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Month: June 2020

Researchers Call for New Federal Authority to Regulate Facial-recognition Technology

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Daily News

AMHERST — A group of artificial-intelligence experts, including computer vision researcher and lead author Erik Learned-Miller of the UMass Amherst College of Information and Computer Sciences, recently proposed a new model for managing facial-recognition technologies at the federal level.

In a whitepaper titled “Facial Recognition Technologies in the Wild: A Call for a Federal Office,” the authors propose an FDA-inspired model that categorizes these technologies by degrees of risk and would institute corresponding controls.

“There are a lot of problems with face recognition, like breach of privacy, surveillance, unequal performance across subgroups, and profiling,” Learned-Miller explained. “Due to the high-stakes situations in which this technology is being deployed, such as in police work, financial decision making, and analysis of job applicants, harms from inaccuracies or misuse are a real and growing problem.”

Further, “people have proposed a variety of possible solutions, but we argue that they are not enough. We are proposing a new federal office for regulating the technology. We model it after some of the offices in the Food and Drug Administration for regulating medical devices and pharmaceuticals.”

He said the FDA provides a model or precedent of centralized regulation for managing complex technologies with major societal implications. Such an independent agency would encourage addressing the facial-recognition technology ecosystem as a whole. The whitepaper describing the researchers’ proposal is accompanied by a primer and basic introduction to the terminology, applications, and difficulties of evaluating this complex set of technologies.

Learned-Miller’s co-authors are Joy Buolamwini of MIT’s Media Lab and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, computer scientist Vicente Ordóñez of the University of Virginia, and Jamie Morgenstern at the University of Washington. The project was supported by a grant from the MacArthur Foundation.

The authors write that, while various cities and states have begun to pass laws that provide oversight of facial-recognition technologies, these individual measures are not enough to guarantee the consistent protection of people’s rights or set shared expectations for organizations that buy and sell in the tech market. Although the task is complex, this whitepaper provides actionable recommendations.

Buolamwini said the paper is a starting point for how society might establish redlines and guidelines for a complex range of facial-recognition technologies. “Left unchecked,” the authors write, “they threaten to propagate discrimination and intensify the risks for eroding civil liberties and human rights.”

Last year, Learned-Miller and two others received an award from the International Conference on Computer Vision for work on one of the most influential face datasets in the world, Labeled Faces in the Wild. It has been used by companies like Google and Facebook to test their facial-recognition accuracy.

BusinessTalk with Mayor Nicole LaChapelle

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Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest, in partnership with Living Local, has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times

Episode 2: June 17, 2020

Thom Fox interviews Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle

Photo Credit: Henry Amistadi

Thom and Mayor LaChapelle discuss her service on Governor Baker’s COVID-19 Reopening Advisory Board, resources business owners can access to reopen successfully, and challenges some industries may face in a post-COVID economy. 

Sponsored by:

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Peter Pan Bus Lines Resumes Service with CDC-approved Cleaning Process

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Peter Pan Bus Lines buses will be back on the road serving major cities along the Northeast corridor starting today, June 5, and the company has developed a new cleaning process to keep both customers and employees safe.

“Shutting down was one of the hardest things we have ever done,” said Peter Picknelly, chairman of Peter Pan Bus Lines and third-generation leader of the family-owned company. “We also know that our customers have been through a lot as well. So, we are happy to be back on the road, serving our customers again, but now using the best cleaning and sanitizing practices in the transportation industry.”

During the shutdown, Peter Pan Bus Lines continued to improve its contactless boarding procedures and technologies. The company also made a significant investment in its bus cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Currently, Peter Pan Bus Lines is the only bus company using CDC-approved PermaSafe to continuously kill viruses, including COVID-19, bacteria, germs, and mold on contact. The non-toxic product also purifies passenger cabin air while making the interior surfaces antimicrobial and self-sanitizing. The company also uses state-of-the-art Victory electrostatic handheld sprayers, together with the powerful BruTabS6 sealant, to sanitize and disinfect. The virus-killing sprayer is used over the bus. Peter Pan Bus Lines cleans all its coaches every day, with some of them being cleaned mid-route.

“No-contact boarding means that, once they have purchased their ticket online or through our app, all passengers have to do to board is to simply walk up to the bus and give the driver their name,” Picknelly added. “In terms of safety and sanitizing, we are leading the industry with our CDC-approved approach. In fact, a hospital recently asked us to clean their staff buses.”

