Year: 2020

HOLYOKE — Girls Inc. of the Valley received a $2,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Springfield to support Girls Inc. of the Valley’s “Bridge the Digital Divide” project. This donation will help girls and their families overcome social and economic stressors during this pandemic.

In the midst of the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for positive, girl-focused, youth-development programming is stronger than ever. Girls who were already dealing with adverse childhood experiences like poverty and racism need additional support during these challenging times, and this donation from the Rotary Club of Springfield will allow both organizations to help serve the community.

Many of the girls have been asking if Girls Inc.’s Eureka! STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education program will happen during the summer of 2021. To ensure the safety of their participants, staff, and volunteers, Girls Inc. will provide Eureka! University, a virtual version of the program, this summer.

Girls Inc. of the Valley aims to inspire all girls to see themselves as leaders with the skills and capabilities to improve and influence their local communities, and its leaders are concerned that COVID-19 will widen the existing digital divide between those with ready access to computers and the internet and those without these resources. Currently, five Springfield Eureka! participants do not have the technology to access virtual programming. Girls Inc. of the Valley’s “Bridge the Digital Divide” project will provide each girl with a Chromebook and wi-fi capability to ensure her ability to participate in Eureka! University this summer, and continue Eureka! programming during the school year.

“We are so grateful to the Springfield Rotary Club for this grant to fund our ‘Bridging the Digital Divide’ project,” said Suzanne Parker, executive director of Girls Inc. of the Valley. “It is critical for girls to have the technology they need to succeed in order to grow up healthy, educated, and independent. This generous grant will provide access to technology that is crucial for girls in the Valley.”

Holyoke Community College Launches Women’s Leadership Training Program

HOLYOKE — Building on the success of its popular Women’s Leadership Luncheon Series, Holyoke Community College (HCC) is launching an eight-week training program for women who want to develop and enhance their leadership skills.

For convenience, the program, “Women Leaning Into Leadership 2021: Empowering Your Voice,” is being offered over Zoom in two separate, eight-week sessions. One meets on Wednesdays, Jan. 6 through Feb. 24, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., while the other meets on Thursdays, Jan. 7 through Feb. 25, from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The interactive workshops will be facilitated by Annie Shibata, owner of Growth Mindset Leadership and Communication Coaching. Enrollment is limited by design. In addition to weekly 90-minute group seminars, each participant can schedule a private, 30-minute session of personalized coaching with the instructor.

“One critical component that makes this training special is the one-to-one coaching that each participant receives,” said Michele Cabral, HCC executive director of Business, Corporate and Professional Development. “The small-group nature of the classes will allow plenty of weekly individual attention in addition to the private sessions. This is really a wonderful way for women to invest in themselves and their futures in a small, mentored group environment.”

During the program sessions, participants will learn to evaluate their communication skills and apply new communication techniques, practice the power of mindfulness, distinguish forms of influence and persuasion to create powerful messages, assess their leadership strengths, and create short- and long-term plans for career development.

Shibata was the featured presenter during the November session of HCC’s 2020 Women’s Leadership Luncheon Series.

“HCC started the Women’s Leadership Series with the goal of creating small-group discussions for women as they navigate their careers,” said Cabral. “The series meets monthly over Zoom at lunchtime as a way to offer networking and mentoring to women at all levels. The ‘Women Leaning Into Leadership’ course takes that concept to the next level.”

To register for the Wednesday program, visit hcc.edu/women-2021-1. To register for the Thursday program, visit hcc.edu/women-2021-2.

New Deputy Superintendent Announced at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced that Glen Hevy will join the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home as its new, permanent deputy superintendent on Dec. 21.

Hevy, a retired U.S. Army Infantry Officer, joins Holyoke from the Bedford VA Medical Center, where he was the senior operations official for Patient Care Services at the 400-bed VA hospital. Also at the Bedford VA Medical Center, he held the roles of chief of the Sensory and Physical Rehabilitation Service and an investigator for Equal Opportunity Employer policies in the Office of Resolution Management.

Before his time at the Bedford VA, Hevy held other public-service positions, including unit manager at the North Central Correctional Institute, program director at the Department of Youth Services, and as program director at human-services agencies in the Commonwealth.

Hevy served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. During his 10 years in the Army, he was a rifle platoon leader, senior instructor, company commander, and academic chairperson. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Troy State University.

The state also announced that Eric Sheehan, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with extensive public service at the federal and state level, has been promoted to assistant secretary for Veterans’ Homes effective Dec. 14. In addition, Eric Johnson, a licensed nursing-home administrator, will become the new superintendent of the Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea on Dec. 14.

These new hires follow the announcement of Cheryl Lussier Poppe’s appointment as secretary of Veterans’ Services in October and will be critical to moving forward major initiatives to support the Commonwealth’s veterans, including the continued COVID-19 response and oversight of the Soldiers’ Homes, strengthening the leadership and staff of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, and advancing that facility’s expedited capital project.

“I’m pleased to announce the appointment of distinguished healthcare professionals and military veterans to leadership roles at the Department of Veterans’ Services and the Commonwealth’s Soldiers’ Homes as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic,” Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said. “The veterans in the Commonwealth deserve the highest-quality services and care possible, and I look forward to the contributions of these new leaders who will work with Secretary Poppe to continually enhance our services and systems for the Commonwealth’s veteran community.”

Ruth’s House Lunch Series Tackles ‘How to Pay for Your Healthcare as You Get Older’

LONGMEADOW — The monthly virtual Lunch and Learn series at Ruth’s House Assisted Living Residence announced that attorney Michael Hooker, an elder-law and estate-planning specialist, will talk about planning for and paying for elder care on Wednesday, Dec. 16 and Wednesday, Jan. 20.

The two-part “How to Pay For Your Healthcare as You Get Older” program will be held from noon to 1:15 both days, and both sessions will be followed by a Q & A session, raffle, and a virtual tour.

Hooker’s law practice is focused solely on elder law. He is a frequent public speaker and has written extensively on topics of elder law and planning for needed care.

RSVP to Christina Tuohey (413) 567-6212 or [email protected]. A confirmation and Zoom invite will be e-mailed to participants prior to the meeting.

UMass Confronts Evolving Financial Pressures Due to Pandemic

BOSTON — Warning that the pandemic continues to create financial uncertainty, UMass President Marty Meehan told a board of trustees committee that it will be critical for the university to remain disciplined in its financial management to ensure the university remains financially sound and positioned to drive the Massachusetts economic recovery.

“Just as we have employed a science- and fact-driven approach to keeping our students and staff safe during this public-health crisis, we have based our budgetary decisions on what we know to be rather than what we hope to be,” Meehan said. “We are dealing with a public-health crisis and a huge financial challenge. The stakes are very high.”

Meehan’s comments to the committee on administration and finance prefaced an update on the budget for the current fiscal year by Lisa Calise, senior vice president for administration and finance and university treasurer. She reported that, since the last update in September, the five-campus university has adjusted its projections to include $76 million more in state funding due to level funding of the base appropriation, $21 million more in tuition and fees due to better-than-expected enrollment, $80 million less in housing and dining revenue due to fewer-than-projected students returning to campus, and $19 million in new expenses due to added COVID-19 safety-related initiatives.

The latest budget adjustments leave the university with a projected $335 million budget shortfall, requiring a comprehensive set of expense reductions. The shortfall is caused primarily by the loss of housing and dining revenue (now projected to be $235 million for the year) resulting from fewer students living on campus as they engaged in remote learning. Decisions regarding the number of students allowed to return to campus were informed by safety concerns of faculty and staff unions as well as officials from surrounding communities.

With a slight budget deficit of 0.3%, the campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell continue to implement solutions that would have them finish this fiscal year in balance. The university is currently projecting a positive operating margin of 0.4% after factoring in UMass Medical School’s projected operating results.

“The process, which is ongoing because the facts on the ground continue to change, has been professional, rational, and fact-driven,” said Stephen Karam, committee chairman. “Every effort is being made to reduce costs in ways that protect the core mission of the university, which is student success.”

Recognizing the economic hardships that students and families across the Commonwealth are facing, the board of trustees, at Meehan’s recommendation, froze tuition rates for in-state undergraduate and graduate students this year, forgoing a planned 2.5% increase that would have generated nearly $15 million.

UMass officials have advocated tirelessly for public and private support for the university and will continue that effort, Meehan said, adding that he continues to advocate for more federal funding for UMass and public higher education by staying in “regular contact with our congressional delegation and with congressional leadership” and making the case through his work as member of the board of the Assoc. of Public and Land-grant Universities.

Mercedes-Benz Partners with Springfield Museums on Holiday ‘Beep & Greet’

SPRINGFIELD — The holiday season may look and feel a little different this year, but Springfield Museums have teamed up with Mercedes-Benz of Springfield to spread some holiday cheer with a family-fun “Beep & Greet” drive-thru experience.

“Peter and I know it might be difficult for families to see Santa this year. We hope this event hosted by the Springfield Museums adds a little more holiday cheer to the season for us all,” said Michelle Wirth, who co-owns Mercedes-Benz of Springfield with husband Peter Wirth.

The Beep & Greet will take place Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 and 12, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Springfield Museums, and is an opportunity for families in cars to wave from a social distance to the Grinch and Santa.

“We figure this is an excellent way to share Grinchy joy while also keeping safe,” said Jenny Powers, Family Engagement coordinator for Springfield Museums.

Each family receives one free book per car and one Grinch-themed craft per child. Children will also have an opportunity to drop off a letter to Santa and check with his elves to see if they are on the infamous ‘naughty or nice’ list. Springfield Museums are offering in-person “Grinchmas” programming throughout December, as well as the holiday exhibit “Gingerbread in Wonderland.”

Holyoke Medical Center Seeks Blood, Plasma Donors

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center is actively seeking blood and convalescent plasma donors. The center’s Blood Bank depends on area residents, their friends, and neighbors to help meet the transfusion needs of the local community.

“The demand for convalescent plasma is higher than the supply that has been donated throughout the region. People who have recovered from COVID-19 are encouraged to make a donation and help save the lives of up to two people in our community,” said Jon Gronbach, director of Laboratory Services at Holyoke Medical Center.

Convalescent plasma is a liquid component of blood from patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Patients who have recovered from the disease have antibodies to protect themselves to fight the virus. By making a blood and convalescent plasma donation, recovered patients can help others fight COVID-19 as well.

Blood and convalescent plasma supplies continue to be low, and shortages persist in all categories. Emergency supplies from the Red Cross are often limited. More than 75% of the blood and convalescent plasma needed by patients at the medical center comes from people living in Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley, and surrounding communities.

All eligible donors will receive a free recognition gift for their donation, and eligible convalescent plasma donors will receive a free COVID IgG test.

The Blood Bank, located on the first floor of Holyoke Medical Center, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are required. For further information or to schedule an appointment, call (413) 534‑2591.

Comcast Supports MHA Programming, Families of Staff

SPRINGFIELD — Comcast recently awarded a $5,000 grant to MHA, which includes $2,000 to fund the purchase of school supplies for children of MHA staff dealing with hybrid and remote learning models as a result of the pandemic. Supplies for the children include face masks, hand sanitizer, pencils, pencil sharpeners, notebooks, erasers, and pocket folders.

The remaining $3,000 will underwrite a Room to Recover at MHA’s Safe Haven program for a year. Safe Haven offers transitional housing support to people served by the Department of Mental Health who are experiencing chronic homelessness, including those in recovery.

“MHA staff are the definition of essential workers,” said Kimberley Lee, vice president, Resource Development & Branding for MHA. “The folks they serve require care 24/7, and our team provides constant care and compassion, regardless of the challenges presented to them by COVID-19. Since a large proportion of our staff have school-aged children, and since so many schools are either remote or hybrid, providing these important supplies helps ensure the kids are prepared for school. At the same time, it gives their parents one less thing to worry about. MHA is thrilled that the folks at Comcast saw fit to make this generous donation and excited to continue our community partnership.”

Dan Glanville, vice president of Government Affairs and Community Impact for Comcast’s Western New England Region, added that “Comcast is proud to support MHA as they continue to manage the COVID-19 pandemic while balancing the needs of both their clients and their own families. We appreciate the work the team does for local residents and are proud to provide these resources to support their children and those most in need, especially during this unprecedented time.”

Governor Announces New Restrictions in Rollback of Reopening Plan

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration announced that all communities in Massachusetts will return to step 1 of phase 3 of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan, effective Sunday, Dec. 13. This will reduce indoor capacities across a broad range of sectors of the economy and tighten several other workplace restrictions. The administration announced the rollback to respond to an increase in new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations since the Thanksgiving holiday that is straining the healthcare system in Massachusetts.

The return to step 1 will also require the closure of certain businesses designated as step-2 industries. These include indoor performance venues and certain high-contact indoor recreational businesses. In addition, capacity limits will be reduced to 40% statewide for most industries, and the limit on outdoor gatherings will be reduced statewide from 100 people to 50. Additional safety measures will be applied to restaurant dining as well.

These new measures are designed to prevent infection and viral spread, especially in indoor settings. They will create stronger mask compliance, more social distancing, and limits to the time spent with people outside one’s immediate household.

Among the specific restrictions:

• Outdoor gatherings at event venues will be limited to no more than 50 people. Hosts of outdoor gatherings of greater than 25 people will be required to provide advance notice of the gathering to their local board of health.

• Indoor theaters and performance venues and higher-contact indoor recreation businesses will be required to close. Outdoor theaters and performance venues will be limited to 25% capacity and no more than 50 people.

• In all communities, capacity will be reduced from 50% to 40% for the following sectors: arcades, driving and flight schools, golf facilities, gyms and health clubs, indoor and outdoor recreational businesses, libraries, lodging (common areas), movie theaters (maximum 50 people per theater), museums, offices, places of worship, and retail.

This new capacity limit will not apply to sectors that do not currently have a percentage-based capacity limit, including restaurants, laboratories, and close-contact personal services.

The administration also announced new guidelines for restaurants and other venues with seated dining. Patrons must wear masks at all times except when eating and drinking, restaurants must seat no more than six patrons per table, restaurants must impose a 90-minute time limit on tables, musical performances at restaurants will no longer be permitted, food-court seating must be closed in malls, and customers are encouraged to dine only with members of the same household.

The administration also announced new guidelines for workplaces and gyms. In offices, employees must wear masks at their place of work when not in their own workspace and alone. Employers are encouraged to close or limit the use of break rooms, and patrons must wear masks at all times in gyms. The administration continues to encourage all employers to offer teleworking to their employees when possible.

Country Bank Announces Sponsorship Agreement with Worcester Red Sox

WORCESTER — Country Bank has entered into an elite-level corporate sponsorship arrangement as a ‘founding partner’ of the Worcester Red Sox. Country Bank’s multi-tiered sponsorship includes a sign in right field atop the stands known as the Worcester Wall, along with the Country Bank Guest Services located on the first-base concourse.

The partnership between the WooSox and Country Bank also underscores their mutual commitment to the community through the WooSox Foundation and Country Bank’s Charitable Giving Program by supporting local nonprofits in the region through a combined charitable-giving campaign throughout the baseball season.

In addition, both organizations will work together to launch a Teacher of the Month program that recognizes the outstanding work teachers do every day to educate and support students.

“We have been impressed and inspired by Country Bank’s sense of community involvement,” WooSox President Charles Steinberg said. “We see how helpful they are to various institutions and thousands of people in our region, and we welcome them to Polar Park with open arms as we work together to enhance the quality of life in our community even more.”

Added Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank, “in an era where spectator sports continue to be redefined by new norms of social distancing, sports sponsorships are taking on new forms. With that in mind, we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the WooSox and the Worcester community. The addition of year-round entertainment, including ballgames, concerts, and various family activities at Polar Park, is exciting for the people and businesses in the region. We all look forward to the day when we can come together again at the ballpark enjoying activities with our families and friends. We also look forward to seeing our businesses thrive once again after being heavily impacted by the pandemic.”

To kick off their partnership, last week a team from Country Bank and the WooSox mascot, Smiley Ball, delivered 500 Thanksgiving meals prepared by Old Sturbridge Village along with apple pies from Worcester-based Table Talk to the St. John’s Food Pantry for the Poor.

“The alignment of our organizational values with the WooSox solidifies our commitment to service and teamwork as we continually strive for excellence in all we do,” Scully said.

Holyoke Medical Center Earns Leapfrog Top Hospital Award for Quality, Safety

HOLYOKE — Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, Holyoke Medical Center was named a Top General Hospital nationally by the Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers widely acknowledged as the toughest standard setters for healthcare safety and quality.

“Holyoke Medical Center is proud to once again accept the Top General Hospital award from the Leapfrog Group,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems Inc. “With only 29 hospitals receiving this distinction nationally, it speaks volumes about our amazing team members. It is through their dedicated work and devotion to providing the best care and the safest environment for our patients that we receive this recognition.”

More than 2,200 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, Holyoke Medical Center received a Top General distinction. A total of 105 hospitals were selected as Top Hospitals, including nine Top Children’s Hospitals, 29 Top General Hospitals, 19 Top Rural Hospitals, and 48 Top Teaching Hospitals.

The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors.

“Being recognized as a Top Hospital is an extraordinary feat, and we are honored to recognize Holyoke Medical Center this year,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group. “Despite the extraordinary pressure and strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, Holyoke Medical Center has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to patients and to their community. We congratulate the board, staff, and clinicians whose efforts made this honor possible.”

Holyoke Medical Center also received the Top General Hospital recognition from the Leapfrog Group in 2014 and 2016.

Volunteers Needed for a Study on COVID-19 Survivors

AMHERST — A significant proportion of people infected by COVID-19, known as ‘long-haulers,’ suffer from prolonged symptoms and chronic fatigue, which can lead to long-term incapacities. Therefore, therapies that can be performed at home and accelerate physical recovery need to be developed.

UMass kinesiology researchers are currently comparing the effects of local heat therapy to exercise training on physical function in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients, as heat therapy might be a more practical solution and still provide large gains in function for many patients. Volunteers are needed for this study.

Eligibility requirements include being between 55 and 85 years old, having a prolonged hospital stay (at least five days) due to a COVID-19-related infection, not being currently enrolled in a rehabilitation program, and having no prior history of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. Participants will be compensated for their time.

Contact [email protected] with any questions or to express interest in participating in the study.

Difference Makers Nominations Due by Dec. 23

SPRINGFIELD — Do you know someone who is truly making a difference in the Western Mass. region?

BusinessWest invites you to nominate an individual or group for its 13th annual Difference Makers program. Nominations for the class of 2021 must be received by the end of the business day (5 p.m.) on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

Difference Makers was launched in 2009 as a way to recognize the contributions of agencies and individuals who are contributing to quality of life in this region. Past honorees have come from dozens of business and nonprofit sectors, proving there’s no limit to the ways people can impact their communities — and the ongoing pandemic has no doubt shed a spotlight on other ways to make a difference.

So, let us know who you think deserves to be recognized as a Difference Maker in our upcoming class by clicking here to complete the nomination form. Honorees will be profiled in an upcoming issue of BusinessWest.

Employer Confidence Strengthens During November

BOSTON — Confidence among Massachusetts businesses last month rose to its highest level since February, inching toward optimism as vaccines raised hopes for an end to the COVID-induced economic slowdown.

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index gained 3.1 points to 49.3 during November, just shy of the level (50) that denotes an optimistic view of the business economy. Driving the increase was a surge of confidence among manufacturing companies and bullishness among all employers about prospects for the future.

The BCI is up from a low of 38.4 in April but still 11.3 points less than in November 2019.

The confidence report comes as the Massachusetts economy continues a methodical recovery amid the renewed surge of COVID-19 cases. The state jobless rate dropped 2.4 percentage points to 7.4% in October following a record 37.7% rebound in economic output during the third quarter.

“Massachusetts companies appear to believe that the new COVID-19 vaccines will ultimately stem the increase in new cases and restore stability to the economy,” said Raymond Torto, professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and chair of the AIM Board of Economic Advisors. “The fact that employers are significantly more confident about conditions six months from now than they are about current conditions is a strong indicator that they see better days ahead.”

The constituent indicators that make up the Business Confidence Index all moved higher during November. Employers’ confidence in their own companies rose 2.5 points to 51.8, crossing into optimistic territory but still 7.1 points lower than a year ago. The Massachusetts Index assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth gained 4.4 points to 47.3, while the U.S. Index measuring conditions nationally increased 3.6 points to 43.8.

The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, was up 1.6 points to 45.6. The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, surged 4.6 points to 53.0, still 6.5 points below its level of November 2019.

The Employment Index continued its steady increase, rising 1.6 points to 51.1. Despite the COVID-driven economic downturn, many employers continue to report challenges with hiring skilled workers.

Manufacturing companies recorded the largest increase in confidence, up 5.8 points to 51.3. Many Massachusetts manufacturers have operated throughout the pandemic as essential businesses. Large companies (56.2) were more bullish than medium-sized companies (48.6) or small companies (45.3).

Sara Johnson, executive director, Global Economics at IHS Markit and vice chair of the BEA, sounded a note of caution about the ability of governments around the world to control the spread of COVID-19. She predicts that the U.S. economy will grow at 3.7% in the fourth quarter and then slow to average growth of 1.9% next year.

“The need to bolster struggling economies has swamped notions of austerity. Unfortunately, institutional and political constraints in Europe, the possibility of a divided government in the United States, and limitations on further budgetary expansion in the emerging world mean hopes for big fiscal stimulus remain uncertain,” Johnson said.

AIM President and CEO John Regan, also a BEA member, commended the Massachusetts Legislature for hammering out a state budget last week that avoids raising broad-based taxes on business. He also called upon state and local leaders to keep the economy open in light of the fact that the increase in new COVID-19 cases is not coming from workplaces.

“Addressing the COVID crisis by shutting down the economy again is not a solution,” he said. “Neither is imposing tax increases to resolve the state’s fiscal issues at the expense of business people trying to keep people employed.”

