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Year: 2023

Whittlesey Dedicates Annual Community Day to Volunteer Efforts

By
Daily News

HARTFORD, Conn. — Whittlesey continued its long‐standing tradition of community service through a range of projects across Western Mass. and Connecticut during its annual Community Day.

For more than a decade, Whittlesey volunteers have stepped away from their desks to participate in various projects that directly affect the communities where they live and work. This year, more than 100 Whittlesey team members collaborated with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, the Bushnell Park Foundation, and the Diaper Bank of Connecticut in a day dedicated to creating positive and tangible impacts within local communities.

At the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, teams engaged in general park clean‐up efforts, including spreading mulch, planting new flower beds, and repairing and painting fences.

“Our commitment to service extends far beyond our professional obligations,” said Drew Andrews, CEO and managing partner at Whittlesey. “We believe in giving back to the communities we are part of, and our annual Community Day is a testament to this belief. We are honored to partner with these remarkable organizations this year and look forward to the impact we can make together.”

Whittlesey’s Community Day is part of a series of initiatives the firm undertakes throughout the year, emphasizing its core belief in the power of community engagement. The firm takes pride in its enduring partnerships with diverse nonprofit organizations and the real‐world impacts they create together.

Market Mentors Celebrates 20 Years with New Branding, Website, Florida Location

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, LLC, the region’s largest marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary with refreshed branding, a streamlined website (marketmentors.com), and a second location in Jupiter, Fla.

A woman-owned business, the agency was established in 2003 by Longmeadow resident Michelle Abdow, who initially focused on media buying for clients throughout New England. After two decades of growth and expansion, Market Mentors is now a fully integrated marketing agency serving clients with global reach.

“This is a major milestone for us, and we wanted to recognize it in an impactful way,” said Abdow, the agency’s president and CEO. “We’ve been busy helping our clients with their branding, marketing, advertising, and websites, and ours took a backseat for too long. We’re excited about the launch of our new look and site, which better represents the work we do and the creative and strategy we are known for.”

With regard to the agency’s second location, Abdow noted, “as our client geography has expanded, it made sense for us to have a second East Coast location. I see great potential in Florida, which boasts the fourth-largest economy in the country. I look forward to continuing to grow our client base here.”

Market Mentors represents regional, national, and international brands and offers all the services its clients need in-house, thanks to a team of generalists and specialists who possess a depth and breadth of experience across the marketing spectrum.

“We connect brands to customers — with unmatched market experience — and have fun doing it,” Abdow said. “Our experts provide valuable communications solutions via strategic marketing and public-relations plans, integrated advertising campaigns, exceptional content creation, data-based media buys, superior creative execution, and skilled website design and development.”

North Adams to Celebrate Third Annual Pride Night on June 23

By
Daily News

NORTH ADAMS — On Friday, June 23, North Adams Pride will host its third annual free celebration for the LGBTQIA+ community and friends at MASS MoCA’s Courtyard A, from 5 to 9:30 p.m., rain or shine.

This year’s event has been built on the momentum of various projects over the last three years while honoring the LGBTQIA+ rights movement: two summer Pride celebrations, an award-winning float at the Fall Foliage Parade, and the first annual 2023 North Lights Ball (sold out).

North Adams Pride has taken additional steps to make the third annual Pride Night celebration diverse, special, and effective. Whereas more than 600 attendees participated in the previous year’s festivities, Pride organizers are ready for more and have planned a night of activities for all ages, including music, dancing, beverages, food to eat, and food for thought.

“I think it’s essential that our North Adams Pride Night celebration is celebratory but also educational and innovative,” said Andrew Fitch, North Adams Pride organizer. “Many hundreds of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been enacted or are under consideration in the United States right now. Queer-themed books are being banned, and life-saving healthcare is being denied to trans people. Our Pride celebration will present a wonderful opportunity to party, but also to learn a little more about how our community can come together to fight for good, and how our community can make changes to build a more inclusive and vibrant North Adams.”

John Tibbetts, North Adams Pride organizer, noted that “North Adams Pride participated at Berkshire Pride in Pittsfield on June 3, and there was excitement from attendees to see we are continuing the festivities in Northern Berkshire county on June 23 at MASS MoCA.”

Alexandra Foradas, curator at MASS MoCA and North Adams Pride co-organizer, added that “we’re thrilled to welcome back the North Adams Pride Night celebration to MASS MoCA for another year. It’s a beautiful celebration of the vibrant LGBTQIA+ community here in North Adams and throughout our region.”

First-ever Developmental Screening Week Co-led by AIC Associate Professor of OT

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Families with young children throughout Massachusetts have taken part in the first-ever community approach to early screening for developmental delays and disabilities.

In April 2023, the Massachusetts Act Early Campaign held the inaugural Massachusetts Developmental Monitoring and Screening Week at more than 30 sites across the Commonwealth, including six in Springfield.

The campaign was designed to generate conversations about child development and increase awareness of the importance of developmental monitoring and screening. The response rate to follow-up surveys indicates approximately 500 children were either screened or completed a developmental-monitoring checklist during the week-long event.

Campaign co-sponsors included United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, Boston’s Children’s Hospital, the state’s Head Start Assoc., and Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition programs. Children who did not pass the screen or developmental-monitoring checklist were referred to their pediatrician and/or Family TIES of Massachusetts. Participating families were also provided with “Learn the Signs. Act Early” informational pamphlets.

The screening week was co-led by American International College Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy Kate Barlow and Carla Therriault from United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Barlow has been serving as the Act Early ambassador for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 2019.

Massachusetts Act Early aims to educate parents and professionals about healthy childhood development, early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders, the importance of routine developmental monitoring and screening, and timely early intervention whenever there is a concern. To identify children with delays, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends developmental screenings be conducted at pediatric wellness visits for infants and toddlers.

However, Barlow said, “more than half of the children who need early-intervention services are not receiving them, which is why developmental monitoring and screening in the community are so important. Early-intervention services are free to families in Massachusetts, yet families do not have access.”

Barlow calls the screening events especially timely given the release of the Massachusetts Early Childhood Agenda in January, listing developmental monitoring and screening as a top initiative. She represents the Massachusetts Act Early Campaign as the lead advocate for that initiative as well. “The statewide initiative to raise awareness was a great success, but we need a champion in the State House to make effective change in Massachusetts,” she said.

Barlow is offering to share the structure of the campaign with her counterparts in other states so the effort to monitor and screen children early can be replicated in other parts of the country. Those who would like more information may email her at [email protected].

Franklin County Thrives Through Connection

By
Brolin Winning, general manager of the Shelburne Springs
Cover Story Franklin County

Northern Exposure

Brolin Winning, general manager of the Shelburne Springs

Brolin Winning, general manager of the Shelburne Springs luxury hotel, sees many signs of new life along the Mohawk Trail.

Brolin Winning and his wife used to run a barbecue stand on the Mohawk Trail, and he’d occasionally look up at the abandoned building next door, a mansion built in 1914 that later operated for decades as the Anchorage Nursing Home before closing in 2011.

“We’d look up the hill at this place — which had been abandoned for a decade — and just think, ‘man, that’s a sweet spot.’ But it was just melting into the ground.”

But then a friend came into some money and was looking for an investment project. “I said, ‘you should buy the nursing home,’” Winning recalled. So they did — and begin fixing it up.

That was early 2020, when COVID hit, but the ensuing shutdown of the hospitality economy gave the team — owner Hilltown Lodge LLC, Thomas Douglas Architects of Northampton, and Tristan Evans Construction of Greenfield — time to redesign the space, gut the building down to its studs, and restore it with seven spacious suites; a kitchen, bar, and upscale but cozy lounge areas; and outdoor relaxation and recreation space across 38 acres. Among the next plans is a big stage up the hill for weddings and other events.

“I couldn’t wait to come back, just to be in the woods again and on the river again. It’s just, like, the best place to live.”

But while Winning is gratified that the hotel, called Shelburne Springs, has had a successful first few months, he doesn’t view the property in a vacuum, but as part of a renaissance along the Mohawk Trail that includes renovations and reopenings at the Sweetheart Restaurant in Shelburne Falls, the Duck Pond antique shop in Shelburne, the Blue Vista Motor Lodge just over the Berkshire County line in Florida, and more.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on, whereas I feel like it was … I wouldn’t say run-down, but quiet for a while,” Winning said. “COVID obviously affected everybody in this area, but a lot of people were coming out here even more because we’re like in the country and away from the crowd, and there’s a lot of outdoorsy stuff.

Jeff Sauser (left) and Jeremy Goldsher

Jeff Sauser (left) and Jeremy Goldsher have expanded Greenspace CoWork to a second location on Main Street in Greenfield.

“I’ve lived all over the country; I’ve lived a long time in California, Boston, Chicago, and different cities,” he went on. “But I’ve always loved it here. I grew up in Amherst and Northampton, but I used to come up here to fish when I was a kid. That’s how I got into the Mohawk Trail. To me, there’s nowhere like it. I was in San Francisco for a long time, and I would come back here twice a year. And I couldn’t wait to come back, just to be in the woods again and on the river again. It’s just, like, the best place to live.”

He’s not the only one who feels that way about this county of 71,000 residents — fewer than half the total of Springfield — spread across 26 communities.

“It’s stunningly beautiful. That can’t be overlooked,” said Hannah Rechtschaffen, recently appointed coordinator of the Greenfield Business Assoc. (GBA). “And I think there is a wonderful, long history up here of people being very engaged in their communities. When you travel from town to town, you find a lot of residents and business owners who feel very passionate about that, about the town that they’re in.”

“I feel like if you wanted to kill as many birds as possible with one stone, a robust housing strategy would be the way to do it.”

Rechtschaffen cited draws like the county’s outdoor recreation experiences and attractions like Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls and Poet’s Seat Tower in Greenfield, but said tourists find much more.

“People come for these beautiful experiences, and they’re also finding other cool stuff, from whitewater rafting to restaurants. So the challenge is to reach out to people up and down the Valley and let them know there are really lovely experiences close to them,” she said. “All these towns have something special to offer, but together, we can offer something really beautiful.”

For residents and business owners, she added, “because it’s a small county, it has a bit of history of people needing to go to neighboring communities for different things. When you have that history of people stepping to the community next door to find something, you have this nice connectivity, which has gotten more robust over time. You have an opportunity for towns in Franklin County to work together in a unique way.”

Hannah Rechtschaffen, Franklin County CDC Executive Director John Waite, and Lisa Davol

Some of the players invested in a more robust Franklin County are (from left) Greenfield Business Assoc. Coordinator Hannah Rechtschaffen, Franklin County CDC Executive Director John Waite, and Lisa Davol, marketing manager of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.

Jessye Deane, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and Regional Tourism Council, agreed.

“I think one of the major strengths of Franklin County is that we have a comprehensive set of supportive services around business development,” she said, citing robust connections between the chamber, local businesses, workforce-development and entrepreneurship-focused agencies, and legislators.

“Collaboration is really the only way forward for us. I think Franklin County has always used partnership and collaboration as a special sauce, and I think that served us well during the pandemic. And part of the chamber’s job is to continue to fuel those collaborations and help make those connections.”

Clearly, it takes a village — well, 26 of them — to create a culture in the northernmost county of Western Mass., one that faces challenges, but also has more to offer than many outsiders realize.

 

Challenge and Opportunity

Deane said many of Franklin County’s challenges are no different than those seen across Western Mass.

“Of course, housing is a challenge. And transportation is particularly troublesome in more rural communities because that’s a barrier to a lot of our entry-level employment. And childcare is huge; there is a lack of high-quality childcare in this area.”

“One of the things I appreciate about Franklin County is that we can keep our identity — we have the nature, the beauty, the rural luster of it — but there’s increasing opportunity.”

Hiring also continues to be a challenge across industries, she added — another issue being felt across the state.

“I think we have a unique twist on that because we are a rural community, so it’s a little more exacerbated on this side of the state. One of the challenges I’m particularly concerned about is the population-decline projections. So we’re working overtime in collaboration with our legislators to make sure the Commonwealth is more equitably funding projects and initiatives across the state and, as a chamber, making sure that we’re doing our best to shine a light on why Franklin County is such a great area to live and work, and hopefully attracting new families to the area.”

She said the Regional Tourism Council’s task is to attract more tourism to a county that already brings more than $79 million in tourism dollars every year to destinations ranging from Berkshire East in Charlemont to Northfield Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain; from Yankee Candle and Tree House Brewing Co. — and its slate of summer concerts — in Deerfield to Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield and Double Edge Theatre in Ashfield.

Ashley Evans

Ashley Evans says reopening the Farm Table in Bernardston was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

“Tourism is really about OPM: other people’s money. And we want to make sure that we are helping them spend that here. And there is so much to do,” said Deane, who calls Franklin “the fun county,” and wants more people to know about that.

“There are endless opportunities for fun in Franklin County. And in terms of our work in the Regional Tourism Council, we’ve made some significant strides. In the past year, we branded our tourism side. We worked with a local company to give Franklin County a really great visual presence, with the tagline ‘more to Franklin County,’ because one of the things that we found when we did that investigative work is that folks said there’s always more to do: ‘I didn’t expect there to be so much. We’ve got to come back.’”

The council is also in the process of launching a standalone tourism website, Deane added.

“We want to make it easy as possible for people to plan their trip, and we’re working with our hospitality vendors to do itinerary planning based on any given interest. So if you’re really into craft beverages, this is what you can do for a weekend. If you’re really into outdoor recreation, this is what we recommend you can do for a weekend.”

A member of the Greenfield Business Assoc. who is about to join the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, and whose family owns Hawks & Reed, Jeremy Goldsher also co-owns Greenspace CoWork with Jeff Sauser, so he has a broad perspective on business life in Greenfield and its environs.

“We’ve seen already that Hawks & Reed started a bit of a new music and cultural renaissance in downtown, to the point that now you can’t walk around in any given weekend without seeing kids running up and down the streets of different local venues,” Goldsher noted.

As the owners of Greenspace CoWork, which now has two facilities on opposite sides of Main Street in downtown Greenfield, Goldsher and Sauser have cultivated key business connections through programs like the monthly Business Breakdown networking events.

“It’s developed quite a bit, from ‘I need some emotional support from my business peers’ to a really fun, informal gathering of a lot of our favorite business leaders, business owners, and a group of young, entrepreneurship-minded folks that we’ve never met,” Goldsher said. “We always get new folks at each meeting. We’re now in our 14th or 15th run of it, and I think the Business Breakdown has been a gateway for us to really get onto the map of Franklin County in a bigger way than our co-work business was permitting us.”

With programs like Business Breakdown and a six-month accelerator program, Goldsher is starting to see a “domino effect” of key connections. “We’re starting to see the Franklin County CDC, which has been a great partner of ours, become a lot more visible in their entrepreneurial work and various programs starting to revolve around specific topics, which is great.”

 

Planting Roots

Emerging from the pandemic, those connections are more crucial than ever, Sauser said.

“We’ve had our ups and downs with the economy. We got through COVID. I think we’ve been an important part of the downtown revitalization, especially with the move to remote work and more flexibility. That’s important to the economic-development story of Franklin County in general, along with getting broadband access out there and just making this a place people can do a job that’s based anywhere, so they can live where they want to live.”

After all, while tourism is critical to the economy, Sauser said, tourism can’t be all Franklin County offers; it has to be a place people want to live and work, and where they find it affordable and rich enough in amenities to do both.

As an urban planner who has done a lot of policy and analysis work in housing, he said housing is the biggest issue.

“I feel like if you wanted to kill as many birds as possible with one stone, a robust housing strategy would be the way to do it. People are moving here in part because they can’t find the housing they’re looking for; nationwide, there’s a huge shortage.”

So there are real opportunities for growth, he said, adding that municipalities need to be smart with not only strategies for housing development — the residential units coming online in the former Wilson’s Department Store building in downtown Greenfield is a “game changer” for the city, he said — but with property taxes as well. The other big draw for families is school systems, and Sauser said many communities still have room for improvement there.

“That can hold places back. There are other options out there, private schools and charter schools, but the core of the public school system isn’t as successful as it could be.”

For every challenge, though, there are business success stories, Deane said.

“One that comes to mind is Sweet Lucy’s Bakeshop in Bernardston,” she said. “Lucy moved back into the area from Seattle. She crowdfunded to start her business. She’s now expanding. And that’s in partnership with support from the chamber, from the great folks at CISA, from the CDC. She’s really taken this bake shop and made it famous across the county. And she’s now expanding to include a community center so that she can help teach cooking courses or baking classes.”

A stone’s throw from Lucy’s is the Farm Table, the iconic Bernardston eatery on the Kringle Candle property that closed in 2020 but is reopening this month under the management of serial restaurateur Ashley Evans, who grew up in Turners Falls and was intrigued by the possibility of reopening the Farm Table while on a visit from her home in the state of Florida.

“When I came to this property, how could I pass it up? It’s just absolutely breathtaking, everything about it,” Evans said, adding that the goal is to offer an elevated culinary experience, with many ingredients locally sourced, but at a less elevated price than before.

“We plan on having a similar menu, but redone and more adapted to the market in this community. Instead of a fine-dining establishment, we want to make it an everyday establishment. You can stop by and get something, and the bill’s not $300.”

Evans also plans to host events, from outdoor movies to Hawaiian nights; from outdoor clambakes to a haunted house in the event center.

“We have a lot of ideas to bring the community together,” she said, adding that, despite the workforce pains plaguing the hospitality industry, she was able to staff up quickly, which says something about the establishment’s reputation.

“That speaks to what this property is. It almost speaks for itself,” she noted. “I didn’t have to do a ton of marketing; we said we’re hiring, and people were anxious to work here, which is a beautiful thing.

“I’m so pumped. I’m excited,” Evans added. “I just walk in and feel grateful every day.”

 

Grit and Gratitude

So does Rechtschaffen, who spent almost two decades away from Western Mass. before returning in 2018 and immediately immersing herself in Franklin County life, chairing the Sustainable Greenfield Implementation Committee, which supports the use and implementation of the city’s master plan, and serving on the Downtown Greenfield Alliance and the Local Cultural Council.

She was director of Placemaking for W.D. Cowls in North Amherst before taking on her current leadership position with the GBA, where she’s focused on how businesses in this largely rural county can thrive in the post-pandemic years.

“We’re looking at how people are locating themselves, especially with remote work, with proximity to Boston. We are seeing people come into this area with a different sense of how they’d like their lives to be,” Rechtschaffen said. “We welcome people in who are looking to move out of city-centered life without sacrificing the feeling of community and connectedness and available amenities.”

Deane said the past few years have taught resilience to residents and businesses here, but also new ways forward.

“Economic development is really a long game. So we’re having these conversations now that hopefully will impact the next 15 or 20 years,” she explained. “And we’re doing that with a fresh understanding that, at any point, those plans can go completely rogue and be blown up by whatever comes next. So we’re being cautiously optimistic as we plan and prioritize on a regional level.”

To Sauser, the county’s value is evident in its people, its businesses, its quality of life, and the places that bring those people — and visitors — together.

“I feel like it’s a place to watch,” he said. “I’ve been told, when I moved here, that Greenfield is the kind of place that always feels like it’s about to turn the corner, but it never actually does. I’m getting a lot of signals now that it’s looking pretty good.”

Rechtschaffen agreed.

“One of the things I appreciate about Franklin County is that we can keep our identity — we have the nature, the beauty, the rural luster of it — but there’s increasing opportunity,” she said. “It’s becoming easier to say, ‘this is what Greenfield is all about, this is what Franklin County is all about, and you’re welcome to be here.”

Gill-based Renaissance Builders Melds History with Modern Ideas

By
Stephen Greenwald
Construction Special Coverage

Past Meets Future

Stephen Greenwald

Stephen Greenwald has built a strong reputation in a variety of construction niches over the past 47 years.

 

For Stephen Greenwald, growing his construction company was tied closely to how he saw his role in it.

