Day: August 15, 2024

Holyoke Hummus Celebrates 10 Years with Wholesale Launch

By
Owners Dawn Cordeiro and John Grossman
Cover Story

More Than a Food Truck

Owners Dawn Cordeiro and John Grossman

Owners Dawn Cordeiro and John Grossman

 

John Grossman and Dawn Cordeiro know how to pivot.

Not long after launching a successful food-truck enterprise called Holyoke Hummus in 2014, they saw an opportunity to open a storefront on High Street in Holyoke, called the Holyoke Hummus Café.

“We had that for four years, and it was just amazing to be there on High Street while also doing the truck, but it was a lot of work keeping both of those going,” Grossman recalled. “And when the pandemic happened, the foot traffic on High Street got so small that we couldn’t keep the restaurant open. We didn’t know what was going to happen. It took a few months before food trucks were even allowed to start serving again.”

But while COVID effectively killed the café, the food-truck business — specializing in falafel and hummus — continued to thrive, with regular appearances, about 10 months a year, on area streets and at events and festivals.

“We’ve been trying to find something more productive for us during the winter. We’ve always done catering, but the wholesale project, getting hummus into the grocery stores, we knew was a year-round proposition.”

“The food truck was great for us during lockdown because restaurant lobbies weren’t open. So we pivoted back to the truck and had a couple of temporary kitchen situations after we closed the restaurant,” Grossman recalled. Then, two years ago, he and Cordeiro, his wife and business partner, set up shop in the shared commercial kitchen of Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield.

“A friend of mine saw on their Facebook feed that they were starting to rent their kitchen out,” he noted. “It seemed remote to me, especially coming from from Holyoke, but then I started to think about the geography, and so much of our work was north of there. So we’re just as close to, say, our Northampton work as we were in Holyoke. And when I came to visit the kitchen, I saw what a great fit it was. I’ve always been looking for something that could accommodate the food-truck production as well as wholesale production.”

Which leads us to the latest pivot — the launch, three months ago, of Holyoke Hummus’s wholesale distribution business.

“Since we started 10 years ago, people were like, ‘oh, where else can I buy your hummus?’ We never planned to have a restaurant, but that happened, and we took that opportunity,” Cordeiro recalled, adding that wholesale was something they had long discussed as well. “We got to 2024, and I was like, ‘we have to make this work this year. This needs to happen.’”

While the truck is typically active from late winter through the end of December, outdoor events definitely slow down in January and February, and the couple saw wholesale as something they could do year-round.

The Holyoke Hummus truck

The Holyoke Hummus truck is active about 10 months of the year, John Grossman said.

“During the pandemic, we stayed open through the winter, out of necessity. But we’ve been trying to find something more productive for us during the winter,” Grossman said. “We’ve always done catering, but the wholesale project, getting hummus into the grocery stores, we knew was a year-round proposition.”

After completing the process to get their wholesale license, they connected with a nonprofit food distributor based in Brattleboro, Vt. called Food Connects.

“We do not want to be in the business of driving around and trying to figure out how to distribute. They know how to do that. We know how to make hummus, and we know how to talk to people about it and get them interested and excited about it.”

 

They’ve Bean Entrepreneurial

Backing up a bit (well, 10 years), Grossman has often told the story of how Holyoke Hummus started, when he attended the Holyoke Brick Race, an annual stock-car event in the Paper City, in 2013. Organizers arranged for food vendors, but none showed up. That was his inspiration for opening Holyoke Hummus, buying the truck known as the Great Garbanzo, and setting up shop across the region.

“We do one flavor of hummus on the truck, and people love the hummus; people have been asking us where they can we get the hummus when the truck isn’t out.”

He and Cordeiro hope the wholesale business sees similar growth and success. They intend to expand gradually and purposefully, starting at locally owned stores like Provisions, Cornucopia, Oliver’s Farmstand, and Brattleboro Food Co-Op.

“Food Connects serves 250 stores — including places that are very far away that we would never even know about, in Vermont and New Hampshire. But hyper-local was where we really wanted to start,” Grossman said, adding that he isn’t looking to get into large chains like Big Y — for now, anyway.

“That’s certainly something that we would consider, and I know that they’re very good to local distributors and local producers,” he told BusinessWest. “But we really want to build this business on our own terms. I’ve seen so many food businesses our size that can’t wait to get into the bigger chains, and they figure out how to ramp up production, and they invest in infrastructure and production, and then that giant account goes away. So we feel really great about the organic growth and interest that we have.”

the wittily named “hummus-flavored hummus.”

The company began wholesaling to area stores with just one product: the wittily named “hummus-flavored hummus.”

Food Connects specializes in those independent retailers and food co-ops, he added. “They’re pointed right at the people who we feel like would be buying us anyway. So we’ll grow in the kind of places we want to grow, using the food-truck business to bootstrap our way into the wholesale hummus business. That’s been giving us the capital that we need, as well as the PR capital.”

Another way Holyoke Hummus is starting slowly is with the items it’s wholesaling — or, more accurately, item.

“We’re doing one flavor. We’re doing hummus-flavored hummus. That gets a good chuckle from people all the time, and it resonates,” Grossman said.

“There are a million flavors of hummus out there, and everybody’s got their favorite, and that’s wonderful,” he went on. “But what food trucks do is focus on one thing. And you want to go back to that truck because you want to have that falafel or that pulled pork. It struck us that we do one flavor of hummus on the truck, and people love the hummus; people have been asking us where they can we get the hummus when the truck isn’t out.”

“I want to make sure that the business model is sustainable and something we know we can grow confidently before we start with other products.”

He said the inspiration for calling the packaged product ‘hummus-flavored hummus’ came from an ad campaign for Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which, for a while, pitched ‘vodka-flavored vodka,’ striving for authenticity in a vodka market overrun by trendy flavors.

“It’s the same kind of concept, and I really like it,” he noted. “It’s also easy when I’m talking to new stores and they say, ‘OK, how many SKUs do you have?’ ‘I’ve got this one SKU.’ ‘Oh, I can fit that in.’”

But the wholesale products will broaden, Grossman was quick to add.

“The next thing up, that people are very excited about, are our pita chips: ‘when are you going to do the pita chips?’ That’s probably something that I would turn to a co-packer for and not try and develop my own capacity to produce on a wholesale scale,” he explained. “But I really want to do the hummus very carefully, and I want to make sure that the business model is sustainable and something we know we can grow confidently before we start with other products.”

In a typical week, Holyoke Hummus focuses on food production on Monday, packaging and distributor pickup happen on Tuesday, and the food-truck activity typically takes place Thursday through Sunday, at places ranging from food co-ops to concerts and parties.

On the week, they spoke with BusinessWest, Grossman and Cordeiro were getting ready for a brewfest at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, a 50th-anniversary party at Cummington Supply, concerts at Look Park in Northampton and Tree House Brewing Co. in Deerfield, and a food-truck roundup in Brattleboro. “That’s a pretty heavy week — usually it’s two or three truck events,” Grossman said.

Cordeiro said it’s gratifying to be ingrained in the Pioneer Valley community through the truck and, now, through stores. “It’s exciting that we’re part of people’s milestones. I’ll hear, ‘my mom has loved you for the past 10 years. We’d love to have you at her 70th birthday party.’”

a popular sight at local events that welcome food trucks.

Holyoke Hummus has become a popular sight at local events that welcome food trucks.

Meanwhile, at weekly events like farmers’ markets in Northampton, fans will take home hummus for their fridge, she added, so it’s gratifying to be able to tell them, “by the way, you can get it in the store.”

 

Falafel-y Promising

The truck fare from Holyoke Hummus has remained fairly consistent over the past decade and now includes a variety of falafel sandwiches and plates; hummus served with pita chips, a soft pita, or carrots; and sides ranging from fried brussels sprouts to french fries to stuffed grape leaves.

“It’s authentic,” Cordeiro said, of both the food and the relationships they’ve built over the years. “We’re a trusted part of the community, and that’s lovely. These people are part of our lives.”

Grossman agreed. “The nature of our business is breaking bread with people. That’s what being in community events is all about — it’s a very connecting thing of eating food with people and sharing food with people. We really love that.”

And while they grow the wholesale business, they also see expanding opportunity with the food truck, and a Western Mass. market that is far from saturated. “It’s kind of like asking, are there enough restaurants out there?” Grossman said.

“Partnerships are really what make food trucks happen,” he went on. “If you’re not in a fixed location, a retail location where people are making it a destination, you need to have an Abandoned Building Brewery say, ‘we’re going to do Food Truck Friday and bring 1,000 people together,’ and make partnerships that way. And the concert venues — Tree House is doing so many more shows now than they did before. So the cultural growth of food trucks, in partnership with more venues, is still definitely on the rise.”

Some of those partnerships are long-lasting; one of Holyoke Hummus’s earliest events was at Abandoned Building’s first anniversary, and it just had a presence at the Easthampton brewery’s 10th anniversary.

Relationships with local cities and towns are important, too, Cordeiro added. “Even the restaurant community understands that, ‘oh, right, food trucks aren’t going to take away from our business. How can we work together?’”

As it enters its second decade, the couple have recognized their growing stature as mentors to newcomers on the food-truck landscape.

“That’s been a really nice thing for us as well, talking to trucks coming on the scene over the last couple of years,” Grossman told BusinessWest. “When I was starting out, I know I was running around, hanging out at other trucks, asking them questions. There were some really great trucks that answered my questions and were helpful; they were sort of like the elder statespeople of food trucks in the Valley. They were scrappy and doing it when there were far less opportunities. To become that food truck that’s able to help and talk with other trucks as they get going, that’s been exciting.”

 

MassEducate Opens Up Free Community College to Everyone

By
Education Special Coverage

Access Granted

John Cook calls it “historic.”

And he’s not alone among the region’s community-college presidents in lauding the potential of MassEducate, a state-funded program that makes community college free for everyone who meets enrollment requirements and does not yet have a bachelor’s degree.

MassReconnect, which the state launched last summer to fully fund tuition, books, and supplies at community college for students over age 25, has already been a “game changer,” said Cook, president of Springfield Technical Community College, contributing to a 15% enrollment increase at STCC from the previous year.

“That’s an almost-unheard-of gain in higher education. And it’s hard not to attribute so much of that to the attention of adults on this idea of, ‘oh, I can come back; there’s a pathway for me.’ So it really did change our fortunes,” Cook noted. “We’ve seen about a 10-year decline in enrollments. With this major policy change, we were able to halt that and go in a different way.”

MassEducate, then, has the potential of building on MassReconnect significantly — and putting a college education within reach for everyone, regardless of economic status, Holyoke Community College (HCC) President George Timmons said.

“We’ve eliminated barriers and dealt with equity and access issues,” he told BusinessWest. “Regardless of your socioeconomic status, background, ethnicity, whoever you are, you can go from kindergarten to getting an associate degree as a right in the state of Massachusetts. That’s phenomenal. And it’s huge for the lowest socioeconomic members of society. While there still may be other barriers, finances will no longer be a barrier.”

George Timmons

George Timmons

“Regardless of your socioeconomic status, background, ethnicity, whoever you are, you can go from kindergarten to getting an associate degree as a right in the state of Massachusetts. That’s phenomenal.”

Michelle Schutt, president of Greenfield Community College, said GCC enrolled 256 MassReconnect students last year, which contributed to turning around an 11-year enrollment decline — a common story among community colleges over the past decade — with a 13% increase last fall. And MassEducate is expected to drive those numbers higher.

“It is so incredibly exciting,” she said when she spoke with BusinessWest on Aug. 7. “Applications are up 22% from last year on this date, acceptance is up 33%, and head count is up 11%. And last year, we got 300 students from August 10 to the first day of class, so those numbers should get even better. We couldn’t be more excited and appreciative of our elected officials who had the vision for this.”

MassEducate, a $117.5 million annual investment by the state, covers tuition and fees for all students, plus books and supplies for some. The program aims to support both economic opportunity for students and workforce development across a Massachusetts economy that has struggled, sector by sector, to recruit and retain talent in recent years.

Importantly, the program is a ‘last dollar’ investment, meaning students will still access federal funds, like Pell Grants, as well as state aid and scholarships, and MassEducate will pay the costs that remain, so it’s not funding anywhere near the full cost of a student’s education.

