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Coronavirus Special Coverage

Opinion

Going back to the early days of the pandemic, one of the overriding questions on the minds of many in this region, and especially its business community, was: will there be a Big E?

On Monday, we finally learned the answer: no.

In many ways, that verdict was not unexpected. Looking at the situation objectively, one had to wonder how organizers could possibly stage a fair that draws more than 100,000 people on a good day and keep not only these visitors safe, but also the workers, vendors, and area residents. It just didn’t seem doable, even to those who really, as in really, wanted the Big E to happen.

And that’s a large constituency, especially within the business community, where many different kinds of ventures benefit greatly from the 17-day fair and the 1.5 million people drawn to it annually. That list includes hotels, restaurants, tent-rental companies, transportation outfits, food vendors, breweries, and many, many more. These businesses have already lost so much to the pandemic, and now they’ve suffered perhaps the biggest loss of all.

Indeed, the year-long (at least) challenge of surviving the pandemic just became a little sterner for all kinds of businesses within the 413.

And the community loses out as well. The Big E isn’t just an annual event, it’s a century-old tradition that has become part of the fabric of this region.

Canceling the Big E was certainly the right move from a public-health perspective, and it makes sense on so many levels. But that doesn’t soften the blow for constituencies ranging from large corporations to homeowners near the fairgrounds who turn their driveways and lawns into parking lots.

The silence on Memorial Avenue this September will be deafening. And the blow to the region will be significant.

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — For the safety of fairgoers, staff, vendors, entertainers, exhibitors, sponsors, suppliers, and the broader community, the leadership of the Eastern States Exposition have canceled the 2020 Big E.

“Please know that this decision was not made lightly,” a statement noted. “The Big E fair is so much more than just a fair; it is tradition, it is celebration, it is the showcase of everything we are so proud of in New England. This is why our hearts are heavy as we bring you this news.”

The fair has been put on hold before, during both World War I and World War II.

“We know our faithful fairgoers will be disappointed,” the statement noted. “This decision was difficult and complex, but we all know in our hearts that it’s the right thing to do for the health and safety of the 1.6 million people who support us each year.

“Our staff has spent the last few months working tirelessly to figure a way to bring our annual New England tradition to everyone this fall. Despite exploring all our options and planning extensively, we realized that the Big E experience that everyone has come to know and love would not be the same.

“We care for each and every one of our fairgoers, and our job is to help you make the best memories possible. Because of that, we must now switch our focus to the future. Please join us in doing that.”

Next year’s edition of the Big E is scheduled for Sept. 17 to Oct. 3, 2021.

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — At its recent annual meeting, held virtually, the board of trustees of Bay Path University, on behalf of the entire Bay Path community, surprised retiring President Carol Leary with a celebration in her honor.

“Carol Leary led a remarkable transformation of Bay Path during her 25-year tenure. The board was honored to pay tribute to her and express gratitude for the countless ways she and her husband Noel have impacted Bay Path and the Western Massachusetts community,” said Jonathan Besse, board chair.

The longest-serving president in Bay Path’s history, the board granted Leary the title of president emerita, which will begin July 1, her first day of retirement. Emeritus status is a special honor given to an individual who has provided distinguished service to an institution or organization. During her tenure, Leary guided the university through a remarkable transformation, resulting in an unprecedented number of institutional improvements and initiatives such as strengthening academic offerings, enhancing the student experience, investing in capital projects, and establishing ties with the greater community and cultivating new partnerships.

In addition to electing Leary president emerita, the trustees voted to rename the main administration building, Deepwood Hall, to Leary Hall.

Carol and Noel Leary were also acknowledged for their commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the tremendous impact they have had on all students. As first-generation college students themselves, they have inspired hundreds of women to attain a degree.

Also, in recognition of Noel Leary’s deep commitment to students, as well as his civic activism and volunteerism, the board awarded him an honorary degree. As Besse noted, “for this selfless community servant who, without fanfare, has dedicated his life to the betterment of others, we are proud to bestow Bay Path’s highest honor, the doctor of humane letters, honoris causa, upon Noel Leary.”

Sandra Doran, the sixth president of Bay Path, will assume office on July 1.

Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — The Greater Easthampton Sustaining Small Business Grant (SSBG) program is part of a larger collaboration between the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce and the city of Easthampton, within the Blueprint Easthampton initiative. The initial intent of the SSBG is to provide local small and micro businesses, as well as the nonprofit community, with short-term, immediate financial aid to those who have sustained economic loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so that businesses may continue their operations.

“We are especially thankful to our partners and are just thrilled to be a part of this important collaboration during this urgent time of need,” said Moe Belliveau, the chamber’s executive director.

A $30,000 grant has been awarded to the city of Easthampton by the office of Attorney General Maura Healy toward this effort. As program administrator, the chamber will create and run the SSBG program, while the city acts as the financial coordinator, collecting donations and writing checks once the grants are awarded by the chamber to businesses located in Easthampton.

The grant has also been seeded in conjunction with a $7,500 gift from Todd Barron and Lindsay Barron LaBonte, co-managers of Applied Mortgage, a d/b/a of HarborOne Mortgage. The Vitality Grant sponsored by Applied Mortgage Giving is based on its desire to invest in its communities by supporting Greater Easthampton small businesses and nonprofits. The Greater Easthampton area includes Easthampton, Southampton, and Westhampton.

The application process will open on July 1 at 9 a.m. and end on July 14 at 5 p.m. Applicants are encouraged to read the program requirements on the chamber’s website prior to July 1.

Daily News

AMHERST — UMass Amherst announced its fall 2020 reopening plan, noting that, while almost all courses will be taught remotely this fall, students will be given the option to live on campus under exacting public-health restrictions. No students will be required to return to campus, and students will determine which option, taking courses while living at home or in campus residence halls, is best according to their personal health, educational path, and home environment.

“Students who choose to attend UMass Amherst do so not only for the quality of the faculty and the academic programs, but also for the immersive experience, which offers opportunities for enrichment that can be undertaken with a diverse group of peers,” Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said. “As best we can — and there are severe limitations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — we will strive to sustain the community connections that represent UMass at its best.”

The plan makes clear there are inherent risks to joining a residential campus environment this fall, and it provides students the opportunity to consult with their families and decide what is best for them. Subbaswamy emphasized that “it is important to understand that life on campus will not be anything resembling normal college life.”

In announcing the plan, UMass Amherst joins a small number of schools giving students the option to determine whether to spend the semester on campus or at home. The decision to invite first-year, transfer, and returning undergraduate students to live on campus was informed in part by the overwhelming feedback from students that they want to pursue their studies on campus — and, indeed, intended to seek out rental units in the area even if residence halls were not reopened.

For students who choose to reside in on-campus housing or expect to spend any time on campus, standards will be exacting. Students must agree not only to the standard Code of Student Conduct, but also to a set of protocols outlined in the UMass Agreement, a commitment they will be required to sign.

Protocols for students include strict physical distancing, wearing face coverings outside personal living spaces, limiting social contacts to a minimal number of people per day, the prohibition of guests in residence halls, subjecting themselves to virus testing on demand, daily self-monitoring and reporting, assisting with contact tracing, and limiting travel away from the immediate campus area for work and/or emergencies only.

Health and Safety

The university will establish a Public Health Promotion Center to be the central coordinating and operational center for COVID-19 on campus. It will focus on the following: asymptomatic testing (symptomatic testing will be conducted at University Health Services), contact tracing, coordinating isolation and quarantine, flu vaccinations, and communication outreach focused on health promotion with public-health ambassadors.

The university is developing a comprehensive surveillance, testing, isolation, and contact-tracing program that students must comply with both on- and off-campus. All students, faculty, and staff will be asked to self-monitor on a daily basis for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to campus. All students returning to campus will be tested prior to arrival. During the fall semester, any student experiencing even the slightest symptoms will be tested by University Health Services.

Students living on campus who test positive for COVID-19 will have the option to return to their home to isolate for the appropriate amount of time, or they will be placed in isolation housing on campus and be provided with support services and a daily wellness call. Off-campus students are also encouraged to develop an isolation and quarantine plan with their family and roommates. The university will provide support services in a student’s off-campus location or home, but it will not provide on-campus isolation or quarantine space.

Teaching and Learning

The university previously announced an altered academic calendar for fall 2020, with a start date of Aug. 24 for classes. Classes will end Nov. 20, at Thanksgiving break, when students will move out of residence halls. Final exams will be conducted remotely after Thanksgiving break. Classes also will be held on Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day.

A majority of the fall 2020 curriculum will be fully remote, with only essential labs, studios, performances, and hands-on courses offered in-person and focused on the upper-level curriculum to provide seniors with timely progress toward degree completion. Some students who live on campus may have a fully remote curriculum, a factor they should consider in their decision whether to come to campus.

Classroom capacities will be limited to adhere to social-distancing guidelines. Additional sections of courses may be added to reduce class sizes. Course schedules will be adjusted to increase time between classes to reduce interactive foot traffic on campus and provide time for increased cleaning of lab and classroom spaces when needed. Students will be encouraged to be patient and flexible regarding classroom assignments and course schedules.

Libraries are currently working on a phased reopening plan for restoration of in-person services and on-site access to their collections. Until then, the libraries will continue to provide access to materials through the Library Express service.

Residential Life

While all courses that do not require physical presence on campus will be offered remotely this fall, all undergraduate students who have reserved on-campus housing for the upcoming semester, and for whom there is space available, are invited to live on campus under strict public-health behavioral restrictions.

After July 1, Residential Life will communicate with students who have a current housing assignment about their eligibility to live on campus. Students who plan on canceling their housing assignment should contact Residential Life immediately to inform them of their change of plans.

Life in the residence halls will be altered to include pedestrian-flow restrictions, restrictions on group gatherings, and limited face-to-face contact. No guests will be allowed in residence halls until further notice.

Move-in for fall semester will take place over multiple days to reduce the amount of people on campus at any time, and students may bring only two family members or helpers to assist them. Students are advised to bring fewer items to campus this fall and plan for 12 weeks of residential time as opposed to an entire school year due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. Also, if COVID-19 cases spike in Massachusetts, the university may close down residence halls and send students home.

Students who either do not have access to the main campus or who are seeking a residential option beyond the main campus may apply for housing on the Mount Ida campus in Newton. All health and safety protocols on the main campus will be in effect in Newton, but the total residential population at the Newton campus will be limited by available housing to fewer than 500 students. All courses taught in Newton beyond essential face-to-face courses for on-site programs (such as veterinary technology) will be offered remotely.

Campus Life

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university is offering its immersive residential experience, which is conducive to students’ learning and academic progress, in a manner that is intended to provide safeguards for the health and well-being of the entire campus community. Given this situation, campus life will be a different experience in the fall, with all members of the campus community playing an important role in mitigating the infection and spread of the virus.

Most student services will be offered remotely, including the services of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health. The Recreation Center will be open, but there will be limits and restrictions on activities. The center will also livestream fitness classes through the intramural leagues.

UMass Dining will adapt its services to current federal and state guidelines for food service. It will offer new grab-and-go stations, online ordering for many of its retail locations, and tents for outdoor dining on campus.

Student activities will center on small-group, in-person events, and larger virtual events.

The complete reopening plan, including a detailed set of frequently asked questions, can be found at www.umass.edu/reopening.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Erin Chrzanowski has joined the firm as an associate and a member of the firm’s business and corporate practice group, where she works on matters related to commercial real estate and financing.

In addition, she was recently elected to serve on the board of Revitalize Community Development Corp. in Springfield.

Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Chrzanowski attended Syracuse University College of Law, earning her JD in 2019, and UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, earning her BBA cum laude in 2017. She is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and New York.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Starting on Tuesday, June 30, United Way of Pioneer Valley will start distributing hundreds of boxes of shelf-stable food items to community partner agencies for distribution to potentially thousands of needy clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The boxes of shelf-stable food have been secured through United Way’s relationship with MEMA as they distribute food throughout the Commonwealth in response to the ongoing pandemic. The first truckload will arrive at United Way headquarters in Springfield on June 30 at 10 a.m.

“We are honored to play a part in the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 response efforts,” said Paul Mina, president and CEO of United Way of Pioneer Valley. “We have worked with MEMA closely in their relief efforts for Hampden County and are happy to continue to help.”

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NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced it has received two awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), a global nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement. The college received an Educational Fundraising Award for Overall Performance in the category of Public Liberal Arts Institutions and a Circle of Excellence Award for its 2018-19 President’s Report. This is the first year MCLA has been recognized by this program.

The annual Educational Fundraising Awards recognize exemplary development programs based on a blind review of data submitted to the CASE Voluntary Support of Education survey. Winners are selected based on factors and variables that include, but are not limited to, patterns of growth, overall breadth of fundraising, amount raised per student, and alumni participation.

The Circle of Excellence Awards recognize institutions whose staff members advanced their institutions through innovative, inspiring, and creative ideas. The awards acknowledge superior accomplishments that have lasting impact, demonstrate the highest level of professionalism, and deliver exceptional results.

CASE judges commended the 2018-19 President’s Report, which was developed by MCLA’s Department of Marketing and Communications staff, on its theme and narrative flow, effective use of vintage and modern photographs and design elements, concise but not spare use of color, and the overall feeling of community it expressed, among other praise.

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AMHERST — The Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech (MeHI) selected six new healthcare research and development (R&D) hubs to join the Digital Health Sandbox Network, including UMass Amherst’s Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS).

The Sandbox Network program connects digital-health startups to cutting-edge R&D facilities in the Commonwealth and allows Massachusetts startups to apply for funding to test their innovations at one of the networks’ labs, now including IALS. Sandbox R&D facilities provide a range of services supporting validation and testing for digital health companies throughout their life cycles.

“Establishing a translational institute at UMass that provides startup lab space; more than 30 industry-friendly, staffed core equipment facilities; and individualized venture-mentoring services creates an exciting environment for digital-health companies in Western Massachusetts,” IALS Director Peter Reinhart said.

Andrew Vinard, IALS director of Core Facilities, added that “our core facilities will now have access to a wider network of potential users who may not have found us but for the Sandbox program and MeHI’s engagement. This will be a catalyst to bring digital health-focused companies to our doors to access the broad array of resources and expertise we can devote to their projects. Being in the Sandbox Network also broadens our core facilities access to expertise, which we hope will translate to inter-institutional projects to take advantage of the wealth of resources Massachusetts has to offer to our digital-health industry.”

IALS helps to shepherd and translate fundamental research into new product candidates, technologies, and services that benefit human health and well-being. IALS also helps users address both basic and translational questions, deliver technologies and product candidates more rapidly, and become more competitive in obtaining funding. Facilities include a state-of-the-art test bed for mobile health experiments at scale, the Center for Human Health and Performance, a roll-to-roll fabrication and processing facility, and research laboratory space for lease.

In 2019, Gov. Charlie Baker announced $500,000 in funding for the Sandbox program as part of the Commonwealth’s efforts to boost the digital-health ecosystem under the Massachusetts Digital Health Initiative.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Responding to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will restructure academic departments and discontinue some programs with low enrollment.

Geraldine de Berly, Vice President of Academic Affairs, announced the restructuring plan and listed seven programs to be discontinued in a campus e-mail. The program discontinuations will affect approximately 95 students, but those individuals will be able to complete their degree or certificate at STCC. Across an academic year, about 7,000 students enroll at STCC in about 90 different programs.