“I started as a one-person company — just me, doing whatever I could do,” he said of the origin of Renaissance Builders in 1976. “The very small remodeling jobs … those were the only kinds of jobs I could get back then.”

A little over a decade later, he had nine employees, but he felt he was spending too much time building and renovating, and not enough time managing and planning.

“I still put on a tool belt and went to work most days, pounding nails,” he recalled. “And if you’re out there working, pounding nails every day in the field, the biggest issue is time commitment. You just don’t have enough time to run a company. You’re not answering the phone, doing estimates, meeting with clients, working on designs, and bidding other projects.”

As a result, “there’s a certain limit to your income,” he added. “So in the very late ’80s or very early ’90s, I came to the conclusion that, if I ever wanted this company to be more than a company where I worked in the field every day, we needed to grow in size and systems and management. So I made a conscious decision that we’re going to start looking at bigger jobs.”

“I came to the conclusion that, if I ever wanted this company to be more than a company where I worked in the field every day, we needed to grow in size and systems and management.”

Today, Renaissance, based in Gill, boasts 27 employees and a broad range of work, from residential to commercial to historical preservation, up and down the Pioneer Valley, from Springfield to Brattleboro.

By the early ’90s, “we were doing almost entirely residential work,” Greenwald recalled. “And two events happened that sort of pushed us in different directions.”

The first was an opportunity to build a water-treatment plant in Greenfield for groundwater pollution remediation, which exposed Renaissance to a new line of work. Then, in the late ’90s, Greenwald had an opportunity to tackle the interior fit-out of a food-processing facility in Turners Falls. “Now we have multiple clients in the food industry,” he said.

wrestling arena at Northfield Mount Hermon School

This award-winning wrestling arena at Northfield Mount Hermon School was designed by Jones Whitsett Architects and built by Renaissance Builders.

The bulk of the firm’s work is negotiated, though it also bids on public jobs. Since it started growing in earnest, Renaissance has dramatically broadened its scope, from restaurants and commercial kitchens — its area projects have included complete renovations for Blue Heron and Goten in Sunderland, and Hope & Olive in Greenfield — to retail establishments and service industries, including a new Greenfield Savings Bank branch in Turners Falls, which was built with energy-saving goals in mind (more on that aspect of the business later).

One intriguing renovation project was Ode Boutique in Northampton. A suspended ceiling hid the original plaster medallions on the ceiling of the downtown location, and the retail space was split in half by a wall. A new steel beam allowed the dividing wall to be removed, and the entire interior and storefront were redone in a fresh, rustic style.

Meanwhile, a three-building renovation project along Bank Row in the center of Greenfield included a complete interior and partial exterior renovation of the Allen and Pond buildings, with ground-floor and exterior renovations to the Siano building. The roof was raised to create a full third floor in the Pond building, and the basement was excavated to create usable retail space in the Allen Block. The project also included significant energy upgrades and facade renovations to historic specifications.

“During the pandemic, a lot of people were sort of investing in their homes, and they had some expensive projects to do.”

On the education front, Renaissance has done multiple public-school projects, and is starting work on Athol High School this summer. “That work ebbs and flows,” Greenwald said. “It’s driven by the purse strings of local governments and the state.”

 

Comforts of Home

Most of the company’s work is located in the Valley, but Renaissance has taken projects as far south as East Hartford. The balance between residential and commercial work tends to shift with the economy, but most residential projects have been high-end renovation work.

“There’s not a whole lot of new housing because new housing is particularly expensive these days, especially in Massachusetts,” Greenwald said. “And during the pandemic, a lot of people were sort of investing in their homes, and they had some expensive projects to do.”

Kitchens and bathrooms have been the biggest request, he added. “We have two crews that have done nothing but kitchens and baths for two years — just one right after the other.”

Renaissance Builders

Renaissance Builders has long had a strong presence in residential work, including this home in Northampton.

While design styles have understandably changed over the decades, one striking change in recent years has been why people are renovating.

“Fifteen years ago, it was, ‘I’m in this house until I can afford to move to the next house — a bigger house or a better spot.’ I’m not sure what’s driving it, but now, they’re much more focused on making big improvements even beyond what the value of their house is,” he explained. “So, clearly, they want to live there. They want to be comfortable, and they realize that, by putting $150,000 into their home, they probably couldn’t turn around and sell it tomorrow for that. But they want what they want.”

One factor, of course, may be that buying a new home is historically expensive right now, due mainly to supply-and-demand issues in the Western Mass. market, as well as still-high costs of building materials. Renaissance has navigated the inflation issue in its own business along with all other area builders.

“Some basic materials have come back down — the cost of plywood is an example. And the cost of two-by-fours has returned to where it was,” Greenwald noted. “But what hasn’t come back down is, for example, the cost of a window. I can’t speak for what a manufacturer is going to do, but my guess is that manufacturers are now getting this price, so they see no reason to not keep charging it. It’s similar to what happened the first time fuel surcharges showed up on our deliveries. Well, fuel went back down, but the fuel surcharges never went away.”

Supply-chain issues continue to nag at the industry as well, he said. “It’s gotten better, but it hasn’t gone away. There are still issues every week with items not showing up, or items showing up damaged. The supply chain is still a big issue.”

That said, “we’re very busy,” Greenwald said, noting that Renaissance has a strong reputation with clients, especially when it comes to what he called “some unique problem-solving skills, which have earned us the loyalty of customers.”

For example, “we had a client that said, ‘we have this 11-foot-diameter, 40-foot-tall cylinder which we have to put inside our building. It’s in our parking lot. And you have to come up with a plan to cut a hole in the roof, and you can only have the roof open for 12 hours.’ So that was kind of a neat challenge.

“With those jobs, the clients aren’t too interested in the cost; they’re interested that you meet their 12-hour deadline,” he went on. “We have a reputation among a lot of these manufacturers, that we’re excellent at solving these problems.”

Renaissance has a reputation for historical-renovation work as well, including elements of that Bank Row project in Greenfield, which earned the owner, Icarus, Wheaten & Finch, statewide preservation awards, and other projects, like a window restoration of Forbes Library in Northampton.

Historic-preservation work is a clear area of opportunity, Greenwald said. “It’s one of those areas where there’s not a lot of competition. And on municipally funded jobs, a lot of times, you have to be DCAM-certified in historical renovation. There are very few contractors in this part of the state that have that designation; we’re one of them.”

 

Green Thoughts

Renaissance is also well-known for green building projects. Contractors have to be these days, of course, but Greenwald got involved in energy-efficient building in the late ’80s, when such work was far from the norm.

“Western Mass. Electric, which morphed into Eversource, had a program called Energy Crafted Homes back in the early ’90s, and we built the first model for it,” he said. “For those days, it was airtight and super-insulated. It was very progressive. So, in the ’90s, we started doing that.

“The whole industry has progressed, of course,” he went on. “Building science has grown exponentially in the last 30 years, and has really made some huge leaps forward. But that’s still important to us. Even the additions we do, there’s a component that falls into green building. It’s kind of expected, almost — I mean, the building code is demanding.”

Early on in the green movement, the industry recognized the value of insulation and air sealing, he explained. “Building science has discovered over the years that, if you control the amount of air that leaks into your house, not only can you improve the health and comfort of the occupants, but you can also reliably predict how much it’s going to cost to heat the house or cool the house and design accordingly. So that’s a big element.”

Building materials comprise another element. “And there’s a lot of discussion, with all sorts of points of view, about what constitutes green building. You will get lots of varying opinions, like, should you use foam for insulation because it’s made with petroleum products? But it has a long lifespan, and, from a insulation point of view, it’s doing its job, and may be the most effective of all the insulations available, versus using Rockwool or cellulose, which are both made with some form of recycled products.”

Whatever the specific debate, it’s clear that the bar is always rising on what constitutes quality green design.

“I built my house in 1995, and it was state-of-the-art in 1995,” Greenwald said. “It’s an antique by today’s building standards, but it’s still a very efficient house.”

At the end of the day, what he appreciates most about his job is the problem-solving aspect, and how gratifying it is when a client’s plan matches reality, whether it’s historical preservation or the cutting edge of green design — or both.

“I love being able to help people achieve their goals, and coming up with unique, out-of-the-box solutions to problems,” he said. “That’s what keeps me interested in this.”

Burkhart Pizzanelli Builds on Its Strong Legacy

By
Julie Quink (left) and Deborah Penzias
Accounting and Tax Planning Special Coverage

Firm Resolve

Julie Quink (left) and Deborah Penzias

Julie Quink (left) and Deborah Penzias, partners at Burkhart Pizzanelli.

 

Julie Quink says she’s often asked about the name of the company she now leads with her partner, Deborah Penzias.

And that’s understandable, given that neither one is named Burkhart or Pizzanelli.

Those were the names of the founders, Quink explained, adding that the firm’s name has become a respected brand over the past 37 years, so she and Penzias saw, and continue to see, value in maintaining it, just as many other accounting and law firms have kept the names of their founders over the door.

“It’s such a brand, one that people across the region know,” she told BusinessWest, adding that modern technology has added an intriguing and sometimes fun twist to the equation.

Indeed, when those from the firm call, what shows up on many of today’s phone systems and their caller-ID programs is ‘Burkhart Pizza.’

“There isn’t enough room for the full name — it cuts off the ‘nelli’ part,” said Quink with a laugh, adding that some surprised call recipients will respond with, “but I didn’t order a pizza.”

“We had decades worth of tax legislation in just a few years.”

While pepperoni with extra cheese isn’t on the menu, a full menu of accounting, auditing, and business-consulting services are, said Quink, noting that, in recent years, those consulting services have become an ever-more important part of what an accounting firm, and especially this one, can provide to its clients, whether it involves strategic planning, succession planning, or maybe just a survival strategy (more on that later).

Speaking of the past few years … they have been a long and very difficult time for all those in business, but especially those in accounting, said both partners, noting both a raft of changes to tax codes and a mountain of work that falls in the category of non-traditional — everything from help with PPP loans to assistance with applying for the Employee Tax Credit.

The phrase ‘never-ending tax season’ came into vogue to describe the past three years, and both partners put it, and similar phrases that say essentially the same thing, to use.

“We had decades worth of tax legislation in just a few years,” Penzias said. “The only constant is change; the need has been pretty heavy from the client side, and rightfully so.”

Quink agreed, noting that, starting early in the pandemic and then continuing for the next few years, those in the accounting realm, and this firm especially, have been “running on adrenaline,” as she put it.

“That’s what we’ve been doing these past few years to help clients get though, help clients with various crises and whatever needs they had during that timeframe,” she said. “Clients continue to have needs, but it seems like we’re coming off that adrenaline rush now. I’m tired, and other practitioners I talk to are tired, and our team is tired, and I think this is a result of the emotional and physical toll of what’s happened over the past few years.”

Elaborating, she mentioned challenges ranging from the additional work, constantly moving deadlines, and pressures facing clients to workforce issues and simply “finding people willing to do the work.”

Actually, the adrenaline rush wore off some time ago, she said, adding quickly that the additional work and responsibilities haven’t stopped coming.

“We’re tired,” said Quink, adding that this is one of the reasons the Burkhart Pizzanelli office will be closed on Fridays for the summer, continuing a tradition started several years ago.

Some will come to the office and take advantage of the quiet to get caught up, but many will take a three-day weekend every week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, a benefit that is much appreciated, especially after tax season and all the additional work of the past several years.

“Many of us take the time and recharge,” she said, adding quickly that, while the adrenaline rush has worn off, the firm is pushing ahead on many different fronts out of necessity — everything from strategic and succession planning to coping with a challenging workforce front.

The team at Burkhart Pizzanelli

The team at Burkhart Pizzanelli has been “running on adrenaline” over the past few unusual years, Julie Quink says.

For this issue and its focus on accounting and tax planning, BusinessWest talked at length with Quink and Penzias about everything from the past few years and what they’ve meant for the firm to what’s in the business plan for ‘Burkhart Pizza.’

 

A Bigger Piece of the Pie

Tracing the history of the firm, Quink said it was founded in 1986 by Richard Burkhart and Salvatore Pizzanelli. In 1987, Tom Pratt joined the firm, and for the next several years, the three operated the firm under various names before settling on Burkhart Pizzanelli, a name that has stuck for all the reasons noted above.

“They developed a nice practice in the area working with many different types of industries and types of clients,” she said, adding that firm has continued to grow and evolve over the years, building on that solid foundation laid by the partners.

“It’s a really exciting time for us; we’re growing by leaps and bounds,” said Penzias. “We would love to expand our team — providing quality services for our clientele and managing the client load is one of our biggest challenges. It’s a growth time; it’s an exciting period. The younger folks are learning rapidly, and there’s a really positive atmosphere here.”

Today, the firm serves clients of all sizes and sectors, including nonprofits, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, construction, distribution, real estate, and others.

Penzias joined the firm in 1998, and Quink came aboard in 2011. The two became principals in 2013, negotiating a buyout with their first partner in 2014 and the second one in 2015. Quink became managing principal in 2015, and the last partner was bought out in 2019.

“I’m tired, and other practitioners I talk to are tired, and our team is tired, and I think this is a result of the emotional and physical toll of what’s happened over the past few years.”

Along the way, the firm bought out the Palmer practice of Steve Chiacchia, giving it two locations, including one in the eastern part of the region, Quink said, adding that most of the retired partners are still active with the firm to one degree or another.

As noted earlier, Quink, Penzias, and other members of the leadership are working on a number of fronts simultaneously.

One is strategic planning, Quink said, adding that the firm’s broad goal is to remain independent and grow, mostly in an organic fashion, although she said will explore mergers and acquisitions, to acquire talent as much as anything else.

“There are certain ways to get people to join you team, and one of them is to acquire a firm that has good, talented staff and that’s attractive,” she explained, adding that this was part of the mindset with the Chiacchia firm, which also offered a base in the Quaboag area, one she said provides ample growth opportunities.

“There’s a lot of great businesses and opportunities for us in that market,” she noted. “That office and that practice has been growing nicely since we acquired it.”

Another priority moving forward is to maintain and build upon what the partners describe as a fairly unique corporate culture, one that probably wouldn’t fit smoothly with a larger, regional firm, she said, adding that this is one reason why the founders, and now Quink and Penzias, have entertained offers to be acquired, but ultimately rejected them.

“We want to preserve this for the team,” Quink said. “We want to keep the Burkhart legacy going as long as it makes sense to do so.”

When asked to describe that culture, she said the firm is structured in many ways like a family. To emphasize the closeness of the team and how well it works together, she went back in time to the early days of the pandemic, when working remotely became the norm, even at essential businesses like banks and, yes, accounting firms.

“We’ve had the ability to work remotely for 15 years because of the software we use and how it’s cloud-based, but during the pandemic, most of our people chose to work here, and I think that’s telling,” she said, adding that firm took the necessary precautions to make sure people were safe. “I think it’s a place where people feel comfortable and where they feel they’re not just a number.

“We’re very in tune with what’s going on with our team members, with their vision, what they want, where they want to go with their careers,” Quink went on. “We’re businesslike, but we’re very much a team, and we like to be with each other.”

 

Topping It All

The team has been together quite a bit over the past three years and three months, said Penzias, noting that the pandemic and its aftermath have produced not only longer tax seasons, or one never-ending season, but many additional types of work that clients want and need.

Increasingly, she noted, clients are looking to their accounting firm for assistance not only with taxes and auditing, but with strategic planning and navigating the many challenges facing businesses of all sizes today, from supply-chain issues to how to navigate the recession that many prognosticators say is coming.

Quink agreed, noting that the pandemic has been a long and trying time on many levels, professionally but also emotionally. Indeed, she said the firm saw several of its clients die from COVID, including one of the patients in the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke.

Meanwhile, this trying period generated additional work on many different levels, she said, listing everything from individuals inheriting large sums of money due to deaths from COVID to small-business owners deciding that it was time to sell their venture or perhaps merge with another.

“Our industry is rigorous, as are many others. It’s difficult to find people who want to live this lifestyle, so to speak, and work really, really hard.”

“We had commercial clients that closed because of the world turning on its end; we helped them wind down a legacy business, a family business, or transition it to someone else because they didn’t have the capacity to handle it anymore,” she recalled. “We did see an uptick in merger-and-acquisition work over the past three years, with clients deciding, as a result of the strains being put upon them by the new world, that they were done, and either we helped them find a buyer, or they found their own buyer through a broker, and we helped them negotiate the specifics of the deal.”

Things have slowed somewhat, but the firm is still seeing some activity in that realm, Quink said, adding that, overall, many clients are still struggling to fully recover and get back to where they were pre-pandemic.

Another priority for the firm is succession planning, she told BusinessWest, adding that the firm is committed to ensuring that the next generation of leaders is in place.

“We’re developing our next succession team, so when Debbie and I retire, we have our team in place to continue moving the Burkhart legacy forward,” she said, adding that this is an important assignment for any company, and one she and her term consult with many of their clients on.

Another challenging assignment is finding and retaining talent, and this is another issue to which the firm is advising clients to take a proactive approach — while practicing what it preaches.

“We’re trying to be as creative as we possibly can to recruit,” she said, adding that, while people at this firm like to be in the office, the trend in the industry — and across the workforce, for that matter — is toward remote work and hybrid models.

As a result, the firm is willing to be flexible with work arrangements, with a mix of remote work and at least one day in the office.

“We’re seeing a lot more firms requiring people to go in one or two days a week,” she said. “So what worked for someone living in Western Mass. and working for a Boston-based firm might not fit now with these changes that we’re seeing, so that might benefit us. Overall, we’re all competing for the same talent.”

Quink cited statistics suggesting fewer people are getting into the accounting field, and there are discussions ongoing within the Massachusetts Society of CPAs about how to reverse that trend.

One obvious strategy, she said, is for people like her to get into high schools and even middle schools and talk about accounting and how this business is not just about filing tax returns. Still, it is a difficult business, and its long hours and difficult tax seasons are not easy sells.

“Our industry is rigorous, as are many others,” said Quink as she talked about the workforce challenges facing this firm and all players in this industry. “It’s difficult to find people who want to live this lifestyle, so to speak, and work really, really hard.”

 

The Crust of the Story

Looking ahead, Quink and Penzias said that, overall, the names on the company’s door are more important than their own.

Those names speak to a long track record of excellence when it comes to serving clients not just by adding up numbers, but by helping them cope with change and challenge and seize opportunities when they are appropriate.

The caller ID on the office phone may identify them as ‘Burkhart Pizza,’ but clients certainly know and appreciate who’s on the other end of the line.

Springfield Program Strives to Take Dining Option to the Next Level

By
Nadim Kashouh
Commercial Real Estate Special Coverage

The Great Outdoors

 

Nadim Kashouh

Nadim Kashouh has long offered outdoor seating at his downtown Springfield establishment.

 

The term ‘parklet’ isn’t exactly new.

Larger municipalities like San Francisco, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Chicago, and others have been using it, officially or unofficially, for at least a few years now to describe efforts to repurpose and reimagine parking spaces for recreation, dining, retail, and other uses.

It’s starting to be heard more in Springfield, and it will certainly become a part of the lexicon in the future thanks in large part to $2 million worth of grants being awarded to area establishments and properties to take outdoor dining in the city to at least the next level.

Indeed, there will be at least a few parklets created through these grants, including one at Granny’s Baking Table on Bridge Street.

Todd Crossett, co-owner of the bakery, said he’s been researching the concept and, working with a local architect, has come up with a plan to bring the popular eatery, which features pies, pastries, beignets, and sandwiches, out into a large parking space originally meant for a van — 8 feet by 20 feet — and a few feet of the adjoining sidewalk, and thus bring something new and different to the city.

“We’re going to do something a little funky and take over a parking space,” he explained. “I think it will be the first of its kind, and it will be great for the city because it will generate more revenue than a parking space, because the space is free.”

Elaborating, he said Granny’s, drawing inspiration from what has been created in Evanston, Ill. and other communities, will create a tented, three-season dining deck that will include three tables and chairs as well as an awning, which can all be easily removed for the winter.

