecki, 475 Broadway St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Online sales of art supplies.

WESTFIELD

Dbtrans Inc., 81 South Maple St Apt 48, Westfield, MA 01085. Dumitru Botnari, same. Trucking.

WILLIAMSTOWN

Dottie’s Dime Corporation, 228 Main St., Williamstown, MA 01267. William Miller, 520 T St, Sacramento, CA 95811. Award academic scholarships to Berkshire county residents who demonstrate financial need.

Eat In Williamstown Inc., 234 Main St., Williamstown, MA 01267. Scott Grupe, same. Own and operate food service.

Doing Business As Certificates

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

DBA Certificates

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

BELCHERTOWN

Metanoia
6 Moss Lane
Andrea Stasio-Pikul

Rubee Ranch Orchard
310 North Washington St.
Jeffrey Pronovost

Traccie Hillion LMHC
557 Federal St.
Traccie Hillion

Upright Home Improvements
241 Franklin St.
Douglas Murray

CHICOPEE

Indie Cove
4 Fuller St.
Alexis Cruz

JMAC Transportation
28 Mercedes St.
Joseph McCallister

Svetlana Express Courier
530 Britton St.
Svetlana Akpayne

TNR Zone
563 New Ludlow Road
Regina Shea-Sullivan
SPRINGFIELD

Commonwealth Café
436 Dwight St.
Richard Malley

Cool Tees 4 U, LLC
151 Dickinson St.
Saby Pagan

Copycat Print Shop
483 Breckwood Blvd.
Moore Printing Inc.

Discolou Entertainment
268 Main St.
Luis Rodriguez

Downtown Convenience Store
160 Worthington St.
Nafees Awan

Jim’s Cleaning Two
66 Cortland St.
Lakya Wyche

Jojo’s Gardening & Landscaping
64 Osgood St.
Carmen Andino

Jordan’s Boarding Kennels
599 Tinkham Road
Rosemarie Masley

Kelley Roark Ltd.
9 Bellevue Ave.
Kelley Roark

La Rapidita Service
937 Worthington St., Suite B
Magaly Alicea

Sixteen Acres Healthcare
215 Bicentennial Highway
John Wynne Jr.

Springfield Renaissance PTA
1170 Carew St.
Donald Dorn Jr.

Stinger Style Productions
75 Greene St.
James Andrews

Studio 2000
563-569 Main St.
An Amiriam Lopez

U Break It We Fix It
143 Main St.
Joseph Rodriguez

Up & Coming Artist Network
63 Atwater Road
Devin O’Connor

Venus Rock & Panel Installation
22 Central St.
Roy Miller

Walgreens #17584
126 Island Pond Road
Todd Heckman

Wellspring Harvest
121 Pinevale St.
Fred Rose

Wireless Connection by Torres
890 Carew St.
Beury Torres

Worthy Worldwide Entertainment
317 Peekskill Ave.
Alfred Reid

WESTFIELD

360 Behavior and Performance Management
24 Camelot Lane
360 Behavior and Performance Management

Alchemy Method
7 Lozier Ave.
Amelia Fanion

Arion P. Slingerland
220 Prospect St. Ext.
Arion Slingerland

Arrow Gas
28 Arch Road
Suburban Propane, LP

ASP Plumbing & Heating
59 Washington St.
Aaron Poteat

Liptak Emergency Water Removal
825 Southampton Road
Liptak Carpet Cleaning & Restoration Inc.

Skip & Didi Lane
184 Gun Club Road
Suzanne Tracy

Slavik Transportation
85 Otis St.
Vyacheslav Sidoryuk

Veteran Tool
77 Mill St.
Dale Massai

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Fine Knots and Lines
17 Elm Circle
Ciera Bilodeau-Cox

Found Meaning Therapy
117 Park Ave.
Nicholas Decoteau

Interstate Towing Inc.
73 Windsor St.
Jeremy Procon

John R. Sweeney Insurance Agency
1233 Westfield St.
John Sweeney

K & J Logistics
380 Union St.
Jonathan Rosa

Nouria
518 Memorial Ave.
Tony El-Nemr

Nouria
1130 Riverdale St.
Tony El-Nemr

Nouria
735 Westfield St.
Tony El-Nemr

Nouria
2668 Westfield St.
Tony El-Nemr

Photography by Duval
439 Birnie Ave.
Madeline Davidson

Riverdale Shell Convenience Plus
2044 Riverdale St.
Dinesh Patel

Western Mass Hypnosis Center
201 Westfield St.
Thaddeus Muszynski

Bankruptcies

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

Bankruptcies

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

Albertson, Allen Brian
62 Lorimer St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/20