The decisions were made by the college in anticipation of projected budget shortfalls in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“It is regrettable that STCC is not immune to the fiscal difficulties that have befallen higher-education institutions,” de Berly said in the e-mail. “These unprecedented times have required hard decisions, and the loss of programs, as well as skilled and talented faculty and staff, is most dismaying. We recognize the considerable contributions and commitment made to the STCC community, and genuinely wish there was different news to share.”

STCC will reduce 21 positions through retrenchments and layoffs, in addition to early-retirement incentives. Some of the retrenchments are a result of restructuring and program closures.

John Cook, STCC president, said the restructuring plan will not change the college’s mission, and in fact reaffirms the imperative to continue as the most affordable and accessible option for many families. STCC is the only technical community college in Massachusetts with health and STEM programs serving significant populations of African-American, Latinx, and first-generation college students.

STCC’s Division of Student Affairs has worked diligently to provide quality services and student support in a remote environment during the COVID-19 crisis, said Vice President of Student Affairs Darcey Kemp. Some of the many services being provided remotely include academic advising, the Career Development Center, assistance with food insecurity and housing, disability services, testing and assessment, tutoring, as well as support to veterans.

Like other community colleges, STCC has experienced a steady decline in enrollment since peaking in 2010 during the Great Recession. The decline is linked to a number of factors, including the previously low unemployment rate, as well as smaller high-school graduating classes.

“We will continue to offer the most affordable pathway for students who seek a smart start and transfer, or look to enter critical workforce and career fields that include manufacturing and healthcare, with programs that include nursing, medical assistant, and respiratory care. Our two middle names are vital, and STCC prides ourselves on making the dream of higher education possible,” Cook said. “The college has made extremely difficult decisions necessitated by the fiscal impact of the pandemic, but we are resolved during these unprecedented challenges.”

Cook added that STCC will work closely with the local legislative delegation, as well as the Baker-Polito administration, regarding funding and support of community colleges. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, community colleges have been accustomed to adjusting operating expenses and limited budgets each year in support of students.

In light of fiscal considerations, departments have been restructured within the School of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies and the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and programs to be discontinued include automotive technology, biomedical engineering technology, biotechnology, civil engineering technology, cosmetology, dental assistant, and landscape design and management technology

STCC will work with students enrolled in the discontinued programs to develop an academic plan to complete their program of study. Students will be supported by an academic or faculty advisor and can consider migrating to related programs. For example, a student studying civil engineering technology may consider architectural building technology. Course offerings will continue beginning fall 2020 through program completion. Administrators are also considering moving some of the discontinued programs to STCC’s Workforce Development Center, which offers non-credit classes that meet employer demand across the region.

Due to COVID-19, STCC this fall will offer on-campus low-density labs using social-distancing protocols combined with online instruction. The college is known for its state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment in STEM programs, as well as a nationally recognized patient-simulation facility used by students in its health programs.

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University is expanding its focus in the rapidly growing area of cybersecurity — and helping to bring more women into it — with the introduction of an undergraduate major in risk management. In addition, the university will offer scholarships to women looking to obtain degrees in cybersecurity. Made possible by Strada Education Network, these scholarships will help offset the cost of fall 2020 enrollment in cybersecurity programs.

The term ‘risk management’ applies to the forecasting and evaluation of risks alongside the identification of procedures to avoid or minimize their impact. This new program concentration will include coursework in data privacy, project management, crisis management, and incident recovery.

“Bay Path’s risk management degree is designed for women who enjoy collaborating to proactively identify risks and guard against cyberthreats,” said Beverly Benson, program director for Information Technology and Security at the American Women’s College of Bay Path University. “This degree will enable women to combine valued skills and insights like problem solving, creativity, collaboration, communication and leadership, and essential technical knowledge to develop and implement risk-management strategies for an incredibly exciting and rewarding career.”

With nearly 80% of the organizations surveyed for the 2019 Marsh Microsoft Global Cyber Risk Perception Survey ranking cyber risks as a top-five concern, but only 11% feeling adequately prepared to assess and address those threats, the need for risk managers in the cybersecurity sphere is more important than ever. Within those responding organizations, the majority of board members and senior executives responsible for their organization’s cyber risk management reported that they had less than a day in the last year to spend focused on cyber risk issues.

“In time, with training and experience, high-paying jobs in cybersecurity are available, especially for women,” Benson said. “Bay Path is working to ensure women students get desirable internships in cybersecurity to close the experience gap and position them for better starting salaries.”

For more information on Bay Path’s undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity programs, including focuses in risk management, digital forensics and incident response, and information assurance, visit www.baypath.edu.

Daily News

ENFIELD, Conn. — Asnuntuck Community College has scheduled several virtual information sessions with the Admissions and Financial Aid departments during the summer.

The sessions will be held on Tuesday, June 30 at 5 p.m.; Monday, July 13 at 5 p.m.; Wednesday, July 22 at 3 p.m.; Tuesday, July 28 at 5 p.m.; and Thursday, Aug. 6 at 3 p.m. Prospective students need to attend only one of the sessions.

Participants will be able to learn about the admissions and financial-aid process. The June 30 and July 13 sessions will feature information regarding Connecticut’s community-college debt-free scholarship, Pledge to Advance Connecticut (PACT), during the 60-minute session. Students must apply and be registered for a full-time schedule of courses by July 15 to be eligible for PACT. It is free to apply to the college.

The sessions will also include time for questions and answers. To register for a session and learn how to register for classes, visit asnuntuck.edu/admissions/how-to-enroll. Registration for the fall semester is now open.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Since the phrase COVID-19 came into our lexicon, those working in the broad healthcare field have emerged as the true heroes during a pandemic that has changed every facet of life as we know it.

And over the past several months, the world has paid tribute to these heroes, and in all kinds of ways — from applauding in unison from apartment-complex windows to bringing hot meals to hospital and nursing-home workers; from donating much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) to people putting hearts on their front lawns and mailboxes to thank first responders, healthcare workers, postal workers, and others.

BusinessWest and its sister publication, the Healthcare News, will pay tribute in their own way, by dedicating their annual Healthcare Heroes program in 2020 to those who are have emerged as true heroes during this crisis. The deadline for nominations is July 17.

Healthcare Heroes was launched by the two publications in 2017 to recognize those working in this all-important sector of the region’s economy, many of whom are overlooked when it comes to traditional recognition programs. Over the years, the program has recognized providers, administrators, emerging leaders, innovators, and collaborators.

For 2020, the program will shift its focus somewhat to the COVID-19 pandemic and all those who are working in the healthcare field or helping to assist it at this trying time. All manner of heroes have emerged this year, and we invite you to nominate one — or several — for what has become a very prestigious honor in Western Mass.: the Healthcare Heroes award.

Here are some examples of those who have become real heroes:

• Doctors and nurses;

• Emergency-room personnel, including doctors, nurses, orderlies, techs, triage, receptionists, and others;

• EMTs;

• Police and firefighters;

• Nursing-home personnel, everyone from frontline providers to administrators;

• End-of-life care providers;

• Administrators leading the efforts to battle the pandemic;

• Behavioral-health practitioners helping people and families navigate this crisis;

• Individuals and groups from our community who have stepped up to help healthcare workers with everything from hot meals to PPE;

• Companies that have pivoted and commenced production of materials such as PPE to help those in healthcare confront the pandemic;

• Scientists working behind the scenes to develop a vaccine or new types of PPE; and

• Truck drivers delivering supplies to hospitals and other providers.

These are just a few examples, and there are myriad others. In truth, everyone who goes to work in a hospital, nursing home, assisted-living facility, or other healthcare facility, thereby risking their own health, and perhaps their life, is a hero.

In many respects, all these heroes will be honored at the Healthcare Heroes event, now scheduled for this fall at the Springfield Sheraton. And to honor all of them, we want to bring to the podium a number of individuals and groups that represent everyone who has become a hero in these trying times.

To assist those thinking of nominating someone for this honor, we are simplifying the process. All we desire is a 400- to 500-word essay and/or two-minute video entry explaining why the group or individual stands out as an inspiration, and a truly bright star in a galaxy of healthcare heroes. These nominations will be carefully considered by a panel of independent judges, who will select the class of 2020.

For more information on how to nominate someone for the Healthcare Heroes class of 2020, click here. Videos can be sent via dropbox to [email protected].

Healthcare Heroes is sponsored by Comcast Business and Elms College.

COVID-19 Daily News

HOLYOKE — A long-awaited independent report investigating the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, released Wednesday, identifies a number of poor decisions made by suspended Superintendent Bennett Walsh that ultimately led to what the author of the report called “the opposite of infection control.”

The report also levels criticism at the Department of Veterans’ Services for putting Walsh in that position when he had no experience managing a long-term-care facility, and for lack of oversight.

“While the home’s leadership team bears principal responsibility for the events described in this report, Mr. Walsh was not qualified to manage a long-term-care facility, and his shortcomings were well known to the Department of Veterans’ Services — yet the agency failed to effectively oversee the home during his tenure,” the report states. Walsh was suspended with pay at the start of the outbreak.

On Tuesday evening, Veterans’ Services Secretary Francisco Urena confirmed he had been asked to resign ahead of the report’s release and complied.

The 176-page report, authored by Boston attorney Mark Pearlstein, was commissioned by Gov. Charlie Baker in early April as the death toll from the outbreak rose. The report reviews actions taken over a several-day period, but zeroes in on critical decisions made on March 27 to herd dozens of men into one unit that was staffed by employees who did not use proper personal protective equipment.

“Mr. Walsh and his team created close to an optimal environment for the spread of COVID-19,” the report states.

The outbreak ultimately left 76 veterans dead and 80 others sickened, along with many staff members.

“The Soldiers’ Home leadership team made substantial errors in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak,” the report notes. “Even the best preparations and most careful response cannot eliminate the threat of COVID-19. But this does not excuse a failure to plan and execute on long-standing infection control principles and to seek outside help when it is required to keep patients safe — indeed, the extraordinary danger of COVID-19 makes these steps all the more important.”

In addition, “the worst decision made during the Soldiers’ Home’s response to COVID-19 occurred on the afternoon of Friday, March 27, 2020. On that afternoon, a number of staff members had called in sick for the evening shift that was about to begin. Because of the looming staff shortage, the chief Nursing officer, with Mr. Walsh’s approval, decided that one of the home’s two locked dementia units (2-North) would be closed and consolidated with the other (1-North). One social worker recalled raising concerns with the chief Nursing officer about the risk of COVID-19 spreading, and the chief Nursing officer responded that “it didn’t matter because [the veterans] were all exposed anyway, and there was not enough staff to cover both units.

“This decision was a catastrophe,” the report continues. “Staff describe the move as ‘total pandemonium,’ ‘when hell broke loose,’ and ‘a nightmare.’ One staff member stated that she ‘will never get those images out of my mind — what we did, what was done to those veterans,’ and ‘thought, my God, where is the respect and dignity for these men?’ Other witnesses, including a command-response leader brought in three days later to stabilize the situation, reported that this ‘hot’ unit had veterans ‘crammed in on top of each other,’ some of whom ‘were clearly dying.’”

In a statement Wednesday announcing the report’s release, the governor pledged to take “immediate action to deliver the level of care that our veterans deserve.”

Daily News

BOSTON — Berkshire Bank, together with Reevx Labs, will host a third part to its “Reimagining America” town-hall series today, June 25, in which it will address how white allies can help build an equitable and inclusive economy that ensures all communities can thrive.

Berkshire Bank’s goal in hosting this town-hall series is to start a dialogue about how everyone — from economic experts and policy makers to philanthropists and entrepreneurs — can work together to rebuild a stronger, more inclusive economy, and how supporting this initiative on a community level can motivate change on a national level.

Malia Lazu, executive vice president and chief culture and experience officer at Berkshire Bank, noted that, “on the heels of two impactful panels on the future of black and Latinx economies earlier this month, and in the midst of a national upswelling against racial injustice, we believe it is equally pertinent to discuss what it truly means to be an effective ally and help facilitate change in our communities. Reevx Labs was established as a place for community leaders to realize their shared vision of building opportunity and prosperity. With this panel, we intend to continue this dialogue with white allies who are seeking solutions to achieve equity in our economy.”

Participants in today’s event, to be held at 4 p.m., include Pete Dominick, comedian, radio and TV personality, and host of the “Stand Up with Pete” podcast; Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s; Barbara Clark, lead investor in Portfolia’s Rising Tide, Enterprise, and First Step Funds; Jonathan Metzl, director of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University; and Malia Lazu, executive vice president and chief culture and experience officer at Berkshire Bank.

To register, click here. The livestream is available here.

Daily News

FLORENCE — Florence Bank announced that Dawn Harrington was recently selected as a recipient of its President’s Award.

The President’s Award was established by the bank in 1995, affording employees the annual opportunity to nominate their peers for this prestigious honor that recognizes outstanding performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank. Harrington was nominated by numerous colleagues.

Harrington, a senior mortgage underwriter in the main office’s Mortgage Origination department, joined Florence Bank in 2016 and has 19 years of banking experience. She earned her associate degree in legal studies from Bay Path University.

“Dawn has been a reliable asset to our organization since day one,” said Kevin Day, president of Florence Bank. “Her energy is boundless, and her ability to encourage her team is admirable. Dawn is the consummate employee to receive the President’s Award.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — On June 11, John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and Frank Colaccino, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame governor, CEO of the Colvest Group, and chair of the Westfield Bank 2019 Service Above Self Luncheon committee, presented a check for $6,500 to the Rotary Club of Springfield.

The contribution was from proceeds of the 10th annual Service Above Self luncheon held at the Hall of Fame last November. The Westfield Bank 2019 Service Above Self Award winners were local honoree the Jimmy Fund Golf Committee of Western Massachusetts. National honorees were Bob and Chris Hurley for living out the Rotary motto ‘Service Above Self.’

This is the largest contribution the Basketball Hall of Fame has made to the Springfield Rotary Club since the inception of the awards luncheon 10 years ago.

Next month, the Rotary Club of Springfield will award $10,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations that benefit the Greater Springfield community. This year, all grant projects will relate to serving the Springfield community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daily News

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted 5-0 on Tuesday to approve detailed guidelines outlining the minimum requirements for the reopening of the state’s two resort casinos and single slots facility. During a remote public meeting, the five gaming commissioners adopted health and safety rules that MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor, and Plainridge Park Casino must meet in anticipation of the resumption of casino operations, scheduled for phase 3 of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan.

The minimum requirements adopted by the commission address key areas, including cleaning and sanitization, social distancing, guest screening, occupancy limits, and reporting measures, among others. Each licensee will be required to submit a detailed plan at least seven days in advance of reopening. The licensee plans must identify the steps and measures taken to achieve compliance with the guidance and protocols issued by the CDC, the Department of Public Health, the Board of Health in the host community, the Baker-Polito administration, and the guidelines adopted by the commission.

“The MGC is working to ensure a safe and sustainable reopening, issuing guidelines today that will no doubt shift to reflect the changing public-health data over time,” MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein said. “We are confident that our three licensees will work in good faith to implement and enforce these measures. We also know that the success of a reopening will require the casino patrons’ cooperative efforts, thoughtful awareness, and empathy for one another and the greater community.”

The guidelines require the casino properties to sanitize routinely in compliance with CDC guidelines. Guests will be screened upon entry and required to wear face masks, which will be provided if needed. Employees will also be subject to screening procedures, including temperature checks, and will be required to wear face masks.