“We’re going to do something a little funky and take over a parking space.”

Beyond the parklets, though, the outdoor dining grants, funded by ARPA money awarded to the city in the wake of COVID, are expected to change the landscape in many different ways, from reactivating properties, such as the small park across Main Street from Tower Square, to changing the look and feel of other properties, such as the TD Bank building next to that park. It doesn’t have a restaurant at present — a pizzeria closed down during COVID, and a replacement has yet to be secured — but Jack Dill, who purchased the property in 2021 with a few partners, believes it will happen soon, and the option to serve patrons outdoors will likely help in the process of securing one.

Granny’s Baking Table

Granny’s Baking Table plans a tented, three-season dining deck outside.

While the grants have become the subject of some controversy — a few city councilors have essentially accused Mayor Domenic Sarno of using the grant program as a way to reward supporters and perhaps create more of them during an intriguing and potentially challenging election year — most of the focus has been on what they might mean for individual businesses and sections of the city, especially downtown.

Tim Sheehan, the city’s chief Economic Development officer, said that, while there weren’t too many positives to come out of the COVID pandemic, especially when it comes to the hospitality industry, the emergence of outdoor dining — not just as a preference for patrons, but also as a catalyst for business growth and economic development — is certainly one of them.

“The restaurant businesses recognized that this is what patrons were looking for all through COVID,” he said, adding that, while the pandemic is officially over in most all respects, there remains a focus on public health and safety within this industry and thus a continued focus on providing outdoor dining opportunities.

Nadim Kashouh, owner of Nadim’s Downtown Mediterranean Grill on Main Street, agreed. He has long offered outdoor dining at his establishment, which abuts the office tower 1350 Main St. office tower and now extends to that property with outdoor seating through a lease arrangement, and said it has become an increasingly popular option for his patrons.

“The restaurant businesses recognized that this is what patrons were looking for all through COVID.”

“People feel more comfortable sitting in an open space in the open air,” he said, adding that, with his $100,000 grant from the program, he intends to add more seats, from the current 60 to 100, as well as industrial-strength umbrellas, fire tables, heaters, a tent, and a grill that will allow him to bring what he calls a “a different kind of dining experience to the area.”

“People can come up, select their meat, and we’ll cook it for them right there and then,” he explained, adding that he expects the initiative to bring more people to his eatery and the downtown in general.

For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest talked with Sheehan and several restaurateurs and property owners about the outdoor dining grants and what they might mean for individual businesses, locations, and the proverbial big picture in the City of Homes.

 

 

Food for Thought

Crossett told BusinessWest that, as those at Granny’s were preparing their application for the outdoor dining grants, which they were encouraged by city officials to pursue, they did so with a specific mindset.

“We just didn’t want to give the city a reason to say no to us,” he explained, adding that this sentiment is reflected in everything from architect’s drawings and multiple bids on construction that accompanied the application to the very specific dollar amount requested.

Indeed, while most applicants rounded up, Granny’s requested $46,160. And that’s how much the city awarded the business.

Overall, 21 establishments applied for the grants, and 17 were awarded funds. Some of the awards matched or came close to what was requested, while others were a fraction of what was sought. And it was a diverse list of recipients, to be sure, with awardees ranging from the Student Prince Restaurant and the Fort to the John Boyle O’Reilly Club; from Two Guys Pizza on Page Boulevard to Uno Chicago Grill near the Basketball Hall of Fame.

park area outside 1441 Main St

Activating the park area outside 1441 Main St. could be a key element in bringing more dining options to the building.

Dollar amounts awarded ranged from $250,000 (City Line Café, the John Boyle O’Reilly Club, and White Lion Brewing) to $35,000 for the Springfield Business Improvement District to build on its improvements on Duryea Way.

There were scoring criteria, said Sheehan, listing everything from an initiative’s ability to encourage foot traffic and improve walkability in a neighborhood business district to whether an applicant had previously received ARPA money. And there were some broad goals behind the awards, but mostly an effort to promote outdoor dining and create more and better opportunities for the concept to spur growth and bring more diners to establishments.

The grant program, which was conceived just a few months ago and undertaken in aggressive fashion, recognizes that the landscape has certainly changed in this realm. In 2019, he explained, the city initiated a one-year pilot program for outdoor dining that did not garner much interest within the industry, with just a handful of applicants. In 2020, the City Council approved that pilot becoming permanent, he went on, adding that the broad objective was to activate commercial districts in specific neighborhoods.

But it wasn’t until the pandemic that the industry fully recognized the need to move to outdoor dining, he continued, adding that the grant program was initiated to help individual businesses and properties move into that realm, or move more aggressively, through initiatives ranging from parklets to White Lion’s reactivation of the Steiger’s park.

Speaking in broad terms, Sheehan said outdoor dining does more than provide an attractive alternative to the traditional experience.

“It heightens people’s engagement with the public realm that’s around them,” he explained. “And it begins to elicit the conversation of ‘how do we make the public realm better for everyone, not just diners, but also pedestrians? And how do we make the streets more accessible to all of the needs that we have relative to public rights of way?’ Because there’s growing competition for that space, whether it be bicyclists or pedestrians or outdoor diners.”

As he talked about his grant and what will happen with it, Crossett first went back in time, to the start of COVID, when many cities were gearing up for outdoor dining and providing assistance to establishments looking to enter that realm. He said he encouraged city leaders to do the same, but recalls that the response was somewhat lukewarm — ‘pusillanimous’ was the word he used.

Eventually, some money was made available, and Granny’s used it to put a few tables and chairs on the sidewalk, which was not a good fix, he said, because there simply isn’t much room on the sidewalk. The outdoor-dining grants come three years after most cities moved aggressively in this realm, he said, but they are at least a step in the right direction.

And while Crossett would prefer a cutout — similar to what the city has done on Worthington Street in front of Theodore’s and Jackalope because of the way they have slowed traffic down on those streets and enhanced outdoor dining opportunities — Granny’s will start with a parklet that he hopes to have ready for the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, slated for next month.

 

Designs on Growth

Meanwhile, other grants that were awarded will be used in different ways to introduce outdoor dining or enhance and expand already-existing outdoor facilities, Sheehan said.

At Nadim’s, for example, the grant will enable the restaurant to almost double the capacity of the outdoor dining that exists now, generating what Nadim believes will be more business overall, amid a growing preference for that dining option.

He acknowledged that outdoor dining has its limits — there’s essentially a five- to six-month window, from May to October — but it has become an important component of most restaurants’ business plans. And with more and better outdoor options, the city, and, especially its downtown, become more of a destination.

At 1441 Main St., the TD Bank building, Dill said he’s looking to essentially turn back the clock at that office tower, which once had a much larger retail and restaurant component (what he called a ‘mall’) on its first and second floors — the latter was actually connected to both the Steiger’s department store (now that aforementioned park) and Tower Square via airwalks — while also taking full advantage of the growing popularity of outdoor dining.

“People feel more comfortable sitting in an open space in the open air.”

He said the new ownership will be re-envisioning the former mall portion of the property and applied for a grant through the outdoor-dining initiative to lay the groundwork for such a facility at the property.

“We’re in early design now, but what we’re trying to do is position those underutilized parts of the building in ways that will more effectively address some non-traditional uses,” he said, adding that the plan is to find “the right operator” and then the right location within (and outside) the property for a dining operation.

“We have some flexibility,” he said, adding that there is space on more than one side of the building for an outdoor facility, including the area by the park. “We’ll want to work with the operator on what they want to accomplish from a design and operational standpoint.”

Dill said a restaurant would serve tenants in the property and neighboring office towers, obviously, but also be another key addition in a downtown that, by most accounts, needs more options for the people who come to the area for hockey games, concerts, gymnastics and dance competitions, and other gatherings.

“This is a logical place for part of that expansion to take place,” he said, adding that, while the number of office workers downtown has declined since the start of the pandemic, people are returning to offices, and he expects that trend to continue in the months and years to come.

Dill praised the entrepreneurs taking risks and opening new venues downtown, such as Jackalope and Osteria, two ventures on Worthington Street that are bringing more vitality, and people, to the area. And he said he hopes to add to the growing inventory of restaurants with an addition at 1441 Main St.

Such additions are part of the motivation behind the outdoor-dining grants, which, while small in size and scale in most respects, have the potential to have a big impact in terms of changing the landscape — figuratively and perhaps literally — and adding new words to the lexicon, like ‘parklet.’

More Than Ever, Benefits Are Key to Attracting, Retaining Employees

By
Vinnie Daboul (right, with Bob Borawski)
Insurance Special Coverage

Beyond the Paycheck

Vinnie Daboul (right, with Bob Borawski)

Vinnie Daboul (right, with Bob Borawski) says employee leverage has made things “really, really different” when crafting a benefits package.

Allison Ebner called it “a little bit of a wavy ocean at the moment.”

She was referring to the shifting calculus within companies of what benefits to offer employees and how to structure them, but the description is equally apt for the workforce challenges that are making those discussions just a little more important these days.

“We have employees that were coming out of the pandemic last year looking to add benefits in the wellness space, with financial wellness, health and wellness, and then non-traditional things like tuition reimbursement and pet insurance, which have been in play for a number of years. Those were really amped up and on the table,” said Ebner, president of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE).

With employers starting to worry about a recession, however, “some of that has been pulled back a little bit,” she continued. “Certain core benefits — health care, dental, vision … the practical pillars of benefits — no one’s touching those, even though some employers are seeing double-digit increases in health. But a lot of employers are saying, ‘hey, wait a minute, we want to do X, Y, and Z, but maybe let’s hold off on that a little bit.’”

The problem, of course, is that — even at a time when employers worry about economic tides — workers still have leverage due to a staffing crunch that has enveloped most sectors. And in many cases, benefits are a huge part of job seekers’ decision-making process.

Vinnie Daboul, benefits consultant with Borawski Insurance in Northampton, told BusinessWest he recently spoke with someone who had just turned down a job offer.

“They’re with a company right now with unlimited PTO and 16 weeks of maternity paid at 100%. They have a job offer from another company with unlimited PTO, but six weeks of maternity. And they’re like, ‘nah, it’s a game changer. I can’t do it. I’m not taking that job.’ Today, things are really, really different.

“Some people really want pet insurance. Some people say, ‘I need help repaying my student loans.’ You’ve got to offer personalization of benefits to employees. That’s the most effective way to attract new staff.”

“Think about this,” he went on, gesturing at Bob Borawski, the agency’s president. “Five years ago, if Bob walked in here and said to all of us, ‘hey, I just want you in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and you can stay home on Monday and Friday,’ he’d be a hero. Today, post-COVID, you say to your employees, ‘hey, we want you in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and you can stay home Monday and Friday,’ they’re like, ‘no way — we have to do what?’ It has drastically changed.”

Ebner said employers can no longer neglect the overall employee experience and employee value proposition, or, as she put it, “what are you going to give employees in exchange for what they do?

“That has become much more personalized,” she noted. “Some people really want pet insurance. Some people say, ‘I need help repaying my student loans.’ You’ve got to offer personalization of benefits to employees. That’s the most effective way to attract new staff.”

Allison Ebner

Allison Ebner says employers can no longer neglect the employee value proposition.

That said, Ebner went on, employers must consider several factors: the state of their industry, what fiscal shape they’re in, and how aggressive they want to be competing for talent. Those are reasonable, bottom-line considerations. But they become more complicated at a time when employees increasingly understand their value — and want to be compensated for it, in ways that go beyond the paycheck.

 

Wants and Needs

Daboul said it’s not a one-size-fits-all equation when it comes to crafting a benefits package that works for a company’s bottom line but still satisfies — and, just as important, attracts — employees.

“A lot depends on the client size,” he said. “If we’re engaging with a 10-employee client, it’s quicker. I don’t want to say it’s more transactional for them, but if I have 10 employees, I just need to get something in place. I want medical, dental, vision, and a life policy. I don’t want to say it’s easy, but it’s a different engagement.

“A lot of our clients are larger clients,” he went on, and with those employers, it’s important to sit down and build a comprehensive benefits strategy — and not just talk about it once or twice a year, but regularly discuss changing situations.

“We look at the population and do risk analysis on that population, based on the changing demographics, aging, so many different things. And we take the financial condition of the company into consideration too. How are they doing? Times have been tough for some companies; they’re laying off. Is the benefit package OK? Is it secure? We look at funding.

“Employers are looking at every avenue to accomplish three key things: make sure their expenses stay down, make sure they create a benefit package that helps them recruit and retain, and make sure the benefits are incredibly competitive.”

“So, with anything to do with the benefit program,” he went on, “it’s not just the product, but, strategically, where do you want to be this year? Where do you want to be five years from now? Those are the conversations we try to have with our clients.”

That said, Daboul agreed with Ebner that clients’ strategies around “core benefits,” as he called them — medical, dental, group life, and disability — haven’t changed much, though fewer companies are pushing to add life and disability these days. As for health insurance, the big change for employers is rising costs, particularly in this region, where a few large insurers dominate, and the lack of competition drives prices up.

As a result, employers have to decide how much to pay into a health plan and how much their employees will pay, in addition to options like higher deductibles, health savings accounts, and self-insurance.

“There are things we wouldn’t have seen five, 10, 20 years ago,” he said. “I mean, they were in the market, but when I started at MassMutual as an underwriter in 1987, I would have been fired if I self-insured a client under 500 bucks. You just wouldn’t do that.”

At the end of the day, he explained, “employers are looking at every avenue to accomplish three key things: make sure their expenses stay down, make sure they create a benefit package that helps them recruit and retain, and make sure the benefits are incredibly competitive.”

It can be a tough balance, but creativity and flexibility can help. Remote and hybrid work options, as well as generous paid time off, can appeal to a sense of work-life balance. Meanwhile, Ebner said, many employers have turned to spending accounts targeted to specific benefits — say, $1,000 per year for wellness expenses such as gym memberships and fitness equipment, or $1,000 for learning and development, such as classes or training events that the organizaion pays for.

“Lifestyle accounts have gained in popularity because they allow employees to choose what they want to spend it on, and that delivers a personalization of benefits,” she noted. “Again, we’re seeing employers re-evaluate and continuously revamp based on the value proposition and the fiscal state of the organization, which is affected heavily by things going on in the market. If they’re taking a conservative approach to the recession conversation, they’re going to maximize the benefits they do have.”

Kim Adams, a Vermont-based senior account manager at OneDigital, a national insurance, financial services, and HR platform, wrote recently that personalization and malleability have become more important in the world of benefits.

“The American workforce is currently home to five distinct generations working shoulder-to-shoulder,” she noted, and a generous 401(k) match may not be as valuable to recent college graduates bogged down with student loans, while a Gen-X employee may choose to decline healthcare coverage because their spouse has a richer plan, resulting in the company spending much less on their benefits than for most other employees.

“To combat this uneven distribution of benefits resources (and perhaps unintentionally ageist outcomes), employers may find it helpful to reconceptualize benefits as a malleable pool of resources that individual employees may allocate according to their specific needs,” Adams continued, noting options ranging from pet insurance to paying to attend a conference. “This personalized approach to benefits can effectively foster more equitable outcomes, boost employee morale, and broadcast a positive corporate culture.”

Daboul also noted the shift toward non-traditional benefits like pet insurance, tuition reimbursement, and identity-theft protection, and added that traditional products like 401(k) accounts and long-term-care insurance may be on the rise due to projections about the life expectancy of younger generations.

“I was listening to a podcast the other day,” he said, “and they’re projecting that kids being born today will have a life expectancy of 105.”

 

Give and Take

Even pre-COVID, Daboul said, the benefits calculus was changing at many companies. Now, the conversation can’t be avoided.

“As an employer today, thinking about my benefit strategy, what’s going to be my platform? How am I going to deliver the benefits to everybody? Who do I include? Because now I have contractors, I have part-time employees, I have seasonal employees. It’s drastically different, and the demographic you’re now delivering it to is a very different demographic. It’s a younger demographic, and they’re not as connected or committed to the employer.”

Ebner said the impact of the Great Resignation has eased up a little — EANE members are saying it’s not a crisis to the degree it was last year, toward the end of the pandemic, when businesses were trying to fully ramp up — but that trend could be temporary.

“And it could continue to be a problem for us, particularly in the Northeast, where we’re seeing the demographic numbers drop on a consistent basis. We don’t have as many workers available; the younger workers are leaving for greener pastures west and south. Employers are feeling that the relief is a temporary situation. So they have to focus on workplace planning — they have to have a plan in place for where to find help.”

The key, Ebner said — at least on the benefits side — is flexibility, as well as communication.

“Know your organization, and, if in doubt, ask the employers what they’re looking for in benefits. Make sure you’re working with a benefits broker that you trust, that’s bringing ideas to you and asking your employees about benefits. Take a survey; maybe they’re looking for things that you don’t anticipate. It’s always good to ask and consider any ideas they want to contribute.”

After all, a happy employee is a retained employee. These days, that’s a valuable commodity well worth the investment in the right package of benefits.

UMass Amherst Takes Home Silver in Collegiate Culinary Competition

By
Daily News

AMHERST — A team of chefs from UMass Amherst brought home silver at the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) collegiate competition on June 16 during the 29th annual Chef Culinary Conference held on the UMass Amherst campus.

The UMass Dining team featured chefs Anthony Jung, Jeff MacDonald, Max Melendez, and Kyle Bigelow. The chefs tested their skills against 12 other four-person college and university culinary teams from across the U.S., including Cornell University, the University of North Texas, Rice University, and Penn State University.

Each team was required to prepare a four-course meal including a buffet-style item to be served to the judges and competing teams. Teams had two hours to prepare and serve the first three courses and one hour for the buffet item.

The UMass Amherst team led with an English pea and lemon mousseline-crusted ocean perch prepared in a citrus butter sauce, ginger dragon puree, with tempura-fried oysters in a parsley-cilantro crème. This was followed by a cashew-stuffed quail breast and braised leg with jus lie, sweet-potato jam, stir-fried bok choy, and red rice. The entrée was accompanied by a lion’s mane mushroom ragout, sauteed garlicky mizuna, and baby mustard greens. The meal was completed with a caramelized white-chocolate raspberry cheesecake over a toasted peanut coconut-oil graham, pepita nougatine, vanilla whipped cream, orange anglaise, and raspberry-lemon compote. The buffet item was an herb pan-roasted pork tenderloin with sage jus and peach chutney, served with a bacon risotto, wax beans, and tomato concasse.

“We had a very talented group of competitors this year. Every team was well-prepared and competed like champions,” said Ken Toong, executive director of Auxiliary Enterprises at UMass Amherst and co-chair of the Chef Culinary Conference. “I’m extremely proud of the UMass Dining team and the menu they created. This competition shows how much talent we have in the college and university dining segment. I’m thrilled that we continue to raise the bar in this arena.”

Chef John Masi, show chair for the ACF team competition, added that “this is not only the best-run ACF competition because of the quality of competitors and the quality of the judges, but because of the atmosphere of continually driving to improve, created by UMass Dining, that is contagious.”

Country Bank Announces Four Promotions

By
Daily News

WARE — Country Bank announced four recent promotions. Jessica McGarry has been promoted to senior vice president, East Region Commercial Lending team lead, while Shantie Prashad, Cindy Saucier, and Blair Robidoux have been promoted to assistant vice presidents, Retail Banking.

McGarry has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry and has been a commercial lender in the Worcester market for the past 10 years, with the entirety of her career spent in a community-bank setting. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from Nichols College, received the Forty Under 40 designation in 2014 from the Worcester Business Journal, and was a member of the Leadership Worcester class of 2015-16. She also gives back to the community, currently serving on the board of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Worcester Business Development Corp. She remains active in volunteer opportunities through various organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Be Like Brit, and the Community Harvest Project.