Allen, Gregory H.
259 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01035
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/06/20

Ayala, Duamel
20 Montgomery St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/20

Beaubien, Chad
23 Shea Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/05/20

Boyce, Cameron Ciano
116 Fomer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/20

Charow, Deborah L.
49 Old South St., Apt. 504
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/10/20

Chizik, Lynn M.
74 Springside Ave.
Unit 3
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/02/20

Cicek, Goksal
Cicek, Emine
6 Randall St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/10/20

Costello, Patricia
9 Prew Ave., Unit A3
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/07/20

Costigan, William
Costigan, Karenmarie
114 St. James Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/07/20

Crenshaw, Joy
140 Ellendale Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/07/20

Crowther, TerryLee
PO Box 146
Goshen, MA 01032
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/01/20

Demers, Shauna L.
a/k/a Meuse, Shauna L.
110 Elizabeth Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/02/20

DeVault, Timothy Scott
43 Oak Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/13/20

Dickinson, David Arthur
49 Highland Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/20

Diluzio, Laura Lee
24 Old Turnpike Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/20

Ellsworth, Peter R.
346 Elm St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/20

English, Francis J.
27 Van Ness St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/04/20

Ferrell, Joseph Roy
PO Box 336
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/20

Fisher, Belinda
a/k/a Whitman, Belinda
198 Union Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/02/20

Flagg, Tammi
783 Lyon St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/20

Frank, Jay R.
Stanley, Alisha A.
520 Riverglade Dr., Apt. C
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/20

Kaplan, Aaron H.
84 Manor Court
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/20

Kelly, Larry Scott
201 Windsor St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/20

Kittredge, Tod Raymond
Kittredge, Jennifer Evelyn
a/k/a Robichaud, Jennifer E.
40 Dewey St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/20

LaFerriere, Mary Jane M.
a/k/a Broderick, Mary Jane M.
337 Hungerford St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/04/20

Laviolette, Lilibeth B.
8 Mechanic St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/02/20

Lebedinskaya, Olga
11 Barnard St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/20

LeCours, Allen R.
40 Alden St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/20

Leiper, Christopher A.
Leiper, Cara
a/k/a Clifford, Cara F.
11 Sikes Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/20

Leroux, Lori Jean
PO Box 1172
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/20

Liebel, Kevin Paul
114 Westwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/20

Lindsey, Denise Marie
123 Arthur St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/20

Magri, James J.
32 Kathy Way
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/04/20

Maldonado-Burgos, Andrea L.
238 Wollaston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/10/20

Marcille, Barbara A.
P.O. Box 1485
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/28/20

McHugh III, Bernard J.
1289 Old Turnpike Road
Oakham, MA 01068
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/20

Melendez, Luis Rafael
61 Saint James Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/2

Mieltowski, Michael J.
219 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/03/20

Nielsen, James Anker
656 Huckle Hill Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/20

Pelley, Jessica Lynn
a/k/a Briancesco, Jessica Lynn
15 John Mason Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/29/20

Ride A Transport LLC
Kickery, Gary Lee
Kickery, Carol Dawn
P.O. Box 313
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/20

Rooney, Debra A.
25 Thomas St., Apt 315
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/02/20

Roy Carreras, Jorge R.
127 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/02/20

Sambou, Lucis
P.O. Box 362
Thorndike, MA 01079
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/20

Santiago, Alexander
Santiago, Milagros
48 Massasoit St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/28/20

Santiago, Hector L.
285 Brainerd St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/10/20

Simpson, Christopher B.
299 Crouch Road
West Warren, MA 01092
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/20

Sirkissoon, Barbara A.
53 Mountain Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/10/20

The Beauty of Books
Robin’s Webs
Brooks, Robin L.
79 North Catamount Hill
Colrain, MA 01340
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/09/20

