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Month: September 2025

Let It Shine to Unveil New Mural, ‘Harvest of Hope’ by Jahna Rae, on Sept. 23

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Mill Town Foundation and Let It Shine Public Art Partnership announced the unveiling of a new mural by artist Jahna Rae. The mural, titled “Harvest of Hope,” is an 18- by 80-foot fruit market inspired work that honors the history of the Morningside neighborhood in Pittsfield.

A community unveiling celebration will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 23 from 4 to 5 p.m. at 250 Tyler St., Pittsfield (rain date: Friday, Sept. 26). This free, family-friendly event will feature remarks from the artist and community partners, complimentary apple cider and donuts, and games and activities for all ages.

Inspired by the site’s history as one of Morningside’s earliest fruit markets, Rae’s mural transforms that legacy into a vivid, dynamic work of art that both celebrates the neighborhood’s roots and enlivens its present.

“I feel like this mural is sentimental to me now that I’ve become a mother and I’m trying to ensure that my son grows up to be a good man, the type of man that leads with not only integrity, honesty, and kindness, but also a softness that the world needs,” Rae said. “This way, he will be more likely to instill that in his future family. This is how I think we can heal the world.”

The mural project is managed by Huck Elling, Let It Shine committee member. The organization thanks building owner Salam Herbert, as well as Choices Mentoring Initiative and R.O.P.E. for their volunteer support in preparing the wall.

Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation Supports Local Farmers

By
Daily News

AGAWAM — The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (HGCF) has launched a new initiative to support local agriculture while providing office staff with fresh, healthy food. For 12 weeks this summer, the foundation purchases vegetables directly from local farms and makes them available to employees each Tuesday.

Every two weeks, a different farm has been featured, showcasing the rich variety of produce grown across the region. Participating farms to date include Ray’s Family Farm in Southwick, Granny’s Place in Agawam, Red Fire Farm in Montague, and Bardwell Farm in Hatfield.

“This is a win-win program,” said Harold Grinspoon, founder of both the foundation that bears his name and the Local Farmer Awards program, “Our staff get to enjoy the freshest, most delicious vegetables, and at the same time, we are putting real dollars into the hands of local farmers who work so hard to feed our communities.”

Employees have embraced the weekly deliveries. “It’s such a highlight of the week to come into the office and bring home fresh vegetables straight from local farms,” said Joe Ruotolo, director of Employee Technology.

The program is designed not only to strengthen the connection between staff and the farming community, but also to model how businesses can make a direct, positive impact. By sourcing food directly from local farms, the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation is contributing to farm sustainability, supporting the local economy, and encouraging healthier eating habits.

Introducing the 2025 Healthcare Heroes

By
Cover Story Healthcare Heroes

Since BusinessWest and the Healthcare News created the recognition program known as Healthcare Heroes in 2017, the initiative has more than succeeded in its quest to identify true leaders — not to mention inspiring stories — within the region’s large and vitally important healthcare sector.

The award was created to recognize those whose contributions to the health and well-being of this region, while known to some, needed to become known to all. And that is certainly true this year.

Go HERE to see the 2025 Healthcare Heroes Digital Flipbook

Click on the names below to read  each story of this years Healthcare Heroes:

Collaboration in Healthcare

Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit at Mercy Medical Center

Healthcare Educator

Andrea Bertheaud

Clinical Assistant Professor, Elms College

Community Health

Linda Koh

Assistant Professor,
Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at UMass Amherst

Lifetime Achievement

Dr. Thomas Lincoln

Physician And Associate Professor of Medicine,
Baystate Health

Community Health

Areliz Barbosa

Clinical Assistant Professor
and Senior Project Coordinator, Bay Path University

Emerging Leader

Chrissy Humason

Nursing Supervisor and
Stroke Coordinator,
Baystate Noble Hospital

Healthcare Provider

Cindy Leonard

Infusion Manager,
Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center

Healthcare Administrator

Dr. Yannis Raftopoulos

Director, Holyoke Medical Center Weight
Management Program

BusinessWest and the Healthcare News will celebrate this year’s honorees on Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Tickets cost $95, and tables of 10 are available. To purchase tickets, GO HERE

Presenting Sponsors

Partner Sponsors

Holyoke Medical Center

MassHire Merger Streamlines Services for Employers, Job Seekers

By
Executive Directors Sarah Wilson (left) and Maura Geary
Features Special Coverage

Making It Work

Executive Directors Sarah Wilson (left) and Maura Geary

Executive Directors Sarah Wilson (left) and Maura Geary

 

To explain why the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center and the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board merged their operations in July, Maura Geary first explained how the MassHire network is set up.

“There are 16 workforce areas in the state of Massachusetts, and every area has one workforce board and at least one career center,” she noted. “And the career center has two customer bases. One is job seekers; one is employers. We work with employers to find out what jobs they have, how we can help them find the talent they need, and we work with job seekers to find out what barriers they may have to employment in the jobs that exist in our region, and how can we help them overcome the barriers so that they’re prepared with the skills they need to enter the workforce.”

Meanwhile, the Workforce Board is more of a “30,000-foot view,” Sarah Wilson said. “We’re looking at regional trends, labor market information for the region. We’re convening employers. We’re bringing all this information to the Career Center, which does more on-the-ground work.”