“It’s important to note that we didn’t leave any money on the table,” Timmons noted. “Basically, the state comes in and closes the deal for whatever gaps you may have.”

Schutt believes the program will have far-reaching impacts on students, families, and the economy.

Michelle Schutt

Michelle Schutt

“Now higher education can be attainable for more people, and that will change families for decades. I’m very passionate about the effects of education, particularly generationally. This will have such a huge impact on families, on the workforce, on social mobility.”

“It is surreal that K-12 education became free in the Commonwealth in the early 1800s, and here we are, almost 200 years later, finally giving higher education the support it needs,” she said. “Now higher education can be attainable for more people, and that will change families for decades. I’m very passionate about the effects of education, particularly generationally. This will have such a huge impact on families, on the workforce, on social mobility.”

 

Back to School

Schutt served on a MassEducate planning committee that met every other week throughout most of the 2023-24 academic year; the group, about 30 in all, included elected officials, business leaders, union representatives, administrators, financial-aid officers, faculty, and others.

“I’ll be honest — I’ve spent my entire life in higher education, but I never guessed this would be so complicated. People had all different perspectives on it, and that’s what these committees should be — we shouldn’t be all monolithic thinkers,” she said.

“Some people wanted to cap the total; other people wanted the students supported up to the total cost of attendance at a community college, which can be $20,000 a year. Others thought it should only be for students in particular majors — high-demand fields. Some thought if they already had an associate degree, they shouldn’t get another. All voices were brought to the table, and we had great conversations.”

Cook said the college presidents, through the Massachusetts Assoc. of Community Colleges, had a strong voice in the process.

“It was a great lift last year to help launch MassReconnect, and now, the universalness of MassEducate will further add to that. And we’re excited,” he said. “I’ve said before that MassReconnect was a game changer. But MassEducate is historic.”

While many graduating high-school seniors will still prefer to attend a four-year college right from the outset, time will tell how many will pivot to a debt-free first two years before entering the workforce with an associate degree or transferring to earn a bachelor’s degree.

“We have some very robust early-college pathways, and we work closely with a couple of different high schools to put credits in high-school students’ hands,” Cook added. “So it’s just natural to have them know there’s a no-cost avenue to continue on with STCC.”

The committee Schutt participated in discussed whether MassEducate should cover only tuition and fees, but the final bill that passed also included books and supplies for those who qualify based on family income.

John Cook

John Cook

“I’ve said before that MassReconnect was a game changer. But MassEducate is historic.”

“We talked a lot on the committee about the opportunity cost of education. Tuition and fees are not the only cost,” she explained. “Transportation, childcare, all the things that we face every single day, those don’t go away because you have free tuition. So that was the motivation behind helping with book costs.”

Schutt expects some prospective students will hear about MassEducate too late this summer to meet the requirements for the fall semester, and as a result, she feels enrollment increases won’t happen all at once.

“Students found out about this two weeks ago, they haven’t started the FAFSA process, and it’s challenging to get enrolled for the fall because of the steps they have to take to be eligible to enroll in this program. My gut says we’ll see a much more significant uptick in the spring, and then, next fall, we’re going to see the full effect.”

Timmons agreed. “Given the cyclical chain of events, we’ll probably see a greater impact in the spring and in subsequent years. You’ll see a significant bump as people know about it and have time to apply to FAFSA and MASFA again.”

Cook, like Timmons and Schutt, is gratified with the outcome of the bill, and grateful for the legislators who supported it.

“We saw some real champions out this way, and we saw a willingness by the House and the Senate to negotiate to this point,” he told BusinessWest, adding that, because of the success of MassReconnect, “we really had a way last year to build a line of sight toward this outcome. Many, many people saw the value and benefit, and that helped us arrive here today.”

 

Degrees of Progress

Timmons noted that community colleges in Massachusetts saw an 8% enrollment bump in 2023 following passage of MassReconnect — and 45% among the over-25 crowd. That was heartening in more ways than one; not only did colleges benefit, but the program was actively targeting the fact that some 750,000 Massachusetts adults have started a college degree but not finished it.

“That seemed like low-hanging fruit, and MassReconnect really bears evidence of that,” he said, before noting that MassEducate has, at its heart, the same goals of access and equity.

“I’m so passionate about this work of education. It is the great equalizer. Once you have an education and all the rights and privileges of that degree, you can earn a livable, sustainable wage, you can take care of yourself and your family, and you can literally change the trajectory of a family. You’re not only changing your own life, but the lives of your children and your grandchildren.

“That’s amazing,” he went on. “Think about the impact on people in Massachusetts who will be paying taxes, earning livable wages, and entering the middle class and beyond, who otherwise would not be able to do so. And from a workforce-development standpoint, employers are getting a much more educated and prepared workforce to do the work that is needed.”

Graduates can connect with those jobs in more than one way, Cook said, noting that some might not realize they can enter good careers at a sub-bachelor’s level, in fields ranging from STEM to healthcare, and now do it without debt.

“And we know that our baccalaureate partners will also be the recipients down the road when students transfer. We look forward to that. This is just so significant for Massachusetts,” he added. “The term I use is, community colleges can become an equity engine for higher education.”

At STCC, where more than half the population are students of color, many of whom are first-generation college students in their families, the idea that even more students, especially those from lower-income families, may be able to access and education and a career is exciting, Cook said. “MassConnect demonstrated that, when you can get people’s attention, you will get the outcomes that you want.”

“Think about the impact on people in Massachusetts who will be paying taxes, earning livable wages, and entering the middle class and beyond, who otherwise would not be able to do so.”

One challenge now, Timmons said, is to make sure new students at HCC have the resources they need to succeed.

“With an influx of students, we have to focus on success and completion and how to scale up our support services for students. We’ve dealt with equity and access. Now, how do we remove the barriers to get them across the finish line and right out into the workforce or transferring to a four-year institution? These are good problems to have. I’d rather have these problems than not have them. And over time, we’ll address them as we need to.

“There’s still time to enroll,” Timmons was quick to add. “All you have to do is approach your local community college, express interest, and as long as they meet the program requirements and follow the steps, anyone in Massachusetts can start a new path toward a better way of life, which is pretty exciting for me.”

Springfield Museums Ride Wave of Momentum, Innovation, Entrepreneurship

By
Kay Simpson, left, and Cynthia Campbell
Special Coverage Tourism & Hospitality

The Seuss Effect

Kay Simpson, left, and Cynthia Campbell

Kay Simpson, left, and Cynthia Campbell at the soon-to-open Chestnut Street Café and Bakery.

 

‘Bold.’

That’s the word Kay Simpson used as she talked about the Springfield Museums’ decision back in 2018 to acquire what she called a “somewhat blighted” property on Chestnut Street, adjacent to its Wood Museum of Springfield History, with the intention of repurposing it into something else.

The property wasn’t actually for sale, she said, but the Museums essentially made it for sale with an offer that ultimately wasn’t refused, with the intention of improving the landscape and creating a far more positive impression of the Quadrangle. And six years later — a timespan lengthened by COVID, rising construction prices, and other factors — that something else is turning into a nod to Dr. Seuss, or his grandparents, to be more precise.

Indeed, Ted Geisel’s grandparents operated a bakery on Howard Street, a site now part of the MGM Springfield footprint. The two former storefronts on Chestnut Street, a liquor store and convenience store, will become a bakery and café, with the latter featuring plant-based foods (more on that later). The venue has been outfitted with a replica of the kind of delivery truck the children’s author’s grandparents might have used.

This latest initiative at the Museums is innovative, entrepreneurial, and, yes, bold, operating traits that have been inspired by, or amplified by, the runaway success that is the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, the importance of which to the Springfield Museums, from the bottom line to exposure nationally and globally, simply cannot be overstated, Simpson said.

“We’ve been using the experience of opening the Dr. Seuss museum and the kind of family engagement that it engendered, and spreading it out all over the Quadrangle.”

“It’s been … monumental,” she told BusinessWest, noting that, before the facility opened in 2017, the Museums had logged operating deficits for several years running. In the one month it was open before the end of FY 2017, it helped balance that year’s budget, she went on, adding that there have been balanced budgets and even surpluses since, at a time when many museums have struggled to come back from COVID.

As for exposure, stories about the RMV offering a new license plate honoring Dr. Seuss and featuring the Cat in the Hat have appeared in news outlets across the country.

But the Seuss museum has done more than enhance visitorship, revenues, and the profile of the Springfield Museums, she went on. It has also helped to inspire a number of new programs to make the Museums more interactive, immersive, accessible, and family-friendly.

“We’ve been using the experience of opening the Dr. Seuss museum and the kind of family engagement that it engendered, and spreading it out all over the Quadrangle,” Simpson said, adding that this has always been the case with the Springfield Science Museum (for which there are some intriguing new initiatives in various stages of development), but now extends to all corners of the museum complex.

“When we look at any of our museums, the work that we’re trying to do now is really about making them interactive, making them more participatory, and using the points of accessibility,” she went on, adding that Dr. Seuss has helped make the museums more accessible because he is a worldwide brand associated with fun. “People feel like there’s something to see and do when they’re here at the Museums.”

The Grinch’s Grotto

The Grinch’s Grotto is just one example of how leadership at the Museums is bringing more family-oriented, immersive experiences to its spaces.

Cynthia Campbell, chair of the Museums’ board of directors and a 10-year member, agreed.

“The impact of opening the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum really marked a transformative point for the Museums,” she explained, noting that it has not only doubled overall attendance and led to other Seuss-related opportunities, from the license plate to to a growing Grinchmas celebration, but it has inspired efforts for more innovative and immersive exhibits and programs, including the ambitious upgrades to Dinosaur Hall, including an animatronic T-rex.

Dr. Mark Keroack, the recently retired president and CEO of Baystate Health and longtime Museums board member, concurred.

“The board embarked on the first strategic plan in recent memory about three years ago, and one of the key things we did was to pivot the mission of the Museums and pivot it away from being just a sanctuary for beautiful things to defining its success by the experience of the people who come there,” he said. “There’s an interest in making sure we’re contemporary and relevant, and that we’re appealing to more diverse audiences, particularly in the city of Springfield but also beyond.”

For this issue and its focus on tourism, we take an in-depth look at how the Springfield Museums have caught a Seuss-inspired wave of momentum, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and how those traits are taking the complex to new places — and new heights.

 

Entrepreneurship on Display

They’re called Free First Wednesdays, or FFWs for short. The name tells you all you need to know.

Admission to the Museums is free the first Wednesday of every month, said Simpson, noting that the FFW on Aug. 7, which drew 1,723 visitors, was the best-attended since the program was launched in January with the help of a three-year, $800,000 grant from the Art Bridges Foundation, founded by Alice Walton, an heiress to the Walmart fortune.

“There’s an interest in making sure we’re contemporary and relevant, and that we’re appealing to more diverse audiences, particularly in the city of Springfield but also beyond.”

Those visitors were treated to Olympics-themed activities, as well as exhibitions and permanent displays, Simpson explained, adding that the Zip code capture in the Welcome Center confirmed that, in addition to strong participation from Connecticut and Massachusetts, visitors also came California, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and other states.

The Free First Wednesdays are just one example of how the Museums have become … let’s say even more innovative and entrepreneurial. Others include initiatives like the Grinch’s Grotto in the SIS Hall of the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History for the months of November, December, and early January. Featuring an array of thematic, interactive displays, it “adds another layer to the Seuss experience at the Museums,” Simpson noted.

SIS Hall

SIS Hall has become site for many family-friendly exhibitions, like Big Games Big Fun.

“After opening the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum we started thinking of ways to use some of the other spaces in our buildings for large, immersive exhibitions that have broad appeal,” she said, adding that a good example of this is the SIS Hall in the history museum, which has played host to not only Grinch’s Grotto, but other programs and family-friendly exhibitions as well, including a Big Games Big Fun event and a Barbie Day, which capitalized on the excitement of the 2023 movie.

Currently, the space is hosting “Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum,” an exhibit that brings to life the acclaimed PBS KIDS TV series, which follows the adventures of Xavier and his little sister Yadina and best friend Brad as they tackle everyday problems by traveling back in time to learn from real-life inspirational figures.

“We’ve witnessed many museums struggling and, in fact, closing their doors. Thankfully, we were able to survive that and not only survive — we’re thriving.”