Thorington, Beverley
130 Ruskin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/01/20

Tong, Valerie
a/k/a/ Tong, Hang T.
26 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/20

Trudeau, Tobias J.
Trudeau, Lisa G.
140 Peck Brothers Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/05/20

Vargas, Edgardo L.
54 Meetinghouse Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/27/20

Westbrooks, Kelly Lyn
44 Derryfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/02/20

Wilson, Kim
50 Coakley Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/13/20

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

370 Buckland Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Ryan Pease
Seller: Beverly A. Labelle
Date: 03/23/20

828 Murray Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $780,000
Buyer: Matthew D. McGuire
Seller: Murray Road TR
Date: 03/12/20

BUCKLAND

5 Wellington St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Sarah A. Davenport
Seller: Wilmington Trust
Date: 03/12/20

DEERFIELD

17 Childs Cross Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Barbara L. Williams
Seller: Richard A. Eaton
Date: 03/16/20

100 Guy Manners Road
Deerfield, MA 01370
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Hawks Farm RT
Seller: Meredith L. Chadwick
Date: 03/19/20

101 Plain Road West
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $416,000
Buyer: Ruggles FT
Seller: John L. Plotkin
Date: 03/16/20

51 Sugarloaf St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Corrine Sysun
Seller: Phyllis K. Dzenis
Date: 03/20/20

20 Thayer St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $134,500
Buyer: Jessica Howard
Seller: Peter M. Kuchieski
Date: 03/23/20

ERVING

12 Forest St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Francis S. Lysiak
Date: 03/18/20

8 Pleasant St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $119,700
Buyer: Kathy M. Halvorsen
Seller: Cromack, Bruce A., (Estate)
Date: 03/20/20

GREENFIELD

20 Albert Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $197,925
Buyer: Jeremy R. Gaudette
Seller: Silver, Carl, (Estate)
Date: 03/23/20

17 Fairview Ter.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: Elizabeth J. Bukolsky RET
Seller: Blood John M., (Estate)

240 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $5,130,000
Buyer: Triple Net Greenfield LLC
Seller: RCK Greenfield LLC
Date: 03/17/20

LEVERETT

83 Shutesbury Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Village Of Light Inc.
Seller: Geoffrey I. Hitzig
Date: 03/20/20

MONTAGUE

48 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jill M. Innes
Seller: Corrine E. Sysun
Date: 03/20/20

NORTHFIELD

45 Ferncliff Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $178,500
Buyer: Vincent R. Pernice
Seller: David Dukor-Jackson
Date: 03/13/20

60 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Aida LLC
Seller: Kimberly A. Farmer
Date: 03/13/20

ORANGE

50 Lake Mattawa Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: Charles J. Wright
Seller: Susan R. Gainley
Date: 03/24/20

366 Mayo Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Stanley C. Pearson
Seller: Marsh, John A., (Estate)
Date: 03/20/20

39-41 Pleasant St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: M. Jemms Orange I. LLC
Seller: James H. Hurt
Date: 03/18/20

SHELBURNE

100 Guy Manners Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Hawks Farm RT
Seller: Meredith L. Chadwick
Date: 03/19/20

203 Shelburne Center Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Mary L. Gallup
Seller: Devon G. Whitney
Date: 03/13/20

SUNDERLAND

523 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Robert H. Adair
Seller: Kuzmeski RT
Date: 03/23/20

WENDELL

65 Lockes Village Road
Wendell, MA 01380
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Thomas M. Richardson
Seller: Jacob A. Doody
Date: 03/11/20

69 Lockes Village Road
Wendell, MA 01380
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Thomas M. Richardson
Seller: Jacob A. Doody
Date: 03/11/20

23 Stone Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $357,000
Buyer: Jacob A. Doody
Seller: Amy E. Palmer
Date: 03/11/20

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

27 Cleveland St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: John P. Moccio
Seller: Gary E. Suffriti
Date: 03/19/20

35 Colonial Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Eric W. Lottermoser
Seller: Richard G. Schreiber
Date: 03/18/20

87 Country Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: William N. Beaudry
Date: 03/18/20

57 Harding St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Derek Parolo
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 03/13/20

4 Haskell St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Nicholas J. Biuso
Seller: Gloria R. Albano
Date: 03/19/20