Until July 1, Geary headed up the Career Center, while Wilson helmed the Workforce Board. But today, they’re co-executive directors of the first MassHire operation in the state to merge their operations into one, simply called MassHire Franklin Hampshire.

“Having the labor market information and understanding what trends are happening, we ask, ‘what are the challenges that exist in our region? Where are there opportunities? How can we bring in more resources to support the workforce that we have or the economy that we have?’” Geary told BusinessWest. “This merger really helps us align even more closely with the big picture of the region and the strategies that exist.”

When the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center and the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board announced the merger, they characterized it as a strategic unification and a significant milestone in the region’s efforts to deliver more coordinated, efficient, and impactful workforce development services across Franklin County, Hampshire County, and the North Quabbin region.

“They basically have paid internships at local businesses, where the grant pays for the wages of the participants. Employers get that labor, and they also have the opportunity to expose their businesses and their career pathways to the next generation of the workforce.”

The newly merged organization aims to streamline operations and enhance services for job seekers, employers, training providers, and community partners by combining the strategic oversight and policy leadership of the Workforce Board with the direct services and employer engagement expertise of the Career Center.

The merged organization will continue to operate offices in Greenfield and Northampton; its headquarters are still in the Greenfield Corporate Center, where the two halves formerly had separate space on the same hallway but now operate out of shared space.

“We were sort of set up for this in some ways because we were already co-located; the Workforce Board used to be just across the hall,” Wilson said. “And we shared resources — besides the space, we also shared HR and IT. And we’d been working hand in hand for many years.

“But this really solidifies it, and it brings together disparate teams and disparate strategies,” she went on. “I had my own thing on the Workforce Board, and Maura had her own thing in the Career Center. We would collaborate, but it wasn’t as structured as it is now. The communication between teams is now streamlined, so we can really streamline the work. This makes it much more efficient.”

The two MassHire Franklin Hampshire divisions were both located in separate offices at Greenfield Corporate Center, and now share space — and operations — as a single entity there.

The two MassHire Franklin Hampshire divisions were both located in separate offices at Greenfield Corporate Center, and now share space — and operations — as a single entity there.

Allison van der Velden, chair of the MassHire Franklin Hampshire board of directors, agreed.

“The merger is a natural next step in the evolution of our work,” she said when the merger was announced in June. “It strengthens our ability to deliver results and ensures that public workforce dollars are used efficiently, effectively, and equitably.”

 

Early Exposure

Another example of how the merger makes sense has to do with its young adult programs, Geary said.

“There’s separate funding for three different young adult programs, major funding that we oversee. Some of that funding was directed to the Workforce Board, and some of it was available to the Career Center. But now that we’re under one roof, we have completely merged all three of those programs into one unified program.

“When they existed between the Workforce Board and other providers and the Career Center, we were not maximizing those funds,” she went on. “So there’s a lot of opportunity to integrate programs on the ground, and we weren’t able to do that before because of the artificial silos that were in place.”

Mass Hire Franklin Hampshire’s state-funded YouthWorks programs are, in fact, among its most robust offerings; the organization receives about $530,000 in funding over both a summer cycle and a year-round cycle, and serves youth from ages 14 to 25.

“For the youngest participants, we’re going into the schools during the year and setting up after-school programs or different ways to engage them so they are learning about what career pathways are available. So the earliest contact is really about career awareness,” Geary explained. Meanwhile, the second tier serves 16- to 18-year-olds with paid work experiences.

“It’s the future of workforce development — it makes us more streamlined, more efficient. I think it’s better for the customer as well, whether that’s an employer or a job seeker.”

“They basically have paid internships at local businesses, where the grant pays for the wages of the participants. Employers get that labor, and they also have the opportunity to expose their businesses and their career pathways to the next generation of the workforce.”

Young people can also access a curriculum that delivers work readiness skills, financial literacy, and other competencies needed to enter the workforce.

“And with our oldest participants in YouthWorks, we actually are paying for them to enter into training programs and get their first job,” Geary went on, giving as one example a partnership with Greenfield Community College (GCC) to help young people earn clean energy HVAC certifications.

Meanwhile, from a Workforce Board perspective, MassHire convenes employers to learn about the different needs of the region, Wilson said. “But we can also think of training opportunities, grant opportunities, how we can bring funding into the region to help support some of those needs. It’s not just connecting to the workforce, but determining how we can go about that.”

One strategy is through on-the-job (OTJ) training and registered apprenticeships.

“Both of those get money to the employer, and they are also paid training opportunities. With OJTs, we can reimburse the employer up to 50%. And we’ve been doing that for manufacturing over the past year.

“We’re starting to get into registered apprenticeships, but there’s a tax credit that could be applied to that,” Wilson added. “It really helps with retention for the employer because they’re investing in that employee. There’s a structured training program and wage boosts that are built into that. There’s mentorship. So we see a lot of positives other than just the tax incentive.”

Much of MassHire Franklin Hampshire’s funding targets workforce training in its priority industries of education, healthcare, and manufacturing, Geary explained, while helping job and career seekers find a path that works for them.

