May 2022 - Page 3 of 6 - BusinessWest

Physician Says Momentum May Be Building to Ban Nuclear Weapons

By George O'Brien May 13, 2022

Health Care

Seizing the Moment

Dr. Ira Helfand says the war in Ukraine presents an opportunity to gain real progress in ongoing efforts to ban the use of nuclear weapons.

Dr. Ira Helfand notes that, since Russia became the second nation to produce nuclear weapons in the late 1940s, the threat of a global nuclear conflict has always been real.

To most, though, it has never really seemed real, except for the duration of the Cold War, which officially ended more than 30 years ago, and especially that two-week crack in time in 1962 that came to be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, said Helfand, noting that for many, that event is only something to be read about, not something they lived through.

But the events in Ukraine are changing this narrative, and in a profound — and urgent — way, said Helfand, a retired emergency room physician at Mercy Medical Center and co-chair of the Physicians for Social Responsibility’s Nuclear Weapons Abolition Committee, a name that clearly speaks to its mission.

He told BusinessWest that recent events — not just those in Ukraine but also those in North Korea, as well — have made the threat of nuclear war as real as ever. And while this is certainly a scary time because of these threats, it might also be considered a time of opportunity when it comes to the Nuclear Weapons Abolition Committee and its stated mission.

“If there is to be any good that comes out of this terrible disaster in Ukraine, perhaps it will be an understanding of the need around the world to eliminate nuclear weapons,” he said. “Which will lead to effective political action to achieve that.”

In recent months, Helfand, who has, over the years, spoken to groups ranging from local Rotary clubs to special sessions of the United Nations General Assembly on the subject of preventing nuclear war, has been ramping up such efforts — through speaking engagements, op-ed pieces, and interviews with media out like this one — and using current events to bring more attention to a 75-year-old issue.

“If there is to be any good that comes out of this terrible disaster in Ukraine, perhaps it will be an understanding of the need around the world to eliminate nuclear weapons.”

The initiative is called the ‘Back from the Brink Campaign,’ which is based on the nuclear-freeze campaign of the 1980s, which brought about an end to the Cold War arms race, he said. Except this time, the goal is to get rid of the weapons altogether.

Those behind the effort are “organizing around a simple platform, a simple statement of what U.S. nuclear policy ought to be — a key part of which is a call for the United States to begin now to negotiate with the other eight nuclear-armed countries for a verifiable, enforceable, mutual timetable to eliminate nuclear weapons,” he said. “This is not unilateral disarmament, it’s a call for the United States to lead the negotiations to achieve universal disarmament.”

Organizers have brought resolutions embodying this platform to cities and towns, civic organizations, and faith organizations across the country, he went on, adding that more than 60 municipalities, including Springfield, Worcester, Boston, and others in Massachusetts have signed the statement, as well as several state legislatures.

The goal is to gain a national consensus on the matter, said Helfand, adding that he senses momentum in the ongoing efforts to ban nuclear weapons and the potential for much more.

“The current war in Ukraine is putting this issue before people again in a way that will lead to a good outcome,” he noted. “This issue is back where it ought to have been all this time — on the table and on the public agenda. We’ve been trying to use this occasion to educate people about the danger.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Helfand about Back from the Brink and ongoing efforts to prevent a nuclear war by banning such weapons. He expressed the hope that current events may just provide inspiration to bring change on a truly global scale.

Understanding the Consequences

Helfand, who has published studies on the medical consequences of nuclear war in the New England Journal of Medicine, the British Medical Journal, the World Medical Journal, and other publications, said one challenge to banning nuclear weapons is a lack of clear understanding among many people about just what a nuclear conflict would be like.

Indeed, he told BusinessWest that many still think in terms of 1945 and the weapons used then when they contemplate nuclear war.

So, he isn’t at all shy about painting what he said is a much more accurate picture, and he did so for BusinessWest.

“If the United States and Russia go to war today, it’s not going to be one relatively small bomb used on one or two cities, as was the case in 1945; it’s going to be many bombs used against many cities, and these bombs will be 10 to 50 times more powerful than the one that destroyed Hiroshima,” he said. “If that were happen, within a thousandth of a second, a fireball would form reaching out two miles in every direction, four miles across. Within this entire area, everything would be vaporized — buildings, trees, people … the upper level of the Earth itself would disappear.

“To a distance of four miles in every direction, the explosion would generate winds of 600 miles per hour,” he went on. “Mechanical forces of that nature destroy anything that human beings can build. To a distance of six miles in every direction, the heat would be so great that automobiles would melt, and to a distance of 16 miles in every direction, the heat would still be so intense that everything flammable would burn — paper, cloth, wood, gasoline, heating oil, plastic … it would all ignite. There would be hundreds of thousands of fires, which over the next half hour, would coalesce into a giant firestorm 32 miles across, covering more than 800 square miles. Within this entire area, the temperature would rise to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, all the oxygen would be consumed, and every living thing would die.

“In the case of Boston, we’re talking about 3 million to 5 million people, depending on the time of day,” he continued. “In the case of New York, 12 million to 15 million people, and if we have a major war with Russia, that’s what’s going to happen to every major city in both countries. In addition, the entire economic infrastructure of the country would be destroyed; we would see 200 million to 400 million dead in the first afternoon, but those who survived would be living in an environment with no electric grid, no healthcare system, no internet, no food-distribution system — none of the things we rely on to survive.”

Beyond all of this, there would be enormous effects on climate, he said, noting that perhaps 150 million tons of soot would be deposited into the atmosphere, blocking out the sun, and dropping temperatures across the planet an average of 18 degrees Fahrenheit “which is much colder than the coldest moment of the last ice age.”

Preventing such a calamity has long been the goal of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a national organization of physicians, other health professionals, and others who are concerned about the medical consequences of nuclear war. Started in 1978, the organization has a stated mission to educate the public and decision makers about those medical consequences, “in the hope that a better-educated public and a better-educated body of decision-makers would make smarter decisions about nuclear weapons than they have been making, unfortunately,” said Helfand.

The group is part of an organization called the International Federation for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IFPNW), which has affiliates in 55 countries. In 1997, the IFPNW started a global campaign to abolish nuclear weapons, which, in collaboration with some state governments, led to the adoption at the United Nations in 2017 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force in January 2021.

Marshalling Forces

In recent months, the IFPNW has been increasingly active in pushing toward its goal of bringing an end to nuclear weapons, and as noted earlier, it is using the crush of current events to state its case and bring the issue to the fore — or back to the fore.

“For the past 30 years, since the end of the Cold War, the biggest obstacle we’ve faced in doing our work has been the fact that people had thought the nuclear danger had gone away,” Helfand explained. “Back in the ’80s, everyone understood that nuclear war was a real threat; people were concerned about it, and they took political action to try to end the Cold War, work that was ultimately successful. But when the Cold War ended, everyone assumed that the danger had passed, and they stopped paying attention to the issue.

“If the United States and Russia go to war today, it’s not going to be one relatively small bomb used on one or two cities, as was the case in 1945; it’s going to be many bombs used against many cities, and these bombs will be 10 to 50 times more powerful than the one that destroyed Hiroshima.”

“That has changed dramatically in the past few months since Putin invaded Ukraine and issued a series of very explicit nuclear threats,” he went on. “Which, by the way, were responded to by NATO with equally inappropriate nuclear threats.”

Elaborating, Helfand said the current events in Ukraine bring new meaning to sentiments expressed in a quote he attributed to Robert McNamara, U.S. Defense secretary during the Vietnam War.

“He said, famously, ‘we lucked out — it was only luck that prevented nuclear war,’” noted Helfand, adding that have been countless times over the past 77 years when the world almost experienced nuclear war, but didn’t, for reasons that have little to do with the conventional wisdom regarding these weapons.

“There has been this myth, with enormous power attached to it, that nuclear weapons are so terrible that they will deter their own use — no one will ever make the mistake of using them,” he explained. “We know that over the decades, that has not been true.”

Elaborating, he said that over the years, the United States has threatened to use nuclear weapons repeatedly, in many circumstances involving countries that did not have nuclear weapons, and Russia has as well. And beyond these threats, there has always been the threat of something happening by accident.

“There have been many, many occasions when we have come within minutes of nuclear war because one side or the other received a false alert and believed they were under attack by the other side,” he explained. “On many of these occasions, we came within minutes of all-out nuclear war because of a computer glitch or some similar technical mistake.”

Given the immense amount of tension in the world now, another glitch of this kind may well lead to calamity, he said, bringing even more urgency to the matter of banning such weapons.

That course is the only logical choice for the planet, said Helfand, adding that the alternative, staying the current course, is not sound thinking.

“Our current policy — maintaining these enormous arsenals with the expectation that they will never be used — is nothing more than the hope for continued good luck,” he told BusinessWest. “And this is a fairly insane basis for national security policy. We need to plan for the future based on reality, not hopes and prayers.

Looming Questions

Returning to that question about whether he’s sensing any momentum on the IPPNW’s broad mission to prevent nuclear war by eliminating such weapons, Helfand said there are a few narratives that could flow from the present situation.

“Those who build nuclear weapons will argue that we need to have more of them — that argument will gain some traction,” he said. “They’ll say ‘the Russians are really bad — we need to be even stronger, as if the 6,000 nuclear weapons we already have are not enough to do what anyone could possibly want to do with them.

“But there will be another narrative as well,” he went on. “As happened after the Cuban Missile Crisis, when both Kennedy and Khrushchev recoiled in horror from what they had almost done, people around the world are going to look at this moment and say, ‘this was a world-wide near-death experience; we cannot keep rolling the dice and hoping that we’re going to be luck every time — we have to get rid of the weapons.’”

That’s why he looks on this very scary time in the history of the world as something else — an opportunity.

Charlene Manor Receives Silver Achievement in Quality Award

By Contributor May 13, 2022

Health Care

Shining Example

By Elizabeth Sears

The team at Charlene Manor displays the banner announcing that the facility has been honored with the Silver Achievement in Quality Award.

Sometimes accolades and honorifics cannot compare to the rewarding aspects of certain fields of work.

Just ask the staff members at Charlene Manor, a skilled nursing facility in Greenfield that is part of the Berkshire Healthcare system. When speaking with BusinessWest, employees at the facility were unanimous in their opinion that while winning awards — and Charlene Manor recently earned a notable honor — is important, it’s the reasons behind those awards that are far more significant.

“In a hospital, you have people that come and go; in a skilled nursing facility, many of these residents are with us for a long period of time,” Margie Laurin, Charlene Manor’s marketing communications coordinator, explained. “We experience their milestone birthdays with them, we experience their joys and their pains. It’s much more than just providing clinical care — it’s providing that care with a level of compassion that I have not seen in any other work that I’ve done prior to being in this industry.”

Charlene Manor is celebrating its 35th year in operation, having opened in 1987. It has been growing and evolving ever since while remaining true to its mission — to give back to the community and provide a quality level of specialized programs and services that range from cardiac recovery to hospice and palliative care; from diabetes management and education to stroke recovery.

Which brings us to that award. The facility achieved an important distinction in 2021 — the American Health Care Assoc./National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) Silver Achievement in Quality Award.

“We experience their milestone birthdays with them, we experience their joys and their pains. It’s much more than just providing clinical care — it’s providing that care with a level of compassion that I have not seen in any other work that I’ve done prior to being in this industry.”

“Silver recipients have to outline their systematic approaches, and they have to demonstrate their quality and clinical outcomes and the sustainability of their organizational and process results that are linked to these outcomes to ensure success — how they meet certain challenges, and make sure that they meet key customer requirements,” said Laurin, noting that

Charlene Manor was one of two facilities in the Commonwealth that received this achievement.

To put that into perspective, there are more than 400 facilities providing such services in the state. Charlene Manor is the only skilled nursing facility that received this award — the other winner was an assisted living facility from eastern Mass.

“With our silver award, we were able to clearly demonstrate that we made improvements,” said Ashley LeBeau, administrator of Charlene Manor. “We responded to the feedback, which is really the key when you’re asking someone for feedback. You must then respond to it, put plans in place to improve it; we were very much able to do that.”

The team members at Charlene Manor can speak to this improvement with concrete evidence from over the years. The facility has a five-star rating from the Department of Public Health, and that rating has been maintained for more than two years. Customer satisfaction surveys from both short-term and long-term residents have shown improvement as well, and that demonstration contributed to Charlene Manor earning the silver award, said LeBeau.

For this issue, BusinessWest talked with Laurin and LeBeau about the Silver Award, but more about what went into earning it and what the honor says about the facility and its team.

Shining Examples

The term ‘skilled nursing’ oftentimes is used interchangeably with assisted living and nursing homes, when in actuality they are quite different. Skilled nursing care refers to a patient’s need for care or treatment that can only be performed by licensed nurses. It can take place in a variety of settings — hospitals, assisted living communities, and in the case of Charlene Manor, skilled nursing facilities.

Skilled nursing is regulated by the Department of Health Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). To be certified by CMS, skilled nursing communities must meet strict criteria. They are subject to periodic inspections to ensure the quality standards are being met.

“That’s why this silver award is so critically important and such an honor — because these are such stringent criteria to have to be met so above and beyond,” said Laurin.

Skilled nursing can encompass a wide range of care. It can mean short-term care after someone has had surgery, physical or occupational therapy, IV therapy, as well as many other forms of care.

“With our silver award, we were able to clearly demonstrate that we made improvements. We responded to the feedback, which is really the key when you’re asking someone for feedback. You must then respond to it, put plans in place to improve it; we were very much able to do that.”

The majority of Charlene Manor’s referrals come from hospitals, but its reach has recently expanded. Due to its high-quality service and the surge seen in hospitals from the pandemic, the Department of Public Health chose to partner with Charlene Manor. Another important collaborative relationship Charlene Manor has is with Pioneer Valley Hospice & Palliative Care.

Skilled nursing staff include a variety of positions including RNs, LPNs, CNAs, medical directors, speech/language pathologists, and resident care assistants. And these professionals work together as a team.

Resident care assistants (RCAs) play an integral role within the facility. It’s an introductory role where individuals who are just starting off in the healthcare career can explore if it’s the right fit for them. They spend an intimate amount of time with residents, providing the most amount of care per day to patients while simultaneously building strong relationships with them.

Charlene Manor focuses on recruiting and aiding those entering the field, now more than ever — since the pandemic began, the skilled nursing industry has lost 241,000 caregivers according to AHCA.

“For this reason, it is critically important for us as an organization — we put in place strategies and do everything we can to encourage and nurture and promote these skilled caregivers within our facilities,” said Laurin. “And Charlene Manor specifically has been a community that has had a really strong history of providing employment opportunities and having good care around these positions.”

LeBeau started as a dining services aid at Charlene Manor’s sister facility in Leeds when she was in high school. She’s been with the organization ever since, going from working in dining services to becoming the director of Admissions. She then earned her AIT, went on to get her administrator’s license, and has been administrator at Charlene Manor now for 11 years.

“One of the things that I am most proud of as a Berkshire Healthcare employee is that our opportunities for growth in this organization are unmatched,” she went on. “There are so many opportunities for growth in this organization.”

LeBeau’s story provides just one example of such growth and opportunities for advancement. Indeed, Berkshire Healthcare offers a nursing program called Stepping Stones which, if accepted, provides aspiring healthcare professionals a tuition-free path to earning certifications and attending nursing school.

“We’ve had a number of entry-level staff go through nursing programs through our Stepping Stones program to become LPNs, RNs … some have gone through to get their BSN, and it’s just incredible the amount that we reinvest because we are not-for-profit,” said LeBeau. “We have a mission, and part of our mission is to reinvest in our people, and we do that every single day here.”

Indeed, while the AHCA/NCAL Silver Achievement in Quality Award is a noteworthy honor, recognition is not the motivation behind Charlene Manor’s skilled nursing services. The most rewarding aspect for those working at the facility is the ability to serve those in Franklin County and beyond.

“The rewards are immense. But speaking about providing care to this population — our residents and patients that we serve become much, much more than that,” said Laurin. “They’re like family. That’s why it’s critically important to recruit and invest in long-standing employees, because these are relationships. This is an industry that is about relationships. Not just the relationships with the residents, but with their families as well.”

A Focus on Care

Simply put, Charlene Manor has put in extraordinary efforts to help take care of their community members, and its Silver Achievement in Quality Award Silver is just one of many examples of how their work is paying off.

“As an organization, we are very proud of the work that Charlene Manor, and Ashley and her team, have done — especially during such a challenging time,” said Laurin.

1Berkshire Launches ‘Best Foot Forward’ Facade Improvement Program

By BusinessWest Staff May 12, 2022

Daily News

1Berkshire announced the launch of a pilot micro-grant program to support downtown business facade improvements throughout the region going into the summer season of 2022. Funded through a one-time grant received by 1Berkshire, at least 30 micro-grants ranging from between $500 and $1,000 will be made available to small for-profit and non-profit businesses and organizations located in downtown business districts across the Berkshires. 

Funding is focused on providing these businesses and organizations small injections of capital that will help them execute non-construction facade improvements, such as awning repairs, updated signage, trim painting, window washing, power washing of entryways, hanging plants, outdoor seating, and window lighting.

Collaborative applications are strongly encouraged in cases where multiple businesses can leverage the joint contracting of a single service provider together, such as for window cleaning or power washing services. Through these improvements, not only will our small businesses be able to put their best foot forward during the busy visitor season, but the overall aesthetics of our downtowns will be improved. 

Applications for microgrants are open now, and will be reviewed by a committee on a first-come, first-served basis. Grants will be awarded until the $30,000 has been exhausted, and no more than $5,000 will be awarded within any single municipality. 

“When we think of ways to help our small business community shine, and how to make our downtowns more attractive to the thousands of visitors coming to the region, these types of micro-capital injections can really go a long way,” said Benjamin Lamb, 1Berkshire director of Economic Development. “We are ecstatic to be able to invest directly into the businesses and organizations that are the lifeblood of our downtown corridors, and can’t wait to begin awarding these grants to many hard-working businesses and organizations that call our region home.”

For small businesses and organizations located in Berkshire County downtowns, the application to apply for micro grants can be found at https://1berkshire.com/1berkshire-programs/best-foot-forward-facade-improvement-grant-program/ .

Mercy Medical Center Earns Fourth Consecutive ‘A’ Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

By BusinessWest Staff May 12, 2022

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center has received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2022. This national distinction recognizes Mercy Medical Center’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital. This latest recognition marks Mercy’s fourth consecutive “A” safety grade from Leapfrog.

“This notable accomplishment is the result of the tremendous team effort of our colleagues at every level of the hospital,” said Deborah Bitsoli, M.B.A., C.P.A., President, Mercy Medical Center and Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group. “I am deeply grateful to all affiliated and employed primary care providers and specialists, all hospital-based providers, and all members of the support staff for their combined efforts that have allowed us to achieve this important national recognition from Leapfrog once again.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over thirty national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“At Mercy Medical Center, we are committed to consistently delivering safe, high-quality care, and this achievement — Mercy’s fourth consecutive ‘A’ safety grade from Leapfrog — reflects the fulfillment of that commitment,” said Robert Roose, M.D., M.P.H., chief administrative officer and Chief Medical Officer, Mercy Medical Center. “We also welcome the opportunity for ongoing improvement in methods of care delivery to ensure our ability to continue providing a safe healing environment.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Mercy Medical Center for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is an outstanding achievement, and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. This community should be proud.”

RCDC Slates Two Neighborhood Rebuild Days

By BusinessWest Staff May 12, 2022

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Revitalize Community Development (RCDC) is hosting two #GreenNFit Neighborhood Rebuild Days.

The first will be on Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon at 73 Ontario Street in Springfield. The homeowner on Ontario Street is elderly and has lived in her home for over two decades. RCDC has already replaced her leaking roof. The Revitalize CDC Board of Directors and staff will paint, seal windows, remove yard debris, replace a fence and plant shrubs and flowers.

The second project will be the next day on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon at 133 Massassoit St. in Springfield. Volunteers from Go Graphix, Trinity United Methodist Church, Christ Church Cathedral, and First Church of Christ Congregational Suffield will work on the home of a U.S. Army Korean War veteran whose wife recently passed away.

The family has been living in their home for more than 50 years. RCDC has also replaced the very large and leaking roof. The Go Graphix team and the three church groups will paint steps and a storage shed, do a large yard cleanup, paint a fence and plant shrubs and flowers.

Brantley Gilbert to Headline at the Big E Arena on Sept. 18

By BusinessWest Staff May 12, 2022

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Multi-platinum-selling country artist Brantley Gilbert is headed to The Big E Arena on Sept. 18. Tickets go on sale Friday, exclusively at TheBigE.com. Concert tickets include admission to The Big E.

With back-to-back platinum albums and a grassroots following millions strong, Brantley Gilbert’s music has been shared, covered, and adopted as the soundtrack to Saturday night and Sunday morning by audiences around the world.