97 James St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: David S. Weaver
Seller: Kenneth Peters
Date: 03/19/20

23 Lincoln St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Mary A. Pizzimenti
Date: 03/12/20

4 McGrath Ter.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Christopher D. Thumm
Seller: Douglas T. Walsh
Date: 03/19/20

698 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $157,400
Buyer: Crystal Melloni
Seller: Barbara J. Giordano
Date: 03/18/20

732 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Tracie Liquori
Seller: Nicholas D. Griffin
Date: 03/13/20

57 Overlook Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Robert Sopet
Seller: Kenneth D. Blews
Date: 03/11/20

157 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $126,251
Buyer: Etabav RT
Seller: Michael J. Depratti
Date: 03/16/20

805 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Moustafa I. Tahoun
Seller: Smith, Viola A., (Estate)
Date: 03/16/20

123 Robin Ridge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Steven D. Hitchcock
Seller: Marlene P. Harlin
Date: 03/17/20

BLANDFORD

19 Cobble Mountain Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Christopher C. Gibbs
Seller: Richard J. Dame
Date: 03/19/20

54 Gibbs Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: William B. Hull LLC
Seller: Stephanie A. Fontaine
Date: 03/16/20

CHESTER

292 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Molly I. Larkham
Seller: Nathan J. Bolduc
Date: 03/13/20

CHICOPEE

8 Andover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Milton Torres
Seller: Janosik Realty LLC
Date: 03/13/20

8 Caddyshack Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: James St.Hilaire
Seller: Naz Naji
Date: 03/18/20

18 Cadieux Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Timothy L. Allen
Seller: Brian P. Patrick
Date: 03/18/20

73 Chapin St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Wheeler
Seller: 73 Chapin LLC
Date: 03/19/20

363 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Trajen LLC
Seller: Wayne L. Pare
Date: 03/16/20

66 Dwight St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $712,000
Buyer: Blackrock BNG Group LLC
Seller: Anthony D. Maloni
Date: 03/11/20

1492 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: DW Com. Prop. LLC
Seller: Russell G. Centerbar
Date: 03/17/20

18 Roberts Pond Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Edward J. Blanchard
Date: 03/17/20

542 Sheridan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Michael D. Berardelli
Seller: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Date: 03/12/20

110 Southwick St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Melissa S. Sanchez
Seller: Byron M. Garcia
Date: 03/18/20

190 Stebbins St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $152,700
Buyer: Theodore L. Chagnon
Seller: Norman G. Barree
Date: 03/18/20

50 Thaddeus St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $132,100
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Anita Bernier
Date: 03/13/20

59 Wayfield Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $186,900
Buyer: Melissa Torres
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/19/20

33 William St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Travis J. Haley
Seller: Tyler S. Austin
Date: 03/12/20

EAST LONGMEADOW

202 Canterbury Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $392,500
Buyer: Mario J. Tascon
Seller: Pandiaraja Gnanaprakasam
Date: 03/19/20

3 Converse Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Elizabeth R. Zahradnik
Seller: Mohammad J. Bhuyan
Date: 03/13/20

33 Lynwood Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Jeffrey T. Hansen
Seller: Tascon Homes LLC
Date: 03/17/20

Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $2,000,000
Buyer: DEB Realty Co. Inc.
Seller: Ranger Lumber Corp.
Date: 03/18/20

HAMPDEN

433 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Kailey Golebiowski
Seller: Mark Michalski
Date: 03/13/20

HOLLAND

30 Lakeshore Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Robert V. Summers
Seller: George Motyka
Date: 03/11/20

HOLYOKE

31 Alderman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Deena Perdue
Seller: Posiadlosc LLC
Date: 03/13/20

101 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,080,000
Buyer: Blue Chip Buildings LLC
Seller: Albert E. Paone
Date: 03/19/20

105 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,080,000
Buyer: Blue Chip Buildings LLC
Seller: Albert E. Paone
Date: 03/19/20

241 Oak St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Brian Michaud
Seller: Scheinost, Kris S., (Estate)
Date: 03/13/20

LONGMEADOW

76 Deepwoods Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Charles Goldblatt
Seller: Ranadhir R. Beereddy
Date: 03/17/20

379 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Marleigh E. Felsenstein
Seller: Marcus C. Imes
Date: 03/19/20