There’s also the Live Animal Center in the Science Museum. With more than $500,000 in funding from a federal earmark and other sources, the tanks in the center have been completely renovated, and new interactive displays are being installed.

Then there’s the new Chestnut Street Café and Bakery, to be operated by the owners of Pulse Café, the 100% plant-based eatery in Hadley, with a soft opening planned for early September.

Funded in part by Leagrey Dimond, Geisel’s stepdaughter, the bakery and café, created at a cost of more than $1 million, will reactivate that space in a way that will bring another dining option to not only Museum visitors, but those who work downtown and the growing numbers of people living there as well.

“I think it’s really exciting that we’re bringing this to downtown Springfield,” she said, adding that the café will be a solid addition to the menu of downtown dining options — and something decidedly different.

It’s also just another example of the Museums being entrepreneurial, innovative, inclusive, and willing to take on new initiatives (and the accompanying risks) at a time when many museums are still struggling in the wake of COVID and doing more hanging on than being bold.

Supporters gather for a celebration in March for meeting the goal for the Dr. Seuss license plate program

Supporters gather for a celebration in March for meeting the goal for the Dr. Seuss license plate program, which is expected to bring more exposure to the Museums and the city.

Campbell agreed. She said the Quadrangle’s deep portfolio of museums — it’s been called a mini-Smithsonian because of the variety — not to mention the huge boost from the Seuss museum, provide it with advantages that most museums simply don’t have.

“We’ve witnessed many museums struggling and, in fact, closing their doors,” she told BusinessWest. “Thankfully, we were able to survive that and not only survive — we’re thriving.”

 

Exhibiting Boldness

There are many other examples of innovation, interactivity, and inclusion, said those we spoke with, including efforts in the history museum to move beyond the displays of cars, motorcycles, and firearms manufactured in Springfield and use the facility not only for more family-friendly exhibits and programs like Grinch’s Grotto and Hasbro Game Land, but also telling the stories of the people who have lived here and do now.

“We want to do more to tell the story of Springfield and its people,” Simpson said, adding that these efforts are very much a work in process, with grants to be pursued for various initiatives. “Previously, we focused on industry and objects, but I think it’s really important, especially as the city changes, and as part of the work we’re doing with inclusion, to tell all of the stories, starting with Indigenous people, but also historic Black Springfield, the Latino population and the growth of that community, as well as other communities.

“It’s a reinterpretation of the history that is told in the Wood museum,” she went on. “People relate to people, so we need to integrate that into what is being presented in that museum.”

Meanwhile, and as noted earlier, one of the key focal points of the current strategic plan is the Science Museum, said Keroack, noting there have been many improvements and more on the way.

Keroack grew up in Springfield, and in his youth, he was a frequent visitor to the Museums and especially the Science Museum.

“I was a bit of a nerd,” he recalled, adding that he was drawn to the fish tanks, dioramas, and physical exhibits. That museum remains a real draw for young people, he said, but it has been in need of a refresh, as he called it, and it is getting one.

The planetarium has been completely renovated, noted Simpson, adding that while the Korkosz projector — the oldest operating American-made projector in the world — is still used in the planetarium presentation, the facility now boasts a full-dome video system, creating immersive experiences in astronomy and earth science.

Meanwhile, the Museums were recently granted the long-term loan of a large, touch-screen, interactive virtual tour of the International Space Station.

“The second floor of the Science Museum has been progressively transformed,” said Simpson, adding that there are plans for a reimagined dinosaur experience that has many moving parts, literally and figuratively.

The experience will start before visitors enter the front door of the Welcome Center, she noted, adding that a large T-rex will appear to burst out of the exterior wall of the building, setting the tone for play and learning. Two smaller juveniles will appear to congregate near the doors, inviting visitor engagement.

Once inside the Welcome Center, visitors will hear the dinosaurs even as they get their admission tickets, she went on, adding that visitors will enter a completely renovated Dinosaur Hall, which will feature a new, animatronic T-rex that moves and roars. It will be surrounded by hatching baby dinosaurs hidden behind simulated reeds, which visitors can discover as they move through the hall.

Meanwhile, important fossils will be showcased in the renovated space to help tell stories of local paleontology. An elevated observation deck will enable visitors to walk around the T-rex as well as to look down on the exhibitions, allowing for a high level of interactivity.

From Dinosaur Hall, visitors will enter an immersive display that explores archosaurs, the animal group from which dinosaurs evolved. The exhibit will feature flying dinosaurs, erupting volcanoes, and interactive games that connect dinosaurs to current life on earth.

“The overarching goal of the new, reimagined dinosaur experience is to establish the Science Museum as home to the flagship dinosaur destination in New England, as well as the regional center for STEM education,” Simpson explained. “We anticipate that we will increase our annual attendance by 25% with our enhanced dinosaur experience.”

Campbell agreed, noting that the Science Museum is the second-most popular attraction at the Quadrangle behind the Seuss museum, and the planned improvements could generate another significant boost in visitorship.

And another way to tell prospective visitors, “oh, the places you’ll go.”

 

Architects Say Project Diversity Is Key to Weathering Challenges

By
Aelan Tierney says Kuhn Riddle Architects has long been involved in numerous sectors
Architecture Special Coverage

Drawing on Experience

Aelan Tierney says Kuhn Riddle Architects has long been involved in numerous sectors

Aelan Tierney says Kuhn Riddle Architects has long been involved in numerous sectors so it can nimbly shift when the economy does.

When it comes to thriving in the world of architecture, diversity goes a long way.

“During the pandemic, we were working on a lot of large single-family homes,” said Aelan Tierney, president of Kuhn Riddle Architects in Amherst. “That market seems to have slowed down, but higher education is still probably about 50% of our work.”

At the same time, she said, commercial work has declined a bit in the last couple of years. “I’m not quite sure what it is between the economy or construction costs or interest rates, because they all feed into each other,” she noted. But at the same time, the firm has recently tackled numerous multi-family housing developments, both market-rate and affordable, as communities across Massachusetts continue to face an acute need for more of them.

In short, Kuhn Riddle, like many firms, adapts to what the market is offering, she added. “That has always been our strategy, to do a little bit of everything so that we can shift when the economy shifts.”

The situation is similar at Caolo & Bieniek Architects in Chicopee, where educational and municipal projects — schools, public safety, senior centers, libraries, and the like — continue to provide a healthy pipeline of projects, though Curtis Edgin, the firm’s president, doesn’t expect the flow to remain unchanged forever.

“I’m not quite sure what it is between the economy or construction costs or interest rates, because they all feed into each other.”

“That’s why we’re diversified, working in different sectors. Some of that government money, as a result of the pandemic, has begun to taper off a little bit. But they’re still spending it,” he noted. “We’ve also got some commercial projects — healthcare projects, offices, that type of thing — going on. But probably 70% to 75% of our work is public-sector work, whether it’s housing authorities or other projects.”

Kevin Rothschild-Shea, president of ArchitectureEL in East Longmeadow, said his firm continues to stay busy post-COVID, with a number of multi-family residential projects and a growing niche in municipal work, notably a series of projects in Holyoke.

Specifically, AEL has provided services for the city and its public schools as their on-call architect for the past two years, completing a roof and skylight replacement for the Department of Public Works, a roof and skylight replacement for the City Hall Annex, a roof replacement for the Holyoke Children’s Museum and Volleyball Hall of Fame, heating upgrades for the McMahon VRF, historical renovations on the City Council chambers located at City Hall, and HVAC system replacements in the city’s elementary schools. Most recently, it secured an on-call architect contract for the Holyoke Housing Authority.

Principals (from left) Bert Gardner, Curtis Edgin, and Jim Hanifan say Caolo & Bieniek Architects continues to stay busy in the post-pandemic years.

Principals (Principals (from left) Bert Gardner, Curtis Edgin, and Jim Hanifan say Caolo & Bieniek Architects continues to stay busy in the post-pandemic years.
continues to stay busy in the post-pandemic years.

“Diversity continues to be there for us,” Rothschild-Shea said, noting that his firm has significant experience in accessibility, historic preservation, educational, and commercial design, as well as both private and multi-family residential development. “It’s always been competitive, but we haven’t had any trouble with workflow. Word of mouth continues to be one of the strongest methods of obtaining new work on the commercial side. It’s evolving work, and we continue to respond to an ever-changing climate.”

 

Challenges Persist

What hasn’t changed — though they have eased in some ways — are the challenges architects have felt in recent years from supply-chain issues and higher costs.

“It’s a lot less, but there are some elements — like some particular electrical items — that are still causing delays on projects,” said Jim Hanifan, vice president at Caolo & Bieniek. “If we have a big project, a year-plus, everyone knows what materials have problems and get them ordered the second day of the job. The problem is the smaller ones that are only summer jobs; there’s not enough time. You have to pick the materials that you can get. You can’t wait on certain things, or you’ll never get the job done.”

“We’re educating the end user on how to operate systems. That’s something that’s changed in the last 10 years — as part of the design, we build in the training.”

And these are often critical items, he noted. “You can’t have a police station or a fire station without a generator. That’s the kind of thing you’ve got to plan around. Part of the job now is to make sure you can get the materials and get them on time and get them installed and certified, all within a certain time period.”

Another element regarding equipment is how much more complicated some of it is, particularly in the energy-efficiency realm, Hanifan said, and clients need to take into account both their budget and ease of use.

“If you’re going to spend more money on more efficient and better equipment, how long does it really take to pay for that back, and is it worth it? The other part is maintenance. We’ve had clients that want the most sophisticated, the top of the line of everything, but if you don’t have the staff or the crew to maintain it, it’s a headache; it never will operate or be as efficient as it’s supposed to be. So that’s a factor that should always be considered with those systems.”

Bert Gardner, also a vice president with Caolo & Bieniek, agreed.

“Sometimes it causes confusion. So the challenge is, how do you simplify that for the end user as much as possible, because a lot of places don’t have the staff to troubleshoot when things go wrong. We’re educating the end user on how to operate systems. That’s something that’s changed in the last 10 years — as part of the design, we build in the training. We talk to the owner about what the systems are going to be and who they’ve got available to be trained on the systems and how long are they going to need to train. We write it right into the specs for the lighting controls — plan for two days for you to get your staff up to speed on how the lights work in the building.”

This architect’s rendering from Kuhn Riddle shows a mixed-use project

This architect’s rendering from Kuhn Riddle shows a mixed-use project centered around the historic Hastings building in Amherst, which will include five stories of residential units, helping meet a need for more housing in town.

Tierney said current energy codes are moving the world in a positive direction with respect to reducing energy use and the carbon impact of buildings, but owners, architects, builders, and code officials are all having to learn very quickly how to meet these new code requirements. At Kuhn Riddle, that has led to a recent emphasis on passive-house design and certification, which focuses on dramatic energy-use reduction for space heating and cooling.

“We currently have one certified passive-house consultant and five others training to become passive-house designers,” she told BusinessWest. “We understand the detailing that’s required behind passive-house design and the process you have to get through to get passive-house-certified to meet the energy-code requirements. So that’s an expense that, as designers, we’re taking on in terms of getting our staff certified, but then there are layers of construction costs associated with that as well, and testing that needs to happen. It’s all good; it’s just expensive.”

It’s also one way Kuhn Riddle provides professional-development opportunities to its team, Tierney said.

“I think they appreciate having the opportunity to learn a new skill, and it’s obviously a benefit to us to have that expertise, to be able to say to developers, ‘yes, we have five people who are passive-house-certified consultants, and we can do your projects.’”

More broadly, she went on, “in becoming an architect, you have to go through education, training, and then take exams. We’ve been paying for the study software and materials, and then we also pay for people to take their exams. Anybody coming out of college is in debt from going to school, so that additional expense of having to pay for study materials and exams, we just want to take that pressure away. And as people get licensed, that’s a benefit to the firm.”

 

Opportunity Knocks

The firms we spoke with have all had success bringing in young talent, even though they acknowledged it’s not the easiest field.

“It’s hard work. There are more lucrative industries to get into, given the amount of work versus the salary,” Edgin said. “So what do we do to attract them? We give you a lot of opportunity, I’ll say that. You’re not pigeonholed into doing just one little task. Continuing education is important to help folks grow and reach their goals. We support that and encourage that.”

Angela Johnson

Angela Johnson

“Someone going into architecture doesn’t necessarily have to choose a certain role. You can be in all kinds of different places within the field.”