“One of the models that we’re moving toward is recognizing that most people, when they’re looking for a job, can’t afford to go to training. It’s a paid training, and that’s amazing, but most people can’t take 12 or 16 or more weeks in a free training without having an income. So we’ve been promoting, with our employers, models where people are getting paid while they’re in the training. That’s something we’re excited about.”

 

Ready to Learn

Geary noted that, when MassHire surveys employers about what they’re looking for, they often say they can give people the technical training needed to do this job, but too often, prospective employees are coming in without professional skills or soft skills — what she and her team more commonly call ‘work readiness skills.’

“So we have a workshop team here developing content that is specific to different trainings. We’ll go into a training program and deliver the work readiness workshops and make sure that we’re preparing people across multiple industries to just be ready to be good employees.”

Speaking of training, MassHire Franklin Hampshire also has a strong relationship with GCC.

“We’re really lucky that GCC is a community college that is really interested in being innovative and responsive to the employers in our region,” Geary said, adding that the college has expanded and invested in its workforce training programs on campus over the past few years.

“If you look at their website, you’ll see they have really comprehensive career pathway programs that match our priority industries and engage employers and students. So we partner with them all the time. When they have a new grant-funded training program, we help them recruit students. We help provide the work readiness.”

MassHire is also expanding its business services team that works directly with employers, she added. “We want to make sure that, when GCC has any training program ending, we have employers who are in that industry lined up to receive them. So we’re doing more events early on, helping people prepare for the employers that are going to come to a job fair that are specific to that training cohort.”

Besides key sectors like education, healthcare, and manufacturing, MassHire Franklin Hampshire also keys in on industries that are particularly relevant to its region, including clean energy, outdoor recreation, and agriculture.

“We are seeing, nationwide, a decrease in the agricultural industry. But in Massachusetts, we’re seeing a slight increase. And Franklin Hampshire holds about 20% of the state’s agricultural industry right here,” Geary said. “So we’re really looking at what we can be doing with small and mid-sized farms. It’s a lot of small businesses, so we want to have an industry sector partnership where we do some of the legwork and say, ‘what do you need? Let us help you design some strategies that will meet your workforce needs.’

In the realm of clean industry, she noted that GCC has partnered with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which funds clean energy grants and workforce training, among other things.

“They’re really developing a comprehensive career pathway and training program, and we’re working on engaging young adults, but also the adult population, to get trained in that industry as we’re seeing more and more employers start to pop up in our region.”

It’s a region that has unique challenges in that it has the largest geography of any of the 16 workforce areas, but with relatively few residents.

“We’re serving 50 cities and towns in Franklin, Hampshire, and the North Quabbin, and a lot of it is rural. So we have fewer funds than other workforce areas that have larger populations. And some of the challenges of the rural communities that impact the workforce are the same challenges as everywhere else, like transportation and childcare, but they have a little different flavor up here,” Geary explained.

“So those are really difficult barriers to overcome when we have people trying to get to jobs over this 1,400-square-mile region, and there’s not really any transportation infrastructure to speak of.”

 

One-stop Shop

The majority of MassHire’s funding comes through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which brings up another current challenge: the general uncertainty organizations of all kinds are feeling about federal funding.

“That’s very much up in the air. We don’t really know what’s going to happen,” Wilson said. “So coming together gives us a little more stability to be able to weather that. But it’s also setting us up for the future, no matter what. It’s the future of workforce development — it makes us more streamlined, more efficient. I think it’s better for the customer as well, whether that’s an employer or a job seeker.”

Geary said that speaks to something she hears all the time from clients on both sides.

“Once they’re engaged with our services, they all inevitably say, ‘oh my gosh, I had no idea I could get so much help by working with you. I didn’t know you existed.’ We hear that all the time, so streamlining our messaging helps with that, too. We don’t have to get into that confusing conversation — ‘you’re going to work with them over here for that, and then you’re going to come to us for this over here.’”

Instead, she said, “we can eliminate that point of confusion and just say, ‘come to MassHire Franklin Hampshire, and we’re going to help you solve your workforce needs.’”

Navigating the Insurance Landscape

By Contributor
Insurance Special Coverage

Industry Sees Stabilizing Markets, but Ongoing Challenges

By John Dowd

Over the past several years, the insurance industry has faced tremendous pressure. Inflation, supply chain issues, and natural disasters have all contributed to higher reinsurance costs for carriers, which in turn led to higher premiums for individuals and businesses alike. Many policyholders have experienced year after year of increases, often without fully understanding why.

As we move through the second half of 2025, there are signs of relief. While certain industries continue to experience higher-than-average costs, in most sectors, hard market conditions are beginning to subside. Insurance companies are now pricing new business more aggressively, which creates opportunities for savings, if insureds know how and where to look.

That said, not every line of coverage is easing. Homeowners insurance remains volatile, and social inflation is reshaping how individuals and businesses must think about liability protection. Understanding these trends is key to navigating today’s insurance environment.

 

The Market Is Softening

The good news for most policyholders is that many insurance markets are stabilizing. For several years, the combination of high inflation, costly rebuilding expenses, and catastrophic weather events forced insurers to raise rates significantly. Now, as conditions improve, competition among carriers is returning.

“In many sectors, premiums are finally easing, creating opportunities for insureds to save money. Yet challenges persist, especially for homeowners in high-risk regions and for those facing the ripple effects of social inflation.”