In addition, passengers are required to wear a face mask at all times while boarding, traveling, and exiting the coach; the first row of seats behind the driver will not be open for passengers; while the bus is occupied, fresh air will be continuously circulating; and employees have been issued personal protective equipment, including face masks and hand sanitizer, to follow CDC recommendations.

Routes and schedules are still changing frequently, so customers should visit peterpanbus.com for the latest information.

Massachusetts Unemployment Claims Continue to Ease

By
Daily News

BOSTON — Massachusetts had 27,034 individuals file an initial claim for standard unemployment insurance (UI) from May 24 to May 30, a decrease of 10,584 over the previous week. Since March 15, a total of 924,239 initial claims have been filed for UI. For the same week, there were 575,862 continued UI claims filed, a decrease of 12,187 or 2.1% over the previous week. This marks the first decrease in continued UI weeks claimed since the beginning of the pandemic-related unemployment surge.

At 54,281, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims filed for the week ending May 30 were 93,313 less than the previous week. Since April 20, 573,077 claimants have filed for PUA.

The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provided up to 13 weeks of extended benefits to individuals who have exhausted or expired their regular unemployment compensation since July 2019, was implemented on May 21. For the week ending May 23, 39,011 PEUC claims were filed, followed by 4,242 PEUC filings for the week of May 24 to May 30.

Max Scherff Appointed General Manager of the Red Lion Inn

By
Daily News

STOCKBRIDGE — 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.

“It is a great pleasure to have Max Scherff take the helm of the Red Lion Inn,” said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality. “With 20 years of leadership experience across the hospitality industry, he brings well-rounded knowledge, a lead-by-example philosophy, and enthusiastic attitude for hospitality.”

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.

Mural Inspired by Death of George Floyd Being Painted at MLK Jr. Family Services

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — A mural inspired by the death of George Floyd that will pay tribute to unarmed people of color killed by police, titled “Say Their Names,” is being painted on the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services building, located at 3 Rutland St. in Springfield.

In addition to the mural, there will be an adjacent area where members of the community are encouraged to share their own tributes and remembrances. The project is organized by Common Wealth Murals, organizer of Fresh Paint Springfield, and Rosemary Tracy Woods, executive director and chief curator of Art for the Soul Gallery. The mural is hosted by Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services of Springfield.

The mural was designed and is being painted by internationally known muralist and graffiti artist Wane One from New York City, with assistance from two additional muralists, Nero and Souls. Wane One painted the East Columbus Avenue parking garage during the Fresh Paint Springfield Mural Festival in 2019 and a mural for the Friends of the Homeless shelter on Worthington Street in Springfield.

The mural, which will include the phrase “Say Their Names,” will feature the names of the more than 60 unarmed people of color who have been killed by police in the U.S. in the past 12 months (from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020). The people whose names are included on the mural are those whom police reported as unarmed when killed. The names and demographics of those killed, as well as the circumstances of their death, were drawn from the research by Mapping Police Violence.

According to the project organizers, “we were inspired to create this mural by the death of George Floyd. We believe more must be done to prevent the excessive use of force by police, which disproportionately harms people of color. We hope this mural will create a space for public and communal mourning, inspiration, and conversation. We believe free expression and community conversation during a time of heightened tension increases the likelihood of peaceful and constructive action. We hope that this mural will help people heal, process emotions, gain new understanding, and inspire concerted effort to eliminate individual and systemic racism.”

Wane One has been an active and progressive participant in the New York City graffiti community for 36 years, and has painted more than 35 public murals in New York City and around the world. He has designed for hip-hop groups and artists like Gangstarr, Jeru the Damager, and Group Home, as well as brands such as Nike, Reebok, New Balance, and RYU.

HCC, STCC Announce Small-business Resource Series

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE, SPRINGFIELD — Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will jointly host a series of online workshops in June and July for area employers who want to explore programs, services, and grant-funded workforce-training opportunities to boost their small businesses.

Each of the three, 45-minute remote sessions will meet from 9 to 9:45 a.m. and focus on a different government funding source.

On June 18, Workforce Training Fund Outreach Manager Kristen Rayne will provide an overview of grant programs. 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.

“COVID-19 is having a powerful impact on the workforce and our economy,” said Sharon Grundel, director of corporate training for TWO. “To emerge stronger, businesses really need to start retooling how they operate now, and that includes retraining their workforce to meet new workplace demands. Through TWO, HCC and STCC are at the crossroads of industry and education and perfectly positioned to assist.”