Angela Johnson, who went to school for architecture and is now the firm’s marketing assistant, agrees.

“I’ve been here almost three years now, and I’ve definitely learned a lot. Seeing different sides of how it all connects is really eye-opening,” she said. “Someone going into architecture doesn’t necessarily have to choose a certain role. You can be in all kinds of different places within the field. Whether you want to go into the sustainability side, or if you want to go into spec drawing or doing renderings or other things, it’s all about how you want to approach the field, and I think that’s unique to architecture. A lot of industries don’t have that much of a bandwidth.”

Rothschild-Shea said his firm has had success with entry-level interns and entry-level architects, adding that his team members appreciate the relationship aspects of the business. “I think we continue to be people-centric at our core; what we’re doing is designing buildings for people, and we certainly continue to focus on service and taking care of people.”

After all, Tierney said, this is a career in which professionals can bring a job from the drawing board to often very impressive fruition, and that’s a draw for many young people.

“That’s probably my favorite part of the job,” she told BusinessWest — “to draw something on a piece of paper, show it to a client who gets excited about it, and then see it literally come out of the ground and walk through the building with them and have them say, ‘this is exactly what I wanted.’”

Upcoming Auction May Decide Fate of Springfield Landmark

By
Paramount Theater
Commercial Real Estate Special Coverage

Of Paramount Importance

Paramount Theater

Paramount Theater

 

Over the past year or so, while the historic Paramount Theater property in Springfield has somewhat quietly been on the market, Bill Low has taken more than a dozen interested parties through the landmark.

Slicing through the comments made by those taking the tour, he said he’s counted quite a few people saying “what a shame,” or “it’s really sad,” as they view the theater portion of the property — which has hosted shows by the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, the Three Stooges, and Bob Dylan over the years — and the many visible forms of deterioration there.

He’s also heard several of these visitors talk about how, while renovation of the former Massasoit House Hotel portion of the property is likely doable, the theater is … well, another story.

“Over the past year, I probably had 12 to 15 physical tours,” said Low, president of Springfield-based L&P Commercial, which has been handling the sale of this and most other properties within a large portfolio of real estate once owned by the New England Farmworkers Council. “There was lots of interest, which I would expect because it’s a grand property. But when you think about the theater … what do you do with it? It’s beautiful, but what can you do with it?”

Such comments are in many ways helping to set the stage, figuratively but also literally, for what will be a closely watched auction of the Paramount property that was originally slated for mid-August and is now set for Sept. 23.

“There was lots of interest, which I would expect because it’s a grand property. But when you think about the theater … what do you do with it? It’s beautiful, but what can you do with it?”

Low, like Tim Sheehan, Springfield’s chief Development officer, says he doesn’t know exactly what to expect at the auction, to be conducted online by the national real-estate agency Crexi.

According to Crexi’s web page for the Paramount property, the starting bid will be $250,000. That’s roughly one-tenth of what it is assessed at and about one-seventh what the New England Farmworkers Council paid for it in 2011, with plans to author the next chapter in its history — plans that never materialized, due in part to COVID, but also to market conditions and the high degree of difficulty associated with the project.

Theater

The low initial bid price might be another indicator of just how complex and difficult a project this is, but Low also suspects it was set to “generate some action.”

And he believes there will be a good amount of action, but just what it will translate into remains to be seen. The theater portion of the property remains an extreme challenge, he said, not merely because of the high price tag (which has been prohibitive for many of the arts-related groups that have toured the property), but because of the need within the marketplace for another performance venue — or lack thereof.

Sheehan agreed.

“Everyone keeps talking about performance space, but how much performance space is a city the size of Springfield going to be able to support?” he asked rhetorically. “You have Symphony Hall, you have the MassMutual Center. You have MGM, with smaller venues … I’m just not certain you can get positive cash flow out of performance space of that size.”

But he noted that there are other projects in various stages of development in that area, including recently announced plans to convert the floors above the Student Prince Café and the Fort into condominiums (see related story on page 35), and the Paramount could be another building block on that section of Main Street and possible catalyst for still more development.

For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, we look at how the upcoming auction has cast the Paramount property back into the spotlight, and also why this property with a rich past has so many question marks about its future.

 

Back in the Spotlight

The marketing language created by L&P Commercial for the Paramount property when it was on the market speaks to everything from its history and architectural significance to the challenges that await those who might want to take this on.

“This endeavor calls for dreamers, history enthusiasts, and architects of the future,” it reads. “Whether you envision a cultural center, boutique hotel, great thriving entertainment hub, this restoration project awaits your touch. Embrace your opportunity to make your mark on history while preserving the city’s rich history. Take the first step toward creating a lasting legacy.”

There has been little if any interest among those who have toured the property to take that first step, said Low, adding that this reality helps explains why the property is now going to auction.

“We just got to the point where we couldn’t find the right buyer,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s a massive undertaking; most of the interest was in the hotel, with people then saying, ‘now what do we do with the theater?’”

By now, most know at least some of the Paramount’s history. Opened in 1926, it was, for decades, all those things listed in the L&P description — a cultural center, thriving hotel, and entertainment hub. Four presidents are said to have stayed in the Massasoit House Hotel. As for the Paramount, formerly named the Julia Sanderson Theater, it has hosted movies and all kinds of live performances, from music to comedy to theater.

Bill Low

Bill Low expects the auction for the Paramount property to draw a good amount of interest.

Renovated in 1999 and renamed the Hippodrome, the property was purchased by the New England Farmworkers Council in 2011 with the intention of restoring it to its former glory. As a casino proposal came together involving real estate just north of the Arch, the Hippodrome was viewed as being a potential key component of such plans.

But the casino was ultimately built in the South End, less than a mile down Main Street, and plans to renovate the Paramount/Massasoit property — with a price tag around $40 million — were never realized.

COVID played a factor, but so did the inability to secure the private funding needed to advance the project to the construction phase, said Sheehan, adding that the Farmworkers Council, burdened with the various costs associated with the real estate, needed to relieve itself of that burden.

Which brings us to next month’s auction. Both Low and Sheehan said it will be “interesting.” Beyond that, they’re not entirely sure what to expect from whomever prevails in that event.

 

Show of Interest?

They do know that the new owner, whoever that might be, will face the same challenges that the New England Farmworkers Council had in renovating the theater portion of the property and making it viable from a business standpoint.

As Sheehan pointed out, there are several other performance venues in Springfield and elsewhere in the region. Meanwhile, those involved with plans to renovate another historic old movie house — the Victory Theater in Holyoke — are trying to close a funding gap and move forward with 45-year-old efforts to restore that landmark.

That said, he noted that some developers have reached out to him to have discussions about the property and float potential development concepts.

“Hopefully, they’ll show up at the auction and at least gauge a level of interest associated with the properties,” he went on, noting that the decision to take the property to auction has come about rather quickly, so potentially interested parties have not had much time to do their due diligence.

Sheehan said that, if he has a suggestion, or cautionary note, for potential developers of the property, it would be to take on this project in stages.

“I think they should work with scalable pieces of the overall development and begin in the easiest spot that you possibly can,” he said, adding that this spot would likely be the ground-floor retail spaces on the property.

Meanwhile, redevelopment of the Massasoit House Hotel might be the next spot.

“The office component in the former hotel … that won’t be as difficult an undertaking,” he noted. “The really hard part is the Paramount itself; what are you envisioning for the redevelopment of that space that will actually bring positive economics to the overall equation?”

Both the theater and hotel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Sheehan noted, adding that the site is significant from both a historic and architectural standpoint, and this needs to factor into happens next, whatever it is.

“Both of those properties have significant historical importance and architectural significance,” he said. “And the city has an interest in making sure that those properties are reactivated and preserved in an appropriate way.”

Low acknowledged the historic nature of the property and the architectural significance, but wondered out loud if something might have to give from a preservation standpoint if something is to happen at this property.

Meanwhile, his only predictions for the auction, based on the interest shown since Crexi started marketing it, are a sale price above (probably well above) $250,000, and “lots of action.”

And maybe, just maybe, from that action, progress will be made in securing a future for this big slice of the city’s past.

 

Fort Building’s New Owners Plan Condo Development

 

Peter Picknelly says he and other members of an investment group that recently acquired the property on Main Street in Springfield that is home to the Student Prince Café and the Fort did so to essentially control their own destiny.

Indeed, this same group, which includes Picknelly, chairman of Peter Pan Bus Lines and a principal with OPAL Real Estate Group; the Yee family; and Michael and Kevin Vann, acquired the restaurant in 2014 with the intention of preserving it for future generations of area residents. And as they embark on a series of renovations to the famous restaurant, they understood that their overall path would be easier to negotiate if they owned the property.

But their motivations certainly don’t end there. The new owners have ambitious plans to renovate the long-vacant upper floors of the property into 50 or more condominiums, which Picknelly anticipates will fall into the ‘affordable’ category.

As he talked about these plans, he drew a number of similarities between the Fort building, as it’s known to many, and another project he recently led — conversion of 31 Elm St., the former Court Square Hotel, into mostly market-rate housing units.

Both buildings are historic, to one degree or another (31 Elm St. is on the National Register of Historic places, while the Fort building is not), both have been vacant or mostly vacant for decades, and both are “bears,” as Picknelly put it, when it comes to the many challenges associated with reimagining them as housing.

“But 31 Elm was more of a bear,” he said with a laugh, adding that, while the upper floors of the Fort building do, indeed, present a number of construction and financing challenges — he expects this project will cost $25 million to $30 million — he described it as certainly doable.

“This building is a lot like 31 Elm — it has great bones, but it’s been left to decay for decades,” he explained, noting that the ownership group will work with Winn Development, another partner on 31 Elm, on the Fort Building initiative. “It certainly comes with a challenge, but we’ve teamed up with Winn, who I think are masters at renovating old structures like that and modernizing them and making them great places to live and work.”

Meanwhile, the runaway success of 31 Elm — the building was fully leased when it opened, and there is already a lengthy waiting list — provides both inspiration for the Fort building endeavor and proof of need for this kind of development.

“I think the success of 31 Elm has certainly demonstrated that people want to live in downtown Springfield,” said Picknelly, adding that, just as the Court Square project has injected vibrancy into downtown, the Fort building project can do the same, especially for that section of Main Street.

“I hoping that this serves as a catalyst for further development toward the North End,” he said. “I think that’s the natural course of progress for our city.”

The new ownership group, known as Fort Street Realty Assoc., acquired the property from the New England Farmworkers Council, which has been selling off its portfolio of real estate over the past year or so. The Farmworkers Council acquired the Fort building in 2011 with the intention of renovating the vacant upper floors, but those plans never materialized.

The property, which has been on the market for some time and listed for $2 million, sold for $700,000, an indication of the Farmworkers Council’s willingness to shed properties and get out from under heavy tax and property-maintenance burdens.

Picknelly said the new ownership group has several priorities for the property, including improvements to the restaurant (work in the kitchen, bathrooms, and other areas), efforts to clean up and shore up the “streetscape,” as he called the storefronts along Main Street, and conversion of the upper floors into condos.

—George O’Brien

 

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of July 2024.

HOLYOKE

Big Red Excavation
146 Bathrick Road
Brandon Cavanaugh

Big Red Excavation
14 Ross Road
Daniel Cavanaugh

Brooksy Landscaping
85 Meadowbrook Road
Tylor Brooks

City Pizza
420 High St.
G28 Food LLC

El Rincon Boricua Restaurant
216 Lyman St.
Virgen Lopez

Pretzelmaker #1
50 Holyoke St.
Rajat Ghosh

Pretzelmaker #2
50 Holyoke St.
Rajat Ghosh

Scrambowled
112 High St.
Yamil Canales

PITTSFIELD

Best Western Berkshire Hills Inn & Suites
1350 West Housatonic St.
Sita Inc.

Carlson Home Services
26 Newell St.
Erik Carlson

Dosier Jiu Jitsu
1625 East St.
Dosier Jiu Jitsu LLC

Dubey Technologies
82 Wendell Ave.
American Business Solutions Inc.

Franky’s
1220 North St.
Franky’s LLC

Haddad Collision Center
40 Downing Parkway
Haddad Motor Group Inc.

I&C Systems Engineering Inc.
82 Wendell Ave.
LaBonty Engineering Inc.