Monson Savings Bank Promotes Sara Rodrigues to Commercial Loan Operations Officer

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank recently announced the promotion of Sara Rodrigues to Commercial Loan Operations officer.

“Sara has always been a positive contributor to our team at Monson Savings Bank, and that is no different when it comes to her work with the commercial-lending team and customers,” President Dan Moriarty said. “She has continually displayed her dedication to making sure our customers have a smooth lending experience. We are grateful to have her as a part of the team and look forward to her continued growth.”

In her new role, she is responsible for managing the commercial-loan administrative team and servicing team at Monson Savings Bank, as well as planning, organizing, and directing all commercial-lending operations.

Rodrigues has been with Monson Savings for eight years, previously serving in the role of Commercial Loan Operations manager. She has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry, with 19 of those years within the commercial-lending sector. Prior to working with Monson Savings Bank, she worked with TD Bank, N.A. as a commercial-loan document supervisor.

A believer in giving back to the communities she works and resides in, Rodrigues is a volunteer with Link to Libraries and the Monson Schools Read a Loud program. She reads to schoolchildren and helps the organization with its mission to distribute new books to the school and home libraries of children in need. She also serves on the Monson Savings Bank community reinvestment committee.

“Since I started my career with Monson Savings Bank, it has been clear to me that this bank has a strong commitment to serving their customers with the best service possible and giving back to the local communities,” Rodrigues said. “Likewise, they take care of their employees and encourage growth. I am so happy to continue to develop my skills with Monson Savings Bank and help our commercial-loan customers along their financing journey.”

Girls on the Run Western MA Completes Fall Season

Special Coverage Women in Businesss

NORTHAMPTON — Girls on the Run Western MA completed its fall 2020 season, providing programming to Pioneer Valley youth both in-person and virtually.

Now more than ever, girls are facing unprecedented challenges. At an age when girls are already vulnerable to decreased self-esteem, the COVID-19 pandemic and societal tensions have led to even more exclusion and isolation. Girls on the Run brings girls from diverse backgrounds together to learn from one another. Volunteer coaches use a research-based curriculum to teach girls about empathy, celebrating differences, and finding strength in connectedness.

The fall season ended with a successful virtual 5K, and some teams hosted in-person, site-based 5Ks with their teams.

This season, thanks to collaboration with local parks and recreation departments and YMCAs, including the Hampshire Regional YMCA, 14 teams and just over 140 girls participated in the fall 2020 season. The organization hopes the spring season will be significantly larger, serving more girls. Girls on the Run is actively setting up spring sites now and recruiting coaches for the spring.

The year-end campaign launched in December with the goal of raising $10,000 to support the scholarship fund for the spring. All donations will directly support the scholarship fund in order to ensure that as many girls as possible have access to Girls on the Run regardless of where they live, financial ability, or physical ability; 65% of participants would not be able to participate without financial assistance.

For the first time ever, the board of directors is providing a matching challenge. Every dollar donated will be matched by the board up to $5,000.

Sponsors for the just-completed fall season include Hart & Patterson, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Health New England, Marisa Labozzetta and Marty Wohl, River Valley Counseling Center, Holyoke Gas and Electric, River Valley Coop, Greenfield Savings Bank, Synergy Physical Therapy, and Mission Velocity.

The Pandemic Helps Western Mass. Makes Its Case

By George O'Brien December 8, 2020

Cover Story

Selling the Region

Rick Sullivan was talking about the pandemic … and about how it just might present some opportunities for this region to prompt companies currently located in expensive office buildings in pricey urban centers to at least look this way.

And he paused to reference an article he had just read that morning about how those in the Aloha State were thinking pretty much the same thing.

“Hawaii seeks to be seen as a remote workplace with a view,” he said, referencing the headline he had just read. “They’re making the same pitch we are — it’s a great place to work remotely … with a view. It’s the same concept — we have great outdoor recreational opportunities, we have the mountains, the skiing, the rafting, and the biking.”

Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, quickly acknowledged that Western Mass. is not Hawaii. But to one degree or another, it can, as he noted, offer at least some of the same things — like those nice views. And a sticker price — for commercial real estate and many other things — far, far below not only Boston, Cambridge, and New York, but many other regions of the country as well.

There is a certain quality of life that has always been here but has taken on perhaps greater importance in the midst of a pandemic as people — and some businesses as well — are starting to think about whether they want or need to be in an urban setting.

These factors may be enough to turn some heads, said Sullivan and others we spoke with, all of whom noted that, as the pandemic approaches the 10-month mark, the emphasis is shifting locally — from talk about how there may be an opportunity to seize, to action when it comes to seizing such an opportunity and getting those heads to turn.

Nancy Creed, president of the Springfield Regional Chamber, is taking action in the form of online tools, through which interested businesses, agencies, and individuals can obtain needed information about the region and even explore options within the commercial real-estate market for a new home.

“We’ve invested in a whole suite of tools, one of which has seven or eight tools that basically walk a business through everything from why the Springfield region is a good place to start a business or expand a business, all the way through where your competitors are, where your customers are, and where your workers are,” she said of a product called Localintel. “And then it continues with information about where to find real estate that fits your purpose; it heatmaps everything for you.”

Meanwhile, Sullivan said the EDC, which has received an uptick in the number of incoming calls from businesses and site selectors looking to learn more about the region, has made efforts to promote the area and take advantage of pandemic-related trends and movements as one of its strategic priorities for the coming year.

Rick Sullivan says that, like Hawaii, Western Mass. can position itself as an effective place to work — with a view.

“Part of our strategic plan is to increase the marketing for such efforts and make that pitch,” he explained. “We’re going to work through what that looks like, but we are certainly not equipped to do a multi-million-dollar marketing campaign. I do think we can raise our profile and make that pitch.”

But while there is opportunity in the midst of this pandemic, challenges exist as well.

Evan Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin and a long-time promoter of Springfield and especially its downtown area, said there are some lingering perceptions about the city and region — regarding everything from workforce to housing stock to public safety — that have to be overcome. Also, there remains considerable work to do when it comes to simply getting the word out about Western Mass. and all that it has to offer.

Meanwhile, as for trying to convince companies and state agencies to move here — something Plotkin has been doing aggressively for some time now — he said there are cost and logistical concerns that remain stumbling blocks.

“When I talk to people about this, I see a lot of heads nod in agreement — they see why this region makes sense on many levels,” he said. “The pushback comes with people not wanting to uproot themselves and make that move. We have to be able to overcome that.”

For this issue, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at how the pandemic may change the landscape in some positive ways, and also what has to happen for the region’s fortunes to improve.

Moving Sentinents

Plotkin told BusinessWest that, whenever he meets attorneys or other professionals from Boston or New York — and that’s often — he invariably makes a point of asking them where they’re based and how much they’re paying to do business there.

He then offers a pitch for this region, letting the individual across the table know that things are less expensive and — in some ways, at least — better here.

“I’ll say, ‘you know what … you can probably do a lot better here,’” he said. “I’ll tell them, ‘if you have a big office, maybe you can keep an office in Boston and move your back-room operations here.’”

Moving forward, the assignment for the region, said those we spoke with, is to take these pitches, these efforts to sell the region, to a higher plane — now more than ever, because of what the pandemic has shown people.

In short, Sullivan noted, it has demonstrated that people can work remotely, and effectively, and that companies don’t necessarily need to lease as much space as they’re leasing now, or lease it in high-traffic (although not at this particular moment in time), high-rent areas.

It has also shown professionals, and especially young people, that they don’t necessarily have to live in one of those urban areas — like Boston, Seattle, or San Francisco — to get the kind of rewarding, high-paying jobs they’re all looking for.

“Because of the pandemic, quality of life has become something that people can really consider when they’re determining their work/life balance — you don’t need to be in the expensive big cities to be able to have the kinds of jobs people are looking for,” he explained. “You can really focus on your work/life balance, and you can really focus on your quality of life, and that’s where Western Massachusetts really shines. You can be working remotely, you can be telecommuting, and you can have that quality of life, that cost of living, that we have in Western Mass. that’s very attractive.”

As that story about Hawaii makes clear, Western Mass. is certainly not alone in this thinking. Indeed, there will be plenty of competition. But in this region, there is, by most all accounts, more recognition of possible opportunities and more of a combined enthusiasm for seizing it.

“I think there’s more of a critical mass,” Creed noted in reference to the collective efforts she’s seeing. “Before, it was this organization or this person; now, everyone is seeing it, and I’m hearing that more real-estate brokers are actively seeking businesses to come here.

Evan Plotkin wants to convert three floors within 1350 Main St. to space where people can both live and work, an example of how the region may be able to benefit from the changes brought about by the pandemic.

“And I’m hearing it from business owners as well,” she went on. “They’re saying, ‘why do I need to have downtown space in the larger markets?’ So I think there is opportunity.”

But there have always been opportunities for this region when it comes to effectively selling its quality of life and lower cost of living. The $64,000 question at the moment is whether COVID will become a type of X-factor and drive interest in an area that has traditionally drawn that kind of head-nodding that Plotkin talked about, but certainly not as much action as most would like.

And the answer to that question is certainly unknown at this point. But it’s clear that there is now growing interest in at least trying to sell the region in a more aggressive way.

Measures like Localintel, a step recommended in the Future Cities study released in 2016, are a part of such efforts, said Creed, noting that the platform is currently being tested and should be on the chamber’s website soon.

The chamber is partnering with the city, which will also be able to put Localintel on its website, she went on, adding that the chamber will be adding another tool specifically for startups, partnering with Valley Venture Mentors in that initiative.

“It walks you through all the steps you need to go through to start your business,” she explained. “And then, you go to the next suite of tools, which will walk you through the customers, the competition, and more.”

In Good Company

Beyond simple lessons in geography regarding where companies can be located, the pandemic has provided some other lessons as well, said Sullivan, especially those related to supply chain and what can happen when overseas links in that chain are broken.

Indeed, a number of major manufacturers, as well as local anchor businesses such as hospitals, colleges, Big Y, and others, have expressed interest in making their supply chains more reliable, he told BusinessWest, adding that these sentiments would indicate that there are opportunities for this region to build on its already-strong manufacturing sector.

“We’ve seen, partially because of the pandemic, that supply chain, when it’s overseas and all split up, is much less reliable,” he explained. “That’s an opportunity for us because manufacturing is one of our strengths in this region.

“This is just one of the ways that we can come out of this pandemic in a stronger position than when we went into it,” he went on. “We need to be able to move forward where there are opportunities that we’ve identified.”

And the growing number of phone calls to the EDC, and the nature of those calls, would seem to indicate some potential opportunities, Sullivan went on, adding that there have been calls from companies looking for more of a campus-like setting; from manufacturers looking to move operations onshore; from call centers looking for smaller, more affordable facilities; and even from modular-home builders intrigued by the region’s accessibility and highway infrastructure.

Such calls lead to the inevitable questions about whether the region has the ability to actually move forward in the fashion he suggests. Does it have the housing inventory? Does it have an adequate workforce? Does it have communities that would attract businesses and individuals? Does it have the vibrancy and amenities needed to attract young people?

Plotkin has been answering some of these very questions as he vies to make the property he co-owns, 1350 Main St., home to what’s being called a remote-work hub that would enable people to live and work in the same building, a concept that has become more intriguing as the pandemic has lingered.

As he talked with BusinessWest, Plotkin was preparing to meet with those looking to site such facilities — he believes he has made it to the next round in the process — and state his case. He said he’s got a solid one, when considering both his building and the three full floors he’s proposing for a remote-work hub and this region, but as he was preparing his response to the RFP, he realized that, while the region has a lot to sell, it has to work harder at selling it.

“It’s all about salesmanship and about trying to overcome some of the negativity and the obstacles,” he explained. “It’s trying to overcome a perception that doesn’t reflect what we really have here.”

And one of the more critical perceptions, or misperceptions, in his view, at least, involves workforce and fears that this region cannot support certain types of industries or specific businesses.

Nancy Creed

“I think there’s more of a critical mass. Before, it was this organization or this person; now, everyone is seeing it, and I’m hearing that more real-estate brokers are actively seeking businesses to come here.”

“There’s a fear that workers wouldn’t want to live in Springfield,” he explained, “and also the fear that their chances of finding the talent they need in Springfield and the surrounding region would be harder; that’s the biggest impediment I’m seeing.”

Meanwhile, the pandemic certainly hasn’t helped matters, he said, adding that, before it arrived, the city was enjoying some momentum. But many of its major attractions, from its hockey team to its symphony orchestra to its $1 billion casino, are shut down or operating much differently than before the pandemic.

Taking the long view, though, he said these institutions will return, and they will be part of an attractive package the region can market, a package that seems to make more sense with each passing day living and working during a pandemic.

Bottom Line

Time will obviously tell whether Western Mass., Hawaii, or anywhere else will benefit greatly from the lessons learned from COVID-19 and the trends emerging from this unique time in history.

What is apparent at the moment is that this region seems committed to at least trying to seize what appears to be a clear opportunity to benefit from attitudes about where companies can and should be located, and how they can and should be conducting business.

“Let’s just say I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” Creed said.

So is everyone else.

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

Community Colleges Bear the Brunt of the Pandemic

By George O'Brien December 8, 2020

Education Special Coverage

The Sternest of Tests

By George O’Brien

Yves Salomon-Fernández says the region’s community colleges were facing some pretty severe headwinds before the COVID-19 pandemic reached Western Mass. in March.

Indeed, these institutions, like all colleges and universities, have been seriously impacted by demographic trends — specifically, a decade or more of consistently smaller high-school graduating classes, said Salomon-Fernández, president of Greenfield Community College (GCC).

But they’ve also been adversely impacted by what was the nation’s longest economic expansion and historically low unemployment rates, in a continuation of a trend that has become quite familiar to those in the community-college realm — when times are good, enrollment suffers, she noted; when times are bad, like during the Great Recession, people go back to school and enrollment climbs.

Yves Salomon-Fernández says the pandemic has in some ways accelerated the pace of change when it comes to jobs and the workforce, and community colleges will need to help individuals thrive in this altered landscape.

But while the pandemic has created some of the worst times this region has seen in the past 90 years or so and put thousands on the unemployment rolls, that development hasn’t benefited the community colleges in the manner it has in the past, said Salomon-Fernández and others we spoke with. There are a number of reasons for that, many of which have to do with the ongoing health crisis itself.

Listing some, Christina Royal, president of Holyoke Community College (HCC) and one of BusinessWest’s Women of Impact for 2020, said many individuals and families are simply coping with too many issues right now — from balancing life and work to trying to find employment, to simply putting food on the table — to consider adding a college education to the mix.

Beyond that, one of the real strengths of community colleges is their personal style of learning in the classroom, something taken away by the pandemic, and something that is keeping many students on the sidelines, Royal continued.

“We have a lot of students who prefer in-person learning,” she explained, noting that, in what would be normal times, roughly 20% of courses offered by the school are taught remotely; now, that number is closer to 95% or even 98%, and it will be that way at least through next spring. “So some students feel frustrated that the pandemic is continuing; what they thought would be a one-semester impact is now much more than that.”

But maybe the biggest reason this crisis has hit the community colleges harder than other institutions of higher learning is that this has not been an equal-opportunity pandemic, said John Cook, president of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), noting that it has impacted those in urban areas, those in lower-income brackets, and those in the minority community more severely than other constituencies. And these individuals, which were already struggling in many ways before the pandemic, form the base of the student populations at all of the state’s community colleges.

“For us and for the other community colleges, this is a conversation about equity,” he told BusinessWest. “We are a college that has a majority of students of color, and we’re seeing steep enrollment declines. It’s right in line with the way the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the African-American community and the Hispanic community.”

Christina Royal says enrollment at community colleges has been dropping consistently since 2012, a pattern exacerbated by the pandemic.

Add all this up, and the region’s community colleges have had a very trying time since the spring. There have been cutbacks — STCC has had to cut several programs, for example, everything from automotive technology to landscape architecture (more on that later) — and workforce reductions by attrition at each school. And no one is really sure when the picture might at least start to brighten, which may be the biggest challenge of all.

“I’m encouraged, like the world, by vaccines, but just like everything with this pandemic, there is a great deal of uncertainty as to when anything is going to take place,” Cook said. “So it’s really hard to forecast for next fall and beyond.”

But in some ways, this has been a proud moment for the schools, if that’s the right term, as they have focused their attention on the students who are enrolled and their growing needs during the pandemic — for everything from Chromebooks to hotspots so students can have internet access, to food and even desks so students can study remotely.

“From 2012 until now, we’ve lost about 40% of our enrollment. This is staggering for any industry, any sector, and it tells a certain story about community colleges.”

Meanwhile, the schools are doing what they always do — looking to the future and seeing how the pandemic will impact the employment landscape with an eye toward preparing students for what will be a changing job market.

“The economy is changing, and jobs are changing, and we were already beginning to see these shifts before the pandemic,” said Salomon-Fernández. “When you read reports from the World Economic Forum, you see predictions that, over the next several years, many of the jobs that exist now will disappear. We knew there was a change coming in the future of work, and what we’re seeing now is that the pandemic is affecting how we work — and what the work is.”

For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at how the pandemic has impacted the region’s community colleges, and how they’re responding to these even stronger headwinds.

Difficult Course

Cook told BusinessWest that the presidents of the state’s 15 community colleges meet weekly.

They’ve always done this, he said, but the meetings are different now. For starters, they’re by Zoom, obviously, and the tone is decidedly different as the schools collectively deal with challenges on an unprecedented scale.

Unprecedented, because the schools have never faced a perfect storm like this one.

“There’s a solidarity there, for sure — you’re with a group of peers and colleagues contending with similarly difficult circumstances,” he said with some understatement in his voice. “We do a lot of listening and sharing — of strategic actions; navigation of federal, state, and local regulations; and best practices. We’re all coping with the same challenges.”

And there are many of them, starting with enrollment. As noted earlier, several forces have been pulling the numbers down for the bulk of the past decade, including the smaller high-school graduating classes and the economy — and the impact has been significant.

Indeed, overall enrollment at STCC had fallen by 30% between 2012 (when there were 7,000 students on campus) and the fall of 2019, said Cook, and it took another 15% hit this fall.

“From 2012 until now, we’ve lost about 40% of our enrollment,” he noted. “This is staggering for any industry, any sector, and it tells a certain story about community colleges.”

John Cook says the pandemic has disproportionately impacted urban areas and communities of color — constituencies served by community colleges.

The story is similar at most all of the other community colleges. Royal said enrollment has been declining at a rate of roughly 5% a year since 2012, or the peak, if you will, when it comes to enrollment growth in the wake of the Great Recession, and the pandemic has certainly compounded the problem. At HCC, enrollment is down 13.7% (roughly 600 students) from the fall of 2019, while the number of full-time equivalents is down 17%. And they are projected to decline further for the spring (enrollment is traditionally lower in the spring than the fall), she noted, as her school and other community colleges have announced that all learning next semester will be remote.

At GCC, the school hasn’t been hit as hard when it comes to enrollment, perhaps an 8% decline, said Salomon-Fernández, but the numbers are still down, and the long-term projections show they will continue trending downward for perhaps the balance of the decade, something GCC and other schools have been trying to plan for.

These enrollment declines obviously take a toll on these schools financially, said those we spoke with, a toll that has been greatly acerbated by the pandemic; Cook equated the 15% drop in enrollment from last year to $3 million in lost revenues. State and federal assistance from the CARES Act and other relief efforts have helped, he said, but there are restrictions on those monies, and, overall, they certainly don’t offset the steep losses.

Meanwhile, other headwinds are blowing, he said. At STCC, for example, the school has a number of issues with its buildings, some of which are more than 150 years old, with costs totaling several million dollars.

In response, the institutions have been using every tool in the toolbox to cope with the declines in revenue, including inducements to retire, not filling positions when people do retire or leave, reducing part-time personnel (and then full-time workers) if needed, creating efficiencies when possible, and cutting down on expenses wherever possible, including travel, utilities, and more.

In some cases, schools have had to go further and cut programs, as at STCC, which has eliminated several programs, including automotive, cosmetology, civil engineering, and dental assisting, which together enrolled roughly 120 students. These cuts came down to simple mathematics, said Cook, adding that, while some programs were popular and certainly needed within the community, like automotive, they are losing propositions, budget-wise.

“As much as we try to encourage them to stick with their plan and help them, through myriad services, to persist, the numbers seem to indicate that they need to take a break. And that’s disproportionately unique to community colleges — we don’t see the same level of enrollment decline at state universities, at UMass, or at undergraduate private institutions.”

“By and large, with every program we offer, the tuition and fees do not cover the costs; no program really breaks even, especially anything that has a lab or a technical or clinical element to it; those are all losing endeavors,” he explained. “Which means there’s even more pressure when enrollment falls.”

Steep Grade

And, as noted, enrollment is projected to keep falling for the foreseeable future, and for all of the reasons, many of them pandemic-related, mentioned above — from individuals not able to attend college for financial or other reasons to people not wanting to learn remotely, which is all that community colleges can offer right now, except for some lab programs. And these trends are piling up atop those falling birth rates and smaller high-school classes.

Overall, it’s far more than enough to offset any gains that might come from the economy declining and the jobless rate soaring, said Royal, noting that this downturn is unlike those that came before because of the pandemic and the wave of uncertainty that has accompanied it.

“When we think about the conditions that tend to drive more students to higher education during a recession, in normal times, there is more predictability when it comes to economic cycles,” she explained. “We know that during a recession, jobs are limited, and you use the time to focus on your education; the market is going to turn, and when it does, you’ll have more credentials and certificates to be competitive for a job.

“When you think of the conditions we’re in now, there’s still so much uncertainty that people are feeling nervous about starting a new program when they just don’t have a sense for where the world is going to end up,” she went on. “They’re thinking, ‘what is the world going to look like, and how do we even navigate this?’”