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.

Leadership Pioneer Valley Hosts Drive-in Graduation for Class of 2020 Leaders

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) hosted a graduation ceremony for its nine-month regional leadership-development program, called LEAP, a little differently this year. This year’s group of 33 professionals from area businesses, nonprofits, and the public sector lined up in a parking lot at Holyoke Community College to hear video congratulations from employers and elected officials before receiving certificates. The program was also livestreamed on Facebook.

“This class has risen to new challenges that weren’t anticipated by anyone and gotten closer as a result,” said Lora Wondolowski, executive director of LPV. “As a result, they have applied crisis-leadership techniques in real time and are well-positioned to lead their teams and communities.”

Participants are trained in leadership skills by experts in a classroom setting. They also attend in-depth field experiences across the region, where they met with local leaders to explore the region’s economy, arts, and key issues. The program conducted the final three months virtually.

“Leadership Pioneer Valley is intentional is its efforts, inviting diverse participants to self-reflect personally and professionally,” said Taniesha Burton of Baystate Health, class of 2020 speaker. “It provided the opportunity to obtain invaluable concepts through observations and experiences, using insightful materials to explore the process. It helped me uncover areas to improve, while challenging me to press into strengths, honing them for the better.”

Leadership Pioneer Valley LEAP graduates worked in teams during the program with area nonprofits. Projects included creating a business plan for Greenfield Community College’s Food Pantry, organizing a signature fundraiser for Each Moment We Are Alive, organizing public support for an affordable-housing unit with One Holyoke, creating planning and promotion tools for the Springfield Central Cultural District, and diversifying the constituencies and offerings of MassAudubon’s Arcadia Sanctuary. The projects are designed to be in-depth, hands-on experiences that put the LPV curriculum into action for the benefit of communities in the Pioneer Valley. The majority of teams changed their projects to meet the changing needs of organizations in light of COVID-19.

Taylor Real Estate Schedules Move to Liberty Street in Easthampton

By
Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — Taylor Real Estate, which is celebrating 65 years of operation this year, announced it will move to a new location on Liberty Street in Easthampton this month.

Chuck Conner, a third-generation owner of the business founded by his grandfather in 1955, said the new office space offers convenient off-street parking for clients and staff as well as on-site storage for the firm’s plentiful ‘for sale’ signage, and a newer, brighter workspace for staff.

“We have been helping clients move for 65 years, and now it’s our turn to pack up and go,” Conner said.

He noted that the move is symbolic of moving the firm into the future, when ownership and operations will be assumed by his daughters, Megan Conner and Danica Achin, both licensed Realtors with the firm. In addition to working with buyers and sellers, Megan handles administration and advertising, and Achin is the rental division manager.

“We’re moving toward the future, Danica and myself being the fourth generation coming in,” Megan said. “We’re moving forward.”

For most of the past 65 years, the real estate firm run by the Conners has been located on Main Street, otherwise known as Shop Row.

Chuck Conner’s grandfather, Charles Taylor, founded the Charles W. Taylor Agency at 85 Main St. in 1955. In 1965, when Taylor passed the business to his daughter, Bernice, and her husband, Bob Conner — Chuck’s parents — the business was run out of the Conners’ Easthampton home.

Around 1980, the Conners reopened the office at 77 Main St., later moving to 87 Main St. — until now. Chuck Conner expects the move to 4A Liberty St. will be complete by mid-June. Liberty Street is off Union Street, making the new space central to downtown and also accessible to walkers and bicyclists arriving via the Manhan Rail Trail.

“We’ll still be steps to downtown,” Megan Conner said. “We are really excited. We’ve all been saying it will be a really nice, fresh start, especially as people are getting back to work after the pandemic closures and getting back to regular routines again. It will be really nice.”

Additional change has come in the form of new technology that allows a digital approach to marketing and communication and the execution of documentation. Houses can be shown to potential buyers via virtual visits made possible by professional photography, and closing papers can be signed electronically.

BusinessWest, HCN Will Honor the Heroes of COVID-19

By
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.

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.

The deadline for nominations is July 1. 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].

Pearson Wallace Insurance Sponsors Amherst Area Chamber Reopening Series

By
COVID-19 Daily News

AMHERST — The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, along with presenting sponsor Pearson Wallace Insurance, launched a three-part series for small businesses on the reopening of the economy, featuring local experts.