The Georgia native who started as the defiant life-of-the-party can still go ‘til sunrise, but he’s also emerged as something far greater: the leader of a massive tribe of hard-working, fun-loving believers for whom electric guitar-shredding, rapping, and twang can go hand-in-hand-in-hand. They call themselves the BG Nation, and when the BG Nation watches Gilbert on a stage, they don’t just see a star. They see themselves.

Seven No. 1 hits punctuate his career: “Country Must be Country Wide,” “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,” CMA Awards Song of the Year nominee “Dirt Road Anthem,” “My Kinda Party,” RIAA 5x Platinum-certified “Bottoms Up,” “One Hell of an Amen” and collaboration with Lindsay Ell “What Happens in A Small Town.”

Gilbert recently teamed up with longtime friend Jason Aldean for their long-awaited collaboration “Rolex® On A Redneck,” encompassing the hard-working and fun-loving attitude that both Gilbert and BG Nation possess. Gilbert has been back in the studio preparing new music to be announced later this year.

For more information on Brantley Gilbert at The Big E Arena, sponsored by Truly Hard Seltzer, visit TheBigE.com.

For Mentors of Entrepreneurs, There are Many Kinds of Rewards

By George O'Brien May 12, 2022

Cover Story

Passing it On

Kasey Corsello, a certified coach and co-owner of the Corsello Butcheria in Easthampton.

There are many components to the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, perhaps none more important than the small army of mentors who are passing on what they know to a growing number of people looking to work for themselves instead of someone else. They impart to these entrepreneurs everything from the importance of understanding a spreadsheet to the notion that failure is … well, not unexpected and something to be learned from.

When asked what she tries to impart to entrepreneurs as a mentor, or do for them as she counsels them, Kasey Corsello summed it all up by saying that she tries to “normalize the emotional experience of it all, so they don’t feel like there’s something wrong with them.”

Anyone who has ever owned a business or tried to launch one — or mentored anyone who has, for that matter — knows exactly what she’s talking about.

“It is scary to be in the face of uncertainty, so I help them access their own inner resources, their own wisdom of lift experience to be able to make sound decisions,” said Corsello, a certified coach, co-owner, with her husband, of the Corsello Butcheria in Easthampton, and mentor with participants in EforAll Holyoke’s accelerator programs. “I help pull out their confidence and get them thinking that they can do this.”

With that, she described one of the many ways that mentors work with their clients and, while doing so, contribute in powerful ways to the vibrancy of the region’s business community.

Indeed, there are many components to the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Western Mass., and one of the most important is the small army of mentors who pass on what they know and provide much-needed sets of eyes and ears (especially ears) to those looking to start or grow a business.

And for this issue and its focus on entrepreneurship, BusinessWest talked with several of them.

Individually, and collectively, they spoke of the various kinds of rewards — and there are many of them — that go with mentoring, and about the various ways they try to counsel those on the other side of the desk, or the telephone, as the case may be.

This counsel can be technical in nature, such as how to read a spreadsheet and understand the numbers of business.

“I tell them that numbers really matter — get to know the numbers,” said Bellamy Schmidt, a retired executive who worked for many years at General Electric before moving to Wall Street and the giant investment firms JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs and then Holyoke City Hall, where he served as auditor. “As much as people may find the numbers uncomfortable, they basically tell the story of a business.”

In other cases, it’s practical advice, everything from understanding one’s audience and meeting its needs, to the importance of networking and relationship-building.

“I tell them that networking is the key to building relationships,” said Yadira Pacheco, who owns a real estate agency and is a mentor in EforAll’s Spanish program, EparaTodos. “I tell them to network every chance they get; it doesn’t matter if it’s linked directly to their type of business — they’re going to find somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody who’s going to connect with them because of what they do.”

Yadira Pacheco says she tells entrepreneurs to network every chance they get, because relationship-building is one of the keys to success.

And then, there’s advice, or counseling, that falls more in the category of psychology, if that’s even the right term, that Corsello referred to.

“I tell them not to be afraid of failing — and for obvious reasons,” said Bill Cole, owner of Tiger Web Designs and a serial entrepreneur himself. “The bottom line is this … if you interview all the super successful people in this world, you’ll find that a common thread is that they failed miserably many times before they got to be successful. And there’s a reason for that; some things you must learn the hard way in order to learn them well.”

How well someone copes with failure, and, overall, how well one can learn from it, will play a larger role in one’s ultimate success in business than any given product or service, said Cole, who told BusinessWest that he focuses on helping those that he mentors become good entrepreneurs much more than he counsels them on any specific idea they may have to change the world as we know it.

Getting the Idea

As he talked about his mentoring work, Cole said he “got the bug,” eight to 10 years ago.

That bug, as he called it, is a desire to give back to what is, by all accounts, a growing number of people who would rather work for themselves than for someone else. Or at least try to do just that.

What all who try find out is that this isn’t easy, and if it were, everyone would do it. The fact that not everyone does, speaks to just how hard this is, meaning every aspect of entrepreneurship, from conceptualizing ideas to bringing them to market, to coping with the known — things like competition and the laws of supply and demand — to dealing with the unknown and sometimes what can’t possibly be foreseen … like a global pandemic.

Bill Cole

“I tell them not to be afraid of failing — and for obvious reasons. The bottom line is this … if you interview all the super successful people in this world, you’ll find that a common thread is that they failed miserably many times before they got to be successful. And there’s a reason for that; some things you must learn the hard way in order to learn them well.”

Overall, entrepreneurship is daunting, said those we spoke with, adding that it’s important to assist those who don’t know what they don’t know with the many important aspects of starting and then running a business, while also helping them deal with the roller-coaster ride that is entrepreneurship and all that comes with it.

“I force them to realize that they’re not alone, that they can rely on their mentors to help them,” said Schmidt. “That creates a sense of comfort; it’s not me against the world — I’ve got people who have my back.”

This ‘having one’s back’ aspect of mentoring is as important as any practical advice on a product or marketing, or reading a balance sheet, said those we spoke with, adding that they want to help people learn about themselves as much as they do about business.

“There’s a lot to learn, and when we’re in a space of learning, self-doubt comes in,” said Corsello. “And that creates an emotional response — ‘I can’t do it,’ or ‘I’m overwhelmed.’ There are some people who have a mindset for entrepreneurship and it’s very easy for them — they’re not afraid to fail, they’re not afraid to take risks; their natural strengths are geared toward entrepreneurship.

“There are others who have a hard time with uncertainty, who have a hard time taking risks, who have a hard time failing,” she went on. “I work with people to break down the steps and celebrate each and every small thing.”

There are many of these small things that are involved with starting a business and taking it to the next level — whatever that might be, said those we spoke with, adding that, overall, they work with their mentees to keep their eye on both the big picture and all the little things that contribute to a business being successful.

And while doing so, as Corsello noted, they try to make these entrepreneurs feel comfortable in their own skin. This in a nutshell, is what she strives to do as a mentor to entrepreneurs, a new role she accepted recently as part of the program known as Blueprint Easthampton, which she helped launch.

She said mentoring is like coaching, in that she’s helping build the confidence needed to get where they desire to go.

“I get to see people in their full light, essentially, and fully believe in them when they can’t believe in themselves,” she explained. “They’re realizing their vision and their dream, and they’re learning about themselves and gaining the tools they need to be resilient.”

Bellamy Schmidt

“I force them to realize that they’re not alone, that they can rely on their mentors to help them. That creates a sense of comfort; it’s not me against the world — I’ve got people who have my back.”

Elaborating, she said that entrepreneurship can be as isolating as it is challenging, and, as Schmidt said, these business owners need to know that they’re not alone. And beyond that, they need to understand that what they’re experiencing — the fears, the self-doubts, the seemingly endless hits to their self-confidence, are not unique.

“They need to understand that they’re not the only ones struggling with this,” she went on. “And that’s why I say that I normalize their experience.”

Rewards Program

Over the past decade or so, Cole has been a mentor for several of the agencies that are now part of the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, including VVM, EforAll, SCORE, the Small Business Administration, and others. He’s worked with startups, mom-and-pop businesses, and some looking to get to the next level, and, because of his background, he’s often asked for advice on creating a website.

But his broad advice to entrepreneurs comes in many flavors, including that aforementioned counsel on failure, why it should be expected, why it’s normal, and, most importantly, why it shouldn’t bring an end to one’s dreams of owning their own business.

Overall, he said he advises those he mentors to work smart — and not just hard, although that is critically important as well.

“There’s a combination of working hard and working smart that has to happen,” he explained. “You can’t just work hard, you have to be smart, too. And ‘smart’ just means paying attention to what’s going on around you.

“We tend to have tunnel vision on what we’re trying to do — whatever that may be,” he went on. “If it’s a product, you may have tunnel vision on the product itself, when you have to think about things like how are you going to go to market with that product, or organize the business itself — how many people need to be hired, how much is it going to cost? There’s a difference between having a product idea and a business, and the difference is that most people have ideas that are expensive hobbies when it’s all said and done — it’s not really a business.”

Schmidt agreed, and said he stresses the importance of understanding who one’s customers are and what need is being met by their product or service.

“I try to force them to think about what it is the customer really wants,” said Schmidt. “Because often, a businessperson will want to do something that they want to do, and it might not be what the customer wants; if you have a business, it’s all about the customer, it’s not about you.”

Miguel Rivera, co-owner, with his wife, of Rewarding Insurance Agency in Holyoke, and another mentor in the EparaTodos program, concurred.

“Many people don’t have a target market,” he explained. “You ask them who their target market is, and they say ‘everyone.’ Then I try to teach them that their clients are not ‘everyone’; they must identify who their target market is so they can do the right marketing.”

When asked what they enjoy about mentoring, all those we spoke with said there are many kinds of rewards.

One obvious one is the satisfaction that comes from helping someone or some group take an idea and turn it into something successful.

“The first day I went to work after college, my new boss said to me something along the lines of … ‘the most important thing I get out of my job is a sense of accomplishment from helping move young people along in their careers and watching them grow,’” Schmidt recalled. “As naive as I was, I thought that was kind of a ridiculous answer. But as I matured, I realized how right he was; there’s a tremendous sense of accomplishment when you see someone develop that you have helped.”

Rivera agreed. “I’m glad to see business owners doing their ribbon cuttings and grand openings — that’s what I enjoy the most,” he said. “And many of my clients are still in business — they’re doing well, and I take pride in that.”

Said Cole, “I love it when someone is successful and I had something to do with it — it’s a wonderful feeling. But I don’t mind being there when someone is struggling, either; I’ve been there, so I know.”

Pacheco has been there as well, and so she knows first-hand how daunting entrepreneurship is. And that’s why she mentors others.

“When I was starting my business, it was very difficult, because I didn’t have the support, the guidance, or a blueprint — anything,” she recalled. “So, I was literally thrown into it and had to figure it out for myself. And that’s one of the reasons why I help others. I know how difficult and stressful it can be when you’re trying to grow a business.”

The Bottom Line

Beyond that, though, mentors say that they inevitably learn from those they are mentoring, and this helps them become both better business owners — and better mentors.

“I’ve learned a tremendous number of things that I never would have learned otherwise,” said Cole. “The reality is I’m smarter for it and I have a lot more experience from it than I ever would have had if I just done my own little thing.

Pacheco agreed.

“You always learn something from each participant,” she told BusinessWest. “Everyone has a story; everyone’s background is different. In the process of me helping others, they are also helping me; it’s a learning experience on both sides.”

Such sentiments explain why mentoring is so rewarding — and why it’s so important, for all those involved.

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

Area Restaurants Face Challenges as They Try to Fully Recover from COVID

By Contributor May 12, 2022

Restaurants Special Coverage

They Have a Lot on Their Plate

Bill Collins

One restaurateur called it a ‘triple whammy.’ He was referring to a combination of forces — specifically soaring prices, supply-chain issues, and an ongoing workforce crisis — that are standing in the way of a full bounce back from two years of COVID. Despite these issues, restaurant owners are optimistic that 2022 will bring something approaching normal. Eventually.

By Mark Morris

When 2022 began, Bill Collins was anticipating a full year of uninterrupted business for his restaurant, the Center Square Grill. He did not foresee what he called a “major punch in the face” that shut down the restaurant for six weeks.

In January, one of the thermostats in the restaurant’s dining room failed, causing one sprinkler head to freeze. When the heat came back on, the ice in the line moved and activated the sprinklers. By the time Collins could shut off the sprinklers, the restaurant had taken on nearly 15,000 gallons of water.

“The basement was a nearly complete gut job,” Collins said. “In the dining room, we replaced floors, seating, and several walls.” It took exactly six weeks to go from the flood to opening the doors once again.

Locating a contractor can take six weeks, so how did Collins make the repairs to Center Square and re-open so quickly?

“I looked to my customer base and called the contractors who are regulars at the restaurant,” he said. “They had a vested interest in getting us back open.”

In some ways, the sprinkler incident is a metaphor for the struggle for area restaurants as they look to make a full comeback after the pandemic. Just when people are dining out again and restaurant owners are looking to make up for two years of lost business, they are getting hit with spikes in food costs, increased labor costs — when and if they can find staff, that is — and various supply challenges that affect food and kitchen operations.

“I looked to my customer base and called the contractors who are regulars at the restaurant. They had a vested interest in getting us back open.”

“It’s a triple whammy,” said Ralph Santaniello, co-owner of the Federal Restaurant Group. “In some ways, this has been more challenging than the pandemic.” He quickly admitted that while the pandemic was a crushing event that came out of the blue, governments, communities and vendors all came together to help everyone get through it.

In addition to the Federal in Agawam, Santaniello and partner Michael Presnal own Posto Italian in Longmeadow and Vinted Wine Bar in West Hartford. Following his parents, who were in the restaurant business, Santaniello said he has been in the industry his whole life and has never seen prices as crazy as they are today.

“We used to plan out the business to see where we would be in five years, then it went to five months, and now it feels like it’s five minutes,” Santaniello told BusinessWest.

Everyone we spoke with discussed the challenge of rising costs. Aurelien Telle, co-owner of Alta Restaurant in Lenox, said that even after forecasting for increased costs, they were 6% higher than anticipated in the first quarter alone.

Aurelien Telle, co-owner of Alta Restaurant, says price increases on food the past six months have been “insane.”

“That’s huge and we don’t know where it’s going from there,” said Telle. “In the last six months price increases on food have been insane.”

Adding to the craziness in food costs is unpredictability of what will be affected next.

Andrew Brow, chef and owner of Highbrow Wood Fired Kitchen in Northampton said all restaurants plan their menus with a balance of higher-cost items such as filet mignon and less expensive ones such as pasta. In the past, Brow bought braised short ribs at $5 per pound rather than New York strip steak which costs $10 to 12 a pound. Supplies are so mixed up now, that the short ribs cost as much as the New York strip which hasn’t increased in price.

“There’s no rhyme or reason to the price hikes,” Brow said. “One week mushrooms will triple in price, the next week it’s chicken and spinach.”

Food for Thought

Creating different dishes is one way restaurateurs are adjusting to the chaotic, soaring prices. When scallops escalated from $108 for an eight-pound case to $223, Collins created a new dish that included shrimp, which has held a more stable price. Instead of an entrée with six scallops, he offered in its place a shrimp and scallop entrée using three scallops and three shrimp.

“We used to plan out the business to see where we would be in five years, then it went to five months, and now it feels like it’s five minutes.”

“This way we can keep the dining price where it is and still offer delicious fun food that people expect when they come here,” Collins said.

Gas and electric bills are another area where prices are going up with no end in sight. Santaniello explained that restaurants, by design, are energy intensive with usage increasing in the summer.

“We have air conditioning running all day and night in the summer because when it’s 98 degrees and humid outside people expect to be comfortable when they go into a restaurant.”

It’s not surprising that take out containers spiked in price and were difficult to find at the height of the pandemic. Supply-chain issues also affected restaurants in less obvious ways. Santaniello said he needed a part for an oven door, something that would normally take a week to get, if the repair person didn’t already have one in their truck.

“We waited two months for the part,” Santaniello said. “So, we were down an oven for two months, and that’s difficult in a busy kitchen.”

Santaniello and Telle are experiencing busier than normal kitchens because as customers are returning to their respective restaurants, labor shortages have forced both men to cut back on the hours when they are open.

Andrew Brow says there has been “no rhyme or reason” to price hikes on food in recent months.

“Business has been great because of the pent-up demand of people wanting to go out to eat,” Santaniello said. “Our biggest issue is keeping up with that demand because we’re still looking for employees.”

Before the pandemic, the Federal operated six days a week. Now, in order to give his staff some time off, they are open only 4 days a week.

“The pandemic exacerbated a problem that our industry already had with finding enough workers,” Santaniello said. Advertising on job search sites such as Indeed and a restaurant specific site called Poach has brought limited results.

“We found our biggest success came from advertising on Facebook.”

For 13 years, Alta was open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. These days, hours have been reduced to 6 nights a week and lunch hours were cut.

“We reduced our hours because we couldn’t hire more people,” said Telle. “I didn’t want my staff to have to work six double shifts, so I closed lunches to protect our staff.”

Telle is currently interviewing people with the hope of offering lunch hours again by late spring.

“We always get busier as the sun comes out,” he said adding that business also gets a big boost from all the tourists who visit Lenox in the summer.

Collins called it the best investment he’s ever made when he paid his staff their full salary during the six weeks Center Square was closed for repairs.

“It’s so tough to find qualified people that it made sense to us,” Collins said. “Most of my team has been with me for quite a while and it would have been tough to replace them if they had to leave and find other jobs.”

There are signs that open restaurant positions may be starting to get filled. Brow reported that Highbrow is fully staffed and he was able to hire a full staff for his new restaurant Jackalope in downtown Springfield.

“Even though wages are up much higher than pre-pandemic, the workforce is back,” Brow said.

As the weather gets warmer, all the restaurant owners look forward to expanding their outdoor dining. They all expressed gratitude to state and local officials for keeping this lifeline open even after diners were allowed back inside.

“I’m sure there are some people who are not comfortable coming back into a restaurant,” Collins said. “I think we’ll start seeing them once outdoor dining picks up.”

On May 1, Telle began accepting reservations for summer dining at Alta.

“People are making reservations into July and August,” he said. “And 85% of those are requests to sit outdoors.”

Collins added, “fresh air is not going out of style anytime soon.”

Summer also brings with it the opportunity to support local farms. Telle said working with local farms allows him to control some of the price increases, though he understands local prices will be higher this year than in the past.

Collins buys as much local produce as he can. In fact, his menu credits Szawlowski Farms in Hadley with supplying potatoes for their French fries.

“When tomato season kicks in we will buy them from Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow,” Collins said. “Nothing tastes better than fresh local produce.”

The Bottom Line

Between outdoor dining and customers who are excited about eating out again, the restaurant owners all remain positive about this year and beyond.

Santaniello, describing himself as an optimist by nature, said, “I’m hoping by the fourth quarter of this year we will see some stability in pricing and as more people return to the workforce it will benefit our industry.”

Telle said he’s hopeful about hiring new staff and looks forward to a busy summer. “Right now, we’re following the same business patterns as a regular year.”

With Jackalope scheduled to open on May 11, Brow expressed gratitude despite all the uncertainty. “For those of us who made it through, it was worth the wait.”

For Collins the year started with closing for six weeks to fix major water damage. Despite that setback, Center Square is still on track to have its busiest year ever. He philosophized that a restaurant experience is more than just food.

“People need to go out and socialize. They need to feel that connection,” Collins said. “When they don’t, they get depressed and grumpy.”

He concluded, “that’s why we’re all back and we’re pumped to be here.”

For Landscapers, Growth Opportunities Mix with Persistent Challenges

By Contributor May 12, 2022

Home Improvement Landscape Design Special Coverage

Lay of the Land

Dave Graziano, project manager of the Landscape Division at Graziano Gardens.

For area landscapers, the pandemic created a boom in business as consumers working at home and unable to go on vacations decided to improve their surroundings and invested accordingly. There is still some of that going on, but noticeably less, with consumers enjoying more spending options, while also experiencing considerable anxiety over sky-high inflation. While there is still plenty of work, landscapers confront a host of challenges, from workforce issues to shortages of materials to soaring gas prices.

By Mark Morris

The phones are ringing at landscaping companies this spring — but not at the same frenzied pace of the last two years. And that’s just one of many trends to watch as the calendar moves to mid-spring

Overall, consumers People are more cautious about spending their money this year, said Greg Omasta, president of Omasta Landscaping in Hadley, and, at the same time, they certainly have more spending options than they did in 2020 and even 2021.

“Those who have the money and want to improve their yard are still going to,” Omasta said. “For everyone who was on the fence about it … not so much.”

Steve Corrigan, president of Mountain View Landscapes and Lawncare in Chicopee, concurred with that assessment. He said that while his company has backlog of business through June, he’s not as confident about the rest of the year.