The commission agreed that all three casinos will promote social distancing of slots play, either by maintaining a minimum of six feet between operating slot positions or by installing plexiglass dividers not fewer than six feet high between operating slot positions.

For table games at MGM and Encore, licensees will install plexiglass dividers at blackjack-style tables separating dealer from player positions and between player positions. There will be no more than three player positions at each blackjack-style table, with chairs for unavailable positions removed. The commission also ruled that there will be no poker, craps, or roulette until further notice.

Each licensee will be required to limit occupancy based on its number of gaming positions available multiplied by three plus gaming-area employees of the licensee and the MGC and capacity of open amenities (utilizing the occupancy limits set by the governor’s guidelines for each amenity).

The required minimum health and safety standards put forth in this guidance are subject to adjustment or modification based on evolving information and/or mandates from the state.

Daily News

BOSTON — Massachusetts’ community colleges and state universities, while financially able to operate this year, could face serious financial trouble in coming years, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Massachusetts higher-education officials said the state’s community colleges and four-year institutions, which serve primarily low-income and minority students, will be able to make it through the upcoming fiscal year by drawing on reserves, making budget cuts, and restructuring debt, according to the Boston Globe. But they are likely to run through their financial cushions and face much more difficulty in the years ahead.

The report was issued by consulting firm EY-Parthenon and commissioned by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. The state has 15 community colleges, six state universities, and three specialized colleges. The University of Massachusetts system, which does its own financial forcasting, was not included in the report.

EY-Parthenon projected that community colleges face between $27 million to $118 million less in revenue next year, depending on how badly enrollment and state aid falls. For state colleges, the drop could be between $74 million and $248 million.

In the worst-case scenario, the Globe notes, if the institutions see a 20% decline in state funding and an additional 15% drop in tuition and fee revenue from declining enrollments, four community colleges and four state colleges wouldn’t have enough cash next spring to cover one month of expenses. Typically, such schools have enough cash to cover four to six months of expenses.

Daily News

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration announced that the annual sales-tax-free weekend will take place the weekend of Aug. 29-30. This marks the second sales-tax holiday held under the new law signed by Gov. Charlier Baker in 2018 that made the weekend an annual occurrence.

“The annual sales-tax holiday is an opportunity for us to support small businesses and consumers, and this year, it’s a great way to support our economy that’s been impacted by COVID-19,” Baker said. “This pandemic has created enormous challenges for the Commonwealth’s small businesses, and the sales-tax-free weekend is one way that we can encourage more economic activity to help Main Street businesses and local economies.”

Added Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, “as the Commonwealth continues its phased reopening process, we recognize that many small businesses continue to face difficulties. We are proud that our administration worked with the Legislature to enact legislation making the sales-tax holiday permanent and look forward to this year’s tax-free weekend and the economic activity that will come with it.”

Daily News

PIONEER VALLEY — ValleyBike Share  — the electric-assist bike-share program of the Pioneer Valley that includes Amherst, Easthampton, Holyoke, Northampton, South Hadley, Springfield, and the UMass Amherst campus — has launched the 2020 season in select locations. Remaining stations will be opened over the following weeks.

ValleyBike boasts more than 40,000 active members, who have ridden more than 280,000 miles on 126,940 trips.

Due to the situation with Covid-19, ValleyBike is urging members to sanitize the handles, seat, and PIN pad before and after using the bikes. Every time the maintenance team touches a bike, it will be fully sanitized, but the public can do their part to keep themselves and others safe.

Visit www.valleybike.org for more information and to find out how to become a member.

Daily News

EAST LONGMEADOW — Monson Savings Bank announced the expansion of its branch network into East Longmeadow. This new office, located at 61 North Main St., is expected to open in late summer.

The full-service branch will offer an extensive array of consumer and commercial products, traditional banking products, wealth-management products, and several robust digital solutions that have grown more important in today’s environment.

It has been the bank’s goal to further expand the markets it serves. “We are thrilled to be expanding our footprint into the vibrant community of East Longmeadow,” said Steve Lowell, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. “We look forward to helping and serving the people and businesses of East Longmeadow and neighboring towns.”

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) has submitted a letter of intent and project proposal to the Massachusetts Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality to expand psychiatric bed capacity.

The letter, sent on June 19, notified the Determination of Need Program that HMC will be completing an application for an additional 64 psychiatric beds. If approved, this will increase the hospital’s total capacity to 84 psychiatric beds, which will serve adult and geriatric populations.

“Our plan is to build a three-level, 68,000-square-foot, 84-bed behavioral-health pavilion on our campus and near the medical center,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. “We have completed a comprehensive review and been working with architects and community stakeholders on finalizing building design.”

The Holyoke Medical Center Behavioral Health Pavilion proposal includes 48 adult psychiatric beds, 36 geriatric beds, and 4,000 square feet of shell space for future expansion or uses to be determined later. Population statistics and competitive analysis suggest that there is a need within a 14-mile radius of Holyoke Medical Center for 52 adult psychiatric beds and 36 geriatric psychiatric beds.

The proposal also includes a parking analysis and parking-garage study, which could provide an additional 60 to 180 parking spaces.

Holyoke Medical Center is partnered with Signet Health Corp., assisting the hospital in the delivery of behavioral-health services by providing management and consulting services. The Leo Brown Group, a full-service healthcare real-estate development and solutions company, will design and build the facility.

It is estimated that, once approved by state and local officials, the new facility will take 18 months to complete and become operational.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Girls Inc. of the Valley is sharing a new campaign on social media this week, called #BlackGirlFuture. 

Girls Inc. of the Valley has created social-media graphics and messaging addressing both disparities that impact girls and the future the organization wants to see for them. #BlackGirlFuture will consist of social-media posts across multiple platforms with a graphic and accompanying message each day to encourage girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Upon completion of #BlackGirlFuture, Girls Inc. of the Valley aims to have inspired all girls to see themselves as leaders with the skills and capabilities to improve and influence their local communities. 

Girls Inc. of the Valley’s Instagram account is @girlsincvalley. Anyone interested in the campaign or with questions regarding #BlackGirlFuture may e-mail Jessica Colson at [email protected].

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Applied Mortgage Giving announced a new campaign, the Vitality Grant, which will be donated to six local community organizations: Downtown Amherst Foundation (Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and Amherst Business Improvement District), Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Franklin County, and United Way of Hampshire County.

These organizations will each receive a portion of the gift to use at their discretion to support their work in the community. The Vitality Grant — sponsored by Applied Mortgage Giving, the charitable arm of Applied Mortgage, a d/b/a of HarborOne Mortgage, LLC — is designed to positively influence and provide opportunities for the success of small businesses and nonprofits in Hampshire and Franklin counties. Applied Mortgage Giving will be partnering with the local chambers and United Ways, hoping to enhance these organizations’ opportunities to meet the specific needs of their communities. 

“The Vitality Grant speaks to our commitment to the success and wellness of our local communities,” said Lindsay Barron LaBonte and Todd Barron, co-branch managers. “During these challenging times, it is essential to support the many businesses and nonprofits that help sustain the cultural and economic vitality of our communities.” 

For more information or questions regarding the Vitality Grant, e-mail LaBonte at [email protected].

Coronavirus Special Coverage

Destination Unknown

John Doleva

John Doleva says the Basketball Hall of Fame still has a big, important year on tap, even if the schedule has shifted quite a bit.

As he talked with BusinessWest about his industry and his family’s hotel group, Kishore Parmar kept glancing back and forth between the lobby of the Hampton Inn in Hadley and the parking lot outside.

He did so with a look that blended something approaching disbelief — still, after roughly three months of the same view — with resignation.

“This lobby is essentially empty, and this is not how it is,” he explained. “If this were a normal day in June, you’d see families, you’d see business people in and out, there would be staff going up and down the hallways. We would be sold out for tonight, or very close to it.”

Instead, there would be maybe six or eight people staying in this 71-room hotel just off Route 9 that night. The lobby was empty. Just a few vehicles dotted the parking lot, all of which Parmar could identify as belonging to staff.

This view is a metaphor of sorts for what hotels have been experiencing since mid-March, something none of those in it have ever seen before. Business for the Pioneer Valley Hotel Group — which also includes a La Quinta by Wyndham in Springfield, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton in Hadley, Holiday Inn Express in Ludlow, and Hadley Farms Meeting House in Hadley — is off roughly 80% from what it was a year ago. And the numbers would be even worse if some first responders didn’t stay in these hotels in the early days of the pandemic.

Perhaps the most unsettling thing is that Parmar doesn’t know if, when, or for how long things will get appreciably better.

But while the view for all hoteliers in the region is similarly troubling, there are some signs of life in the broad tourism and hospitality sector. Indeed, many area restaurants are now open for outdoor seating, and a good number of them are creating intriguing spaces as they welcome back customers that have been relegated to takeout for more than three months.

Signs at the Hall of Fame

Signs at the Hall of Fame will use players’ wingspans to send a message about standing six feet apart — or, in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s case, more than seven feet.

Meanwhile, some tourist attractions are moving closer to opening their doors. The state’s casinos are eyeing a late June opening — although MGM Springfield has not committed to a specific date — while the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is in the final stages of a $23 million renovation project, is targeting July 1 as its reopening date.

President and CEO John Doleva isn’t sure what kind of turnout that opening will boast, although he told BusinessWest the Hall will be aggressive in marketing what was supposed to be a high point in a year of many high points.

“In January, I sat down with the senior staff and said, ‘first of all, this is going to be the greatest class ever — Kobe (Bryant), Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett. That was before Kobe passed away, which was pretty unbelievable,” he recalled. “On top of that, we had a 100% new museum, top to bottom, that was going to open up on May 1” — not to mention a commemorative coin from the U.S. Mint, to be unveiled at the Final Four in early April.

The coin was eventually released, but the Final Four was cancelled, the 2020 induction was moved into 2021, and, who knows what the July 1 grand opening will bring? But Doleva is optimistic.

“The good news is, all these things are going to happen; it’s not like we lost them. They’re just not on the time frame we thought they would be,” he said. “But we do feel that people want to do stuff — but how will they decide?”

That equation has surely changed in the year of COVID-19.

“People always ask, ‘what am I going to see, what does it cost, how far away from my house is it, and what kind of experience is it?’” he noted. “But kind of rising to the top is, ‘what kind of procedures and protocols does an organization have in place to ensure my family’s health and safety?’

“Safety is paramount at any tourism destination at this point,” Doleva added. “You’ve got to communicate not the traditional marketing of ‘we’re fun and we’re affordable; your family’s going to have a great time and talk about it forever.’ It’s also, ‘you can come here and feel safe — and here’s everything that we’re doing.’”

And that presents an opportunity in a region rich in attractions that are often taken for granted by locals. There are indications that, due to real concerns about traveling in anything but a car, area destinations might get a boost from those looking to take a ‘staycation,’ rather than typical vacation, and that includes visiting sites where they feel safe.

“This lobby is essentially empty, and this is not how it is. If this were a normal day in June, you’d see families, you’d see business people in and out, there would be staff going up and down the hallways. We would be sold out for tonight, or very close to it.”

But a host of challenges remain for this sector, and questions remain about everything from how hotels will serve guests breakfast to whether there will be a Big E — which benefits a number of businesses in this sector — and what that fair might look like. But as tourism lurches back to something resembling life, there’s plenty of hope in the air, too.

Animal Attraction

It was opening day at the Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center in Springfield — a full nine weeks later than usual — but Sarah Tsitso liked what she saw.

“People are definitely responding,” said Tsitso, the zoo’s executive director, as guests took advantage of a new timed reservation system that, at least for now, lets only 10 people in every 10 minutes, to promote social distancing. “It’s great seeing families and children so happy being out seeing the animals, and the animals are happy to see their friends come back. We close the first week of November. That’s a long time to be closed to the public.”

The key word is ‘public.’

“The zoo is open 365 days a year for the animals. They live here, and they’re fed and get vet care whether it’s winter or summer. We rely on the visitor season to generate revenue for the months we’re closed.”

Those nine lost weeks cost the center some $200,000 in revenues, losing not just gate receipts but educational programs, a robust schedule of spring field trips, and three major events typically held annually between March and July.

“That’s a pretty huge loss,” she said. “We’re still not sure what’s happening with summer camps, which would start around June 25. We’re not sure what that’s going to look like.”

Whatever shape the summer takes, it will be better than the waiting game to reopen, during which the zoo managed to secure a Paycheck Protection Program loan to keep staff working and developed the protocols now in place, from a mask requirement and sanitizer stations to additional barrier fences and a one-way path around the grounds.

“It was certainly challenging, but manageable,” Tsitso said. “The biggest change was probably the timed ticketing system. But we were quickly able to identify a system that works for us and get it up and functioning. We were just waiting for the green light.”

The light turned decidedly red for Peter Pan Bus Lines back in March, CEO Peter Picknelly told BusinessWest.

“We ran for a few weeks once the pandemic hit, but within two and a half weeks, sales declined over 90%. So we shut down for about eight weeks,” he said. “Shutting down was one of the hardest things we have ever done.”

When the buses did start rolling again earlier this month, making limited runs to major destination cities, Picknelly was pleasantly surprised. “Activity has been pretty good,” he said after the first week, adding that the second week was looking even busier. “There’s a pent-up demand to get out of Dodge, and that’s what we help people do.”

One issue is that destination cities like Boston and New York are still reopening in their own way, and once the big cities fully open, he expects more of a rush. For now, the company is getting its “sea legs back,” he said, and making sure everyone on the bus feels safe.

Kishore Parmar

Kishore Parmar says the most unsettling thing about the pandemic, from the hotel industry’s perspective, is not knowing when business might get better.

To that end, Peter Pan has improved its contactless boarding procedures while introducing PermaSafe, a CDC-approved product that purifies passenger cabin air while making interior surfaces anti-microbial and self-sanitizing. The company also uses electrostatic handheld sprayers to sanitize and disinfect the buses every night. In addition, passengers are required to wear a face mask at all times, and employees have been issued personal protective equipment, including face masks and hand sanitizer.

“Here’s my theory — nobody wants to get sick; nobody wants to get someone else sick,” Picknelly said. “But nobody wants to be cooped up any longer, either. A lot of what we do is leisure travel, but people also have to travel for medical appointments, for school, for business. There’s not only a pent-up demand to get out of Dodge, there’s also a need.”

But, they also need to feel safe, he said. “As time goes on, people will be more and more comfortable getting out. I’m confident this is going to end way sooner than people think. And I think any smart business person knows, if you want customers to come in — and come back — you’ve got to make them feel safe and comfortable.”

At the hall of fame, protocols in place for the opening include regular disinfection of all frequently touched surfaces, complimentary stylus pens to use on interactive touchscreens, an electrostatic disinfectant air-mist system, and … well, the list is frankly too long to detail all of it here.

“We’ll have the clean team out in the museum unlike ever before,” Doleva said. “People will see it in action.”

And it’s important they see it, he added.

“People are clamoring to get out. They’re looking for the safe places that are paying attention — but I definitely think there is pent-up demand.”

Some will want to be among the early visitors, he added, while others will take a wait-and-see approach. “It will be a short summer, but we are going to showcase the museum. This is a grand-opening summer, and everyone has the opportunity to come here.”

Room for Improvement

Parmar told BusinessWest that, for his group’s hotels, and most all facilities not in the shadow of ski resorts, winter is a slow, difficult time.