“Due to the COVID-19 crisis and related health and safety restrictions being lifted with each phase of reopening Massachusetts as laid out by the Baker administration, we are working in concert to provide optimal support for a recovery plan,” said Claudia Pazmany, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber. “As a chamber in the time of COVID-19, we have been working on a theme of ‘response, reopening, recovery.’ Every step we have taken has been in response to the changing health and economic climate due to COVID-19, then putting wheels in motion toward proactively preparing for reopening and recovery, and this program falls in line at the right time.”

The three-part series begins with “The Business of Returning to Work: Reopening with Confidence” today, June 3, from 10 a.m. to noon, presented by Thomas Reidy, Kathryn Crouss, and Meaghan Murphy, attorneys with Bacon Wilson, P.C.

“Property and Casualty Insurance Returning to Work Considerations: Reopening with Confidence” will follow on Wednesday, June 10 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., presented by Beth Pearson and Alex Pearson Bennett of Pearson Wallace Insurance.

The series concludes with “New Changes to PPP Forgiveness: How Does This Affect Your Loan Repayments?” on Wednesday, June 17 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., presented by Brandon O’Donnell, CPA with Boisselle, Morton & Wolkowicz, LLP, along with a commercial-loan officer at bankESB.

“This is important for us to host because we know our local businesses are incredibly challenged and are operating without a compass in these uncharted and stormy waters,” Pearson said. “We have brought together a team who can provide legal, accounting, and insurance direction for considerations for opening and keeping their staff and customers safe.”

E-mail Pazmany at [email protected] with any questions.

Basketball Hall of Fame Postpones Class of 2020 Induction Ceremony to 2021

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2020 induction weekend has been moved to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re definitely canceling,” Jerry Colangelo, chairman of the board of governors of the Hall of Fame, told ESPN. “It’s going to have to be the first quarter of next year. We’ll meet in a couple weeks and look at the options of how and when and where.”

Headlined by Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and the late Kobe Bryant, the class of 2020 also includes Tamika Catchings, Kim Mulkey, Barbara Stevens, Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich, and Patrick Baumann.

The Hall of Fame initially targeted Columbus Day weekend as a possible alternative, but Colangelo called those dates “just not feasible.” He also confirmed that the class of 2020 will have its own ceremony distinct from the one that will eventually be held for the class of 2021.

Elms College Appoints Richard Meelia as Trustee

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE — The Elms College board of trustees appointed Richard Meelia, principal of Meelia Ventures, LLC, as a new member of the board.

“I am delighted that Richard Meelia has accepted our invitation to serve on our board,” said Elms College President Harry Dumay. “I look forward to working with him and seeing how his business experience will contribute to our strategic thinking.”

From July 2007 until his retirement in July 2011, Meelia served as chairman, president, and CEO of Covidien, an $11 billion global healthcare-products company, following its separation from Tyco International in June 2007. Prior to that separation, Meelia served in a variety of senior leadership roles, including CEO and president of Tyco Healthcare.

“I look forward to serving on the Elms College board of trustees and working with board Chair Cynthia Lyons and the entire board,” Meelia said.

In addition to his business experience, Meelia has a passion for student experiential learning. He funded the Meelia Center for Student Engagement and Volunteerism at Saint Anselm College and has provided support to establish the Srs. Kathleen Keating and Maxyne Schneider Experiential Learning Fund at Elms College.

Meelia is the chairman of the board of Haemonetics, a global provider of blood and plasma supplies and services located in Braintree. He is also a member of the board of directors of several organizations, including St. Francis House in Boston, the largest day shelter in Massachusetts; Por Cristo, a Brighton nonprofit dedicated to improving the health of poor children and their families in Ecuador; and Conformis, a knee-replacement manufacturer in Billerica. He has served on the board of trustees of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.

Orders Close Today for Delaney House Meal Pickup at Curran and O’Brien Funeral Home

By
Daily News

SOUTH HADLEY — This is the final week for the COVID-19 pandemic food pickup taking place at Curran and O’Brien Funeral Home. Orders for the final week are being accepted until 2 p.m. today, June 3. Visit www.facebook.com/beth.w.dowd to place an order.

For the past five weeks, local South Hadley resident Beth Dowd has worked with the Delaney House restaurant coordinating individual meal pickups for the South Hadley community out of the Curran and O’Brien Funeral Home parking lot.