“We’ve had internal discussions that we don’t have as many leads compared to this time last year,” he told BusinessWest. “People are still requesting work but we’re wondering if we will be as busy as last year.”

Two years ago, the pandemic forced people to spend more time at home. Many looked at their outside surroundings and decided they needed to invest in their yards, in many cases using money that would normally go toward a vacation away from home. This created a huge boom for landscapers who could barely keep up with all the demand for their services.

“Now that people are able to travel again, it seems like the COVID spending is slowing down,” Omasta explained, adding that on top of leisure travel increasing and people returning to the workplace, landscapers are experiencing an unseasonably cold spring that brings with it other challenges.

“Every year is different,” said Dave Graziano, project manager of the landscape division of Graziano Gardens in East Longmeadow. “If you talk with any independent businessperson there is some worry this year about what’s coming.”

That worry usually involves how to handle increased business costs, finding workers, and managing supply chain issues with various products. And landscapers are certainly having to cope with all those issues and more.

“Those who have the money and want to improve their yard are still going to. For everyone who was on the fence about it … not so much.”

Indeed, all the landscapers we spoke with have commercial clients as well as residential customers. Rachel Loeffler, landscape architect and principal with Berkshire Design Group in Northampton, said there is often competition, if one can call it that, between commercial and residential when supplies are short.

“Sourcing for plants can be challenging in normal times,” Loeffler said. “Now contractors check with five or six nurseries when they would normally go to one.” This scramble for plants often means finding substitutes.

As a landscape architect, Loeffler often recommends using products like cedar wood that will remain durable for years to come. When cedar became, in her words “extremely expensive” it changed the conversation with clients.

Steve Corrigan leads his crew as they install pavers at Loomis Village in South Hadley, one of many current projects for his company, Mountain View Landscapes and Lawncare.

“They had to go back and figure out how to build something that was durable and sustainable, but would also fit their budget,” Loeffler said.

Even world events affect landscaping materials. Omasta pointed out that many of the minerals found in fertilizers come from Russia. “So, some of our supply chain issues are based on what’s going on in the Ukraine.”

For this issue and its focus on landscaping and home improvement, BusinessWest talked with several business owners and managers in this sector. These discussions revealed the full breadth of challenges facing these companies — as well as the ample opportunities for continued growth.

Root Causes

Omasta told BusinessWest that, while it’s getting a little easier to find products — with the accent on little — items are coming in at premium prices that are generally 30% to 50% higher than last year.

But finding some products and materials remains a challenge, and the shortages result from a variety of reasons.

As just one example, Both Graziano and Omasta noted the difficulty in finding large evergreens and other large-caliber trees. And Loeffler said the recession of 2008 is the reason why it’s difficult to find such trees now.

“The trees that are available now were cultivated some 10 to 15 years prior,” Loeffler said. “In 2008, many nurseries cut back on their normal planting because of a big drop in demand.”

Overall, tree shortages and rising prices of everything from lawn-care products to bricks are just some of the challenges facing landscapers.

Indeed, on the commercial side of the ledger at Mountain View, Corrigan said his crews are working on several projects in Eastern Mass for parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields. While travelling up to an hour and a half from his home base in Chicopee is a common practice, fuel prices are forcing Corrigan to refigure what vehicles he sends to specific jobs.

“Our crew trucks use a lot of fuel so we leave them at the jobsite and go back and forth with different vehicles,” said Corrigan, adding that he’s looking to conserve whenever and wherever he can, because the numbers are so staggering.

“Last year we spent about $280,000 on fuel,” he said.“With prices increasing, if we use the same amount of fuel as 2021, it will add more than $100,000 to our costs unless we do something different.”

With more than 40 vehicles in the company’s fleet, costs can add up quickly. A newer vehicle might offer better gas mileage — if you can get one, that is.

“We placed an order for three new vehicles back in December,” said Corrigan. “And we won’t see them until July or August.”

Meanwhile, finding enough labor to get the job done remains a challenge.

Corrigan said his company has 95 people on the payroll and he could easily add another 10 — if he could find them. “Just before COVID, we hired a full-time recruiter, because even then we were having trouble finding help,” he noted, adding that the landscaping sector tends to attract young, entry-level people.

Many candidates get disqualified for failing their drug screen or for bad driving records, he went on, adding that he remains optimistic about the labor front. “We’ll get through it, one person at a time.”

Staffing has remained steady for Omasta Landscaping, thanks to a core group that has been with the company for several years. While landscape construction jobs remain hard to fill, Omasta said he had the opposite experience when hiring for clerical and office jobs.

“We took out ads for office people and the response has been tremendous,” Omasta said. “It seems there are people in the job search right now, whether it’s a career change or looking for a different job.”

While coping with these day-to-day issues and challengers, landscapers are also responding to longer-term trends, many of them involving the environment, cost-effectiveness, or both at the same time.

Rachel Loeffler says there is often competition between commercial and residential customers when supplies of certain products are short.

Loeffler told BuisnessWest she is doing more “lifecycle-costing” for projects. With this method, she will evaluate the installation of two similar materials — for example granite curbing vs. concrete curbing.

“We look at initial upfront cost, how long before each needs to be replaced, and then the cost over 100 years … and it’s crazy,” said Loeffler. “While granite is more expensive at the onset, over a 100-year period it’s significantly cheaper.”

She explained that concrete curbing has a useful life of about 15-20 years, so any time the asphalt paving is replaced, a new concrete curb will need to be built. With granite, a bucket loader can pick up the curbing and reset it each time the area is paved.

Loeffler admits most people don’t get excited about curbing, and she understands that project managers may opt to save money in their budget by using concrete, though granite proves to be a less expensive choice over the long term.

In a similar vein, Corrigan said changes are happening with the safety surfaces on new playground construction. For many years, landscapers have covered the areas around playground equipment with a thick installation of wood chips. The specs now call for poured in place rubber surfacing.

“It can cost four to five times more than wood chips, but project owners want it because the rubber works better from a safety perspective and they don’t have to go back every year to dress off the wood chips,”Corrigan said. The two-part process involves a base mat with a colored surface on top. In order to meet safety requirements, the rubber surface goes through a series of tests that mimic children falling on it.

Getting the Real Dirt

Looking at the proverbial big picture, Omasta said he understands that people don’t think about landscaping on cold, raw spring days, and there have been quite a few of them lately. “Once we start seeing sunny 70-degree days, the phone will ring off the hook,” he said, expressing optimism that his company, and this sector, will continue to flourish in these challenging times.

Graziano concurred, noting that the cold and windy weather has kept early customers from browsing at the garden center and from booking landscaping services.

“We’ve had a little slower April, but most likely May and June will be crazy — it’s the nature of the business,” he said, adding that nature, meaning Mother Nature, is just one of many issues to be confronted during what will likely be a different kind of year.

Teamwork is the Key for Treating Those with Brain Injuries

By Contributor May 12, 2022

Health Care Special Coverage

Mind Over Matters

By Mark Morris

Alyssa Bustamante, an occupational therapist with ServiceNet.

According to the Center for Neurological Studies, someone in the U.S. sustains a brain injury every nine seconds. You can do the math.

All brain injuries that are not hereditary are considered acquired brain injuries. One well-known type is a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which results from a car accident, sports injury, a fall, or other incident. The other type of acquired brain injury (ABI) results from events such as a stroke, encephalitis, a brain tumor, or other medical issue.

The effects of a brain injury are unique to each individual. The professionals who work with afflicted patients design individualized treatment plans for each patient. Everyone involved shares a common goal — to help the patient get back to their maximum level of function and independence.

BusinessWest talked with three professional groups that work with brain injury patients at different stages of the recovery process. Those associated with these groups shared common thoughts on what they do and the underlying goals behind their work.

A brain injury is very often a life-changing event, they said. And those who work with those who have suffered such injuries dedicate themselves to helping patients get the most out of what could be considered their new life.

Thought-provoking Examples

When a person suffers a brain injury, they receive their initial care at an acute care hospital such as Baystate Medical Center or Mercy Medical Center. The next step is a stay in a rehabilitation facility such as Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts in Ludlow, where the typical patient may spend from seven up to 21 days, depending on the severity of the brain injury.

“In the beginning we spend lots of time educating patients and their families about what to expect with brain injuries and how the brain heals.”

Because our brains affect all our physical and mental functions, evidence-based research has shown that a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment results in the best outcomes. According to Julie Bugeau, an occupational therapist with Encompass, their approach to care involves making sure the medical staff, along with the occupational therapist, physical therapist, and speech therapist work closely together as a team.

“Brain injuries are complex, so we need all these disciplines to make sure the patient’s needs are addressed,” she told BusinessWest.

When brain injury patients arrive at Encompass, each one has a different level of severity, so the first few days are usually spent on developing a plan for recovery and preparing the patient for what they will encounter in therapy.

“In the beginning we spend lots of time educating patients and their families about what to expect with brain injuries and how the brain heals,” said Stefanie Cust, a physical therapist with Encompass. “We would like to get them up and walking right away but not everyone is ready for that so we may take a couple days to understand where they are and what they can do.”

Managing expectations for the patient and their family is an important part of the therapy process because everyone progresses differently and at their own pace. Bugeau said patients will often have a personality change and become easily agitated or inappropriate in the way they speak or interact with others.

Stefanie Cust, left, a physical therapist at Encompass Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, and Julie Bugeau, an occupational therapist at Encompass, demonstrate a device to improve use of the hand and wrist.

“We don’t want families to get angry with their loved ones because they are acting in a certain way,” Bugeau said. “That’s why constant communication with the family and everyone on the team is critical to managing their expectations.”

A walk through the facility at Encompass reveals what looks like a large gymnasium with people working out on various machines. While standard fitness machines are part of the mix, there is also an array of specialized equipment designed to help people regain movement in areas of their bodies that were affected by brain injury.

Sometimes the equipment is as simple as parallel bars to aid in walking or a set of stairs. Other times high-tech equipment is used such as interactive touch screens to help the patient regain coordination, reaction time and cognitive abilities.

Cust and Bugeau demonstrated a Bioness H200 a device that fits on the forearm and is used to simulate normal wrist and finger movement for neuromuscular rehabilitation. By using a tablet, a therapist controls the H200 to aid the patient in opening and closing their hand. It’s also used to help build back wrist and hand muscles through repeated movements.

“People with brain injuries need someone to encourage them to get up and move, otherwise they will just sit and do nothing.”

The goal of the therapists at Encompass is for patients to return home. Before patients are discharged, they leave with a recovery plan to help the patient going forward. A case manager gets involved to prepare the family and prepare the home before discharge. In many cases the patient will need outpatient treatment, whether at a facility or at home. Encompass puts patients and families in touch with community resources to keep moving toward recovery goals.

Finding a New Way

As late as the 2010s, patients with brain injuries in Massachusetts who required care beyond what they could get at home were mandated to live in nursing homes. A class-action suit resulted in creating two waivers, one for ABI and one known as a Moving Forward Plan (MFP) waiver. Both waivers make it possible for other organizations in the community to provide long-term treatment for people suffering from brain injuries.

Mental Health Association (MHA) created the New Way Services Division to specifically offer treatment for people with ABI. The agency owns nine houses located in communities in and around Springfield. Each residence looks like a typical family home and accommodates up to four adults.

“These residences are the person’s home for as long as they need it to be,” said Sara Kyser, vice president of the New Way Services Division at MHA. “While some folks are likely to spend the rest of their days there, we also have many people who gradually need fewer services and they are able to return to their families.”

Each person has an individualized treatment plan, most of which include regular visits from occupational, physical, and speech therapists. Nurses also visit each home to assist with such things as re-learning taking medication and other tasks. One of the homes is designed to be a transition step where instead of receiving highly intensive support the person is more on their own but still has a safety net.

Lexi Stockwell says the Strive Clinic at ServiceNet helps those with brain injuries continue to make progress in their recovery.

“The goal is to bring people back to where they were or to a less-restricted setting,” Kyser said. “When possible, they can return to their family and still access outreach supports.”

One of those supports is The Resource Center (TRC) run by MHA. Serving as a day service, Kyser explained that this is where people can work on an array of interesting activities to help with physical and mental rehab in ways that don’t feel like therapy.

“Instead of squeezing a tennis ball, they are doing art projects, engaged in writing, and one of our most popular activities working on wood projects,” Kyser said.

While these activities provide physical therapy, they also help people work on their social skills. Kyser said impulse control is often affected by a brain injury, so learning how to interact with the world again takes some practice.

When BusinessWest visited, staff at TRC were preparing gardening kits in time for planting season.

“The idea is for these folks to learn about and actually plant their own gardens at their own homes,” Kyser said. “They will then harvest and incorporate the fresh fruits and veggies into their nutrition program to bring the whole thing full circle.”

Striving for Improvement

ServiceNet is also a provider of long-term rehabilitative care. Through its Enrichment Center in Chicopee, ServiceNet runs the Strive Clinic to help those afflicted with brain injuries to continue to make progress in their recovery.

According to Ellen Werner, director of operations for ServiceNet’s Enrichment Center and Strive Clinic, the motivation for Strive became apparent after learning about people who were sitting at home with brain injuries who needed therapy.

“People with brain injuries need someone to encourage them to get up and move, otherwise they will just sit and do nothing,” said Werner.

Part of the recovery process also involves persuading people to try things when they don’t think they need to participate. Alyssa Bustamante, an occupational therapist with Strive, said that she and her colleagues try to make patients understand that recovery happens when all the therapies work together. Left to their own devices, patients will tend to only take part in their favorite activities.

“Everyone loves physical therapy, so they all want that,” said Bustamante, adding that one patient felt she didn’t need speech therapy because she just wanted to be able to get dressed. “This person had trouble sequencing the steps to get dressed, which is cognitively based, and speech therapy helps with that,”

Keeping active is essential to prevent brain injury patients from reaching a plateau and backsliding in their recovery. At the beginning of the pandemic many brain-injury patients lost therapy sessions. By the time they were able to return, Werner said that many came in deconditioned and could not do as much as before.

“They still had the foundation of the therapy, but they had lost endurance,” Werner said.

The Strive Clinic has adopted the motto of “Never say Never” to encourage patients to always set new goals in rehabilitation. As an example of that spirit, Werner and Bustamante discussed the case of a gentleman named Bill (not his real name.)

Bill had suffered a stroke more than 10 years ago, and had a below-the-knee amputation. Though he had a prosthetic device for his leg he wasn’t interested in leaving his wheelchair. Enrolled in the day program at the Enrichment Center, Bill would sit in the hallway outside of Werner’s office. When she would attempt to engage and ask, ‘What would you like to do today?’ Bill’s response was, ‘Shut up and leave me alone.’

Bustamante and Lexi Stockwell, a physical therapist with Strive also began speaking with Bill and gradually convinced him he was capable of more than just sitting in his wheelchair.

“At first, with help from others Bill could take about five or six steps on the parallel bars,” Stockwell said. “Now he can pull himself out of his wheelchair, grab the walker on his own and walk 50 feet. That’s big progress in a year.”

Bustamante said Bill has also developed better coping strategies and he speaks in more positive terms. “He’s finding the joy in himself and spreading it.”

Werner added, “Bill now refers to himself as the mayor of the Enrichment Center and he’s become an advocate for our program.”

Bill’s story is an example of how it’s never too late to make progress with a brain injury.

“Everyone needs to keep busy, especially people with brain injuries,” Werner said. “Just because someone says they don’t want help, we keep asking to see how we can get them moving and get them involved.”

Kyser spoke to a misperception that contends the first 90 days after diagnosing a brain injury is the real opportunity to make progress on a patient, but after six months that opportunity is gone.

“That’s baloney,” Kyser said noting that in the past, services didn’t exist after six months, so without engagement it was no surprise that the person was hitting a plateau.

The Bottom Line

Thanks to the efforts from agencies like Encompass, MHA and ServiceNet, brain injury patients are making progress every day re-gaining the use of their muscles, many can walk again, and, most importantly, live with independence after their injuries.

“There’s so much that can be done as long as the person is engaged in their therapies,” Kyser said. “My hope is as we’re getting better at this, we will see even more progress.”

New Ownership Group Seeks to Create Momentum for Friendly’s

By George O'Brien May 12, 2022

Restaurants Special Coverage

Chain of Events

Craig Erlich says the mission at Friendly’s is to create positive experiences — and lasting memories.

Craig Erlich can trace his relationship with Friendly’s back to his fifth birthday party at one of the chain’s restaurants.

“I have pictures of me with my life-size balloon,” he told BusinessWest, adding that, over the decades, this relationship has certainly taken many different forms — from customer, to franchisee, to his current role as president and CEO, in which he has the responsibility of, well … creating memories like that of his fifth birthday for future generations of customers.

In other words, Erlich is the latest executive to take on the job of resuscitating a brand that has fallen on some hard times in recent years, as evidenced by the sale price of the Friendly’s chain, then in bankruptcy, to Amici Partners and its affiliate company, Brix Holdings LLC: $1.9 million.

Erlich, president and CEO of Friendly’s, understood that the Friendly’s chain had shrunk dramatically over the years and was struggling to compete with the large number of competitors in the fast-casual family restaurant category, a situation only made worse by the pandemic. But he ultimately saw promise, and a challenge he was willing to take on.

“When the opportunity came around — and the pandemic presented a lot of opportunities for reshuffling of leadership of brands — we were really passionate about Friendly’s and what could happen with this brand,” he said. “When you finally have your chance to put your hands on the steering wheel and go from backseat driver to being the driver … we were really excited about the opportunity.”

Elaborating, he said that he and his partners already had some plans for Friendly’s in mind when they acquired it in December, 2020, and now, some of those plans are coming to fruition.

That includes the new-look of the Friendly’s that recently opened on East Main Street in Westfield. It’s called the Friendly’s Café, and the model is a reflection of the changes in dining habits that have taken place over the past two years, especially when it comes to take out and delivery.

The new model will feature both, as well as on-site dining, with customers ordering food at a counter or at a table using QR technology. There’s also a traditional ice cream fountain area, providing an ice cream parlor feel.

While the concept is quite different from what Friendly’s customers are used to, the goal is to maintain the chain’s overall look and feel — and its capacity for creating lasting moments … like Erlich’s fifth birthday party.

“With Friendly’s, everyone talks about the experience — they talk about memories,” said Erlich. “We wanted to maintain that quality. When you’re restoring an old home, you want to make sure to keep the bones and the structure there, and just enhance the features. That’s the approach we took with this brand, especially the Friendly’s Café.

“We knew it was going to be a bit of a different kind of experience for the customers,” he went on. “But when you think about how people dine today, whether it’s QR technology, off-premise dining, curb-side delivery … we knew there was an opportunity for that.”

“When you finally have your chance to put your hands on the steering wheel and go from backseat driver to being the driver … we were really excited about the opportunity.”

Meanwhile, other changes have been introduced, especially on the menu, which now includes a number of new items, including a variety of appetizers and salads, and offerings like the Doritos Cool Ranch chopped cheeseburger. The goal is to create an appealing mix of new options and old favorites, he told BusinessWest, adding “the menu feels much more balanced than it did before.”

Flashing back to late 2020, as he and his partners were doing their due diligence on Friendly’s as they explored acquisition, Erlich said this research revealed a chain facing many challenges and restaurants in need of repair and revitalization, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic in many respects. But ultimately, what they saw was opportunity.

“The pandemic forced a lot of companies to focus on just keeping the lights on,” he told BusinessWest. “We knew there was going to be a significant amount of repairs and maintenance needed for these buildings; just the equipment in the kitchens alone was in the millions of dollars.

The Friendly’s Café in Westfield opened earlier this year to positive reviews from customers.

“But we saw a big opportunity,” he went on. “And 2021 was really focused on building the infrastructure and putting some technologies and new ideas in place that would build a foundation for what we’re about to do this year.”

Which brings us back to the Friendly’s Café, which opened at the end of February to solid feedback from customers, said Erlich, who acknowledged that while it’s early in the game, the new location is thus far exceeding expectations.

“Customers have been very complimentary, and it has performed very well; we’ve seen a lot of repeat customers, and that’s the true test,” he said, adding that the company is scouting locations for similar facilities.

The location in Westfield is a free-standing building in a shopping plaza, and that is the preferred model, said Erlich, adding that the company is also looking at expanding its drive-through presence at existing restaurants.

“We think there’s a big opportunity there,” he said. “We have about a half-dozen drive-throughs connected to our traditional restaurants; it’s all about the convenience, and we feel that this model is really convenient for the customer.”

Overall, the company is not looking to replace its traditional restaurants with the new model but rather use the café model as a vehicle for growth, bringing Friendly’s to different communities, including some where a Friendly’s location has closed.

“When you’re restoring an old home, you want to make sure to keep the bones and the structure there, and just enhance the features. That’s the approach we took with this brand, especially the Friendly’s Café.”