Prashad has more than 26 years of sales and leadership experience, most recently serving as the Retail Banking officer of Country Bank’s Park Avenue, Worcester location. She graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in 2022 and is highly active in the Worcester community, serving on the board for the Learning First Foundation and the YWCA and as an ambassador for the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Saucier has more than 20 years of banking and leadership experience, serving as the Retail Banking officer of the Charlton Banking Center. She graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in 2021, is a board member and vice chair for the Central Mass South Chamber of Commerce, and serves with various nonprofits and committees within the Charlton community.

Robidoux currently leads the West Street Banking Center and has more than 17 years of experience in the retail division. She has held various roles throughout her tenure at Country Bank and graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in 2019. Throughout her career, she has been an integral part of the community within her market. She serves on the board of the Ware Business and Civic Assoc.

“Congratulations to Jess, Blair, Cindy, and Shantie. We are excited to announce their promotions, not just in recognition of their contributions to the bank’s success, but also because each individual’s history with the bank demonstrates the various career paths available in community banking,” said Miriam Siegel, first senior vice president, chief Culture and Development officer. “We are committed to helping each team member identify their career goals and work with them to reach those objectives. Their performance contributes to the bank’s overall success, and we’re pleased to be able to promote these individuals for their hard work and dedication to the organization.”

Greenfield Skate Park to Celebrate Grand Opening Today

By
Daily News

GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Recreation Department announced the grand opening of the city’s new skate park at 71 Chapman St. today, June 21. The 10,000-square-foot park, designed by Pillar Design and constructed by Mountain View Landscapes with Artisan Skateparks, enjoyed its soft opening on May 26.

The celebration takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. in conjunction with National Go Skateboarding Day. It honors the completion of Greenfield’s latest recreational destination.

“The park has been open just a few short weeks, and it is already clear how important of an asset it is to the community,” Recreation Director Christy Moore said. “Ever since opening, the park has been a constant hub of activity and a destination for boarders, bike riders, scooters, and rollerbladers of all ages. The park is always in use.”

The grand opening will feature open skate, DJ Lazer Chicken, the local band Big Destiny, public speakers, an ollie contest, vendors, food, and giveaways.

Community organizations will be active throughout the festivities. The Kiwanis Club of Greenfield is distributing free helmets. Greenfield Garden Cinemas will be on site with popcorn and pizza promoting the upcoming release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which features everyone’s favorite skateboarding turtles. The Literacy Project will host an ollie contest. The Recreation Department will be selling commemorative skate-park shirts and hats. Local food and ice-cream vendors will be selling their offerings. Bicycle World, Outer Limits Cycles, and Theory Skateshop will be present with skate gear. In addition, several other local businesses and organizations are set to participate in the event.

Girls Inc. of the Valley to Celebrate First Day of Programming on June 26

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Girls Inc. of the Valley will host its first day of programming at its new location in Holyoke on Monday, June 26, starting at 7:30 a.m. The organization has worked toward the opening of its new location at 480 Hampden St. for more than five years and is proud to host not only the first day of programming, but also two different age cohorts of a three-week-long summer camp, Artists in Action.

Girls Inc. of the Valley launched its campaign back in 2018 with a mission to expand the organization’s physical footprint and establish a permanent headquarters in Holyoke, allowing it to serve a larger community.

Corporate partners from PeoplesBank and AXiA Insurance, along with Girls Inc. of the Valley board members and staff, will attend the first day of programming to cheer the girls on. Their “future’s so bright” that youth attending will receive a branded pair of Girls Inc. sunglasses as they are welcomed in.

Rising sixth- and seventh-graders can participate in three weeks of art workshops, field trips, and fun outdoors activities during Artists in Action, from July 24 through Aug. 11. The purpose of this summer camp is to provide a place for girls to create impactful art through mural painting, photography, performance art, yarn art, and more.

“Dozens and dozens of people have worked so hard for the past five years to make this moment a reality,” said Suzanne Parker, executive director of Girls Inc. of the Valley. “We cannot wait to see the look on the participants’ faces as they enter our new program home for the very first time. This is a space they deserve where they can continue to grow and thrive.”

A Dose of Reality for Cannabis

By
Opinion

Editorial

 

Earlier this month, Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced it will be exiting the Massachusetts market by the end of the year, a move that includes the closure of its massive growing and processing facility in Holyoke.

The company, which is also scaling back in California and exiting the Nevada wholesale market, cited changing conditions and slumping business for the moves, which are the latest to signal that the cannabis sector in the Bay State is losing some of its luster amid growing competition from other states.

Indeed, some dispensaries have closed within the 413, and other companies have announced layoffs. Meanwhile, several proposed cannabis facilities, including one planned for the former Chez Josef banquet house in Agawam, have been scrapped due to an inability to secure financing amid dramatically changing market conditions.

Cannabis got off to a fast and quite solid start in this region, with facilities opening in most area cities and towns, absorbing vacant or underutilized real estate — ranging from former mill buildings to the Springfield Newspapers headquarters facility in downtown Springfield — in the process.

This has been especially true in Holyoke, a city that has aggressively courted the industry, with many former mills, some of which had been vacant for years, being retrofitted for growing operations and dispensaries. Trulieve’s Holyoke facility, formerly home to Conklin Office Furniture, will soon be on the market, and given the current downward trends in the sector, there are certainly question marks about whether another large-scale operation will be taking over that space.

It’s been a time of change and turbulence for the region’s cannabis sector as prices continue to fall and competition in Massachusetts and surrounding states continues to mount. This business was never as easy as it looked, given the hurdles that need to be cleared to simply open the doors and the high taxes that operations must pay. But now, it’s much more difficult to be profitable.

It is our hope that those that can survive this whitewater can stay in the game for the long term, because cannabis has become an important part of the region’s economy, one that has provided a real boost to communities like Holyoke, Easthampton, Northampton, and others.

The ‘green rush’ is losing some of its steam, but it is still a potent force within this market.

Stormwater Solutions for Parking Lots

By Contributor
This Google Earth image of the Eastfield Mall shows how, with the closing of its main anchors, its vast parking lots are almost empty.
Opinion

Opinion

By Joseph Kietner and Randal Brown

 

Through stormwater-management improvements to large parking areas, business owners can improve drainage, enhance the appeal and look of properties, and help to reduce contaminated storm flows to local rivers, streams, and lakes in the Pioneer Valley.

We, along with our colleagues in the Connecticut River Stormwater Committee, a regional coalition of 19 municipalities and UMass Amherst that is staffed by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, recommend that business and commercial property owners with large parking areas consider making improvements and retrofits to improve how storm flows are collected and treated.

There are two primary options for consideration when thinking about parking-lot stormwater improvements:

1. Retrofit or replace existing catch basins with deep sump hooded catch basins. In most parking lots, a curb and gutter system directs rainfall into catch basins, which are essentially boxes below ground that connect to the storm sewer system. Deep sump hooded catch basins are designed to capture sand and other sediment, litter, and floatables, including oil and grease. The four- to six-foot-deep sump provides an area for sediments to settle.

By capturing sediment and other pollutants, deep sump hooded catch basins can improve stormwater quality compared to older catch basins that do not have sumps or hoods. A study conducted in New York City demonstrated that deep sump hooded catch basins increased the capture of floatables (trash and oil and grease) by 70% to 80% over regular catch basins without hoods, and greatly extended the cleaning interval without a decrease in performance.

2. Retrofit the parking lot with vegetated areas where soil and plants can soak up rainfall. Vegetated areas in parking lots can be designed to receive and soak up flows. Any overflow from these areas can then be directed to existing parking-lot catch basins. Not only do such retrofits improve water quality, but trees and other plants along with soils can help reduce the superheating effects of large paved areas during summer months. Such facilities also make properties more visually attractive.

If your property is located in a municipality with a stormwater enterprise fund or stormwater utility fee, improvements may also be eligible for stormwater fee credits. Check with your local public works department.

To make stormwater improvements easier, the Connecticut River Stormwater Committee, along with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Waterstone Engineering, have developed a library of green infrastructure stormwater-control design templates that can be sized to specific drainage areas. This library of design templates serves as an important tool. In addition to maintenance guidance, it includes key information on sizing, estimated cost, and pollutant loading reduction for each type of facility. See www.thinkblueconnecticutriver.org for more information.

 

Joseph Kietner is chair of the Connecticut River Stormwater Committee and Stormwater coordinator for the city of Westfield, and Randal Brown is vice chair of the Connecticut River Stormwater Committee and Public Works director for the town of Southwick.

Picture This

By
Picture This

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

 

Back to School

Community leaders, educators, architects, and stakeholders recently gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Franklin Avenue Elementary School in Westfield. The event marked the official start of construction for this state-of-the-art educational facility.

Pictured, from left: Michael Delvecchio and Daniel Pallotta, project managers at P3 Inc.; Bert Gardner, vice president of Caolo & Bieniek Architects; David Fontaine, CEO of Fontaine Bros. Inc.; and Caolo & Bieniek President Curtis Edgin and Vice President James Hanifan.

 

 

Max on Monday

More than 200 people were on hand for the third monthly Max on Monday event, hosted by Max Tavern on June 5 at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Each month introduces several featured companies and one nonprofit for cocktails, connections, and complimentary hors d’oeuvres with the goal of reconnecting businesses and community. This month’s featured companies were Liberty Bank; the Dowd Agencies; Burgess, Robb & Grassetti; and Bacon Wilson.

Pictured, from left: Amanda Moulton of Naples Realty, Bob Borawski of Borawski Insurance, and Joe Premont of Liberty Bank.

 

Local Impact

Living Local 413, a nonprofit business community organization dedicated to helping the Western Mass. business community become stronger and more self-sustaining, hosted its first annual meeting on May 31 at Center Square Grill in East Longmeadow. The event introduced Robert Barkett as the newly appointed executive director and featured a ceremonial presentation to thank state Rep. Brian Ashe for securing a $100,000 grant for Living Local 413.

Pictured, from left: Barkett, Ashe, and Living Local 413 President Bill Cole.

 

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets

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

 

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

 

New England Industrial Uniform Rental Service Inc. v. All Parts Racing LLC

Allegation: Breach of contract, failure to pay for services rendered: $58,121

Filed: 5/16/23

 

One Stop Ship Inc. d/b/a the UPS Store #1664 v. United Business Machines Inc., De Lage Landon Financial Services Inc., anc DLL Financial Services LLC

Allegation: Breach of lease for equipment, attempt to enforce adhesion contract

Filed: 5/18/23

 

Maxwell Wiggins v. Family Custom Builders LLC

Allegation: Breach of contract, unjust enrichment: $35,000

Filed: 5/19/23

 

Joseph Pacella v. Polish National Home of Hartford Inc.

Allegation: Breach of contract: $75,523.73

Filed: 5/23/23

 

Gregory Webster v. Springfield College

Allegation: Failure to pay wages, failure to pay minimum wages, breach of contract: $85,000

Filed: 5/30/23

 

Eddie Rivera v. Holyoke High Street LLC

Allegation: Negligence causing property damage: $1,198,000

Filed: 5/30/23

 

Dianna Koziol v. Michael Noonan, MD; Daniel O’Grady, PA-C; Michael Stevens, PA-C; Kornelia Hammerschmidt, PA; Louis Durkin, MD; and Trinity Health Of New England ACO LLC d/b/a Mercy Medical Center

Allegation: Medical malpractice: $50,000+

Filed: 5/31/23

 

John Chase v. Monsanto Co.

Allegation: Negligence, breach of express and implied warranties: $6,000,000

Filed: 6/1/23

 

Agenda

By
Agenda

‘Invisible Wounds of War Made Visible’ Exhibit

Through July: Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program, is dedicated to healing the invisible wounds for veterans, service members, and their families. Home Base’s “Invisible Wounds of War Made Visible” exhibit will be on display at the VA Central Western Massachusetts Health Care System in Leeds through July. The exhibit is designed to bring community awareness to the experiences of service members. Providing civilians and service members alike a window into these experiences enhances an empathetic look at the invisible wounds of war. Making these invisible wounds visible allows the viewer to understand more deeply the impact of war on the individual and the continued sacrifices that linger long after a service member returns home. It is an opportunity for civilians to gain perspective and respect for soldiers. Additionally, it is an opportunity for fellow service members to see representation of themselves, knowing they are not alone, and help is available. VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System’s Creative Arts Therapist Courtney Bennett holds open studios weekdays from 2:30 to 4:30 in Mountain Building 11, Room B2. Research shows that trauma and intense stress affect the language systems in the brain, making it difficult to talk about the experiences of trauma. Art and creative expression allow veterans to use a ‘language’ that does not rely on words alone.

 

MOSSO Summer Concerts

July 23, Aug. 3: MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) will present two chamber-music concerts this summer, one at the prestigious Sevenars Music Festival in Worthington on Sunday, July 23, and the second at the Longmeadow Adult Center on Thursday, Aug. 3. At Sevenars, the MOSSO Horn Trio (Beth Welty, violin; Sarah Sutherland, horn; and Elizabeth Skavish, piano) will perform the world premiere of “Triptych” for Piano, Violin, and Horn, a commissioned work by Max Mueller, in a program that also includes: Frédéric Duvernoy’s Trio No. 1 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; Trygve Madsen’s Trio, Op. 110 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; and Johannes Brahms’ Trio in Eb Major for Violin, Horn, and Piano. The Sevenars concert begins at 4 p.m. and is free, with donations requested at the door. For details, visit www.sevenars.org. The Keep It Fresh Quartet, an ensemble including MOSSO musicians Beth Welty, violin; Dani Rimoni, viola; Joel Wolfe, cello; and Jill Dreeben, flute, will perform on the lawn at the Longmeadow Adult Center, 211 Maple Road, Longmeadow, on Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. The program includes Gordon Jacob’s Four Fancies for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello; Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola in G, K. 423; Reger’s Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Viola, Op 141a; selected movements from Mozart’s Divertimento for Violin, Viola, and Cello, K. 563; Mozart’s Quartet in D for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello; and additional pieces to be announced from the stage. The concert will be performed rain or shine, and will be moved indoors at the Adult Center if there is inclement weather. Tickets are free, but advance reservations are required. For details, call (413) 565-4150 (option 1), or visit www.longmeadowma.gov/149/adult-center.

 

Brew at the Zoo

Aug. 5: The Zoo in Forest Park will host its fifth annual Brew at The Zoo fundraising event from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is ideal for both beer fanatics and animal lovers, combining craft-beer samples from local breweries with animal interactions. Attendees can also vote for their favorite home brews in a home-brew competition, listen to live music, play games, and enjoy food from various food trucks. VIP tickets are available for guests wanting an extra hour of sampling and more interactive encounters with animal ambassadors. The VIP hour runs from noon to 1 p.m. The zoo is focused on education, conservation, and rehabilitation and provides homes to animals that may not otherwise survive in the wild. All money raised goes toward the daily care of the 225-plus animals that call the Zoo their home. The zoo will be closed to the public on Aug. 5. Advanced tickets are required, and IDs will be checked at the door. Limited tickets are available. For a list of participating breweries and to purchase tickets, visit www.forestparkzoo.org/brew.

 

Jack Rome Memorial 5K

Oct. 7: Local canine celebrity Jack Rome, official greeter of Gary Rome Auto Group, who peacefully passed away last year, will now be memorialized with an annual 5K run/walk to benefit the Foundation for Thomas J. O’Connor (TJO) Animals. Sponsored by Gary Rome Hyundai and Western Mass News, the first annual Jack Rome Memorial 5K will take place at 10 a.m. at Forest Park in Springfield, and will be a family- and dog-friendly event. Visit runsignup.com/race/ma/springfield/jackromememorial5k to register. All funds raised will be donated directly to the Foundation for TJO Animals and will be used specifically for medical and veterinary care, emergency surgery, and rehabilitation services to help the animals find new, loving homes. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities or for more information, contact Dara Davignon, executive assistant to Gary Rome, at [email protected] or (413) 420-8049.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move
Kevin Hearn

Kevin Hearn

David Caruso

David Caruso

Westfield State University (WSU) President Linda Thompson has appointed Kevin Hearn as vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. Hearn will begin his duties on July 3. With 30 years of higher-education experience, his curricular and co-curricular leadership spans enrollment, student affairs, academic support, and communications. He most recently served as vice president for Enrollment Management at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, where he was responsible for leadership and management of all staff and operations within the offices of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and international admissions, as well as the office of Financial Aid. Prior to this role, he served as vice president for Strategic Enrollment Management at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y., and held leadership roles in Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Dean College in Franklin, Mass. Hearn earned his doctorate in education from Nova Southeastern University in Miami, his master’s degree in counseling and educational psychology from Rhode Island College in Providence, and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. Westfield State also appointed David Caruso temporary provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, starting Aug. 1. With more than 35 years of higher-education experience, Caruso brings a strong background in the classroom, as a researcher, and an administrator. Prior to his retirement, Caruso served as president of Antioch University New England (AUNE) from 2006 to 2013. There, he led the successful implementation of the 2007-12 strategic plan and doubled the campus annual fund. He launched AUNE’s first successful Horace Mann Spirit of Service Awards ceremony that provides funds for the general scholarship endowment. He also served on the boards of the New Hampshire College and University Council and Campus Compact for New Hampshire. Previously, he was provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Worcester State University from 2002 to 2006. Earlier, he held faculty and administrative appointments at the University of Hartford, the University of Rhode Island, Purdue University, and Indiana State University. In 1995, he was awarded the American Council on Education Fellowship, a program designed to develop senior leaders in higher education. In 2014-15, he returned to Worcester State as interim provost. Caruso obtained his Ph.D. in Human Development at Cornell University and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Sonoma State University.

•••••

Timothy Ferreira

Timothy Ferreira

Kevin Schechterle

Kevin Schechterle

On June 1, Gary Rome, president and CEO of Gary Rome Auto Group, promoted two internal employees. Timothy Ferreira has been promoted to chief operating officer of the company, and Kevin Schechterle has been promoted to general manager of Gary Rome Hyundai. Ferreira has been with the organization for 21 years as fixed operations manager, parts manager, and most recently general manager at Gary Rome Hyundai. He has played a significant role in the dealership’s success, with record-breaking months, high employee retention, and numerous awards, including cleanest dealership and #1 in customer satisfaction, and most recently the 2023 TIME Dealer of the Year Award and Hyundai Board of Excellence. He was instrumental in the design and build of the upgraded, 34,000-square-foot GDSI 2.0 Hyundai dealership in 2016; installation of the dealership’s solar field; and electric-vehicle infrastructure, which includes six level-2 chargers and two level-3 chargers; and he is currently overseeing the design and build of the 10,000-square-foot car wash, dog wash, and detail center on site. In his new position as COO, Ferreira will oversee the entire operational management of Gary Rome Hyundai, Gary Rome Kia of Enfield, and the new car wash, dog wash, and detail center, expected to open this fall. The position of chief operating officer is a newly created position for the auto group, due to the expediential growth of the dealerships and development of the new car-wash facility. Schechterle has been with Gary Rome Hyundai for nine years and held the positions of service manager, sales manager, and general sales manager. He will continue to expand his expertise in sales and daily operations of the dealership in his new role and is focused on customer satisfaction and employee retention. He will oversee all departments, including sales, finance, service, parts, business development, marketing, human resources, accounting, and corporate culture.

•••••

Bulkley Richardson recently welcomed attorneys Julie Dick and Daniel Sacco to the firm. Dick is counsel in Bulkley Richardson’s family-law practice. She counsels individuals, couples, and families on all matters relating to domestic relationships. Prior to joining the firm, she was an attorney at Community Legal Aid, where she represented clients in probate and family courts and district courts as a part of the Family Law Unit. She earned a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Ohio State University in 2013, and a juris doctorate from Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2016. Sacco is counsel in Bulkley Richardson’s litigation department, where he works with clients on preparing for administrative proceedings and trials. He has many years of experience helping public and private companies and educational institutions address regulatory compliance-related issues, including both responding to alleged compliance violations and developing compliance policies and programs. Prior to joining Bulkley Richardson, Sacco was a partner at Lindquist & Vennum in Minneapolis. Most recently, he was senior associate director of Research Compliance at UMass Amherst. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College in 1996 and a juris doctorate from the University of Maine School of Law in 2003.