“I had been ordering meals through the Hadley pickup set up by RuthAnn Fitzgibbons, and she encouraged me to set up a South Hadley location because of the demand she was seeing for the South Hadley area,” Dowd said.

Much of the South Hadley community has taken advantage of this discounted meal opportunity, purchasing individual meals that are easy to reheat at a discounted rate of $5, she added. “Our first week, we had 125 meals ordered. Now we have grown to over 400 meals purchased each week.”

For many, this has been an opportunity to give back. Thanks to the generosity of the South Hadley community, monetary donations have been made to the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry, and meal donations have been made to the South Hadley Police Department and Fire Post #1 and Fire Post #2 for the South Hadley Fire Department. Since Dowd continues to work full time from home, she enlisted the help of her family, especially her daughter, who is finishing up college, and her husband.

“I could not have done this without the help of my daughter and husband,” Dowd said. “My daughter is home from college and was able to treat this almost like an internship. It gave her some great work experience.”

State Releases Guidelines for Reopening of Childcare, Camps, Summer Programs

By
COVID-19 Daily News

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration released health and safety requirements that apply to the reopening of all childcare programs, recreational camps, and municipal or recreational programs not traditionally licensed as camps as part of the phased reopening of the Commonwealth.

The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) assembled a Health and Safety Working Group and solicited input from thousands of childcare providers from across the Commonwealth, as well as consulting with medical experts at Boston Children’s Hospital, to develop the “Massachusetts Child and Youth Serving Programs Reopen Approach: Minimum Requirements for Health and Safety.” These requirements must be implemented to protect the health and safety of all children, families, and staff and minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Childcare programs licensed by EEC will be required to submit plans to the department to be approved once phase-2 reopening begins. The department will provide templates for submission as the process is launched and will utilize an attestation approval process.

Recreational camps and municipal or recreational youth programs not traditionally licensed as camps may open during phase 3. Residential camps and other overnight stays will not be allowed until phase 3.

Prior to reopening, all programs must develop plans for daily health screenings and ways to identify children and staff who are sick, symptomatic, or who become exposed to coronavirus. Programs must also have a plan in place to handle possible closings, staff absences, and gaps in child attendance, as well as determine how to communicate with staff, parents, local boards of health, and others.

Programs must screen all staff and children with a temperature check before they are permitted to enter the childcare space. Programs must establish one entry point to ensure no one is allowed in the building until they pass a health screening.

Parents must wear masks or face coverings when picking up and dropping off their child on a staggered schedule and will be met at the door by staff.

Children over age 2 should be encouraged to wear a face covering, at the discretion of parents or guardians, if they can safely wear, remove, and handle masks. Certain exceptions are detailed in the guidance. Masks do not need to be worn while playing outdoors if children are able to keep six feet apart. Children should not wear masks while eating, drinking, sleeping, or napping.

Staff members are encouraged to wear masks or cloth face coverings at all times when caring for children and interacting with parents and families. If possible, the department recommends staff wear transparent masks to enable children to see facial expressions, which is important for child development.

Programs are asked to make additional changes to their operations, including canceling field trips and not holding activities involving attendance of multiple groups. Non-essential visitors, including parents and volunteers, will be restricted from entering the premises of childcare programs.

Group sizes must be restricted to a maximum of 10 children, with a total of 12 individuals including children and staff in each room. Consistent with pre-pandemic operations, the infant-to-staff ratio is smaller, with seven infants to two staff members and a maximum of group size of nine.

Children must remain with the same group each day and at all times while in care. Siblings should be kept in the same group, when suitable. Groups must not be combined at any time. The same staff must remain with the same group of children each day. Staff should not float between groups either during the day or from day to day, with some limited exceptions.

Group transportation should be provided only during the phased reopening when there is no other option to transport children to and from the program. Programs intending to provide transportation services should follow detailed guidance.

For summer day camps, campers and counselors will need daily health screenings, including temperature and other checks for signs and symptoms of illness. Camps will need plans in place for when a staff member or child becomes sick. Camp spaces will need to be prepared to ensure physical distancing, and camps will need to have at least two health-services staff on site at all times.

Other protocols require campers and counselors to stay together in their groups, and staff will not be able to move between groups either during the day or from day to day, unless needed to provide supervision of specialized activities such as swimming.