This shift has led to more aggressive pricing for new business. For consumers and business owners, it means there are real opportunities to lower premiums, especially if you are proactive about comparing options rather than automatically renewing your current policy.

 

Homeowners Insurance Remains a Concern

The one major exception to this trend is homeowners insurance. Rates continue to climb, particularly in areas vulnerable to severe weather or wildfire. Some insurers have even chosen to stop writing new policies in high-risk regions altogether.

Several factors keep homeowners insurance challenging:

• Natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and convective storms are both more frequent and more severe, leading to higher claims costs.

• Construction costs remain elevated, with materials and skilled labor continuing to drive up the price of rebuilding.

• Catastrophic events, like the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year, are tempering what might otherwise be a broader reduction in property premiums.

For homeowners in higher-risk areas, this reality underscores the importance of shopping carefully, exploring mitigation measures like home hardening or installing smart sensors, and considering higher deductibles to balance affordability with adequate protection.

 

The Rising Impact of Social Inflation

While inflation in materials and labor has eased somewhat, social inflation remains a growing challenge. This refers to the increasing cost of claims due to larger jury awards, more aggressive litigation, and the legal environment in Massachusetts that favors claimants against insurance companies.

One result is the rise of so-called nuclear verdicts, extremely large jury awards that far exceed traditional expectations. For insureds, this trend has important implications. The $1 million liability limit built into many standard policies is no longer as protective as it once was. Individuals and businesses should re-evaluate their underlying liability coverage and consider umbrella policies that extend protection beyond standard limits.

For business owners, management liability coverage has become increasingly important as well. Social inflation has heightened the potential exposure for directors, officers, and executives, making it critical to identify and eliminate potential coverage gaps.

 

How Consumers Can Save

Despite ongoing volatility in certain sectors, there are practical steps consumers can take to find better rates and strengthen their protection:

• Compare quotes. Carriers are pricing aggressively for new business, so shopping around, especially at renewal time, can uncover meaningful savings.

• Bundle policies. Combining auto and home coverage under one insurer often unlocks significant discounts.

• Adjust deductibles. A higher deductible reduces your premium, but only if you can comfortably manage the increased out-of-pocket cost in the event of a claim.

• Leverage technology. Usage-based auto insurance programs reward safe driving, while smart home devices, such as water leak sensors or fire detectors, can qualify homeowners for discounts.

 

A Balancing Act

The insurance market is cyclical, and after several difficult years, signs of stabilization are emerging. In many sectors, premiums are finally easing, creating opportunities for insureds to save money. Yet challenges persist, especially for homeowners in high-risk regions and for those facing the ripple effects of social inflation.

The best path forward is a proactive one: review your coverage carefully, shop the market, consider higher limits where liability risks are growing, and embrace risk management practices and technology that can both reduce claims and make you more attractive to insurers.

By taking these steps, both individuals and businesses can strike a healthier balance between protection and affordability in 2025 and beyond.

 

John Dowd is president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies.

 

Springfield Celebrates New Parking Garage, Activity Space Downtown

By
The new garage replaces a half-century-old structure that was torn down in 2022.
Commercial Real Estate Special Coverage

On a Roll

The new garage replaces a half-century-old structure that was torn down in 2022.

The new garage replaces a half-century-old structure that was torn down in 2022.

 

As dignitaries gathered for a celebration of the recently opened Convention Center Carpark in downtown Springfield — and a ribbon cutting for the Landing, a neighboring plaza that will host gatherings, activities, and performances directly across Bruce Landon Way from the MassMutual Center — Nate Costa took it all in and considered what it means to the Springfield Thunderbirds.

“I think the Landing is going to be an extension of the arena. That’s the idea behind it,” the hockey team’s president told BusinessWest. “We’re hoping this is going to add that Yawkey Way type element to what we do here.

“It’s not going to be a drive-through street anymore,” Costa went on. “We’re just hoping this is a place that people come and congregate before games. I think we’ll be doing some food trucks and some other activations and live music — really trying to have it be an extension of what we do in our building, night after night. We want to find ways to program this space and drive people to our games and around our games.”

Those who spoke at the ceremony also drew parallels to Yawkey Way in Boston, which is packed with activity before Red Sox games, with fans eating, shopping, and having fun.

“I can see this place just lit up in a good way, with so many activities and parties,” Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said. “And what they’re going to do is much of the stuff you’ve seen done at Fenway Park. They’re going to gear it to whatever events are going on here, so people can come out, pre- and postgame, and go to other establishments in downtown Springfield.”

Dignitaries gather to cut the ribbon for the Landing, which is nestled between the MassMutual Center and the Convention Center Carpark.

The Landing opens at a time of momentum for the MassMutual Center itself, said Sean Dolan, the facility’s general manager.

“We just concluded fiscal year 2025 with the highest revenue growth in the convention center that the building’s ever had. And we’re going into fiscal year 2026 with the highest amount of revenue on the books that the building’s ever had,” he told the assembled crowd, touting events like WWE Monday Night Raw, which descended on the arena on Sept. 15, and, of course, the Thunderbirds, who averaged 6,369 fans last season, in a bowl that seats only 6,700. Fridays and Saturdays are typically sellouts.