75 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Christopher Askins
Seller: James Grimaldi
Date: 03/19/20

89 Warren Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Emtay Inc.
Seller: Robert I. Cohen
Date: 03/13/20

LUDLOW

1087 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Russell A. Orcutt
Seller: Godin, Jane H., (Estate)
Date: 03/12/20

183 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Beth A. Lemek
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 03/17/20

38 Motyka St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Branco Consruction LLC
Seller: Queirogam, Charles J., (Estate)
Date: 03/13/20

15 Victor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: NSP Residential LLC
Seller: Shawn N. Thompson
Date: 03/19/20

PALMER

1644-1646 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: A To Z Prop Mgmt. & Renovation
Seller: Martin H. Greany
Date: 03/12/20

1654-1658 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: A To Z Prop Mgmt. & Renovation
Seller: Martin H. Greany
Date: 03/12/20

RUSSELL

678 General Knox Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Timothy Brewster
Seller: Scott S. Vanden-Bulcke
Date: 03/19/20

SPRINGFIELD

52 Acushnet Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Ruben Santos
Seller: Kathy T. Truong
Date: 03/13/20

323 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Laceyann R. Nelson
Seller: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Date: 03/11/20

137 Bellevue Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: David J. Maradyn
Seller: Jerry E. True
Date: 03/12/20

123 Buckingham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Gregory P. Rice
Seller: Give Them Sanctuary Inc.
Date: 03/11/20

122 Carver St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Tanisha Arena
Seller: Kevin Nguyen
Date: 03/11/20

642 Cooley St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $129,231
Buyer: Lakeview Loan Servicing
Seller: Charlotte E. Maguire
Date: 03/11/20

162 Eastern Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: 162 Eastern LLC
Seller: Eastern Avenue Invests
Date: 03/16/20

29 Eddy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Gelson D. Laguerre
Seller: Rosa M. Torres
Date: 03/11/20

36 Forest St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Adam G. Schlesinger
Seller: Oden M. Gomez
Date: 03/12/20

23 Frontenac St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Peter Adonis-Mateo
Seller: Property Keys LLC
Date: 03/11/20

110 Gilman St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Elias Severino
Seller: Onota Rental LLC
Date: 03/18/20

131 Hartford Ter.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Pamela J. O’Neil
Seller: Smith, Kathleen M., (Estate)
Date: 03/17/20

62 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Payton Rawls
Seller: Daniel Beauregard
Date: 03/16/20

51 Kosciusko St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Sun Flynn
Seller: Manuel C. Salgado
Date: 03/19/20

892-898 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Harsh A. Patel
Seller: Virginai E. Golemba
Date: 03/16/20

110 Margerie St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Ian Gabbidon
Seller: Walid F. Ahmed
Date: 03/12/20

127 Massachusetts Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: R. Rodriguez-Pellot
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 03/17/20

44 Melville St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Miguel A. Mejia-Polanco
Seller: Homestead Connections LLC
Date: 03/18/20

99 Norfolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Alycar Investments LLC
Seller: Taylor, Charles L., (Estate)
Date: 03/19/20

N/A
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Mert C. Yanbul
Seller: Mister Mister LLC
Date: 03/17/20

21 Old Point St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $198,500
Buyer: Leticia Vazquez
Seller: Properties R Us & Investments
Date: 03/11/20

218-220 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $171,500
Buyer: Carlos M. Pena
Seller: Josefina Forestier
Date: 03/16/20

120 Orchard St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Angeljoy Co. LLC
Seller: 716 Spring Valley LLC
Date: 03/12/20

1333 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Hector Concepcion
Seller: Constance A. White
Date: 03/18/20

11 Penrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: James McCarthy
Seller: Wolfpack Realty Corp.
Date: 03/19/20

90 Pinecrest Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Ndayiragije Simon
Seller: Tony M. Tai
Date: 03/12/20

115 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Emmanuel Tete-Donkor
Seller: US Bank NA
Date: 03/17/20

64-66 Scott St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Martina Adames
Seller: Liam P. Hayes
Date: 03/11/20

52-54 Stockman St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $125,061
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Terrell Brown
Date: 03/16/20