Michael Lavin Flower Photography
252 Elm St.
Michael Lavin Flower

MJF Distributing
16 Ridge Ave.
Mark Ferdyn

MR Barbers
317 North Street
Richard Carnevale Jr., Matthew Ketchum

Mt. Greylock Extended Care Facility
1000 North St.
Pittsfield Management Systems Inc.

Pittsfield Lawn Care
12 Curtin Ave.
Timothy Bak

Pure & Wholesome Distributors
146 East New Lenox Road
Tammy Cracolici

The Purse Lady
48 Reed St.
Michelle Peoples

Semiconductor Production Systems America
82 Wendell Ave., #100
Kirke Marsh

Smart Solutions Consulting
82 Wendell Ave.
Walter Rijneveld

The UPS Store
180 Elm St.
Richard George Jr.

Valley West Mortgage
82 Wendell Ave.
Valley West Corp.

Wander
34 Depot St.
Everybody Loves Hospitality LLC

Zucco’s Family Restaurant
451 Dalton Ave.
Elizabeth Zucco

SOUTH HADLEY

Accelerated IT Inc.
650 New Ludlow Road, Unit 2
Accelerated IT Inc.

Laurie’s Charcuterie
51 Laurie Ave.
Laurie’s Charcuterie

Luxe Salon & Beauty Bar
351 Newton St.
Brianna Rehm

SOUTHWICK

Buildquest LLC
110 Mort Vining Road
Matthew Gomes

Fancy Bagels
587 College Highway
Anthony DeGrandi

Like New Auto Detailing
17 Charles Johnson Road
Robert Barnes Jr.

Luminary Pathway
110 Mort Vining Road
Jessica Gomes

Voitkan LLC
176 College Highway
Vitaliy Kuznetso

WESTFIELD

Boise Cascade LLC
33 Fowler St. Ext.
John MacLeod

Brodeur McGan P.C.
815 North Road
Lisa Brodeur McGan

Focused Growth Counseling
189 Springfield Road
Peter Charland

For K-9s & Felines LLC
45 Southwick Road
For K-9s & Felines LLC

Frosted Peaks Bakery
172 Highland Ave.
Lisa Kriesak

Hidden Lens Photography
135 Rider Road
Nathan Lococo, Tiffany Lococo

Kosinski Farms
336 Russellville Road
Gene Kosinski

KS Solutions
12 Dubois St.
Kenneth Stomski Jr.

Nicole Wzorek Designs
76 Court St.
Nicole Wzorek

Union Mart
420 Union St.
Union Mart Liquor Inc.

Vast Energy Services
210 Munger Hill Road
Joseph Vaschak

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Balise Kia
635 Riverdale St.
Balise Kia

Baron Auto Sales
195 River St.
Baron Auto Sales

Central Chevrolet Inc.
811 Memorial Ave.
Central Chevrolet Inc.

Line Eco-Cleaning
43 Colony Road, Unit 1A
Line Eco-Cleaning

Nescor
148 Doty Circle
North East Specialty Corp.

Pacto de Vida Internacional
209 Rogers Ave.
Pacto de Vida Internacional

RB Online Mercantile
318 Woodmont St.
RB Online Mercantile

The Snack Shack
125 Capiral Dr.
KEC Properties LLC

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

A’Hearn, Christopher J.
23 Eldert St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/10/2024

Benitez, Yoni Fran
Liberato, Jenny
57 Ruskin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020-3502
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/10/2024

Briotta, Jocelyn Anne
4 Atwater St., Right
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/08/2024

Cormier, Andrew M.
972 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/15/2024

Cortes, Jose L.
29 Montford St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/10/2024

Cruz, Arturo
Cruz, Rosa
a/k/a Cruz Rivera, Arturo
810 Southampton Road, #5
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/30/2024

Deutsch, Alan A.
Deutsch, Denise E.
25 Donovan St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 06/29/2024

Dumas, Justin Harold-Fred
28 Thomas Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040-1716
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/09/2024

Emerson, Phillip A.
180 Beauchamp Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Date: 30308

Eurkus, Kash W.
P.O. Box 353
Bondsville, MA 01009
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/28/2024

Fleming, Thomas K.
76 Nonotuck St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/10/2024

Foskett, Matthew B.
237 Walnut Hill Road
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/01/2024

Frates, Denise L.
106 Quaker Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/08/2024

Halama, Sarah A.
58 Glenoak Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/29/2024

Henshaw, David B.
79 Long Plain Road
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 13
Date: 06/27/2024

Kiely, Jean Marie
44 Fredette St.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/01/2024

Leduc, Raymond Richard
Leduc, Lisa Marie
23 Elliot St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/08/2024

Legrand, Abner Emil
986 Grayson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/09/2024

Leonard, Joseph Robert
Rovatti-Leonard, Angela Eileen
Quigley, Angela Eileen
284 River Road
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/02/2024

Manley, Daniel J.
Manley, Sara A.
a/k/a Trombley, Sara A.
41 Homestead Ave.
Russell, MA 01071
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/29/2024

Matos, Richard Lualhati
102 Howland Ave.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/01/2024

Moriarty, Robert Evans
102 McCarthy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/28/2024

Munoz, Jahayra
111 Manchester Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/12/2024

Ortiz, Joel D.
289 Sheridan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/09/2024

Phillips, Christopher
8 Windsor Dr.
Ashland, MA 01721
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/12/2024

Riggio, Dominic
11 Copeland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/02/2024

Roque-Hubbard, Christopher
17 Virginia St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/28/2024

Schmitt, Kimberly Joy
238 Park St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/03/2024

Sedlak, Scott O.
Sedlak, Leanne L.
25 Carver St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/27/2024

Smith, Stacey Nicole
43 Pasco Road
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/15/2024

Sorcinelli, Robert R.
Sorcinelli, Debra A.
7 Beverly Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/28/2024

Vincent, Jessica L.
287 Osborne Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/29/2024

Waite, Cynthia A.
30 Wood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/28/2024

Walczak, June P.
201 Newbury St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 06/29/2024

Warner, David Thomas
27 Maple Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/11/2024

 

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

ASHFIELD

612 John Ford Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $459,000
Buyer: Tracy Bombard
Seller: Mark E. Rachmaciej
Date: 07/09/24

BERNARDSTON

77 Hoe Shop Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: A. Plus Enterprises Inc.
Seller: Kurra, Penny L., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/24

81 Hoe Shop Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: A. Plus Enterprises Inc.
Seller: Kurra, Penny L., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/24

BUCKLAND

24 Conway St.
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Annie J. Rubel
Seller: Kimberly Guzewicz
Date: 07/12/24

2151 Route 2
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Lin Chen
Seller: Reo T2021-NR4
Date: 07/15/24

COLRAIN

9 Main Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $319,500
Buyer: Rama A. Davis
Seller: Paul Gatker
Date: 07/18/24

68 Van Nuys Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Taylor Berry
Seller: Rebecca A. Tippens
Date: 07/11/24

CONWAY

39 Pleasant St.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Joan R. Schwartz
Seller: Linda D. Bettis
Date: 07/15/24

350 Reeds Bridge Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Mica Agate-Mays
Seller: Peter B. Farber
Date: 07/10/24

DEERFIELD

53 Eastern Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Geoffrey D. Naunheim
Seller: David E. Hayes
Date: 07/15/24

44 King Philip Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Jennifer Chuks-Crabill
Seller: Wells, Roger D., (Estate)
Date: 07/09/24

ERVING

11 West High St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Eliza C. Galaher
Seller: Collins, Frank W., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/24

GREENFIELD

78 Beech St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Adam M. Goldstein
Seller: Jennifer E. Scelsi
Date: 07/19/24

3 Cherry St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $382,500
Buyer: Soham Dhakpa
Seller: Sak Jr., Peter J., (Estate)
Date: 07/11/24

103 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $424,900
Buyer: 103 Conway St. LLC
Seller: Kimball & Kimball LLC
Date: 07/16/24

28 Kenwood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Justin B. Nichols
Seller: Joann P. Allan
Date: 07/11/24

11 Madison Circle
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Daina M. Ruback
Seller: Jane M. Kunhardt LT
Date: 07/15/24

106-108 Stone Farm Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $995,000
Buyer: Valley Community Land Trust Inc.
Seller: M. W. Cohn Development LLC
Date: 07/10/24

106-108 Stone Farm Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $328,500
Buyer: Valley Housing Coop Inc.
Seller: Valley Community Land Trust Inc.
Date: 07/10/24

110-112 Stone Farm Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $328,500
Buyer: Valley Housing Coop Inc.
Seller: Valley Community Land Trust Inc.
Date: 07/10/24

HAWLEY

48 West Hawley Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Roy Lewis
Seller: Mkl Rt
Date: 07/09/24

LEVERETT

11 Amherst Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Eric S. Haffey
Seller: Richard W. Ferro
Date: 07/12/24

15 Bull Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Thomas C. Levy
Seller: Graves, Douglas L., (Estate)
Date: 07/09/24

1 Depot Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Max E. Traunstein
Seller: Peter Laznicka
Date: 07/12/24

125 Dudleyville Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $635,000
Buyer: Sarah H. Lukens
Seller: Shirley Idelson
Date: 07/11/24

MONTAGUE

10 Davis St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Diego A. Sharon
Seller: Marilyn Squier
Date: 07/15/24

149 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: James D. Gexler
Seller: St. Germain Jr., Fracis, (Estate)
Date: 07/12/24

NORTHFIELD

291 Birnam Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Thomas Aquinas College
Seller: Brett W. Smith
Date: 07/10/24

81 Highland Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Brett W. Smith
Seller: Joshua Lim
Date: 07/10/24

12 Ledge Way
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Sullivan
Seller: Donald K. Nelson
Date: 07/12/24

25 Meadow St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Peter E. Paugh
Seller: Lawrence E. Parker
Date: 07/10/24

18 West Lane
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Martha Stinson
Seller: Marianne Chenoweth
Date: 07/17/24

ORANGE

41 Burrill Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Eric J. Lafountain
Seller: John J. Vescovi
Date: 07/10/24

45 Charles St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Rachel Gorman
Seller: Elaine S. Ivanowski
Date: 07/19/24

204 Packard Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Bryan Melanson
Seller: Wolfe, Cynthia V., (Estate)
Date: 07/15/24

ROWE

127 County Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Edward J. Silva
Seller: Rachael Holbrook
Date: 07/11/24

50 Pond Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $137,700
Buyer: Elizabeth J. Hall
Seller: Sheri A. Kelly
Date: 07/19/24

SHELBURNE

56 Maple St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $569,000
Buyer: Sarah E. Cohen
Seller: Karen K. Pekins
Date: 07/08/24

34 Water St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: 34-36 Water St. LLC
Seller: John E. Madocks
Date: 07/19/24

SHUTESBURY

118 Leonard Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $475,065
Buyer: Mattew R. Jacobson
Seller: Andrea C. Dallas
Date: 07/10/24

WARWICK

293 Athol Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Michaelle L. Desrosiers
Seller: Stephen M. Ruggiero
Date: 07/12/24

840 Orange Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Mandy L. Mallen
Seller: Jay S. Field
Date: 07/09/24

WENDELL

270 Wendell Depot Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Christy Cobbs
Seller: Harjens IRT
Date: 07/19/24

WHATELY

3 Frances Way
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Roland Mandler
Seller: Jeffery Henderson
Date: 07/11/24

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

42 Anthony St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Luis D. Avila
Seller: Marisel Olmeda
Date: 07/17/24

84 Campbell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Jacob Richburg
Seller: Guy R. Magistri
Date: 07/15/24

112 Farmington Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $605,000
Buyer: Paul A. Placanico
Seller: James J. Graham
Date: 07/15/24

54 Kensington St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Kevin Budiyono
Seller: Cennet M. Kilic
Date: 07/09/24

351 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $330,950
Buyer: Garritt L. Diluzio
Seller: Daniel G. Fream
Date: 07/16/24

24 Norman Ter., Ext.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Loan H. Vu
Seller: Elijah L. Naylor
Date: 07/16/24

304 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Patrick W. Regan
Seller: William J. Malone
Date: 07/11/24

43 Stevenson Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $910,000
Buyer: Amina Asvandiveva
Seller: Genady Nemchinsky
Date: 07/15/24

54 Valley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Erick Montanez
Seller: Zamel N. Al Haron
Date: 07/16/24

BRIMFIELD

21 Echo Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $343,500
Buyer: Scott C. Duncan
Seller: Mosher LT
Date: 07/19/24