And what he fears is that, unless some things change, 2020 might take on the look of a 12-month-long winter in terms of occupancy rates and overall vibrancy.

“We might go from winter … right into another winter,” he said, adding that July, at this moment, doesn’t look much better than June, and the rest of summer and fall amount to a giant question mark.

The company has essentially seen its busiest season wiped off the calendar, losing college commencements, visits to area colleges and universities, business meetings, weddings, bridal and baby showers, and much more.

This certainly isn’t what the company was expecting in 2020, a year that began with hopes and expansion plans. Indeed, this is the first full year for the Homewood Suites facility, opened just over a year ago and off to a solid start, and there were plans to create a new hotel on the site of the old Howard Johnson’s on the Mohawk Trail in Greenfield and completely renovate the Roadway Inn in Hadley, which is currently closed.

That’s were. “We had a plate full for this coming year, and we were very excited about it, but then we had it all taken away,” Parmar said, adding that those projects have been put on ice, and the company is essentially trying to make the most out of what will be a trying year.

The company applied for and received a PPP loan and used it to bring its employees back to work after many were furloughed earlier in the spring. The problem now is that the money is running out, and business certainly hasn’t come back — as evidenced by the parking lot and the front lobby. Parmar said there is little if any leisure business at this point, and also little if any business travel, as companies continue to rely on Zoom meetings.

“We’re bootstrapped right now — we’re counting every penny, we’re counting every dollar,” he said. “We’re doing our best to reduce every cost there is.”

While hotels might continue to struggle, however, many in the tourism sector feel they will see more ‘staycation’ action than usual — particularly if out-of-state travelers are put off by Massachusetts’ suggested (but not required) 14-day quarantine when entering.

“If someone from Enfield wants to come to the Hall of Fame, they’re not going to take a 15-day trip to see a one-day experience. So that’s got to be clarified,” Doleva said. “I do think it is an impediment to tourism. People see ‘suggested,’ they think ‘required.’ So we’re hoping for some clarification because it affects us, and it affects hotels, restaurants, and other attractions.

Doleva said he never foresaw what 2020 would bring when he began a two-year term as board chair for the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau back in November. But he’s been impressed with the planning the GSCVB has done to hit the ground running once tourism ramps up again this summer.

“We have a very aggressive plan to advertise the region like never before, the attractions especially,” he told BusinessWest. “We’ve never brought people together the way we are now. That’s a blessing in disguise — this is bringing the different factions of the tourism business tighter than ever.”

As chair, he also hopes elected leaders develop a greater appreciation of the impact of the tourism and hospitality industry and the numbers of people it employs, as well as the taxes it generates — and make investments in supporting tourism statewide over the long term.

“I think, if we look for the silver lining, this has caused us all to step back and focus on how we’re all interdependent, and when one improves, we all improve,” he added. “We know we have something special out here. It’s a nice place to visit, we’ve got a lot of things to do, and the industry is very focused on safety. Now we need to move forward together.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Insurance Special Coverage

Sticker Shock

Business-interruption insurance should be a simple idea to explain. But in the era of COVID-19, it has become a thorny topic.

“It is coverage that most businesses have as part of their insurance program; basically, it’s one of the key components to an insurance portfolio for a business,” said John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Agencies. “A covered loss is defined as physical damage to your property or on your property.”

He noted, as one example, a fire that causes a shutdown until repairs are made, with the insurance payout allowing the business owner to pay rent, taxes, and in some cases wages and benefits. “It also covers loss of property, which is a very important coverage.”

But not every event is covered, he noted, and that’s the rub lately among business owners who would like business-interruption insurance to cover losses from the pandemic-related economic shutdown — and lawmakers in several states, including Massachusetts, are pushing to enshrine such losses in the coverage.

“Obviously COVID isn’t covered — the loss that triggers business interruption has to be the result of physical damage to the property,” Dowd reiterated. “The problem with COVID is that’s not physical damage; it’s a virus. It’s specifically excluded, like other transmittable diseases. The way it’s worded, it’s not a coverage situation. As a matter of fact, the insurance industry cannot cover something like that because they can’t estimate the catastrophic potential of such a situation.”

That didn’t stop 39 Massachusetts legislators from co-sponsoring a bill earlier this spring titled “An Act Concerning Business Interruption Insurance,” calling for business-interruption coverage for losses due to “directly or indirectly resulting from the global pandemic known as COVID-19, including all mutated forms of the COVID-19 virus.”

Moreover, the bill asserts, “no insurer in the Commonwealth may deny a claim for the loss of use and occupancy and business interruption on account of COVID-19 being a virus (even if the relevant insurance policy excludes losses resulting from viruses), or there being no physical damage to the property of the insured or to any other relevant property.”

The legislation applies to policies issued to businesses with 150 or fewer full-time employees, and insurance companies can apply to the commissioner of the Division of Insurance for relief and reimbursement of amounts paid on claims through a fund created by the act, subject to eligibility and reimbursement procedures to be established by the commissioner.

John Dowd Jr.

John Dowd Jr.

“The way it’s worded, it’s not a coverage situation. As a matter of fact, the insurance industry cannot cover something like that because they can’t estimate the catastrophic potential of such a situation.”

Such relief would be needed, as Dowd demonstrated with a little math. He noted that, if business-interruption insurance was triggered by COVID-19 for all businesses with fewer than 100 employees, the cost would be between $280 billion and $350 billion — per month. “Our collective surplus of all insurance companies is somewhere between $800 billion and $900 billion. In three months, the industry would be insolvent.”

Having said that, he noted that pandemic coverage is already available — a development that emerged over the past decade following SARS and other global threats. For example, the organization that operates the Wimbledon tennis tournament bought such a policy, which costs more than $1 million a year, but when this year’s event was canceled, the policy paid out $15 million.

Impossible Costs

State legislation is a different matter, of course, aiming to reshape the very nature of business-interruption insurance. New Jersey lawmakers proposed and defeated such a bill this spring, “presumably because they looked into the potential insolvency of insurance carriers,” Dowd said. “And if people can’t buy insurance, what happens to our economy?”

Carl Bloomfield, managing director at the Graham Co., a Philadelphia-based insurance brokerage, recently told Insurance Business America that, while more than a half-dozen states that have proposed this type of legislation, he doesn’t expect the bills to pass.

“Doing it through state legislation would be very detrimental to the country on a go-forward basis from the aspect of overturning centuries of contract law,” he noted. “If you start upsetting the precedent of contract law that’s been established for centuries, that creates a very dangerous environment for all businesses because there’ll be no certainty around something that’s in the contract today, but could be overturned in court.”

If the Massachusetts bill becomes law, constitutional challenges are certain, writes Owen Gallagher, publisher of Agency Checklists, a news source for the Massachusetts insurance industry.

“Carriers would basically take the claims, get documentation that there was actually loss of income or profit, determine if there are covered claims or not, and then the federal government would pay the bill.”

The rewriting of existing insurance contracts, as proposed by this legislation, he notes, would raise constitutional questions under the U.S. Constitution’s contract clause.

“As members of a regulated industry, insurance companies have not fared well in contesting state legislative or regulatory action claiming a constitutional violation of the contracts clause. The United States Supreme Court has upheld laws impairing contracts based on a state promoting public welfare. However, this legislation may be one of the very few laws that fails that minimal test based on its blatant revision of existing insurance contracts for a limited class of insureds.”

The second constitutional challenge arises under the Constitution’s takings clause, which states that private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation.

“Insurers have had some success contesting laws where a state’s regulatory mandates go too far and amount to a confiscation of property,” Gallagher notes. “In this case, the proposed law creates new obligations that take money from insurance companies and transfers it to small businesses that have suffered economic loss because of state action. It is difficult to see how these insurers would not have had their property taken for a public purpose in violation of the Constitution.”

Dowd sees the U.S. government eventually negotiating a coverage cap for pandemic events much like it did with terrorism in the years following 9/11. “The insurance industry is saying, ‘OK, in the future, we’re willing to participate, but we need a cap, like $250 million, which is the most the insurance industry can absorb for a pandemic, and everything over that, the federal government has to pay.’

“So they’re in the throes of negotiating that,” he said, adding that carrier involvement would likely be voluntary. “That makes sense, as a lot of the smaller mutual insurance companies don’t have nearly the surplus that the Travelers and Liberty Mutuals have. But a lot has to be sorted out.”

A Better Plan?

Dowd, who serves on the board of the Massachusetts Assoc. of Insurance Agents, said that organization backs an idea that would cast insurers in more of a support role to the government on pandemic claims as they relate to business interruption.

“Carriers would basically take the claims, get documentation that there was actually loss of income or profit, determine if there are covered claims or not, and then the federal government would pay the bill,” he explained. “We think that’s a good idea, rather than throw out stimulus money to companies that may not need it, that may not experience a loss of income. Instead, we’d have people file, have their experience validated, and get paid based on need — not an assumption that every small business needs it.”

Such a plan is being considered in the fifth stimulus bill being kicked around in Congress, he added, which makes more sense than forcing insurers to cover for losses they never considered.

“We just don’t have the financial wherewithal to pay that financial bill. We’d be out of business,” Dowd said. “But if we can offer services at an agency level and carrier level, review the claims, and validate the claims, we think that has some merit.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Accounting and Tax Planning Special Coverage

This Tax-relief Provision of the CARES Act Brings Advantages to Employers

By Carolyn Bourgoin, CPA

Businesses that either repaid in a timely fashion or did not receive a loan pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) should explore their eligibility for the new Employee Retention Credit, one of the tax-relief provisions of the CARES Act passed on March 27.

Like the PPP loan program, the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is aimed at encouraging eligible employers to continue to pay employees during these difficult times. Qualifying businesses are allowed a refundable tax credit against employment taxes equal to 50% of qualified wages (not to exceed $10,000 in wages per employee).

Let’s take a look at who is eligible and how to determine the credit.

Who Is an Eligible Employer?

All private-sector employers, regardless of size, that carry on a trade or business during calendar year 2020, including tax-exempt organizations, are eligible employers for purposes of claiming the ERC. This is the case as long as the employer did not receive, or repaid by the safe-harbor deadline, a PPP loan. The IRS has clarified that self-employed individuals are not eligible to claim the ERC against their own self-employment taxes, nor are household employers able to claim the credit with respect to their household employees.

Carolyn Bourgoin

Carolyn Bourgoin

First Step: Determine Eligible Quarters to Claim the Credit

Eligible businesses can claim a credit equal to 50% of qualified wages paid between March 12 and Dec. 31, 2020 for any calendar quarter of 2020 where:

• An eligible employer’s business was either fully or partially suspended due to orders from the federal government, or a state government having jurisdiction over the employer limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings due to COVID-19; or

• There is a significant decline in gross receipts. Such a decline occurs when an employer’s gross receipts fall below 50% of what they were for the same calendar quarter in 2019. An employer with gross receipts meeting the 50% drop will continue to qualify thereafter until its gross receipts exceed 80% of its gross receipts for the same quarter in 2019. Exceeding the 80% makes the employer ineligible for the credit for the following calendar quarter.

This is an either/or test, so if a business fails to meet one criteria, it can look to the other in order to qualify. An essential business that chooses to either partially or fully suspend its operations will not qualify for the ERC under the first test, as the government did not mandate the shutdown. It can, however, check to see if it meets the significant decline in gross receipts for any calendar quarter of 2020 that would allow it to potentially claim the ERC.

The gross-receipts test does not require that a business establish a cause for the drop in gross receipts, just that the percentage drop be met.

Second Step: How Many Employees?

Determining the wages that qualify for the ERC depends in part on whether an employer’s average number of full-time-equivalent employees (FTEs) exceeded 100 in 2019. An eligible employer with more than 100 FTEs in 2019 may only count the wages it paid to employees between March 12, 2020 and prior to Jan. 1, 2021 for the time an employee did not provide services during a calendar quarter due to the employer’s operations being shut down by government order or due to a significant decline in the employer’s gross receipts (as defined previously).

“All private-sector employers, regardless of size, that carry on a trade or business during calendar year 2020, including tax-exempt organizations, are eligible employers for purposes of claiming the ERC.”

In addition, an employer of more than 100 FTEs may not count as qualifying wages any increase in the amount of wages it may have opted to pay employees during the time that the employees are not providing services (there is a 30-day lookback period prior to commencement of the business suspension or significant decline in gross receipts to make this determination).

In contrast, qualified wages of an employer that averaged 100 or fewer FTEs in 2019 include wages paid to any employee during any period in the calendar quarter where the employer meets one of the tests in step one. So even wages paid to employees who worked during the economic downturn may qualify for the credit.

Due to the potential difference in qualifying wages, it is important to properly calculate an employer’s ‘full-time’ employees for 2019. For purposes of the ERC, an employee is considered a full-time employee equivalent if he or she worked an average of at least 30 hours per week for any calendar month or 130 hours of service for the month. Businesses that were in operation for all of 2019 then take the sum of the number of FTEs for each month and divide by 12 to determine the number of full-time employee equivalents. Guidance has been issued by the IRS on this calculation for new businesses as well as those that were only in business for a portion of 2019.

Third Step: Calculate the Credit Based on Qualifying Wages

As mentioned earlier, the Employee Retention Credit is equal to 50% of qualifying wages paid after March 12, 2020 and before Jan. 1, 2021, not to exceed $10,000 in total per employee for all calendar quarters. The maximum credit for any one employee is therefore $5,000.

Wages that qualify toward the $10,000-per-employee cap can include a reasonable allocation of qualified healthcare costs. This includes an allocation of the employer portion of health-plan costs as well as the cost paid by an employee with pre-tax salary-reduction contributions. Employer contributions to health savings accounts or Archer Medical Savings Accounts are not considered qualified health-plan expenses for purposes of the ERC.

Qualifying wages do not include:

• Wages paid for qualified family leave or sick leave under the Family First Coronavirus Relief Act due to the potential payroll tax credit;

• Severance payments to terminated employees;

• Accrued sick time, vacation time, or other personal-leave wages paid in 2020 by an employer with more than 100 FTEs;

• Amounts paid to an employee that are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes (for example, wages paid to statutory non-employees such as licensed real-estate agents); or

• Wages paid to an employee who is related to the employer (definition of ‘related’ varies depending on whether the employer is a corporation, a non-corporate entity, or an estate or trust).

Eligible employers who averaged more than 100 FTEs in 2019 will then be potentially further limited to the qualifying wages paid to employees who were not providing services during an eligible calendar quarter.

How to Claim the ERC

An eligible business can claim the Employee Retention Credit by reducing its federal employment-tax deposit (without penalty) in any qualifying calendar quarter by the amount of its anticipated employee retention credit. By not having to remit the federal employment-tax deposits, an eligible business has the ability to use these funds to pay wages or other expenses. In its FAQs, the IRS clarified that an employer should factor in the deferral of its share of Social Security tax under the CARES Act prior to determining the amount of employment-tax deposits that it may retain in anticipation of the ERC. The retained employment taxes are accounted for when the Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, is later filed for the quarter.

If the ERC for a particular quarter exceeds the payroll-tax deposits for that period, a business can either wait to file Form 941 to claim the refund, or it can file the new Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due to COVID-19, prior to filing Form 941 to receive a quicker refund.