With many schools forced to offer only remote learning, Salomon-Fernández noted, there was some speculation that students, perhaps with some prodding from their parents, might opt to learn remotely at a community college rather than a far more expensive four-year institution of higher learning. But thus far, such a movement has not materialized, she said, adding that some students are opting out altogether and taking at least a semester or year off rather than enroll remotely at any institution.

SEE: List of Private Schools

What is materializing is a situation where those in the minority communities and the lower end of the income scale — frontline workers, in many instances — are being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. And this is the constituency that fills many of the seats — another term that takes on new meaning during the pandemic — at this region’s community colleges.

“If you look at Holyoke, Springfield, Chicopee, and Westfield — those are our top feeder communities,” Royal said. “These are the communities that are getting impacted by the pandemic in a significant way; we know the pandemic is disproportionately impacting communities of color and low-income communities.”

She and the others we spoke with said the pandemic is putting many people out of work or reducing their hours, affecting everything from housing to food insecurity. Meanwhile, for others, the pandemic has them in a situation where balancing work and life has become more challenging and complicated, leaving fewer hours in the day and less time and opportunity for things like attaining the associate degree that might open some doors career-wise.

“There are so many uncertainties right now that have many people saying, ‘I don’t know if I can handle another thing right now — so I’m just going to wait and see if we can stabilize some of these other factors, especially some consistency with K-12 education and a better understanding of where the jobs are and who’s hiring,’” Royal said.

Cook concurred. “A lot of what we see in our enrollment decline is students not going anywhere — they’re sitting on the sidelines,” he said. “They’re not seeking another option because, frankly, we’re the most affordable and most accessible option in Springfield. They’re literally staying home — taking care of children who are similarly home, or taking care of family members, or addressing working concerns. That’s what we see, and that’s part of the larger story around racial concerns, equity, and structural racism, and this is how it lands at a place like STCC.

“As much as we try to encourage them to stick with their plan and help them, through myriad services, to persist, the numbers seem to indicate that they need to take a break,” he went on. “And that’s disproportionately unique to community colleges — we don’t see the same level of enrollment decline at state universities, at UMass, or at undergraduate private institutions.”

Learning Curves

While coping with falling enrollment, the community colleges are facing additional challenges when it comes to serving those who are enrolled, said those we spoke with, noting, again, the disproportionate impact on those in lower-income brackets.

One of the biggest challenges many students face is getting internet access, said Salomon-Fernández, noting that this was already a challenge for some in rural Franklin County before the pandemic; now, it’s even more of an issue.

Royal agreed, noting that many students made use of HCC’s wi-fi and computer labs before the pandemic because they didn’t have it at home or had limited, low-band service.

The schools have responded by giving out laptops and Chromebooks on loan, as well as mobile hotspots to help with wi-fi connectivity.

“We’ve had hundreds of students access technology to help them with remote learning,” said Royal, adding that, through the school’s Student Emergency Fund, help has been provided for everything from rent payments to auto insurance to food, with more than $90,000 distributed to more than 230 students.

But the help goes beyond money, she said, adding that, at the school’s Thrive Center, students can get assistance with filling out applications for unemployment, get connected to mental-health services, find digital-literacy programs, and receive support from the school’s food pantry, in addition to those internet hot spots.

Looking ahead, though, the colleges face a much larger and even more important challenge as they try to anticipate changes to the job market, some of them being shaped by and accelerated by the pandemic, and adjust their programs accordingly.

“We’re trying to understand and anticipate how the job market will change. We expect some jobs to be gone and not come back, and as a community college, we’re preparing ourselves to support the most vulnerable people whose jobs will cease to exist.”

“We’re trying to understand and anticipate how the job market will change,” said Salomon-Fernández. “We expect some jobs to be gone and not come back, and as a community college, we’re preparing ourselves to support the most vulnerable people whose jobs will cease to exist.

“We’re already working with our Workforce Investment Board and with our chamber of commerce and other employment partners to help them think through training, both right now and for what’s coming down the pike,” she added. “It’s a matter of being agile in our thinking, of being responsive in terms of what new academic programs and new workforce-development programs might be needed, and making sure they are informed by industry and that we are ready to serve when people are ready to re-engage in this work.”

‘Ready to serve’ is a phrase that defines the purpose and the mission of the region’s community colleges. Carrying out that mission has become more difficult during the pandemic and the many changes it has brought, but the schools are persevering.

This has been the sternest of tests for them, but they are determined to pass it themselves, and enable all those they serve to do the same.

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

Women Business Owners Alliance Helps Members Grow Through Education

By Joseph Bednar December 8, 2020

Knowledge Is Power

The WBOA team with a mural commissioned from member and artist Mary Kearney.

When the Women Business Owners Alliance launched in 1982, there wasn’t anything quite like it, Anita Eliason said.

“Because there were so few women business owners in the Valley, they felt a need to get together and kind of strengthen their bond and share the experiences they were having that, maybe, were different than the experiences of men in business,” said Eliason, WBOA’s president. “They kind of broke some barriers and did it with a sense of camaraderie with other women business owners.”

These days, business groups, including those focused on women, are much more prevalent, but she thinks the WBOA is still unique — because of its diligent focus on education.

When the alliance became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit recently, “the goal was to establish ourselves as an educational organization,” she said. “Some organizations exist to bring people together to be one another’s customers, like BNI; the whole point of getting together is so I can get to your six degrees, and you can get to my six degrees, and we can all create business.

“We’re really about education and upping skills for people looking to be successful in business, much more than we are about getting business from one another. We’re here to help people be better at business, and we’re mutually learning from one another.”

“That’s not how we operate,” she went on. “We really come together to be enlightened, to be educated, to be inspired so go out and do the business of work. It’s not so much that your sister’s going to be my client, and my mother’s going to be yours. It’s mutually getting together to up our skill level.”

Members of the WBOA say the organization has proven beneficial on many levels, offering inspiration and knowledge from other women’s experiences in a supportive and non-competitive atmosphere. There’s a comfort level many say they haven’t found elsewhere, and it’s helping them gain the confidence and connections to succeed at business and in life.

The organization’s tagline is “going the extra mile for women in business,” reflecting that desire to be more than a networking group or one solely focused on generating new business. In fact, the WBOA tends to avoid the word ‘networking,’ and concentrates instead on making connections and sharing information in a variety of ways.

Eliason, who is also the senior business advisor for the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center’s (MSBDC) Western Regional Office, said not all alliance members are business owners. Some aspire to own a business, while others — such as managers of banks and insurance companies — aren’t technically owners, but are responsible for a company’s day-to-day operations.

“Some people think it’s a social organization, and I think 40 years ago it was something like that. I have the sense that, when they started, they met over dinner in restaurants to start with and then became more formal,” she noted. “Many networking organizations have cropped up in the meantime that are women-focused, and we see ourselves as complementary to those.”

Meaning, the WBOA adds value women professionals may not find elsewhere, and education is at the heart of that value proposition.

For example, the group holds a breakfast meeting every second Thursday at the Scibelli Enterprise Center in Springfield, where the WBOA is based. While the organization has operated remotely since March and the events are virtual for the time being, they have continued without interruption.

Members of the alliance meet for an evening roundtable discussion during pre-pandemic times; all meetings since the spring have been remote, but none have been canceled.

Last month, the guest speaker was an electrical engineer at Raytheon and a Six Sigma lean-manufacturing black belt, who talked about organization and creating leaner operations. A week later, as is typical following the breakfast events, a longer evening program took a deeper dive into the subject matter, and more specific strategies were introduced.

The WBOA also holds quarterly events like social-media boot camps, which, last spring, featured a general session and 14 breakout sessions. Next month, a virtual financial workshop will present an accountant, an enrolled agent, and a tax preparer, who will speak about tax laws, PPP forgiveness, and a host of other issues. “The goal is to leave with a profit-loss statement and a balance sheet from this year and then set up a blank one for the following year.”

One of the positives of hosting the organization — and, before the pandemic, these events — at the Enterprise Center is that so many resources, from the SBA to SCORE, are also located there, and that aspect has been missed, Eliason said.

“It’s a great hub of activity for women business owners. But when we had to shift online, we never missed a meeting. We continued to meet without exception, which we’re kind of proud of,” she said, noting that even more programming was added, such as ‘happy hour’ events that are more motivational in nature than the breakfast discussions, with topics ranging from personal wellness to navigating remote work. “It’s really relevant stuff.”

Making Connections

It also requires resources to make it all happen, which is why the WBOA seeks sponsorships from organizations to underwrite its work. “We’re nonprofit, but there are expenses,” Eliason said, noting that fundraising has been more difficult in a year when businesses of all kinds are struggling.

Still, she made a point of listing many of the businesses that do support the alliance’s work, including Advanced Manufacturing, Allstate Longmeadow, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Attorney Marie T. Jablonski, Bacon Wilson, Dale A. Frank Financial Group, Fletcher Sewer and Drain, Goss and McLain, Jerome’s Party Plus, JL Raymaakers & Sons, Latka Printing, Main Street Deli, New England Disc Golf, Veryl’s Automotive Services, and WEIB-FM.

Collaborators include the MSBDC, SCORE, Valley Community Development, the Franklin County CDC, the Center for Women and Enterprise, and Common Capital. The WBOA also created the first TedX event in Easthampton and established the WINGS mentor program at STCC.

“We see ourselves as a place to learn about all the other resources that are available and always come back for additional education. That’s why we’re strategically placed at the Scibelli Enterprise Center,” she said. “We’re really about education and upping skills for people looking to be successful in business, much more than we are about getting business from one another. We’re here to help people be better at business, and we’re mutually learning from one another.”

It’s been called a sisterhood in the past, and Eliason appreciates that.

“I think of it almost like a sorority — we’re going through similar experiences, we have similar challenges, and for every challenge we face, there’s someone who was at that level with their business years ago, and someone who hasn’t gotten there yet.”

Elaborating, she noted that BOA members feel comfortable calling on professionals who have been through what they’re experiencing. “It’s an evolving group of people at different stages of business ownership, so there are people you can call on, really, for anything.”

Right now, the group boasts about 45 members, though it has topped 100 in the past, and Eliason expects the number to rise to about 70 next year, once the pandemic slows. That number, she said, would be a sweet spot, generating a rich pool of experience and connections, but not such a high number that events become unwieldy.

As for those events, she said platforms like Zoom will continue to have a place at the WBOA even after members return to meeting in person, because the virtual events have cast a wider geographic net, and those technologies also allow the organization to archive webinars where important information gets shared.

In each meeting and newsletter, members also learn about available loan and grant opportunities to help them grapple with a pandemic that has hit small businesses hard, and forced many to close altogether. Other members are trying to keep their businesses afloat while working at home and balancing their careers with what their kids need in terms of remote learning.

“They’re doubling as a teacher for their kids,” Eliason said. “That’s not just a woman’s challenge, but for many of them, it’s been tough trying to juggle those two roles. It’s a lot to navigate.”

Even without the adjustments wrought by COVID-19, there’s always more to learn about how to build and grow a business, and to that end, WBOA leadership will continue to identify categories of information that would be most useful to its members.

“We’re looking for even more diversity of speakers in terms of the industries they come from,” she said. “It’s about linking what’s deliverable to really out-of-the-box thinking.”

Making the Time

In this difficult year, Eliason knows women aren’t necessarily looking for another networking group. But the WBOA isn’t just another networking group.

“Just come,” she said when asked what she’d say to women wondering whether the alliance is for them. “Attending a meeting is significant. It’s a really safe place to learn information. A lot of people say, ‘I didn’t need what the main speaker had to say, but one of the other people who spoke for five or six minutes, she made it worth coming.’

“We think of it as a think tank,” she continued. “If you’re stuck or in a rut, you can just put yourself in a place where there’s every possibility that someone will say something that will further you. Someone will say something in the course of a meeting that makes you say, ‘yeah, that was great.’”

And the learning — and, hopefully, growing — continues.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Annual Industry Outlook Predicts Slow, Uneven Recovery in 2021

Construction Special Coverage

Constructing a Picture

In its recently released 2021 Dodge Construction Outlook, Dodge Data & Analytics predicts that total U.S. construction starts will increase 4% in 2021, to $771 billion.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and recession has had a profound impact on the U.S. economy, leading to a deep dropoff in construction starts in the first half of 2020,” said Richard Branch, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. “While the recovery is underway, the road to full recovery will be long and fraught with potential potholes. After losing an estimated 14% in 2020 to $738 billion, total construction starts will regain just 4% in 2021.”

Furthermore, he added, “uncertainty surrounding the next wave of COVID-19 infections in the fall and winter and delayed fiscal stimulus will lead to a slow and jagged recovery in 2021. Business and consumer confidence will improve over the year as further stimulus comes in early 2021 and a vaccine is approved and becomes more widely distributed, but construction markets have been deeply scarred and will take considerable time to fully recover.”

He noted that the dollar value of starts for residential buildings is expected to increase 5% in 2021, non-residential buildings will gain 3%, and non-building construction will improve 7%. “Only the residential sector, however, will exceed its 2019 level of starts thanks to historically low mortgage rates that boost single-family housing.”

The pattern of construction starts for more specific segments is as follows:

• The dollar value of single-family housing starts will be up 7% in 2021, and the number of units will grow 6% to 928,000. Historically low mortgage rates and a preference for less-dense living during the pandemic are clearly overpowering short-term labor-market and economic concerns.

• Multi-family construction, however, will pay the price for the single-family gain. The large overhang of high-end construction in large metro areas combined with declining rents will lead to a further pullback in 2021. Dollar value will drop 1%, while the number of units started falls 2% to 484,000.

• The dollar value of commercial-building starts will increase 5% in 2021. Warehouse construction will be the clear winner as e-commerce giants continue to build out their logistics infrastructure. Office starts will also increase due to rising demand for data centers (included in the office category), as well as renovations to existing space. Retail and hotel activity will languish.

• In 2021, institutional construction starts will increase by a tepid 1% as growing state and local budget deficits impact public-building construction. Education construction is expected to see further declines in 2021, while healthcare starts are predicted to rise as hospitals seek to improve in-patient bed counts.

• The dollar value of manufacturing plant construction will remain flat in 2021. Declining petrochemical construction and weak domestic and global activity will dampen starts, while a small handful of expected project groundbreakings will level out the year.

• Public-works construction starts will see little improvement as 2021 begins due to continued uncertainty surrounding additional federal aid for state and local areas. Additionally, the unfinished appropriations process for fiscal year 2021, which began Oct. 1, raises doubt about the sector’s ability to post a strong gain in 2021. Public-works construction starts will be flat over the year.

• Electric utilities and gas plants will gain 35% in 2021, led by expected groundbreakings for several large natural-gas export facilities and an increasing number of wind farms.

Ludlow Keeps Building and Improving

Community Spotlight

By Mark Morris

Depending on how the pandemic progresses, the new Ludlow Senior Center could begin hosting some indoor programs by February.

Despite the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19, the town of Ludlow keeps building and improving.

As coronavirus rates continue to rise across Massachusetts, Manuel Silva, chairman of the Ludlow Board of Selectmen, said officials in town are closely monitoring the number of cases there.

A long-time selectman who served an earlier term as chairman, Silva said the pandemic has brought more challenges than a typical year. Like most places, Ludlow Town Hall is closed to the general public except by appointment. Silva said some town functions, such as the town clerk and tax collector’s offices, are conducting limited public business from the rear of the building, where they can offer service through a window. “It almost looks like an ice-cream stand,” he said with a laugh.

While Ludlow Mills features several ongoing projects (more on that later), Silva wanted to talk to BusinessWest about a few prominent municipal projects that are nearing completion.

For example, construction on Harris Brook Elementary School is progressing, with a good chance that students will begin attending next fall. Harris Brook is being built to replace Chapin and Veterans Park elementary schools, with the new school located on what used to be playing fields for the adjacent Chapin School.

It’s possible the old buildings may be repurposed and given a second life, Silva said. “We are looking at doing a study on both Chapin and Veterans Park to see what other use the town might have for them.”

He and other town officials are scheduled to tour Harris Brook and inspect the progress that’s been made on it. Once the new school is complete, Ludlow will receive reimbursement from the state for nearly half the cost of the $60 million project.

Another project nearing completion involves road improvements to Center Street, a main artery in Ludlow. Because the street is also part of Route 21, a state highway, the Commonwealth paid for most of the $5.6 million in improvements.

Construction continues on Harris Brook Elementary School, which will replace both Chapin and Veterans Park elementary schools.

Perhaps no one in Ludlow is more enthusiastically looking forward to opening the new Ludlow Senior Center than Jodi Zepke. As director of the Council on Aging, she and her staff plan to move out of the basement of the former high school on Chestnut Street and into the new building on State Street. While staff will be taking occupancy of the new building in mid-December, the Senior Center will remain closed to the public because of COVID-19 concerns, a situation that Zepke said poses both pros and cons.

“We’re excited to get into the building. It will give the staff an opportunity to get comfortable in their new surroundings before we have seniors come back,” she said. “At the same time, we know how excited everyone is to visit the new building as soon as they can.”

In what she called a “perfect world” scenario, the Senior Center could begin hosting some of Council on Aging programs indoors at the new facility in February. Throughout the warmer months, the council’s popular exercise and social programs were held outdoors at the park adjacent to the current senior center. As the weather became colder at the end of October, the outdoor programs wrapped up for the season.

“Without innovative thinking from Westmass and the developers we work with, these mill buildings could have been vacant and falling apart.”

“The outdoor programming was a great opportunity for people to see each other, get out of the house, and do some exercising,” Zepke said, noting that said groups took part in yoga, tai chi, and discussion groups, all socially distanced. Several of the exercise programs are available on local cable-access TV. While the broadcasts can help keep people active, she recognizes that people still need the socialization such programs provide for seniors in town.

“The most important thing is to remain connected to people, otherwise the social isolation is terrible,” she said. “We’re pushing for at least some indoor programming because we’re already seeing the mental-health effects of staying home all the time.”

Before COVID-19, the Senior Center hosted a popular daily lunch program. When coronavirus hit and it was no longer possible to bring people to the center, Zepke said her staff switched gears overnight and converted the daily lunch to a thrice-weekly grab-and-go meal where people drive up and receive a box lunch from center staff who are dressed in appropriate PPE. Zepke calls it one of the best things her organization has done since the pandemic hit.

Ludlow at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1774
Population: 21,103
Area: 28.2 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $20.62
Commercial Tax Rate: $20.62
Median Household Income: $53,244
Median Family Income: $67,797
Type of government: Town Council, Representative Town Meeting
Largest Employers: Hampden County House of Correction; Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital; Massachusetts Air National Guard; Kleeberg Sheet Metal Inc.
*Latest information available

“It’s an opportunity for us to see people and take a few minutes to chat with them,” she said. “It’s the highlight of my day.”

Milling About

One of the brightest spots in Ludlow’s economic development for the last several years has been the redevelopment of a series of old mills located on the banks of the Chicopee River. The Westmass Area Development Corp. owns the mills and works closely with the town to bring new vitality to the entire area. Town Planner Doug Stefancik said the partnership between Ludlow and Westmass is a win-win.

“Without innovative thinking from Westmass and the developers we work with, these mill buildings could have been vacant and falling apart,” he said. “Instead, they are developing state-of-the-art projects that enhance the whole State Street corridor.”

Notable tenants in the mill project include businesses such as Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts and Iron Duke Brewing, but Stefancik also pointed to a successful housing development known as Residences at Mill 10, which added 75 units of senior housing to Ludlow when it opened in 2017.

Looking forward, plans are in the works to develop the clock tower, also known as Mill Building 8. WinnDevelopment, builder of Residences at Mill 10, has proposed a plan for 95 units of senior housing in the building, with 48,000 square feet on the first floor dedicated to retail space. Stefancik said the project is in the early stages, and the next steps include site-plan approval and a public hearing.

“We’re fortunate that WinnDevelopment is coming back to work on Mill Building 8 because their work is first-rate,” he said. “They completed Residences at Mill 10 three years ago, and since its opening, it has been wildly successful.”

As more residents move to the area, Stefancik said the Ludlow Riverwalk, located behind the mill complex, is growing in popularity. “It’s becoming a walkable neighborhood area, and we like to see that.”

Earlier this year, a key infrastructure component in the redevelopment of the mills was approved. The Riverside Drive project is a proposed roadway that replaces an old access road in the mill complex. The project is currently out for bid, with construction expected to start next year on 4,130 feet of roadway that runs through the mill complex from East Street to First Avenue. When complete, Riverside Drive will improve access to all areas of Ludlow Mills.

The revitalization of the mills has become a major asset for the town of Ludlow.

“It’s been one of the areas where we’ve seen massive growth for economic development and housing opportunities,” Stefancik said, adding that potential exists for even more growth in the years ahead — something that’s true not only for the mill complex, but for the town itself.

National Business Trends Survey Suggests Improving Outlook

Coronavirus Features

Looking Up

Could better times be around the corner? A growing number of executives across the U.S. think so.

In the just-released 2021 National Business Trends Survey from the Employer Associations of America (EAA), 44% of company executives see an improving economic outlook in 2021. This annual survey shares information on what executives nationally are doing to address the changing business climate. Survey responses also reflect the impact COVID-19 has had on this year’s business trends.

When executives were asked if the overall U.S. economy in the next 12 months will “improve, stay the same, or decline,” the largest segment of respondents (44%) think it will improve, as opposed to last year, with only 12% expecting the economy to improve — and that was before the pandemic had come into view. This year, 33% think it will stay the same, as opposed to 52% last year. Only 24% think it will decline, compared to 36% a year ago.

“COVID certainly has had a significant impact, and perhaps many are feeling that the economy can only get better moving forward into 2021,” said Thoran Towler, who chairs the EAA board of directors. “In fact, fueling that optimism, 57% of executives project slight to significant increases in sales and revenue. American businesses are showing their resilience and readiness to tackle today’s challenges and come out stronger than ever before.”