“I’m looking at some locations on Long Island and across the Northeast — Connecticut, Massachusetts, and other states,” said Erlich. “We’re looking for the right locations; we don’t want to expand too quickly and dilute the quality of the location. I think that happens often — some of the brands will get excited about one success story and then they’ll launch others and they think it will be the same in any location. We’re being very careful to be sure that the locations that we pick have similar demographics and traffic counts, and that we feel good about the potential.”

He said there are many communities in the Northeast that had a Friendly’s location and would like to see that brand back, with many long-time customers lobbying through social media and other platforms for a return

“We’re using that as some of our intelligence to start focusing on some areas,” he said, adding that finding suitable sites is an art and a science, with many factors coming into play, from demographics to the prevalence of other restaurants.

Indeed, competition, in the form of a critical mass of dining options is often desirable, he said, noting the Friendly’s Café in Westfield sits between a new KFC and a McDonald’s in the same shopping plaza. Those are fast-food chains in a different category than Friendly’s, he explained, but they still constitute choices, which in turn generate traffic to a given area.

Looking at what’s happening within the industry, Erlich noted that off-premise dining now accounts for roughly half of all sales volume within the industry, a pattern that has held up even as the pandemic has eased in recent months, an indication that this is more than a passing fancy.

The new café model enables the chain to take advantage of this phenomenon while also catering to those who prefer the traditional sit-down restaurant — albeit with some new technology for ordering and delivery.

“You can focus on two different experiences for the guest,” Erlich explained. “Whether it’s making sure that the person bringing the food home is getting a good, quality meal and also that they’re getting a good experience when they’re in the restaurant. It just adds a new dimension that a lot of brands are focusing on, and I know that we are.”

Looking ahead, and projecting where he wants Friendly’s to be in five years, Erlich said the broad goal since the acquisition has been to stabilize the brand and then commence building that foundation for the future that he spoke of. And this has been accomplished, through the introduction of the café concept, the new menu items, and some more aggressive marketing that was launched this month.

“I would like to see the brand grow, and I think the café model will give us the ability to do that,” he said in conclusion. “There’s a lot of excitement, and it’s my job to keep that excitement going and channel it in the right direction. Everyone is rooting for us, from customers to the team members to the franchisees. Everyone has great memories of Friendly’s, and we want to provide great new memories.”

Lee Bank Foundation Distributes $83,750 in First Grant Funding Round of 2022

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Daily News

LEE — Lee Bank Foundation has awarded $83,750 to 12 Berkshire area organizations and an additional grant to Pittsfield Public Schools in its first-round of 2022 community funding.

Recipients were awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $16,000 to support their local programming. Included in the awards are a series of Arts Access Grants for arts and culture organizations to expand access to programming for underserved audiences.

The following organizations received funding:

Berkshire Center for Justice;
Berkshire Community Diaper Project;
Berkshire Concert Choir;
Berkshire County Arc;
Berkshire Historical Society;
Berkshire Family YMCA;
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity;
Community Access to the Arts;
Great Barrington Public Theater;
Greenagers;
Roots Rising; and
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Arts Access Grants of $1,000 each were awarded to Berkshire Concert Choir, Berkshire Historical Society, and Great Barrington Public Theater. Additionally, Lee Bank Foundation announced a $16,000 grant to the Pittsfield Public Schools — $1,000 for each school serving children and adults in Pittsfield, to coincide with the groundbreaking of the new Lee Bank branch on South Street. 

The deadline for the next round of 2022 Foundation funding is June 1. The application and more information can be found on the Community Impact section of Lee Bank’s website (https://www.leebank.com/community-impact/donations-sponsorships.html)

To be considered for grant awards, applicants must be a (501)(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Foundation is focused on funding programs that work to bridge income and opportunity gaps in our region. Funding requests should reflect one or more of Lee Bank Foundation’s primary focus areas: education and literacy; food security and nutrition; economic growth and development; health and human services; mentorship, internship and “school to work” initiatives; and arts and culture

Applicants are only eligible for funding once in a 12-month period.

Lee Bank Foundation was established in 2021 to support Lee Bank’s long-standing mission of community reinvestment. In its first year, the Foundation awarded a total of $228,610 in grants and the Bank contributed an additional $84,000 in sponsorships.

 Legacy Counsellors to Open New Office in Northampton

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — Legacy Counsellors, P.C. announced the opening of a new office location in Northampton, at 32 Masonic St.

The new Northampton office will be by appointment only, with all employees available to meet with clients as needed for any services.

“We’re excited about our new location,” said Michael Gove, J.D., partner, and attorney. “It’s an opportunity to be accessible for our clients and connect with the Northampton community.”

Legacy Counsellors, P.C., with offices in Easthampton, Ludlow, Amherst, Northampton, and Sturbridge, as well as Bloomfield, CT, has attorneys licensed in Massachusetts and Connecticut who provide practical, solutions-oriented guidance to clients in the areas of estate planning and administration, residential and commercial real estate, asset protection, Medicaid planning, guardianships, and conservatorships, family law and mediation, business representation, and more.

Amherst Extends Digital Info Sign Pilot for Second Year

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Daily News

AMHERST — The town of Amherst partnered this spring with the UMassFive College Federal Credit Union (UMassFive), the Amherst Business Improvement District, and the Amherst Area Chamber to extend its pilot of three solar powered digital information signs in the downtown Amherst area. The partnership ushered in a fresh look for the signs by highlighting local business information and featuring the new What’s Next? Greater Amherst destination campaign.

The signs are powered by Massachusetts based company Soofa, and feature a neighborhood newsfeed for all including real time and emergency information from the town, transit information, and local news and events all through a zero-emission, minimal impact technology.

“UMassFive strengthened this partnership by adding its sponsorship of the signs this year, which allowed us to highlight our What’s Next? destination campaign marketing — creating the best possible experience for visitors, community members, students and alumni alike,” said Amherst Area Chamber Executive Director Claudia Pazmany.

Amherst Communications Director Brianna Sunryd added, “the town was pleased to be able to extend this service for the community, while at the same time supporting local businesses and regional tourism with the What’s Next? campaign. Our partnership with UMassFive assisted us in our efforts to continue the program affordably and offer a visual boost to the Amherst BID and Chamber’s hard work.”

UMassFive’s vice president of Marketing Craig Boivin stated, “The Credit Union is thrilled to support the Town of Amherst and Amherst Area Chamber in leveraging 100% solar-powered electronic displays in the downtown area to better communicate local events and resources, and to help promote our local businesses. We’re a financial institution that’s committed to sustainability, so helping our communities finance and embrace green technologies — especially in public spaces where everyone can benefit — is a natural fit for us.”

Girl Scouts Launch First Green Is The New Black Gala

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts announced the inaugural Green Is The New Black gala to take place on June 10, 2022 at the Springfield Country Club. 

Green is the New Black is an opportunity to mingle, sip on a Girl Scout Cookie inspired cocktail, enjoy dinner, dancing, and embrace the Girl Scout spirit of fun, friendship, and new adventure. All attendees are encouraged to dress to impress in their best green semi-formal to formal dress wear as memories will be captured at the photo booth.

“We are excited to host this inaugural gala as not only a fundraising initiative — it is the chance to gather with like-minded professionals who understand how important girl leadership development is in our communities”, said Pattie Hallberg, CEO for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts. 

The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m.. Tickets are $125 each and are available at gscwm.org or by calling (413) 584-2602. All proceeds benefit Girl Scouts and their continuing efforts to provide innovative programs and vital support to girls in grades K-12 throughout central and western Massachusetts. Purchasing a ticket is an affirmation that you are fully vaccinated. 

Sponsors include: TD Bank, HEARD Strategy & Storytelling, Peoples Bank, Wolf & Co., Monson Savings Bank, Peoples United Bank, Health New England, Springfield Thunderbirds, Easthampton Savings Bank, Country Bank, Fallon Health and USI Insurance.  

For more information about the event or sponsor opportunities contact Jamie Mahon, [email protected] or (413) 584-2602, ext.4037

The Important Work of Mentoring

By Editorial May 11, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Over the years, we’ve written many times about the entrepreneurship ecosystem in this region and its importance to economic development in the four western counties. This is an area dominated by small businesses, and it always will be, with growth coming organically, rather by recruiting the likes of a General Electric (bad example, given what’s happened to that company) or a Smith & Wesson (OK, that’s another bad example and a rather sore subject.)

But you get the point. This is a region that needs to consistently encourage entrepreneurship, but also providing a support system for those inspired to try to work for themselves, rather than someone else.

And that’s where the small army of mentors now working with agencies like Valley Venture Mentors, EforAll, SCORE, and others comes in. As the story on page 6 reveals, these mentors are doing critically important work, not just by helping individuals with the many technical aspects of running a business — from marketing to reading a spreadsheet; from building a website to writing and rewriting a business plan — but also with handling the roller-coaster ride that is owning your own business.

These mentors come with different backgrounds and experience in various sectors. But they share one common, and important, trait. They’ve been there, and they’ve done that. And, for the most part, those they are helping have not. And that’s why they are so important.

Entrepreneurship has been described as a lonely undertaking, even if there are other people involved in the business. And it is. The heavy weight of decisions, the risks assumed, and the anxiety that comes from working without the net of a steady weekly paycheck makes it a difficult, nerve-wracking undertaking.

Mentors understand all this, and they also understand that fledging entrepreneurs simply don’t know what they don’t know. So, they make a point to make sure they know more. And in the process, they may enable them to avoid some mistakes, but, more importantly, they help make sure that they learn from the mistakes they do make.

More important still, they make it clear that mistakes are not just common. They are to be expected. They are part and parcel to owning a business, whatever the product or service may be. And they can overcome.

Indeed, one of the most important lessons these mentors impart to those they are assisting is that failure isn’t something to fear. It is another part of the process, one very logical outcome when someone assumes risk and takes a chance on an idea. As one mentor reminded us, every entrepreneur of note has failed at some point in their career, and it’s not the failure that is noteworthy; it’s how he or she responds to it.

The mentors we spoke with for this issue all talked about the rewarding nature of their work. They all mentioned the pride they take in helping someone transform a rough idea from the back of a napkin into a success story.

All of us in this region share in these rewards, because each of these success stories brings more vibrancy and more jobs to Western Mass.

That’s why the work of these mentors is so critically important.

Some Momentum for East-west Rail?

By Contributor May 11, 2022

Opinion

Much has been made of Gov. Charlie Baker’s recent endorsement of east-west rail in Massachusetts.

It came at a meeting late last month with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and other key stakeholders in the bid to expand east-west commuter rail. And the immediate question on everyone’s minds is ‘what does this mean?’

Well … it could make all the difference in the world.

The governor’s endorsement was one of the key missing piece in this puzzle, and a large piece at that. Baker has said he’s never really been opposed to the concept; rather, he just had questions, primarily about how much this would cost, who would administer the rail system, and how much land would have to be taken to create it.

These questions and others have been answered, or soon will be, leaving fewer of those pieces of the puzzle to fall into place for a project that just a few years ago seemed like a good idea — especially for the western part of the state — but had much too steep a price tag and seemingly too little support statewide to become reality.

Now? On BusnessTalk, BusinessWest’s podcast, Neal said the stars are aligned for east-west rail in a way that probably couldn’t have been imagined even a year ago.

Indeed, funding for the project, seemingly the biggest question mark and hurdle facing this project could be much less of an issue thanks to the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which will, by Neal’s estimate, bring $9 billion to the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, the federal government put another piece in place when it approved freight carrier CSX’s acquisition of Pan Am Railways — on condition that Amtrak would have access to tracks in and out of Springfield.

And then, there’s Baker’s endorsement. Although he’s in office only eight more months and candidates to succeed him have already announced their support of east-west rail, his support of the plan is critical at this juncture. That’s because things need to start happening this year if funds from the infrastructure bill are to be ticketed for this rail project.

Baker has recommended the establishment of a Massachusetts passenger rail authority to apply for federal funds and administer expanded east-west commuter rail, and he further recommends that it be established before this legislative session ends. His support of the concept might help get that done.

East-west rail still has many, hurdles to clear, and in many respects, it remains a long shot. But Neal is right. The stars seem to be aligned, and a project that was the longest of shots just a few years ago may finally be gaining some needed momentum.

Picture This

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Picture This

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

Common Threads

Dress for Success Western Mass. staged its annual fundraising event, Common Threads, on April 25 at the Sheraton in Springfield. More than 300 people turned out for the event, which featured inspirational stories from women who were helped by the agency in their efforts to find employment in a field where they can build a career, a keynote address from Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal, and the presentation of several awards, including the Distinguished Alumna award to Kassandra Carrasquillo; the Volunteer of the Year award to Bridget Haley; and the Outstanding Contributor Award to Dawn Creighton.

audience members take in the proceedings

Briceyda Landaverde, of Western Mass News, serves as emcee for the evening

posing for a selfie are Creighton, Jennifer Metsch, Royal, Ramona Reno, and Karen MacGeorge

Delphine Kabatesi, left, and Jill Schibelli, Margaret Fitzgerald Mentoring Program participants

Royal delivers her talk, which focused on mentors in her life

Agenda

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Agenda

UMass Commencement

May 13: U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern, who represents the 2ndDistrict of Massachusetts, will be the featured speaker at theUMass Amherst undergraduate commencement ceremony at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.The congressman will address an anticipated crowd of about 20,000 family members, friends and other guests as approximately 7,000 undergraduates receive their bachelor’s degrees at the Commonwealth’s flagship campus. The graduation ceremony for the undergraduate Class of 2022 is the 152ndUMass Amherst Commencement. Approximately 7,000 graduates are expected to receive their degrees at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on the UMass Amherst campus. The ceremony will be held rain or shine beginning at 4:30 p.m. and is scheduled to conclude at approximately 6:30 p.m. The ceremony is free and tickets are not required.Stadium gates open at 2 p.m. Guests should plan to arrive on campus by that time and will be directed to free campus parking and to shuttle buses that will take them from parking lots to the stadium. Services are available for guests with limited mobility and other disabilities.

Jack’s Walk

May 14: Jack’s Walk, a fundraiser to benefit the Jack Jonah Foundation, will take place at the Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke. The foundation has a stated mission to “encourage, foster, teach, engage, and provide opportunities, specifically in the areas of drug awareness.” The foundation also provides assistance (financial or otherwise) at the local, state, and/or national level in the promotion of drug awareness and education. The foundation is named in honor of Jack Jonah, who died of a heroin overdose. Jack’s Walk features a full schedule of activities. The day begins with a pre-walk tie-dye party and check-in beginning at 9 a.m. There will then be several guest speakers, including West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, and Jack Jonah Foundation Founder Kirk Jonah for closing comments and a moment of silence. The walk begins at 11, and there will be a post-walk reception at the Elks from noon to 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults. Youths 18 and under are admitted free. To register online, visit Jackjonahfoundation.org.

Meet and Greet

May 20: Mercedes Benz of Springfield will host a gathering of the 2022 40 Under Forty honorees as well as the members of the first 15 classes of rising stars. The event will kick off at 5 p.m. with a meet-and-greet for members of the Class of 2022, who are profiled in this edition. From 6-8, there will be a networking event for all of the 16 classes of 40 Under Forty honorees. Food will be provided by Log Rolling Catering. Forty Under 40 is sponsored this year by: Presenting Sponsor PeoplesBank; Alumni Achievement Award Sponsor Health New England; and supporting sponsors Comcast Business, Live Nation, Mercedes Benz of Springfield, The Mill District, Stand Out Truck, and the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Business.

Maifest Block Party

May 20, 21: Maifest is a colorful, joyous tradition in Germany. It celebrates the arrival of spring where food is plentiful and spirits flow freely. The tradition unfolds in Springfield with the Maifest Block Party.The Student Prince & The Fort Restaurant’s Maifest Block Party is an event for the community supported by Liberty Bank. This two-day event will take place outdoors on Fort Street. Live bands will fill the air with music while guests sip beer and dine on delicious Maifest spring delights. The festivities will kick off at 6 p.m. on May 20,with the ceremonial keg tapping headed by Peter Picknelly, Edison Yee, and more special guests.

Annual Golf Tournament

June 3: The Hospice of the Fisher Home will present its sixth annual par 3 event at Amherst Golf Club’s nine-hole course at 1 p.m. Beer tastings and seafood slider samples will be available on the course as well as a chance to win a pair of Putnam Club seats on the 45-yard-line to a New England Patriots game. This prize has been donated by Manny’s Appliance of Hadley. Participants can get a free swing analysis, a chance at winning a new Ford Bronco, and other raffle items. They will also be invited to stop by and drop off unwanted, lightly used housewares and clothing to donate to the Fisher Home’s thrift shop. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit Hospice of the Fisher Home. Hospice staff are grateful to the contributors of this event, including donors, sponsors, and friends at the Amherst Golf Club. They make it possible to provide compassionate, comprehensive, and supportive end-of-life care to patients and their loved ones in their own homes or in the hospice residence. Visit https://www.fisherhome.org/2022-golf-tournament learn more, donate, sponsor, and register. For more information, contact Ashleigh Towse: [email protected], (413) 992-2544.

40 Under Forty:

June 16: BusinessWest will host the annual 40 Under Forty Gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House starting at 4:30. One of the most anticipated events of the year, the gala will celebrate the Class of 2022, which was announced in the May 2 issue of BusinessWest. The gala will feature a VIP hour for the honorees and sponsors, networking, the presentation of the Alumni Achievement Award, and introduction of members of the Class of 2022. For more information or to purchase tickets ($85 each with tables of 12 available), visit BusinessWest.com. Forty Under 40 is sponsored this year by: Presenting Sponsor PeoplesBank; Alumni Achievement Award Sponsor Health New England; and supporting sponsors Comcast Business, Live Nation, Mercedes Benz of Springfield, The Mill District, Stand Out Truck, and the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Business. The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield is an event partner.

MOSSO Concerts

June 23 and July 21: MOSSO, the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, have announced details of their upcoming summer concerts at Symphony Hall. MOSSO will celebrate the music of Stephen Sondheim and John Williams. These concerts mark the first time in almost 20 years that the musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra have performed summer concerts in Springfield. On June 23, MOSSO celebrates the music of the late, legendary Broadway composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, who penned the words and music to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, and Into the Woods. Conductor Tim Stella will lead the program, joined by Broadway stars Hugh Panaro and Lisa Vroman. Also appearing are Ray Hardman and Kathleen Callahan-Hardman. Stella conducted The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, and before that, Jesus Christ Superstar, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Guys and Dolls, The Most Happy Fella, Hello Dolly!, and Legs Diamond. He served as vocal coach to Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler, who portrayed Christine and the Phantom respectively, in the movie version of Phantom. Stella is former resident music director of Goodspeed Musicals, and a conductor at Radio City Music Hall. Panaro is best known for having played the role of the Phantom in Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera more than 2,000 times. On July 21, Maestro Kevin Rhodes returns to Springfield to conduct a MOSSO benefit concert, with a program of light classics and music of renowned composer John Williams, whose works include Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Schindler’s List. Rhodes will be joined by guest soloist, violinist Yevgeny Kutik, whose two prior solo appearances in Springfield were met with great acclaim. Rhodes served as music director and conductor of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra for 20 seasons, until the SSO paused performances in 2020.

He continues to serve as music director and conductor of the Traverse Symphony in Michigan, and as principal conductor of Boston’s Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. In March 2021, Maestro Rhodes made his debut with the Orchestra of the Rome Opera in Italy, recording a live radio broadcast of Maurice Jarre’s score to Roland Petit’s ballet, Notre Dame de Paris. He will conduct productions of Giselle and La Bayadère for their 2022-23 season. Kutik, a native of Minsk, Belarus, immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of five, with the help of the Jewish Federations of North America. His 2014 album, Music from the Suitcase: A Collection of Russian Miniatures (Marquis Classics), features music he found in his family’s suitcase after immigrating to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1990. In 2021, Kutik launched Finding Home: Music from the Suitcase in Concert. Kutik’s additional releases on Marquis include his most recent album, The Death of Juliet and Other Tales. Tickets for both concerts, priced $60, $45, $25, and $10, will go on sale on May 9. For details, visit: SpringfieldSymphonyMusicians.com. MOSSO sponsors (to date) include: The Republican/MassLive, BusinessWest and Healthcare News, WWLP-22News & The CW Springfield, the Sheraton Springfield at Monarch Place, New England Public Media, the Musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Bolduc Schuster Foundation.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

People on the Move

Tom Senecal

The Massachusetts Bankers Association (MBA), a multi-faceted banking trade group representing more than 120 banks that manage an aggregate $27 trillion in assets under custody, has named Tom Senecal, president and CEO of Holyoke-based PeoplesBank, to its board of directors. The MBA was founded in 1905 to “promote the general welfare and usefulness of banks” and today serves a number of constituencies including legislators, regulators, consumer advocates, the media, community groups and, of course, the general public. Its member banks currently employ more than 72,000 professionals who work at more than 2,000 separate locations across the state.Senecal has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He was elected president of PeoplesBank in 2016 after previously serving as the bank’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. He is a graduate of the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management (B.S. Business Administration) and is a certified public accountant. He also attended the Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth College.