•••••

L. Alexandra Hogan

L. Alexandra Hogan

Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy, P.C. (DWPM) announced that attorney L. Alexandra Hogan will join the firm in an of-counsel capacity in the firm’s Springfield office, effective July 11. Hogan is a partner at Sabella Hogan, P.C. in Springfield. Prior to obtaining her license to practice law in 2008 and her juris doctorate at Western New England University School of Law, she earned a bachelor’s degree in legal studies at Bay Path University. She represents individuals, businesses, insurers, and receivers in civil litigation, business, commercial real-estate, and bankruptcy matters. Hogan is actively involved in the community, presents on peer and judicial panels, and has been a member of several local boards and committees. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

•••••

Catherine Rioux

Catherine Rioux

Monson Savings Bank (MSB) announced the recent promotion of Catherine Rioux to commercial loan officer. She will continue to be based out of the Monson Savings Bank Loan & Operations Center, located at 75 Post Office Park in Wilbraham, and will work to help borrowers secure financing for their business. She will be assisting throughout the entire lending process, from origination to closing and beyond. Rioux has worked in many departments of the bank. In 2006, she started her career in banking as a high-school intern in MSB’s Human Resources department. She later accepted a position as a receptionist, then moved to the Retail Banking department shortly after. In 2013, she joined the Residential Lending department as a residential loan servicer. In early 2015, she accepted a position in the Commercial department as a commercial loan servicer. She thrived in this department and would go on to become a junior credit analyst before being promoted to credit analyst and then commercial portfolio manager. Prior to her most recent promotion, she served as commercial portfolio officer. Rioux enjoys being involved in the local communities. She is a member of the Monson High School scholarship committee and supports local organizations, serving as a board member for I Found Light Against All Odds and volunteering for St. Patrick’s Church. She is a graduate of Western New England University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Additionally, she is a graduate of the New England School of Financial Studies and the Springfield Regional Chamber Leadership Institute.

•••••

Berkshire Agriculture Ventures (BAV) announced the appointment of Rebecca Busansky as its new executive director, following the successful tenure of interim Executive Director Glenn Bergman. Bergman’s leadership during a critical period at BAV resulted in significant advancement for the organization over the past two and a half years. Under his guidance, BAV experienced solid growth as he built a team of experts to lead BAV’s programs and successfully secured support for the organization’s initiatives. Bergman will collaborate with Busansky over the upcoming month to ensure a smooth transition. Busansky was formerly a program director at the Franklin County Community Development Corp. (FCCDC). Her work there focused on helping local farms thrive and increasing food access. She and her team launched the PVGrows Investment Fund, and she also managed the Massachusetts Food Trust Program.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

ShopOne Acquires Heritage Park Plaza

EAST LONGMEADOW — ShopOne Centers REIT Inc., a fully integrated, grocery-anchored shopping center investment, management, and operating platform, together with its joint venture (JV) partners, Pantheon and a leading global institutional investor, announced their entry into Massachusetts with the acquisition of Heritage Park Plaza in East Longmeadow, a 117,337-square-foot shopping center anchored by Stop & Shop. Heritage Park Plaza, which is 98% occupied, is strategically located along Route 83, a heavily traveled thoroughfare, and is serviced by three major highways, Interstates 90, 91, and 291. More than 202,300 people reside within five miles of the center, with an average household income of $88,500. Heritage Park Plaza has benefited from strong and consistent sales from its diverse tenant mix, which includes a variety of leading national retailers and regional brands such as Petco, Orangetheory Fitness, Panera, Dollar Tree, Pure Barre, 99 Restaurant and Pub, and H&R Block.

 

Country Bank Receives Two Marketing Awards

WARE — Country Bank announced it has received two marketing awards from the New England Financial Marketing Assoc. for its 2022 marketing efforts. Country Bank achieved first place with a gold award for its “Made to Make a Difference” rebrand. In May 2022, Country Bank introduced the rebrand in partnership with the bank’s advertising agency, Financial Marketing Solutions. The new tagline was created from focus groups that consisted of Country Bank team members, board members, consumer and business customers, non-customers, and community nonprofits throughout the bank’s marketplace. Since 1850, Country Bank has been a part of the fabric of the communities it serves, so it was deemed essential to include the community in the process. The common theme of how the bank makes a difference became a clear indicator of how its stakeholders received the brand in the market. In addition, the bank received a silver award for its Police vs. Fire Baseball Game in association with the WooSox Foundation. This game was a century-old tradition brought back to life on Sept. 26, 2022. Part of the game is giving back to the community, something the WooSox Foundation and Country Bank are passionate about. The teams chose the Manny 267 Foundation, which received a $15,000 donation.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County Honored with Gold Standard Award

WEST SPRINGFIELD — For the tenth year in a row, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County (BBBSHC) has been recognized for its quality of service by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA). This time around, BBBSHC has been named a Gold Standard Award winner. Every year, the BBBSA Nationwide Leadership Council, made up of local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency leaders and board members, selects agencies for excellence in the organization’s signature one-to-one youth-mentoring program. Out of 225 agencies across the country, BBBSHC is one of 26 organizations to receive this top honor. The Gold Standard Award recognizes agencies that have increased their revenue and grown the number of mentors (‘bigs’) and youth (‘littles’) who are matched through the program, year over year. In the past year, BBBSHC has served approximately 300 youth and grown its local services by 10%. For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been dedicated to igniting potential for at-risk youth, making a lasting impact on the lives of young people. Today, the organization creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships, helping to build self-confidence and emotional well-being and empowering young people on a path to graduate with a plan for their futures and a mentor whose impact can last a lifetime. The Gold Standard Award winners will be formally recognized at the 2023 Big Brothers Big Sisters Bigger Together National Conference, held June 26-29 in California.

 

State Awards $1.37 Million for Fintech Incubator at WNE

SPRINGFIELD — The Healey-Driscoll administration and MassTech recently awarded Western New England University (WNE) a $1.37 million Tech and Innovation Ecosystem grant to establish an incubator that will drive innovation in financial technology, or fintech. WNE’s new Springfield-based fintech incubator will bolster talent development in the growing tech sector; fund new, on-campus computing infrastructure for hands-on learning opportunities; and allow faculty and students to work directly with private-sector companies and other financial-sector organizations on real-world challenges. The new incubator, a two-year, $2,125,000 project, will become a technical resource for fintech startups across the state, with an initial focus on those located in Western Mass. The $1.37 million state grant comes from the state’s Technology & Innovation Ecosystem Awards program. The incubator will be managed by a team of WNE faculty who are deeply entrenched in the fintech space.

 

Davis Foundation Supports Surgical Care at Baystate

SPRINGFIELD — The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation made a generous donation to Baystate Health Foundation in support of the new surgical and interventional procedural rooms at Baystate Medical Center. A portion of this 82,000-square-foot space, which opened in March, is located in what is now known as the Robert S. Davis Wing. It was formally dedicated on May 30 with a celebration that included the Davis family and members of the Baystate Health team. Robert Davis was the second of four Davis children, including his siblings John, Jane, and Steve. He passed away in 2021, and, as a way to celebrate his memory, the family chose to name the former South Wing in his honor. The Robert S. Davis Wing also houses the Pediatric Procedure Unit, the Sadowsky Center for Children, the Baystate Medical Center inpatient pharmacy, and two floors of patient rooms. The tribute is fitting, as he spent time at Baystate Medical Center during his final year receiving care and dialysis treatment.

 

Greenfield Cooperative Bank Supports RiverCulture Events

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Cooperative Bank announced its sponsorship of the 2023 Summer Event Series organized by RiverCulture, the creative-economy program of the town of Montague. The series features a variety of cultural events happening in the five villages of Montague and the Turners Falls Cultural District, including live music, outdoor movies, theater, family activities, and festivals. The series aims to showcase the rich and diverse cultural offerings of the region and to foster community engagement and enjoyment. As a community bank, Greenfield Cooperative Bank is committed to supporting local arts and culture and to enhancing quality of life for its customers and neighbors. Paper copies of the calendar of events are available at local retail stores and restaurants, or can be downloaded at www.riverculture.org.

 

LightHouse Signs Agreement for Possible New Home

HOLYOKE — LightHouse Personalized Education for Teens in Holyoke announced it has signed a purchase-and-sale agreement for the historic Congregation of the Sons of Zion building at 378 Maple St. in downtown Holyoke. The agreement establishes a 120-day inspection and planning period to determine the viability of the move. LightHouse is a personalized, competency-based middle and high school now in its eighth year in its current location in the STEAM Building at 208 Race Street in Holyoke. LightHouse’s tagline is “changing what school can be.” Current renovation estimates are being drawn up and are expected to run well into the millions of dollars, so LightHouse is in the beginning stages of applying for grants and preparing for a capital campaign to fund all the work that needs to be done. LightHouse has grown strategically during its eight years, from a program serving 36 students in its first year, 2015, to its current enrollment of 75 students. Students come from towns and cities across the Pioneer Valley, including Holyoke, and as far away as New Haven, Conn. Almost half of the student body are Holyoke public-school students who attend LightHouse full-time through a public-private partnership, a model for innovation for school districts everywhere.

 

Food Bank Honored with Lauren Arms Ledwith Award

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced that the Lauren Arms Ledwith Award for 2023 has been awarded to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and its outstanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach team. The Food Bank was awarded this honor at the Department of Transitional Assistance’s (DTA) annual meeting with more than 100 local SNAP community-outreach partners. The award was presented to Christina Maxwell, Beth Ziemba, Megan Schuck, Stephanie Gibbs, and Luis Perez Jr. for continuously demonstrating a commitment to creating a better tomorrow for their communities by helping to eliminate hunger. At the meeting, acting DTA Commissioner Mary Sheehan recognized the outstanding work done during the past year to connect residents with SNAP. Currently, almost 656,000 households receive SNAP benefits, a 45% increase from pre-pandemic levels. Since 1982, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has been a pioneer in the community by providing food to individuals and families located in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. It has addressed food insecurity by meeting people where they are, conducting outreach at food pantries, meal sites, shelters, colleges, senior centers, correctional facilities, libraries, and veteran-serving agencies.

 

 

Cedar Chest Partners with Grow Food Northampton

NORTHAMPTON — For the second year in a row, Cedar Chest, the anchor store in Thornes Marketplace on Main Street in downtown Northampton, will partner with food-justice organization Grow Food Northampton to ensure that community members grappling with food insecurity and hunger are able to access healthy, local farm foods all year long at Grow Food Northampton’s farmers markets, Tuesday Market, and Winter market. The Grow Food Northampton SNAP Match program allows community members who use SNAP (formerly called food stamps) to more than double their purchase of nutritious local produce and other farm products at the weekly Tuesday Market farmers market behind Thornes Marketplace, and in the winter at the Winter Market at the Northampton Senior Center. The ‘give $10, get $10’ promotion allows Cedar Chest customers to donate $10 to Grow Food Northampton’s SNAP Match program and, in turn, receive a $10 gift card to spend at Cedar Chest.

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

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

ADAMS

Creative Thought Institute Inc., 27 Park St., Adams, MA 01220. David Watson, same. Nonprofit organization established to advance creativity as a tool for personal and educational growth within the community through programming and instruction.

BELCHERTOWN

Bethel Ministries for All Nations Inc., 55 North Main St., Suite 16, Belchertown, MA 01007. Archibald Nebedum, same. Religious organization established to teach, preach, and study the gospel of Christ; to advance its membership in faith, hope, and charity; and to promote the advancement and glory of Christ’s kingdom by missionary, benevolence, and Sunday-school work.

CHICOPEE

Edu Janitorial Inc., 21 Grape St., Apt. 1, Chicopee, MA 01013. Eduardo Alves de Oliveira, same. Janitorial services.

EASTHAMPTON

Dalhaus Properties Inc., 11 Cherry St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Sarah James Dalhaus, same. Management of rental properties.

GREENFIELD

Nor’easter Reta Chapter Inc., 28 Ferrante Ave., Greenfield, MA 01301. Heather Savard, same. Educational and training events for members and non-members in the field of industrial refrigeration and ammonia.

LUDLOW

Pinpoint Precision Inc., 42 Perimeter Road, Ludlow, MA 01056. Joseph Deliso, 38 Virginia St., Springfield, MA 01108. Business of manufacturing processes, including precision drilling and honing services, and all related services and activities.

PITTSFIELD

Charles Scientific Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Evan Catudal, 40 Governor St., Apt. 2, Providence, RI 02906. Consulting services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and to develop drugs, biologics, and/or medical devices.

A Hipérbole Corp., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Roberta Silveira de Paiva Cabral, same. Business-consulting services.

Vathin America Co. Ltd., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Zhenhua Zhou, same. Medical product customer service, maintenance, import, and export.

SHELBURNE FALLS

Waly Cash Inc., 5 State St., Suite 1, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Sacha Tueni, 1001 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965. Peer-to-peer payment service.

SPRINGFIELD

Center Community Center Inc., 33 Oak St., Springfield, MA 01109. Althea Haines, 61 Mary Coburn Road, Springfield, MA 01129. Nonprofit organization established to secure and provide opportunities for youth and families in the community by offering a safe place to engage in activities, health, fitness, sports, workshops, etc.

The Heart Home Inc., 34 Front St., Suite 211, Indian Orchard, MA 01151. Dakota Lamont Cotton Smith, 211 Rosewell St., Springfield, MA 01109. Services to individuals seeking low- to high-threshold facilities, those seeking emergency shelter, and persons seeking transitional housing.

KSW/SBI Inc., 52 Biltmore St., Springfield, MA 01108. Karen Smith Wohlers, same. Holdings company.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Willow & Moss Flowers Inc., 954 Westfield St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Ahrayah Julian, same. Florist.

WILBRAHAM

Silverauto Inc., 24 Briar Cliff Dr., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Maria Serra, same. Automotive repair service and sales.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2023. .

AMHERST

ECUA Motors
611 South East St.
Fabricio Yunga Caizan

Human Security Analytics
71 Amity Place
Robyn Carpenter

Leblanc Painting
179 Summer St., #7
Paul Leblanc

Michael Young Acupuncture
408 Main St., #112
Michael Young

Vital Milk
13 Montague Road
Dawn Kennedy

Zbycut Motor Works
398 Northampton Road
Luke Zbycut

BELCHERTOWN

Valovcin Woodworks
305 Sabin St.
Daniel Valovcin

CHICOPEE

ASI Enterprises
716 Prospect St.
Alexander Smith

Beauty Batlles Lounge Inc.
46 Cabot St.
Ashley Batlle

Class of 2017 – Chicopee Comprehensive High School
76 Dorothy Ave.
Emma Laughlin

Dev’s Mac N Eats
59 New Ludlow Road, #4B
Devin Perez

G8cG Consulting
34 Pearl St., Apt. 2LFT
Zhi Chun Tang

Nightjar Farm
22 Simonich St.
Evan Nawrocki

RT’s Painting & Remodeling LLC
63 Emmett St.
Radion Tsikhotskiy

EAST LONGMEADOW

Dutko Electric LLC
50 Heatherstone Dr.
Andrew Dutko

Kieu Nail Artist
30-34 Shaker Road
Kieu Nguyen

Marvelous Me Aesthetics LLC
280 North Main St.
Hannah Hubacz

NV Legacy Sales LLC
32 Old Farm Road
Vanna Albert

Richard A. Calvanese CPA
200 North Main St., #200
Richard Calvanese

HADLEY

Memorable Jewelry & Perfume
367 Russell St.
Muhammad Hafeez

LEE

Canna Provisions
225 Housatonic St.
Better Provisions LLC

Consolati Tax Prep
71 Main St.
Patrick Consolati

Imagine Bee
43 Sunshine Ave.
Kellie Ann Monteleone

Jean Paul Upholstery Studio
75 Debra Ave.
Jean Paul Casalinas

On the Fly Guide Services
163 Center St.
Daniel Shepardson

Twin Roots LLC
50 Martin Ave.
Richard Morris

PITTSFIELD

413Buzz
30 Kearney Ave.
CVCS Marketing LLC

All Star Barber Shop 2
397 North St.
Carmen Betances

Arana Gomez Landscaping Plus
68 Oswald Ave.
Wendy Gomez

Balance Rock Investment Group
287 South St.
David Milligan

Blossom Bun
25 Pecks Road
Raluca Pascu

Bottomless Bricks
163 South St.
Shane Laundry, Erin Laundry

Devs’ Sparkling Solutions
50 Bartlett Ave.
Cydney Rollins

Ecuamex Services
220 Karen Dr.
Yuri Gagarin Meija

Lakewood Creamery
384 Newell St.
Amy Koenig, Ann Capitanio

Locks & More
661 East St.
Thomas Wells Jr.

LS Business Management
289 Springside Ave.
Luciano de Souza

O’Reilly Auto Parts #5792
481 Dalton Ave.
O’Reilly Auto Parts

Pablo’s Drywall
135 Chapel St.
Claudia Ocampo

R. Moore Contracting
90 Orchard St.
Robert Moore Sr.

Salon Experience
489 Dalton Ave.
Kathleen Scott

Salon Experience
489 Dalton Ave.
Pamela Burno

Sandra Rojas House Management
57 Stoddard Ave.
Sandra Rojas

Vintage Trucking
825 East New Lenox Road
Scott Salzarulo

WCA Transportation Services
120 Lyman St.
Wanderson de Alavarenga

Z Beauty Nails Inc.
555 Hubbard Ave.
Mingjun Zhu, Xizhen Zhang

SOUTH HADLEY

Bateman’s Bookkeeping
2 West Parkview Dr.
Angela Bateman

Citrus Sky Boutique
15 San Souci Dr.
Citrus Sky Boutique

WESTFIELD

Buildx
504 Holyoke Road
Anthony Deven

Cybernesticks
34 Tekoa Trail
Lawrence Foard

Hannoush Home Designs LLC
99 Springfield Road, Suite 1
Tiffany Hannoush

Healthy Flavors LLC
217 Root Road
Healthy Flavors LLC

Jack Pots Hotdogs
16 Fowler St.
John Symmons

Potholes Magazine
66 Ridgeway St.
Jacob Fleron

Silverfox Creations
23 Sherwood Ave.
Wendy McCann

TJ Networks
7 Nancy Circle
Thomas Jarry

Ur Prfct Bowl
45 Meadow St.
Roselyn Cedeno

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Balise Honda
400 Riverdale St.
James Balise Jr.

Baystate Home Health
30 Capital Dr.
Kristin Delaney

Baystate Hospice
30 Capital Dr.
Kristin Delaney

Beautylicious
22 Birch Park Circle
Elisa Olivo

Caring Solutions LLC
131 Elm St.
Patricia-Lee Scholpp

Centerwell Home Health
95 Elm St.
John Nichols

Central Chevrolet Inc.
675 Memorial Dr.
Todd Volk

Compass Recovery West LLC
117 Park Ave.
Dino Bedinelli

ICM Cooling and Heating
380 Union St.
Daniel Matos

Istanbul Supermarket
312 Memorial Ave.
Musa Bas

Nails and More by Manny
1346 Elm St.
Manuel Rivera Jr.