If an employer later determines in 2021 that they had a significant decline in receipts that occurred in a calendar quarter of 2020 where they would have been eligible for the ERC, the employer can claim the credit by filing a Form 941-X in 2021.

Additional Rules

For purposes of determining eligibility for the credit as well as calculating the credit, certain employers must be aggregated and treated as a single employer.

Also, as a result of claiming the Employee Retention Credit, a qualifying business must reduce its wage/health-insurance deduction on its federal income-tax return by the amount of the credit.

In summary, the Employee Retention Credit is one of several tax-relief options provided by the CARES Act. As it is a refundable credit against federal employment taxes, it is advantageous to all employers, even those who will not have taxable income in 2020. Employers who did not receive PPP funding should check to see if they meet the eligibility requirements and take advantage of this opportunity.

Please note that, at the time this article was written, Congress was considering additional relief provisions that may or may not have impact on the information provided here. u

Carolyn Bourgoin, CPA is a senior manager at Holyoke-based accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; [email protected]

Coronavirus Special Coverage

Breath of Fresh Air

Peter Picknelly, right, and Andy Yee

Peter Picknelly, right, and Andy Yee, two of the co-owners of the Student Prince, stand in a crowded Fort Street a few days after the restaurant reopened.

Lisa Pac has been brewing beer for almost two decades, eventually growing a home-brewing enterprise into Skyline Beer Co., a restaurant, craft beer and wine bar, bakery, and home-brewing supply store in Westfield.

In December, she and business partners Dana Bishop and Daniel Osella realized a dream of moving into a much larger space in the Whip City — a 4,500-square-foot restaurant, tasting room, and 10-barrel brewery on five scenic acres. Early receipts were very strong, and things were looking up.

And then March happened.

“At first, when COVID hit, we shut down for a couple days and had to reassess what we were going to do,” Pac recalled, adding that they told staffers to give them a chance to figure out a plan to stay operational and keep them working. “It was scary — we didn’t know what all this meant.”

But a plan did emerge. Pac and her team went to work simplifying and streamlining the menu before launching a robust takeout business, among other activities.

“It gave us a chance to re-evaluate a lot of things. We had such a strong start, but we got the rug pulled out from under us, so we were chasing our tails. But we were able to catch up with the day-to-day stuff, the construction stuff. It gave us the chance to breathe a little bit and finish up projects we were doing. We also came up with some top-notch beer recipes.”

Most important, while Skyline had to lay off about a third of its staff, a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan allowed it to keep many employed, albeit with different responsibilities; servers shifted to production in the brewery, for example.

“The staff has been awesome, doing what they have to do to help us get here,” Pac said. “They were eager to work. Ever since getting the loan, we did it backwards — we have this staff that’s willing to do whatever we need, so what can we have them do?”

Eventually, Skyline was able to bring back about 90% of its staff; only three or four didn’t return, but the company has created new positions in the brewery, and actually has right around the employee count it had before the pandemic hit. And now that restaurants are allowed to serve patrons outdoors, 14 tables dot an outdoor area, while a major construction project on the back patio awaits Wetlands Commission approval to move forward. “We’ve got some big plans for back there,” Pac said.

Skyline Beer Co

Skyline Beer Co. partners Dana Bishop, Lisa Pac, and Daniel Osella.

Munich Haus in Chicopee has been planning for the reopening as well. Back in March, owner Patrick Gottschlicht recalled, “we shut down completely given all the unknowns surrounding everything. Then we decided to reopen for curbside service, to take the first step in the direction of getting reopened — and our to-go business was more than it has been in the past. A lot of regular customers who hadn’t been able to dine in for a while were excited to get curbside.”

After weeks of takeout only — helped by a PPP loan that got some employees back on the payroll — the German restaurant recently opened its large, outdoor Biergarten, as well as its smaller front deck, and packed them in — well, maybe ‘packed’ isn’t the right word, considering some tables were removed to maintain safe distancing, but the place was booked solid its first week.

“With the big biergarten and the deck, we took advantage of the nice weather. And I think people, with all the restrictions lately, are excited to get back out and get some semblance of normalcy. People are eager to get back out into the world.”

“We were excited to reopen, after being shut down for a while there,” Gottschlicht told BusinessWest. “With the big Biergarten and the deck, we took advantage of the nice weather. And I think people, with all the restrictions lately, are excited to get back out and get some semblance of normalcy. People are eager to get back out into the world.”

Raring to Go

‘Eager’ is also a word that applies to Peter Picknelly when BusinessWest caught up with him two days before the Student Prince & the Fort were set to reopen, with Fort Street in downtown Springfield closed to traffic to accommodate tents, lighting, live music, and anything else that might transform an outdoor dining experience into something a bit more.

“I’m really charged up about what’s happening on Fort Street,” said Picknelly, one one of the establishment’s owners. “We’ve got our menu, all the Fort specialties, and we’ll have entertainment Thursday through Sunday night. It’ll be a downtown festival — we’ve got lights, flags, beer wagons … it’s going to be really cool. It’ll be like a German carnival out there, a mini-Octoberfest between now and Labor Day.”

But one that, at least at first, requires a shift in diner — and server — behavior. The restaurateurs we spoke with talked about table spacing (at least six feet), 90-minute limits on seatings, regular sanitizing practices, and making sure patrons wear a mask, except when sitting down at the table.

“We’ve got the tables about eight feet apart, and people have to wear masks once they leave their table,” Pac said, adding that the team is sanitizing every pen that comes back in, while wearing gloves to boot. In short, she’s balancing guests’ enthusiasm to be dining out with their safety.

“People are champing at the bit right now. That’s why it’s important to make sure we’re safe,” she added. “People do get caught up in the moment — they want to take their masks off and talk to people at another table. I’m a social person; I want to talk to everyone, so I’m trying to keep myself away from the front. It’s a natural thing — we want to talk and hang out. But we’ll constantly remind people about the masks.”

Gottschlicht’s team has been equally diligent. “We’ve already got outdoor seating, which is a big challenge for some restaurants that don’t already have it,” he said. “We went over all the government and DPH restrictions for reopening and implemented all those, and now we’re starting to work on the indoor phase — finding out what restaurants will look like and developing a plan for that.”

At press time, state guidance on indoor dining was still forthcoming, but restaurants are doing their best to plan based on what they’re hearing and common-sense predictions.

The front deck at Munich Haus

The front deck at Munich Haus, as well as the large patio known as the Biergarten, opened recently to very solid business.

“Until the guidance is released, we’re trying to put together a game plan for that, so we’re somewhat ahead of it,” Gottschlicht added.

Picknelly expects indoor seating to begin very soon, perhaps at 25% capacity, though he hopes for 50%. “Until then, the outdoor scene is going to be great.”

He’s just as excited to reopen the White Hut as well, the venerable West Springfield landmark that has begun its second life as a food truck before opening the doors to a renovated indoor space on July 4. And he knows others are pumped, too, to have a variety of dining choices, both casual and takeout, suddenly spring back to life.

“I love my wife’s cooking, but I want to get back out to restaurants,” he said. “There’s a whole other feel to it. It’s entertaining, it’s fun — let someone else serve and do the dishes.”

Next Course

To be sure, restaurants are still dealing with significant challenges, from carving out alfresco seating where none exists to limiting the number of people they can serve to the question of meetings and banquets. Gottschlicht said some event bookings for later this year at Munich Haus have been canceled, while others are waiting to see what restrictions might emerge — for instance, whether they’ll be faced with 50% occupancy or be able to pack the house.

We’re hoping to get some guidance on what we can and can’t do,” he told BusinessWest. “Some want to reschedule, others are taking a wait-and-see approach.”

At the very least, though, dishes are pouring out of the kitchen to guests who are happy just to be getting out of the house.

“It’s a great feeling to get the place back open, and get the staff back to work, too. We’re going on our 16th year, so we’ve put a lot of blood and sweat into Munich Haus and plan to be around a lot longer. I was born in Germany — we’re proud of what we do, of being an authentic German restaurant. It’s definitely a good feeling being back open.”

Pac is feeling good too — partly because business is back up to maybe 90% of its former pace, considering the outdoor dining, continued takeout service, and the brewery.

“I would never wish it on anybody,” she said of the almost three-month economic shutdown, “but I can’t complain because it helped us dial in and gave us a minute to get on the same page with everything. It’s been a wild ride.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Coronavirus

The Grass Is Greener

By Mark Morris

Brian Campedelli

Brian Campedelli says the pandemic has definitely contributed to a spike in landscaping business.

On his daily commute from Wilbraham to East Longmeadow, Dave Graziano has never seen lawns as green as they are this year — even with the recent lack of rain. And as project manager for the landscape division of Graziano Gardens, he knows a thing or two about green lawns.

“More than ever, people are working on their homes and their yards,” Graziano said. “Because they’ve been stuck at home for the last few months, they’re way ahead in their yardwork projects.”

BusinessWest spoke with several area landscape contractors who say their residential business is booming this year. With people spending so much time at home, yard projects — both large and small — that were delayed in the past are now getting done.

“There’s definitely a correlation between COVID-19 and a spike in our business,” said Brian Campedelli, president of Pioneer Landscaping. “People are stuck at home and want to enhance their lifestyle, so they are improving their yards.”

For some homeowners, the scale of yard projects has gone far beyond replacing some shrubs or reseeding a lawn. Contractors are finding most of their business has shifted to hardscape projects, such as stone patios, stairways, and outdoor kitchens. Projects like these can cost around $20,000, with larger and more elaborate designs exceeding $100,000. For one project, Campedelli and his crew are working on a “massive patio” with an overhang attached to the house to shelter a bar underneath.

“We’re installing a TV with surround-sound speakers, as well as a firepit so they can chill out next to their pool.”

Where patios already exist, Campedelli said some homeowners want to rip out the existing structures and start fresh with new construction, while others enhance what they have by adding a firepit or accent lighting.

According to Gary Courchesne, president of G & H Landscaping, accent lighting has been in high demand in recent years. Also known as low-voltage accent lighting, it’s the subtle lighting that can enhance a home’s aesthetics, safety. and security.

“Because they’ve been stuck at home for the last few months, they’re way ahead in their yardwork projects.”

“As important as the safety and security features are, about 90% of the time, people choose accent lighting for aesthetic reasons,” Courchesne explained.

Improvements like lighting help owners to better enjoy their property now, while boosting curb appeal if they ever want to sell. Real-estate website Homes.com estimates that, when homeowners install accent lighting, they can recoup about 50% of their investment to the eventual resale value of the home. The return on investment for patios and decks can range from 30% to 73%.

No matter what project homeowners choose, they all have the same objective: low maintenance. Courchesne said some of his customers have asked for “no-maintenance” shrubs. While those don’t exist, he and his crew design layouts with reduced maintenance in mind.

“For example, instead of filling around the shrubs with mulch, which needs replacing every year, we’ll use stones,” he said. “People are definitely leaning toward designs that look nice and are easy to maintain.” 

Graziano echoed that point, noting that, when he replaces old shrubs with new ones, his customers want landscapes that are easy to care for and do not require lots of maintenance. “Everyone has busy lives, and they don’t want to be burdened with spending too much time on yard care,” he said.

For many years, sprinkler systems have been an effective way to maintain lawns with minimal effort and continue to be popular this year, especially newer, more efficient models.

“People who did not have sprinkler systems are getting them installed,” Courchesne said, “and those who own systems but haven’t run them much are using them more this year.”

Growing Revenues

While landscape companies are busy with plenty of projects, it’s not exactly business as usual.

Each day starts with making sure workers have the proper face masks and other personal protective equipment they’ll need for that day. In the past, a crew might ride together to a job, but state guidelines now mandate one person per vehicle, and shared equipment must be disinfected in between users. Contractors have adjusted to all these extra steps because they are grateful to be considered an essential business.

That essential status wasn’t a given at first, though. Back in March, when Gov. Charlie Baker released the first round of essential industries that could remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape industry was not explicitly listed. The guidelines allowed for some interpretation that would include them, such as support of essential construction projects.

Gary Courchesne says accent lighting is becoming more popular

Gary Courchesne says accent lighting is becoming more popular

So a coalition of landscapers, golf-course superintendents, and related professionals formed the Green Industry Alliance of Massachusetts (GIA) and appealed to the governor to specifically identify landscaping as an essential industry. The group’s argument centered around the short time window that spring presents for fertilizing, as well as controlling mosquitos, ticks, and other invasive species. The GIA also noted that many homeowners who are physically unable to take on lawn care depend on outside companies to maintain their property.

Shortly after the appeal, the governor declared landscapers essential providing they follow CDC guidelines.

Courchesne said the initial confusion of whether or not they could start their season resulted in some starts and stops in the beginning, but his company is now up to full speed and adjusting to the new protocols.

“Normally, we start the day with our full staff gathered around a conference table,” he said. “Now, we’re meeting in smaller groups out in our yard, so even if there was an infection, it’s not spreading to everyone.” 

In early March, before the governor had ruled on landscapers’ status, Greg Omasta, president of Omasta Landscaping, temporarily closed his business over concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

“We closed for three weeks to make sure all our people were healthy,” he said, noting that this decision put his business behind in some of its early spring projects. “We’re scrambling now to get bark mulching done and plant seasonal flowers and such.”

Campedelli said his company also lost some work early in the spring due to delays caused by COVID-19, but he understands the changing nature of the virus and the guidelines. “We stay current on the latest requirements regarding COVID-19, and we make sure to share those with our workers as they happen.”

A few landscapers say hardscape projects are surging.

A few landscapers say hardscape projects are surging.

Since the go-ahead in March, Campedelli said his company is so busy, he would hire 10 more people if he could. Having enough workers is also a constant challenge for Omasta, who has 30 workers on staff but would like to add six or eight more.

Several contractors said one particular challenge in finding workers this year involves the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which allows unemployed workers to collect an additional $600 per week through late July. While they all agree the program has merits and is important to help those who are struggling, they also point out that the additional $600 a week keeps some people on the sidelines who would otherwise be working.

Sometimes, filling open jobs is difficult because of the nature of the work. Graziano said the industry has been the same for more than 50 years, and it’s not for everyone. “Either you like to put a shovel in the ground, move mulch around and install pavers, or you don’t,” he told BusinessWest.

A typical landscaping season can run nine months, with three winter months dedicated to snow plowing. As Omasta pointed out, the length of the season is always tied to weather, which determines how early they start in the spring and how late they can work in the fall.

Even when the season is in full swing, rain is a constant variable to consider, Courchesne added. “There was one week in May when, out of six work days, it rained four of them.”

Home Games

When the rain clears, people are looking to get outside, but they’re not ready to stray too far. Until there is more certainty about the coronavirus, many are choosing not to go away on vacation.

Because of this uncertainty, Omasta said, his customers have made the decision to stay put rather than spending a week at the Cape.

“They’re telling me they want to stay home and work on some improvement projects so they can enjoy their backyard this summer,” he noted.

It’s not unusual for homeowners to want a big improvement project and then procrastinate on making the final decision. Courchesne said this year seems different.

“I’m seeing people with less hesitation than normal in their purchasing attitude,” he noted. “They’re saying, ‘we’re home, so let’s do this.’”

Because more people are home, even working from there, he added, they are realizing their home is not such a bad place — and they want to make it even better.

And that has made this a different kind of year for this industry.

Coronavirus

Supply Chain of Events

Supply chain.

That’s a two-word phrase that had rarely made its way into the lexicon of most area residents before the COVID-19 pandemic; it was generally assumed that the shelves in the stores would be crammed with product — because they always had been.