•••••

Tony Worden, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank and it’s Northampton Cooperative Bank division, announced several recent promotions:

Lisa Kmetz

• Lisa Kmetz is being promoted to executive vice president, Retail Banking. She has been with the bank since 1998 when she started as a branch manager. She holds an associate’s degree in Business Administration from Holyoke Community College and certification in Computer Information Systems from Western New England University.

• Chelsea Depault is being promoted to vice president, Commercial Operations Officer. She originally started with the bank back in 2007 as a float teller and also worked in the Accounting Department before moving on to Commercial Lending, where she has been for the past several years as a credit analyst and then as an assistant vice president, Commercial Lending. In her new role, she will oversee the operations of Commercial Loan Servicing and Administration. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst.

Casey Cusson

• Casey Cusson is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. He has been with the bank since 2017, when he started as a branch manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and lives in Shelburne with his family.

• Lisa Granger

• Lisa Granger is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. She has been with the bank since 2007, when she joined as a branch manager with several years of experience in bank management. She is a graduate of the New England School of Financial Studies.

• Jenicca Gallagher

• Jenicca Gallagher is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. She has been with the bank since 2010, when she joined as a branch manager. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst.

• Cynthia Gonzalez is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. She has been with the bank since 2003, when she joined as a branch manager. She attended Salem State College.

Dawn Hibbert

• Dawn Hibbert is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. She has been with the bank since 2002, when she joined us as a teller. She holds an associate’s degree from Holyoke Community College.

Chris Wilkey

• Chris Wilkey is being promoted to assistant vice president, Information Systems. He has been with the bank since 2007, when he joined as a back-up head teller before becoming lead technology specialist in 2014, and MIS Officer in 2019.

• Julie Gonzales is being promoted to Human Resources officer. She has been with the bank since 2012, when she joined us as a teller before becoming executive assistant to the CEO and then most recently HR coordinator. She holds an associate’s degree from Greenfield Community College.

Other notable promotions:

• Matt Welcome was promoted from branch manager-in-training to branch manager. He has been with the bank for more than four years and has served as a float teller, float head teller, and was most recently promoted to branch manager-in-training for the Turners Falls branch. He now drops the in-training designation to become a branch manager in Turners Falls. He holds an associate’s degree from Springfield Technical Community College.

• Erika Kleeberg was promoted from head teller to assistant manager. She has been with the bank since 2019 and has quickly risen from teller to head teller and now assistant manager. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Roger Williams University.

•••••

Cindy Jerome

Lathrop, a senior living community with campuses in Northampton and Easthampton, recently welcomed Cindy Jerome as its new chief executive officer. Johnson is a seasoned executive leader with 23 years of leadership experience in senior living communities in New England. A non-profit founded in 1989, Lathrop is a Kendal affiliate, serving older adults in the Quaker tradition. “I was delighted to receive a call inquiring about my interest in leading a Kendal community,” said Jerome. “Kendal’s values and my own have great affinity.” Both of Lathrop’s campus communities offer independent living in townhomes. The Easthampton campus is also home to The Inn, an Enhanced Living option offering meals and daily support. Jerome has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School. Most recently she was the senior leader of Alice Peck Day Lifecare and, prior to that, of Garden Path Elder Living.

•••••

Trevor Brice

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a labor and employment law firm serving employers in the Greater Springfield area, recently welcomed attorney Trevor Brice to its team. A native of Newport, R.I., Brice received his law degree fromSuffolk University School of Law in Boston, where he was the recipient of the Robert Fuchs Memorial Labor Law Award. After practicing in Boston, he recently relocated to Northfield and joined Skoler Abbott.Brice has regularly advised and represented clients in state and federal courts, as well as at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), the Conn. Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO), and other state agencies. He is licensed in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and New York, and is a member of the bar associations in those states.

•••••

The Board of Directors of Cancer Connection announced that Chelsea Sunday Kline has been named executive director of the nonprofit. Kline’s hiring comes as Cancer Connection is poised to create and implement a new plan of strategic growth in programming, development, and outreach. Kline said she is eager to support the staff in safely reopening to provide in-person supports for participants and their caregivers, from massage, reiki, mindfulness, and more. Kline joins Cancer Connection with a wide range of applicable professional skills and expertise. Kline is a graduate of both Smith College and Harvard Divinity School and has a background as an academic program director for a local university, an interim executive director of a small non-profit, and is currently a consultant and professional life, career, and transition coach. Moreover, she contributes a regular column to the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s Living section entitled “In the Present,” featuring content about mindfulness, gratitude, and kindness.

•••••

Patricia Begrowicz, president and co-Owner of Onyx Specialty Papers in Lee, was elected recently as chair of the board of directors of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), the statewide business association. A respected business and community leader in Berkshire County, Begrowicz has led the rebirth of a successful manufacturing company she acquired with a partner from MeadWestvaco during the great recession. She will become the second woman to chair the board of the largest business group in the Commonwealth and the first person from Berkshire County to lead AIM since 1953. Representatives of 3,400 AIM-member businesses elected Begrowicz during the association’s annual business meeting. Members also elected Donna Latson Gittens, principal and Founder of MORE Advertising in Watertown, as clerk of the corporation, and Gregory Buscone, executive vice president and senior commercial banking officer, Eastern Bank, Boston, as treasurer. Begrowicz bought the MeadWestvaco specialty papers business with partner Christopher Mathews in December 2009 and formed Onyx Specialty Papers. The company, which currently employs 150 people, provides skilled manufacturing jobs in a region that has seen many manufacturers downsize or close. Onyx produces highly engineered papers for technically demanding applications in global markets including automotive, medical filters, fine art, decorative surfaces and filtration.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Company Notebook

PeoplesBank Announces New Banking Center in South Windsor, Conn.

Fresh off its successful launch in the center of West Hartford and the renovation of its Suffield Banking Center, PeoplesBank has announced that it will add to its Connecticut footprint by building a new 2,000-square-foot banking center at 50 Cedar Ave. in South Windsor. The banking center is expected to be the anchor for other adjacent development that may include a restaurant, coffee and retail shops, and a medical office building.Designed by Tecton Architects of Hartford, the banking center will feature many of the innovative technologies that PeoplesBank has rolled out at its other new and renovated locations, including two VideoBankerITMs and two EV charging stations. The new banking center will also utilize the bank’s Universal Banker approach, which allows its associates to provide a wide range of banking services to customers. The new South Windsor Banking Center is expected to be open in early December, 2022.

Florence Bank to Celebrate 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program

FLORENCE — For 20 years, Florence Bank has awarded grants of up to $5,000 each to dozens of nonprofits chosen by its customers, and at its annual gathering this year, it will once again offer up $100,000 to organizations that support young and old in the community. At its 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants gala, to be staged May 19 at 5 p.m. at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park, the bank will offer awards to 45 nonprofits and celebrate a total of $1.4 million in community giving through this one channel. Organizations like Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield and the Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke will receive awards for the first time this year thanks to customer voting. In addition to Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield, the Therapeutic Equestrian Center and Dakin, the following organizations received enough votes to qualify for a grant and will receive an award at the celebration: Amherst Neighbors, Amherst Survival Center, Belchertown Animal Relief Committee Inc. (BARC), Belchertown K-9, Cancer Connection, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Cooley Dickinson Hospital VNA & Hospice, Easthampton Community Center, Easthampton Elementary Schools PTO, Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Friends of Forbes Library, Friends of Lilly Library, Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, Friends of Northampton Legion Baseball, Friends of the Williamsburg Library, Goshen Firefighters Assoc., Grow Food Northampton, Granby Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity Pioneer Valley, Historic Northampton, Hitchcock Center for the Environment, It Takes a Village, J.F.K. Middle School, Kestrel Land Trust, Leeds Elementary School PTO, Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, Manna Community Kitchen, Northampton Community Music Center, Northampton High School PTO, Northampton Neighbors, Northampton Survival Center, Our Lady of the Hills Parish, Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, Revitalize CDC, Riverside Industries, R.K. Finn Ryan Road School, Safe Passage, Smith Vocational High School PTO, The Parish Cupboard, Whole Children, and Williamsburg Firefighters Association.

Greater Springfield CVB Names 2022 Howdy Award Finalists

The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) has announced 50 Finalists for the upcoming 2022 Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence. The Howdy Awards, as they are also known, celebrate workers in visitor-facing roles across Western Mass who deliver outstanding guest service, create loyal customers for their businesses and help make a positive impact upon the region’s hospitality economy.The 2022 Howdy Awards will be celebrated on May 16 at 6 p.m. at the MassMutual Center, and will also include the presentation of the Spotlight Award to Nate Costa and the Springfield Thunderbirds ownership group for keeping professional hockey in Western Mass.

The 50 finalists are:

Accommodations
FeliciaFernandez, front desk clerk, Hampton Inn and Suites, Hadley;
AustinGinman, front desk agent, MGM Hotel, Springfield;
GenesisRamos, front desk clerk, Residence Inn, Chicopee; and
FeliciaLaurin, housekeeping supervisor, The Inn on Boltwood,Amherst.

Attractions
David Dunston, show staff, Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield;
Laura Litterer, owner,Full of Grace Farm, Hadley;
Steve Ferraro, director of Operations, Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield;
Sabrina Brizzolari, director of Event Services, Mass Mutual Center, Springfield;
Gary Laprade, tour host,Sports Travel and Tours, Hatfield;
Pearl Wesley, ranger, Springfield Armory, Springfield;and
Sharon Ferrara, Welcome Center manager,Springfield Museums, Springfield.

Banquets
Shanique Fair, catering sales manager,MGM Springfield;
Will Diaz, event planner, Log Cabin, Holyoke; and
Brenda Lee Glanville, director of Sales & Marketing, Summit View Banquet House, Holyoke.

Beverage
Terry Ryan, bartender, Collins Tavern, West Springfield;
Rob Dullea, bar manager,Fitzwilly’s, Northampton;
Jessica Santinello, bartender, Maple Leaf, Westfield;
Matthew Jerzyk, bartender,Max’s Tavern, Springfield; and
Amanda Reed, bartender,the Ranch Pub House, Southwick

Food Casual
June Leduc, general manager, Delaney’s Market, Longmeadow;
Silvana Cardaropoli, customer service, Palazzo’s, Springfield;
Humberto Caro, manager, Starbuck’s, Monarch Place, Springfield; and
Erica Rosado, breakfast attendant, Tru by Hilton, Chicopee.

Food Tableside
Kelsi Donohue, server, Bnapoli Italian, West Springfield;
Donna Nardi, server,Cal’s Restaurant, West Springfield;
Matthew Canata, counter clerk,EB’s, Agawam;
Darlene Robinson, server,Gregory’s Pizza, Wilbraham;
Bernadette Beaudry, server,Johnny’s Roadside Diner, Hadley;
Benny Beans, server,Lattitude, West Springfield;
Amy Silvestri,general manager,UNO’s Pizzeria & Grill,Springfield; and
Michael Moriarty, server,Villa Napoletana, East Longmeadow.

Public Service
Serena Curley, concierge,Baystate Medical Center, Springfield;
Latrina Haynie, phlebotomist, Baystate Lab, Springfield;
January Russell, insurance agent,Bluestone Insurance/Horace Mann, Agawam;
Heather Wyman, office manager,Cordes Orthodontics, Westfield;
Paul Barden, Meals on Wheels,Greater Springfield Senior Services, Springfield;
Tricia Zoly, nurse, Holyoke Council on Aging, Holyoke; and
Harold Anderson, program director, Valley Eye Radio, Springfield.

Retail
Yates Greenhalgh, cashier, Big Y, Wilbraham;
Kerri O’Connor, manager,Athleta, Longmeadow;
Patrick Hamel, service advisor, Gary Rome Hyundai, Holyoke;
Tiarra Henderson, framing specialist, Michael’s, West Springfield;
Maria Lepage, sales and leasing consultant,Gary Rome Hyundai, Holyoke;
Sabrina Pretti, customer service,Insa Inc., Easthampton;
Carolyn Owens, cashier,Walgreen’s, Springfield;
Janet Graves, retail sales associate, Yankee Candle Village, South Deerfield;and
Stephen Ross, sales associate, Yankee Candle Village, South Deerfield

Transportation
Jose Guzman, valet parker,Baystate Medical Center, Springfield;
Barbara Eckert, booth attendant, Civic Center Garage, Springfield; and
Tom McLeer, PVTA bus driver,PVTA, Springfield

The Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence are sponsored by Eastern States Exposition, Aladco Linen Services, Mass. Convention Center Authority, Freedom Credit Union, Performance Foodservice, People’s United Bank, MGM Springfield, MassMutual Center, Baystate Health, Yankee Candle Village, Modelo Especial, The Republican, MassLive, WWLP TV-22 and IHeart Media.

The GSCVB, an affiliate of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass, is a private non-profit destination marketing organization dedicated to promoting Western Mass for meetings and conventions, group tours, sports and leisure travel.

Whalley Computer Associates Named One of The 2022 Tech Elite 250

SOUTHWICK — Whalley Computer Associates (WCA) has again been named to the Tech Elite 250 list comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada that have made the investments necessary to earn the highest level of certifications from the largest and most prestigious manufacturers of technology products and services. CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, named WCA to the Tech Elite 250 in 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021 as well. WCA’s engineering team has earned about 125 certifications with nearly 30 different manufacturers by numerous dedicated engineers. Founded in 1979, WCA has been providing IT solutions and services to customers throughout New England and upstate New York for 43 years.

UMass Amherst Dining to Measure Carbon Footprint for Individual Dishes

AMHERST — Bolstering UMass Amherst’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2032, UMass Amherst Dining Services has made the commitment to measure the carbon impact of their menu. In doing so they will be the first college or university dining program in the country to include carbon footprint for individual dishes.

The initiative will help students reduce their carbon footprint with their everyday food choices by including a carbon rating on the menu identifiers. In a fall survey of over 800 people, 88% of students indicated the climate crisis informs their decisions at least some of the time. In addition, 75% indicated they believe their food choices impact the environment and 76% said reducing their carbon footprint is important to them. Launching during Earth Week, the first phase of this project will feature an A-E carbon rating for all menu items at Hampshire Dining Commons on the menu identifiers, online and on the UMass Dining App. Determining the carbon footprint of a dish is a multi-faceted process that incorporates things like water consumption as well as storage and transport. To create a clear,concise way to communicate thesevalues fortheir customers, UMass Dining is working withMy Emissions, a leading provider of food carbon labelling. My Emissions’ standardized process makes it easy to calculate the carbon footprint from a recipe and demonstrates the impact of a customer’s food choices using a rating scale.Factoring in all the contributing elements, My Emissions has developed an A-E rating scale based on the carbon intensity (“A” signals Low impact and “E” signals Very High).

Big Y Donates $100,000 to Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Relief

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y World Class Markets added to the collected donations from customers and employees from March 17 to March 30 through their traditional registers, online and myExpress check out for Ukraine Humanitarian Relief. Community and employee donations along with additional support from Big Y resulted in a donation of $100,000, which will be donated to the global Red Cross network response to provide humanitarian relief to people affected by the crisis in Ukraine. As the conflict continues, the Red Cross continues to help families impacted by this devastating conflict. International Red Cross teams are currently on the ground in the region distributing food, delivering medicine and medical supplies, assisting with evacuations, and providing shelter.

JGS Lifecare Welcomes Northeast Rehab Associates

LONGMEADOW — JGS Lifecare, a not-for-profit healthcare system serving seniors and their families in Western Mass. for more than 110 years, announced the addition of Northeast Rehab Associates Inc. to services offered at its Longmeadow campus. Northeast Rehab, a specialized sub-acute rehab service operated by Registered Physical Therapist Cherie Stack for the past 25 years, most of those years spent in Agawam, will operate out of The Sosin Center for Rehabilitation, located at the Leavitt Family Jewish Home at 770 Converse Street in Longmeadow. “JGS Lifecare, an affiliate of Legacy Lifecare since 2018, is always seeking ways to enhance the services we offer to our residents, families and the local community,” said Mary-Anne Schelb, director of Business Development for Legacy Lifecare’s Western Mass. market. “We have a full continuum of eldercare services located on 23 acres on Converse Street that the community knows well and has confidence in. The addition of Northeast Rehab to our family of services is a mutually enhancing partnership that will benefit not only our residents, but their families as well as our local community.” Northeast Rehab has specialized in orthopedic rehab for more than two decades. Over the past five years, care has expanded to include cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. Stack’s longtime staff will come with her, offering continuity of care and a seamless recovery for all of their patients. “We’re very excited to welcome Northeast Rehab Associates Inc. to our campus of care,” said Rob Whitten, LHNA, administrator of the Leavitt Family Jewish Home at JGS Lifecare. “It was clear from the start that we share a similar commitment to providing the highest quality of rehab services, and that our environment and how we deliver care is a great match.

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Amherst Services Inc., 100 Sunderland Road, Amherst, MA 01002. Benjamin P. White, 168 Barton Ave., Belchertown, MA 01007. Fleet and transportation services.

BELCHERTOWN

Frontline Agencies Inc., 689 George Hannum Road, Belchertown, MA 01007. Cassandra Fontaine, same address. Digital marketing agency.

CHICOPEE

Casa De Adoracion Hay Vida En Jesus, 938 Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Rev. Jose A. Rodriguez, 18 Percy St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Church.

Chicopee Liquor Mart Inc., 110 Wheatland Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. Bharatkumar Patel, same address. Package store and liquor store.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Cali Medspa Inc., 294 North Main St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Antigone Panidis, same address. Aesthetic services.

Modern Creative Contractor Inc., 61 Colony Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Talal Mhanna, same address. Building, remodeling, and home improvement.

EASTHAMPTON

Hometown Financial Acquisition Corp., 36 Main St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Matthew S. Sosik, same address. Investments and acquisitions.

HADLEY

Tranquil Spirits Acupuncture Inc., 132 Bay Road, Hadley, MA 01035. Debra Rusenko, same address. Acupuncture.

HOLYOKE

Compass Church Holyoke Inc., 41 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Rev. Merlly D. Otero, 3 Didonato Ave., Dudley, MA 01571. Church.

SOUTH HADLEY

Cytopirate Inc., 6 Greenacre Road, South Hadley, MA 01075. Richard Charles Noble, 150 Hillside Road, Unit 12, Westfield, MA 01085. Lab space.

Floki Inc., 30 Saybrook Circle, South Hadley, MA 01075. Shawn G. Mitchell, same address. Real estate.

SPRINGFIELD

Allen Law, P.C., 1500 Main St., Suite 1506, Springfield, MA 01115. Johnathan H. Allen, same address. Law office.

Brooklyn 28 Inc., 1383 Liberty St., Springfield, MA 01104. Altan Ihas, 329 Miller St. Ludlow, MA 01056. Pizza restaurant.

Burgos Trucking Corp., 24 Delaware Ave., Springfield, MA 01119. Ramon E. Burgos, same address. Trucking.

Doing Business as Certificates

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of April 2022. (Filings are limited due to closures or reduced staffing hours at municipal offices due to COVID-19 restrictions).

HADLEY

Agni Institute
97 Mt. Warner
Kerry Kelley

Allard’s Farm
41 South Maple St.
Wayne Goulet

Ananda Yoga
41 Russell St.
Justine Budhram

Awakened Hearts Healing Arts
245 Russell St., 22
Asherah Allen

Bloom Media
233 Bay Road
Lucy Abbott

Boisvert Farm, LLC
70 Lawrence Place Road
John Boisvert Jr.