Snacks and meals should be brought from home, pre-packaged, or ready to serve in individual portions to minimize handling and preparation. When this is not feasible, staff must prepare and serve meals. No family-style food service is allowed.

Parents must wear face coverings, and camps must develop safe pickup and drop-off procedures to maintain social distancing. Camps may not take campers on field trips or for other off-site travel.

Employer Confidence in Massachusetts Rises in May

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index gained 3.7 points to 42.1 two months after suffering the largest one-time decline in its history. The increase left the Index 15 points lower than in May 2019 and well below the 50-point mark denoting an optimistic outlook on the economy.

The rise in confidence came as Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced a four-phase process for reopening the state economy under strict workplace-safety guidelines. Employers hope a timely return to business will allow them to rehire some of the 1.2 million Massachusetts residents who have filed for unemployment since the onset of the pandemic.

“Employers are encouraged that Massachusetts has been able to moderate the number of new COVID-19 cases. We have said all along that the current economic crisis is being driven by the public-health crisis, and that’s what we see here,” said Raymond Torto, professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and chair of the Board of Economic Advisors (BEA).

The constituent indicators that make up the Business Confidence Index were uniformly higher during May. Employers’ confidence in their own companies rose 3.9 points to 45.7. The Massachusetts Index assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth increased 2.9 points to 37.4, leaving it 23.5 points lower than in May 2019. The U.S. Index measuring conditions nationally gained 3.9 points to 36.0, a drop of 19.0 points during the year.

The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, was up 4.9 points to 36.1. The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, rose 2.6 points to 48.2. The Employment Index increased 3.5 points in May, while the Sales Index, a leading indicator, gained 2.1 points to 40.3.

Manufacturing companies (42.4) were slightly more confident than non-manufacturers (41.5). Medium-sized companies (44.0) were more optimistic than both large companies (40.4) and small companies (41.3). Companies in Eastern Mass. (44.3) were more optimistic than those in Western Mass. (38.6).

Elliot Winer, chief economist at Winer Economic Consulting and a BEA member, said any uptick in employer sentiment is important at a time when the COVID-19 virus caused the Massachusetts economy to contract at an estimated 6.1% annual rate during the first quarter.

“The fact that the Future Index is 12 points higher than the Current Index suggests that some employers believe they will be able to resume acceptable business volume as long as the virus remains under control,” Winer said.

AIM President and CEO John Regan, also a BEA member, said Baker’s deliberate reopening plan marks an encouraging first step to reopening the state economy in a safe and efficient manner.

“We realize that every employer in Massachusetts would love to hear that they can reopen immediately. But we also acknowledge that a phased reopening balances the need to restart the economy with the need to manage a public-health crisis that continues to claim many lives a day in Massachusetts,” Regan said. “Any decision by government to lift of the prohibition on non-essential businesses will be just the beginning for Massachusetts employers, who will in many cases need to reconfigure workplaces for social distancing and determine how to implement other safety measures, such as the wearing of protective equipment, continuing work-from-home policies, and ensuring the health of workers and customers.”

Monson Savings Bank Announces New Loan & Operations Center in Wilbraham

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Daily News

MONSON — Because Monson Savings Bank continues to grow by adding new positions and new personnel, and has outgrown some of its spaces, some employees are moving this week into a new, 12,000-square-foot office space on the top floor at 75 Post Office Park in Wilbraham. This location will be the new Monson Savings Bank Loan & Operations Center.

The following departments will be moving: Commercial Lending, Residential Lending, Collections, Compliance, Retail Administration, Retail Operations, Business Development, Municipal Banking, and E-Banking. The main branch and corporate headquarters will still be located in Monson.

Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley Gives 300 Activity Backpacks to Boys & Girls Club

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The law firm Pellegrini, Seeley Ryan & Blakesley provided $3,000 and employees’ time to provide and distribute summer-activity backpacks to 300 children for the Boys & Girls club of Greater Westfield.

“We wanted to do something that would help keep children creatively, mentally, and physically engaged during this pandemic,” Partner Charles Casartello said. “It was also a wonderful opportunity for our lawyers and staff to roll up our sleeves and help do something productive for the community by physically assembling the packs in addition to funding them.”

The backpacks were stuffed with art supplies, puzzles, games, soccer and gym balls, and other items for children.

“The Boys & Girls Clubs are a haven for children,” PSRB Partner Patrick McHugh said. “They work every day to make a difference in kids’ lives. We wanted to aid that mission and provide a little joy for the kids who aren’t able to be at the club right now.”