But in a year when there have been shortages of cleaning supplies, surgical masks, beef, fish, hair coloring, paper towels, ice cream, rice, frozen pizza, and, yes, toilet paper — a product that has become a metaphor for a crisis — people can no longer take supply chain, and full shelves, for granted.

This has been a learning experience — on a number of levels.

So too for those who work to keep the shelves stocked. For them, it’s a time of relationship building, finding new ways of doing things, and providing ongoing proof that, while the supply chain has been bent — severely and repeatedly — it hasn’t, in their minds, been broken.

“The supply chain has definitely been tested through all this, and there have been shortages of some things, as everyone knows,” said Michael D’Amour, chief operating officer at Springfield-based Big-Y, the fourth-generation, family-owned grocery chain. “But, overall, I think this crisis has shown just how resilient the supply chain is.”

 

Michael D’Amour

Michael D’Amour

“The supply chain has definitely been tested through all this, and there have been shortages of some things, as everyone knows. But, overall, I think this crisis has shown just how resilient the supply chain is.”

 

Doug Baker, vice president of Industry Relations for the Food Marketing Institute, (FMI) agreed.

“Almost weekly we’re getting back numbers, and we’re still seeing double-digit growth across many categories — and you can’t have double-digit growth if inventory is not available,” he said, referring to specific product lines ranging from cleaning supplies to frozen foods. “It’s just a matter of matching inventory with consumer demand, and that’s been the challenge.

“And that’s why we’ve seen shortages — because that inventory output hasn’t been able to rise to the level of consumer demand,” he went on, adding that recent numbers show a slowing of demand that is giving many producers at least a chance to catch up.

In March, on average, the industry was seeing 35% to 40% increases in overall sales volume, Baker said, while in late May, the number was closer to 20% to 25%.

“We’re seeing sales slow, which is helpful because it allows the supply chain to catch up to an extent,” he explained. “But we also have to understand that those are still pretty significant increases, and we’re not going to go back to pre-COVID days, because the public still has yet to engage in a livelihood that they engaged in before the pandemic, and that’s based on where you see them spending their food dollar.”

D’Amour agreed, noting that, as May turned to June, a good number of people were still in something approaching lockdown mode. They were eating most meals at home because restaurants were only open for takeout. They were also still working at home and, therefore, eating lunch at home. Meanwhile, children are home from school, and college students are home as well. This all adds up to people buying more at the supermarket.

As phase 2 of Gov. Charlie Baker’s reopening plan takes effect on June 8, restaurants will be opening for curbside dining, and preschools and day camps will be reopening. And as more and more people go back to their offices — the ones they left in March for space on their dining room table — the ratio of food dollars spent out of the home will start to rise higher.

How long it will take to reach pre-COVID levels — when 54 cents of each dollar was spent outside the home — remains to be seen, said Baker. However, what is certain is that the situation is fluid at best and it could change in a hurry if cases start to surge, a second wave arrives, and people start spending more time working — and eating — at home.

Doug Baker

Doug Baker

“We’re seeing sales slow, which is helpful because it allows the supply chain to catch up to an extent. But we also have to understand that those are still pretty significant increases, and we’re not going to go back to pre-COVID days, because the public still has yet to engage in a livelihood that they engaged in before the pandemic, and that’s based on where you see them spending their food dollar.”

Meanwhile, this new normal has essentially forced chains like Big Y to forge new alliances with suppliers, said D’Amour, noting that as restaurants, colleges, and schools of all kinds closed earlier this year, this created an enormous surplus of inventory, but put the demand on grocery stores, while also creating an opportunity to redeploy goods and resources to grocery retail to meet demand and reduce waste.

One such alliance, one that typifies how suppliers and grocers are working together to forge solutions, involves Little Leaf Farms in Shirley, a local partner and grower of lettuce that saw demand decline dramatically as schools and restaurants closed a few months back and was looking for new opportunities to sell product and reduce the kind of waste that was seen almost nightly on major news broadcasts.

“They’re one example of so many local partners who have sat down with us and worked to figure out how to maximize business between us and keep their stuff growing and moving through the pipeline when the restaurants were shut down,” D’Amour explained. “We worked with them on supply and hotter deals and pricing to keep it moving through the grocery channels.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked with several players involved with supply chain about the lessons learned to date and how they will help the broad food industry through the uncertain months to come.

Food for Thought

As noted earlier, the laws of supply and demand generally take care of shortages on store shelves — in normal times.

But these are not normal times, said those we spoke with. Still, those laws have applied to items like surgical masks. Hard to find only six weeks ago, they are now seemingly everywhere, and in large quantities, as a number of companies started making them — and more of them.

“Everyone’s getting into the mask business now,” Baker explained, adding quickly that it’s much easier to convert machines to make those products than it is to supply more canisters of Lysol or make more rolls of toilet paper, as simple as that might sound.

“Paper manufacturers have been putting in additional lines,” he said. “But the challenge the industry is facing now is that there two types of fiber used to make toilet paper — there’s recycled fiber and there’s virgin fiber, and with recycled fiber, the supply is low, and not every machine can be converted to use virgin fiber, so you’re going to have less output if you can’t convert.”

And sometimes, because of the pandemic, producers simply cannot meet demand.

That was the case for several weeks — although matters have improved — when it came to supplies of meat and chicken, said Baker, noting that, early on, plants were shut down temporarily. And when they reopened, to keep workers safe, production lines were altered in ways that actually slowed production.

Such specific cases help explain shortages of particular items, said those we spoke with, adding that, overall, many of the empty shelves result from unprecedented demand and panic buying that is starting to wane in many instances. But as the year continues, more lessons will certainly be learned, said D’Amour, adding that there have been plenty of learning experiences already.

Elaborating, he said that, from the beginning, those at Big Y have been watching what’s happening globally, anticipating, and “trying to get on top of things” — a phrase he would use many times — when it comes to everything from employee and customer safety to creating efficient traffic flow in the stores, to keeping items on the shelves.

This has obviously led to new policies and procedures — from the directional arrows on the floors to special hours created for seniors to the plexiglass screens at the check-out counters.

“For us, the biggest component is the people part, and that continues to be stressed by our suppliers, wholesalers, and others,” he said, adding that, while much of that panic buying and hoarding is being talked about in the past tense, the need for diligence remains, and chains like Big Y can’t let their guards down.

Getting back to the supply chain, D’Amour said it has been a struggle in some well-documented areas, but suppliers are responding by trying to increase supply and also reduce the number of overall SKUs to help put some product on the shelves.

“Where people are used to walking down the paper aisle and seeing 150 different choices of bath tissue and paper towels, now they’re seeing far fewer,” he said. “But products are coming back; we’re working with all our partners to get them back in.”

Perhaps the biggest key to providing quality service to customers during the crisis has been efforts to forge new partnerships and stronger relationships with those within the food-service industry, said D’Amour. He mentioned ongoing work with Springfield-based Performance Food Group as one example.

“They’ve done a phenomenal job working with us, working together, to figure out what food they have stuck in the pipeline that we can use,” he explained, adding that, over the past several months, PFG, as it’s called, has even helped with trucking and labor for either Big Y’s warehouse or at wholesale partners. “Most of these partnerships we’ve had have been mutually beneficial, but there are strategies and tactics that we’ve never done before; everyone’s been very open and ready to fight the battle, work together, and think of new ways to partner for the benefit of the consumers.”

Which brings him to Little Leaf Farms. Paul Sellew, owner and founder of that facility, which began operations just four years ago, said it is now part of a larger local-food movement that not only puts fresher produce on the shelves, but in many ways helps ease flow of product through the supply chain.

“People don’t realize that 95% of the leafy greens that you see in the grocery store are grown in California and Arizona,” he explained. “And when you have this global pandemic, an unprecedented situation, that puts stress on the supply chain, so imagine managing a supply chain from Selinas, California to Springfield, as opposed to my supply chain, from Devens, Mass. to Springfield.”

Little Leaf has historically seen much of its business fall into the broad category of food service — restaurants, schools, and other institutions. But with the pandemic and the sharp decline of demand on that side, the company, like many other suppliers, has shifted into retail grocery, which has been a win/win/win, for those growers, the grocers, and, ultimately, consumers.

“When you get these unprecedented events, you really want to make this region stronger and more resilient, and food is such a strong, fundamental component of that,” he went on. “And that’s why we’re so grateful for partnerships like the one we have with Big Y, which has supported us from day one.”

Overall, there is a ‘new normal’ within the grocery/food-service industry, a phrase now being heard in virtually every sector of the economy. It involves a landscape that could change quickly and profoundly depending on the pandemic and its impact.

No one really knows when there will be real light at the end of the tunnel, said D’Amour, adding that Big Y, like all those it is partnering and working with, needs to remain nimble and flexible, and continue to work in partnership with others to not only keep the shelves stocked, but also keep people safe.

Bottom Line

Summing up the past several months, those we spoke with said it’s been a challenging and in many ways difficult time, where, again, many important lessons have been learned that will serve consumers, suppliers, and retailers well in the uncertain months still to come.

“The United States is a country of abundance, and the supply chain is a beneficiary of this abundance,” Baker said. “Yes, the supply chain is strained, and some shortages will be experienced, but it’s not broken — there are not critical disruptions in the supply chain.”

The hope, and the expectation, said D’Amour, is that things will stay that way.

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

Accounting and Tax Planning

Fight Back with Diligence, Communication, Monitoring, Education

By Julie Quink, CPA, CFE

Julie Quink

Julie Quink

In recent months, business owners have been faced with difficult business decisions and worries surrounding the financial and safety impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the temporary closure of non-essential businesses, layoffs and the health of their workforce, remote work, and financial stability (short- and long-term) for their business.

In short, they have had much on their minds to stay operational on a day-to-day basis or in planning for reopening. And with that, businesses are prime targets for fraud schemes.

As professionals who counsel clients on best practices relative to fraud prevention and detection techniques, we unfortunately are not immune to fraud attempts as well. The filing of fraudulent unemployment claims is a scheme for which we have recent personal experience. The importance of internal controls — and making sure that appropriate controls are in place in a remote environment, with possibly leaner staff levels — should be heightened and reinforced.

Fraudulent Unemployment Claims

The filing of fraudulent unemployment claims has been one of the newest waves of fraud surrounding employees. These claims certainly have an impact for the individual for whom a claim is filed, but also have further-reaching implications for the victimized business as well.

In these schemes, an unemployment claim is filed using an employee’s identifying information, including Social Security number and address. Unfortunately, if you have ever been a victim of a data breach, you can feel confident that your personal information has been bought and sold many times since that initial breach.

Since these claims can be filed electronically, an online account is created by the fraudster for the individual. In that online setup and given that unemployment payments can be electronically paid, the fraudster sets up his or her own personal account as the receiver of the unemployment funds.

“The filing of fraudulent unemployment claims has been one of the newest waves of fraud surrounding employees. These claims certainly have an impact for the individual for whom a claim is filed, but also have further-reaching implications for the victimized business as well.”

In most cases, the first notification that an unemployment claim has been filed is a notice of monetary determination received by the individual via mail at their home address from the appropriate unemployment agency for the state that the claim has been filed with. By then, the claim has already made its way to the unemployment agency for approval and has gone through its system for approvals. In these pandemic times, the unemployment agencies have increased the speed at which claims are processed to get monies in the hands of legitimate claimants, but in the process have allowed fraudulent claims to begin to enter the process more rapidly.

So, you might wonder how this impacts a business if the claim is fraudulently claimed against an individual. Again, with some personal firm experience in tow, we can say that these claims are making it to determination status at the business level.

Even though the claim is fraudulent and, in some cases, the employee is gainfully employed at the business, the claim makes its way to the employer’s unemployment business account. Hopefully, affected individuals have been notified through some means that the claim has been filed. However, employers should not bank on that as a first means of notification of the fraud.

Perhaps employers are monitoring their unemployment accounts with their respective states more frequently because they may have laid off employees, but for those employers who still have their workforce intact, the need to monitor may not be top priority.

Impact of the Scheme

The impact on an employer of a fraudulently filed unemployment scheme targeting one of its employees is not completely known at this time because the scheme is just evolving. However, we do know this scheme merits notification to employees of the scam and increased monitoring of claims — both legitimate and false — by the company, all during a time when financial and human capital resources are stretched.

The scheme could cause employer unemployment contributions going forward to be inflated because of the false claims. For nonprofit organizations, which typically pay for unemployment costs because claims are presented against their employer account, this scheme could have significant financial implications.

For the individual, the false claim, if allowed to move through the system, shows they have received unemployment funds. This has several potential negative effects, including the ability to apply for unemployment in the future, the compromise of personal information, and the potential tax ramifications in the form of taxable unemployment benefits even though the monies were not actually received.

Detection and Prevention Techniques

Internal controls surrounding the human resources and payroll area should be heightened and monitored to encompass more frequent reviews of unemployment claims.

Communication with employees about the unemployment scam and the importance of forwarding any suspicious correspondence received by the employer is key. The employee may be the first line of defense.

Also, working in a remote environment should give business owners cause to pause and re-evaluate systems in place, including data security and privacy. It is unclear how these fraudsters may be obtaining information, but it is critical to be diligent and reinforce the need for heightened awareness relative to e-mail exchanges, websites visited, and data that is accessible.

Diligence, communication, monitoring, and education are important for business owners to prevent and detect fraud. Diligence in ensuring appropriate systems are in place, continued open and deep lines of communication with team members, monitoring relative to the effectiveness of systems, and educating team members on the changing schemes and the importance of their role are effective first steps.

Julie Quink is managing principal with West Springfield-based accounting firm Burkhart Pizanelli; (413) 734-9040.

Accounting and Tax Planning

Changes in Benefit Plans

By Melissa English

Melissa English

Melissa English

Audits of employee-benefit plans continue to evolve, and the pace of this evolution is unpredictable.

Areas such as technology and skills continue to grow, as well as industry standards. Now, throw COVID-19 into the mix, and we have to adjust not only to new ways of having these plans audited, but to additional standards that come into play with it.

The Auditing Standards Board has recently been issuing new standards. These standards go hand-in-hand with changes in technology and skills. These standards will improve the provisions of plans, affect the audits of plans, and address risk assessment and quality control. Auditors, as well as plan sponsors and administrators, should understand what these changes are and how they will affect retirement plans.

So what are some of the changes we can expect to see in the near future?

• Accounting Standards Updates (ASU) 2018-09 and 2018-13, which improve the standards on valuation of investments that use net-asset value as a practical expedient and improvements to fair-value disclosures. These both will be effective for years beginning after Dec. 15, 2019; and

• Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) 134-141, with the biggest impact on limited-scope audits, which will now be called ERISA Section 103(a)(3)(c) audits. These standards will also affect the form and content of engagement letters, auditors’ opinions, and representation letters. The Statement on Auditing Standards was previously effective for years beginning after Dec. 15, 2020 but, due to COVID-19, has been moved, and is effective for years beginning after Dec. 15, 2021.

“Now, throw COVID-19 into the mix, and we have to adjust not only to new ways of having these plans audited, but to additional standards that come into play with it.”