Born-Digital
84 Russell St.
Noah Smith

Carr’s Ciderhouse
295 River Dr.
Nicole Blum

Davis Wellness
245 Russell St., 15
Julia Davis

E.A.T. Honey
9 Cemetery Road
Emily Focosi

Embodied Chiropractic
226 Russell St.
Brenna Werme

Fort River Farm
102 Mill Valley Road
Gordan Smith

Green Insurance
195 Russell St., B8
Rick Green

Hadleaf Cannabis
251 Russell St.
Hadleaf Holistic Greens, LLC

Hadley Nail Spa
207 Russell St.
Orchid Nguyen

Hutch Productions
10 Edgewood Ter.
Thomas Hutchings

Jekanowski Farm
38 Roosevelt St.
Kevin Jekanowski

Joe Czajkowski Farm LLC
86 Comins Road
Joe Czajkowski

Many Graces, LLC
15 Lawrence Place
Rebecca Maillet

Norwottuck Crossfit
200 Russell St.
Gymrob, LLC

Pipczynski Farm
22 East St.
Dennis Pipczynski

Purele Waxing Salon Corp.
207 Russell St.
Purnima Relekar

Quantal Research
97 Mt. Warner
Agni Institute

River Valley Bodyworks Inc.
8 Goffe St., B
Bryan Clarke

River Valley Irrigation
57 Bay Road
Eric LaBrecquec

Rustic Flags by Wedge
7 Laural Dr.
David Bertera

Spectra Venue
200 Commonwealth
Erin Sweeney

TLValle Woodworking
15 Bristol Lane
Thomas Valle

Trival Matters
16 Hadley Place
Eileen Keegan

SOUTHWICK

Dan’s Construction
49 Hastings Road
Daniel Denoncourt

Dave’s Specialty Sawing LLC
49 John Mason Road
Denis St. Denis

Glow Spray Tanning
21 Matthews Road
Lauri Scott-Smith

Lake Life 101
101 Point Grove Road
Jennifer Nolasco

OFC Enterprises
2 Sterrett Dr.
Robert Deburro

OTR International Inc.
9 Dairy Lane
David Bishop

Perfectly K Boutique
29 Lauren Lane
Karina Yarrows

Bankruptcies

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Bankruptcies

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

Alfarone, Alessandra M.
19 Oakwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2022

Boyle, Shawn
Boyle, Lisa Marie
44 North St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/11/2022

Brown, Donna M.
16 Lawndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/11/2022

Cassavant, Eric Hodgdon
Cassavant, Charlene L.
a/k/a Cachat, Charlene
381 Springside Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/12/2022

Clark, Denise L.
a/k/a Desrochers, Denise
42 Robinridge Road
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/11/2022

Dahrouj, Nicole L.
22 Farquhar Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2022

Desreuisseau, Rick Allen
Desreuisseau, Shenikah Tenay
369 Unity Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2022

Frodema, Kristen A.
593 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/13/2022

Gagne, Sarah A.
2140 Palmer Road
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/04/2022

Grifoni, William J.
255 South Main St., Apt. # 2
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/12/2022

Hartwright, Philip
12 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2022

Homann, William Fred
42 Beverly St., Apt. 2
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/11/2022

JK Ryan Trucking, LLC
Lane, Jarrad D.
6 Homer Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2022

Melendez, Brenda Marie
73 Phillipston Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/08/2022

Notre, Rebecca A.
168 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2022

Parent, Alisha C.
22 Adams St., Apt. 2
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/13/2022

Puza, Carol Anne
1694 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/08/2022

Tatro, Malissa L.
177 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/11/2022

Tavares, Maria G.
340 Holyoke St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/12/2022

Tovet, Ralph J.
Tovet, Cynthia L.
a/k/a Montville, Cynthia Louise
623 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/01/2022

Watson, Debra L
17 Dartmouth St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/31/2022

Zayas, Nathan M.
49 Riverboat Village Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2022

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

Beldingville Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $293,333
Buyer: Wesley Rosner
Seller: Beth Manning
Date: 04/08/22

553 Bellus Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $293,333
Buyer: Wesley Rosner
Seller: Beth Manning
Date: 04/08/22

222 Brattleboro Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: Katharine Bak
Seller: Meredith C. Kern
Date: 04/12/22

136 Buckland Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: Whitney A. Retallic
Seller: Pioneer Valley Redevelopment LLC
Date: 04/14/22

BUCKLAND

3 Union St.
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $231,500
Buyer: Joseph Kopera
Seller: Jonathan Magee
Date: 04/08/22

COLRAIN

14 Main Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jason D. Hubert
Seller: Gary L. Root
Date: 04/15/22

CONWAY

367 Hoosac Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Jaimie A. Colica-Ekness
Seller: Christina G. Salgo
Date: 04/04/22

DEERFIELD

26 Eastern Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Bruce J. Pacyna
Seller: Janet Carroll
Date: 04/14/22

32 South Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Tracy L. Keyes
Seller: Powers, Terence E., (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

GREENFIELD

97 Franklin St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $432,850
Buyer: Nathaniel A. Cox
Seller: James Vanhouten
Date: 04/04/22

74 Crescent St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $427,000
Buyer: Laura Townes
Seller: Julie P. Britton
Date: 04/12/22

12 Oak Ridge Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Despina E. Hoffman
Seller: Jason D. Hubert
Date: 04/15/22

6 Power Court
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Carolyn Gargone
Seller: Danica Phelps
Date: 04/12/22

123 Verde Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Alan Distasio
Seller: Greenfield KMW LLC
Date: 04/14/22

179-181 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: MHE Properties LLC
Seller: Christopher Green
Date: 04/07/22

LEVERETT

20 Cushman Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $372,200
Buyer: Henry E. Whitlock
Seller: Chester D. Cramer
Date: 04/15/22

18 Richardson Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Chad Williams
Seller: Richard K. Williams
Date: 04/12/22

MONTAGUE

11 Country Club Lane
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Patricia A. Bryant
Seller: Karbon FT
Date: 04/06/22

4 Henry Ave.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Vicki A. Vincent
Seller: Tammy S. Blair
Date: 04/04/22

470 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Caitlin A. Hart
Seller: Tammy R. Sachse
Date: 04/15/22

55 Montague St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Heather L. Creek
Seller: Joseph A. Tomaus
Date: 04/14/22

NORTHFIELD

12 North Lane
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Grace M. Jost
Seller: Thomas Aquinas College
Date: 04/04/22

ORANGE

5 Kelton St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Kaitlyn Burnham
Seller: Pashek, Alexandra, (Estate)
Date: 04/14/22

36 Summit St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Ambar K. Ortiz
Seller: AGT Homes LLC
Date: 04/06/22

21 Winter St.
Orange, MA 01331
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Liliana Calvo
Seller: Oakland Development Co. LLC
Date: 04/15/22

SHELBURNE

355 Mohawk Trail
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Shelburne Farm & Garden LLC
Seller: Patricia S. Schmidt
Date: 04/08/22

SHUTESBURY

260 Leverett Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $346,500
Buyer: Lucas M. Notarangelo
Seller: Lynda M. Hicks
Date: 04/13/22

WHATELY

222 River Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Melanie A. Rivers
Seller: Mary K. Nicoll
Date: 04/05/22

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

26 Arnold St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Nageh Shenouda
Seller: Goudreau, Donald F., (Estate)
Date: 04/13/22

19 Brookline Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Tracy Tavares
Seller: Taylor N. Hartmann
Date: 04/07/22

59 General Abrams Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $27,617,379
Buyer: PM US Owner LLC
Seller: CGI MFG Real Estate LLC
Date: 04/14/22

79 General Abrams Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $27,617,379
Buyer: PM US Owner LLC
Seller: CGI MFG Real Estate LLC
Date: 04/14/22

99 General Abrams Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $27,617,379
Buyer: PM US Owner LLC
Seller: CGI MFG Real Estate LLC
Date: 04/14/22

27 High Meadow Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Wayne A. Krupa
Seller: Jeremy A. Casey
Date: 04/14/22

45 Mallard Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Aixa Correa-Calderon
Seller: Eva Rizzaro-Reyes
Date: 04/12/22

220 Maynard St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $423,000
Buyer: John E. Curtin
Seller: Karen L. Gales
Date: 04/04/22

27 Merrill Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Rick Giroux
Seller: William C. Barker
Date: 04/07/22

660 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Tedeschi Properties LLC
Seller: Charlotte R. Sulborski
Date: 04/15/22

1012 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Bilal Chaudhery
Seller: Paul Menard
Date: 04/07/22

164-194 South St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: 401 Liberty Street LLC
Seller: 194 South Street LP
Date: 04/04/22

938 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Suffield St. Holdings LLC
Seller: Leyden Realty LLC
Date: 04/11/22

952 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Suffield St Holdings LLC
Seller: Judith D. Asselin
Date: 04/11/22

30 Tom St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/13/22

BRIMFIELD

61 Apple Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $473,300
Buyer: Timothy M. Ryan
Seller: K&M Inc.
Date: 04/14/22

CHICOPEE

20 Alvord Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Alycar Investments LLC
Seller: BD Asset Co. 5 LLC
Date: 04/15/22

37 Basil Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Alan R. Blankenship
Seller: Alan C. Blankenship
Date: 04/11/22

Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Pride Stores LLC
Seller: Pride LP
Date: 04/15/22

108 Champagne Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Michael Durgin
Seller: Joseph F. Fairbanks
Date: 04/06/22

278 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $338,000
Buyer: Omayra Rodriguez-Ortiz
Seller: Andrew N. Suarez
Date: 04/15/22

13 Hamilton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Jonathan Peloquin
Seller: David J. Walker
Date: 04/08/22

26 Laclede Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Michele Boone
Seller: Marijean Gamache
Date: 04/05/22

1 Leary Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Angel L. Rosa
Seller: Shirley J. Thurston
Date: 04/06/22

43 Lorimer St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Melanie Fredette
Seller: Linda M. McCarthy
Date: 04/05/22

66 Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Zucco Estates LLC
Seller: Cebula Electronics Corp.
Date: 04/06/22

91 Marcelle St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $236,050
Buyer: Hollie L. Rabida
Seller: Sarah Jasinski-Wodecki
Date: 04/04/22

58 McCarthy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Andrew Hernandez
Seller: Catherine A. Cox
Date: 04/08/22

896 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Zahraa Abdullah
Seller: Cheryl I. Kaye
Date: 04/08/22

74 Pondview Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Lance Sciarretta
Seller: Lee-Ann E. Guyott
Date: 04/04/22

89 Robak Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Miguel Garces
Seller: Keith N. McDonald
Date: 04/15/22

69 Shepherd St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: George Estrada
Seller: Kaitlin D. Ryan
Date: 04/15/22

52 Simonich St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Robert L. Scribner
Seller: Luke LLC
Date: 04/06/22

107 Skeele St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Daniel Cargile
Seller: Boisvert, Robert A., (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

139 Skeele St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Tavernier Investments LLC
Seller: Lenin Diaz
Date: 04/11/22

100 Stebbins St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Gabriel Martinez
Seller: Grzelak, Marie, (Estate)
Date: 04/06/22

55 Stedman St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Josefina Sanchez-Rosario
Seller: Magali Rivera
Date: 04/08/22

128 Sunnymeade Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Western Mass. Training Consortium
Seller: Alycar Investments LLC
Date: 04/08/22

22 Yale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Cameron Danalis
Seller: Anne C. Savage
Date: 04/15/22

EAST LONGMEADOW

8 Boulder St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01108
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Joanna K. Bodnar
Seller: Normand F. Cormier
Date: 04/11/22

509 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Samuel Brodeur
Seller: Williams, Maria L., (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

64 Euclid Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Murhab E. Tamura
Seller: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Date: 04/11/22

38 Evergreen Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Anthony Bracci
Seller: Jennifer A. Silvestri
Date: 04/15/22

159 Gates Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $319,300
Buyer: John Perenick
Seller: Marilyn E. Schweitzer
Date: 04/15/22

82 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Quercus Properties LLC
Seller: Lori A. Hebert
Date: 04/04/22

620 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Dickinson
Seller: Robert F. Spellman
Date: 04/06/22

71 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Kennedy Acquisitions LLC
Seller: Tallage Lincoln LLC
Date: 04/08/22

GRANVILLE

McCarthy Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Erik C. Pedersen
Seller: Marc Pereira
Date: 04/05/22

HOLLAND

58 North Wales Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Susan Smith
Seller: Paul M. Gillis
Date: 04/15/22

HOLYOKE

165 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Maria J. Cosme-Velez
Seller: Albert E. Paone
Date: 04/07/22

850 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Jean Dorsainvil
Seller: Maria M. Mercedes
Date: 04/08/22

67 Fairmont St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Gladys Vasquez
Seller: Gorecki, Emily M., (Estate)
Date: 04/13/22

966 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Juan E. Hernandez
Seller: Paul E. Bessette
Date: 04/13/22

172 Michigan Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Melinda S. Darling
Seller: Bruce M. Pare
Date: 04/13/22

1745 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,435,000
Buyer: Rialto ID At N. 50 LLC
Seller: Orion Pro Friend KP LLC
Date: 04/06/22

180 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jonathan Rivera-Melendez
Seller: Caroline Lopez
Date: 04/08/22

605 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Julio Maldonado
Seller: Carlos F. Colon
Date: 04/11/22

80 South Bay State Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,500
Buyer: John R. Copen
Seller: Joel M. Bierwert
Date: 04/13/22

20 Valley Heights
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Joseph R. Fosberg
Seller: Harand, Stefan, (Estate)
Date: 04/14/22

445 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Janira Rodriguez
Seller: Jane C. Chevalier
Date: 04/15/22

LONGMEADOW

55 Morningside Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Shawn B. Schrager
Seller: Marilynn W. Smith
Date: 04/15/22

27 Woodlawn Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Travis R. Crosby
Seller: James M. Maroney
Date: 04/04/22

LUDLOW

848 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Dalton Allard
Seller: Ross J. Dominique
Date: 04/14/22

124 Highland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Daniel Cabido
Seller: Thomas E. Fournier
Date: 04/08/22

83 Hubbard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Nicholas Sawicki
Seller: David Summers
Date: 04/14/22

46 Jerad Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Erin M. Valencik
Seller: Marybeth M. Bolduc
Date: 04/14/22

23 Karen Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Neftali Gonzalez
Seller: Hawrylciw, Peter, (Estate)
Date: 04/12/22

125 Letendre Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Carolyne C. Pereira
Seller: Sergio Pereira
Date: 04/11/22

39 Main Blvd.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Melissa Densmore
Seller: Jeffrey W. Balding
Date: 04/13/22

20 Maple St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Julian A. White
Seller: Basile Realty LLC
Date: 04/08/22

12 Pleasantview St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Peter Kratimenos
Seller: Crissey, Ellen J., (Estate)
Date: 04/13/22

415 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Jose A. Salvador
Seller: Maria H. Fernandes
Date: 04/15/22

MONSON

369 Cedar Swamp Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Frank W. Hull
Seller: Wayne Zbierski
Date: 04/13/22

PALMER

140 3 Rivers Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $369,900
Buyer: Christine Johnson
Seller: William R. Baird
Date: 04/11/22

145 Boston Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Robert C. McNabb
Seller: Craig A. Dahlquist
Date: 04/11/22

251 Boston Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Zacharias Fragkiadakis
Seller: Adam L. Norton
Date: 04/15/22

1210 Calkins Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Brian Morgan
Seller: Thomas P. Marum
Date: 04/15/22

19 Colonial St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $450,019
Buyer: Kimberly Cantino
Seller: Lauren Meister
Date: 04/15/22

83 Fairview St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Amanda Szidat
Seller: Karen J. White
Date: 04/13/22

15 Lathrop St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: 15 Lathrop Street LLC
Seller: Hollie L. Rabida
Date: 04/04/22

1257 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Victor M. Gomes
Seller: Weihua Zeng
Date: 04/04/22

1245-1247 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Gayle Suzor
Seller: Paul K. Curry
Date: 04/14/22

458 Springfield St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Valerie Baldwin
Seller: Robert J. Vanzandt
Date: 04/06/22

364 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Rapid Home Improvements Inc.
Seller: Joseph H. Staniszewski
Date: 04/14/22

RUSSELL

4 Park St.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Sean J. Zielinski
Seller: Daniel Albano
Date: 04/12/22

SPRINGFIELD

945 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Mathew Sartori
Seller: NKZ Realty Inc.
Date: 04/05/22

18-20 Alsace St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Anthony R. Hiller
Seller: Dismuke, William T., (Estate)
Date: 04/04/22

18 Arliss St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $328,000
Buyer: Michael J. Rosado-Sanchez
Seller: Jacqueline Camacho
Date: 04/14/22

210 Atwater Road
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Colin Corridan
Seller: Michael A. Fenton
Date: 04/08/22

42-46 Baldwin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Karl P. Baxter
Seller: Jean Tailleur
Date: 04/13/22

25 Bellwood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Alisha G. Jones
Seller: Kaylene A. Turgeon
Date: 04/13/22

66-68 Berkshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Eddie C. Tsang
Seller: Czeslaw Kierkla
Date: 04/12/22

23 Bither St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Carlos J. Rosario
Seller: Viet N. Nguyen
Date: 04/11/22

35 Blanding St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Yolanda Guerra
Seller: Elizabeth Rivera
Date: 04/08/22

1090 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $950,000
Buyer: 1090 Boston Road Inc.
Seller: Ann S. Tranghese
Date: 04/06/22

167 Bridle Path Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Parent
Seller: Janet Surniak
Date: 04/14/22

55 Burton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Victor M. Rivera
Seller: Aaron W. Czub
Date: 04/12/22

1261-1263 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $311,000
Buyer: Bryan O. Beltran
Seller: Elisana Rubiera
Date: 04/11/22

1283 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $142,700
Buyer: Phoenix Development Inc.
Seller: Harold R. Belhumeur
Date: 04/08/22

157 Chapin Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Sebastian Jimenez
Seller: Marta Mendre
Date: 04/11/22

188 Cherokee Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Andy Solivan
Seller: Tavia Jones
Date: 04/04/22

117 Cloran St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Sidy Dione
Seller: Prime Partners LLC
Date: 04/06/22

238-240 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Samuel K. Asante
Seller: Kwaku A. Yeboah
Date: 04/08/22

262-264 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Carlos Feliciano
Seller: Danieli, Vincent R., (Estate)
Date: 04/05/22

68-70 Cortland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: John Espinoza
Seller: Pioneer Housing LLC
Date: 04/08/22

54 Delaware Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Eduardo Felix
Seller: Eulogio T. Felix
Date: 04/08/22

71 Dorset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Cody E. Zuidema
Seller: Victoria Mancheno
Date: 04/14/22

47-49 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Lilinet Ortiz-Rivera
Seller: Aita Gajmer
Date: 04/15/22

39 East Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Denis Diaz
Seller: Kristen Orr-Westbrook
Date: 04/08/22

40 East Hooker St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Yonny A. Gonzalez
Seller: Ramon A. Nunez
Date: 04/08/22

63 Eckington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Steven P. Gill
Seller: Peta-Gaye Y. Ewans-Porter
Date: 04/13/22

59 Fairfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Tavia Jones
Seller: Daniel E. Garfield
Date: 04/04/22

41-43 Fenwick St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Emtay Inc.
Seller: Willie Sam
Date: 04/14/22

77 Fisher St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Luz N. Rivera-Alicea
Seller: Rosany Santiago
Date: 04/05/22

57 Fresno St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Rafael L. Bermudez
Seller: Jankiewicz, Edward D., (Estate)
Date: 04/08/22

55 Gatewood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Irma Calvillo
Seller: Joseph M. Santaniello
Date: 04/06/22

224 Gifford St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jose S. Santana
Seller: Frank J. Fortune
Date: 04/15/22

171 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Mirna L. Nieves
Seller: Daniel Cabido
Date: 04/08/22

173 Hampden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Angel Avilez
Seller: Tara A. Juzba
Date: 04/08/22

44 Holy Cross St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Francisco Lopez-Ortega
Seller: Stacie M. Coulombe
Date: 04/15/22

74 Huron St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Property Advantage Inc.
Seller: Jamie M. Hruby
Date: 04/07/22

34 Ina St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Betty B. Rodriguez
Seller: Elizabeth Rivera
Date: 04/12/22

58 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Marcos Decarvalho
Seller: Sarah Stoddard
Date: 04/12/22

72 Kipling St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Manuel M. Rodriguez
Seller: Lynda Marotte
Date: 04/15/22

7-9 Kosciusko St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Millicent Lardi-Frimpong
Seller: Frances I. Rivera-Reyes
Date: 04/05/22

15 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Luis A. Nunez-Fox
Seller: Javier Hernandez
Date: 04/05/22

63 Langdon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $245,999
Buyer: Neiman Jenkins
Seller: Rosinski Realty Inc.
Date: 04/07/22

160 Laurelton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Crismary Lorenzo
Seller: Nres LLC
Date: 04/08/22

57-59 Lester St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Edwin A. Contreras
Seller: Jose Z. Hernandez
Date: 04/15/22

57-59 Leyfred Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: C. M. Merejildo-Almonte
Seller: Chad Lynch
Date: 04/04/22

18-20 Longfellow Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $336,500
Buyer: Frederic Julien
Seller: Ramesh Gajmer
Date: 04/08/22

39 Ludlow Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Rafi Jerez
Seller: Peter G. Joanides
Date: 04/15/22

41 Manitoba St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Othneil S. Marsh
Seller: David Kachinkis
Date: 04/14/22

32 Martha St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $311,000
Buyer: Edward P. Medina
Seller: Neftali Rivera
Date: 04/08/22

87 Melville St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Javier Hernandez
Seller: Joejoe Properties LLC
Date: 04/05/22

67 Middlebrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Justin H. Moloney
Seller: Paige Schafer
Date: 04/11/22

70 Nagle St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Timothy D. Doak
Seller: MS Homes LLC
Date: 04/14/22

596-598 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Joejoe Properties LLC
Seller: Richard A. Femmel
Date: 04/14/22