83 Sutcliffe Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Dustin D. Willke
Seller: Jacob W. Roche
Date: 07/16/24

142 Wales Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $362,500
Buyer: Bryce Mase
Seller: Andrea S. Beaudry
Date: 07/15/24

CHESTER

60 Middlefield Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Michael A. Hauser
Seller: John K. Pease
Date: 07/19/24

CHICOPEE

77 8th Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Luke M. Parker
Seller: Joseph D. Coffey
Date: 07/12/24

1060 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,380,000
Buyer: King Kong Investment LLC
Seller: Pastore Realty LLC
Date: 07/16/24

44 Crestwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $549,900
Buyer: Jose M. Lopez
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 07/10/24

160 Crestwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Keem LLC
Seller: Hector Perez
Date: 07/18/24

47 Dorrance St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Wanda Lockett
Seller: Inglis, Donald R., (Estate)
Date: 07/16/24

20 Ellerton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Vitaliy V. Popovichenko
Seller: Reatrey S. Chen
Date: 07/16/24

81 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Winderson Cabrera
Seller: Ronald T. Cierpial
Date: 07/18/24

64 Felix St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Maria Velazquez
Seller: David A. Bodman
Date: 07/10/24

37 Harvey St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: John Brault
Seller: Charles R. Boutilier
Date: 07/12/24

13 Keith St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Alberto R. Rivas
Seller: Susan Camacho
Date: 07/19/24

149 Kendall St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Ralph C. Himmelreich Jr. TR
Seller: Himmelreich, Ralph C., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/24

104 Leo Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Cioccolate RT
Seller: Catherine A. Sears
Date: 07/10/24

11 Mountainview St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: Good Diggin Real Estate LLC
Seller: Abad Ft
Date: 07/10/24

125 Nonotuck Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: R. J. Santiago Figueroa
Seller: Numeric Capital Investors LLC
Date: 07/19/24

196 Nonotuck Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Anil Prathipati
Seller: Griffin Burke
Date: 07/11/24

14 Perrault St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Karl H. Philemy
Seller: Juan C. Reyes
Date: 07/18/24

49 Pondview Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $323,000
Buyer: Michael A. Lavallee
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 07/18/24

314 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $461,000
Buyer: Agnieszka Sulkowska
Seller: Philip A. Laflamme
Date: 07/11/24

64 Stewart St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Ericka G. Carrillo
Seller: Jeanne E. Capistrant FT
Date: 07/12/24

69 Wanda St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Nathaniel Lepage
Seller: Nicole M. August
Date: 07/08/24

118 Woodlawn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Jason Archambault
Seller: McCall, Loretta L., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/24

EAST LONGMEADOW

419 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Cory A. Batista
Seller: Alexander Provoda
Date: 07/12/24

46 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: MJ Real Estate LLC
Seller: Michael A. Panico
Date: 07/09/24

Farmer Circle, Lot 12
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Global Homes Properties LLC
Seller: Happy Acres LLC
Date: 07/15/24

Farmer Circle, Lot 16
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $398,000
Buyer: Joseph Ngaruiya
Seller: Happy Acres LLC
Date: 07/19/24

Farmer Circle, Lot 19
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $398,000
Buyer: Joseph Ngaruiya
Seller: Happy Acres LLC
Date: 07/19/24

Happy Acres Lane, Lot 1
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Global Homes Properties LLC
Seller: Happy Acres LLC
Date: 07/15/24

20 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Chad Ouimette
Seller: Jeremy Koske
Date: 07/16/24

11 Meadow Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Charles Hodgkins
Seller: Tavernier Investments LLC
Date: 07/15/24

17 Shelby Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $682,500
Buyer: Nathan Marshall
Seller: Norman E. Vernadakis
Date: 07/16/24

32 Sturbridge Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $689,900
Buyer: Philip N. Hunt
Seller: Jeffrey B. Rondeau
Date: 07/09/24

147 Tanglewood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Katlyn E. O’Brien
Seller: Anne Marie Dunn Irt
Date: 07/11/24

20 Westernview Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jack O’Brien
Seller: Jon D. Maxwell
Date: 07/12/24

GRANVILLE

95 Cross Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Richard S. Alimberti
Seller: Brian J. Durfey
Date: 07/19/24

HAMPDEN

38 Fernwood Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $287,700
Buyer: Bruce Tetrault
Seller: Lsf10 Master Part TR
Date: 07/16/24

556 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Kyle M. Stearns
Seller: Michael Sienkiewicz
Date: 07/08/24

711 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Ryan Leal
Seller: Omari H. Murray
Date: 07/10/24

43 Meadow Brook Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Alexander J. Demos
Seller: Dina M. Demos
Date: 07/17/24

HOLLAND

14 Davis Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Hunter R. Boudreau
Seller: Duane Boudreau
Date: 07/19/24

HOLYOKE

4 Burns Way
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Keith E. Salek Walker
Seller: Gary C. Hammer
Date: 07/17/24

132 Cabot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Petrolin J. Kelly
Seller: Mark R. Larose
Date: 07/19/24

119 Central Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $369,061
Buyer: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Corrine V. Concotilli
Date: 07/15/24

40 Chapin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $179,138
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Andres Agron
Date: 07/19/24

39 Dillon Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $353,000
Buyer: Nathan D. Tibbetts
Seller: Kyle R. Gagnon
Date: 07/18/24

31 Erie Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Roberta Carlon
Seller: Sara L. Zahler
Date: 07/12/24

1039 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Linda Huynh
Seller: Ronald P. Theriault
Date: 07/10/24

125 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Roberto Camacho
Seller: Cheryl L. Galazka
Date: 07/10/24

70 Kane Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Ny Ne
Seller: Cornelius P. Sullivan
Date: 07/19/24

8 Kennedy Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Kelly Thibodeau
Seller: Carroll, William S., (Estate)
Date: 07/16/24

911 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Scott Family Properties
Seller: Michael Krassler
Date: 07/08/24

1895 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Jackeline Torres
Seller: Andrew J. Black
Date: 07/10/24

11 Parkview Ter.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Zachery Deliz
Seller: Moises Deliz
Date: 07/16/24

17 Pheasant Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Denise Sarcharczyk
Seller: Sacharczyk 2006 IRT
Date: 07/12/24

92 Race St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $3,040,000
Buyer: Lighthouse Personalized
Seller: 92 Race Street LLC
Date: 07/18/24

34 Sherwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01085
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Paula E. Rice
Seller: Thomas & Jill Baush LT
Date: 07/09/24

31 Sherwood Ter.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Weary Travelers LLC
Seller: Paula E. Rice
Date: 07/08/24

7 Steiger Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Jesse L. Peters
Seller: Barbara A. Dunne
Date: 07/15/24

32 Valley Heights
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Kim Quach
Seller: Melissa S. Stearns
Date: 07/08/24

307 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Abigail L. Bucey
Seller: Wanda V. Shepard
Date: 07/19/24

LONGMEADOW

189 Academy Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Kevin Ryan
Seller: David Bedrosian
Date: 07/19/24

127 Ashford Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $1,190,000
Buyer: David J. Bryson
Seller: Edward S. Ballis
Date: 07/08/24

53 Brookwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Vincenzo Faienza
Seller: Anthony E. Heim
Date: 07/10/24

143 Brookwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $456,000
Buyer: Mary McCarthy
Seller: Luiza Templeton
Date: 07/18/24

265 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $542,500
Buyer: Garrett Kissel
Seller: David J. Ehrlich
Date: 07/19/24

57 Fairfield Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $468,000
Buyer: Michael A. Forbes
Seller: William J. Golen
Date: 07/18/24

95 Glenbrook Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $645,000
Buyer: Luiza Templeton
Seller: William I. Morey Jr. LT
Date: 07/18/24

21 South Park Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Keith S. Raho
Seller: Mark W. Laskowski
Date: 07/10/24

33 South Park Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $506,000
Buyer: Clifford G. Heart
Seller: Dolores A. Farrell
Date: 07/19/24

LUDLOW

9 Beachside Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Lisa E. Forest
Seller: Maria J. Vadnais
Date: 07/18/24

1 Brook St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Modifi Homes LLC
Seller: Cgg Nt
Date: 07/19/24

275 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $330,500
Buyer: Konrad A. Pekala
Seller: Dorota Aldag
Date: 07/10/24

1 Charles St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Jeffrey D. Hickerson
Seller: Kyle C. Sorensen
Date: 07/10/24

46 Cislak Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $717,000
Buyer: Michael A. Cust
Seller: Robert J. Gagnon
Date: 07/11/24

99 East Akard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Antonio Vital
Seller: Michelle A. Carner
Date: 07/12/24

Grandview Ave., Lot 432-50
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $501,500
Buyer: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Seller: Ludlow Housing Authority
Date: 07/10/24

27 McKinley Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Micaiah Stanczak
Seller: Bibeau, Jean Marie, (Estate)
Date: 07/19/24

35 McKinley Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Jonluc R. Lavoie
Seller: S. & C. Investors LLC
Date: 07/11/24

69 Newbury St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: Lynne Vadnais
Seller: Debra C. Alves
Date: 07/17/24

28 Pine Cone Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Sloan
Seller: Morris A. Haney
Date: 07/19/24

79 Shawinigan Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: John Currier
Seller: Fumi Realty Inc.
Date: 07/08/24

Willard Ave., Lot 432-50
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $501,500
Buyer: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Seller: Ludlow Housing Authority
Date: 07/10/24

MONSON

40 Crest Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Timothy W. Healy
Seller: Rachel A. Wright
Date: 07/18/24

230 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Earl F. Loranger
Seller: Roland R. Table
Date: 07/10/24

46 Palmer Road, Lot 8
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $489,000
Buyer: Carole J. Putz
Seller: Bukowski Construction LLC
Date: 07/10/24

266 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Justa K. Raphino
Seller: Lavallee Ft
Date: 07/17/24

23 Reynolds Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: Mary Cavers
Seller: Nicolas Bates
Date: 07/19/24

16 Upper Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $699,000
Buyer: Noor Alsalihi
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 07/16/24

PALMER

33 Arnold St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: JoeJoe Properties LLC
Seller: Ronald J. Chatel
Date: 07/16/24

111 Boston Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $496,000
Buyer: Alexander J. Woytowicz
Seller: Richard J. Corsi
Date: 07/17/24

4086 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Caitlin Smith
Seller: Avet RT
Date: 07/19/24

3020-3026 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $439,900
Buyer: Lba Properties LLC
Seller: Jnb Property Investments Inc.
Date: 07/12/24

43 Mount Dumplin Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Kevin P. Quirk
Seller: Carole J. Putz
Date: 07/08/24

83 Nipmuck St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Jacob Roche
Seller: Thomas R. Rudkin
Date: 07/17/24

1411 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: SS Enterprises Inc.
Seller: 1411 NMain LLC
Date: 07/10/24

41-59 North St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Benjamin L. Lawlor
Seller: Benjamin S. Duby
Date: 07/12/24

3020 Pine St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Milan Piva
Seller: Daniel Foster
Date: 07/12/24

2022 Quaboag St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Michael Welch
Seller: Alexander J. Demos
Date: 07/17/24

21 Ruggles Court
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Nathaniel Hengy
Seller: Michael A. Cust
Date: 07/11/24

RUSSELL

48 Timberidge Dr.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Christopher R. Ferrari
Seller: Thomas N. O’Brien
Date: 07/10/24

643 Woodland Way
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Osowski
Seller: James A. Pitoniak
Date: 07/16/24

SPRINGFIELD

2-4 2nd St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Timothy V. Flouton
Seller: Angel M. Santiago
Date: 07/16/24

53-55 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Ursula De Gracia
Seller: Johanne T. Theodat
Date: 07/10/24

62 Arden St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Juan C. Cotto
Seller: Jason Braica
Date: 07/09/24

40 Balboa Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $225,210
Buyer: Acre Hill LLC
Seller: Pathlight Inc.
Date: 07/19/24

42-46 Baldwin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Kaynu Management Group LLC
Seller: Karl P. Baxter
Date: 06/27/24

827 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Muhammad Akbar
Seller: Sarah C. Thomas
Date: 07/10/24

1127 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Family & Developments LLC
Seller: Doreen Rae
Date: 07/17/24

59 Burghardt St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $214,700
Buyer: Zarah Vylonis
Seller: Darren Teale
Date: 07/16/24