Ouimette Printing
40 Kelso Ave.
David Ouimette

Pawsitive Vibes Grooming
323 Cold Spring Ave.
Lindsay Abdelmaseh

Royal Touch of Beauty Nails
935 Riverdale St.
Hoang Vo

Stylers Salon
62 Westfield St.
Linda Kennedy

WILBRAHAM

Wilbraham HVAC
3265 Boston Road
Maria Gomes

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Bacon, Robert
Bacon, Sheryl
162 Lafayette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/08/2023

Brunt, Jason
129 Strong St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/13/2023

Connected Touch Massage
Speth, Brooke A.
15 Huron St.
Pittsfield, MA 0120123
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/05/2023

Lapierre, Rileyann
128R Main St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/11/2023

Lazarick, Jaimie L.
3053 South Main St.
Bondsville, MA 01009
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/11/2023

Luchock, Mike J.
75 South St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/15/2023

Malphrus, Melody A.
Lent, Melody A.
28 Honeysuckle Dr., Unit 6212A
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/10/2023

Roberts, Albert Arthur
222 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/10/2023

Sheerin, Timothy J.
121 Pine Grove Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/14/2023

Usher, Judith A.
193 Oak St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151|
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/11/2023

Warren, Jamual Lamar
46 Longfellow Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 05/04/2023

Wilk, Michael L.
49 Colonial Circle, Unit C
Chicopee, MA 01020|
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/04/2023

Real Estate Transactions

By
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

CHARLEMONT

14 Harmony Heights
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: JH Deerfield Valley Properties LLC
Seller: Anthony J. Grey
Date: 05/18/23

CONWAY

37 Fisher Place Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Alison Sinkler
Seller: Susan Bridge
Date: 05/16/23

46 Schoolhouse Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Philip Watson
Seller: Alfred J. Albano
Date: 05/26/23

434 South Shirkshire Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Sarah A. Sullivan
Seller: Edwin B. Strange
Date: 05/17/23

DEERFIELD

97 Pine Nook Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $428,500
Buyer: Allen-Chase Foundation
Seller: Rogers Farm Mgmt. LLC
Date: 05/18/23

105 Pine Nook Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $651,500
Buyer: David A. Sibley
Seller: Rogers Farm Mgmt. LLC
Date: 05/18/23

46 Schoolhouse Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Philip Watson
Seller: Alfred J. Albano
Date: 05/26/23

81 Stillwater Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Oscar J. Almeida
Seller: John Mackinnon
Date: 05/19/23

117 Stillwater Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Alan Haas
Seller: Paul M. Smiaroski
Date: 05/26/23

GILL

95 French King Hwy.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Dana D. Gabriel
Seller: Julie A. Brown
Date: 05/19/23

GREENFIELD

44 Colrain St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Michael W. Donnelly
Seller: Jason P. Wegiel
Date: 05/18/23

317 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $3,500,433
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

28 Harrison Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $279,500
Buyer: Lenora M. Kohan
Seller: Kristi L. Ceccarossi
Date: 05/15/23

139 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Maryanne Royle
Seller: Richard A. Bartlett
Date: 05/17/23

330 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Sniffen FT
Seller: Thomas M. Scriver
Date: 05/26/23

83 Shattuck St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Rory Tallon-Hicks
Seller: Thomas D. Walsh
Date: 05/19/23

49 Smith St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Shannon Baker
Seller: Lawrence P. Interlande
Date: 05/24/23

MONTAGUE

55 11th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: James C. Simpson
Seller: Sheila Webster
Date: 05/18/23

2 Fosters Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Windy Acres 2 LLC
Seller: Alice M. Foster IRT
Date: 05/19/23

2 Fosters Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Windy Hollow Acres 2 LLC
Seller: Alice M. Foster IRT
Date: 05/22/23

15 I St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Seth C. Olson
Seller: Nancy C. Aubrey
Date: 05/19/23

10 Montague City Road
Montague, MA 01301
Amount: $1,365,242
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

22 O St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Michael Hutchinson
Seller: Hildreth Int.
Date: 05/22/23

NORTHFIELD

440 Mount Hermon Station Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Peter B. Antognoni
Seller: Nancy A. Silva
Date: 05/23/23

754 Mount Hermon Station Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Burnes
Seller: Gabriela Constantin
Date: 05/15/23

ORANGE

Athol Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Susan Buck
Seller: Gerancy Holdings LLC
Date: 05/17/23

200 Dana Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: David P. Hartnett
Seller: Richard P. Marcinowski
Date: 05/26/23

10-R Eagleville Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $301,900
Buyer: Mary Chaplin
Seller: Gene W. Ramsdell
Date: 05/18/23

12 High St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Timothy Britt
Seller: Robert K. Treutlein
Date: 05/24/23

47 Horton Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Dustin Mallette
Seller: 73 Willard Road LLC
Date: 05/26/23

61 Oak Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Amanda Gallant
Seller: Mark Lemcke
Date: 05/19/23

Quabbin Blvd.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $820,848
Buyer: TJA201 LLC
Seller: New England Agriculture
Date: 05/18/23

255 River Road
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $805,000
Buyer: Bernard A. Smiarowski
Seller: Pasiecnik, James M., (Estate)
Date: 05/24/23

123 Sandrah Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $284,000
Buyer: Paul Digregory
Seller: Chris Rushford
Date: 05/16/23

91 West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $303,900
Buyer: John Garcia
Seller: Patricia M. Lee
Date: 05/18/23

SUNDERLAND

129 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $503,000
Buyer: John R. Barlow
Seller: MF Properties LLC
Date: 05/19/23

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

11 Damato Way
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $615,900
Buyer: Omar R. Crawford
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 05/19/23

123 Hunters Greene Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Usama Zafar
Seller: Rock Whang
Date: 05/25/23

53 James St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $314,900
Buyer: Melissa Desrosiers
Seller: Christopher W. Rutola
Date: 05/19/23

84 Line St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Brandon Tessier
Seller: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Date: 05/19/23

112 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Olivia Beauvais
Seller: Beauvais, Theresa A., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/23

586 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Rosewood Way Townhomes LP
Seller: Chicopee Kendall LLC
Date: 05/16/23

509 North Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Gregory A. Riberdy
Seller: Alfred H. Riberdy
Date: 05/17/23

250 Poplar St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $311,822
Buyer: Shawn P. Allyn
Seller: Modern Creative Contractors
Date: 05/15/23

19-21 River St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Siano Property Solutions LLC
Seller: Tatum S. Calabrese
Date: 05/25/23

520 School St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Ian Ireland
Seller: Bernard F. Wilkes
Date: 05/18/23

794 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $1,708,735
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

847 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: D & M Summers LLC
Seller: Tini-Jekejo Inc.
Date: 05/26/23

837 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $5,880,146
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: Cumberland Farms Inc.
Date: 05/22/23

181 Tobacco Farm Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Ivan Borovyi
Seller: Kieffer, Rosemarie E., (Estate)
Date: 05/26/23

Walnut St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Viktorian Estate LLC
Seller: Walnut Street RT
Date: 05/24/23

63 William St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Alessio Calabrese
Seller: Brian A. Pellegrino
Date: 05/17/23

BRIMFIELD

1142 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $398,000
Buyer: Kyle Emerson
Seller: Paul Giorgiole
Date: 05/24/23

99 Haynes Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Steven E. Spellman
Seller: Kevin A. Green
Date: 05/26/23

279 Little Alum Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jocelyn Tourtellotte
Seller: Lawrence F. Army
Date: 05/17/23

3 Main St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $6,420,129
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: Cumberland Farms Inc.
Date: 05/25/23

146 Warren Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $489,000
Buyer: John Robinson
Seller: Chestnut Hill Homes LLC
Date: 05/18/23

CHICOPEE

140 Anson St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Marissa Deady
Seller: Marc G. Archambault
Date: 05/22/23

3 Anthony St.
Chicopee, MA 01104
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Eugene Foti
Seller: Joseph F. Lech
Date: 05/22/23

61 Beston St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kenny Soto
Seller: Eric Ciborowski
Date: 05/26/23

310 Carew St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Michael J. Ruz Camacho
Seller: Michelle S. Rollins
Date: 05/26/23

125 Deslauriers St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Steven Rosario-Alvarado
Seller: Angel G. Rodriguez Colon
Date: 05/24/23

122 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Kimsuor Thorng
Seller: Linda M. Santoni
Date: 05/19/23

44 Jean Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Ian McLean
Seller: N. Riley Development Inc.
Date: 05/25/23

32 Jefferson Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Jannette R. Vega
Seller: Anita Patrie
Date: 05/22/23

92 McCarthy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kristy Sutton
Seller: Gagne FT
Date: 05/26/23

196 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Nicholas Simon
Seller: Richard R. Stanislas
Date: 05/17/23

370 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $291,500
Buyer: Jessica Washington
Seller: Earl C. Lempke
Date: 05/26/23

8 Pleasantview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Yarellys N. Barreto
Seller: Chi Dinh
Date: 05/19/23

91 Rimmon Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Marilyn C. Ayala
Seller: Muhammad J. Akbar
Date: 05/15/23

200 Saint James Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: RTNC Auto Wash Inc.
Seller: Daniel H. Burnett
Date: 05/15/23

137 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Lizandra N. Ortiz
Seller: Julio Rivera
Date: 05/15/23

43 Tourtelotte Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Harvey Marmolejos
Seller: Ismael Bernabel
Date: 05/19/23

166 Vadnais St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Jaime M. Decaro
Seller: Mark S. Bailly
Date: 05/16/23

110 Valier Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Mehmet Sarikcioglu
Seller: Susan Provoda
Date: 05/22/23

41 West St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jason E. Carrion
Seller: TLC Realty LLC
Date: 05/26/23

56 Wilson Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Chae D. Green
Seller: Elin A. Gaynor
Date: 05/26/23

209 Woodcrest Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $286,319
Buyer: Lsf11 Master Part TR
Seller: Susan Kim
Date: 05/15/23

EAST LONGMEADOW

15 Barnum St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Thomas Ciarla
Seller: Shannon Ryan
Date: 05/15/23

40 Fenway Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Nicholas J. Chatman
Seller: Truong M. Tai
Date: 05/22/23

176 Hampden Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $189,939
Buyer: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development
Seller: Francis J. Dutille
Date: 05/25/23

71 Harwich Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Christopher F. Bourbeau
Seller: Mary-Anne S. Stearns
Date: 05/24/23

87 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Ashley E. Evans
Seller: Eileen T. Bianconi
Date: 05/24/23

10 Murray Court
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Sandra L. Trubounis
Seller: Seth Metcalf
Date: 05/22/23

406-436 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $27,348,000
Buyer: So-Heritage Park JV LLC
Seller: Heritage MZL LLC
Date: 05/22/23

406-436 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $952,000
Buyer: So-Heritage Park JV LLC
Seller: Pecousic Mabrook LLC
Date: 05/22/23

GRANVILLE

388 South Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $391,500
Buyer: Paula Novak
Seller: Kokoleka RT
Date: 05/19/23

HAMPDEN

778 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Elliot Jenrette
Seller: Marcey Lindley
Date: 05/18/23

42 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Rachael L. Cormier
Seller: Linda A. Varney
Date: 05/15/23

37 Woodland Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $191,500
Buyer: Joanna Santaniello
Seller: Joseph B. Sullivan
Date: 05/23/23

37 Woodland Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Daniel Parker
Seller: Joanna Santaniello
Date: 05/25/23

HOLLAND

63 South Cottage Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Herbert F. Seymour
Seller: Daniel J. Bauman
Date: 05/19/23

69 Stafford Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: John D. Holdcraft
Seller: Storey, Tammy S., (Estate)
Date: 05/17/23

62 Vinton Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Amanda M. Lafrance
Seller: Gilfoy, Joseph, (Estate)
Date: 05/18/23

HOLYOKE

52 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Green Path Consulting Group
Seller: Obas Realty LLC
Date: 05/15/23

518 Maple St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Daniel Radionov
Seller: Vladislaw Yefimiadi
Date: 05/26/23

45 North Summer St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Eliezer R. Alvarado
Seller: Trentan S. Williams
Date: 05/24/23

136 Pearl St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Ann Adams
Seller: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Date: 05/19/23

244-246 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Jeremy R. Gonzalez
Seller: Maria Munet
Date: 05/19/23

32 Woodbine Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $437,000
Buyer: Matthew W. Bayne
Seller: Constance M. Laroche
Date: 05/18/23

LONGMEADOW

228 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Matthew A. Kennedy
Seller: Jeffrey A. Cosenzi
Date: 05/25/23

112 Captain Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Luigi Chiarella
Seller: Dorothy J. Posner IRT
Date: 05/25/23

62 Dartmouth Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Gregory J. Rogers
Seller: Marcus White
Date: 05/24/23

120 Hawthorne St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $409,000
Buyer: Douglas L. Catanzaro
Seller: Joshua Kent
Date: 05/19/23

97 Roseland Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Corey B. Williams
Seller: Marissa A. Vest
Date: 05/19/23

LUDLOW

463 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $1,263,358
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: Cumberland Farms Inc.
Date: 05/22/23

97 Church St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Rodman Capital Group LLC
Seller: Venne, Jacqueline O., (Estate)
Date: 05/16/23

320 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $3,584,851
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/25/23

902 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: David Rodman
Seller: Lori Crum
Date: 05/18/23

19 Lehigh St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jose L. Fragoso
Seller: Helder M. Cerqueira
Date: 05/19/23

31 Lavoie Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $251,500
Buyer: Jillian Stupak
Seller: Maureen Pelletier
Date: 05/24/23

60 Lockland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Richard Hazeldine
Seller: Hayley E. Babineau
Date: 05/23/23

54 Moody St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: LK Realty LLC
Seller: Moody Street Realty LLC
Date: 05/22/23

39 Rogers Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Krysten Perok
Seller: Alexander Grisaru
Date: 05/24/23

30 Williams St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Gregory K. Saladyga
Seller: Sandra Houghton
Date: 05/23/23

37 Wyndermere Place
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Sunha Chung
Seller: Renee A. Rodolakis
Date: 05/26/23

MONSON

66 Butler Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Seth Metcalf
Seller: Richard Cordner
Date: 05/26/23

34 Ely Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $501,000
Buyer: David G. Vargas
Seller: Kostorizos, Mary E., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/23

Hovey Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Town of Monson Through ITS
Seller: Booker, Jean, (Estate)
Date: 05/26/23

110 Lakeshore Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Victor Janulewicz
Seller: Sullivan, Daniel R., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/23

61 Lakeside Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Mark Laird
Seller: Katherine M. Kennedy
Date: 05/23/23

18 Silva St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $253,900
Buyer: Ambrea Mackenzie
Seller: Marion L. Appleby
Date: 05/26/23

MONTGOMERY

78 Pineridge Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Monica A. Patrick
Seller: No Limit Assets LLC
Date: 05/19/23

PALMER

114-118 Bourne St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Damien Wilson
Seller: Myriam Vega
Date: 05/19/23

2030 Calkins Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Patricia J. Bachand
Seller: David E. Bachand
Date: 05/25/23

4049-4051 Church St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jesus M. Nevarez
Seller: Ricardo M. Cedeno
Date: 05/26/23

31-33 Converse St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Edwin R. Ocana
Seller: Sade Callwood
Date: 05/22/23

9 Holbrook St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Newton
Seller: Patricia J. Bachand
Date: 05/18/23

8 Meadow Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Sarah Sevigny
Seller: Christopher J. Sugrue
Date: 05/18/23

1472 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $4,769,613
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

1269 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $285,900
Buyer: Adrian T. Torres Robles
Seller: Joseph P. Paul
Date: 05/25/23

RUSSELL

16 Westfield Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $1,117,810
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: Cumberland Farms Inc.
Date: 05/22/23

SPRINGFIELD

31-33 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: James M. Christy
Seller: Ronnie Salas
Date: 05/22/23

616 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Hector Ocasio
Seller: Pedro D. Lopez
Date: 05/24/23

163 Atwater Ter.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Megan McAdams
Seller: Edwin D. Friderici
Date: 05/15/23

Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Markdon Realty LLC
Seller: Bdmg LLC
Date: 05/18/23

24-26 Beauregard St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Campo Y. Mar LLC
Seller: Delissa S. Kraus
Date: 05/19/23

17 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: P&R Investments LLC
Seller: William R. McCarthy
Date: 05/26/23

186 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Ryleigh Reid
Seller: Belspring TR
Date: 05/23/23

100 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Layth Alkhazraji
Seller: Carol G. Jackson
Date: 05/15/23

121 Brandon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $311,300
Buyer: Thomas Ricks
Seller: Concetta Viviano
Date: 05/26/23

252 Cabinet St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Maritza M. Alicea
Seller: Rodriquez, Melvin, (Estate)
Date: 05/18/23

71 Caitlin Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Ricardo Ortiz
Seller: Amy E. Harrigan
Date: 05/19/23

798 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $1,101,800
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/25/23

22 Cedar St.
Springfield, MA 01056
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Modern Creative Contractors
Seller: Marta Torres
Date: 05/16/23

67-69 Chester St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Jaminton Palma
Seller: Carmen E. Reyes
Date: 05/19/23

115 Clayton St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $321,000
Buyer: Alejandro A. Rivera-Rivas
Seller: Luis A. Acosta
Date: 05/26/23

255 Connecticut Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Nathaniel Mendez
Seller: Bergman, Verna Ruth, (Estate)
Date: 05/16/23

40 Dana St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Paul A. Hudgik
Seller: Riordan, Kathleen M. (Estate)
Date: 05/23/23

17 Dearborn St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Julio E. Figueroa
Seller: KMAK LLC
Date: 05/26/23

625 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Saengchanh Viengxay
Seller: Yeslin Gonzalez
Date: 05/18/23

426 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Antonio V. Lopriore
Seller: Maria L. Lopriore
Date: 05/25/23

63 Entrybrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Agnesa Bratnichenko
Seller: Eyup Atmaca
Date: 05/17/23

268 Forest Hills Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Aaron D. Leasure
Seller: Christopher E. Roos
Date: 05/24/23

14 Franconia St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Eleanor E. Tynan
Seller: Lavalee, Alice I. (Estate)
Date: 05/25/23

151 Garnet St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Bridget Grim
Seller: Brian T. Kennedy
Date: 05/26/23

150 Glenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Wilfredo Ortiz
Seller: Robert R. Levesque
Date: 05/23/23

115 Greene St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Greene Street RT
Seller: Sivia Malloy
Date: 05/18/23

66 Grenada Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Roger Figuereo
Seller: Peter Stathakis
Date: 05/24/23

160 Hampshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Carlos R. Cosme Rosado
Seller: Bay Flow LLC
Date: 05/17/23

74 Haskin St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jayson Miranda
Seller: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Date: 05/25/23

125 Hood St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Angel M. Santiago-Felix
Seller: Jacqueline Otero
Date: 05/22/23

20 Hunt St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Jjj17 LLC
Seller: No Limit Assets LLC
Date: 05/25/23

44 Ina St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Clark L. Brown
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 05/18/23

50-52 James St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Angelic Carr
Seller: Tm Rentals LLC
Date: 05/17/23

28-30 Kendall St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Mason Capital Ventures LLC
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 05/24/23

184 King St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Healthy Neighborhood Group LLC
Seller: Wicked Deals LLC
Date: 05/26/23

33 Ladd St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Marc Marino
Seller: Dora Morales
Date: 05/19/23

39 Laurelwood Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Quyen L. Ngo
Seller: Benjamin A. Tanguay
Date: 05/15/23

330-332 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $374,000
Buyer: Mayra M. Molina
Seller: JJS Capital Investments LLC
Date: 05/26/23

1525 Main St., Lot 1525
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: F. B. Development LLC
Seller: New England Public Media Inc.
Date: 05/16/23

25 Manitoba St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Felix Decesare
Seller: Christopher J. Dowd
Date: 05/26/23

19 Mattoon St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Jason Clark
Seller: Ansel C. Erickson-Zinter
Date: 05/24/23

30 Mazarin St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Desmond Horton
Seller: Colleen E. Burkhart
Date: 05/24/23

63 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Robert Gauthier
Seller: Robert J. Schroeter
Date: 05/23/23

130 Myrtle St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Victor M. Lopez Garcia
Seller: Robert J. Lefebvre
Date: 05/15/23

290 Newton Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Scott Meadows
Seller: Dimetrius A. Hatcher
Date: 05/18/23

184-186 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Reinaldo P. Maestre
Seller: Diego Bonilla
Date: 05/15/23

249 Oak Grove Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Seller: Scott E. Rohan
Date: 05/17/23

292-294 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Chamber Investment Group LLC
Seller: Jazmin N. Paulino
Date: 05/26/23