An additional 11 questions were added to this year’s survey regarding COVID-19’s impact on business, addressing employee safety, stay-at-home measures and social distancing, remote work, online interviews and training, hazard pay and bonuses, and candidates who are unwilling to work in the office or out in the field.

When asked how concerned respondents are regarding COVID-19 and its impact on business continuity (specifically the supply chain, financial implications, and temporary shutdowns), 52% indicated they are “extremely to moderately concerned.” In the Northeast, 43% of the region’s executives expect the pandemic to negatively impact business and capital spending either moderately or significantly.

However, companies are already starting to pivot from a focus on pandemic measures to investing in the future. As the charts the two charts demonstrate, respondents expect to put less effort into COVID-specific activities in 2021 than they did in 2020, and more effort into investing in technology, equipment, and other efforts to grow their business.

“The pandemic has forced companies to be agile and innovative during these uncertain times,” said Mark Adams, director of Compliance at the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. “While expenditures are being scrutinized now more than ever before, the need to invest strategically nonetheless remains important as businesses seek to position themselves to rebound in 2021 and make up for lost ground.”

Similar to last year’s survey responses, the top three serious challenges for business executives include talent acquisition, talent retention, and the ability to pay competitive wages. The ability to pay for benefit costs and the cost of regulatory compliance rounded out the top five.

Also noteworthy for 2021, 64% of the survey respondents are planning to award wage and salary increases, while 29% plan to award variable pay bonuses next year.

The EAA is a national nonprofit association that provides this annual survey to business executives. The 2021 survey included 1,484 participating organizations throughout the U.S., an increase of nearly 400 over last year’s survey.

How to Remodel Your Home Safely During COVID-19

Construction

It’s All in the Details

The pandemic has upended many activities; however, contractors are continuing to work to modernize homes across the country.

Professional remodelers are taking on extra safety precautions to help meet the needs of homeowners during the pandemic. If you’re interested in remodeling your home, consider the following advice from the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Massachusetts to help put your mind at ease, so you can comfortably start your next home-remodeling project.

Find a Remodeler That Prioritizes Safety

If you’re ready to start your remodeling project, you’ll want to work with a professional committed to keeping you and your family safe during a remodel. The best place to start is by utilizing a directory of professional remodelers. The National Association of Home Builders has a directory of professional remodelers dedicated to the highest professional and safety standards during the pandemic.

Ask About Safety Precautions

After you’ve narrowed down your list of potential professional remodelers, ask questions related to safety. A qualified remodeler will be forthright and answer any questions you may have about personal protective equipment, social distancing while in your home, and other concerns about sanitation or other potential hazards.

Establish an Online Communication Channel

When you’re working with a professional remodeler, you’ll have to discuss details about your project, from evaluating your design ideas to agreeing to the scope of work. Talk to your remodeler about what areas of the planning process can be discussed online instead of meeting in person. Some remodelers may even request a virtual tour of your home through a video call. Photos, design ideas, measurements, and estimates can also be shared electronically. If you must meet with your contractor in person, practice social distancing and wear a face covering.

Discuss Your Living Arrangements

If you’re working from home or if you have kids who are distance learning, tell your contractor. A professional will provide guidance on how to minimize significant disruptions, including those related to plumbing or electrical work. If you have small children, most professionals will be willing to remove tools at the end of each work day or place them out of reach as an extra safety precaution. A contractor can also erect temporary walls to minimize dust in your primary living areas.

Communicate Clearly

The most important thing to remember if you’re moving forward with a remodeling project during the pandemic is to keep an open line of communication with your contractor via videoconference or phone — and be flexible. Your remodeler may take extra time to ensure extensive cleaning while undergoing your project. Due to the nature of the pandemic, other unexpected delays may occur. A dose of extra patience may be required during this time, but a professional remodeler will remain committed to safety without jeopardizing quality workmanship.

SkinCatering Moves into Expanded Space in Tower Square

By Joseph Bednar December 8, 2020

Women in Businesss

Urban Oasis

Leanne Sedlak (right) and Kim Brunton-Auger renovate the mani-pedi area of their new location.

When spas were allowed to reopen several months ago following a statewide economic shutdown, clients of SkinCatering, LLC were happy to return — even if booking became a little trickier.

“I haven’t been able to meet the demand,” owner Leanne Sedlak said, noting that some staff couldn’t return during a raging pandemic because they or a family member were immunocompromised, while fewer clients than normal were allowed in the space, and extra time had to be added in between appointments for cleaning and sanitizing.

“I feel like we’ve been limping along in a way,” she added. “It is frustrating for the client, and it’s hard to tell them, ‘no, we’re booked up for the next three weeks because we have two people working.’”

Meeting that demand will be easier now that SkinCatering has moved downstairs to the main level of Tower Square in downtown Springfield, in a larger, renovated space offering massage, skin care, hair and nail treatments, among other services.

“It’s nice coming down here,” she said. “We can offer them more relaxing experiences, and we have a little more space as well to keep everybody spread out, so we can have more services happening at the same time.”

Sedlak and Kim Brunton-Auger, a licensed aesthetician who joined the company in 2012 and now serves as vice president of skin-care development, celebrated the move downstairs with a VIP event last week, taking time amid the bustle to recognize the challenge of keeping their enterprise not only alive, but thriving during a year of unprecedented challenge for small businesses.

“We’re definitely blessed because we know other businesses had the opposite experience, so our heart goes out to them for sure,” Sedlak said. “We’re very grateful; we know how fortunate we are in that regard.”

Hit the Road

Like many who start down the path of entrepreneurship, Sedlak did so out of necessity. In 2010, the U.S. was dealing with a different sort of economic crisis, the Great Recession, and both she and her husband were laid off from their jobs.

So, when she finished her time in massage school, she went into business for herself with a venture she would call SkinCatering. At first, it was a traveling enterprise, with Sedlak taking her massage table door to door.

“We can offer them more relaxing experiences, and we have a little more space as well to keep everybody spread out, so we can have more services happening at the same time.”

“I’d load up my Tahoe with all my stuff and drive to my first appointment of the day, and that would pay for my gas the rest of the day,” she recalled. “To be in this space now, to build something like this, and to be in business for 10 years, feels validating.”

Since opening a salon in Tower Square toward the end of 2013, the company — mainly focused on massage and skin care — has grown significantly over the years, and the new space will allow for a salon and nail services, which had been a dream of Brunton-Auger’s for some time.

These days, SkinCatering offers massages, body wraps, waxing, Reiki, facials, an infrared sauna, and more. The company formulates its own line of skin-care products that don’t use harsh chemicals and are vegan, gluten-free, and ‘cruelty-free,’ meaning they’re not tested on animals.

“That’s been the mission all along,” Sedlak said of the company’s ‘clean’ products. “It’s a big trend now, and I hate using the word ‘trend’ because it’s not going away; it’s a way of life now. I love it when other estheticians discover our products and their clients have great results.”

Indeed, SkinCatering sells its products in other salons, and is also commissioned by other companies to create private-label products. Both Sedlak and Brunton-Auger would like to see the skin-care line grow in the future.

While retaining its original location upstairs for offices and a product-development laboratory, the new space downstairs is completely dedicated to client services, including four rooms for massages — including always-popular couples massages — and skin care, as well as two hair stations, two stations for manicures and pedicures, and an infrared sauna for one or two people. The latter is perfect, Sedlak said, for people who might want to try a sauna experience, but are intimidated by a larger, group sauna at a gym.

Equally important is a comfortable, subtly lit ‘tranquility area’ where clients can sit between appointments for multiple services, or while waiting on a friend, while sipping tea or water — a more important amenity now that each piece of furniture and surface must be well-sanitized between treatments. “It’s part of the spa experience now instead of there being an awkward pause,” Sedlak said.

“We have to take extra time to super-sanitize,” Brunton-Auger added. “Back-to-back isn’t what it used to be.”

As for other COVID-related changes, staff wear masks, aprons, goggles, and — except in the case of massage — gloves, all of which are changed out between appointments.

The pandemic led to other pivots as well, including a switch to making hand sanitizer in the lab back in the spring. It was hard to find materials and containers at times, Sedlak said, but a small salon like SkinCatering was able to make the production switch more quickly than a large company could. In the meantime, even when the shop was shut down, product orders soared, as people still wanted to treat themselves.

“We had more skin-care orders in the first two weeks of the shutdown than we ever had in the pre-COVID days,” Brunton-Auger said. “It saved the business in some ways.”

Moving On Down

She and Sedlak both expect the move downstairs to boost their business further, especially after the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, whenever that might be. For one thing, they can stay open seven days a week; because the upstairs space was tucked amid offices, the floor essentially shut down on the weekends, and they would have to call to security to turn on the lights every Saturday; they kept it closed on Sundays.

Now, with a shop right next to the hotel entrance that draws more foot traffic, SkinCatering will be open seven days a week.

“We have been working on this project for almost two years, so to see it finally realized and ready to open is a great feeling of accomplishment, especially in the middle of a pandemic,” Sedlak said. “Tower Square has a history of being a hub of activity for Springfield, and we’re very excited to be a major part of why people are coming back into the city.”

And perhaps, eventually, not just the city, as the partners have explored the possibility of franchising their model.

“It’s a duplicatable system that works,” Sedlak said, especially in conjunction with hotels. “It’s an amenity for the hotel and the rest of this tower. It’s convenient, but I don’t want to be known as a convenience spa. I mean, I want it to be convenient, but when you come in, you also have an incredible luxury experience.

“And I don’t mean luxury like stuffy,” she was quick to add. “We want you to be relaxed. It’s the idea of lush, but you feel so comfortable here, you want to stay for a long time. The theme is an urban oasis. Modern, clean, funky, cool, but comfortable.”

While expanding a business during a pandemic may not be the most comfortable move for a small business, so far, Sedlak and Brunton-Auger are proving it’s the right one.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Danielle Williams Takes Her Place on the Bench

By George O'Brien December 8, 2020

Women in Businesss

Courting History

Danielle Williams, seen outside the courthouse in Northampton, says her time as an assistant clerk magistrate has helped prepare her for service on the bench.

Danielle Williams was asked about the style, or approach, that she would bring to the bench as a District Court judge.

She paused for a minute to think, and then recalled a conversation she had with a colleague recently — one that revealed just how she intends to address each matter that reaches her.

“Each case that comes before you represents people, it represents families, and it represents communities,” she said. “Cases are not just papers, they’re not just documents … and you have to address each case with that in mind.”

She told BusinessWest that this human factor, the people represented in the words typed on those pages, was driven home during her years spent as an assistant clerk magistrate in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Trial Court, a position with a wide job description (more on that later), and one that opened her eyes to not only court procedure, but also the many issues facing those living and working in this region — and her own skill sets and abilities.

Williams said she didn’t take the clerk magistrate’s job with the goal, or intention, of becoming the first African-American woman to be sworn in as a District Court judge in Western Mass., but she was eventually convinced by many of those she was working with that this was the logical next step — and that she was ready.

Williams brings what might be called an eclectic résumé to her latest position, one that includes experience in the Hampden County District Attorney’s office … and experience writing and producing comic books.

“Each case that comes before you represents people, it represents families, and it represents communities. Cases are not just papers, they’re not just documents … and you have to address each case with that in mind.”

Indeed, as she told BusinessWest when she was named one of its 40 Under Forty honorees in 2015, Williams, while practicing law with the Northampton-based firm Fierst, Kane, and Bloomberg LLP, specializing in, among other things, intellectual-property law, she was also writing stories about unlikely superheroes known as the Mighty Magical Majestics.

While Williams still has somewhat of a passion for science fiction and graphic novels, she has spent the past several years focused entirely on the law and, more specifically, the courts.

After a short stint working in the Office of the Attorney General in Springfield, she joined the Trial Court as an assistant clerk magistrate in the spring of 2016, a role she’d been drawn to since very early in her career.

“I really admired how they [magistrates] really controlled the courtroom and set the tone for giving people access and making sure they felt comfortable in the courtroom,” she noted. “They dealt with all the components of the courtroom, whether it was probation, members of the public, the lawyers, the other court officers. There was the administrative aspect and also the substantive aspect, where they presided over small claims and criminal show-cause hearings, and I decided that’s really what I wanted to do.

“When I got that job, I was thrilled, and I loved it,” she went on. “I really anticipated staying there.”

But it wasn’t long before people started asking her what was next when it came to her career. The obvious answer was the bench, and while she listened to those who said she was ready to take that step forward, including Judge William Boyle, whom she considers her first mentor, she was at first reluctant, thinking she wasn’t ready to take that step forward.

“I think we’re always our toughest critics,” she said. “We want to be at our very best before we move on to the next level; you want to make sure you’re ready for the responsibility, have the education and knowledge, all that.

“Judge Boyle said, ‘why don’t you think about it?’” she went on. “I said, ‘but I’m not ready, judge; I haven’t even thought about it.’ And he said, ‘well, you should think about it.’ That meant a lot to me that someone who has seen me grow through my legal career thought this was something I should consider.”

Eventually, she gained the confidence to apply, and while her first bid for the bench was not successful, she applied again, and this this time, in a decidedly different interview process in the midst of a pandemic, she succeeded in impressing various interviewers and the Governor’s Council, the body that confirms nominations made by the governor.

She said her four years as assistant clerk magistrate certainly has prepared her for this next stage of her career.

“As an assistant clerk, you come to know who you are, especially if you’re sitting in the Springfield District Court,” she explained. “I know my temperament, I know the different agendas that happen in the courtroom — and having a different agenda is not a bad thing. The district attorney’s office represents the Commonwealth, the defense attorney represents their client, and I am a neutral party in the courtroom. Understanding those things, and having experience in managing all those different agendas in the courtroom, has been invaluable.

“Also,” she went on, “to sit in those sessions with the judges in motion hearings and trials, and listen and try to anticipate how I would respond to those issues, has been a tremendous platform for me, and a way to be prepared for the role of associate justice.”

If the interviewing and selection process was different because of COVID-19, so, too, was the swearing-in ceremony.

Usually a formal affair attended by hundreds of colleagues, friends, and family, this swearing-in was conducted from her dining room with just a few people in attendance.

“I had planned to have it in the atrium on the Springfield District Court, where I could hopefully social distance and have the public, friends, and colleagues in attendance,” she said. “But, given the circumstances, it seemed safer just to have a small swearing-in for now.”

As for where she’ll be next week, or the week after … she doesn’t know yet. While appointed out of Westfield, she could be in one of several other courts across the region, from Chicopee to Palmer to Orange, depending on where there is need.

What she does know is that, whichever court she’s in, she’ll bring in that mindset she mentioned at the top — that court cases are not documents or pieces of paper; they represent people, families, and communities.

It was the ability to communicate this philosophy, if you will, that helped her win this coveted — and historic — appointment, and it’s the one that will guide her for the next 26 years or so.

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

An Opportunity for the Region

By Editorial December 8, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

As 2020 prepares to come to what we hope will be a merciful end (only if our collective luck changes), it is time to look ahead.

It certainly beats looking back.

And as we look ahead, we need to consider what the world might look like when and if something approaching normal returns, and what it means for us. At both the micro and macro level, it doesn’t mean going back to the way things were before.

The world will have changed, in all kinds of ways, and a good many of these changes will be permanent, as in, there’s no going back to the way we were. This goes for the services we offer to customers, how we do business, and where we do business.

Yes, everyone hates Zoom — or really hates Zoom, as the case may be. But even the most ardent of haters will admit that a Zoom session beats investing the time and energy in a drive to Worcester, Boston, or wherever. A Zoom session beats getting up early — and getting dressed (don’t forget that part) — to go to a morning board meeting or perhaps even a session with a client.

And that’s just one example. The same goes for the modern office. As much as we all hear that businesses will return to the office, that workers need the camaraderie, that teams need to be in the same room to be effective, it’s clear that things simply will not be as they were.

“We’re encouraged by a more aggressive attitude toward taking advantage of what appears to be an opportunity for the region.”

Companies have learned they can make do with less office space — or without any office space. Individuals have learned they can do their jobs from home, and that ‘home’ doesn’t necessarily have to be close to the office. Which means it doesn’t have to be a densely populated — and very expensive — area. Businesses owners may gradually ditch the current mindset that they need to be in Seattle, Boston, Cambridge, or the Research Triangle, “because that’s where the workers are.” The workers, at least for some jobs, can be anywhere.

If you’re an optimist, this bodes well for the region, and we like to be optimistic. Which is why we’re encouraged by a more aggressive attitude toward taking advantage of what appears to be an opportunity for the region. Groups like the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council and the Springfield Regional Chamber appear to moving from ‘we might want to think about this’ to the ‘let’s do something about it’ stage.

By that, we mean they’re moving more assertively when it comes to trying to tell this region’s story and putting information in people’s hands — with the goal of motivating people, small businesses, and maybe major corporations to consider the 413 as a place to put down roots or expand.

It has always been that way — and we have always sold it as such — but we haven’t done well in pitching people on the concept, even as Boston has become more expensive and its roads have become more congested.

Maybe the pandemic and the lessons learned while navigating our way through it will change this equation. Maybe. After all, there will be considerable competition from other cities, states, and regions who have learned the same lessons. Meanwhile, this region has never been able to muster the kind of marketing muscle it takes to get a message across to a broad audience.

But it doesn’t hurt to try, and as we thankfully turn the calendar to 2021, it is time to look back a little, reflect on what we’ve learned, and do what we’ve all been trying to do since March — be in a better position after the pandemic than we were before.

What Biden’s Presidency May Bring

Opinion

By John Regan

Joe Biden, set to become the 46th president of the U.S., will take office at a singular moment in the history of a nation struggling to confront the convergence of a pandemic, an economic crisis, and social upheaval.

It’s also a singular moment for Massachusetts employers. The change of administrations in Washington will have enormous consequences for employers on everything from federal stimulus to the tenor of labor relations.

Record numbers of voters cast ballots either in person, by absentee ballot, or through the mail in an election conducted amid a second surge of COVID-19 cases around the country. It was an election marked by stark polarization on the issues, a backlash against globalization, the growing influence of technology, and cultural and social struggles.

The new administration and Congress will set the nation’s economic agenda for the next two to four years. Biden’s ability to implement his economic plans will ultimately be determined by two runoff elections in Georgia that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

The issues for employers will range from taxes to business regulation. The most immediate concern for Massachusetts companies and for the Commonwealth itself is the prospect that a Biden administration could break the logjam over a new economic-recovery package as a follow-up to the CARES Act passed in March. Such a package could reopen the door to the popular Paycheck Protection Program for employers and provide financial support to the state as it seeks to close a project budget shortfall of $3 billion to $6 billion.

Biden’s ability to implement his economic plans will ultimately be determined by two runoff elections in Georgia that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

It is also anticipated that the new administration will initiate a more aggressive federal approach to moderating the COVID-19 pandemic than that taken by the Trump administration. Federal regulations such as a mask mandate and broad health protocols will affect Massachusetts companies that do business in multiple states.

President-elect Biden has proposed raising taxes on corporations and imposing a corporate minimum book tax. He would also increase taxes on individuals with income above $400,000, including raising individual income, capital gains, and payroll taxes.

Most observers expect regulation of business to become more aggressive in areas such as occupational safety, union activity, and environmental compliance. The development of wind energy, including proposed projects just south of Martha’s Vineyard, is likely to accelerate after several years of slowdowns.

U.S. financial markets are likely to be affected. The stock market generally produces below-average returns during the first two years of a presidency and strong returns during in the second two years as investors gain confidence in the predictability and certainty of an administration.

The nation’s approach to international trade, which was marked by aggressive imposition of tariffs by the Trump administration, may also change under a Biden administration. While the president-elect has refrained from releasing any detailed policy proposals on trade, he has emphasized the importance of training the U.S. workforce for a competitive global environment, a renewed commitment to reducing trade barriers, and a coordinated approach to negotiations with China that utilizes U.S. allies and international institutions.

AIM members should be assured that the association remains committed to representing your best interests whatever direction the political winds might shift. v

John Regan is president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

Construction Industry Stays Busy While Adjusting to New Reality

Construction Special Coverage

Safety First

By Mark Morris

Carl Mercieri says the pandemic protocols have been challenging, but they’ve kept his company’s job sites totally free of COVID-19.

Call it a time of constant adjustments.

Since COVID-19 hit, area contractors have continued to work after adopting a number of state-mandated safety protocols to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Construction managers have adjusted to the extra requirements to get the job done, but it has come with a learning curve.

After working with safety consultants, Kevin Perrier, president of Five Star Group, said his company established a COVID-19 compliance plan and implemented it across all its job sites.

“It’s been helpful because it covers everything — daily sign-in sheets, temperature checks, self-reporting procedures, sanitation of the job site, and social distancing.”

Even with a solid plan, Perrier admits the additional protocols make it more challenging to bring projects to completion on time.

“We try to maintain social distancing as much as possible, and that delays our production. The reason for the slowdown is that we can’t cram as many workers onto the sites as we have in the past.”

Tim Pelletier, president of Raymond R. Houle Construction, said it’s a common occurrence on a job site for a large number of people to work in close proximity to each other.

“There’s a point where you have lots of moving parts, where different trades are working together in order to meet a completion schedule,” he said. “Because of coronavirus mandates, we can no longer have large numbers of people in one spot.”

In the beginning, adopting the safety mandates proved cumbersome as Pelletier would allow only one trade at a time to work on a site. After a few adjustments, more crews were able to be on site and still follow the guidelines.

“It’s a challenge to stay on schedule, but at least we’re now able to bring more than one trade in at a time and assign them work in different areas, so they’re not on top of each other,” he noted.

Wearing a mask all day has also been met with grudging acceptance; Pelletier said crews typically look forward to the moment they can remove them. “In the 90-degree weather, wearing a mask is definitely a health concern, as well as a comfort concern, but they are required, so we wear them.”