229 Norfolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Jessica Barber
Seller: Mullen, Shirley M., (Estate)
Date: 04/06/22

139 Odion St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jill M. Humiston
Seller: Dhanya RE Holdings LLC
Date: 04/04/22

27 Ogden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Eddie Rivera
Seller: Luz N. Colon
Date: 04/07/22

1239 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: William Rios-Rivera
Seller: Omayra Rodriguez-Ortiz
Date: 04/15/22

30 Palmer Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Brigett N. Torres
Seller: Antonio Henriquez
Date: 04/15/22

144 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Miosotis Hernandez
Seller: Lilinet Ortiz-Rivera
Date: 04/15/22

1201-1219 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $4,289,500
Buyer: OM Parker St. Plaza LLC
Seller: Sims Enterprises LLC
Date: 04/07/22

72 Pheland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jens Martinez
Seller: Marco Scibeli
Date: 04/08/22

71 Phoenix Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Juan Febus-Morales
Seller: Lorenzo Vasquez
Date: 04/07/22

860 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Garry E. Cooter
Seller: Daniel T. Sullivan
Date: 04/04/22

8 Quentin Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Amy E. Twining
Seller: Twining, Geraldine A., (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

125 Ramblewood Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $353,000
Buyer: Sean D. Halbrook
Seller: Carole Cross
Date: 04/14/22

29 Rhinebeck Ave.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Autumn R. Perry
Seller: Tamme J. McKiernan
Date: 04/12/22

62-64 Rifle St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Jeremiah Sampson
Seller: Sadia Kausar
Date: 04/06/22

230 Saint James Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Primitiva Lopez
Seller: Orlando Caban
Date: 04/13/22

796 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Melainie Alvarado
Seller: Mark A. Boucher
Date: 04/08/22

10 Saint Lawrence Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Nicole Gryszowka
Seller: Leslie Brunelle
Date: 04/12/22

78 Scarsdale Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Emily M. Miele
Seller: Doris G. Lowrie
Date: 04/12/22

258 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Joejoe Properties LLC
Seller: Celia B. Rougellis
Date: 04/15/22

7 Snowden St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Jorge Caldero
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 04/14/22

233 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Noreen Roy
Seller: Jacqueline Allder
Date: 04/12/22

57-59 Suffolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: NRES LLC
Seller: 57 & 58 Suffolk St. Realty
Date: 04/08/22

11 Superior Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Edward K. Wiafe
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 04/11/22

34 Superior Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Camacho
Seller: Dianne Poole
Date: 04/13/22

146 Temby St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Denis
Seller: Humboldt Realty LLC
Date: 04/08/22

85 Thompson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Juliana Santiago-Lopez
Seller: 83 Thompson Street LLC
Date: 04/08/22

107 Thompson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Yolimar Torres
Seller: Emanuel Correa-Cruz
Date: 04/08/22

103 West Crystal Brook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Duc T. Le
Seller: Yuliya Saykina
Date: 04/12/22

17 Washington Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $341,000
Buyer: Jeremy Rodriguez
Seller: Jeffrey Mitchell
Date: 04/13/22

92 Wayne St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jamie E. Pimentel
Seller: Joseph S. Kellner
Date: 04/11/22

145 Wildwood Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $341,000
Buyer: Errolique Z. Lord
Seller: Jonathan Barnhart
Date: 04/11/22

82 Wilson St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Dontavian M. Gladden
Seller: Allen Rosario
Date: 04/14/22

19-21 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: RRM Homes LLC
Seller: Marcus Wannamaker
Date: 04/15/22

SOUTHWICK

809 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Procon Group LLC
Seller: 809 College Highway LLC
Date: 04/12/22

3 Honeybird Run
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Amitkumar Patel
Seller: Hamelin Framing Inc.
Date: 04/07/22

203 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Laura Ronghi
Seller: Morrill, Ruth R., (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

56 Sunnyside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Chris R. Rolandini
Seller: Luke Paull
Date: 04/15/22

TOLLAND

136 Woods Lane
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jacqueline M. Guzman
Seller: Evelyn M. Andrejczyk
Date: 04/13/22

WALES

2 Cordially Colony
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Brian Person
Seller: Eugene Tosetti
Date: 04/13/22

10 Sichols Colony Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Joel McGrath
Seller: Walter Carlson
Date: 04/13/22

WEST SPRINGFIELD

446 Birnie Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Daniel Carthon
Seller: David J. Holman
Date: 04/07/22

502 Birnie Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Torry Gajda
Seller: Ziad Hannoush
Date: 04/15/22

168 Chestnut St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Nicole Pousland
Seller: James P. Foley
Date: 04/06/22

69 Day St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Cornerstone Homebuying LLC
Seller: William A. Bushey
Date: 04/05/22

56 Exposition Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Melanie M. Nunez
Seller: Revitalized Renovations
Date: 04/15/22

65 Exposition Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Aga Realty LLC
Seller: S&K Properties LLC
Date: 04/08/22

29-31 Irving St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Luis Gonzalez
Seller: AJN Rentals LLC
Date: 04/07/22

36 Irving St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Saida Dzhalalova
Seller: Julio C. Maldonado
Date: 04/11/22

28-30 Moseley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Padam Gajmer
Seller: Ishora Adhikari
Date: 04/06/22

1468 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Craig M. Anderson
Seller: Robert A. Lamirande
Date: 04/04/22

72 Roseland Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $311,000
Buyer: Dadhi Adhikari
Seller: Bhakta Khadka
Date: 04/06/22

758 Union St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Anatoliy Shvetsov
Seller: Kelly, George A., (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

52 Upper Beverly Hills
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $343,500
Buyer: Patrick J. Burns
Seller: David K. Roberts
Date: 04/14/22

WESTFIELD

147 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Kristine M. Cook
Seller: Ryan C. Dunphy
Date: 04/14/22

96 Broadway
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Andrew P. Mondry
Seller: Gavin, Rosemary A., (Estate)
Date: 04/05/22

866 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $301,500
Buyer: Joseph W. Marcoux
Seller: Wayne A. Krupa
Date: 04/14/22

1342 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Michael P. Dupuis
Seller: Janik, John J., (Estate)
Date: 04/08/22

1840 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Mary-Elizabeth S. Fox
Seller: Paul P. Wellspeak
Date: 04/14/22

25 Ely St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Northern Studio LLC
Seller: Williams, David J., (Estate)
Date: 04/08/22

2 Fowler Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,500
Buyer: Glenn Korostynski
Seller: USA VA
Date: 04/05/22

11 Grove Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $354,000
Buyer: Ross MacAdam
Seller: Yurii Chmut
Date: 04/12/22

6 Jefferson St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Hector M. Rios
Seller: Ricky L. Disanto
Date: 04/06/22

33 Leaview Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $446,000
Buyer: John D. Jasiewicz
Seller: Sherry M. Ferrier
Date: 04/15/22

32 Margerie St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Alycar Investments LLC
Seller: Robert E. Tuttle
Date: 04/11/22

143 Meadow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Padam Gajmer
Seller: Jit Naubhag
Date: 04/06/22

23 Noble Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Susan L. Petrucelli
Seller: Ciro L. Petrucelli
Date: 04/08/22

14 Parker Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Mechanic Man LLC
Seller: J&F Management LLP
Date: 04/04/22

1071 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Doug Fuller
Seller: Hickson, Mary Rose K., (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

101 Springdale Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $2,000,000
Buyer: 101 Springdale LLC
Seller: Tova Realty Corp.
Date: 04/08/22

100 Susan Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $400,100
Buyer: Ryan Dunphy
Seller: Kristyn S. Hurley
Date: 04/14/22

WILBRAHAM

24 Grassy Meadow Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $230,100
Buyer: Sareen Properties LLC
Seller: Bruce A. Williams
Date: 04/05/22

48 Shirley St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Yue Ho
Seller: Gerard A. Desjardins
Date: 04/12/22

404 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Ann F. Howell
Seller: Kate A. Gaw
Date: 04/14/22

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

107 High Point Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $720,000
Buyer: Frederick Civian
Seller: Sandra L. Petersen RET
Date: 04/08/22

25 Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $522,000
Buyer: Brett J. Butler
Seller: Monique M. Hillen
Date: 04/14/22

106 Logtown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Amherst Community Land Trust Inc.
Seller: Ruth V. Hazzard
Date: 04/15/22

35 Morgan Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $524,900
Buyer: Robert A. Carleo
Seller: Bornstein, Barbara L., (Estate)
Date: 04/11/22

74 North Whitney St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $687,502
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Mariaelena Garcia
Date: 04/07/22

1581 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,075,581
Buyer: L. Beth Perlbinder RET
Seller: Martin J. Miller
Date: 04/15/22

39 Summerfield Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $677,000
Buyer: Emma Simmons
Seller: Gail J. Lansky
Date: 04/13/22

BELCHERTOWN

55 Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01009
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: 55 Main Project LLC
Seller: Collective Copies Inc.
Date: 04/04/22

429 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Sarah Hilburn-Crapps
Seller: Raymond G. Thomas
Date: 04/11/22

290 Rockrimmon St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Justin A. Srodulski
Seller: David L. Brosseau
Date: 04/13/22

261 South Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $328,500
Buyer: Devin M. Furtado
Seller: Rudolf Pauls
Date: 04/12/22

297 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $499,900
Buyer: Ryan M. Partridge
Seller: Lauren Paschall
Date: 04/12/22

CHESTERFIELD

24 Bisbee Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Noah Berman
Seller: Thea M. Post
Date: 04/04/22

1 River Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $501,000
Buyer: Charlotte Summers
Seller: Joseph Russo
Date: 04/13/22

CUMMINGTON

768 Berkshire Trail
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: BD Geffin LLC
Seller: Dennis W. Forgea
Date: 04/14/22

EASTHAMPTON

24 Carillon Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Andres Corrada-Emmanuel
Seller: William B. Kerby
Date: 04/08/22

11 Chapman Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Bryan C. Pascoe
Seller: Payne, Peter A. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

42 Hannum Brook Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Wesley Strong
Seller: Deborah L. Grimm
Date: 04/14/22

20 Highland Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Amber Rodgers-Davey
Seller: Alex K. Phakos
Date: 04/14/22

93-R Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $2,200,000
Buyer: Tasty Top Development LLC
Seller: Courtney Easthampton LLC
Date: 04/11/22

GRANBY

153 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Makenzie Dion
Seller: Edwin E. Olmeda
Date: 04/04/22

159 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Chicopee Chestnut LLC
Seller: Janice M. Kovitch
Date: 04/15/22

84 West St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Michael Shields
Seller: Gladysh Capital LLC
Date: 04/15/22

HADLEY

105 Middle St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $539,000
Buyer: Ellen Sale
Seller: G. Christopher Blauvelt
Date: 04/11/22

102 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Robert Thorpe
Seller: Sarah M. Fahey
Date: 04/13/22

15 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Pride Stores LLC
Seller: Pride LP
Date: 04/15/22

41 Shattuck Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Renu Sharma-Gehring
Seller: Chandrakant B. Patel
Date: 04/13/22

117 South Maple St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Seller: Muraski, Nancy A., (Estate)
Date: 04/07/22

HATFIELD

128 Depot Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Mollye A. Maxner
Seller: E. A. Smiarowski RET
Date: 04/08/22

North Hatfield Road, Lot 2
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Omasta Landscaping Inc.
Seller: James M. Motyka
Date: 04/14/22

North Hatfield Road, Lot 3
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Omasta Landscaping Inc.
Seller: James M. Motyka
Date: 04/14/22

North Hatfield Road, Lot 4
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Omasta Landscaping Inc.
Seller: James M. Motyka
Date: 04/14/22

Straits Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: M. A. Wendolowski Farm LLC
Seller: J. P. Regish & T. A. Delaney TR
Date: 04/07/22

HUNTINGTON

46 Worthington Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Anna Footit
Seller: Ryan W. Macrae
Date: 04/14/22

MIDDLEFIELD

9 Alderman Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Farrelly FT
Seller: James, Edward A., (Estate)
Date: 04/04/22

NORTHAMPTON

32 Adare Place
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Eleanor K. Alexader RET
Seller: Nicholas P. Naunton
Date: 04/06/22

Barrett St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $911,600
Buyer: Dead River Co. LLC
Seller: Conway RT
Date: 04/12/22

183 Chestnut St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Carolina Aragon
Seller: Mary F. Lyons
Date: 04/07/22

136 Crescent St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $736,000
Buyer: Matthew C. Malkin
Seller: Thomas Wartenberg RET
Date: 04/05/22

39 Day Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Pioneer Development LLC
Seller: Anne O. Smith
Date: 04/04/22

279 Haydenville Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Barcelona Avenue LLC
Seller: Brian C. Lafond
Date: 04/11/22

75 Higgins Way
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Brittany A. Gaetano
Seller: Naomi Wolf
Date: 04/08/22

29 Industrial Dr.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $2,675,000
Buyer: GPD 29 Industrial Dr. LLC
Seller: 29 Industrial Dr. East LLP
Date: 04/05/22

312 King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $915,000
Buyer: Lake Rentals LLC
Seller: Greco Properties LLP
Date: 04/15/22

316 King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $915,000
Buyer: Lake Rentals LLC
Seller: Greco Properties LLP
Date: 04/15/22

North King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $911,600
Buyer: Dead River Co. LLC
Seller: Conway RT
Date: 04/12/22

39 Overlook Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Emily Stout
Seller: Birdie Properties LLC
Date: 04/13/22

767 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $386,000
Buyer: Galen Hostetter
Seller: Joseph M. Matrishon
Date: 04/15/22

51 Water St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Rondina Acquisitions Corp.
Seller: Robert J. Connelly
Date: 04/13/22

1036 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Matthew Desouza
Seller: P-Tush 1 LLC
Date: 04/13/22

PELHAM

136 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Yiwen Zhu
Seller: Amanda L. Huhmann
Date: 04/08/22

SOUTH HADLEY

19 Charon Ter.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Justin W. Hansen
Seller: Roy J. Sabourin
Date: 04/08/22

412 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Elis Hernandez
Seller: Scott Family Properties LLC
Date: 04/07/22

8 Lyon Green
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: JN Duquette Son Construction Inc.
Seller: Mountain Brook LLC
Date: 04/06/22

1 Marcel St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Perreault
Seller: Lusignan, George R., (Estate)
Date: 04/04/22

171 Pearl St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: James L. Sanner
Seller: Linda M. Paquette
Date: 04/06/22

85 Ridge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Ann M. Soumar
Seller: Fleming, John, (Estate)
Date: 04/15/22

13 The Knolls
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: E&G RT
Seller: Jaime M. Dahlquist
Date: 04/06/22

75 Washington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $326,100
Buyer: Sean T. Laflamme
Seller: Zadkiel RT
Date: 04/15/22

18 Wood Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $445,650
Buyer: Juan Cruz-Rivera
Seller: Lucid Development Inc.
Date: 04/12/22

131 Woodbridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: Roy J. Sabourin
Seller: Marcotte, Bryan A., (Estate)
Date: 04/08/22

SOUTHAMPTON

Gil Farm Road Lot 8
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Giberson Construction Inc.
Seller: GIL Farm Road Estates Inc.
Date: 04/07/22

Gil Farm Road Lot 9
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Giberson Construction Inc.
Seller: GIL Farm Road Estates Inc.
Date: 04/07/22

34 Line St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Eleanor F. Cartelli
Seller: Selina M. Fournier
Date: 04/15/22

WARE

17 Beach Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Christina Diaz
Seller: Gail M. Armstrong
Date: 04/06/22

21 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Allyson Ridz
Seller: Dale A. Shaw
Date: 04/14/22

34 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Lydia M. Crehan
Seller: Patricia A. Pittsley
Date: 04/11/22

261 Malboeuf Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $381,000
Buyer: Alycia L. Robin
Seller: Philip S. Bartholomew
Date: 04/08/22

16 Meadow Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Stephanie L. Henley
Seller: Michael E. Guenette
Date: 04/14/22

32 Monroe St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Samora R. Stephen
Seller: Nicholas Markopoulos
Date: 04/14/22

48 Old Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: David T. Britton
Seller: Tammy L. Salsbury
Date: 04/05/22

29 Prospect St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Vincent A. David
Seller: Scribner Properties LLC
Date: 04/04/22

17 Sherwin St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Blackhorse Builders Inc.
Seller: Home4you LLC
Date: 04/12/22

197 West St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Alexandria T. LLC
Seller: Nikitas G. Karanikis
Date: 04/12/22

WILLIAMSBURG

3 North Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Sarah Nichols
Seller: B. Ferrante Bricker FT
Date: 04/08/22

WESTHAMPTON

23 North Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Jessica R. McKinnon
Seller: Marianne G. Zurn
Date: 04/08/22

WORTHINGTON

734 Huntington Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Adam G. Church
Seller: Robert W. Hooper
Date: 04/08/22

549 Old North Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Tyler Burke
Seller: Travis L. Roberts
Date: 04/08/22

Building Permits

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of April 2022. (Filings are limited due to closures or reduced staffing hours at municipal offices due to COVID-19 restrictions).

CHICOPEE

United Faith Methodist
191 Montcalm St.
$5,000 — Door masonry

LEE

South Lee Assocs. LLC
501 Pleasant St.
$22,500 — Sprinklers

LENOX

Dyer Edward Davis
52 Cliffwood St.
$16,000 — Replace door and install new
window

PITTSFIELD

Lee Bank
180 South Street
N/A — Site and concrete work for new foundation

SPRINGFIELD

Springfield City of Elias Brookings Middle School
433 Walnut St.
$1,309,000 — Install roof mounted solar panels with battery
energy storage system

Giggle Gardens Nursery School
627 State St.
$30,000 — Add 60-foot-long covered canopy to rear of building
for parking lot drop off

Honore LLC
34 Front St.
$11,000 — Interior alterations

FM Holdings LLC
1125 Page Blvd.
$810,366 — Alter 5,000 square feet for new interior office space

Western New England College
1215 Wilbraham Road
$25,294 — Alter 500-square-foot interior

Community Foundation Leader to Step Down from Role

By BusinessWest Staff May 10, 2022

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts announced today that President and CEO Katie Allan Zobel intends to transition out of her role, concluding 17 years of service and a decade-long tenure as executive leader at the foundation.

Zobel will continue to serve in her role while engaged in continued succession planning with the Foundation Trustees through September 2022.

“On behalf of the trustees, I want to express my gratitude for Katie’s many contributions to the Community Foundation and to our community. She has led the organization with passion and a deep commitment to its mission and impactful work,” said Paul Murphy, trustee chair. “Under Katie’s stewardship and with the support of her talented and dedicated team, the foundation’s position as the region’s philanthropy hub has been strengthened by the more than doubling of its assets; the building of strong partnerships with donors, institutional partners, and community leaders; and the nearly doubling of its staff capacity. It is without a doubt that Katie is leaving the foundation stronger than it has ever been, which benefits the communities that it serves throughout Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties.”

Building on the prior accomplishments of the foundation, Zobel has led the foundation through a period of extraordinary innovation, growth, and change. Under her leadership, the foundation launched and directed ValleyGives, which raised more than $10 million through annual one-day, on-line fundraising campaigns for local nonprofits, established new partnerships with state and private philanthropy to expand funding for the region, including the launch of ValleyCreates, a partnership with the Barr Foundation established to support a vibrant arts and creativity sector in western Massachusetts.

The foundation has also supported research on college completion and expanded funding for local colleges and universities through its Western MA Completes initiative. The Community Foundation has distributed more than $13 million through the COVID-19 Response Fund to support community members and nonprofit partners most severely impacted by the pandemic.

“It has been a joy, an honor, and a privilege to serve my community as a member of the CFWM team.  I arrived on a three-month temporary assignment that evolved into an amazing 17-years,” said Zobel. “I have had the great good fortune to be connected deeply to an incredibly generous and caring community that gifted me with countless opportunities to work alongside people determined to make the world a better place.

“I am so proud of what we have built together, how willingly we have supported each other during some of the greatest challenges our communities have experienced, and the promise it holds for our future,” she went on. “It’s been quite an adventure and now it’s time for me to hand over the reins to the foundation’s next leader and seek out my next professional adventure.”

A national search for a successor will commence this month under Murphy’s leadership. Last week the trustees elected the firm Lindauer to launch a national search for Zobel’s successor. Lindauer has substantial experience in placing highly qualified candidates in organizations like the Community Foundation.

HNE Offers $100,000 in Grants for DEIB in Maternal/Infant Health

By BusinessWest Staff May 10, 2022

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Health New England is offering $100,000 in grants for non-profit organizations that address inequities to improve maternal and infant health. The company’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) grants will award up to $10,000 per organization.

The DEIB grants will fund non-profits whose programs address health equity and focus on engaging at least one social determinant of health (SDOH). SDOHs are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that affect health, quality of life, and life expectancy. These may include socioeconomic status, food insecurity, education, access to health care, safe housing, discrimination, violence, and trauma, etc. 