107 Phoenix Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: John Hosmer-Quint
Seller: Maria Cruz
Date: 05/26/23

112 Princeton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Uziel Q. Barrios
Seller: Tara Ahmed
Date: 05/19/23

119 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Darius L. Martin
Seller: Rustilio Borrero
Date: 05/26/23

170 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $276,500
Buyer: Victoria A. Spedding
Seller: Louis J. Evans
Date: 05/24/23

1310 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Rtnc Auto Wash Inc.
Seller: Daniel H. Burnett
Date: 05/15/23

90 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: David Pownall
Seller: Roy, Dorcas, (Estate)
Date: 05/19/23

96 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Maria Cruz
Seller: Angel J. Cruz
Date: 05/26/23

152 Shady Brook Lane
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Frances E. Kimball Russo
Seller: Matahari RT
Date: 05/16/23

89 Sparrow Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Carrasquillo Fix Up LLC
Seller: MTG Equity Conversion TR 201
Date: 05/26/23

244 Springfield St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $423,000
Buyer: Mark Manzella
Seller: Mendez TR
Date: 05/18/23

40 Vincent St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Julio A. Morales Saravia
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 05/26/23

134 Wachusett St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Staci Graves
Seller: Brendan Simms
Date: 05/23/23

31 Wallace St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $121,000
Buyer: Aldo Properties LLC
Seller: Darlene Stewart-Hernandez
Date: 05/25/23

54 Washington Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Florence Kabagenyi
Seller: Diversified Investments Intl. LLC
Date: 05/26/23

21 Watling St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Susan Walden
Seller: James P. Garvey
Date: 05/23/23

192-194 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: SM Allen Real Estate LLC
Seller: Njoroge Wamunyuah
Date: 05/23/23

22-24 Westernview St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $349,500
Buyer: Allen Stout
Seller: Lee Cooney
Date: 05/26/23

85 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Graciela P. G. Cortes
Seller: Greg Lasage
Date: 05/19/23

41 Washington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Luis A. Rivera
Seller: Stephanie C. Howard
Date: 05/17/23

134 Woodmont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Colin W. Hodgson Smith
Seller: Cagdas Yilmaz
Date: 05/26/23

70 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Shaneka R. Edwards
Seller: JJJ17 LLC
Date: 05/18/23

SOUTHWICK

33 Buckingham Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Asha Khanna
Seller: Danielle L. Alderman
Date: 05/24/23

234 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Michael Werman
Seller: Mary P. Dougherty
Date: 05/17/23

95-A Sheep Pasture Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Pavel Zhuk
Seller: Bell Point LLC
Date: 05/19/23

TOLLAND

26 Forest Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $297,500
Buyer: George A. Porter RET
Seller: Denise M. Linden
Date: 05/18/23

WALES

163 Union Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Luis D. Maurial-Munoz
Seller: Heidi L. Hamer
Date: 05/26/23

165 Union Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Luis D. Maurial-Munoz
Seller: Heidi L. Hamer
Date: 05/26/23

10 Woodland Hts.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jefferson J. Delrosario
Seller: Margaret Powers
Date: 05/26/23

WEST SPRINGFIELD

60 Bowers St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jayne Bartlett
Seller: John Fiorini
Date: 05/15/23

117 Brookline Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Justin R. Guillemette
Seller: Michael J. Mushok
Date: 05/18/23

61 Christopher Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Jacob Burgess
Seller: Melissa M. Desrosiers
Date: 05/19/23

603 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Robert Denham
Seller: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Date: 05/17/23

696 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: Corey B. Williams
Date: 05/16/23

695 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: William Rivera
Seller: 695 Morgan Road NT RET
Date: 05/19/23

119 Orchardview St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $351,000
Buyer: Tonya L. Tabin
Seller: Judycki, Raymond N., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/23

143 Park Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $1,376,886
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/26/23

22 Park St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $1,998,376
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

82 Pierce St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Raney Shabaneh
Seller: Khushal L. Gogri
Date: 05/25/23

34 Piper Cross Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Stevie Bonser
Seller: Maria E. Negron
Date: 05/22/23

840 Prospect Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: Andrew Laporte
Seller: Barbara A. Rouillard
Date: 05/22/23

84 Van Horn St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $351,000
Buyer: Antrun Alvarado
Seller: Cornerstone Homebuying LLC
Date: 05/26/23

1521 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Deborah Wilson
Seller: Isham, Jonathan J. (Estate)
Date: 05/22/23

77 Wilder Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Larkspur LLC
Seller: Janet E. Jueckstock
Date: 05/23/23

35 Woodward Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Hannah F. Goncalves
Seller: Peter T. Connors
Date: 05/26/23

WESTFIELD

18 Allen Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Quinn M. Gaston
Seller: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Date: 05/26/23

293 Birch Bluffs Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Knapik
Seller: Joseph J. Knapik
Date: 05/18/23

714 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Laura Blockel
Seller: Morin, Janice Marion (Estate)
Date: 05/26/23

189 Honey Pot Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Vladislav M. Yefimiadi
Seller: Bedor, Cary F. (Estate)
Date: 05/26/23

16 Hunters Slope
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $765,000
Buyer: Shanilar Noohun-Nihar
Seller: Sergey Agibalov
Date: 05/24/23

4 King St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Michael Marshall
Seller: Panther Development LLC
Date: 05/22/23

112 Mullen Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: David Fitzgerald
Seller: Howard, Brian T., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/23

14 Pinewood Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Karen M. Guy
Seller: Cornelius, Gwendolyn C., (Estate)
Date: 05/18/23

99 Rachael Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $657,800
Buyer: Christopher Shea
Seller: Bent Tree Development LLC
Date: 05/15/23

43 Shepard St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Carlos A. Bonillao
Seller: Tok Chang
Date: 05/15/23

1134 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $7,096,928
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/25/23

38 Westwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Michael Forest
Seller: Raymond J. Wright
Date: 05/16/23

78 Westwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Matthew Byrnes
Seller: G. R. Estee
Date: 05/18/23

WILBRAHAM

11 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: John Kangas
Seller: Liliana T. Figueroa
Date: 05/15/23

12 Briar Cliff Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Anurathan Ramakrishnan
Seller: Justin Wells
Date: 05/26/23

18 Bruuer Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $370,500
Buyer: Yan Xu
Seller: Walter B. Robinson
Date: 05/24/23

28 Pomeroy St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Julia A. Eastman
Seller: Linda A. Tammi
Date: 05/24/23

105 Post Office Park
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $2,951,717
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: FI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

49 Red Bridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Bryan Hunter
Seller: Sharon M. Putnam
Date: 05/24/23

120 Washington Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $195,250
Buyer: Tim Real Estate LLC
Seller: Midfirst Bank
Date: 05/17/23

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

16 Aubinwood Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Michael P. Phillips
Seller: Justin S. Payan
Date: 05/19/23

55 Aubinwood Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Suzanne Nagy
Seller: Graham E. Caldwell
Date: 05/18/23

35 Belchertown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $6,642,818
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

52 Blue Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Janet S. Strauss
Seller: Larissa R. Chernock
Date: 05/17/23

4 Evergreen Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Charles G. Hruska
Seller: Cashdan Funding TR
Date: 05/19/23

27 Foxglove Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Christine A. Dejong
Seller: Joseph O. Hebert
Date: 05/25/23

6 Grantwood Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: M. C. Schwartzer TR
Seller: Timothy L. Plankey
Date: 05/26/23

179 Lincoln Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $726,000
Buyer: 179 Lincoln Avenue LLC
Seller: Avital R. Sagalyn TR
Date: 05/26/23

82 Pomeroy Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jonathan J. Reale
Seller: David Denno
Date: 05/22/23

210 Strong St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $512,000
Buyer: Meng C. Moser
Seller: Bau A. Diep
Date: 05/23/23

58 Sunset Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,448,000
Buyer: Tamara Agarwal
Seller: Carla Carpenter
Date: 05/15/23

36 Western Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $379,000
Buyer: Shourya Gupta
Seller: Kasa Construction & Renovations
Date: 05/26/23

BELCHERTOWN

15 Chartier Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Jinguo Lian
Seller: Fundakowski, Stephen L., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/23

21 Dogwood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Kathryn S. Maroney
Seller: Jeffrey A. Moore
Date: 05/16/23

30 Pepper Ridge Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $478,000
Buyer: James W. Dunn
Seller: Mindie L. Befford
Date: 05/23/23

15 Shea Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Cody C. Taylor
Seller: Strange, Tina (Estate)
Date: 05/24/23

CUMMINGTON

9 Berkshire Trail
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Swift River Stone LLC
Seller: T. & J. Stone Properties LLC
Date: 05/26/23

EASTHAMPTON

27 Bryan Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Romney Biddulph
Seller: Goodnow Construction Inc.
Date: 05/22/23

47-49 Franklin St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: R. M. McKittrick
Seller: Franklin Street Investments LLC
Date: 05/16/23

74 Garfield Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Ana C. Reyes
Seller: Martha Hoopes
Date: 05/23/23

43 Knipfer Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Alex Bales
Seller: Perrier, Ellen Sandra, (Estate)
Date: 05/18/23

6-12 Lovell St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $762,500
Buyer: 6-12 Lovell LLC
Seller: John A. Knybel
Date: 05/19/23

231 Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $4,152,489
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

113 Strong St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Geoffrey E. Green
Seller: Christopher F. Sterpka
Date: 05/15/23

17 Summit Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Igneri
Seller: Myrtis N. Duso
Date: 05/15/23

3 Zabek Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $351,000
Buyer: Michael Dudek
Seller: Andrea A. Przybyla
Date: 05/15/23

GRANBY

Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Peter R. Heronemus
Seller: Better Together Dog Rescue
Date: 05/19/23

74 West State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $3,947,266
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: Cumberland Farms Inc.
Date: 05/22/23

HADLEY

6 Hawley Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Ngan T. Nguyen
Seller: MTGLQ Investors LP
Date: 05/24/23

31 Lawrence Plain Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $562,031
Buyer: William Hahn
Seller: Kevin C. St. John
Date: 05/26/23

132 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: HP Realty LLC
Seller: RET Of Karen M. Depace
Date: 05/15/23

HATFIELD

75 Pantry Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Brendan J. Moran
Seller: W. Marek Inc.
Date: 05/26/23

West St., Lot 1
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Ad Carroll LLC
Seller: David A. Vachula
Date: 05/26/23

23 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $1,350,000
Buyer: Ingellis Properties LLC
Seller: Charles A. Wiemeyer
Date: 05/18/23

HUNTINGTON

16 Kennedy Dr.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Andrey Yurovsky
Seller: Mark E. Welch
Date: 05/25/23

8 Pine St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC
Seller: Deutsche Alt-A Inc. 2007-A
Date: 05/25/23

NORTHAMPTON

550 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $361,500
Buyer: Gillian Brunet
Seller: Takki, Lawrence Peter (Estate)
Date: 05/26/23

1051 Chesterfield Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $680,000
Buyer: Laura Wright
Seller: Hayes House LLC
Date: 05/17/23

28 Harrison Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,450,000
Buyer: Peter Seterdahl
Seller: Anthony P. Margherita
Date: 05/26/23

53 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $3,663,447
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/25/23

PELHAM

44 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $489,000
Buyer: Logan R. Fritz
Seller: Chilenski, Gregory M., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/23

SOUTH HADLEY

504 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Mark J. Birkenstock
Seller: Ryan Lafond
Date: 05/23/23

6 Carew St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: 6 Carew Street LLC
Seller: Keith P. Quenneville
Date: 05/25/23

8 Carol Ann Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $674,000
Buyer: Byung Kim
Seller: Gene E. Os
Date: 05/26/23

355 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Olivier Ngoy
Seller: Laurie A. Lamoureaux
Date: 05/25/23

74 High St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $273,500
Buyer: Anthony G. Staszko
Seller: David G. Fesko
Date: 05/15/23

73 Lamb St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Dominic R. Florence
Seller: Raymond C. Florence
Date: 05/23/23

14 Lloyd St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Doyen
Seller: Xander Properties LLC
Date: 05/19/23

1 Marcel St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Heather J. Lacey
Seller: Stephen A. Perreault
Date: 05/23/23

507 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $1,876,116
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/25/23

50 Spring St., Ext.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $221,500
Buyer: Aleksander I. Izoita
Seller: Etabav RT
Date: 05/26/23

SOUTHAMPTON

193 Brickyard Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Kathryn L. Buttrick RET
Seller: Vitaliy Anisimov
Date: 05/25/23

130 College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $1,969,267
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

23 Helen Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Peter Randall
Seller: Linda E. Summers
Date: 05/22/23

58 Strong Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Lisa Belisle
Seller: James R. Belisle
Date: 05/15/23

 

WARE

7 Longview Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Michael F. Bachand
Seller: Secretary Of Veterans Affairs
Date: 05/22/23

59 West Main St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: AVVY Holding Group LLC
Seller: Ricky Chu
Date: 05/26/23

195 West St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $7,053,264
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/22/23

8 Wildflower Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Jeremy T. Moody
Seller: Raymond Lemon
Date: 05/19/23

WILLIAMSBURG

37 Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $5,574,495
Buyer: Obsidian Ml 6 LLC
Seller: CFI Propco 2 LLC
Date: 05/25/23

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2023.

CHICOPEE

A&C Fernandes LLC
796 Sheridan St.
$12,900 — Roofing

Leszek Biel
115 South St.
$15,030.66 — Roofing

Kor Realty LLC
939 Chicopee St.
$125,000 — AT&T to co-locate nine antennas, 12 radios, two surge arrestors, associated cabling, and walk-in cabinet within ground space; 20 kW generator within existing compound

Leah Laflamme
37 Montville St.
$6,000 — Replace fire-damaged heat detector and horn strobe, replace defective main panel

O’Leary-Vincunas No Two LLC
102 First Ave.
$26,550 — Install industrial racking

Danielle Olimpa
1720 Westover Road
$12,000 — Siding, window and door replacement

EASTHAMPTON

John Dunphy
49-53 Union St.
$40,100 — Roofing

New England Telephone Co.
6 Railroad St.
$15,000 — Replace fire-alarm system and devices

Williston Northampton School
40-50 Park St.
$300,000 — Remove existing north-facing window wall and replace with new, fixed-glass units; remove east and west classroom operable units and replace with new units

Williston Northampton School
19 Payson Ave.
$65,000 — Remove three existing wood double-entry doors and replace with new fiberglass insulated entry doors

HADLEY

Floranine LLC
285 Russell St.
N/A — Relocate existing sign

LENOX

Toole Properties Inc.
461 Pittsfield Road
$125,000 — Replace existing indoor pool roof panels with equivalent panels

NORTHAMPTON

City of Northampton
Bridge Street
$3,205 — Storage shed at Sheldon Field

City of Northampton
125 Locust St.
$9,000 — Two replacement windows at Board of Public Works

J-Barc Inc.
25 Pleasant St.
$136,500 — Repair and lintel replacement

O’Connell Hawley LLC
10 Hawley St.
$37,979 — Bath addition

Oxbow Professional Park LLC
22 Atwood Dr.
$74,000 — Install dish panel

Smith College
Bedford Ter.
$4,356,297 — New windows, repairs, mechanical systems

Smith College
College Lane
$1,782,358 — Interior renovation to laboratories, classrooms

Smith College
14 Green St.
$414,000 — Interior renovations

Smith College
94 State St.
$4,903,303 — Replacement windows, door, renovate restroom

PITTSFIELD

David Coco
206 Elm St.
$19,365 — RTU replacement

Phoenix Merrill Road LLC
676 Merrill Road
$1,200 — Add two indicating devices to Ready Set Play store

Pittsfield General Electric
303 Crane Ave.
$22,000 — Roofing

Three Ninety Five Nord Strasse LLC
391 North St.
$99,500 — Install new wet system

SPRINGFIELD

1492 Redevelopment LLC
90 Carew St.
$300,000 — Alter interior tenant space in Unit B for medical office use

Africana Villa LLC
312 Locust St.
$163,000 — New grocery store

Centro Cristiano Emanuel
435 Cottage St.
$6,000 — Remove non-structural walls

City of Springfield
962 Carew St.
$554,710 — Alter interior classroom space at Liberty Elementary School for use as a kitchen

FNBC Realty Corp., et al
1350 Main St.
$2,483,296.15 — Renovate Suite 600 in MassLive building

The Gray House Inc.
22 Sheldon St.
$16,000 — Erect utility ramp in rear of property

Honore LLC
272 Worthington St.
$130,900 — Alter interior space of existing restaurant for new bar and kitchen area

Marks Realty LLP
821 Boston Road
$50,000 — Alter interior space; change use from retail store to Nam’s Taekwando

Mount Calvary Baptist Church of Springfield
17 John St.
$26,000 — Remodel interior space

Picknelly Family LP
1 Monarch Place
$120,000 — Alter interior tenant office space on 22nd floor for Liberty Bank

Pilar 2 LLC
165 Liberty St.
$25,016.75 — Add and alter bathroom, sink, and cabinets in office building

RF Realty Co. LLC
445 Sumner Ave.
$129,000 — Alter interior tenant space for use as Xpress Med Urgent Care

Snapland 59 LLC
51 Taylor St.
$60,000 — Repair brick facade and basement walls

Springfield Qoz Self-Storage II LLC
55 Emery St.
$1,000,000 — Alter interior space of basement and four levels for use as Devon Storage

HUB International New England Announces Promotions

By
Daily News

EAST LONGMEADOW — Fifteen months after introducing its Client Advisory Team, HUB International New England announced the appointment of the personal lines directors: Aimee Goddard, director of Personal Lines – Operations; Kristina Laplante, director of Personal Lines – Sales; Sara Dieters, director of Personal Lines – Service; and Terry McConkey, director of Personal Lines – Specialty.

Goddard has been in the insurance industry for over 32 years, starting her career in commercial lines before switching to personal lines in 1997. She spent 10 years of her career at Eastern Insurance, contributing to the company’s personal-lines growth and success. Having been with HUB since 2016, she has been promoted numerous times, to manager, director, regional director/senior vice president, and now to Operations director/senior vice president.

With more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Laplante has held various roles, providing her with extensive experience. She is committed to growing a sales team that is both customer-focused and driven to achieve results. A natural leader, her energy and enthusiasm inspires her team to strive for excellence, making them an asset to the organization.

Having first started in banking, Dieters was introduced to insurance by a family friend, which proved to be an ideal fit, as she has now spent more than 16 years in the industry, including 10 years at HUB. She has been promoted numerous times over the years and is excited for this new opportunity.

McConkey has worked for HUB for more than 35 years. She has held various roles in personal-lines service and leadership, including account manager, team leader, PL manager, PL specialty manager, and now Personal Lines director. She has a wealth of insurance knowledge and leadership experience and is excited to continue her positive impact in her new role.

In addition, HUB congratulates the following employees who have been promoted to senior regional managers: Lisa Koehler, Partnership and Processing Teams; Patty Angell, Service and Remarket Teams; and Shirlee Capponcelli, Sales Team.

The firm also offers congratulations to Joyce Pasquale on her retirement in December and to Becky McLaughlin as she moves into her new role as East Region director of Learning & Organizational Development.

Smith Brothers Insurance Selected for the Hanover’s President’s Club

By
Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Smith Brothers Insurance, which has an office on Main Street in Northampton, was named to the Hanover Insurance Group’s President’s Club, an elite group of independent insurance agencies from across the country. Smith Brothers also has offices in Milford and Oxford.

The Hanover partners with a select group of 2,100 independent agents nationwide, and only 5% are recognized with this distinction. This is the ninth consecutive year Smith Brothers Insurance has been selected as a participant of the Hanover’s President Club.

“It’s an honor for all of us at Smith Brothers to be recognized by Hanover as one of the top independent insurance agencies for nine consecutive years,” said Jared Carillo, partner at Smith Brothers. “This award is yet another way we demonstrate Smith Brothers’ dedication to being the agency of choice for families and businesses. Helping others and striving for best-in-class client experience continues to be deep-rooted in our culture at Smith Brothers.”