In the early days of the pandemic, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) also affected construction projects, as each site needed certain quantities for workers, as well as extra devices such as thermometers and wash stations.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Marois Construction was overpaying for — and overbuying — things like thermometers because they didn’t know how many they would need, said Carl Mercieri, vice president and project manager. On one occasion, he recalled, the project owner stepped in and provided enough hand-washing stations for the entire construction site.

“That worked out well,” he said. “Everyone did what they had to do, and we got through it together.”

Pandemic Problems

Implementing safety protocols didn’t always go smoothly early in the pandemic. Mercieri noted a school building project where as many as 30 workers stood in line each morning for a temperature screening and sign-in before they could start their workday.

“Our biggest concern was the loss of labor caused by all the downtime in the beginning,” he said. “It’s hard to put a number on it, and you can never really recoup that cost.”

Building material costs also increased with the onset of the pandemic. Perrier’s construction portfolio includes retail buildings, which require substantial quantities of lumber. So far this year, lumber wholesalers are reporting price increases of 300%, and, to make matters worse, they won’t hold those inflated prices for more than 48 hours.

Kevin Perrier

“We try to maintain social distancing as much as possible, and that delays our production. The reason for the slowdown is that we can’t cram as many workers onto the sites as we have in the past.”

“The volatility of lumber prices makes it difficult to bid on a large, wood-framed project that we wouldn’t be framing until next summer,” he said. “It’s a big problem because you really have no idea where the pricing is going to be.”

Availability of building materials has also been an issue this year. Perrier said light fixtures and flooring materials are two items he’s had trouble procuring for the last several months, while Pelletier said doors and hardware have been in short supply. Rahkonen said finding certain parts for heavy equipment, such as excavators, has been difficult as well.

“We had a couple projects that needed vinyl fencing, and we just couldn’t get it because it just wasn’t out there,” Mercieri said. “We’ve since finished those jobs, but we were delayed by four to six weeks in getting the fencing.”

Much of the supply deficits are caused by overseas factories that experienced shutdowns early in the pandemic. These manufacturing delays from months ago are still being felt now as contractors need these supplies. “We just can’t meet the same deadlines because we can’t get our hands on the materials,” Pelletier said.

SEE: List of General Contractors

From the delays caused by socially distanced workers to not having materials when they’re needed, Pelletier said it’s difficult to take on fast-track jobs that need to hit a deadline. Mercieri echoed that point when discussing his company’s many jobs at hospitals.

“If you are renovating an operating room, for example, the hospital will need it back on line by a certain date, no matter what.”

Mercieri also mentioned a recent instance where he was offered a project that involved complicated construction and needed to be built on a tight schedule.

“When COVID hit, we were up front with the owners and advised them that, with the tight schedule and all the uncertainties of COVID causing delays, they might want to consider some alternate plans,” he told BusinessWest. “They rejected our suggestion and wanted to move forward at 100%, but ultimately they scrapped the project.”

Another concern early on was lost time due to COVID-19 infections. However, Mercieri said none of his workers have tested positive. The closest call was an exposed plumber who was not on site, but had worked with the plumber on Mercieri’s job site. Contact tracing revealed these two had not worked together in the previous six weeks. Perrier said a few of his employees and subcontractors on projects in Eastern Mass. weren’t so lucky and contracted coronavirus.

“We shut down the site for two or three weeks while contact tracing was completed,” he said, adding that the employees recovered, and everyone who had been affected tested negative. “Sites were sanitized, and then back to work.”

Tim Pelletier

“It’s a challenge to stay on schedule, but at least we’re now able to bring more than one trade in at a time and assign them work in different areas, so they’re not on top of each other.”

John Rahkonen, owner of Northern Constructions Service, said four of his employees came down with minor cases of COVID-19, with one showing no symptoms at all. He was quick to point out that no one contracted the virus from the job site.

“Even though most of our crews work outside, we encourage people to stay in their own bubbles,” Rahkonen said. “If you stay within your bubble, you’ll be in pretty good shape.”

Widespread Impact

The economic impact of COVID-19 on a national level is often reflected at the local level, especially for construction companies. In the travel sector, Standard and Poor’s recently projected a 70% decline in airline-passenger traffic for 2020. The core business of Perrier’s company involves aviation construction, ranging from airline and rental-car facilities to restaurants and retail stores located at Logan International, Bradley International, and other airports.

“We had a considerable amount of work that, within a period of two weeks, was flat-out cancelled for the airlines,” he said. “A great deal of the other work was either temporarily postponed or put on an indefinite hold.” One large airline client told Perrier that its facility’s goal was to reach a “zero spend by November first.”

Two to three months into the pandemic, Mercieri began getting word of projects being canceled. His company had already bought materials to start construction for one of those projects.

“When they first shut us down, they told us it was temporary,” he said. “Then, six weeks later, they wrote us a letter to say they had canceled the project.”

Two natural-gas compression stations that Rahkonen’s company had planned to build in Pennsylvania this year have been put off until next year. While those still look viable for 2021, they represent $20 million less in projects for Northern Construction this year.

Perrier predicts the long-term impact of aviation construction will be felt by many for years to come. That’s why his company has diversified into other industries besides aviation.

Houle Construction continues to take on work in the medical field, including this recent project at a local hospital.

“We are doing a decent amount of work in the cannabis industry. It’s booming right now, so that’s helped us out,” he said. One project nearing completion is Dreamer, a cannabis dispensary in Southampton scheduled to open in 2021.

The holiday season tends to be a time when activity begins to slow down in construction and many jobs approach their completion. It’s also a time for active bidding on projects for next year. Mercieri struck a positive tone and suggested a possible rebound in construction activity for 2021.

“Back in March, a lot of projects were delayed, and now they are getting put back on the table and going out for bid,” he said, adding that some of the projects getting approved involve bringing public buildings into compliance with COVID-19 mandates.

When Pelletier surveys the landscape, he senses both uncertainty and hopefulness.

“Clients have had projects on the docket to get done but were skittish for the last seven months, and with a rise in case count, there is still some uncertainty,” he said. “On the plus side, interest rates are extremely low, so borrowing the money for a project is less expensive now.”

Pelletier and the other managers we spoke with have all taken a one-day-at-a-time approach because they understand that coronavirus levels, and the government regulations aimed at lowering them, will most likely change again — and they will simply make the necessary adjustments.

“Because we’re wearing masks all day, everyone has a sore on their nose and a generally irritated demeanor,” Pelletier said. “But we’re navigating through it.”

Picture This

Picture This

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

Serving Up Grants

The Greenfield Business Assoc. (GBA) recently awarded eight Greenfield businesses funding from the COVID-19 Business Reopening Outdoor Equipment Micro-Grant through MassDevelopment’s Commonwealth Places: Resurgent Places grant program. First-round grant awards were received by Brad’s Place, Denny’s Pantry, Hangar Pub and Grill, Hope & Olive, Main Street Bar and Grille, Mesa Verde, Terrazza, and the new Adam’s Donuts. Each of the eight recipients received grants of up to $1,200, and the GBA’s goal is to help at least eight more businesses with the remaining funds. Pictured: Mik Muller (right), GBA board president and owner of Montague WebWorks, hands a check to Michael Stone, manager of Hangar Pub and Grill.

Special Delivery

In anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday and with more families in need amid the pandemic than usual, MBK rallied to deliver Thanksgiving food items to the Gray House. Led by team leaders Chelsea Cox and Sarah Rose Stack, the team collected donations and money before making the dropoff. The team went shopping for turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings, and was able to fill four bins with food and make an additional monetary donation. The Gray House expected to feed between 800 and 1,000 families on Thanksgiving.

A Tasty Return

Seven culinary-arts students at Holyoke Community College have been on a slow simmer since March, when their first-semester schedules were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They had just completed their seven-week introductory cooking course, but it’s tough to cook over Zoom, so their first semesters were put on hold until the fall. But the teaching kitchens at HCC’s Culinary Arts Institute reopened this fall, and the students were back at their stations, progressing through a series of accelerated, back-to-back classes designed to catch them up before the spring semester begins on Jan. 25.

People on the Move

People on the Move

Anthony Worden

Michael Tucker

Kevin O’Neil, chairman of the board of directors of Greenfield Cooperative Bank (GCB) and its Northampton Cooperative Bank division, announced the promotion of Anthony Worden to president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2021. This promotion is in anticipation of the retirement of current President and CEO Michael Tucker, who is relinquishing his title as president, but will remain CEO until his actual retirement in January 2022, when Worden will take over that role as well. Tucker will remain as a director of the bank and holding company. O’Neil noted that this transition schedule is part of an overall succession plan for the bank that the board adopted some time ago. Worden has worked closely with Tucker in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic within the bank and its local communities. Tucker also noted he has complete confidence in Worden’s ability to lead the bank into the future. O’Neil noted the board was pleased to be able to select someone like Worden who already knows and values GCB’s traditions and internal culture. A Pioneer Valley resident for the past 30 years, he is a director, executive committee member, and chair of the governance committee for the United Way of Franklin County; a former director of the Franklin County Community Development Corp.; and a former director of the Berkshire Brewing Co. of South Deerfield. He received his bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and his MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, and he is a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania.

•••••

Monson Savings Bank announced the recent promotion of Rob Chateauneuf to senior vice president and senior commercial loan officer. In his new role, Chateauneuf will be responsible for leading the bank’s Commercial Lending team as they continue to serve local businesses of all sizes. He is skilled in commercial real-estate lending, C&I lending, construction lending, and SBA lending. At Monson Savings Bank, he most recently served as first vice president of Commercial Lending and has been the bank since 2012. With more than 20 years of banking experience, including commercial lending, residential lending, and retail branch management, he has a comprehensive understanding of the needs and challenges of commercial businesses. Chateauneuf earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Springfield Regional Chamber’s Leadership Institute at Western New England University and the American Bankers Assoc. Stonier Graduate School of Banking – Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2014, he was recognized as one of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty. He served on the board of directors at Hawthorn Services from 2006 to 2010, serving as president and chair from 2008 to 2010. When Hawthorn Services merged with the Center for Human Development (CHD), he was asked to join the CHD board, which he served as chair of the program committee and a member the board of directors from 2010 to 2020. He also served on the board of directors of the South Hadley Chamber of Commerce from 2004 to 2013. He has also been involved in myriad other charitable organizations and volunteer events throughout the years, including those benefiting Habitat for Humanity, the Westfield Boys & Girls Club, the United Way, and the towns of Agawam and South Hadley.

•••••

Berkshire Bank announced the promotion of Jennifer Carmichael to executive vice president and chief internal audit officer. She previously served as senior vice president and audit manager at the bank. In her role, Carmichael will continue to lead all aspects of Berkshire’s internal audit and independent SOX testing programs. She is responsible for providing independent and objective assurance to management and the audit committee on the adequacy and effectiveness of governance and internal controls to support the achievement of organizational objectives as well as promote and facilitate continuous improvement as part of the third line of defense. She reports directly to the audit committee of the board of directors and administratively to acting CEO Sean Gray. Carmichael previously served as senior vice president and audit manager at Berkshire Bank. She joined Berkshire in 2016 from Accume Partners, where she served as senior audit manager to several clients in the New York and New England regions, including Berkshire. She began her career in the community-banking sector in internal audit roles and previously served several years at Ballston Spa National Bank, including as assistant vice president, compliance and BSA officer and assistant auditor. In addition to her professional achievements, she also serves as a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary and the Vermont Veterans Home board of trustees, where she serves on the strategic planning committee.

•••••

Eric Ohanian

Eric Ohanian, structural project engineer at Tighe & Bond Inc., was named a 2020 Young Professional of the Year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA). This award recognizes the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their interesting and unique work, and the resulting impact on society. Ohanian has been a key contributor to the successful rise of Tighe & Bond’s bridge-design and assessment practice over the last few years. His extensive experience and knowledge of engineering design have greatly contributed to the service the firm provides to municipal and DOT clients, including assisting numerous towns with applications for more than $3 million in grant funding for bridges. Beyond bridge design, his work includes business development, project management, marketing, mentoring, and engineering. His hard work was recognized early in his career with Tighe & Bond when he was selected to join the first year-long Aspiring Leaders Program. This provided an opportunity to work directly with senior leadership and solve upcoming challenges. His contributions to the program resulted in the development of a new internal quality management committee, of which he is an active member. Ohanian will be honored by ACEC/MA alongside other award recipients at its 2021 awards gala.

•••••

Belt Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of custom metal belt conveyer solutions and conveyor systems, announced that Timothy Condry has joined the team in the role of materials coordinator. A seasoned professional, he will coordinate logistics for the busy manufacturer. Condry holds business degrees from Manchester Community College and Eastern Connecticut State University. Prior to joining Belt Technologies, he was a production planner for 15 years, responsible for forecasting and purchasing materials, providing customer support, and production control.

•••••

PeoplesBank recently announced nine promotions. Christina Bordeau has been promoted to assistant vice president, banking center manager for the High Street, Holyoke location. She has more than 24 years of financial-services and banking experience, having served in various retail banking roles. Michael Gay has been promoted to vice president, banking center manager for the Amherst location. He has more than 20 years of retail and banking experience. Jacquelyn Guzie has been promoted to vice president and regional manager. She has more than 20 years of financial-services and banking experience, having served in various retail banking roles, including managing the Suffield Banking Center. Clare Ladue was promoted to vice president and regional manager for the Holyoke region. She has more than 25 years of financial-services and banking experience, having served in banking center management, administration, and commercial lending. She previously served as banking center manager for the Hadley Banking Center and was promoted to assistant vice president, regional manager, in 2019. Aneta Lombardi was promoted to finance officer. She has more than 15 years of financial-services and banking experience, including serving in various positions in the finance division, most recently as financial analyst. Nicole Nelson was promoted to banking center manager at the Windsor Locks location. She has more than eight years of banking experience, including serving as assistant manager of both the East Longmeadow and Windsor Locks banking centers. Steve Parastatidis was promoted to first vice president, commercial banking. He has 16 years of banking experience. Brenda Rodriguez was promoted to assistant vice president, banking center manager of the Chicopee location. She has more than 14 years of financial-services and banking experience, having served in various retail banking roles, including most recently as banking center manager for the St. James Avenue, Springfield location. Danielle Rosario was promoted to vice president, banking center manager, for the Chicopee location. She has more than 17 years of banking experience.

•••••

Bill Jackson

Restoration specialist Bill Jackson has joined the business-development team at Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding Inc. He will work to expand partnerships and provide assistance throughout the New England condominium industry, particularly for members of the Community Associations Institute (CAI). His experience in the condominium industry will give property managers a go-to source for renovations that may include roofing, siding, windows, decks, and all-inclusive envelope projects. He will also work closely with clients to solve any issues. Jackson was a member of the CAI-CT board of directors, covering the Connecticut region, for six years. He also served on the association’s full fun committee and conference committee, and is a certified educated business partner. He worked for several years at two restoration companies. Jackson met Quenneville at a CAI conference in Connecticut, and is now hoping to meet property managers from all over New England to offer consultation and advice on upcoming projects and to solve any issues they might have. Jackson expects a busy spring because many projects have been put on hold during the pandemic.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook

‘Together HCC’ Campaign Earns National Recognition

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been named a finalist for a national Bellwether Award in recognition of its “Together HCC” fundraising and social-media campaign. HCC was one of 10 U.S. colleges selected as a finalist by the Bellwether College Consortium in its Workforce Development category, which identifies strategic alliances that promote community and economic development. Bellwether finalists represent leading community colleges whose programs and practices are considered outstanding and innovative. The college launched “Together HCC: A Campaign for Caring” at the end of March in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign sought to raise money for students facing economic hardships and collect stories to motivate and inspire them during a period of extreme disruption. The Bellwether College Consortium is a group charged with addressing the critical issues facing community colleges. The consortium honors community colleges with awards in three categories: instructional programs and services; planning, governance, and finance; and workforce development. The Bellwether Awards are widely regarded as one of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious recognitions for community colleges. HCC was the only community college in Massachusetts selected as a 2021 Bellwether finalist. After COVID-19 broke, HCC saw a dramatic rise in the number of applications to its Student Emergency Fund. In three months, the “Together HCC” campaign raised about $40,000 from nearly 200 private donors for the emergency fund, which also received a lift of $75,000 in COVID-19 relief funds from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Since March, the HCC Foundation has distributed almost $90,000 from the emergency fund to 130 students. For another key component of the campaign, HCC solicited uplifting anecdotes and images from alumni, faculty, staff, students, family members, and friends that were shared on HCC’s social-media channels using the hashtag #TogetherHCC.

Robinson Donovan, P.C. Makes Food Donation to Gray House

SPRINGFIELD — Robinson Donovan, P.C. made a donation of 100 pounds of side dishes to the Gray House to help ensure food on the table for local families this Thanksgiving. “We’ve partnered with the Gray House for several years for the Adopt-a-Family Christmas program, and wanted to do something extra this year, knowing how many people have been deeply impacted by the pandemic,” Partner Jim Martin said. “The Gray House is an invaluable community institution that we are proud to support.” Through the help of individuals and businesses like Robinson Donovan, the Gray House is able to provide turkeys and accompanying food for families in need on Thanksgiving.

Country Bank Supports Communities in Need

WARE — Country Bank announced a series of initiatives to help support local communities during the 2020 holiday season, especially those affected by the economic fallout from the ongoing pandemic. As part of these initiatives, Country Bank teamed up with Old Sturbridge Village to offer 750 free meals to families in need this Thanksgiving. Meals were delivered to St. John’s Food for the Poor, the YWCA, Abby’s House, Veterans Inc., and Elm Street Congregational Church. On Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, the Country Bank retail banking team will support local small businesses by purchasing 400 gift cards from businesses throughout its markets. These gift cards were distributed in Country Bank branch locations on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1. The corporate-office team will also partner with Provision Ministry and assemble 250 backpacks filled with essential care items to be delivered to the Springfield Rescue Mission. Throughout the month of December, the famous red kettles will be visible at several Country Bank branch locations to help fill the void the Salvation Army will experience this year, in part due to the pandemic. Country Bank has donated $10,000 toward this meaningful cause. Finally, as part of its Community Cares program, the staff participated in its own Boston Marathon by ‘walking the distance’ via a downloadable app. This virtual challenge brought people together while supporting charities of their choice with a $500 donation. A total of $30,000 will be granted to charities.

Demore’s Automotive Owner Makes Holidays Brighter

PALMER — Jay Demore, owner of Demore’s Automotive in Palmer, believes in supporting the community. This week, more than 300 people in Palmer will have Thanksgiving meals thanks to the efforts of Demore; his sister JoAnn, operations manager at the auto shop; and a few customers who have come to the shop with checks for as much as $200 and $300. Demore, who has operated the auto-repair shop since 1997, will provide prepared meals from Palmer restaurants, 80 of which will go to elderly residents in town. For families that prefer to make Thanksgiving dinner, he’ll make sure they have a turkey and the ingredients for stuffing, side dishes, and desserts. Anyone in need was encouraged to message Demore privately through social media; customers and local residents who knew of a family in need reached out to let him know. The plan to help began last Easter, as restaurants and families began to be affected financially by the pandemic. That’s when Demore began purchasing gift cards for Palmer restaurants and giving them to town residents in need. Demore has taken his support of Palmer restaurants on the road with the Stand Out Truck, a mobile digital billboard. He purchased ads on the truck for his own business and, after seeing results, began purchasing ad space and sponsoring restaurants. He is also offering to help any families in need at Christmas — and not just with meals. Demore and his sister have already purchased some big-ticket toys, such as a remote-control Jeep, which he says will be decked out with the Demore Automotive logo, as well as boys’ and girls’ bikes, a play kitchen, and a Nintendo Switch.

Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley Donates 250 Turkeys to Gray House

SPRINGFIELD — The law firm Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan and Blakesley donated and helped distribute 250 frozen turkeys to aid the Gray House in its efforts to feed families in Springfield. “The mission of the Gray House is critical to our community,” Partner Earl Seeley III said. “We wanted to do what we could to further their efforts and help make Thanksgiving brighter for the people they serve.” Partner Charlie Casartello added that “the need to help people overcome food insecurity is more acute now than ever. Everyone deserves a great Thanksgiving dinner, and we were happy to have the opportunity to pass out the turkeys to our neighbors and wish everyone a happy holiday.” Attorneys from the firm were on hand to personally distribute the turkeys to individuals who had signed up with the charity to receive one. Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan and Blakesley is a law firm of more than 15 lawyers who devote their practice to protecting the rights of injured individuals.

Wheeler & Taylor Insurance, Claire Teague Senior Center Team Up on Thanksgiving Meals

GREAT BARRINGTON — Wheeler & Taylor Insurance in Great Barrington teamed up with the Claire Teague Senior Center to give local seniors a complete Thanksgiving dinner they could easily prepare at home. J. Scott Rote, president of the insurance agency, bought oven-ready turkey breast with gravy kits at a local supermarket. He and his staff added vegetables, cranberry sauce, mashed-potato mix, dessert, and four KN95 face masks to each package. In all, the packages will yield about 300 to 350 meals. Polly Mann-Salenovich, director of the Clare Teague Senior Center in Great Barrington, delivered them to a local senior-housing complex and individual seniors. Separately, Kimberly Briggs, account manager at Wheeler & Taylor, who is also the secretary of the Junior League of Berkshire County, spearheaded employee fundraising for the People’s Pantry in Great Barrington. In total, Wheeler & Taylor employees donated 10 boxes of groceries that were delivered to the pantry by Briggs and Rote.