96-98 Calhoun St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Aric D. Hincapie
Seller: Victor Bermudez
Date: 07/15/24

24 Capitol Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Patrick H. Ogilvie
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 07/19/24

137 Chalmers St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Natashia Scott
Seller: Erin K. Coughlin
Date: 07/18/24

55 Chalmers St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Katherine M. Taveras
Seller: Christopher E. Collins
Date: 07/19/24

65 Cherokee Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Wesley Blask
Seller: Wendell F. Justice
Date: 07/10/24

19-21 Daniel St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Jonathan Abreu
Seller: Jose M. Lopez
Date: 07/10/24

265-271 Dwight St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: SVL LLC
Seller: Bsc Realty Inc.
Date: 07/11/24

45 Eddy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Zalymarie Torres
Seller: Jennifer Velasquez
Date: 07/19/24

45 Eton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Jennifer A. Couture
Seller: Reina Y. Landaverde
Date: 07/08/24

120-122 Firglade Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Marianyelly Rivera-Cruz
Seller: Anthony S. Fusco
Date: 07/19/24

20 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Katharine C. Dias
Seller: Springfield Ventures RT
Date: 07/12/24

5 Flower St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $473,000
Buyer: Rodney Pierrette
Seller: Hassan Echchetouani
Date: 07/18/24

31 Freeman Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $298,700
Buyer: Ronald Jeanty
Seller: Beacon Cornerstone LLC
Date: 07/12/24

195 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Amelya Williamson
Seller: Naples Home Buyers TR
Date: 07/12/24

23 Gatewood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Carmela R. Hodgdon
Seller: Renee D. Lewis
Date: 07/12/24

78 Hillman St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Svl LLC
Seller: B.S.C. Realty Inc.
Date: 07/11/24

27 Jennings St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $402,000
Buyer: Furnival Nyarko
Seller: MS Homes LLC
Date: 07/15/24

107 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $710,000
Buyer: 107 Kensington Ave. LLC
Seller: Mint Western Mass. Group LLC
Date: 07/15/24

152 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Onstar Properties AA LLC
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 07/12/24

73 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Xiumei Ye
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 07/12/24

23 Kenwood Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Sanite E. Jean
Seller: Ericka G. Carrillo
Date: 07/17/24

39 Kenwood Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Tyraun R. Porter
Seller: Marianyelly R. Cruz
Date: 07/19/24

33 Lexington St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Tomasa M. Medina
Seller: Oscar Mora
Date: 07/15/24

25 Lively Lane
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Shannon Thorin
Seller: Erin O’Rourke
Date: 07/17/24

86 Malden St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: 86 Malden Street RT
Date: 07/11/24

130 Manchester Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Makieu F. Rhida
Seller: Mhi Properties LLC
Date: 07/10/24

76 Marble St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Keturah R. Lockett
Seller: Real Estate Investments Northeast LLC
Date: 07/10/24

110 Melha Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Maria T. Castro
Seller: Jose J. Salas-Delgado
Date: 07/12/24

35 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: 35 Merrimac LLC
Seller: Mark C. Ryer
Date: 07/19/24

26-28 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Rolando Pagan
Seller: Rafael Carrasquillo
Date: 07/12/24

24 Nelson Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Ashley Wiggins
Seller: C. Capital LLC
Date: 07/10/24

241 Norfolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Springfield College
Seller: Kristin A. Dietz
Date: 07/16/24

100 Penncastle St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Diane Fiorentino
Seller: Bissonnette, Arlene A., (Estate)
Date: 07/17/24

167-169 Pineywoods Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Main & Pineywoods LLC
Seller: Manning Capital LLC
Date: 07/17/24

54 Porter St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Diana Velez
Seller: Shigen Zhu
Date: 07/09/24

8 Putnam St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Doug Dichard
Seller: Yogi Kynard
Date: 07/10/24

156 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Lia Ashe-Simmer
Seller: Deepon Realty LLC
Date: 07/19/24

59-61 Sorrento St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Emtay Inc.
Seller: Horowitz, Samuel, (Estate)
Date: 07/10/24

35 Spruceland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Emily Le
Seller: Paul A. Jacobs
Date: 07/08/24

44 Squire Lane
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $373,000
Buyer: Denise Salerno
Seller: Barbara Robinson
Date: 07/16/24

1083-1085 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Empire One Investments Inc.
Seller: Mario Santaniello
Date: 07/17/24

1572 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: Ganga Sunar
Seller: Kim Nguyen
Date: 07/15/24

35 Thayer Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $231,500
Buyer: Brandi J. Cox
Seller: Paul J. Weckle
Date: 07/16/24

408 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Dreampath Homebuyers LLC
Seller: Goucher, Grace W., (Estate)
Date: 07/09/24

494 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Sharon D. Gomez
Seller: David Porcello
Date: 07/15/24

57-59 Tyler St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: 74 Alder Street LLC
Seller: Ching-Chi Lee
Date: 07/10/24

246-262 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $5,600,000
Buyer: Union Court Apartments LLC
Seller: Illuminati Holdings LLC
Date: 07/19/24

74 Vail St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Di&l LLC
Seller: John Toledo
Date: 07/18/24

73 Villa Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Andrea L. Pires Martins
Seller: Julia Polanco
Date: 07/10/24

15 Wellington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Cwabs Inc. Series 2007-8
Seller: Ivin Rennix
Date: 07/08/24

33 West Hill Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Zachary Dominique
Seller: Cig 2 LLC
Date: 07/17/24

145 Wheeler Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $314,500
Buyer: Andria Matthews
Seller: Trung T. Vo
Date: 07/18/24

531 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Dano Holding LLC
Seller: Eugene L. Cabrini Realty
Date: 07/15/24

142-144 Yale St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Nres LLC
Seller: Yale RT
Date: 07/12/24

SOUTHWICK

32 Bungalow St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Howard M. Newman
Seller: Mackenzie Powers
Date: 07/19/24

110 North Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Jesse J. Brawsay
Seller: Rucadaan LLC
Date: 07/15/24

46 Pineywood Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Michael Moccio
Seller: Edmund J. Grabowski
Date: 07/16/24

8 Tall Pines Trail
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Burt H. Fahy
Seller: Hamelin Framing Inc.
Date: 07/10/24

11 Tall Pines Trail
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Huiyao Ouyang
Seller: Hamelin Framing Inc.
Date: 07/15/24

3 Tree Top Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Michael R. Whelihan
Seller: Linda M. Lepore
Date: 07/19/24

219 Vining Hill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $436,000
Buyer: Jeffrey C. Ouellette
Seller: Daniel T. Veale
Date: 07/08/24

WEST SPRINGFIELD

166 Ashley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Ashley Investments LLC
Seller: Sypek, Mary F., (Estate)
Date: 07/12/24

186 Ashley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Ashley Investments LLC
Seller: Sypek, Mary F., (Estate)
Date: 07/12/24

258 Ashley St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Sarah R. Lapolice
Seller: Labinot Preniqi
Date: 07/08/24

63 Bliss St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Geoffrey P. Galvin
Seller: Koda Penny Realty LLC
Date: 07/09/24

42 Exeter St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Larkspur LLC
Seller: Anthony M. Savino
Date: 07/10/24

134 Hampden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: McKenzie Brothers Realty LLC
Seller: Keybank
Date: 07/15/24

45-47 Janet St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Brian P. St. Amand
Seller: James Lukowiak
Date: 07/16/24

72 Lennys Way
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $659,500
Buyer: Labinot Preniqi
Seller: Kevin M. White
Date: 07/08/24

121 Lincoln St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Daniel G. Tenggren
Seller: Patricia A. Brown
Date: 07/11/24

294 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Aga Brothers LLC
Seller: Gregory Palanjian
Date: 07/12/24

525 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Gail A. Richard
Seller: Tina M. Vanotti
Date: 07/15/24

166 River St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Koch Real Estate Corp.
Seller: Helen M. Bonneau
Date: 07/10/24

43 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $471,000
Buyer: Jonathon Yee
Seller: Maria F. Rodriguez-Maleck
Date: 07/16/24

87 Valley View Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Victoria Rondinelli
Seller: Donna D. Cauley
Date: 07/19/24

WESTFIELD

4 Bates St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $342,000
Buyer: Lisa Santos
Seller: Skyspec LLC
Date: 07/16/24

11 Fawn Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Erik R. Towle
Seller: David H. Bird
Date: 07/09/24

28 Gloria Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $660,000
Buyer: Corey J. Fournier
Seller: Donnell F. Humber
Date: 07/12/24

16 Holland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Vantage Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Sophia Bousquet
Date: 07/12/24

178 Joseph Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Sean D. Welch
Seller: Louis J. Scarfo RET
Date: 07/19/24

191 Joseph Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $371,000
Buyer: Kyle Lapolice
Seller: Corey J. Fournier
Date: 07/12/24

26 Kellogg St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Cristina Mereneanu
Seller: Rustam Orozaliev
Date: 07/16/24

33 Lynnwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Elaine Collins
Seller: Andri Zhyhanuk
Date: 07/19/24

43 Parker Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Madeline G. Blake
Seller: Grace A. Chlastawa
Date: 07/15/24

29 Radisson Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $685,000
Buyer: Matthew Boulanger
Seller: Maksim V. Merenkov
Date: 07/15/24

59 Radisson Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Conor J. Fenton
Seller: Terry Britton
Date: 07/19/24

73 Rogers Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Joshua L. Weaver
Seller: Tyler J. Kozik
Date: 07/15/24

13 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Caio Santiago
Seller: Tm Properties Inc.
Date: 07/11/24

313 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Keehan Close
Seller: Jessica L. Wilder
Date: 07/19/24

147 Tannery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $775,000
Buyer: Donna Janerico
Seller: Richard H. Stanton Iii Lt
Date: 07/09/24

907 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Erik R. Gaster
Seller: Seane M. Waterbury
Date: 07/15/24

997 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Vantage Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Mary E. Oleksak
Date: 07/12/24

16 Willow Brook Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $576,000
Buyer: Kolleen Jandaczek
Seller: Richard S. Gawron
Date: 07/12/24

WILBRAHAM

9 Briar Cliff Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Erik J. Boucher
Seller: Angelina R. Fiore
Date: 07/16/24

12 Cedar Oak Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Joseph Coffey
Seller: Bettye J. Frederic
Date: 07/12/24

110 Chilson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $418,000
Buyer: Matthew Cox
Seller: Tina Fiore
Date: 07/17/24

28 Eastwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Bretta Construction LLC
Seller: Henry K. Zephir 2022 RET
Date: 07/15/24

691 Glendale Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $649,000
Buyer: David M. Dorion
Seller: Bradford D. Macpherson
Date: 07/17/24

10 Old Carriage Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Carlos Monroy
Seller: Rahilly FT
Date: 07/18/24

14 Rochford Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $526,000
Buyer: Kenneth R. Labrie
Seller: Denise Salerno
Date: 07/16/24

416 Soule Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $403,000
Buyer: Melih Elcin
Seller: Patrick S. O’Brien
Date: 07/11/24

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

463 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Babineau
Seller: Annie E. Nelson
Date: 07/12/24

149 Blackberry Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $875,000
Buyer: Urelmaa Tsolmon
Seller: John W. Dickson 2007 TR
Date: 07/17/24

71 Sand Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $784,200
Buyer: Catlin L. Converse Int
Seller: Anne M. Messmer
Date: 07/11/24

BELCHERTOWN

10 Cobb Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $417,500
Buyer: Emily J. Dannen
Seller: Allison E. Dunn
Date: 07/08/24

23 Segur Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: John Pyne
Seller: Randall W. Prescott
Date: 07/12/24

39 Segur Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: Marcus Davis
Seller: Bernd F. Schliemann
Date: 07/12/24

CHESTERFIELD

33 Farmhouse Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Matthew St Louis
Seller: Linda A. Udall
Date: 07/12/24

583 Main Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Noel N. Morris
Seller: Jason Soukup
Date: 07/09/24

653 Main Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: John R. Treworgy
Seller: Kerry M. Jackson
Date: 07/19/24

189 Sugar Hill Road
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $462,000
Buyer: Collin Preftakes
Seller: Raymond Lequin
Date: 07/10/24

EASTHAMPTON

3 Adams St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Jumana Jaloudi
Seller: Hans W. Dalhaus
Date: 07/17/24

10 Emily Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $548,100
Buyer: Mitchell Hubbard
Seller: Gregory C. Tudryn LT
Date: 07/11/24