The Hanover’s President’s Club agencies are recognized for delivering meaningful value to their customers with enhanced service and deep industry knowledge.

“We look to partner with strategic independent agencies, like Smith Brothers, that understand the importance of providing an enhanced customer experience backed by a strong carrier partnership,” said Richard Lavey, president of Hanover Agency Markets. “These agencies have a strong understanding of the insurance industry and can advise clients on risk-prevention tactics to reduce potential exposure while providing an exceptional customer-service experience.”

Motor Maids Convention Coming to Springfield in July

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Motor Maids Inc. will host its annual convention in Springfield on July 11-13.

The Motor Maids were formed in 1940 when founders Linda Dugeau and Dot Robinson composed a list of 51 female motorcyclists who would become the charter members of an all-female club. In 1941, the American Motorcycle Assoc. issued the Motor Maids a charter. Membership has grown to a diverse group of 1,300 members across Canada and the U.S. The common threads that bind them are a passion for riding, promoting safe riding habits, and presenting the world with a positive image of women on motorcycles.

Highlights of the convention include a Red Ribbon event, at which the club recognizes first-time conventioneers; the signature Dot Robinson Road Run, a timed road race with secret checkpoints; a parade in full uniform; and a closing banquet on Thursday, July 13.

The Motor Maids will start arriving on July 8. A requirement for prospective members is that they or an immediate family member own a motorcycle and that they actively ride. Motor Maids club members will come from all over the U.S. and Canada. Each lady must ride her motorcycle from her home to the convention and back home. Members range in age from 18 to 92. Mothers will bring daughters and daughters-in-law who are also members, and the club’s history holds more than one precedent for three generations of a family holding membership.

The parade will take place on Tuesday, July 11 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. It will start at Springfield Technical Community College Student Lot #1 at the corner of Pearl and Federal streets. It will proceed left on Federal Street out of the parking lot, going through the city and into Chicopee briefly, then back into Springfield. The route will wind through Forest Park and come out on Longhill Street. From there, it turns left on Main Street, right on East Columbus Avenue, right on State Street, and left on Federal Street, back to STCC Student Lot #1.

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Awards $140,000 to Expand SNAP Match Programs

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Daily News

GREAT BARRINGTON — Berkshire Agriculture Ventures (BAV) has awarded over $140,000 in grants to support SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Access Program) matching programs at 10 Berkshire-area farmers markets. This financial assistance plays a pivotal role in bolstering food equity and ensuring that all community members have access to fresh, local, nutrient-dense food, especially at a time when SNAP benefits nationwide have been cut to pre-pandemic levels.

Through BAV’s Market Match Fund, an economic-development and food-access program, funding is provided to farmers markets to enhance the effectiveness of SNAP benefits throughout the Berkshire-Taconic region. BAV’s grants enable awarded farmers markets to implement a dollar-for-dollar SNAP match program, doubling the purchasing power of SNAP at participating farmers markets. Beneficiaries can withdraw $30 in SNAP and receive an additional $30 in match, for a total of $60 to spend.

The following farmers markets received a 2023 grant from BAV’s Market Match Fund: North Adams Farmers Market, Williamstown Farmers Market, Pittsfield Farmers Market, West Stockbridge Farmers Market, Lee Farmers Market, Great Barrington Farmers Market, Sheffield Farmers Market, Millerton Farmers Market, New Milford Farmers Market, and Berkshire Grown Winter Farmers Markets.

In 2022, the Market Match Fund was launched as a pilot project to test the effectiveness of centralizing fundraising efforts for SNAP matching programs at Berkshire-area farmers markets. Within a year, the project successfully enhanced farmers markets’ operational efficiency and boosted revenue opportunities for local farms, all while ensuring consistent, affordable access to locally produced food for low-income households.

“Farmers markets are often misconceived, and SNAP is an aspect of farmers markets and local food sales that isn’t talked about enough,” said Ciana Barnaba, BAV’s Market Match Fund manager. “Part of BAV’s efforts is to grow public awareness that SNAP is not only accepted at farmers markets, but it is welcome and encouraged. We want all farmers markets in our area to accept SNAP because it makes the statement that farmers markets are for everyone. Farmers farm to feed all people, and we want to make it easier for farms to feed their entire community without having to undersell themselves.”

The 2023 Market Match Fund corporate and foundation sponsors include Greylock Federal Credit Union, the Feigenbaum Foundation, the Prospect Hill Foundation, the Josephine and Louise Crane Foundation, the Berkshire Bank Foundation, Guardian Life Insurance of America, Adams Community Bank, and many individuals who have made contributions.

BusinessTalk with Nicole Blais, CEO of Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start

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Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest 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 167: June 19, 2023

Joe Bednar talks with Nicole Blais, CEO of Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start

At a time when so many families with young children struggle with issues of nutrition, education, mental health, and more, the services offered by the national organization known as Head Start are more critical than ever. On the next installment of BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar talks with Nicole Blais, CEO of Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start, not only about how the nonprofit delivers free, federally funded programs that not only give kids a … well, head start in life, but also how it supports and educates families in myriad ways so they can continue to move forward at home — and why that work is so gratifying. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest and sponsored by PeoplesBank.

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JM Electrical Breaks Ground on Level-3 EV Chargers at Marcotte Ford

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Daily News

BOSTON — JM Electrical announced the groundbreaking on level-3 electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations at Marcotte Ford in Holyoke. JM Electrical is a provider of specialized electrical construction work with service offerings for the latest renewable-energy technologies, including thousands of EV charging stations across New England. JM Electrical is excited to partner with Marcotte Ford as it expands its EV offerings, aligning with Marcotte’s commitment to excelling within the evolving auto industry.

Marcotte Ford is one of the first Ford dealerships in Western Mass. to officially roll out these new EV chargers in efforts to continually scale EV volumes in the region. JM Electrical installing on-site EV charging stations will further the work of Marcotte Ford in the implementation of this program.

Level-3 charging stations are the fastest on the market today. A level-3 EV station can top off an empty battery in just 30 minutes. The full installation will include two level-3 EV charging stations, spare capacity for an additional one in the near future, and three level-2 EV charging stations. In total, the charging bank will have the ability to power up to 10 cars. The installation is estimated to be completed this fall.

“JM Electrical is proud to partner with Marcotte Ford on the installation of their EV charging equipment,” said Adam Palmer, director of Operations and project executive at JM Electrical. “We are excited to work on the implementation of zero-emission electric-vehicle charging technology, offering turnkey installations and clean-energy choices to our clients.”

Mike Marcotte, president of Marcotte Ford, added that “working with JM Electrical has been seamless. Their team is professional and continues to exceed our expectations. They have allowed us to keep our business running smoothly while they undertake this huge project. We are proud to partner with JM Electrical to help us become the leader not only for our industry, but for our community in the electric-vehicle market.”

Massachusetts Unemployment Ticks Down in May

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Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate for May was 2.8%, down 0.3 percentage points from the revised April estimate of 3.1%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 5,700 jobs in May. This follows April’s revised gain of 5,900 jobs. The largest over-the-month private-sector job gains were in education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; and manufacturing. Employment now stands at 3,765,700. Massachusetts gained 704,100 jobs since the employment low in April 2020.

From May 2022 to May 2023, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 105,100 jobs. The largest over-the-year gains occurred in education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; and government.

The state’s May unemployment rate of 2.8% was 0.9% below the national rate of 3.7% reported by BLS.

The labor force decreased by an estimated 3,800 from the revised estimate of 3,732,000 in April, as 5,400 more residents were employed and 9,200 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 0.9%.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — dropped by 0.1% to 64.7% over the month. Compared to May 2022, the labor-force participation rate was down 0.7%.

Seven Western Mass. Nonprofits Selected as Partner Service Sites with TerraCorps

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Daily News

LOWELL — TerraCorps, an environmental nonprofit that runs an AmeriCorps national service program, has received multi-year grant funding from a private foundation to increase the stipend its service members receive by 44% beginning in August. By supporting TerraCorps, the anonymous foundation hopes the conservation career pathway established by the organization will become more accessible to a diversity of people who are underrepresented in the environmental workforce.

“The TerraCorps service model has proven to be an effective pathway for the next generation of leaders to launch environmental careers,” TerraCorps President and CEO David Graham Wolf said. “Over 80 organizations in our sector have hired TerraCorps alumni, and 75% of alums are currently working in a career directly related to their TerraCorps service. This funding will make TerraCorps opportunities more accessible to some people who otherwise might not be able to make the economics of national service work.”

TerraCorps partners with a network of more than nonprofits throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island focused on community needs related to local land conservation and sustainable agriculture, including land trusts, watershed councils, and community farms and gardens. These partners act as service sites for a new cohort of up to 60 AmeriCorps service members annually.

Seven Western Massachusetts nonprofits have been selected as TerraCorps service sites for the 2023-24 service year, which runs from Aug. 28, 2023 through July 26, 2024. These include CISA, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Grow Food Northampton, Hilltown Land Trust, Kestrel Land Trust, Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, and Nuestras Raices.

Service members are paired with a site supervisor who provides guidance and mentorship while they learn to manage community programs and projects over an 11-month, 1,700-hour service term. CISA, Hilltown Land Trust, and Grow Food Northampton will host community engagement coordinator members, while Kestrel Land Trust, Hilltown Land Trust, and Mass Audubon will host members in the land stewardship coordinator role. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and Nuestras Raices will host sustainable agriculture coordinator roles, and Kestrel Land Trust will host a youth education coordinator.

These TerraCorps positions will help increase the capacity of these local land-conservation and food-security organizations to connect wide ranges of people to the land in various ways around the region. For example, the TerraCorps member will serve as a sustainable agriculture coordinator on the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ no-till community-engagement farm, Cultivating for Community.

TerraCorps members receive a $26,667 stipend (pre-tax) and healthcare coverage, and may qualify for childcare assistance, federal student-loan forbearance, and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for satisfactory completion.

TerraCorps is currently accepting service member applications. Anyone interested in learning more about how serving with TerraCorps will offer professional experience and opportunity in the environmental sector can visit terracorps.org/available-member-positions.

Skoler, Abbott & Presser Welcomes Summer Associate Kelley Mantz

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a leading labor and employment law firm, recently welcomed Kelley Mantz as a summer associate.

Mantz attends Western New England University School of Law and will enter her third year this fall. After graduating from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2019, she assisted employers of all sizes as a technical recruiter. While doing so, she worked closely with human-resources professionals to identify hiring goals and implement strategies for meeting those goals.

“We are delighted to have Kelley join us as a summer associate. We are confident that her background working with employers will make her a strong addition to our firm this summer,” attorney Amelia Holstrom said.

Since entering law school, Mantz has worked for a law firm in Connecticut and participated in the Small Business Clinic, where she assisted local small to mid-sized entrepreneurs in the Springfield area with legal matters, including employment matters.

Scenes from the 2023 40 Under Forty July 15 Event

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40 Under 40 Event Galleries Special Coverage

View the Photo Gallery of the June 15, 2023 Event Here

[Show thumbnails]

Photography by Underwood Photography

BusinessWest recognizes the success and contributions of 40 outstanding young professionals under the age of 40 for their business accomplishments as well as philanthropic involvement and community service. This program not only recognizes young talent, it elevates expectations and perceptions of the region and serves as an instrument for economic development in Western Mass.

 

See the BusinessWest 2023 40 Under Forty Digital Issue HERE

The 2023 40 Under Forty

Tiffany Allecia
Adam Baker
Emily Banerjee
Jennifer Bell
Andrew Brow
Madison Bull
Arlen Carballo
Robert Carter
Jessica Chapin
Jason Curtis

Aimee Dalenta
Brianna Drohen
Sarah Erman
David Fontaine Jr.
Heather Gawron
Dr. Seth Gemme
Lucas Giusto
Daniel Griffin
Jordan Hart
Jessica Holloway

Sara Hulseberg
Terrell Joyner
Ashley LeBlanc
Emily Leonczyk
Delmarina López
Rob Madrid
Mike Marcotte
Jeffery Markham Jr.
Stephanie O’Leary
Nick Pandolfi

Amanda Pham
Dallas Pilecki
Israel Rivera
Chelsea Russell
Kyle Snow
Ciara Speller
Andrea St. Louis
Brian Sullivan
Erica Swallow
Ashley Tresoline

Photos by Leah Martin Photography

2023 Presenting Sponsor

2023 Partner Sponsors

2023 Presenting Sponsor Alumni Achievement Award

Springfield Grant Provides More Than $1 Million in Summer Youth Programming

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD —Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announced that 15 local organizations received more than $1 million in funding as part of a state grant to the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) to support summer enrichment and social-emotional learning for Springfield children.

The research on the importance of summer programming shows that connecting children (and families) with enriching summer activities increases student engagement, reverses conventional learning-loss trends, and builds core life skills. For the second straight summer, SEZP has received funding to support Springfield’s community-based organizations to serve more children during these critical months.

This funding is part of a multi-year grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to support out-of-school learning. In total, SEZP has received $3 million and supported 19 local organizations in afterschool and summer programs.

Sarno and Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick — both members of the SEZP board of directors — have been pleased by SEZP’s continued commitment to supporting students beyond the traditional school day and leveraging local resources to do so.

“We know the importance of our children and families having access to robust and engaging enrichment programming during the summer,” Sarno said. “And in Springfield, we are deeply fortunate to have so many unique organizations in our communities, united in their commitment to supporting our young people. I am proud of SEZP and our community partners for once again teaming up to meet this demand.”

Warwick added that “now, more than ever, we need more and better options for our students during the summer months. SEZP plays an important role in this work, connecting high-quality providers with families eager for a rich summer experience for their children, and securing vital funding in order to serve more of Springfield’s students.”

Matt Brunell and Colleen Curran, co-executive directors of SEZP, noted that “one of SEZP’s founding principles is that students need equitable access to enrichment opportunities both in and outside of school to deepen their love of learning, and the summer months present an extraordinary opportunity to do so. We are grateful to the state for recognizing the importance of this work through their continued allocation of funding and are humbled by their trust in our organization to be stewards of these critical resources for Springfield.”

SEZP — which oversees the selection, evaluation, and measurement of the grant — ran a competitive grant process for community-based organizations for this summer. SEZP made grants to the following 15 Springfield community-based partners, who will serve an expected 750 Springfield students: Academic Leadership Assoc., the Center After School Program, Elms College, Higher Expectations, Hood Girl Collective, Hope for Youth and Families Foundation, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Mass Audubon, New North Citizens’ Council, SIGNING Basics, South End Community Center, Springfield Ballers, Strong Young Minds, Travis Best Foundation, and the Western Massachusetts Council of Boy Scouts of America.

In particular, SEZP is thrilled to fund Hope for Youth’s inaugural Summer Program, which offers an afternoon program five days a week at multiple sites. With programs as diverse as basketball, music, lacrosse, and weightlifting, Hope for Youth’s Summer Program touches on many different interests of students.

“Offering programs to support middle-school youth, while providing paid coaching internship positions to high-school students, helps all members of a family this summer,” said Bob Bolduc, founder of Hope for Youth’s Summer Program. “We could not be more excited about this partnership with SEZP.”

Recommendations Released from Downtown Greenfield Parking Study

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Daily News

GREENFIELD — Months of extensive research by Greenfield department heads and the consulting group Stantec culminated on June 12 with the presentation of the Downtown Greenfield Parking Study at John Zon Community Center. The recommendations generated from this process will help inform important updates to downtown parking.

Mayor Roxann Wedegartner utilized a $25,000 grant from the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative to hire Stantec for the parking study in December 2022. Stantec and Greenfield then hosted a public workshop on Jan. 31 to gather community input.

In the months that followed, Stantec established an inventory by gathering parking information in the winter and spring of 2023. It then extracted parking-utilization data in April to perform analysis on various components of the overall system.

Stantec concluded that 61% of downtown Greenfield parking spaces are located within one block of Main Street, while the overall utilization of parking remains relatively low across weekdays and weekends. The peak time for downtown parking, Thursdays at 10 a.m., featured a utilization rate of only 55%.

Stantec incorporated these findings as the foundation for its study. The study’s various recommendations center on Main Street parking needs, parking supply, pricing, and the overall management of parking systems. Wedegartner and Greenfield department heads will now parse through the findings with the goal of improving downtown parking operations.

“Mayor Wedegartner and the team who work on parking are really excited to see the recommendations from these experts,” Chief of Staff Danielle Letourneau said. “We are already digging in to see what can be implemented quickly, what will need more time to put in place, and what will need to happen further down the road with the Main Street project.”

The presentation can be viewed on Greenfield Community Television’s YouTube page.

Springfield Regional Chamber to Host Annual Meeting Celebration at MGM Springfield

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Regional Chamber will host its annual meeting celebration on Wednesday, June 21 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at MGM Springfield. The evening is an opportunity to reflect on the chamber’s 2023 accomplishments while also honoring members of the community and looking toward the future.

Jim and Kelly Sullivan of Millenium Press will be honored as the Massachusetts Small Business Persons of the Year, and Tania Barber of Caring Health Center will be honored as the Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year, presented by Patrick Leary. The event will feature a graduation ceremony for the class of the 2022 Leadership Institute and will conclude by announcing the winners of the 2023 chamber raffle before a champagne toast.

“We are thrilled to present the Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year Award to Tania Barber, president and CEO of Caring Health Center Inc. Her tireless efforts to eliminate health disparities and achieve health equity in Western Massachusetts have had a profound impact on our community,” chamber President Diana Szynal said. “We look forward to hosting the annual meeting celebration, where we can come together as a business community to reflect on our accomplishments and toast to a promising future.”

A cocktail hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will feature selections from Costa Kitchen. The event will conclude at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $75 for members in advance and $85 for general admission, and can be purchased on the Springfield Regional Chamber website by clicking here. For additional information, email Szynal at [email protected].

Blue Sox Announce Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame Promotion

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Valley Blue Sox announced a co-promotion with the Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame for its home game tonight, June 16 versus the Danbury Westerners. The Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame has had a storied history at MacKenzie Stadium, as well as the region.

The Blue Sox will have a ceremony immortalizing the history of America’s pastime in Western Mass. beginning at 6 p.m. During the pregame ceremonies, the team will unveil a new banner commemorating the 10 years of Hall of Fame history at MacKenzie Stadium. All Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame members and their families will receive free admission to the game. The night will be sponsored by Westfield Bank, a close affiliate of the Blue Sox.

Additionally, the first 100 fans to enter the ballpark will receive a Hall of Fame wristband. The team will be auctioning off autographed merchandise from Blue Sox alumnus and current Major League first baseman Trey Mancini.

The Blue Sox are looking forward to celebrating the hard work of all Hall of Fame members and inductees on Friday night.

Kuhn Riddle Architects Announces Four Promotions

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Daily News

AMHERST — Kuhn Riddle Architects (KRA) announced the promotion of four key team members to leadership positions.

Andrew Bagge has been promoted to associate/senior architect. He has a proven track record of delivering successful projects and will play a vital role in driving the firm’s design vision and fostering creative excellence.

Thom Barry has been promoted to associate/senior architect. He displays outstanding leadership abilities and commitment to delivering exceptional results, and will optimize project-delivery processes and ensure the highest standards of quality and client satisfaction.

Brad Hutchison has been promoted to senior architect. He shows deep attention to detail, remarkable dedication to his clients, and outstanding project-management skills. He will expand his technical proficiency and mentor staff in the latest building-science technologies and energy-efficient design practices.

Karen Michalowski has been promoted to associate/senior interior designer. Her tremendous expertise in interior design, and her sensitivity and understanding of client needs and the ever-changing interiors market, will help to expand the firm’s market presence in interior design.

KRA Partners Aelan Tierney, Jonathan Salvon, and Charles Roberts noted that “we are proud to recognize the exceptional talent and dedication of these individuals. Their promotions reflect their own personal achievements as well as our firm’s commitment to fostering a culture of growth and recognizing excellence.”