Asnuntuck Accredited as American Welding Society Accredited Test Facility

ENFIELD, Conn. — Asnuntuck Community College recently became the first American Welding Society (AWS) accredited test facility (ATF) in Connecticut. Students enrolled in Asnuntuck’s welding program will have an opportunity to earn certifications. According to Richard Munroe, one of two certified instructors at Asnuntuck, the program establishes minimum requirements for test facilities, their personnel, and equipment to qualify for accreditation to test and qualify welders. AWS’ website explains that entrusting welder certification to ATF specialists makes good business sense for contractors and fabricators. Companies are increasingly realizing the shortcomings of self-qualification and are switching to AWS accredited test facilities to test and qualify their welders. ATFs help them save money, improve productivity, and reduce liability by entrusting their welder certification to experts. The Asnuntuck Community College welding program began in 2004 at Windsor High School and was moved to the Asnuntuck campus in 2008. Now known as the welding and fabrication program, it has graduated approximately 1,000 students since its inception. The college has dedicated 10,000 square feet to welding instruction in a state-of-the-art facility on the Enfield campus, which includes 75 welding booths.

Golden Years Home Care Services Gives Care Packages to Veterans

EAST LONGMEADOW — Golden Years Home Care Services partnered with Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts Inc., Commonwealth Care Alliance, and Springfield Pharmacy to deliver “Appreciation for Your Service” care packages to veterans in Springfield on Nov. 24. Thanksgiving is a time when most people think about what they are thankful for. Staff at Golden Years say they are thankful to veterans for all the work they have done for this country, but, while providing home-care services to veterans, they noticed that not all veterans have the basic necessities most take for granted. The partnership among the organizations supplied veterans with toothbrushes, gloves, hats, socks, shampoo, hand sanitizers, masks, deodorant, soap, razors, and more supplies. They also received a turkey provided by Golden Years Home Care.

FutureHealth to Combine Forces with Insurance for Students

SPRINGFIELD — FutureHealth announced it has entered into an agreement with Insurance for Students, located in Delray Beach, Fla., to combine their expertise as one company. They have developed and will be distributing the next generation of student insurance products and services. Pat White, president and founder of Insurance for Students, has been designing, marketing, and administering comprehensive student accident and health plans for colleges and universities for more than 40 years. Kevin Saremi, president and founder of FutureHealth, has been providing online health-education programs that address mental health and other health-related issues within the student market. Prior to starting FutureHealth, he founded Consolidated Health Plans (now Wellfleet), a third-party administrator for student health-insurance products for more than 20 years, before selling the company to Berkshire Hathaway.

Resinate Inc. Opens Second Dispensary in Northampton

NORTHAMPTON — Resinate Inc. — a locally owned and operated, vertically integrated cannabis company — opened its second retail location at 110 Pleasant St. in Northampton on Nov. 20. Resinate, which also has a facility in Worcester, is opening its second location during an unprecedented period with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and will strictly adhere to CDC and Commonwealth guidelines to keep its staff and patrons healthy. Resinate Northampton offers online pre-ordering, in-store pickup, and limited parking. Additional parking is available at the E.J. Gare parking garage and the Armory lot. Metered on-street parking is also available. For more information about Resinate, product offerings, and dispensary hours and locations, visit www.iresinate.com or e-mail [email protected].

TommyCar Collision Opens in Northampton

HADLEY — TommyCar Auto Group, which operates five car dealerships in Hampshire County, is expanding into the auto-body business with the opening of its new TommyCar Collision Center in Northampton. The center, which is now open, is located at 32 Damon Road, next door to the auto group’s Volvo Cars Pioneer Valley dealership. TommyCar Collision will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers free estimates. Services will include, but are not limited to, automotive glass replacement; body and bumper repair; detailing; frame straightening; full-service mechanical services; painting; paintless dent repair; repair after hail damage; repairs for scratches, dents, and door dings; and windshield repair and replacement. To learn more or schedule service, call (413) 517-3855 or visit tommycarcollision.com.

Liberty Mutual Lends Support to Square One Campaign for Healthy Kids

SPRINGFIELD — Liberty Mutual Insurance is the latest corporation to lend its support to Square One’s Campaign for Healthy Kids — a multi-year fund-development initiative focused on the agency’s commitment to providing healthy meals, physical fitness, social-emotional well-being, and a healthy learning environment. The $3,000 gift comes at a critical time as Square One recently expanded its early-education program to include full-day remote learning support for children in kindergarten through grade 5, in addition to its traditional preschool classrooms, family childcare offerings, and family-support services.

“The vital services the Square One team provide to the community on a daily basis have taken on a whole new level of importance during this unprecedented time,” said Beth Green, Liberty Mutual Insurance Contact Center Operations associate. “Early education is one of the most effective ways to improve a child’s long-term security and well-being, and the services offered by Square One are core to Liberty Mutual’s values of being there for people when they need us most. We are honored to help them fulfill their commitment to provide high-quality early education and a safe and healthy community for Springfield’s children.”

Contribution Clothing Supports Nonprofits with Holiday Gift Guide

LUDLOW — Kelly Partridge, Founder of Contribution Clothing LLC, launched the mission-driven online boutique, www.contributionclothing.com, in June 2019. The boutique, which retails new women’s apparel and accessories, provides quarterly monetary donations to Western Mass. nonprofit organizations that share a vision of empowering women and girls. The woman-led boutique is currently working to gift 15% of its net profits to Dress for Success Western Massachusetts. This holiday season, Contribution Clothing is promoting Gifts That Give Back, a holiday gift-guide collection featuring select items each week leading up to Christmas. The collection will include pre-sale items not typically available at the boutique, with price points of $50 and under to keep holiday shopping affordable. Since the launch of the website, Contribution Clothing has provided monetary donations to a variety of organizations, such as Empty Arms Bereavement Support, Ovations a Cure for Ovarian Cancer, Shriners, Girls Inc. of the Valley, Girls on the Run, Christina’s House, the Care Center, Bay Path University, and Safe Passage. The ambitious clothing line hasn’t stopped there, also supporting many community-based events and fundraisers, such as the Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage, the Women Empowered calendars for Girls Inc. and Girls on the Run, and the Unify Against Bullying Fashion show, and Partridge even created her own volunteer event in support of Christina’s House this past quarter.

Local College Students Compete in Online Grinspoon Pitch Contest

AGAWAM — The Grinspoon Entrepreneurship Initiative’s first online, fully remote regional pitch competition took place on Nov. 17. Twenty-one students from area colleges delivered 60-second pitches to an audience of their peers in Zoom breakout rooms. After a popular vote, four finalists were selected to receive $50 each. Next came the final competition. Winning the grand prize and a total of $150 was Jenny Jung, a junior at Amherst College. Her idea is PressBeta, a beta-testing platform for independent game developers to be connected to beta testers for $59 per month. Passionate gamers can test out interesting, pre-launch games and give feedback in exchange for limited, early access.

Bradley Recognized by Condé Nast Traveler Readers as Eighth-best U.S. Airport

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) announced that Condé Nast Traveler released the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, with Bradley International Airport recognized as the eighth-best airport in the U.S. The awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. Bradley International Airport was recognized as a top-10 airport for the fourth consecutive year. “This award is a tremendous honor during a challenging year for the travel industry, and we are proud to once again be recognized among our nation’s best airports,” said Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority. “We thank the travel community for their continued vote of confidence in Bradley International Airport and for underscoring the value of traveling through a smaller airport. Now more than ever, Bradley Airport stands out by always offering a clean, safe, and convenient travel experience.”

Incorporations

Incorporations

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

ADAMS

Berkshire Helping Hands, Inc., 12 Beecher St. Adams, MA 01220. Marilyn Honig, 4651 Main Road, Stamford, VT 05352. To promote and carry out the assistance of the poor and distressed and the promotion of social welfare by assisting the homeless and those at risk of being homeless, transitioning from homelessness, or unable to manage necessary aspects of maintaining their living situation.

AGAWAM

JGB Industries Inc., 378 Walnut St. Ext., Agawam, MA 01001. Joseph M. Carlos, 20 Peach Tree Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. To own and operate a restaurant business.

LS Express Inc., 242 River Road, Agawam, MA 01001. Serge Nakhabenko, same. Trucking.

BLANDFORD

Blandford Animal Hospital, 46 Woronoco Road. Blandford, MA 01008. Russ Lapierre, same. Veterinary hospital and any related activity.

BARRE

Donahue & Sons Mgmt., Inc., 123 Cutoff Road, Barre, MA 01005. Thomas P. Donahue, same. Solar farm operations and management; land management.

CHICOPEE

Christopher Rogers Inc., 39 Pheasant Way, Chicopee, MA 01022. Christopher Rogers, same. Transportation logistics.

Scott Lee Management Inc., 39 Ferwood St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Scott Lee, same. Musical artist management.

CONWAY

Molding Search Group Inc., 149 Whately Road Conway, MA 01341. Robbie J. Edwards, same. Plastic injection molding recruitment.

EAST LONGMEADOW

DK Drywall Inc., 15 Barnum St. East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Daniel C. Ryan, same. Construction services.

The East Longmeadow Baseball Association Inc., 22 Brookhaven Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. William Berks, 78 Lasalle St. East Longmeadow, MA 01028. The East Longmeadow Baseball Association (ELBA) shall provide baseball related services to any youth who take part in any such activities or programs within the Town of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

FLORENCE

Grace Paint and Tile Inc., 303 Riverside Dr., Florence, MA 01062. Jeffrey Brian Vaughan, same. Painting and tile.

Vietnamese Restaurant Corp, 311 Riverside Dr., Florence, MA 01062. Maruone Sothi Thach, same. Full-service restaurant.

GREENFIELD

Davis Property Management Inc., 36 Log Plain Road, Greenfield, MA 01301. Allen G. Davis, same. Purchase, sale and rental of retail property.

Greenfield Beauty Inc., 130 Main St. Greenfield, MA 01301. Phong Duong, 51 Cypress St. Greenfield, MA 01301. Nail salon and spa.

Whitney Hill Corp., 122 Main St. Greenfield, MA 01301. Dale S. Whitney, 178 Old Vernon Road, Northfield, MA 01360. Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes.

SPRINGFIELD

Fusion Pest Management Inc., 125 Pine Acre Road, Springfield, MA 01129. Christopher W. Morin, same. Pest control.

One Stop Boston Road, Inc., 475 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01109. Bharatkumar S. Patel, 110 Wheatland Ave. Chicopee, MA 01020. Convenience and package store.

WESTFIELD

Mass Obtain Corp., 50 Medeiros Way, Westfield, MA 01085. Dale Unsderfer, 48 Sunset Dr. Westfield, MA 01085. Salvage and resale of architectural items for demo.

Psych Coastal Billing Inc., 15 Susan Dr., Westfield, MA 01085. Nancy R. Veto, same. Medical billing.

Unbroken Wings, Inc., 99 Northridge Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Michael Perrier, same. Unbroken Wings Inc. will give tangible assistance to those in need, and to support charities such as, but not limited to, the local children’s miracle network through charity festivals and other fundraising efforts.

Doing Business as Certificates

DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of November 2020. (Filings are limited due to closures or reduced staffing hours at municipal offices due to COVID-19 restrictions).

HADLEY

Agusto Therapeutic Massage
245 Russell St., 11C
Debra Agusto

The Pilates Studio
104 Russell St.
KLM Enterprises

The Quarters
8 Railroad St.
Game Over, LLC

Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters
227 Russell St.
Bradley Borofsky

Train Performance
31 Campus Plaza Road
Richard Hogans

NORTHAMPTON

A & H Auto Repair
222 North King St.
Louis Robinson

Animal Instincts Inc.
204 Main St.
Jamai Lowell

Balagan Cannabis
235 Main St.
Adi Nagli

Bright Spark Paper
31 Perkins Ave.
Louisa Wimberger

Divine Wetlands Consulting
12 Crosby St.
Meredith Borenstein

Eastside Grill
19 Strong Ave.
Debra Flynn

Euphoria Float Spa
241 King St.
Todd Thibodeau
Harlow Luggage
196 Main St.
Alfredo Parsons

Hawkins Stump Grinding
963 Ryan Road
Jonathan Hawkins

ILoveMondayMornings.com
248 Park Hill Road
Rebecca Castro

J. Squires Contracting
17 Maple Ave.
Justin Squires

Law Office of Caitlin E. Keiper
351 Pleasant St., Suite B, #266
Caitlin Keiper

Leather & Lace Hairstyles
9 North Main St.
Heather Wright

Michele Boucher
200 Main St.
Michele Boucher

Northampton Community Acupuncture
160 Main St., Suites 23 & 24
Rachel Condon

A Notch Above Hair Salon
200 Main St.
Colleen Secovich

The Profound Sound Voice Studio
140 Pine St.
Justina Bradford Golden

Rare Forms
118 Florence St.
Gregory Bossie

Retro Genie
11C Bridge St.
Jean Mulvey

Somatic BODY
55 Indian Hill
Christine Cole

SOUTHWICK

Karen Roberts Equine
72 Vining Hill Road
Karen Roberts

Travel Majic
312 South Longyard Road
Cheryle Fenton

WESTFIELD

Alex Sheremet Photography
102 Elm St., Suite 17
Alex Shemeret Photography

Finding Space in Your Place
287 Falley Dr.
Tracy Racicot

GPS Builders, LLC
48 Marla Circle
Gregory Strattner

Midac Corp.
6 Coleman Ave.
Midac Corp.

Park Square Realty
44 Elm St.
PSQ Inc.

Ray Davidson’s Home Improvement
45 Rogers Ave.
Raymond Davidson

The Serendipity Project
38 Elm St.
Thaddeus Krutka

Westfield Liquors
95 Main St.
Patel Liquor, LLC

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Fathers & Sons Collision Center
168 New Bridge St.
Damon Cartelli

Fathers & Sons Volkswagen/Audi West Springfield
434 Memorial Ave.
Damon Cartelli

Fathers & Sons Volvo Cars West Springfield
989 Memorial Ave.
Damon Cartelli

Mariflar Joya
43 Rogers Ave.
Maria Rodriguez-Maleck

Naples Realty Group
150 Front St.
Dominic Santaniello

Rotary Liquors
52 Park St.
Jennifer Demerski

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies

The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

Agront, Sonia E.
207 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/02/2020

Barreto, Christian
80 Barrett St., Apt. A4
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/06/2020

Barrows, Emily
265 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Date: 11/14/2020

Beattie, Lynne A.
350 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/01/2020

Berkshire Kettlebells
Webb, Evan Arthur
453 West Main St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/06/2020

Carter, Cherri L.
a/k/a Johnston, Cherri L.
627 Elm St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/01/2020

Colon, Joana
76 Lyons St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/13/2020

Fredette, Deborah Jean
8 Depot St., Apt. 4
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/13/2020

Galeucia, Brian T.
38 Beacon Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/09/2020

Garneau, Patricia A.
107 Highview Dr., Apt. A
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/11/2020

Girardin, Terrance T.
Girardin, Tami L.
362 Springfield St., Apt. 6
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/15/2020

Kreikamp, Brad J.
61 Woodcliff Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/11/2020

Leary, James R.
21 Greenwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/04/2020

Leblanc, Sarah Beth
263 School St., #1
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/04/2020

Loughman-Bull, Arthur P.
Loughman-Bull, Maura M.
35 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Date: 11/02/2020

MacAlpine, Kenneth
58 Curtis Ter.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/12/2020

Martin, Scott A.
950 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Chapter: 13
Date: 11/08/2020

Martinez, Maria
45 Fresno St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/05/2020

Michalak, Anthony F.
Michalak, Carolyn J.
6 Varney St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Date: 11/07/2020

Miller, Gregory L.
206 First St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/10/2020

Nunez, Carlos
59 Meetinghouse Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/04/2020

Orange Capital Holdings LLC
210 Wheeler Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 11
Date: 11/11/2020

Pavalyuk, Peter
Pavalyuk, Natalya G.
112 Wolcott Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/04/2020

Thornton, Keri A.
69 Arnold St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/02/2020

Twarowski, Christine Frances
25 Guyotte Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/12/2020

Wine Shop at Home
Cuzzone, Melissa Ann
75 Fox Farm Road
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/09/2020

Real Estate Transactions

Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

199 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Alexandra Margosian
Seller: Troy Santerre
Date: 11/10/20

55 River St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Ramu P. Raju
Seller: Urban Veneer LLC
Date: 11/02/20

74 West Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Eric L. Fiske
Seller: Fisher INT
Date: 11/13/20

31 West Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $283,800
Buyer: Paul Kocot
Seller: Donald Slocum
Date: 11/12/20

BUCKLAND

10 Gardner Falls Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Tyler Rock
Seller: Janice A. Rock
Date: 11/03/20

33 Sears St.
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $220,500
Buyer: Paul Degeorges
Seller: MHFA
Date: 11/06/20

COLRAIN

181 Call Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Many Properties LLC
Seller: Luke M. Johnson
Date: 11/02/20

DEERFIELD

97 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Jonathan Galenski
Seller: Irene M. Baronas
Date: 11/13/20

ERVING

35 High St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Sanford Cluett
Seller: Lois A. Lively
Date: 11/13/20

GILL

43 Vassar Way
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $413,000
Buyer: Paul D. Vassar
Seller: Vincent J. McHugh
Date: 11/10/20

GREENFIELD

33-35 Abbott St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Maureen L. Borg
Seller: Robert J. Clancy
Date: 11/02/20

658 Bernardston Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Jennifer Beckham
Seller: Marie A. Vidal
Date: 11/06/20

371 Davis St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $139,200
Buyer: Christopher Coeur
Seller: Richard V. West
Date: 11/04/20

35 Lincoln St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Dawn S. Montague
Seller: Jessica M. Biggie
Date: 11/02/20

26 Mary Potter Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: John A. Macleod
Seller: Emmy Y. Phelps
Date: 11/06/20

70 Riddell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Zachary B. Podhorzer
Seller: Gail J. Shea
Date: 11/13/20

191 Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: SCF RC Funding 4 LLC
Seller: Brycar LLC
Date: 11/04/20

43 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Agape Moldovian Baptist Church
Seller: First Cong Church Greenfield
Date: 11/09/20

61 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $239,375
Buyer: Meghan S. Carroll
Seller: Archelon Properties LLC
Date: 11/10/20

243-245 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Ovidiu Nikita
Seller: Valerie J. Rowell
Date: 11/13/20

LEYDEN

189 Eden Trail
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $367,000
Buyer: Sarah J. Reilly
Seller: Elizabeth Emery
Date: 11/03/20

38 Keets Brook Road
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Alexander Beroz
Seller: Paul E. Kocot
Date: 11/12/20

MONTAGUE

128 7th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: 7th Street RT
Seller: Julianna R. Stevens
Date: 11/06/20

105 G St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: James G. Martineau
Seller: Danny J. Mason
Date: 11/06/20

107 G St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: James G. Martineau
Seller: Danny J. Mason
Date: 11/06/20

6 Grant St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: Zachary French
Seller: Grouts Corner Realty LLC
Date: 11/10/20

58 High St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Grincavitch
Seller: Morgan Bailey-Aronson
Date: 11/10/20

Ross Ave.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: Zachary French
Seller: Grouts Corner Realty LLC
Date: 11/10/20

38 Taylor Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $459,000
Buyer: Beaven F. Burkett
Seller: Alan E. Kurkulonis
Date: 11/05/20

NORTHFIELD

340 Caldwell Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Casey Dellapenna
Seller: Parsons, Richard G., (Estate)
Date: 11/04/20

20 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Eleanor M. Demont
Seller: ALWS LLC
Date: 11/03/20

ORANGE

20 Athol Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $220,350
Buyer: Ethan Mueller
Seller: ARPC LLC
Date: 11/12/20

98 Bartlett Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Kyle Newton
Seller: Scott A. Parker
Date: 11/09/20

581 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: David L. Eadie
Seller: James R. Aldrich
Date: 11/06/20

10 Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Thomas P. Sexton
Seller: Macleod, Norman H., (Estate)
Date: 11/12/20

4 Shingle Brook Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Steven S. Gelinas
Seller: Kyle Newton
Date: 11/09/20

SHELBURNE

79 Mechanic St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: James G. Martineau
Seller: Danny J. Mason
Date: 11/06/20

SUNDERLAND

6 Garage Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Delta Sand & Gravel Inc.
Seller: Robert O. Schulze
Date: 11/13/20

113 North Plain Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Shelley L. Poreda
Seller: Sunderland Rentals LLC
Date: 11/13/20

304 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kyle Ferdinand
Seller: Jonathan L. Wooley
Date: 11/06/20

36 Reservoir Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $306,500
Buyer: Andrew R. Garlo
Seller: Donald S. Mathison TR
Date: 11/03/20

75 Russell St.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Noah D. Horn
Seller: Susan J. Bitters
Date: 11/09/20

221 Russell St.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $327,700
Buyer: Jessie K. Berlingo
Seller: Mary B. Evans
Date: 11/13/20

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

57 Belvidere Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Gianna E. Albano
Seller: Kyle Pfeffer
Date: 11/13/20

235 Bowles Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $2,525,253
Buyer: 235 Bowles Road LLC
Seller: Crosby Queenin Properties LLC
Date: 11/13/20

35 Harvey Johnson Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Emir Katica
Seller: Jeffrey J. Hichborn
Date: 11/12/20

58 Hayes Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Henry L. Dubay
Seller: Mariette E. Raymond
Date: 11/03/20

101 High St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: Angelica I. Mendez
Seller: Carl A. Dickmann
Date: 11/10/20

270 Leonard St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $379,900
Buyer: Adam P. Ducharme
Seller: David L. White
Date: 11/05/20

17 Liswell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $356,000
Buyer: Yevgeny Ukrainets
Seller: Adam C. Nouwen
Date: 11/06/20

1815 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Juliano Holdings MA LLC
Seller: John W. Drewnowski
Date: 11/05/20

522 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Andrey Bateyko
Seller: Fredey, Robert W., (Estate)
Date: 11/02/20

267 Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Noemi Amaris
Seller: Manuel T. Reyes
Date: 11/13/20

18 Sherman Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Bedrettin Tokgoz
Seller: Paul Karnaukh
Date: 11/12/20

74 South Park Ter.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Joseph E. Cardin
Seller: Wayne M. Aldinger
Date: 11/06/20

576 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $284,900
Buyer: Jeffrey J. Hichborn
Seller: James K. Burghoff
Date: 11/10/20