24 Warrenton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Arelys Romero
Seller: Joseph S. Bruno
Date: 03/18/20

21 Wellesley St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Caleb M. Mattsson-Boze
Seller: Leon Woods
Date: 03/16/20

WESTFIELD

315 Buck Pond Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jason G. Paquette
Seller: Heather A. Longley
Date: 03/13/20

1779 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $203,023
Buyer: Thomas Kowalski
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/18/20

130 Lindbergh Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Perry L. Phillips
Seller: Cornerstone Homebuying
Date: 03/13/20

3 Locust St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $224,500
Buyer: William E. Leavy
Seller: David S. Weaver
Date: 03/19/20

5 Maplewood Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Julie Cuttell
Seller: Bethany E. Healy
Date: 03/18/20

39 Old Feeding Hills Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kathleen R. Brady
Seller: Laurence N. Brady
Date: 03/17/20

WILBRAHAM

36 Glenn Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $322,450
Buyer: Arria N. Coburn
Seller: Philip H. Gosselin
Date: 03/12/20

19 Grove St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Erik R. Snyder
Seller: Sushilaben Patel
Date: 03/13/20

931 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Michelle T. Gallien
Seller: Daniel J. Kelley
Date: 03/16/20

5 Seneca St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Lindsay Russo
Seller: Ricardo R. Garrido
Date: 03/13/20

17 Weston St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $179,500
Buyer: Arthur H. Walsh
Seller: Arria N. Coburn
Date: 03/12/20

10 Winterberry Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Craig M. Healy
Seller: Susan T. McDiarmid
Date: 03/19/20

WEST SPRINGFIELD

165 Almon Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Carolyn Charette
Seller: Carolyn Charette
Date: 03/11/20

340 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Joseph T. Martin
Seller: Fallah Razzak
Date: 03/19/20

193 Bosworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Round 2 LLC
Seller: Geraldine T. Racicot
Date: 03/18/20

410 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Olga G. Archakova
Seller: Lyubov Kamyshina
Date: 03/11/20

99 Forris St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: Anthony J. Iennaco
Seller: Donald J. Donahue
Date: 03/18/20

108 Great Plains Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $200,100
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Barbara J. Kelley
Date: 03/18/20

25 Lower Grandview Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Mathew D. Gaspari
Seller: David P. Bonci
Date: 03/13/20

1844 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Nancy V. Fox
Seller: 1844 Riverdale LLC
Date: 03/13/20

537 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $520,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: Barbara A. Thomas
Date: 03/13/20

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

171 Gray St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Daisy Mae Realty LLC
Seller: Paul Boudreau
Date: 03/24/20

15 High Point Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jessica M. Jimison
Seller: Melanie Fletcher-Howell
Date: 03/18/20

22 Indian Pipe Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $627,000
Buyer: Michael W. McClurg
Seller: Lise N. Halpern
Date: 03/19/20

30 Justice Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $274,000
Buyer: Tracy L. Ross
Seller: Ellen Panzer
Date: 03/20/20

96 Larkspur Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $543,000
Buyer: Cheri K. Leblond
Seller: Thomas E. Kopec
Date: 03/13/20

165 Mechanic St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Martin Kounitz
Seller: Craig D. Mackinnon
Date: 03/13/20

25 Mount Pollux Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Nancy F. Rothschild
Seller: Shumway, Ilse W., (Estate)
Date: 03/12/20

43 Ridgecrest Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Andrew T. Trafford
Seller: William C. Venman RET
Date: 03/13/20

22 Rolling Ridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Friedman
Seller: Historical Enterprises
Date: 03/20/20

181 Strong St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Raymond J. Pedrick
Seller: Fiordaliza Suarez
Date: 03/23/20

36 Weaver Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Joel R. Acker
Seller: Richard P. Lawlor
Date: 03/20/20

BELCHERTOWN

12 Autumn Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Benjamin McCullough
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 03/12/20

635 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Meaghan L. Williamson
Seller: Lenox Homes LLC
Date: 03/20/20

22 Prescott Hill
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Peter Farfard
Seller: Newbridge Industries
Date: 03/18/20

153 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Brian P. Patrick
Seller: Dean M. Kolodji
Date: 03/18/20

115 Wilson Road
Belchertown, MA 01056
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Scott A. Surner
Seller: Benjamin A. Surner
Date: 03/11/20