Registered 501(c)(3) non-profits focused on communities in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties are eligible. Eligible organizations can find out more and apply for the grant here. Submissions are due by midnight on May 30.

“Health New England’s Community Health Needs Assessment shows that Black women in Berkshire, Hampden, and Worcester counties are more likely to receive inadequate prenatal care compared to White women. The same holds for Latinas in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Funding programs that reduce barriers in accessing critical prenatal care for Black and Latina women will improve health outcomes for moms and their babies,” said Katie Bruno, Health New England’s Public Health and Wellness Program Manager. 

Health New England, a Baystate Health-owned not-for-profit health plan, continues to invest in the health and well-being of the people in the communities it serves. Over the past four years, Health New England’s grants have provided more than $1.2 million in funding to nonprofits in Western and Central Massachusetts. 

Sears Elected First Vice President of the National Association of REALTORS®

By BusinessWest Staff May 10, 2022

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Kevin M. Sears, AHWD, C2EX, of Springfield, has been elected 2023 first vice president of the National Association of REALTORS®. The election took place at the NAR board of directors meeting.
Sears is a broker/partner of Sears Real Estate, specializing in single-family brokerage and property management. He has served NAR in numerous capacities, including as a president’s liaison in 2019 and as NAR vice president of Government Affairs in 2017.

He has a long history of serving in volunteer leadership positions. He served as the 2010 President of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) and state REALTOR® of the Year in 2006. He has been a member of the MAR Board of Directors since 2000.

The REALTOR® Association of Pioneer Valley (RAPV) elected Sears as president in 2005 and named him REALTOR® of the Year in 2006. He has also served as a Chair of a number of the association’s committees.

Asnuntuck Offers Two Free Courses to High School Students This Summer

By BusinessWest Staff May 10, 2022

Daily News

ENFIELD, Conn. — Asnuntuck Community College is offering area students a free opportunity to enroll in credit courses at the college this summer.

Rising juniors and seniors are encouraged to participate. The college will be offering a four credit MED 133 Clinical Medical Assisting course. It will be hybrid, with classes being offered on Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m., with students also responsible for online learning. It will be offered June 28 through July 29. MED133 offers entry level theory and skills as it pertains to the field of medical assisting. Students will be responsible for the purchase/rental of textbook and the purchase of a stethoscope and blood pressure kit (available for less than $30 online).

The textbook is used for two other courses at Asnuntuck. High school students can consider utilizing Asnuntuck’s free High School Partnership Program to take additional courses in their junior and senior year and utilize the same textbook.

The second course, also offered to rising high school juniors and seniors, will be the three-credit BMG 202 Principles of Management. Students will only need to purchase or rent a used or new textbook for that course. This course, also hybrid, will require students to be on campus on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 p.m. Students will be responsible to do the remainder of their work online. The course will concentrate on the human side of management and case studies will be a major part of the course. It will run from June 29 to July 29.

Contact Julie Cotnoir ([email protected]) for additional information on how to apply.

Free Line-cook Training Course Starts June 6 at HCC 

By BusinessWest Staff May 10, 2022

Daily News

HOLYOKE — This summer, Holyoke Community College will be running a free, one-month, intensive line-cook training course at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute.

The course runs Monday through Friday, June 6 to July 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  

The HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute is located at 164 Race St. in downtown Holyoke. 

The program is designed for those already in the restaurant industry who want to upgrade their skills as well as unemployed or underemployed individuals interested in starting a new career in the restaurant industry. 

“This may be a perfect option for anyone who loves cooking, is thinking about a career as a professional chef, or wants to gain some professional skills in the kitchen,” said HCC assistant project coordinator Maureen McGuinness.

The program is being taught both online and in person at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute. Participants will learn all the essential competencies they need to become successful line cooks: knife skills; how to prepare stocks, soups, sauces, desserts, poultry, fish and meat; culinary math and measurements; moist/dry heat cooking methods; as well as workplace soft skills, such as building a resume and searching for jobs.

Offered as part of HCC’s Business & Workforce Development division, the line-cook course is free to qualifying applicants.

For more information or to register, call (413) 552-2500 or email to [email protected].

Business Confidence Rises in April

By BusinessWest Staff May 9, 2022

Daily News

Massachusetts employers grew more confident again in April, despite an economy slowed by inflation and geopolitical uncertainty during the first quarter.

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index (BCI) gained 0.9 points last month to 58.1. The index has now risen for three consecutive months and sits comfortably within optimistic territory.

The increase reflected strengthening employer views about both the Massachusetts and U.S. economies, even though real GDP declined at an annual rate of 1.4% nationally and an estimated 1.0% in the state during the first quarter of 2022.

The Central Massachusetts Business Confidence Index, conducted with the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, showed Worcester County employers with a 56.9 confidence reading. The North Shore Confidence Index, conducted with the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, was 61.8. 

At the same time, tax collections in Massachusetts were $2 billion more than expected during April, pushing the state at least $3.5 billion ahead of its year-to-date benchmark with just two months left in the fiscal year.

“Massachusetts companies remain optimistic about the sustainability of the economic expansion even amid tightening financial conditions and uncertainties related to COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine,” said Sara L. Johnson, chair of the AIM Board of Economic Advisors. “Every element of the Business Confidence Index was in optimistic territory last month, with the highest reading for employers’ views about the prospects of their own companies.”

The AIM Index, based on a survey of more than 140 Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009.

The constituent indicators that make up the index were mostly higher in April.

The Massachusetts Index assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth jumped 1.7 points to 57.3, down 3.1 points since April 2021. The US Index measuring conditions throughout the country moved into optimistic territory at 53.1, up from 49.9 in March.

Employers are equally bullish about future business conditions and present ones. The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, rose 1.5 points to 58.1. The Future Index, measuring projections for the economy six months from now, gained 0.3 points to 58.0.

The confidence employers have in their own companies declined 0.2 points to 60.0, ending the month 1.6 points lower than in April 2021.

The Manufacturing Index increased 0.7 points to 56.3 for its third consecutive monthly gain. The Manufacturing Index now stands 3.2 points less than a year ago.

Small companies (60.0) were more optimistic than medium-sized companies (57.3) or large companies (56.7).

Alan Clayton-Matthews, Professor Emeritus of Economics and Public Policy at Northeastern University, senior contributing editor, MassBenchmarks and a BEA member, said the state and national economies continued to create jobs during the first quarter of the year.

“Massachusetts payroll employment in the first quarter grew at an annual rate of 5.2 percent, slightly faster than the 4.8% pace for the U.S.,” Clayton-Matthews said.

“Between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 employment increased by 5.3 percent in Massachusetts and 4.6% in the U.S. However, in March 2022, the state remained 2.4% below pre-pandemic payroll employment levels, which peaked in February 2020.”

Retired Assistant Superintendent  Lydia Martinez-Alvarez to Address Graduates at STCC Commencement

By BusinessWest Staff May 9, 2022

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Lydia Martinez-Alvarez, recently retired assistant superintendent for Springfield Public Schools, will serve as the featured speaker at Springfield Technical Community College’s 2022 commencement on June 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center.

The ceremony, which was held virtually over the past two years due to the pandemic, will take place in person for the first time since 2019.

Martinez-Alvarez made history when she became Springfield’s first Latina assistant superintendent in 2012 and has become a role model in the community. Many of STCC’s graduates might see a little bit of themselves in Martinez-Alvarez when she steps up to the podium at the MassMutual Center. STCC is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution, with about 30% of the students identifying as Hispanic.

Martinez-Alvarez served in the school system for 28 years before announcing her retirement earlier this year. She began her teaching career as a substitute and worked her way up in roles throughout the district. She served as assistant principal at the Springfield High School of Science and Technology in 2003 and a year later was named principal at Chestnut Accelerated Middle School.

A product of the public schools, Martinez-Alvarez has strong roots in the Springfield community. Shortly after her retirement announcement in January, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno highlighted her achievements during his proclamation of Jan. 31 as “Lydia Martinez-Alvarez Day.”  She is a strong advocate of education.

Born and raised in Springfield, Martinez-Alvarez served as “Madrina” of the 2016 Springfield Puerto Rican Parade.

Martinez-Alvarez was recognized as a 2019 “Woman of Impact” by BusinessWest for her professional accomplishments and contributions to the greater Springfield community. The award was established to honor women in Western Massachusetts whose contributions have positively influenced the community.

Martinez-Alvarez serves on the Board of Trustees for Westfield State University. She is a graduate of the Westfield State Class of ’86.

She holds a bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Westfield State, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Elms College, and is a doctoral candidate at American International College.

 CAIA to Celebrate 20 Years, New Location

By BusinessWest Staff May 9, 2022

Daily News

AMHERST — The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce announced that Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association will stage a celebration marking its 20th anniversary and new location on May 18.

The open house will begin at 3 p.m. with tours of the new location and opportunity to meet the CAIA team. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served. To assist with planning, RSVP’s are encouraged. Please email: [email protected]

In acknowledgment of the move, Ruth Carolyn, chief operating officer for the CAIA Association said that the new location is the perfect fit for the organization today. “As we celebrate our 20th year as an association, we are delighted to be back in the center of Amherst, where our mission took flight in 2002. It is exciting for us to occupy such a beautiful space in the center of a town, so well-known for its support of community. We will be very proud to welcome members and staff from around the globe to our new headquarters’ location.”

The CAIA Association is a global professional body dedicated to creating greater alignment, transparency, and knowledge for all investors, with a specific emphasis on alternative investments.

“As a chamber, we are honored to celebrate CAIA’s mission and their new move to downtown Amherst along with their 20-year commitment to their roots in Amherst while expanding globally across 100 countries,” said Claudia Pazmany, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. “This is a true example of living locally and thinking globally.”

Senate Passes Work and Family Mobility Act

By BusinessWest Staff May 9, 2022

Daily News

BOSTON — The State Senate recently passed An Act Relative to Work and Family Mobility with a 32-8 vote. The bill would allow Massachusetts residents who lack federal immigration status to apply for a Massachusetts standard driver’s license, the non-REAL ID license. 

“I’m proud that the Senate today passed this long overdue bill to advance justice and provide economic, health, and safety benefits to the Commonwealth,” said Sen. Jo Comerford (D – Northampton). “This bill recognizes the importance of our undocumented immigrant neighbors to our economy and community and states proudly that they deserve safety and dignity. I’m grateful to the many advocates and organizers who have fought for years to make this bill a reality, and to Senator Crighton, Senate President Spilka, and Senate colleagues for legislative leadership on this issue.”

The bill has received widespread support from members of the law enforcement community, advocacy groups, and members of the immigrant community. It proposes strict identity documentation criteria, asking for applicants to present two valid, unexpired identity documents. It makes no change to existing law requiring that all driver’s license applicants prove that they live in the Commonwealth. 

The legislation also includes layered protection for driver information, prohibiting the Massachusetts RMV from keeping records of citizenship or immigration status for standard license holders and applicants. Safeguards are also put in place for voting, above and beyond the existing protections, directing the Registry of Motor Vehicles and Secretary of State to establish procedures to ensure that drivers without lawful immigration status are not erroneously registered to vote.

The bill passed today is nearly identical to the version that passed the House of Representatives earlier this year with a 120-36 vote. The minor differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill will need to be reconciled before the bill is sent to the Governor. 

Western New England University Announces 2022 Commencement Speakers

By BusinessWest Staff May 9, 2022

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNE) announce that on May 21, professional mixed martial artist (MMA) Nick Newell will give the keynote address at the 2022 Undergraduate Commencement ceremony. On May 22, Sheila Barcohana Hollender, a leading authority on women’s issues, environmental health, and sustainability, will provide the keynote address at the 2022 Graduate Commencement ceremony.

University President Dr. Robert E. Johnson will present both Newell and Hollender the Western New England University President’s Medallion at the ceremonies, which will be held at 2 p.m. in the Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center on the University Campus. Established in 2002, the President’s Medallion Award is bestowed upon those who have distinguished themselves in a particular field or in service to an important cause that has benefited society locally, regionally, nationally or internationally. The President’s Medallion also recognizes men and women in a variety of fields who are role models worthy of emulation by all, particularly by our students at Western New England University.

From an early age, Newell accepted the fact that he was born without a left hand and part of his left arm. What he did not accept was a life with limits. He tried many sports growing up, including soccer, baseball, and basketball, and was successful in all of them. But what truly interested Newell was the martial arts. His foray into combat sports was high school wrestling, competing in the 103-pound weight class, where he lost his first 17 bouts. He finished his freshman campaign 2-22. At that point, most people would have quit.

Newell isn’t most people, though, and his sophomore year record was 24-12. In his senior year, he made All-State, and he wrestled for four years at Western New England University, winning matches in six different weight classes and being named team captain twice.

He earned a bachelor of Arts in Communication at WNE in 2008 and worked as a master control operator for the History Channel while training day in and day out for his goal of fighting in mixed martial arts. Newell made his debut in 2009 and eventually left his day job to become a professional MMA fighter. After starting his career 11-0, he has amassed a Now a professional MMA fighter, he has a 16-4 career MMA record, with 10 of his wins occurring in the first round. He’s also the owner and head coach of Fighting Arts Academy (FAA) in Milford, CT.

Newell’s story is now the subject of a movie, Notorious Nick, released by Lionsgate in 2021, which details his hard-fought journey and achievements as a one-handed fighter.

To say Sheila Barcohana Hollender has forged an influential path in the women’s environmental health movement would be an understatement. Following a career as a partner in a New York law firm, she cofounded Seventh Generation, which sells eco-friendly cleaning, paper, and personal care products, with her husband, Jeffrey Hollender. She worked as the director of Giving for Seventh Generation, as well as serving as the company’s women’s environmental health advocate, and helped to innovate and launch its feminine care line of products. Unilever acquired Seventh Generation in 2016.

Along with her husband and daughter, Hollender also cofounded Hollender Sustainable Brands (originally Sustain Natural), a company that developed and marketed Sustain Condoms, the first U.S. brand of condoms certified to be fair-trade, free of chemicals of concern, and sustainably produced. Not only did Sustain integrate social and environmental sustainability into each aspect of the business, but the company also partnered with non-profit organizations to increase awareness of safe sex and women’s reproductive health. Sustain donated 10% of its profits to women’s healthcare organizations. The company was acquired by Grove Collaborative in 2019.

Hollender’s focus on the empowerment of women and girls worldwide has led her to work with organizations that provide women and girls with feminine care products, as well as educate them on the use of condoms to limit their exposure to HIV and STDs and to allow them to make their own decisions related to family planning. She feels that these topics are the most basic tools of empowerment.

She serves on the board of the Stephen Petronio Dance Company. She previously served on the boards of the Breast Cancer Fund and Sustainable Health Enterprises, and the Board of Advisors of Healthy Child Healthy World.

BusinessTalk with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal about the prospects for momentum on east-west rail in the Commonwealth

By BusinessWest Staff May 9, 2022

Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

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

Go HERE to view all episodes

Episode 111: May 9, 2022

Editor George O’Brien talks with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal about the prospects for momentum on east-west rail in the Commonwealth

Editor George O’Brien talks with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal about the prospects for momentum on east-west rail in the Commonwealth. The congressman believes the stars are aligned on this matter, and explains why Gov. Charlie Baker’s endorsement of the project is just another of many pieces now falling into place. It’s all must listening, so join us on BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest in partnership with Living Local and sponsored by PeoplesBank.

Sponsored by:

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bankESB Promotes Three to Vice President

By BusinessWest Staff May 6, 2022

Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB has promoted three of its officers to vice president.

Meagan Barrett has been promoted to vice president, Human Resources. Barrett joined bankESB in 2008 as a human resources assistant. She was promoted to officer in 2016 and to assistant vice president in 2019. Barrett manages a team of six and has responsibility for human resources across the family of banks of Hometown Financial Group, including bankESB, bankHometown, and Abington Bank. Barrett earned the designation of Certified Employee Engagement Specialist and also maintains a Professional in Human Resources certification. She is currently pursuing designations as both senior professional in Human Resources and the Society for Human Resources Management senior certified professional, and also is a member of the HR Advisory Council for Employers Association of the NorthEast (EANE). Barrett is active in the community, volunteering for Easter Seals and as a youth sports coach.

Cara Crochier has been promoted to vice president, Marketing. Crochier joined bankESB as a teller in 2008 and joined the Marketing department the following year. She was promoted to interactive marketing officer in 2015 and to assistant vice president in 2018. Crochier manages a team of four and has overall responsibility for campaign management, advertising agency relations, and all earned and owned media channels across the Hometown Financial Group family of banks. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political communication from Emerson College and the designation of Certified Financial Marketing Professional from the American Bankers Association Bank Marketing School at Emory University. Crochier is active in the community, serving as a board member and clerk for the Children’s Advocacy Center and as a committee member of the New England Financial Marketing Association.

Stacey Tower has been promoted to vice president, Strategic Project Management. Tower joined bankESB in 2001 as a teller and has held various positions in both retail banking and operations prior to joining the information technology/projects team in 2008 as a project coordinator. She was promoted to bank officer in 2014 and currently manages a team of five project managers. Tower earned her bachelor’s degree in leadership and organizational studies from Bay Path University, completed the Graduate School of Banking’s program in technology management last year, and earned the designation Certified Associate in Project Management from the Project Management Institute. She is also a board member of the Lathrop Retirement Community and is a volunteer with the Cutchins Programs for Children and Families.

Springfield Symphony Orchestra Slates ‘Dances of Spring’ for May 13 

By BusinessWest Staff May 6, 2022

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) will stage its next concert, ‘Dances of Spring,’ on May 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Springfield Symphony Hall with guest conductor Mark Russell Smith.

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased on the Springfield Symphony Orchestra website, springfieldsymphony.org/event/dances-of-spring/, or by calling the SSO box office at (413) 733-2291. The box office is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets also include free parking.

Mark Russell Smith will lead the orchestra in Michael Abels’ Liquify, which captures the shifting moods of a great river. Abels is a U.S. composer and producer best known for his scores for the Oscar-winning films Get Out and Us. 

The concert will also feature the dance music of great composers Aaron Copland and Gabriela Lena Frank, with Copland’s Saturday Night Waltz and Frank’s Coquetos, followed by Johannes Brahms’ famous Symphony #1.

“The diversity of the composers we are featuring in our May 13 program will be something to witness — two living composers of non-traditional backgrounds, Abels and Frank, combined with the classic beauty of Copland and Brahms,” said SSO Interim Director Paul Lambert. “It will serve as a wonderful bookend to our 2022 spring concerts as we look forward to planning a new 2022-23 season.”

Smith, who previously served as music director and conductor of the SSO from 1995-2000, is music director and conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. He has worked as director of New Music Projects for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Minnesota, and has also served as music director for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra. Smith Also served as guest conductor for the SSO’s first Spring concert on April 22.

To learn more about the music that will be featured and to purchase tickets, visit the SSO’s website: www.springfieldsymphony.org/event/dances-of-spring/. 

Concert dates for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra’s 2022-23 season will be announced in the near future.

Gary Rome Hyundai to Host 25th Anniversary Reception on May 13

By BusinessWest Staff May 6, 2022

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Gary Rome Hyundai will host a 25th Anniversary celebration event on May 13 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the dealership’s showroom located at 150 Whiting Farms Road in Holyoke. Media is invited to attend.

The evening will include entertainment, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and desserts as well as valet parking service for all guests. Political strategist Anthony Cignoli, President of A.L. Cignoli Company, will emcee the event, and local politicians will present proclamations to Gary Rome, president of Gary Rome Hyundai. The dignitaries will include State Sen. John Velis, State Rep. Patricia Duffy, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, Holyoke city councilors, and Robert O’Koniewski, Executive Vice President of the Mass. State Automobile Dealers Assoc., among others. Executives from Hyundai Motor America will also be in attendance and will be making two charitable donations on Gary Rome Hyundai’s behalf in honor of the dealership’s anniversary. Brandon Ramirez, director, and Michelle Karajelian, manager, of Hyundai’s Corporate Social Responsibility and External Relations division will present a $10,000 check to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and a $5,000 check to Holyoke Community College’s Thrive Food Pantry. Jillian Morgan, director of Philanthropy, and Cheyenne Burnham, Public Engagement manager, both of the Food Bank, will be in attendance to accept their check. From Holyoke Community College, Christina Royal, president, and Amanda Sbriscia, vice president of Institutional Advancement, will be present to accept their check.

“I am beyond grateful that the community has driven with us for 25 years and I am thrilled to celebrate this milestone with everyone on May 13,” said Rome. “As the owner, I receive lots of recognition and many accolades for the dealership’s performance and achievements, but it’s truly the staff at Gary Rome Hyundai that deserves the recognition and accolades; the staff that shows up to work every day and goes above and beyond to make Gary Rome Hyundai the exemplary dealership that it has become over 25 years. I would not be celebrating this milestone without them, and without the support of the Western Mass community. I am most thankful.”

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