1182 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: 1182 Springfield St LLC
Seller: Palatium Realty Inc.
Date: 11/02/20

BLANDFORD

109 Chester Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Allison Tison-Greer
Seller: Lucia M. Sullivan
Date: 11/06/20

BRIMFIELD

86 Haynes Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Clifford G. Phaneuf
Seller: Shana J. Hendrikse
Date: 11/02/20

CHICOPEE

66 Acker Circle
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Tyler Leclerc
Seller: Jennifer L. Bourque
Date: 11/06/20

70 Beaumont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $336,500
Buyer: Katelyn Nadeau
Seller: Amie L. Wozniak
Date: 11/02/20

59 Brightwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Joejoe Properties LLC
Seller: Mark C. Gadoury
Date: 11/02/20

180 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Steven M. Menard
Seller: George, Bernard J. S., (Estate)
Date: 11/05/20

630 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Lopez
Seller: Janet P. Lavoie
Date: 11/13/20

21 Daniel Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Briggette P. Cortes-Ruiz
Seller: Claire L. Cucchi
Date: 11/12/20

9 Deslauriers St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Juan A. Castano-Perez
Seller: Jason W. Lepage
Date: 11/02/20

125 Deslauriers St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Angel G. Rodriguez-Colon
Seller: Katelyn Nadeau
Date: 11/02/20

50 Donlyn Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Zaida I. Mejias
Seller: Blanchard, Janice M., (Estate)
Date: 11/12/20

86 Garland St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Murphy
Seller: Jose G. Santos
Date: 11/02/20

341 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Rinaldi Pease RE LLC
Seller: Round 2 LLC
Date: 11/13/20

57 Hillman St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Stephen T. Hews
Seller: James E. Grise
Date: 11/13/20

23 Hilton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kendrick J. Hutchins
Seller: Nathan R. Lepage
Date: 11/13/20

70 Labelle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: James E. Jerram
Seller: Lisa C. Ealum
Date: 11/12/20

122 Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Lee Maisonet
Seller: JTT Realty LLC
Date: 11/13/20

89 Maplewood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Michael Chant
Seller: Karl E. Piedra
Date: 11/06/20

78 McCarthy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,500
Buyer: Corey Croteau
Seller: Janet M. Lanier
Date: 11/13/20

92 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Erik Govoni
Seller: Joyce A. Bernash
Date: 11/09/20

111 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jason P. Fay
Seller: Robert A. Fimbel
Date: 11/13/20

182 Narragansett Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Delaney Duprat
Seller: David J. Valego
Date: 11/10/20

69 Olea St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Riverbound Investments Inc.
Seller: Thomas R. Maynard
Date: 11/04/20

46 Orchard St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: MA Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Mieczyslaw Niziol
Date: 11/05/20

45 Oxford St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Carol A. Fournier
Seller: David R. Simard
Date: 11/05/20

81 Paradise St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Connor Dube
Seller: Justin Piantek
Date: 11/13/20

8 Pleasantview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Meadowbrook Prop Solutions
Seller: Carolyn A. Gould
Date: 11/06/20

24 Saint Anthony St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Renata Smith
Seller: Lindsy M. Canuel
Date: 11/12/20

51 Schley St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Manchester Enterprises
Seller: Barbara J. Surprenant
Date: 11/03/20

13 Searles St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,500
Buyer: Andrew R. Desrochers
Seller: Joanne M. Rouillard
Date: 11/13/20

141 Skeele St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Victor A. Rivera
Seller: Abrheem Mustafa
Date: 11/13/20

181 South St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Caleb G. Montalvo-Burgos
Seller: Waldemar Moreno
Date: 11/10/20

572 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Anthony R. Correa
Seller: Lindsay A. Drobnak
Date: 11/12/20

24 Theodore St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Scott C. Bennett
Seller: Jane K. Michon
Date: 11/05/20

96 Woodcrest Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: John M. Wegrzyn
Seller: Dumais, Alexander J., (Estate)
Date: 11/04/20

60 Yvette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $248,500
Buyer: Gary Pierce
Seller: Jason R. Tuynman
Date: 11/04/20

EAST LONGMEADOW

165 Benton Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: WMMM LLC
Seller: Mackenzie Property Group LLC
Date: 11/04/20

182 Benton Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $5,930,400
Buyer: SROA 182 Benton Mass. LLC
Seller: Storage Pros East Longmeadow
Date: 11/06/20

21 Deer Park Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $2,150,000
Buyer: Mackenzie Properties Group LLC
Seller: Wmmm LLC
Date: 11/04/20

340 Kibbe Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $358,000
Buyer: Darrel H. Seal
Seller: Quercus Properties LLC
Date: 11/03/20

428-A Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $382,000
Buyer: Adam Erickson
Seller: David G. Comeau
Date: 11/02/20

175 Orchard Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $545,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Santaniello
Seller: Theresa Fiorentino
Date: 11/10/20

100 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: John Margeson
Seller: Stanley J. Graziano
Date: 11/03/20

51 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $324,150
Buyer: Anthony H. Nguyen
Seller: Socha Prop Management LLC
Date: 11/06/20

HAMPDEN

36 Burleigh Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $925,000
Buyer: David M. Laventure
Seller: Keith E. Modestow
Date: 11/13/20

31 Crestwood Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Matthew Lecuyer
Seller: Philip A. Tarsi
Date: 11/09/20

43 Crestwood Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Peter Maziarz
Seller: Sulham, Evelyn L., (Estate)
Date: 11/12/20

236 Mill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Dawn M. Mackinnon
Seller: Susan J. Alston
Date: 11/10/20

144 Stony Hill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Jesse Os
Seller: Brian K. Macleod
Date: 11/12/20

HOLLAND

42 Craig Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Charlie Michaud
Seller: Donald P. Powers
Date: 11/06/20

95 East Brimfield Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Luke Vilandre
Seller: CSA Realty Inc.
Date: 11/04/20

HOLYOKE

90 Bemis Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Deborah R. Ashe
Seller: Chad A. Groleau
Date: 11/13/20

9 Clark St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Myra A. Lam
Seller: Anna K. Morrell
Date: 11/04/20

19 Cook St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Angel L. Fernandez
Seller: Janice A. Lepine
Date: 11/03/20

8 Cottage Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Josue Sosa-Diaz
Seller: Alexa Roman
Date: 11/13/20

1093 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Kevin A. Rice
Seller: Edwin Gonzalez
Date: 11/09/20

2 Francis St.
Holyoke, MA 01013
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Mark J. Rodgers
Seller: Mary L. Curro
Date: 11/13/20

615 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Tyler Souders
Seller: Zebunnisa Haq
Date: 11/02/20

181-183 High St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: 181 High Holyoke MA LLC
Seller: Posiadlosc LLC
Date: 11/06/20

1 Joanne Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Matthew Giroux
Seller: Joanne M. McGuire
Date: 11/13/20

60 King St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $223,700
Buyer: Shawn P. Ferry
Seller: FNMA
Date: 11/09/20

40 Longwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: John Areche
Seller: Naugler, Cynthia S., (Estate)
Date: 11/10/20

183 Madison Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: John Nichols
Seller: Amy C. McDonough
Date: 11/13/20

428 Maple St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: 428446 Maple LLC
Seller: Muni Management Inc.
Date: 11/06/20

446 Maple St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: 428446 Maple LLC
Seller: Muni Management Inc.
Date: 11/06/20

463 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Nilsa E. Laboy
Seller: Christopher Gosselin
Date: 11/02/20

13-15 Parker St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Joaveliza Rodriguez
Seller: Thomas G. Griffin
Date: 11/13/20

135 Pearl St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Moses Claudio
Seller: Angel Maldonado
Date: 11/13/20

131-133 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Dario J. Ramones
Seller: Rypec LLC
Date: 11/13/20

LONGMEADOW

354 Bliss Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Kraver FT
Seller: Marcus J. Bouchard
Date: 11/06/20

15 Edgewood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Sara Caulson
Seller: Daniel B. Waterman
Date: 11/06/20

140 Field Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Thomas F. Dunn
Seller: Laura E. Sklba
Date: 11/06/20

40 Hillcrest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $471,900
Buyer: Daniel Waterman
Seller: E. Thomas Foster
Date: 11/06/20

105 Lawrence Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Serghei Sleptov
Seller: Kathleen Crews
Date: 11/05/20

32 Lincoln Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: William C. Loiselle
Seller: Olena Sleptov
Date: 11/05/20

469 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Edward N. Astanin
Seller: Yesenia Y. Santos
Date: 11/06/20

26 Sherwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Marcus J. Bouchard
Seller: Judith S. Cohen
Date: 11/06/20

75 Wolf Swamp Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $398,000
Buyer: Daniel W. Counts
Seller: Daniel W. McKay
Date: 11/10/20

LUDLOW

614 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Carlson FT
Seller: Richard Kowalski
Date: 11/06/20

213 Clover Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Alexander Brady
Seller: Regina E. Momnie
Date: 11/02/20

31 Fairway Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $278,300
Buyer: Luis D. Quiterio
Seller: Frank N. Trolio
Date: 11/13/20

Harvest Dr. #27
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Antonio J. Martins
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 11/06/20

85-87 Highland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Nicole V. Murray
Seller: Theresa A. Sears
Date: 11/06/20

96 John St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Thomas Dandeneau
Seller: Daniel W. Zglobicki
Date: 11/05/20

135 Kirkland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Rong Lin
Seller: Ana A. Pinto
Date: 11/03/20

Lyon St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Joseph G. Chaloux
Seller: Grabowski, Antoni F., (Estate)
Date: 11/13/20

250 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $303,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Pollard
Seller: Nicole V. Libiszewski
Date: 11/06/20

108 Pine Knoll Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Tyler G. Beaudry
Seller: Idalina S. Lavoie
Date: 11/06/20

405 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Grace M. Larochelle
Seller: Cynthia M. Saleh
Date: 11/04/20

84 Yale St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Brianna Guimond
Seller: Walter A. Stewart
Date: 11/06/20

MONSON

184 Bumstead Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Money Source Inc.
Seller: Caleb A. Giard
Date: 11/06/20

54 Childs Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: John A. Gola
Seller: Scott M. Beaulieu
Date: 11/09/20

34 Harrison Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Thanooe P. Paul
Seller: Charles S. Puliafico
Date: 11/03/20

6 Hilltop Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Deborah Blanchard
Seller: Michael Pelland
Date: 11/13/20

8 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Mary B. Holland
Seller: TM Properties Inc.
Date: 11/06/20

17 Old Stagecoach Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Edwin Gonzalez
Seller: Jason Woodrow
Date: 11/09/20

MONTGOMERY

7 Carrington Road
Montgomery, MA 01050
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Chelsi L. Derrig
Seller: Susan Johnston
Date: 11/04/20

172 Pitcher St.
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Michelle Candiano
Seller: Sandra H. Gil
Date: 11/10/20

PALMER

145 Boston Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Craig A. Dahlquist
Seller: Theresa M. Dahlquist
Date: 11/05/20

144 Flynt St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $372,500
Buyer: Darcey Fuller-Walulak
Seller: Ethan A. Buckley
Date: 11/06/20

12 Norman St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Andrew D. Burgess
Seller: Christine Tetreault
Date: 11/02/20

1075 Overlook Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kevin A. Bilodeau
Seller: Lee A. Shepka
Date: 11/06/20

4177 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Nathan B. Hodgman
Seller: Jared M. Laroche
Date: 11/13/20

1259 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Qingxia Wu
Seller: James A. Bray
Date: 11/06/20

100 Shearer St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Isela C. Santos-Rodriguez
Seller: Reynaldo Pedraza
Date: 11/06/20

237 Thompson St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Parker
Seller: James T. Mitchell
Date: 11/02/20

18 Wright St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Victoria Morris
Seller: Judy Bergdoll
Date: 11/06/20

SPRINGFIELD

39 Acushnet Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Mint Realty Group LLC
Seller: George B. Witman
Date: 11/04/20

15 Algonquin Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $174,300
Buyer: Marilyn Gali
Seller: Luis A. Villanueva
Date: 11/12/20

137-139 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Frank Vazquez
Seller: Charlie Melo-Perez
Date: 11/04/20

37 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Andy Gustave
Seller: Michael Czerwinski
Date: 11/06/20

180 Arnold Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kacey Smith
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 11/02/20

63 Arnold Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Ilka A. Rivera
Seller: Heidi T. Munro
Date: 11/06/20

46 Beauregard St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Louisa J. Gonzalez
Seller: Chad Lynch
Date: 11/02/20

299 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Daniel Della-Giustina
Seller: Siam Williams Investment Group LLC
Date: 11/06/20

35 Bennington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Anh K. Bach
Seller: Darrel Seal
Date: 11/02/20

49 Bennington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Michael J. Ford
Seller: Brian P. Oconnor
Date: 11/05/20

80 Bircham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Osvaldo Velazquez
Seller: Edna C. Lheureux
Date: 11/09/20

82 Blaine St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Yecika Irlanda
Seller: Eslainy Diaz
Date: 11/05/20

42-44 Blodgett St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Paul R. Gauthier
Seller: Gary A. Daula
Date: 11/09/20

472 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $755,000
Buyer: Springfield Boston Road LLC
Seller: 83 Worthen Street Inc.
Date: 11/13/20

484 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $755,000
Buyer: Springfield Boston Road LLC
Seller: 83 Worthen Street Inc.
Date: 11/13/20

500 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $755,000
Buyer: Springfield Boston Road LLC
Seller: 83 Worthen Street Inc.
Date: 11/13/20

23 Brandon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Crystal Cappas
Seller: Gloria Caballer-Arce
Date: 11/06/20

50 Brickett St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $165,920
Buyer: Luis E. Ferrer
Seller: Zoraida Velazquez
Date: 11/06/20

46 Brighton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Tania M. Cabrera
Seller: Jason I. Bolanos
Date: 11/10/20

83 Cambridge St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $246,500
Buyer: Luis Caraballo-Cancel
Seller: Patricia Mitchell
Date: 11/13/20

5 Capitol Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Herman R. Little
Seller: Steven M. Wolf
Date: 11/05/20

801 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Ruth M. Bonilla-Rivera
Seller: MBC Properties LLC
Date: 11/10/20

48 Collingwood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $211,550
Buyer: Nicole Seo
Seller: Szajgin, Anna J., (Estate)
Date: 11/05/20

92 Corona St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Angel Collazo-Velazquez
Seller: Jorge L. Cuello
Date: 11/06/20

45 Davenport St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Diandra Velez
Seller: Jorge J. Velez
Date: 11/02/20

200 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Randy S. Son
Seller: Michele Brodeur
Date: 11/03/20

41 Daytona St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: David Givans
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 11/10/20

20 Delaware Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Joe O’Dell-Gray
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 11/05/20

184 Denver St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Starla A. Hampton
Seller: Tawanda M. Kitt
Date: 11/10/20

248 Denver St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Lesley Santana
Seller: Sal Santaniello
Date: 11/06/20

32 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Moumie Dibinga
Seller: RBT Enterprises LLC
Date: 11/10/20

196-206 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Thi Tai
Seller: Tuan Dam
Date: 11/02/20

93 Druid Hill Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Randy Moquin
Seller: Francis T. Keefe
Date: 11/03/20

171 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Nydia Abrante-Aviles
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 11/05/20

42 Embassy Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Robin Cook
Seller: Anthony M. Willett
Date: 11/05/20

84 Everett St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Rebecca Okyere
Seller: Cesario M. Ferreria
Date: 11/10/20

82 Fargo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Angel A. Reyes
Seller: FNMA
Date: 11/02/20

33 Farnsworth St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: David Givans
Seller: Turcotte, Andrew S., (Estate)
Date: 11/04/20

5 Fenimore Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Somchai Daniels
Seller: Michael J. Chabot
Date: 11/10/20

15 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Eric L. Melendez-Gerena
Seller: Genevieve Construction Development Group
Date: 11/13/20

55 Fredette St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Adam Goncalves
Seller: Icelene E. Campbell
Date: 11/12/20

132 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Alexander Camire
Seller: Amanda C. Ledwith
Date: 11/02/20

68 Gilman St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Juliano Callirgos
Seller: Lakeside Properties LLC
Date: 11/02/20

84 Goodrich St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Yaritza Colon
Seller: Juan Santana
Date: 11/05/20

71-73 Governor St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Eslainy Diaz-Agramonte
Seller: Luke F. Cournoyer
Date: 11/12/20

111 Groton St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Joel S. Rivera-Nieves
Seller: Lauren A. Burtch
Date: 11/12/20

209 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Angel Santiago
Seller: Danyal R. Dumas
Date: 11/09/20

173 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Anthony J. St.Cyr
Seller: Krista Gale
Date: 11/02/20

280 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Eilish Garvey
Seller: Anthony J. Villamaino
Date: 11/12/20

8 Healey St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Francheska Vargas
Seller: Samuel R. Shaw
Date: 11/02/20

158 Jamaica St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Allen J. Palatino
Seller: Joshua D. Bernacchia
Date: 11/02/20

64 Judith St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Brenda L. Colon-Rubet
Seller: Marie A. Lavallee
Date: 11/03/20

119 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Angel Garcia
Seller: Chekquita R. Barnes
Date: 11/02/20

56 Kenyon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Manifesting Income LLC
Seller: Diane B. Davidson-Rec
Date: 11/03/20

7 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Janaya Robinson
Seller: Juan Santana
Date: 11/05/20

68 Lorimer St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Carolyn Nemier
Seller: Patti McCauley
Date: 11/06/20

23 Martha St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jahaziel Santiago
Seller: Victoria Antwi-Boasiako
Date: 11/05/20

11-1/2 Mattoon St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Shahroz Ahmed
Seller: Taniel V. Santourian
Date: 11/02/20

56 Mulberry St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jennifer Nwaifejokwu
Seller: B2R LLC
Date: 11/03/20

99 Norfolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Luis Martinez-Baez
Seller: Alycar Investments LLC
Date: 11/13/20

191 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Sharon Pankey
Seller: R. M. Blerman LLC
Date: 11/10/20

125 Odion St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Diana Delacruz
Seller: Lynn C. Stockley
Date: 11/13/20

17 Overlook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Sasha M. Nunez
Seller: Nomxolisi Khumalo
Date: 11/06/20

1018 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Marisol Santini
Seller: Jesus Estremera
Date: 11/10/20

107 Ranney St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Chrissea M. Oates
Seller: Latonia N. Naylor
Date: 11/06/20

67 Regal St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Walter L. Bliss
Seller: Liam D. Hogan
Date: 11/12/20

108 Regal St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Jorge L. Vazquez
Seller: Brian J. Hearn
Date: 11/12/20

15 Rencelau St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jerry Torres
Seller: Dennis F. Reardon
Date: 11/13/20

15-17 Rittenhouse Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Cassandra L. Chavarria
Seller: Garrett J. Moulton
Date: 11/13/20

56 Riverview St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Maxim W. Daviau
Seller: Lawrence M. Libow
Date: 11/13/20

305 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Raul F. Vega
Seller: Alex Owusu
Date: 11/02/20

32 Shamrock St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Jilson R. Salem
Seller: First Time Out Realty LLC
Date: 11/13/20

69 Sherman St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Denise B. Heatley
Seller: Joaquim Santos
Date: 11/12/20

119 State St.
Springfield, MA 01013
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Rossmere LLC
Seller: 121 State Street LLC
Date: 11/02/20

54 Sunbrier Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Shawn Douglas
Seller: Anastasia Tabasco-Flores
Date: 11/03/20

92 Sunrise Ter.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Karl Burston
Seller: Jose R. Gonzalez
Date: 11/12/20

63 Sunset Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Noah J. Cousineau
Seller: Nicolas A. Malinowski
Date: 11/04/20

76 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Alison Peplinski
Seller: Patrick J. Sullivan
Date: 11/03/20

305 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Charis M. Sanchez-Diaz
Seller: Anthony R. Correa
Date: 11/12/20

36 Switzer Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Juan C. Masionett
Seller: Daniel Carthon
Date: 11/13/20

144 Tavistock St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Irene Maldonado
Seller: Ann M. Hennessy
Date: 11/06/20

43 Thorndyke St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Desmond W. Henry
Seller: Vera E. Mihalcik
Date: 11/03/20

209 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Claire B. Hamilton
Seller: Brian K. Potter
Date: 11/13/20

280 Tremont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Joshua Rivera
Seller: Nichole M. Hodges
Date: 11/06/20

24 Van Horn Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Sonia A. Monegro
Seller: Zahoor U. Haq
Date: 11/04/20

45 Washington Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $285,900
Buyer: Elizabeth Ghedi-Ehrlich
Seller: John H. Dillon
Date: 11/13/20

62 Waverly St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jose Laboy
Seller: Sheng-Shiang Peng
Date: 11/03/20

117 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $254,500
Buyer: Kamal A. Watt
Seller: Bruce M. Richardson
Date: 11/02/20

45 Winterset Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Leah N. McCarthy
Seller: Joseph N. Leone
Date: 11/09/20

114 Winton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Brendan W. Holland
Seller: John P. Ochoa
Date: 11/10/20

SOUTHWICK

13 Concord Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Nicholas Sonsini
Seller: Garry A. Porter
Date: 11/02/20

6 Ed Holcomb Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Burke
Seller: Snow, Norman E., (Estate)
Date: 11/06/20

11 John Mason Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $425,100
Buyer: James McInerney
Seller: Michael R. Zahner
Date: 11/13/20

Mort Vining Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Seller: Rita B. Damico
Date: 11/13/20

136 Point Grove Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $198,725
Buyer: John J. Nardacci
Seller: Donna L. Johnson
Date: 11/13/20

8 Pondview Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $796,750
Buyer: William VanDyke
Seller: Joseph A. Walz
Date: 11/10/20

100 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Keith Modestow
Seller: Gary L. Teodore
Date: 11/13/20

23 Veteran St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Rosalie Dialessi
Seller: Jared Hamre
Date: 11/12/20

107 Vining Hill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Alex B. Weber
Seller: Gregory E. Haskins
Date: 11/13/20