CHESTERFIELD

17 Bissell Road
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: David Luquin
Seller: Vee Builders LLC
Date: 03/13/20

EASTHAMPTON

10 Lawler Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: James W. Poro
Seller: Barry Small
Date: 03/20/20

46 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $534,500
Buyer: Elyane Harney
Seller: Christopher C. Fickett
Date: 03/20/20

GRANBY

101 Kendall St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Alison J. Kuley
Seller: William M. Clark
Date: 03/12/20

23 North St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Robert K. Scott
Seller: Irene A. Sills
Date: 03/12/20

HADLEY

3 Nikkis Way
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $649,000
Buyer: Mohammed J. Ahmed
Seller: Bercume Construction LLC
Date: 03/12/20

20 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $582,000
Buyer: Katherine Sandak
Seller: Angelica S. Leboeuf TR
Date: 03/13/20

Shattuck Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $1,260,000
Buyer: Food Bank Of Western Mass.
Seller: Kestrel Land TR
Date: 03/20/20

42 West St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $611,250
Buyer: Trysquare LLC
Seller: 42 West Street Hadley LLC
Date: 03/13/20

HATFIELD

113 Prospect St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $394,000
Buyer: Michael Murphy
Seller: Deborah M. Keisch
Date: 03/20/20

HUNTINGTON

2 Goss Hill Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Rachel Laurie
Seller: James Tidwell
Date: 03/23/20

44 Littleville Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Kyle Harmon
Seller: 44 Littleville Road Land TR
Date: 03/13/20

NORTHAMPTON

112 Dunphy Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Matthew P. Larochelle
Seller: Elena L. Maslowski
Date: 03/16/20

10 Hawley St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,260,000
Buyer: O’Connell Hawley LLC
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop Of Springfield
Date: 03/17/20

3 Langworthy Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Kelli L. Miller
Seller: Frances H. Crowe IRT
Date: 03/13/20

11 Orchard St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: 11 Orchard Street LLC
Seller: Apple Tree LLC
Date: 03/16/20

Phillips Place
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: O’Connell Hawley 2 LLC
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop Of Springfield
Date: 03/17/20

15 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Clare Doyle
Seller: Robert Farr-Bayliss
Date: 03/24/20

597 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Zachary Moran
Seller: Daniel J. Smith
Date: 03/11/20

PELHAM

9 Jones Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: John J. Kulsick
Seller: Chelsea Reiff-Gwyther
Date: 03/24/20

SOUTH HADLEY

4 Birchwood Place
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Kathleen J. Bryant
Seller: Crystal L. Harto
Date: 03/20/20

366 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Tamara R. Thompson
Seller: Cliste RT
Date: 03/23/20

631 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $304,900
Buyer: Fredrick R. Smith
Seller: Daniel Dowen
Date: 03/16/20

45 Red Bridge Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $459,000
Buyer: Daniel Dowen
Seller: Patrick S. Sabbs
Date: 03/16/20

12 Skyline Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Home Improvement Assocs.
Seller: Loretta A. Chudzik
Date: 03/19/20

9 Sunrise Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: John Courtney
Seller: Harry Kastrinakis
Date: 03/13/20

18 Waite Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Peter Ngure-Gitau
Seller: John Courtney
Date: 03/13/20

SOUTHAMPTON

113 College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Susan M. Wilson
Seller: Haley E. Pearl
Date: 03/23/20

220 College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $247,600
Buyer: Sandra Demers
Seller: Edna M. Bresnahan IRT
Date: 03/18/20

3 Jeanne Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Samuel R. Maule
Seller: Mary A. Phelan
Date: 03/16/20

WARE

36 Aspen St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Kaycee E. Partlow
Seller: Rufus G. Chaffee
Date: 03/20/20

11 Barnes St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Brian R. Farmer
Seller: Linda M. Kenyon
Date: 03/19/20

27 Berkshire Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $181,100
Buyer: Best4u RT
Seller: Lakeview Loan Servicing
Date: 03/12/20

9 Castle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Adilson Lima
Seller: Heidi Pardee
Date: 03/19/20

20 Highland St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Katherine A. Marceau
Seller: Joseph C. Heymann
Date: 03/18/20