In addition to these new standards, new acts recently came into law:

• The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which was signed into law on Feb. 9, 2018. This act made changes in regulations for hardship distributions;

• The SECURE Act which became law on Dec. 20, 2019. This act will make it easier for small businesses to set up safe-harbor plans, allow part-time employees to participate in retirement plans, push back the age limit for required minimum distributions from 70 1/2 to 72, allow 401(k) plans to offer annuities, and change distribution rules for beneficiaries. This act also added new provisions for qualified automatic contribution arrangements (QACAs), birth and adoption distributions, and in-service distributions for defined benefit plans; and

• The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020 and acts as an aid and relief initiative from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This act allows participants who are in retirement plans the option of taking distributions and/or loan withdrawals early without penalties during certain time periods for qualified individuals.

Lastly, there are constant discussions on cybersecurity. Cybercrime is one of the greatest threats to every company. Some questions to consider: does your company have a cybersecurity policy in place? Do you have insurance for cybersecurity? What is management’s role on cyber risk management? Do you offer trainings on how to handle cybercrime for both your IT department and all employees of the company? Cyberattacks are a normal part of daily business, but they can be significantly reduced if companies understand the risk, offer adequate resources and trainings, and maintain effective monitoring.

These changes affect most defined-contribution and defined-benefit plans. Plan sponsors should be evaluating these changes and the impact they have on retirement plans.

Some of these changes are optional, some are required, and some require amendments to plan documents. Plan sponsors should be discussing these changes as soon as possible with their third-party administrators and auditors. Remember, it’s the fiduciary’s responsibility to run the plan in the sole interest of its participants and beneficiaries, and to do this in accordance with all industry rules, regulations, and updated standards.

Melissa English is an audit manager at MP P.C. in its Springfield location. She specializes in employee benefit-plan work, such as audits; researching plan issues; compliance regulations, including voluntary plan corrections and self-corrections; and DOL and IRS audit examinations; (413) 739-1800.

Opinion

Editorial

Words and money.

That’s mostly what the business community has been throwing at the problems magnified by the deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks in recent weeks.

The words have come in the forms of statements from CEOs expressing outrage over what has happened and support for Black Lives Matter. And they’ve come from everywhere, including many companies in this region. Some went public, others were kept internal, but they all struck the same general tones.

The money? It has come in the form of pledges made by corporations to fight racism and increase black wealth, and there have been many of them — from Bank of America, Walmart, Bain Capital, and myriad others.

While the words and monetary donations are welcome, the corporate world, and we’ll include nonprofits in this, needs to do more — much more. It needs to take steps that are sustainable and, well, institutional, to generate the kind of real change this critical moment in time demands.

Businesses large and small need to take the inititiative to not only understand systemic racism and the many forms it takes — that’s the key first step, because so many still do not understand it — but then take steps to address it with changes that become embedded in these companies’ cultures.

As the story on page 6 reveals, there are some signs that this might happen. Signs such as phone calls and e-mails to the Healing Racism Institute of the Pioneer Valley (HRIPV), a 501(c)(3) created several years ago after several area leaders were inspired by what they heard while on a City2City trip to Grand Rapids, Mich. What they saw was a city making slow but steady progress in efforts to understand and combat racism by bringing diverse audiences together in a room and talking about an issue that so few want to talk about.

Through these discussions, individuals and groups come to better understand that racism is real, it is systemic, and it needs to be addressed.

In recent years, HRIPV has hosted more than 800 people for its signature two-day session, which, overall, strives to help attendees understand there is only one human race.

Many of the phone calls and e-mails mentioned earlier involve individuals, groups, businesses, and nonprofits that have attended one of these sessions and want to know, essentially, what more they can do to address this age-old problem.

And as Vanessa Otero, the interim director of HRIPV, told BusinessWest, the ‘what’s next’ involves helping businesses and institutions move beyond acknowledging and comprehending racism to a point where they become anti-racist.

To help them get there, the institute is working to formalize and institutionalize a broader roster of services that include half- and full-day training sessions for board and staffs, onboarding services for companies to help ensure that new hires are ready to engage with an anti-racism work environment, and policies and procedures audits, designed to identify blind spots that disproportionately have an adverse effect on people of color.

We hope the institute builds the infrastructure needed to build and sustain these programs and that area companies and nonprofits embrace them. In the meantime, these same businesses and agencies need to take a hard look at their policies and practices, as well as the makeup of their boards and workforces, with an eye toward creating not only diversity, but equal opportunity.

Many have taken some positive steps in these directions in recent years, and to their own benefit, but much work remains to be done.

In short, while the words in statements and press releases and the checks with several zeroes on them are welcome and often helpful, this moment in time — and that’s exactly what it is — cries out for more.

Opinion

Opinion

A quick look around downtown Springfield and other area communities would reveal that the economy, which had been in a kind of deep freeze for the better part of three months, is showing signs of coming back to life.

Let’s start with the tents. Indeed, they’re an interesting symbol of how the restaurant industry is emerging from a state-forced hibernation of sorts that saw them relegated to takeout service only. Such tents are now to be found in a number of parking lots, alleyways, and even closed streets as restaurants try to claw back with outdoor dining.

Perhaps the most visible sign of all this is Fort Street in downtown Springfield, where the owners of the iconic Student Prince restaurant have placed several tents and created an atmosphere that not only speaks of Europe — where outdoor dining is far more commonplace — but prompts one to wonder why it took a pandemic to create something like this. It’s a wonderful atmosphere that will be in place until the fall, and could become a yearly addition to the downtown landscape. Let’s hope it does.

And there are other signs of life as well, including the pending reopening of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Springfield Museums, and other attractions. Tourism has become a huge part of this region’s economy, and this economic engine, if you will, won’t be firing on anything approaching all its cylinders until this sector roars back to life.

And that’s the sobering news amid the positive signs we’ve seen lately. Indeed, while these businesses are reopening, they are not roaring back — yet, anyway. As the story on page 10 reveals, hotels and tourist attractions have had a miserable spring, and the summer is dominated by question marks about whether the tourists will come back, and how many of them.

There is optimism that concern about traveling in anything but an automobile will spark a surge of interest in so-called staycations that might benefit the region and its many tourist attractions. The theory goes that, instead of traveling across the country or to other countries — or even Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard, for that matter — residents of this state and neighboring states might take in the attractions of Western Mass.

We have to hope some of this happens.

But matters are complicated by several factors, starting with the MGM casino and the many restrictions likely to be placed upon it. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is still discussing a number of guidelines, but at the moment, craps, poker, and roulette will not be allowed, and overall capacity might be set at perhaps 25% of previous levels. These restrictions will make it difficult for MGM to operate in anything approaching a profitable manner, and they will also limit the number of visitors who might come to the casino and then take in more of the region.

Then there’s the matter of the Big E. Huge questions surround what the 2020 fair might look like and whether there will even be a 2020 fair. No Big E, or even a much smaller Big E, would be a huge blow to the hospitality industry that depends on it.

So, while there are some signs of life in the region when it comes to the economy and tourism, we still have a long way to go. v

Picture This

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

 


Breaking Ground

 

Florence Bank broke ground earlier this month on its third Hampden County branch at 705 Memorial Dr. in Chicopee, the former Hu Ke Lau site. The full-service location will open later this year. The bank has been working with Marois Construction of South Hadley, HAI Architecture of Northampton, and R. Levesque Associates, an engineering firm in Westfield, on the project. Pictured: Florence Bank President and CEO Kevin Day (left) poses with Chicopee Mayor John Vieau at the groundbreaking.


Feeding the Front Lines

 

Ludlow-based Pioneer Valley Financial Group and Mill’s Tavern & Grille recently partnered to cook and deliver food to front-line workers during the pandemic. Starting on April 10, PV Financial donated $350 to Mill’s Tavern each week to help pay for the cost of food and delivery, while a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $2,280 from the community. The donations have allowed Mill’s Tavern and PV Financial to deliver more than 400 meals to hospitals, police and fire departments, and pharmacies across Western Mass., including the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke (pictured), Baystate Mary Lane in Ware, and CVS Pharmacy in Ludlow.

 


Deserving Scholars

This spring, the Holyoke Community College Foundation awarded nearly $210,000 in scholarships to 200 incoming, current, and transferring HCC students and will set a record for the number of scholarships it distributes for the 2020-21 academic year, with 233. The number of applications for scholarships this year increased by 22%, from 391 to 479. Pictured: HCC business major Alexandra Clark is the recipient of this year’s Marguerite I. Lazarz Memorial Scholarship from the HCC Foundation.

 

Agenda

‘Interrupting Racism’ Training

June 25, 29: Learning to be an active bystander and interrupting racism before it escalates is critical to creating cultural change in the workplace, schools, and communities. Human in Common is poised and ready to help. This innovative business teaches individuals to effectively interrupt bias and discrimination and create policies and practices that amplify racial equity. The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce has invited Human in Common to offer its timely training, “Interrupting Racism: Policies, Practices, and Everyday Acts of Solidarity for Businesses and Nonprofits.” This two-part Zoom training will occur on Thursday, June 25 from 1 to 4 p.m., and Monday, June 29 from 1 to 4 p.m. This training begins with a timeline of the history of racism in the U.S. to bring awareness to the conditions that have led to systemic racism. Participants will develop a diversity mission statement, practice six ‘ethical upstander’ methods for interrupting racism in the workplace, explore policies and practices to amplify racial equity, and engage in small breakout groups to practice anti-racism skills using real-life scenarios. The event webpage is bit.ly/2MMrNmr, or visit www.facebook.com/events/193655011884223.

Small-business Resource Series

June 25, July 2: Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will continue its series of online workshops for area employers who want to explore programs, services, and grant-funded workforce-training opportunities to boost their small businesses. The 45-minute remote sessions will meet from 9 to 9:45 a.m. and focus on a different government funding source. On June 25, Oreste Varela, branch manager for the U.S. Small Business Administration office in Springfield, will talk about SBA programs and services available to prospective and current entrepreneurs who need assistance starting or expanding their businesses. On July 2, Melissa Scibelli, director of Workforce Development Programs for MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, will discuss the Registered Apprenticeship program, an innovative, work-based learning model for new hires and incumbent employees that provides funds to assist businesses in closing critical workforce-gap shortages through on-the-job learning and related technical industry training. The Small Business Resource Series is being offered by HCC and STCC through their Training and Workforce Options (TWO) partnership. Advance registration is required for all sessions. To register, visit hcc.edu/business-series. Log-in information for each remote session will be supplied after registration is complete.

Healthcare Heroes Nominations

Through July 1: Since the phrase COVID-19 came into our lexicon, those working in the broad healthcare field have emerged as the true heroes during a pandemic that has changed every facet of life as we know it. And over the past several months, the world has paid tribute to these heroes, and in all kinds of ways — from applauding in unison from apartment-complex windows to bringing hot meals to hospital and nursing-home workers; from donating much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) to people putting hearts on their front lawns and mailboxes to thank first responders, healthcare workers, postal workers, and others. BusinessWest and its sister publication, the Healthcare News, will pay tribute in their own way, by dedicating their annual Healthcare Heroes program in 2020 to those who are have emerged as true heroes during this crisis. Healthcare Heroes was launched by the two publications in 2017 to recognize those working in this all-important sector of the region’s economy, many of whom are overlooked when it comes to traditional recognition programs. Over the years, the program has recognized providers, administrators, emerging leaders, innovators, and collaborators. For 2020, the program will shift its focus somewhat to the COVID-19 pandemic and all those who are working in the healthcare field or helping to assist it at this trying time. All manner of heroes have emerged this year, and we invite you to nominate one — or several — for what has become a very prestigious honor in Western Mass.: the Healthcare Heroes award. To assist those thinking of nominating someone for this honor, we are simplifying the process. All we desire is a 400- to 500-word essay and/or two-minute video entry explaining why the group or individual stands out as an inspiration, and a truly bright star in a galaxy of healthcare heroes. These nominations will be carefully considered by a panel of independent judges, who will select the class of 2020. The deadline for nominations is July 1. For more information on how to nominate someone for the Healthcare Heroes class of 2020, visit businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes/nomination-form. Videos can be sent via dropbox to [email protected]. Healthcare Heroes is sponsored by Comcast Business and Elms College.

Estate Planning Conference

June 30: Mark Esposito, an attorney at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., will speak at the 21st Annual Estate Planning Conference of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Inc. (MCLE) on Tuesday, June 30. He will contribute to an expert panel discussion titled “What’s Up in the World of Fiduciary Litigation?” at the 2020 conference, which will take place as a live webcast from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The recorded webcast will be shown during that timeframe on Tuesday, July 14. Esposito joined Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin in 2017 and concentrates his practice in general litigation, with particular emphasis on commercial, trust and estate, and employment and labor litigation. He has counseled various public-sector labor unions and employees in collective bargaining, negotiations, arbitration, and litigation, representing clients in state and federal court as well as before administrative agencies.

Nominations for Humane Awards

Through July 31: Dakin Humane Society is accepting nominations from the public for its Dakin Humane Awards until July 31. Nominees should be people who go out of their way to care for animals in need, people who volunteer to help animals, or people and/or animals who have provided significant public service or shown courage in a crisis. Finalists in each of the award categories will be picked from among the nominees and notified of their selection in August. The award ceremony will be livestreamed at a later date in the fall, and one winner in each of the categories will be announced. There are five awards to be bestowed: the Frances M. Wells Award, given to an individual recognized for notable contributions to the health and welfare of animals; the Youth Award, honoring a hero, age 16 or younger, whose extraordinary care and compassion makes a difference in the life of an animal, and makes the world a kinder and gentler place; the Champion Award, given to a public servant who makes life better for tens of thousands of animals and people in their community, and recognizing their dedication and compassion on behalf of animals and people in need; the Richard and Nathalie Woodbury Philanthropy Award, paying homage to an individual who displays a remarkable sense of stewardship in sharing time, talent, and financial resources to improve the lives of animals and people who love them; and the Animal Hero Award, recognizing an exceptional animal and handler (when applicable) whose valor and extraordinary devotion to people proved life-saving in disastrous or challenging heath circumstances. Nominations are being accepted online only at bit.ly/2NOcgps. Mail-in nominations will not be accepted.

Submission Period for Virtual Art Show

Through Aug. 13: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NAMI Western Massachusetts will present a virtual art show this year, and is now accepting artwork for the show. Submissions are limited to individuals living with a mental-health diagnosis, and the artwork will be displayed on the organization’s website and social-media pages for a limited time, then switched out for new artwork. To submit, e-mail a picture of the art to [email protected]. Note the size of the piece, the medium, and the price if it is for sale. The artist should also specify if they want their name used. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 13.

MCLA Gallery 51 Virtual Artist Series

June 27 to Aug. 8: MCLA Gallery 51 announced that its new online program, the G51 Virtual Artist Series, will be held live on Zoom, at noon on alternating Saturdays. Local, regional, national, and international artists will give virtual tours of their studios and discuss their practices. Discussions with the artists will also be recorded for later viewing. The series kicked off on May 16. The gallery’s full spring programming schedule is available on its website. Upcoming artists include Gladys Kalichini (June 13), who is known for paintings, digital work, and installations that explore history and the marginalization of certain groups; Todd Elliott (June 27), a multi-disciplinary artist whose work is inspired by shapes and forms used in architectural motifs, transpiration design, typography, and logos; Sula Bermudez-Silverman (July 11), whose conceptual work intertwines multiple issues, investigating and critiquing the issues of race, gender, and economics; Kim Faler (July 25), a local, multi-disciplinary artist working in painting, drawing, installation, sculpture, and photography, whose art practice unpacks the emotional weight found within everyday objects and architecture; and Anina Major (Aug. 8), who works with topics of identity, slavery, the female body, Bahamian culture, and more. She considers her creative practice to be a response to continuous erasure and a culture that is constantly being oversimplified.