“The MassMutual Center is a cornerstone of Springfield’s economy — a place that drives opportunity, brings people together, and supports the growth of this entire region.”

The Landing, then, “allows us to not only program and feed off of the 220 events we do in a year, but allows us to book stand-alone events out here that serve the community, that make this a space to gather and build that pride in Springfield,” Dolan said. “Everybody that had something to do with this here, thank you so much for believing in Springfield. Thank you for making it look like it looks.”

 

A New Era Downtown

The former Civic Center Garage at Harrison and Dwight streets, built in 1971, had fallen into disrepair by the early 2020s; sections of more than one level had closed due to safety issues before the garage was closed and demolished in 2022. The new Convention Center Carpark opened to the public this past April, and construction was completed later in the spring.

The 350,000-square-foot structure includes more than 800 parking spaces, as well as electric vehicle charging stations. Unlike the former garage, which opened only onto Harrison, it features entrances onto both streets.

That development was a big deal for the Thunderbirds franchise, which had to endure multiple seasons with no garage on site.

From left, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno credits the contributions of MCCA CEO Marcel Vernon Sr. and MassMutual Center General Manager Sean Dolan.

“It’s been a long time coming for us,” Costa told BusinessWest. “It’s been tough sledding for us getting through that, so it’s fantastic to have it open.”

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) hosted the Aug. 27 gathering both as an official celebration of the garage and a grand opening of the Landing, an event featuring live music, food, games, and several speakers.

“The MassMutual Center is a cornerstone of Springfield’s economy — a place that drives opportunity, brings people together, and supports the growth of this entire region,” said Marcel Vernon Sr., CEO of the MCCA. “We are proud to be part of this community. The carpark and the Landing represent more than just two new facilities. They symbolize three important things: more jobs, more economic opportunity, and more vibrant, thriving downtown business activity. We are proud of these investments, but we are even more proud of the partnerships that have made them possible.”

Xiomara Albán DeLobato, an MCCA board member and vice president and chief of staff at the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, expressed pride, as a lifelong Springfield resident, in signs of downtown progress like this development.

“The reason why this is so exciting for us is because of the amount of impact this type of development has for our region. We have direct spending in our restaurants, our hotels, our shops, our museums. They receive direct impact when visitors come to the area, when tourists come to the area, and it’s instrumental for the progression of our economy.

“When you bring thousands of people down here, they’re feeling good, vibrant, they’re having a good time, right? That means they spend money — money in your businesses, folks. And then they leave the city saying, ‘gee, you know what? I had a pretty good time.’ You can’t put a price tag on that.”

“The other piece that sometimes we don’t think about is that ripple effect that happens when we have billions of dollars that funnel into our area, into our region. It impacts our workforce, it impacts our supply chain, it impacts our transportation companies, and all of the other stakeholders that are critical to the entire ecosystem of our economy here in the region. And when that ripple effect continues to move, it impacts our schools, it impacts our parks, it impacts our neighborhoods. The hospitality and tourism industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry in the Commonwealth, and we see and feel it in Western Mass. So I’m thrilled about this.”

Sarno added that “this is important to the the business community in the city of Springfield to have this first-class parking. And here’s the other thing — when you bring people to downtown Springfield, which is a neighborhood, when you bring thousands of people down here, they’re feeling good, vibrant, they’re having a good time, right? That means they spend money — money in your businesses, folks. And then they leave the city saying, ‘gee, you know what? I had a pretty good time.’ You can’t put a price tag on that.”

 

Working Together

Sarno noted that the $80 million project — including the garage, the Landing, and other improvements — is a smart investment of state and local funds.

“There have been a number of naysayers, within the city of Springfield and in Massachusetts, who say, ‘what do you expect from Springfield?’ And I’ve always said, ‘why not Springfield?’ And this is another project under my administration team, working with the state, that they say would never get done. But it’s gotten done.”

State Rep. Carlos González agreed, touting the project as forward momentum for the city. “We have so much to celebrate, and yes, we have some issues that we have to resolve, and we’re doing that on a daily basis, but with the bright stars like MGM and so many others, the hospitality industry, we’re going to continue to succeed here in the city of Springfield.”

Albán DeLobato emphasized the importance of the city and state working in tandem.

“This type of development — and this is just the first of many that we’re going to see — is successful because of this local and state partnership. We cannot make this happen without the stakeholders at the table together, being thoughtful with their decision making, being able to forecast how this is going to impact our economy at the present and in the future.”

Hadley Faces Challenges, Decisions

By
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

Paragus Strategic IT has become a regional success story from its Route 9 headquarters in Hadley.

Leaders and business owners in Hadley know the value of Route 9, which accounts for the vast majority of non-farm commerce in this community otherwise dominated by agriculture. Roughly 100,000 cars traverse Russell Street every day, but they’ve been slowed — and business owners have been frustrated — by a massive project to widen and reconstruct about 2.5 miles of the thoroughfare.

But relief in in sight, as the project is expected to wind down by next spring, and most agree the end result will be worth the trouble.

At the same time, Hadley residents are also being asked to make tough decisions about the town’s budget and its impact on their property tax bills.