TOLLAND

69 South Village Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Catherine A. Demers
Seller: Larry S. Isaacs
Date: 11/03/20

WALES

6 Sichols Colony Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Pauline Santello
Seller: Vincent E. Bradway
Date: 11/13/20

55 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Roy McCullough
Seller: Karen L. Outlaw
Date: 11/06/20

WEST SPRINGFIELD

41 Belle Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Luis Navarro-Mena
Seller: Dheyaa Zaidan
Date: 11/10/20

14 Brookline Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $368,007
Buyer: Michael Parolo
Seller: Lori S. Bonk
Date: 11/09/20

72 Clyde Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $227,152
Buyer: Michael J. Ford
Seller: David D. Deaton
Date: 11/09/20

278 Ely Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jesus Estremera
Seller: Gregg A. Gibson
Date: 11/10/20

42 Fabyan St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Gonzalez
Seller: Luis A. Antonmarchi
Date: 11/05/20

215 Hillcrest Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Alyssa Vincelette
Seller: Zachary L. Morin
Date: 11/06/20

1097 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Howie Realty LLC
Seller: Elizabeth Hadley Inc.
Date: 11/12/20

1105 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Howie Realty LLC
Seller: Elizabeth Hadley Inc.
Date: 11/12/20

89 New Bridge St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Howie Realty LLC
Seller: Elizabeth Hadley Inc.
Date: 11/12/20

99-105 New Bridge St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Howie Realty LLC
Seller: Elizabeth Hadley Inc.
Date: 11/12/20

35 Plateau Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Aaron Gonzalez
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 11/10/20

86 Poplar Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Joseph D. Klejna
Seller: Steven F. Bradway
Date: 11/05/20

41 Sawmill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $310,700
Buyer: James P. Keizer
Seller: Timothy J. Ouimette
Date: 11/13/20

62 Sherwood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Steven M. Wolf
Seller: Torre, Jean C., (Estate)
Date: 11/13/20

3 Somerset Heights
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: West Co. Investments LLC
Seller: Marvin Larivee
Date: 11/10/20

36 Squire Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Paul Denoncourt
Seller: Christopher M. Donohue
Date: 11/12/20

17 Tiara Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Mohammad A. Burhan
Seller: Tiara N. Kolodziej
Date: 11/04/20

268 Valley View Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Zachary L. Morin
Seller: Claire D. Charland
Date: 11/06/20

WESTFIELD

148 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Curtis A. Curylo
Seller: Sergiy Suprunchuk
Date: 11/13/20

19 Bush St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: ONJB LLC
Seller: Cassandra L. Jaeger
Date: 11/13/20

15 Dickens Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Luis A. Curbelo
Seller: Alex Frazier
Date: 11/03/20

1760 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Fiodor Artin
Seller: Keith P. Powers
Date: 11/06/20

289 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jason M. Donnachie
Seller: Amanda Vanbuskirk
Date: 11/13/20

75 Highland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Robin E. Johnson
Seller: Patricia A. Kalfa
Date: 11/10/20

4 Hillary Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $555,000
Buyer: Brett R. Salls
Seller: Jeffrey G. Affeldt
Date: 11/06/20

47 Hillside Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Alyson C. Yorlano
Seller: Andrew J. Kopacka
Date: 11/10/20

27 Kittredge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Valeriy M. Sivokonenko
Seller: Angela R. Martin
Date: 11/13/20

38 Kittredge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Tsheteej Gurung
Seller: Joseph M. Yorlano
Date: 11/10/20

7 Laurel Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $259,500
Buyer: Chandler Twining
Seller: Chad C. Patterson
Date: 11/03/20

93 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Sardinhas & Constante Realty
Seller: Margaret M. Amanti
Date: 11/12/20

153 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Debbie M. Smith
Seller: SA Holding 2 LLC
Date: 11/06/20

760 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Nathan Kantor
Seller: Valarie Rafus
Date: 11/13/20

23 Morningside Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: William N. Landford
Seller: Joanne L. Zomek
Date: 11/13/20

64 Noble St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Vadim Plotnikov
Seller: Donald A. Humason
Date: 11/06/20

162 Old Cabot Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Abdias Garcia
Seller: Giberson Construction Inc.
Date: 11/12/20

100 Park Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Archie F. Hogue
Seller: Ruth C. Aborjaily
Date: 11/05/20

70 Patterson St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $360,700
Buyer: Justin W. Piantek
Seller: Marisa A. Masciadrelli
Date: 11/13/20

111 Pineridge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Jill M. Krueger
Seller: Jane M. Rhodes
Date: 11/06/20

47 Pleasant St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Roberts
Seller: Henry Dubay
Date: 11/03/20

17 Prospect St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Juan Villanueva-Lopez
Seller: John L. Ryan
Date: 11/06/20

22 Riverside Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $117,250
Buyer: Sharon L. Kamlowski
Seller: Thomas F. Roche
Date: 11/02/20

48 Scenic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Christopher Ryder-Neary
Seller: Michael D. Buell
Date: 11/13/20

987 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Seller: Mary J. Hanrahan
Date: 11/13/20

16 Spruce St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Koryd B. Lavimoniere
Seller: Louise M. Cyr
Date: 11/06/20

17 Stephanie Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $283,500
Buyer: Chad C. Patterson
Seller: Mark S. Dupuis
Date: 11/04/20

20 Stratfield Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $222,900
Buyer: Anthony E. Salvatore
Seller: Robert T. Smyk
Date: 11/12/20

5 Walker Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Charles A. Valentine
Seller: Rose M. Valentine
Date: 11/03/20

1178 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kyle W. Morrissey
Seller: Aleksey V. Burlachenko
Date: 11/02/20

WILBRAHAM

17 Bittersweet Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Michael D. Marceau
Seller: Kathleen E. Demartino
Date: 11/12/20

19 Bittersweet Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Matthew T. Kissane
Seller: Ann N. Hapgood
Date: 11/05/20

1876 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $512,500
Buyer: Anatomy LLC
Seller: Ginpop Property LLC
Date: 11/05/20

22 Bungalow Point
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Thomas Brennan
Seller: Fontaine, Janet D., (Estate)
Date: 11/03/20

2 East Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: Robert P. Stanek
Seller: Timothy J. Messier
Date: 11/13/20

14 Fernwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Christopher Drobnak
Seller: Bahadir K. Akcam
Date: 11/12/20

18 Grassy Meadow Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Chad Dakin
Seller: Sean J. Murphy
Date: 11/05/20

479 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Custom Home Development Group LLC
Seller: Ats, Marilyn, (Estate)
Date: 11/05/20

45-47 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Richard Yen
Seller: Raev LLC
Date: 11/13/20

735 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Brian P. O’Connor
Seller: Matthew T. Kissane
Date: 11/05/20

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

273 Amity St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $715,000
Buyer: 273 Amity Street RT
Seller: Andrew C. Jones
Date: 11/06/20

61 Dennis Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Benjamin Donaldson
Seller: Nikos C. Berkowitz
Date: 11/06/20

171 Heatherstone Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $479,000
Buyer: Richard J. Giglio
Seller: Lindsley G. Boiney
Date: 11/10/20

48 Jenks St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Marcus S. Opalenik
Seller: Ellen M. Fagan
Date: 11/12/20

3 Juniper Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Yong X. Liu
Seller: Kravetz, Bettie R., (Estate)
Date: 11/13/20

38 Lessey St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Margaret J. McLaren
Seller: Carol Ranzel-Wallace RET
Date: 11/13/20

108 Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $796,000
Buyer: Nikos C. Berkowitz
Seller: Bercume Construction LLC
Date: 11/06/20

325 Montague Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Thanh N. Tran
Seller: Hai Tran
Date: 11/09/20

199 Northampton Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: 199 Northampton Road LLC
Seller: Shuo Hu
Date: 11/02/20

1100 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Marilyn D. Glass
Seller: Hop Brook TR
Date: 11/13/20

11 South Middle St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Raskin
Seller: South Middle Street Inc.
Date: 11/06/20

61 Tanglewood Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $660,000
Buyer: Shannon C. Roberts-Henry
Seller: Yecheng Yang
Date: 11/06/20

150 West Pomeroy Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $432,500
Buyer: Martin A. Lewis-Gonzalez
Seller: Deborah Wright
Date: 11/06/20

98 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Brennan McKenna
Seller: Norman H. Campbell IRT
Date: 11/03/20

BELCHERTOWN

Boardman St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Risi
Seller: Thomas P. Tremblay
Date: 11/03/20

46 Boardman St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Hope Sholes-Pinder
Seller: Susan J. Stebbins
Date: 11/09/20

2 Cobb Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Jesus R. Alvarado
Seller: Keith D. Poulin
Date: 11/13/20

251 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Matthew Crandall
Seller: Patrick C. Delaney
Date: 11/06/20

91 Hamilton St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Glenda L. Colon
Seller: David J. Wolan-Jedziniak
Date: 11/13/20

139 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Francis Como
Seller: Mohan T. Chellani
Date: 11/06/20

Rural Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Risi
Seller: Thomas P. Tremblay
Date: 11/03/20

16 Waterford Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $542,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Rivers
Seller: Sharon D. Barnett RET
Date: 11/13/20

CUMMINGTON

497 Berkshire Trail
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Joshua S. Tatro
Seller: Lawrence R. Sears
Date: 11/03/20

EASTHAMPTON

16 Adams St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $324,000
Buyer: Andrew T. Sirulnik
Seller: John Knybel
Date: 11/02/20

10 Bayberry Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Rafiullah Gholam
Seller: Hazrat Gholam
Date: 11/06/20

302 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: Daniel P. Cabral
Seller: Maureen McCarthy
Date: 11/06/20

32 Pine Hill Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $422,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Sullivan
Seller: Jonathan D. Remillard
Date: 11/09/20

9 Prospect St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $255,500
Buyer: Denise Cruze IRT
Seller: Ronald P. Shepard
Date: 11/13/20

15 Summer St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Christina Yong-Wu
Seller: Emerald City Rentals LLC
Date: 11/13/20

GOSHEN

8 Lilly Pond Lane
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Marci L. Windsheimer
Seller: Cory D. Powell
Date: 11/02/20

GRANBY

7 Cold Hill Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $225,925
Buyer: Susan Fortin
Seller: Mary E. Curtin
Date: 11/05/20

43 East St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Hillside Builders & Remodelers
Seller: FNMA
Date: 11/02/20

HADLEY

8 Kosior Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Mellinda J. Martin
Seller: Kathryn M. Martin
Date: 11/02/20

2 Meadow St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Stevenson-Dykes
Seller: Green Tree Family LP
Date: 11/05/20

HATFIELD

11 Chestnut St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Dadmun
Seller: Pelis, Matilda H., (Estate)
Date: 11/13/20

3 King St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Mark J. Stevens
Seller: Edward G. Lagoy
Date: 11/10/20

13 Mountain Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Robert T. Bartlett
Seller: Dave & Marion Dulong FT
Date: 11/02/20

189 Pantry Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Ashley R. Higgins
Seller: Dave & Marion Dulong FT
Date: 11/02/20

11 Pleasant View Dr.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $468,500
Buyer: Christopher R. Szawlowski
Seller: Dennon A. Rodrigue
Date: 11/09/20

MIDDLEFIELD

142 Chipman Road
Middlefield, MA 01011
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: John Donnelly
Seller: Matthew Lovechio
Date: 11/10/20

148 Skyline Trail
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Chase E. Carrington
Seller: Christopher Dadak
Date: 11/10/20

NORTHAMPTON

5 Bernache St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $304,000
Buyer: Janet P. Kyle
Seller: Nancy T. Gokey
Date: 11/04/20

468 Coles Meadow Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,010,000
Buyer: Just Flow RT
Seller: Coles Meadow Properties LLC
Date: 11/12/20

54 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Rita Liberti
Seller: Emerson Way LLC
Date: 11/09/20

110 Hillcrest Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Richard Hinckley
Seller: Charles F. Ksieniewicz
Date: 11/09/20

29 Isabella St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Rebekah J. Steinfeld
Seller: William G. Duffy
Date: 11/09/20

37 Manhan St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $452,000
Buyer: Naomi D. London
Seller: Cathy G. Cross
Date: 11/12/20

31 Murphy Ter.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Georganne Sexton
Seller: Kathleen M. Suchocki
Date: 11/09/20

50 Musante Dr.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: David H. Bragdon INT
Seller: Fernando M. Gorostieta
Date: 11/10/20

PELHAM

25 Butterhill Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $735,000
Buyer: Christopher St.Cyr
Seller: Michael S. MacDonald
Date: 11/09/20

SOUTH HADLEY

478 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: John G. Lorenz
Seller: Gerald Lorenz
Date: 11/13/20

130 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Anthony Barbosa
Seller: William P. Just
Date: 11/06/20

21 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Roy
Seller: Kevin J. Otto
Date: 11/09/20

21 Hollywood St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Jonathan R. Ruell
Seller: Blanchard, Ellen A., (Estate)
Date: 11/12/20

9 Lawn St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Jacquelynne M. Williams
Seller: John P. Simpson
Date: 11/05/20

135 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Emtay Inc.
Seller: Menard, Mark Paul, (Estate)
Date: 11/13/20

28 River Lodge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $449,000
Buyer: Brian M. Keller
Seller: Patrick J. Spring
Date: 11/13/20

12 Skinner Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Robert J. Kudla
Seller: Marc Pohl
Date: 11/09/20

14 Stonegate Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $682,500
Buyer: Donald J. Lonczak
Seller: Gomigo Properties LLC
Date: 11/13/20

20 Sunset Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Faisal I. Algosair
Seller: Justin L. Wipf
Date: 11/02/20

SOUTHAMPTON

11 Bissonnette Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $514,000
Buyer: Matthew Gladu
Seller: Rafael A. Roca
Date: 11/09/20

Fitch Farm Way #2
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: David Garstka Builders LLC
Seller: RGB Industries Inc.
Date: 11/06/20

Fitch Farm Way #3
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: David A. Hardy Contractor
Seller: RGB Industries Inc.
Date: 11/05/20

14 Katelyn Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Rafael A. Roca
Seller: Thomas A. Fuller
Date: 11/06/20

117 White Loaf Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Leveille
Seller: Kaushal V. Shah
Date: 11/06/20

WARE

120 Bacon Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $353,000
Buyer: Douglas Alley
Seller: Stewart A. Terrien
Date: 11/03/20

9 Bellevue Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Charles E. Hollimon
Seller: James M. Regin
Date: 11/13/20

137 Greenwich Plains Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Robert E. Shover
Seller: Flat Brook Farm TR
Date: 11/03/20

298 Palmer Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: David J. Hamlin
Seller: Roslyn T. Kzsaszcz
Date: 11/13/20

6 Park St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Rachael Johnson
Seller: Naomi B. Barton
Date: 11/10/20

24 Parker St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: QFAM Warrior LLC
Seller: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Date: 11/06/20

25 Parker St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: QFAM Warrior LLC
Seller: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Date: 11/06/20

61 West St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $299,500
Buyer: Rejicus LLC
Seller: William N. Landford
Date: 11/13/20

WILLIAMSBURG

9 Grove St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Joseph V. Andrews
Seller: Franklin D. Anglin
Date: 11/10/20

132 Nash Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $479,000
Buyer: Liana Griffin
Seller: Robert Pstanek
Date: 11/13/20

WESTHAMPTON

25 Pine Island Lake
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Rebecca L. Smith
Seller: Evelyn J. Holland
Date: 11/12/20

Building Permits

Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of November 2020. (Filings are limited due to closures or reduced staffing hours at municipal offices due to COVID-19 restrictions).

CHICOPEE

Berkshire Retail-C, LLC
185 Exchange St.
$5,240 — Install fire alarm in Rent-A-Center space

Shawinigan Drive, LLC
645 Shawinigan Dr.
$25,000 — T-Mobile to remove three antennas and three TTAs, install three antennas and three remote radio units, and associated cables and hardware

NORTHAMPTON

57 Main Street, LLC
57-59 Main St.
$85,000 — Renovate facade, kitchen renovation, demolish second-floor porch

Axl, LLC
41 Strong Ave.
$5,000 — Demolish interior of existing restaurant in preparation for future buildout

City of Northampton
212 Main St.
$49,081 — Structural repair to elevator shaft in municipal building

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
10 Hawley St.
$113,650 — Renovate rectory, detatched garage, and social center

Smith College
22 Paradise Road
$45,000 — Porch repair

Village Hill Road, LLC
35 Village Hill Road
$43,000 — Install rooftop solar panels

LEE

Lee Bank
102 West Park St.
$6,756 — Install fire-alarm system

LENOX

Overlee Property Holdings, LLC
65 Church St.
$1,074 — Re-pipe wet chemical fire-suppression system to cover changed appliances

PITTSFIELD

Berkshiretown, LLC
176 Columbus Ave.
$238,761 — Roofing

City of Pittsfield
874 North St.
$88,000 — Roofing

Christopher Connell
9 Dalton Ave.
$24,000 — Install fire-alarm system

John M. Nolan Revocable Trust
40 Bartlett Ave.
$24,458 — Insulation

Keypoint Partners
660 Merrill Road
$1,200 — Install two concrete piers with anchor bolts for Callahan Sign

NY District Pilgrim Holiness Church Inc.
423 Elm St.
$7,000 — Roofing

Peru Properties, LLC
741 Tyler St.
$90,000 — Install fire barrier between business and residential uses, renovate interior finishes

Radio Place, LLC
39 Forest Place
$43,000 — Foundation

Eric Zahn
2 Westview Road
$130,977 — Install rooftop solar panels

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Medical Center Inc.
759 Chestnut St.
$84,733 — Alter space in basement area for two distribution offices

Bond Street Development, LLC
25 Bond St.
$13,370 — Relocate interior door and install interior window units at Veterans Administration clinic

Crown Atlantic Co., LLC
22 Birnie Ave.
$30,000 — Remove and replace three antennas and three remote radio units on cell tower

East Springfield Realty, LLC
100 Brookdale Dr.
$73,000 — Install demising wall for future tenant space for Falvey Linen

The Republican Co.
1860 Main St.
$30,000 — Interior demolition on first floor for future buildout in Republican building

Audriana Vargas
17 Marble St.
$2,000 — Add insulation to attic floor

Nationwide Unemployment Scam Targets Massachusetts Claimants

By BusinessWest Staff December 7, 2020

BOSTON — The Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) announced updated information regarding the scope and extent of the national unemployment-fraud scam as it relates to Massachusetts.

As previously announced, criminal enterprises in possession of stolen personal information from earlier, unrelated commercial data breaches continue to attempt to file large numbers of illegitimate unemployment claims through the Massachusetts unemployment system.

In order to ensure the integrity of the unemployment system, DUA is continuing to apply enhanced identity-verification measures that may temporarily delay the payment timeframe for some unemployment claims in Massachusetts. DUA is also working with state and federal law-enforcement agencies, municipalities, and dedicated constituent service personnel to address the national unemployment-fraud scheme.

Individuals who believe a false unemployment claim has been filed in their name are urged to utilize the Department of Unemployment Assistance fraud contact form at mass.gov/unemployment-fraud or to call the DUA customer service department at (877) 626-6800.

UMass Amherst Study to Assess Impact of Dual-use Solar-agriculture Installations

By BusinessWest Staff December 7, 2020

AMHERST — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technology Office announced that a team led by Dwayne Breger, extension professor at UMass Amherst, has been selected for a three-year, $1.8 million award to study the effects of co-locating solar-energy panels and agriculture operations at up to eight different farms across the Commonwealth. The work will be in partnership with landowners, state agencies, solar developers, and a nonprofit farmland organization.

“Our objective with this award is to have the opportunity to do robust research to address the dearth of data on the impact of this solar approach to agricultural productivity and farm viability,” said Breger, who is also director of UMass Clean Energy Extension. “We need data on how the agriculture will perform and how the project economics will affect individual farms and the state agricultural economy as a whole.

“Right now,” he went on, “many communities don’t have the necessary experience to understand and manage the solar development that is coming, and farmers don’t have science-based facts to fully assess the opportunities that developers are proposing to them. Our project will do the research to allow us to help farmers and communities make informed decisions about the solar opportunities that are coming their way.”

Breger points out that two state agencies, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the Department of Energy Resources, are keenly interested in this project, as outcomes will provide the science to inform policy development.

Jody Jellison, director of the UMass Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment and UMass Extension, noted that “the dual use of land for farming and solar energy has gotten many people excited about its potential. Now, with this new project, we’ll be able to begin developing data to quantify the agronomic and economic effects on farming to determine whether that excitement is warranted or not.”

Breger and research colleagues at UMass Extension, the UMass Cranberry Station, the campus’s Department of Resource Economics, and the American Farmland Trust will study the economic and social impact of solar-agriculture co-location on farms by establishing site trials and assessing crop productivity, soil health, and micro-climatic conditions. Sites will grow a range of crops, including pumpkins, strawberries, greens, winter squash, cranberries, other vegetables and fruit, hay, and grazing.

Farm partners are in Grafton, Carver, Dighton, Plympton, Hadley, Colrain, and Charlemont. Solar-developer partners BlueWave Solar, Pine Gate Renewables, and Hyperion Systems are dedicating portions of their commercial dual-use solar installations at these farms for research site trials enabling a robust research scope over varied agricultural conditions. Most site trials will get underway in March 2021 in time for the first planting, Breger said.

He and colleagues will also study public acceptance of solar-agriculture co-location and develop practical co-location management guidelines for growers, solar developers, and other relevant stakeholders. The DOE says it is interested in “research and analysis that enable farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural enterprises to gain value from solar technologies while keeping land available for agricultural purposes.”

Breger noted that UMass Amherst’s Crop Animal Research and Education Center and farm in South Deerfield hosts one of the state’s first dual-use solar-agricultural installations, giving the campus valuable early experience in this research area.

Attorney Eleanor Williams Appointed to HCC Board of Trustees

By BusinessWest Staff December 7, 2020