340 Monson Turnpike Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: John S. O’Donnell
Seller: Karen L. Wallace
Date: 03/11/20

31-33 Walnut St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Helena Paez
Seller: Steven M. Lundahl
Date: 03/13/20

WESTHAMPTON

220 Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Katelyn C. Dutkiewicz
Seller: Lans G. Christenson
Date: 03/20/20

WILLIAMSBURG

21 Goshen Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $215,500
Buyer: Noah T. Illingsworth
Seller: Charles W. Odowd
Date: 03/13/20

3 Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Oakfield Properties LLC
Seller: WIP Inc.
Date: 03/11/20

48 South St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $624,000
Buyer: James D. Paluch
Seller: Robert W. Barker
Date: 03/16/20

Building Permits

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2020

Building Permits

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

AMHERST

Fleet National Bank
1 South Pleasant St.
$31,000 — Demolish temporary wall, remove existing grill and gearhead

Long Mountain, LLC
383 Main St.
$2,000 — Remove non-bearing partition wall on first floor

CHICOPEE

Dow Jones and Co. Inc.
200 Burnett Road
$101,035 — Storage room roofing

LEE

AJT Realty Trust
335 Forest St.
$25,000 — Alterations to existing AT&T antenna equipment

LENOX

CR Resorts, LLC
165 Kemble St.
$25,000 — Finish upgrades in spinning room and steam room

HG October Mountain Estate, LLC
430 East St.
$5,000 — Repair front gate post

PALMER

Adaptas
7 Third St.
$50,000 — Bring wall up to two-hour fire rating, create new vestibule

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Medical Center Inc.
300 Carew St.
$24,986 — Alter interior space for a guard station on second floor of Family Advocacy Center

Baystate Medical Center Inc.
3601 Main St.
$334,118 — Alter shell space for fit-out for medical office space, clinical trials support

Center Square Inc.
1459 Main St.
$657,475 — Interior renovations to office space on ninth floor, cosmetic updates to office space on eighth floor

Local Tortillas, LLC
1026 Bay St.
$220,250 — Repair two side entrance landings and stairs, alter front covered entry for accessible compliance, create exterior concrete pad for three metal bins

Gono Ostrovskiy
174 Locust St.
$20,000 — Replace 25 roof trusses, add insulation to attic and exterior walls, remove and replace windows and siding

Wason Avenue Partners II, LLC
80 Wason Ave.
$24,986 — Alter interior space for tenant fit-out for medical office space, clinical trials suite

Coping with a Changed Landscape

Plain Speaking

Lost Days

Spreading the Word

Progress Report

Why was it important to take action in Washington quickly?

So, when are the rebates coming?

Why are some small businesses struggling with the loan-application process?

How does the CARES Act address organizations helping people avoid loss of housing?

Does the CARES Act discourage people from working by dramatically expanding unemployment assistance?

What can we expect in phase 4?

When should people expect to get back to work?

Do you have any final thoughts?

The Bottom Line

Doctrine of Impossibility of Contract

Force Majeure

Which Applies?

Uncertain Times

Signs of the Times

Where There’s a Will…

Life on the Front Lines

Testing, Testing

Across the Distance

Ready for the Surge

A Pandemic Estate Plan

Last Will and Testament

Healthcare Proxy — and Possibly a MOLST

Durable Power of Attorney

Homestead Declaration

Conclusion

A New Normal

Not Business as Usual

Carrying On

Back to Basics

Community Support

Meeting the Need

A Story Worth Reading

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Community Foundation Grants $700,000 Through COVID-19 Response Fund

Fire Investigation Transfer Program Launched at STCC

HCC President Pledges $10,000 to ‘Together HCC’ Campaign

Northampton Survival Center Updates Public on Services

Monson Savings Bank Donates $25,000 to Baystate Health’s Greatest Needs Fund

UMassFive College Credit Union Offers Financial Resources, Support

Country Bank Donates $250,000 to Four Hospitals

Providence Ministries Services Continue Through Pandemic

Girls Inc. Receives Grants from Baystate Health, Women Empowered

Amherst Area Tip Jar Launched

Big Y Announces Support for Five Food Banks

FRANKLIN COUNTY

HAMPDEN COUNTY

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

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