Specifically, they’re being asked to consider a Proposition 2½ override. Proposition 2½ is a 1980 Massachusetts law that limits the amount of property tax revenue a municipality can raise. Each year, a community’s levy limit can increase by 2.5% of the previous year’s limit in addition to added value from new construction, renovations, and other property improvements.

To raise taxes above this limit, a community must seek voter approval through an override. By passing an override, the town can raise taxes beyond the automatic 2.5% annual increase and new growth allowed under Proposition 2½. This results in a permanent increase to the levy limit, meaning the approved amount becomes part of the tax base in all future years.

Ed Augustus

Ed Augustus

“This funding round is about more than bricks and mortar, it’s about people.”

As BusinessWest went to press on this issue, a Sept. 9 town meeting loomed in Hadley to determine whether two measures make it to a Sept. 29 special election: a $2.25 million general override to cover various operating expenses for town and school departments, and a $300,000 capital stabilization override to pay for various assets and infrastructure.

The larger measure stems from several budget needs in town, including $579,435 for an around-the-clock fire department; $824,404 for increased operational expenses, including town and school budgets and a mid-year health insurance increase; and $846,785 to cover free cash that was used to balance the budget approved by a town meeting in May.

Should both measures pass, the town’s property tax rate would increase from $11.63 to $13.57 per $1,000 valuation. That would mean a $679 difference in the annual tax bill for a house assessed at $350,000, $873 for a $450,000 home, and $1,067 for a $550,000 home.

Then there’s the search — currently paused — for a new town administrator. Carolyn Brennan stepped down from the role in December after more than four years in the chair, and Police Chief Michael Mason has been serving in that role on an interim basis. In June, the Hadley Select Board postponed the search for a permanent replacement after members decided not to offer the job to either of the two finalists — Nate Malloy, an Amherst senior planner, and Nick Caccamo, Williamsburg’s town administrator — who conducted in-depth interviews.

“There’s work that needs to be done on the Russell School. However, it is a strong building, one that is ripe for redevelopment, and one that we think should have a future in this town, from our perspective.”

Select Board members cited the Proposition 2½ matters and the looming town meeting as circumstances making it difficult to focus on hiring a permanent town administrator, and determined to resume the effort soon. In all, the search committee reviewed 16 applications and interviewed five semifinalists before narrowing the list to two and, ultimately, turning both down.

 

No Place Like Home

Affordable housing remains an issue in Hadley, as it does in most communities in Western Mass., and while it’s far from a broad solution, one state-funded project aims to make a dent.

On July 31, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $182 million in low-income housing tax credits and subsidies to 21 rental housing developments that will create or preserve 1,245 homes across Massachusetts.

Paul Kozub

Paul Kozub

“This anniversary is not just a celebration of V-One’s growth, but also of the passion and vision that have driven us since day one.”

One of those projects will be the EconoLodge redevelopment in Hadley, the adaptive reuse of a closed hotel as permanent supportive housing. The nonprofit sponsor is Valley Community Development Corp. The completed project will include 50 units for individuals or small households earning less than 60% of area median income (AMI), with 31 units further reserved for individuals or small households earning less than 30% of AMI. The completed project will primarily serve homeless individuals.

These awards were made possible in part through the Affordable Homes Act and by Gov. Maura Healey’s tax cuts package, which raised the low-income housing tax credit to $60 million annually, a $20 million increase that allows the state to support more affordable housing production.

“Our administration is working on all fronts to build more reasonably priced housing and lower costs for everyone,” Healey said. “These awards are creating thousands of apartments that people can actually afford. This is helping seniors age independently and close to their families and helping workers afford to live in the communities where their jobs are.”

Other Western Mass. projects receiving funding from the program include Ferry Street, a new construction project in Easthampton, which will offer 96 units on a site including former mill buildings; South Holyoke Homes Phase 3, a new construction family housing project in the Paper City that will offer 40 total units; and Eagle Mill Phase II, a new construction project adjacent to Eagle Mill Phase I, a mill conversion project now underway in Lee; Phase II will offer 44 units.

“This funding round is about more than bricks and mortar, it’s about people,” Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus said. “Whether it’s a formerly homeless individual in Boston, a senior in Topsfield, or a working family in Easthampton, the homes we’re supporting will change lives.”

In Hadley, housing is one option being considered for the iconic, 131-year-old Russell School, which has been vacant since 2015. A reuse study has identified several alternatives, including keeping the property as a municipal building and renovating it and creating a public-private partnership.

Pulse Café, a popular vegan restaurant, is among the many eateries located along Route 9 in Hadley.

This past spring, Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF) Boston, working with Allegrone Companies of Lenox, completed a report on the 1894 building at 131 Russell St. That feasibility study determined that the structure can be rehabilitated into micro apartments, office space, or classrooms and art studios for less than $10 million. The study and resulting 24-page report were funded by the town and the Community Preservation Act.

“There’s work that needs to be done on the Russell School. However, it is a strong building, one that is ripe for redevelopment, and one that we think should have a future in this town, from our perspective,” said Jake Sanders, project executive for the nonprofit AHF Boston.

Hadley at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1661
Population: 5,325
Area: 24.6 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $11.63
Commercial Tax Rate: $11.63
Median Household Income: $51,851
Median Family Income: $61,897
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting, Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Super Stop & Shop; Evaluation Systems Group Pearson; Elaine Center at Hadley; Home Depot; Lowe’s Home Improvement
* Latest information available

“In our research, we have found the Russell School is an ideal candidate for housing or a community use,” he added, noting that options range from active use to repairs to demolition. “We have a path forward for the town.”