Added Casartello, “it was a real team effort. We are so pleased to help out an organization that does so much for the community.”

bankESB Adds Brenna Breeding to Marketing Department

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Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — Brenna Breeding has joined the bankESB Marketing Department as its digital marketing manager. In this role, she will be responsible for providing strategic, tactical, and analytical support for online and digital marketing initiatives for bankESB and across the member banks of its parent company, Hometown Financial Group.

Prior to joining bankESB, Breeding was the marketing communications associate with VentureWell in Hadley, and before that was the communications and marketing specialist for the Center for Responsive Schools.

Breeding earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware. She is an active volunteer in the Greater Springfield community and has been a member of the Junior League of Greater Springfield for seven years.

MCLA Innovation & Entrepreneurship Challenge Announces Three Winners

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Daily News

NORTH ADAMS — Although this year’s Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Innovation & Entrepreneurship Challenge, held May 4-8, was a virtual affair, the college community still came together to view and vote for the three finalists’ pitches.

The finalists, all seniors, who pitched their business ideas via video, were David Flight, Kimberly Granito, and Sierra Lamonde. The students were coached through a series of deliverables — determining a solution to a problem, developing a budget and business plan as the road map for the project or business, and presenting before a panel of judges.

Granito’s Detailing Dream won first place, which came with a $7,500 award. Lamonde’s Pyrography Crafts placed second, for a $5,000 award, and Flight’s Settling the States won the $2,500 third-place award. The startup funding awards aim to cover inventory, equipment, and marketing costs for the three new businesses.

While this year’s challenge was different than past events, first-place winner Granito said the college made sure everyone had a good experience nonetheless. The sociology major, with minors in criminal justice and women, gender, and sexuality studies, admitted to being a little intimidated going into the challenge because she wasn’t a business major, but stressed that anyone could do it.

“It takes a lot of time to put a business plan together, but it was possible with the mentorship the challenge offers,” she said. “It’s such a great opportunity, even without the prize money, just learning the ins and outs of putting a plan together.”

Her winning business, Detailing Dream, is a car-detailing service meant to cater to people who may think they don’t have the time or money for such a service. Granito’s packages include lower-cost options that other companies don’t offer because they usually cater to luxury cars. Unlike most of her competitors, Granito’s business would also include a mobile option where she would come to the customer, so they could take advantage of the service without leaving their home or office.

“I was trying to cater to single women, single moms, and parents with kids who might be too intimidated to go to a big shop with all men,” she said. “I’m a female in a very male-dominated career — society has deemed cars a man’s hobby. It was empowering to be a female jumping into a male-dominated area.”

Second-place winner Lamonde said her business, Pyrography Crafts, aims to bring joy to customers by creating one-of-a-kind, handcrafted wood burnings of people, pets and other animals, cartoons, and more.

Flight’s Settling the States is a company that designs legacy board games inspired by the geographical regions of the U.S. The company’s first product, Settling New England, has players compete against each other to survive the changing seasons to become legend settlers.

Lee Bank Plans to Reopen Lobbies on July 6

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Daily News

LEE — As Massachusetts continues its phased reopening plan, Lee Bank is targeting Monday, July 6 as the date it will reopen all bank lobbies for walk-in services. It will continue to post updated guidelines and information on its social-media accounts and website.

In the meantime, lobbies will remain open by appointment only, while other customers are encouraged to use drive-ups (in Lee, Lenox, and Stockbridge), ATMs, and online and mobile banking. Business hours for all branches are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Lenox drive-up is open on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

To schedule an appointment or speak to staff at any branch, call (413) 528-5531 in Great Barrington, (413) 243-0117 in Lee, (413) 499-9922 in Lenox, (413) 445-7270 in Pittsfield, or (413) 298-3611 in Stockbridge.

Massachusetts Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease Slightly

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Daily News

BOSTON — From May 17 to May 23, Massachusetts had 37,618 individuals file an initial claim for standard unemployment insurance (UI), a decrease of 463 over the previous week. Since March 15, a total of 897,205 initial claims have been filed for UI. For the same week, 588,049 continued UI claims were filed, an increase of 5,009 or 0.9% over the previous week.

For the week of May 17 to May 23, 147,594 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims were filed, bringing the total of claimants who have filed for PUA to 518,796.