31 Florence Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Dorina Bajrami
Seller: Carrie F. Bither
Date: 07/09/24

2 Matthew Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Travis P. Maider
Seller: Jean C. Richardson
Date: 07/16/24

142 Parsons St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $409,000
Buyer: Wish Granted Realty LLC
Seller: Molly M. Ronan
Date: 07/15/24

38 Peloquin Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Hariharan Gopalakrishanan
Seller: Dennis J. Meehan
Date: 07/18/24

51 Phelps St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $384,000
Buyer: Elin A. O’Hara
Seller: Magali Schoulguine
Date: 07/12/24

Pomeroy St., Lot 12
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: David A. Hardy Contract LLC
Seller: Cykowski RET FT
Date: 07/19/24

14 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Marcus Tenesaca
Seller: Russell & Deborah Lent LT
Date: 07/08/24

12 Sheffield Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Kyle Gagnon
Seller: Bonnie L. Katusich
Date: 07/19/24

GOSHEN

41 Dresser Hill Road
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Jacquelyn Mascher
Seller: Stephanie M. Whie
Date: 07/15/24

1 Hemlock St.
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Adrianne Wurzl
Seller: Deborah M. Leonas
Date: 07/11/24

27 Pond Hill Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: David Fradkin
Seller: Chiminello RET
Date: 07/12/24

16 Washington Road S
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $635,000
Buyer: Alisa Wagman
Seller: Penny Moore TR
Date: 07/09/24

GRANBY

562 East State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $286,500
Buyer: Targayen RT
Seller: Andrea D. Marceay
Date: 07/08/24

114 Maximilian Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $870,000
Buyer: Daniel A. Haynes
Seller: Radu Vlas
Date: 07/08/24

HADLEY

Bay Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $1,150,000
Buyer: Bradley Kobylarz
Seller: David E. Krock
Date: 07/09/24

1 Cemetery Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Arthur W. Dahowski
Seller: Novak, Brenda L., (Estate)
Date: 07/09/24

100 Chmura Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $1,150,000
Buyer: Bradley Kobylarz
Seller: David E. Krock
Date: 07/09/24

5 Colony Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $1,024,299
Buyer: Urvi Morrison
Seller: Bercume Contruction LLC
Date: 07/17/24

HATFIELD

55 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Wickles
Seller: Leslie & K. Labarge FT
Date: 07/12/24

186 North Hatfield Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: John S. Henderson-Adams
Seller: Martin W. Holich
Date: 07/10/24

73 Plain Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $557,000
Buyer: Peter Fazekas
Seller: Pushkin, Barbarra A., (Estate)
Date: 07/08/24

NORTHAMPTON

23 Cahillane Ter.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Steven Luzi
Seller: Matthew Motamed
Date: 07/12/24

68 Hillcrest Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $739,000
Buyer: Melinda M. Mason
Seller: Lydia Sarro
Date: 07/10/24

156 Grove St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $358,500
Buyer: Catherine Potak
Seller: Kris Baker
Date: 07/15/24

224-228 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: MJ Homes LLC
Seller: Naples Home Buyers TR
Date: 07/15/24

61 Milton St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $739,000
Buyer: Caitlin Duffy
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 07/16/24

64 North St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $684,000
Buyer: Steven Garelick
Seller: New England Remodeling
Date: 07/16/24

68 North Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Catherine Hodes
Seller: Gordon R. Luce
Date: 07/08/24

Northern Ave., Lot 1
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Stacy R. Ashton
Seller: Sovereign Builders Inc.
Date: 07/19/24

281 Prospect St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $725,470
Buyer: Wmass Prospect LLC
Seller: Vijay Prashad
Date: 07/12/24

70 Prospect St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $561,000
Buyer: Emma Bresnan
Seller: Johnsn, Willard M., (Estate)
Date: 07/11/24

957 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Francis J. Ladouceur
Seller: Michael D. Brooks
Date: 07/08/24

1089 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $1,850,000
Buyer: Brent Richter
Seller: Mineral Hills NT
Date: 07/11/24

41 Williams St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,675,000
Buyer: Ampersand Sprout LLC
Seller: Williams St. Land Trust
Date: 07/09/24

PELHAM

17 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Scott Tencza
Seller: Louise M. MacDonald
Date: 07/19/24

213 North Valley Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: Rachel Figurasmith
Seller: Pamela C. Victor
Date: 07/18/24

SOUTH HADLEY

6 Eagle Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Arthur C. Cataw
Seller: Ea Duperier Declaration
Date: 07/15/24

61 Ferry St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Matthew H. Giordano
Seller: Sharon K. Scott
Date: 07/19/24

48 Hillside Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $463,500
Buyer: Lesli O’Connell
Seller: Lisa M. Morrin
Date: 07/10/24

175 Lathrop St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Katherine Putnam
Seller: Casey Berger
Date: 07/15/24

5 Linden Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Jonathan Couture
Seller: James Woolley
Date: 07/18/24

8 Pearl St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Bach
Seller: Marlene Bach
Date: 07/15/24

273 Pearl St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Diana K. Rogers
Seller: Neal Teague
Date: 07/10/24

19 Priestly Farms Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $482,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Michael Schaeffer
Date: 07/11/24

81 Richview Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Edwin Cintron
Seller: Tamika Gagnon
Date: 07/15/24

14 West Summit St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: John C. Pietroniro
Seller: Antonio Turner
Date: 07/10/24

12 Yale St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Michael P. Lyncg
Seller: Rosemay E. Larrow
Date: 07/15/24

SOUTHAMPTON

118 Middle Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $555,000
Buyer: Nikhil B. Meshram
Seller: Brian D. Slezek
Date: 07/12/24

5 Thomas Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Lydia Dagostino
Seller: Balicki, Kevin E., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/24

64 White Loaf Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Cregg Miller
Seller: Lemire, Helga A., (Estate)
Date: 07/12/24

WARE

37 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Kalin E. Deere
Seller: Mia Gurule
Date: 07/09/24

140 Greenwich Plains Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Yvonne Veilleux
Seller: Mhi Propperties LLC
Date: 07/18/24

28 Morse Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Park Otis LLC
Seller: Aaron W. Martell
Date: 07/17/24

58 Old Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Travis Stanger
Seller: John P. Hanley
Date: 07/12/24

8-10 Williams St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: David R. Barry
Seller: Donald B. Gadziala
Date: 07/19/24

WILLIAMSBURG

67 Chesterfield Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Samuel R. Prickett
Seller: Allison Jones
Date: 07/08/24

7 Hatfield Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Lori A. Thurston
Seller: Kenneth M. Chapin
Date: 07/17/24

GCC Awarded $200,000 Grant to Launch New Clean-energy Training Programs

By
Daily News

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College (GCC) has been awarded a $200,000 planning grant from the Department of Energy Industrial Training and Assessment Centers to develop new clean-energy training programs in industrial machine maintenance and mechatronics. This initiative, in collaboration with regional manufacturers, industry experts, and community partners, aims to address the growing demand for skilled workers in these fields.

“The work we will be able to do with this grant marks a pivotal moment in advancing our commitment to workforce development and clean energy. By expanding our training programs in industrial machine maintenance and mechatronics, we are not only addressing the urgent needs of local manufacturers, but also equipping our community with the skills necessary for success in the growing clean energy sector,” said Kristin Cole, vice president of Workforce Development at Greenfield Community College.

“This initiative underscores our dedication to fostering both economic growth and environmental sustainability, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have on our students and regional industries,” she added.

Three local manufacturing companies provided letters of support for the project, including BETE Performance Spray Engineering and Ames Electrical Consulting Inc., both located in Greenfield, and Worthington Assembly, located in South Deerfield.

“We are thrilled to see this grant awarded to allow GCC the resources to work with industry experts to build a robust machine-maintenance program,” said Tom Fitch, president and CEO of BETE Performance Spray Engineering. “As a key employer in Greenfield, we understand the critical need for skilled professionals who can maintain and advance our machinery. This investment in training will ensure a steady pipeline of talented individuals ready to meet the demands of modern manufacturing. By enhancing these educational opportunities, we are not only strengthening our industry’s workforce, but also reinforcing our commitment to innovation and excellence in the field.”

Randolph Ames, president of Ames Electrical Consulting Inc., noted that “this region has a high need for workers with a range of skills related to clean energy and industrial economic development. We fully support GCC’s vision of creating shops where students will gain exposure to multiple trades and employers like us will collaborate as mentors, trainers, and ultimately job-placement sites. It’s an exciting vision, and one that could have a significant impact on creating a stronger pipeline into these vital roles.”

Neil Scanlon, co-owner and president of Worthington Assembly, added that “we are proud to support this grant award and emphasize the value of partnering with local community colleges on workforce-development programs. Collaboration with institutions like GCC is essential for creating a skilled workforce that meets the evolving needs of our industry. By working together, we are building a stronger, more resilient workforce for tomorrow.”

This grant is part of the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains initiative, designed to bolster American manufacturing competitiveness and promote economic growth and mobility.

AIC Welcomes Sara Vincent as AVP for Admissions and Financial Aid

By
Daily News

Sara Vincent

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) announced the appointment of Sara Vincent as assistant vice president for Admissions and Financial Aid. She brings more than a decade of experience in higher education and a proven track record in fundraising, alumni engagement, legislative relations, and enrollment management.

In her new role, Vincent is excited to bring a fresh perspective on admissions and enrollment at AIC. “I see exciting opportunities for growth and innovation at this pivotal moment in higher education,” she said. “I’m eager to explore these opportunities and find creative ways to welcome new students to AIC.”

Before joining AIC, Vincent most recently served as regional director of Recruitment, Community Outreach, and Admissions at Connecticut State Community College. Before that, she was director of Strategic Enrollment Management at Manchester Community College in Connecticut.

She earned her doctor of education degree in educational leadership with a focus on student affairs from Central Connecticut State University, where she also obtained a master’s degree in communication. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Connecticut.

Vincent’s dedication to student access to higher education and her support for first-generation college students align with AIC’s values, she said.

“Access to higher education was a passion of mine even long before my career led me to the field. From the moment I stepped onto AIC’s campus, I knew my passion was shared by the institution and every member of the AIC family. I am thrilled to have found an institution that allows me to align my personal goals and values with its own. I look forward to working across all facets of AIC and sharing our story with the community.”

AXiA Charitable Fund Supports Two Local Nonprofits

By
Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — AXiA Insurance Services, through its AXiA Charitable Fund, recently supported two local nonprofit organizations in the Pioneer Valley, with a combined donation total of $32,500.

The recipients included Look Memorial Park, based in Florence, and Hope for Youth and Families Foundation, based in Springfield.

As an annual Look Park community partner, AXiA’s gift was directed to park upkeep and provision of staffed activities, available to all who attend the grounds. This includes subsidized access for day and season passes to low-income families.

Hope for Youth and Families Foundation (HYFF) allocated its donation to some of its summer programming, assisting disadvantaged youth participants in career and college exploration programs to promote their future successful sustainability. In a collaborative effort initiated by AXiA, a field trip is to take place at the park this August, culminating HYFF’s summer programming with a fun-filled day for the kids.

Since its establishment in 2022, the AXiA Charitable Fund has supported 15 nonprofits in the communities it serves.

Girl Scouts Receive $15,000 Grant from Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM) announced the continued investment by the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation through a $15,000 grant in support of It’s A Girls World, one of the community-based programs Girl Scouts offers.

The afterschool program engages Hampden County girls in grades K-6 in STEM, financial literacy, and health and personal wellness topics.

“We are extraordinarily grateful to be recognized by the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation as an organization seeking to improve the quality of lives of girls in our community,” said Theresa Lynn, GSCWM’s CEO. “Introducing middle-school girls to STEM careers they might not have known existed or showing them what a budget looks like, helping elementary-school kids craft prototypes for inventions, or simply introducing them to the joy of discovering new things, hinting at where their strengths and skills lie, enable members to realize their own potential and gain critical skills they will carry throughout their lives. It is made possible by this generous support.”

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a collection of engaging, challenging, and fun activities for girls to develop a strong sense of self, display positive values, seek challenges, learn from setbacks, form and maintain healthy relationships, and learn to identify and solve problems in their community. The generous support of contributors such as the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation — which supports a variety of nonprofit organizations seeking to improve the quality of lives for those living in Hampden County — makes this possible.