 

Something to Celebrate

Meanwhile, business owners along Russell Street continue to anticipate the finish line of the road project — and they are myriad, from law firms, restaurants, and car dealerships to big box stores at Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms, to well-established local success stories like Paragus Strategic IT and V-One Vodka, which, in fact, just marked 20 years since opening its doors in Hadley.

“This anniversary is not just a celebration of V-One’s growth, but also of the passion and vision that have driven us since day one,” owner Paul Kozub said.

And while Hadley has plenty on its plate, grappling with budgetary realities, leadership discussions, housing, and more, it’s also a town on the move — and hoping to move a little more quickly down Route 9 next spring.

Chrissy Humason

By
Chrissy Humason
Healthcare Heroes

Emerging Leader

Nursing Supervisor and Stroke Coordinator, Noble Hospital

She Helps Close Gaps in Care Through Education, Outreach

Chrissy Humason

 

Chrissy Humason says she first started thinking about a career in healthcare while she was working on the ski patrol at Otis Ridge — she grew up near it — when she was just 15.

“It was the ability to help people … giving them a boost after they’d fallen or having their wrist splinted before they were taken to the hospital — it was rewarding,” she said of her work on the slopes.

Those feelings stayed with her and created … well, a desire for more, prompting her to join Otis’s volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad when she was 16. And to earn EMT certification by the time she graduated from high school. And to use a sports scholarship to enter an EMS management program at Springfield College, becoming a paramedic upon graduation. And to then earn a nursing degree at Berkshire Community College (BCC). And to join the Westfield Fire Department while working as a nurse at Berkshire Medical Center (BMC), going through several cars because of all the miles she was racking up.

Today, she’s a member of a five-person crew on the Westfield Fire Department’s Engine 3, fighting fires while also responding to medical calls, while also serving as a nursing supervisor at Baystate Noble Hospital, a role that brings a different flavor of rewards and service to the patient population.

“Stepping into that role was definitely a change because it went from being strictly bedside, caring for the patient, to managing and overseeing all that’s happening, the day-to-day operations, the staffing … it was more putting puzzle pieces together,” she explained. “Now, I can be there and help my fellow team members as a leader, help them through when they have questions, and be there and support them. I find that very fulfilling.”

All of this goes a long way toward explaining why Humason has been named a Healthcare Hero in the Emerging Leader category. But there’s still more to this inspiring story.

It comes in the form of her leadership efforts with a stroke education program that brings healthcare directly to the community.

As stroke coordinator at Noble, Humason has led a groundbreaking, grant-funded community stroke initiative across Hampden and Hampshire counties that targets rural areas where access to resources is limited and the need for public health education is high.

“Stepping into that role was definitely a change because it went from being strictly bedside, caring for the patient, to managing and overseeing all that’s happening, the day-to-day operations, the staffing … it was more putting puzzle pieces together.”

And also where an ambulance ride to the nearest hospital might take 30, 40, or more minutes, heightening the need to move quickly and decisively when stroke symptoms may be in evidence.

“Time is brain when it comes to strokes and heart attacks,” said Humason, whose efforts have led to the creation of a detailed community resource brochure loaded not only with information about stroke, but also a healthcare proxy form, a guide to community resources for seniors, and even a File of Life card with key information ranging from emergency contacts to a list of prescriptions that is to be updated every six months.

They have also led to community outreach efforts that have covered nearly 300 square miles and reached more than 1,500 participants. Working with Emergency Department Educator Tami Wescott, Humason has delivered interactive education sessions and health outreach at farmers markets, senior centers, soup kitchens, assisted living facilities, and town events such as the Southwick Rotary Club’s concert series.

And these efforts, she noted, are starting to create positive results.

“We’re finding that people are accessing emergency services a lot sooner by recognizing the symptoms,” she said, listing everything from arm weakness to face drooping. “We have people coming in with the earliest symptoms, and with that, they’re able to receive treatment a lot quicker, and that can help with their symptoms for long-term effects. And that’s our ultimate goal.”

Chrissy Humason with other members of the Westfield Fire Department’s Engine 3.

This early success is both an indicator of the power of outreach, and yet another example of how Humason is collaborating with others to create a healthier, more informed community.

Brandon Okezie, Noble’s president and chief operating officer, summed up Humason’s contributions, and her qualifications for the title Healthcare Hero, in effective fashion.

“She is an excellent emerging leader in healthcare: innovative, empathetic, collaborative, and committed to closing gaps in care through education and outreach,” he wrote in nominating her for the award. “Her work has left a meaningful imprint on the communities served by Baystate Noble and offers a model for how localized, person-centric health education can save lives.”

 

Slippery Slope

As noted earlier, Humason grew up in Otis and was a member of the Fire and Rescue Squad while still in high school. This was a learning experience on many levels — especially when it came to the challenges facing those living in remote areas and those serving them — and, in many ways, it inspired a career.

“I learned a lot being out there — you don’t have many resources, and you’re quite a distance from any hospital,” she recalled. “There’s a lot to do between there and here, so I learned a lot from that time and decided I wanted to continue and build on that experience.”