Elms College Executive Leadership Breakfast

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

People on the Move
Stephen Creed

Stephen Creed

Big Y Foods Inc. announced the appointment of Stephen Creed to the new position of senior director of Distribution and Logistics. Creed is responsible for leading Big Y’s distribution teams as they transition into their newly expanded, 430,000-square-foot space. He reports to Michael D’Amour, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Creed has more than 40 years of experience in the distribution industry, mostly within the supermarket realm. He began his career in 1979 with Stop & Shop Inc., where he held various positions, including produce and grocery receiving and operations. Throughout his career, he’s held positions of increasing responsibility at companies such as Spartan Stores in Michigan, where he was the assistant warehouse manager. At C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. in Massachusetts and Vermont, Creed started as facility manager and then became director of Perishables Distribution. In 1997, he was appointed director of operations for Quality King Distributors Inc. in New York, where he managed nationwide distribution from five separate warehouses consisting of food, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty care, fragrances, and general merchandise. He later became director of distribution for Supervalu in Suffield, Conn., before being promoted to project director for Corporate Distribution at its headquarters in Minnesota and later promoted to general manager, Logistics Services in its Midwest Regional Headquarters Distribution Center in Kenosha, Wis. Returning to his roots in New England from 2005 to 2019, Creed joined Associated Grocers of New England in Pembroke, N.H. He started as vice president, Warehousing and Transportation, and became senior vice president, Warehousing and Transportation until his most recent position there as senior vice president, Supply Chain Management. Creed has served on the New Hampshire Motor Transport Assoc. and the Ryder National Food & Beverage Advisory Board. His professional training includes the Cornell University Executive Food Management Program along with Dale Carnegie Executive Management and Zenger-Miller Quest Training.

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Max Scherff

Max Scherff

Max Scherff has been appointed general manager at the Red Lion Inn. He will oversee the historic hotel’s operational strategy to ensure execution of Main Street Hospitality’s quality standards of service and hospitality. As general manager, Scherff will be responsible for creating and maintaining a customer-driven hotel. He will also oversee and inspire employees to meet and exceed guest expectations by consistent delivery of both product quality and service excellence. Additional responsibilities include collaborating with Main Street’s vice president of Operations and director of Finance on budget concepts for the entire property. Prior to his new role at the Red Lion Inn, Scherff worked at Canyon Ranch in Lenox. While there, he served as hotel director and, before that, food and beverage director. Additional experience includes roles as assistant food and beverage director/director of banquets at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C., and assistant food and beverage director at the Omni William Penn in Pittsburgh. Before heading to the East Coast, Scherff worked in San Francisco, holding leadership roles at the Palace Hotel and the Fairmont, where he was named employee of the year in 2011.

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Daniel Bradbury

Daniel Bradbury

Associated Builders recently welcomed Daniel Bradbury into the newly created position of director of Sales and Marketing for Massachusetts Operations. Sales Associate Scott Downie will remain with Associated Builders and focus on sales and business development in the Connecticut market. Bradbury comes to Associated Builders with 20 years of experience working in the construction industry, having previously worked with several premier custom home builders and remodeling companies in Western Mass. “Despite the challenges of starting a new sales position during a global pandemic, I am excited to join the strong team at Associated Builders and hit the ground running,” he said. “It is my belief that clear communication and follow-through are the keys to building a trusting business relationship, and my goal is to provide exceptional customer service. In my new role, I hope to facilitate our customers’ business growth by helping them realize the full potential of their existing work environment or paving the way for expansion into a new, purpose-built facility.”

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Keith Fairey

Keith Fairey

Way Finders’ board of directors announced that Keith Fairey will serve as its next president and CEO, succeeding Peter Gagliardi, who will retire on June 30 after nearly 30 years of service with the organization. Way Finders began a national search for its new CEO following Gagliardi’s retirement announcement in December. The search process was led by six members of Way Finders’ board of directors in partnership with consultants from Marcum LLP. Fairey most recently served as senior vice president at Enterprise Community Partners Inc., where he led the management, oversight, and strategic guidance of Enterprise’s 11 regional market teams across the U.S. Fairey has extensive experience in community development and real-estate finance, organizational development, and strategic planning. Enterprise Community Partners is a national nonprofit organization that brings leaders in policy and investment together to advance local affordable-housing development. Since its inception 35 years ago, Enterprise has created more than 660,000 homes nationwide with more than $50 billion in investment. Prior to joining Enterprise, Keith was chief operating officer of Mount Hope Housing Co. in the Bronx, N.Y. He has also served as the assistant director of Community Pride, the community-building program of the Harlem Children’s Zone. Fairey has a master of public administration degree with a concentration in public finance and financial management from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and a bachelor’s degree in history education from the University of Delaware.

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Nearly 100 colleagues recently joined an online celebration to honor Professor Hava Siegelmann of the UMass Amherst College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS), as she received the rarely awarded Meritorious Public Service Medal from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the U.S. Department of Defense. It is the third-highest honor the Department of the Army can bestow on a private citizen. Siegelmann’s citation noted that “she created and managed some of DARPA’s largest and most advanced AI programs, including L2M — developing next-generation advanced AI systems capable of learning in real time and applying learning to environments and circumstances not specifically trained for.” Siegelmann, whose career is characterized by thinking outside the box, created a different atmosphere for the L2M project than is usual at DARPA. With its support, she insisted that the large, diverse teams of scientists she chose from the nation’s top university and industry research organizations must actively collaborate. The medal cites another major DARPA program Siegelmann created called GARD (Guaranteeing AI Robustness Against Deception), which aims to establish the theoretical machine-learning system vulnerabilities, characterize properties that will enhance system robustness, and encourage the creation of effective defenses. As systems become more advanced, these advancements open new avenues by which they can be attacked. GARD identifies often-obscure, technically complex vulnerabilities and builds new-generation defenses for them. DARPA also points out that Siegelmann’s “exceptionally productive” term included developing a system that administers insulin plus dextrose to maintain glucose at safe levels for patients in critical care and those with diabetes; sensors to identify dangerous chemicals from a safe distance; collaborative, secure learning systems that allow group collaboration without revealing sensitive data; and methods to identify attacks by reverse engineering to secure the system and find the attacker.

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Mark Dunn

Mark Dunn

Holyoke Medical Center announced the appointment of Mark Dunn as director of Health Information Management (HIM), a role in which he will ensure efficient and compliant handling of all patient records and related documents. In addition to his role at Holyoke Medical Center, Dunn is also an adjunct instructor of Health Information Management at both Manchester Community College and Charter Oak State College in Connecticut. Most recently, Dunn served as corporate director of HIM and privacy officer at Masonicare, a senior-health and retirement-living organization in Connecticut. His prior experience included information-management positions with Cornell-Scott Hill Health Corp., Yale New Haven Hospital, and Smart Document Solutions, all in New Haven, Conn.; Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y.; and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. Dunn is a registered health information administrator. He received his bachelor’s degree in administration from SUNY University at Stony Brook, N.Y., and his master’s degree in health services administration from Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. He also holds a post-master’s certificate in long-term post-acute care, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in health information administration.

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Western New England University’s board of trustees announced the unanimous appointment of Robert Johnson as the institution’s sixth president, according to Kenneth Rickson, board chair. Johnson succeeds Anthony Caprio, who has served as WNEU’s president for more than 24 years — the longest presidential tenure in the history of the university.

Johnson currently serves as chancellor of UMass Dartmouth. He will begin his new role as president of WNEU on Aug. 15.

Johnson’s 30-year leadership career spans nonprofit colleges and universities in the Northeast and Midwest, including public, private, urban, rural, small, and large institutions with enrollments from 2,000 to more than 25,000 students. Prior to becoming chancellor at UMass Dartmouth, he served as president of Becker College in Worcester from 2010 to 2017. He has held leadership positions with Sinclair College, the University of Dayton, Oakland University, and Central State University in Ohio. His career reflects several firsts — not only as an African-American leader, but also as the youngest person to hold senior administrative roles.

Johnson’s tenure at UMass Dartmouth resulted in a number of significant accomplishments, including leading the region to create a framework for the blue economy, which will be an ecosystem to drive job creation, economic development, and entrepreneurship; launching a $188 million construction and renovation project for new housing and dining; the renovation of its Science and Engineering building; and securing the largest single research grant in the history of the university, $4.6 million from the Office of Naval Research.

As President of Becker College from 2010 to 2017, Johnson led enrollment growth for seven consecutive years by 23%, increased degrees awarded by 53%, and boosted the graduation rate by 29%. His innovative leadership elevated the reputation of the digital games program, ranked third in the world, and first in New England, by the Princeton Review. He also helped create the first bachelor’s degree in the U.S. in global citizenship. The U.S. Department of Economic Development designated the college as one of 60 schools as a University Center. Creating the Agile Mindset positioned its curriculum with a unique niche in the higher-education landscape.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick appointed Johnson to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and Gov. Charlie Baker appointed him to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and the Hate Crimes Task Force and the Black Advisory Council.

Company Notebook

Mill Town Buys Bousquet Mountain

PITTSFIELD — Mill Town, a community-impact investment firm, announced it has acquired Bousquet Mountain, one of the oldest ski areas in the country and a training ground for many top U.S. ski racers, from the Tamarack Ski Nominee Trust and owners Sherry and P.J. Roberts. The sale includes 155 acres across four parcels, including the summit of Yokun Ridge, 22 trails, multiple buildings, and operational equipment. “We are excited to keep Bousquet as a vital recreational resource for the region,” said Tim Burke, Mill Town’s CEO and managing director. “A significant focus of our work is to invest in and improve businesses, real estate, and outdoor recreational assets in Pittsfield to make it a stronger city and an appealing place for families and employers. Bousquet met all of these criteria. We plan to invest in the ski-operation infrastructure and the lodge, and we are excited to work with strong partners to enhance the on-mountain experience.” On that front, Mill Town and Berkshire East Mountain Resort of Charlemont announced a collaboration agreement. As part of this agreement, Berkshire East and Catamount management, including owners Jon and Jim Schaefer, will advise Bousquet on capital and operational decisions and investments. Bousquet will also be a component of the Berkshire Pass, joining Berkshire East and Catamount as the third mountain to be featured as part of this season-pass program. “We are thrilled to partner with Mill Town to ensure Bousquet will be a respected skiing and outdoor-recreation asset for years to come,” Jim and Jon Schaefer said. “Positioned between Berkshire East and Catamount, we feel that Bousquet will provide significant value to Berkshire Pass holders as another great skiing and riding option in Western Massachusetts. We think there is a great future here.”

Springfield College Students Assist with COVID-19 Data Project

SPRINGFIELD — Students from the Springfield College health science major have been working on a national project to track the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. Students Yue Li, Ashley Tanner, Alexandra Christine Jones, Brenna Keefe, Dhruvi Patel, and Callie Dowd have been taking part in an internship to assist with this project. Participating students are responsible for tracking historical data and collecting daily data, as well as participating in special-interest team projects that include computer-based automation, data visualization, infectious disease, policy, social media, and fundraising. This internship is part of BroadStreet’s COVID-19 Data Project, a collaboration of more than 200 students, statisticians, epidemiologists, healthcare experts, and data scientists throughout the country, Springfield College Assistant Professor of Public Health Sofija Zagarins explained. The project is a collaboration of more than 40 colleges and universities throughout the U.S., bringing together people who are committed to having the most accurate, community-level data about COVID-19 positive tests and fatality rates. Along with Springfield College, colleges and universities also taking part include Harvard University, Yale University, Boston University, Temple University, and Duke University. Through BroadStreet’s COVID-19 Data Project Internship, healthcare professionals have access to data that can help them to improve how they spend their time and resources on improving community health. “We have been humbled by the outpouring of support, especially from the collegiate community,” BroadStreet co-founder Tracy Flood said. “We know that, right now, students have a unique set of challenges trying to navigate these difficult times. Despite this, we wanted to recognize students who have graciously donated their time and talent to our project.” For more information about the project, visit covid19dataproject.org to follow along with information and updates from the participants.

Eversource Completes Westfield Reliability Project

WESTFIELD — Eversource has completed construction of the Westfield Reliability Project, installing a three-mile-long electric circuit on an existing 115-kilovolt overhead transmission line in Westfield to help ensure the continued and safe delivery of reliable power. Part of the energy company’s work to ensure reliability for customers, the Westfield Reliability Project is one of many transmission upgrades to help meet the electric system’s evolving needs to support a clean-energy future. “With many people continuing to work and learn from home, the safe and reliable delivery of power has never been more essential than it is during these uncertain times,” said Eversource President of Transmission Bill Quinlan. “The completion of the Westfield Reliability Project is an exciting development in our efforts to serve our customers and to support economic growth in the future. As restoration and landscaping continue through the spring and summer, we will maintain close communication and collaboration with our host communities, property owners, and businesses while adhering to social distancing and other best practices to safeguard health and prevent the spread of COVID-19.” The power lines have been installed on existing structures along the right of way from the Pochassic substation, near Oakdale Avenue, to the Buck Pond substation near Medeiros Way. The Westfield Reliability Project also includes constructing new equipment adjacent to Eversource’s existing Pochassic substation and related upgrades to the Buck Pond substation. Eversource representatives have been working closely with city officials. As the energy company’s crews and contractors work to complete final construction activities, including environmental monitoring and reporting, they continue to follow strict safety precautions, including practicing social distancing, wearing face coverings, and using enhanced sanitation practices. “We are grateful to our host communities for their input and partnership throughout the planning process, as well as their understanding and patience, as we work together to serve the public during the pandemic,” Quinlan said. “We remain committed to being a good neighbor and environmental steward as this project will deliver benefits to the region for years to come.” This project is one of several designed to strengthen the electric system serving Pittsfield, Greenfield, and surrounding areas.

Area Nonprofits Receive $230,000 from Harvard Pilgrim Foundation

WORCESTER — A total of 25 Central and Western Mass. nonprofits have received nearly $230,000 from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation for COVID-19 relief efforts. Most organizations in the region received a $10,000 grant for supporting community needs during the pandemic, such as food access and meal delivery, services for older adults and immigrant families, social and community services, and emergency response. “Now more than ever, it is so critical to support our communities and organizations who are providing services to those residents of Central and Western Mass. impacted by COVID-19,” said Patrick Cahill, vice president and Massachusetts market lead for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, the foundation’s parent company. “The impact of this pandemic is enormous, and right from the start, we responded to the immediate needs facing nonprofit partners and communities. We are very grateful to all who are helping to feed and care for our community members, and we are committed to supporting them in the weeks and months ahead.” Among the 25 recipients, the following 10 Western Mass. organizations received funding as part of the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation’s COVID-19 Assistance Fund: Berkshire County Arc (Pittsfield), Gardening the Community (Springfield), Greater Springfield Senior Services (Springfield), Grow Food Northampton (Northampton), Just Roots Inc. (Greenfield), Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry (Chicopee), Nuestras Raices Inc. (Holyoke), Rooting Rises (Pittsfield), Stone Soup Café Inc. (Greenfield), and UMass Amherst. The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation committed more than $3.5 million in initial grants for COVID-19 relief efforts in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.