Indeed, she attended Springfield College, with the goal of being a firefighter and paramedic, and then moved on to BCC, earning degrees in both nursing and fire science. She joined the Westfield Fire Department in 2006 while also working as a per diem nurse at BMC.

“We needed to figure out how to bring this information into these communities so they would recognize these symptoms a lot quicker and access what needed to be accessed — 911 — to get to the hospital a lot quicker.”

She came to Noble in 2015, cutting some of her commuting time, starting in the ER before eventually becoming a nursing supervisor. After the hospital’s primary stroke coordinator stepped down three years ago, she was approached about becoming stroke and STEMI (heart attack) coordinator and added those responsibilities to an already lengthy list.

Her collective experience, and a desire to find new ways to educate the public and serve rural areas, brought her to the moment when a program administered by Borderland Partners LLC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health invited institutions to apply for grants that would enable them to bring stroke education to underserved areas.

And Humason seized that moment, first by rallying hospital departments around the concept and then leading the efforts that eventually garnered $15,000 in grant money.

“This was really a team effort,” she explained. “I went around and spoke to everyone in the hospital; I spoke to our case management team, to our ER team, to our physicians, asking them what our patients are lacking when they come to the hospital. Is it education? Is it knowledge of recognizing stroke symptoms? Are they lacking the resources to go back home? What can we do to help them?”

The answers to these questions helped frame an effective grant application — Noble partnered with the Westfield and Southwick fire departments on the initiative — and also helped determine how the grant funds could best be used, Humason went on, adding that the feedback helped inspire an ambitious updating of the community resource brochure.

It is crammed with information for seniors on everything from skilled nursing programs, home care services, and assisted living facilities to senior centers, medical equipment companies, and transportation, as well as the File of Life card — actually two of them, one for the refrigerator and the other for the wallet or purse — and healthcare proxy, a document that too many people are still lacking.

But there is also information on stroke — risk factors, how to spot signs, and why to call 911 immediately, especially in these rural areas.

Chrissy Humason (right) with Baystate Noble Hospital Emergency Department Educator Tami Wescott at one of many outreach events to promote stroke awareness..

“We needed to figure out how to bring this information into these communities so they would recognize these symptoms a lot quicker and access what needed to be accessed — 911 — to get to the hospital a lot quicker,” she noted, adding that the program partners modified the traditional stroke-signs acronym FAST (face, arm, speech, and time) to BE FAST, adding balance and eyes (checking for vision loss).

And the phrase is resonating.

 

Peak Performance

Beyond the brochure, though, is a comprehensive community outreach initiative, one that has been impactful in many ways, from creating a more informed community to giving stoke survivors an opportunity to open up and be part of that education process.

This community outreach, as noted, has covered more than 300 square miles, taking Humason and Wescott to more rural communities such as Otis, Huntington, and Russell, but also Westfield, Agawam, and Southwick.

The sessions have been informative, but also interactive, said Humason, adding that, at several gatherings, stroke survivors felt comfortable enough to share their experiences, informing other attendees, but also inspiring them.

“We had many who spoke highly of coming to Bronson [Rehabilitation Unit at Noble] after a stroke and going from being afraid about never making it home to getting their strength back and going home again,” she recalled, adding that these stories brought a needed personal element to stroke education.

There have been roughly a dozen of these outreach efforts, large and small, to date, she said, adding that more will follow this fall and early winter — in Tolland, at the Westfield Senior Center, and at the Westfield Women’s Club, a gathering expected to draw more than 100 people. And there have been requests to add more to the schedule.

While it’s difficult to quantify the success of this initiative, Humason, who sees results as both a 911 responder and nursing supervisor and stroke coordinator at Noble, can qualify it by noting that people are calling 911 more quickly when they suspect stroke, while EMS responders are finding more File of Life cards on refrigerators.

“Utilizing BE FAST, we’re catching a lot more strokes in different areas of the brain and catching them early, and giving people the resources they need and the interventions they need.”

When asked what it’s been like to be part of this program, Humason said “very fulfilling and heartwarming.” That’s true of all aspects of the initiative, but especially those times when stroke survivors add their experiences and become part of the effort to educate and inspire others.

“For us, that shows that we’re out there making a difference,” she said, adding that this sentiment has motivated her since she was working on the ski patrol, and it has kept her motivated ever since.

“Christine is not just leading change,” Okezie wrote in his nomination. “She’s building a healthier, more informed future for the communities she serves.”

And that explains why she’s an emerging leader and a Healthcare Hero.

Andrea Bertheaud

By
Healthcare Heroes

Healthcare Educator

Clinical Assistant Professor, Elms College

She’s Raising Up a Young Generation of Nurses with Empathy, Conviction

Andrea Bertheaud

Andrea Bertheaud

 

Andrea Bertheaud’s early career in nursing found her in challenging settings — a year on an oncology unit followed by 15 more in critical care, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

After retreating from the field for a dozen years to raise her kids, she went back to work in a nursing home in 1999, then decided to go back to school for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. And that’s when she found her true calling.

“One of my classmates was a psych nurse, and I did a project with her at Roca,” Bertheaud recalled, referring to the successful violence-prevention program. “She was so inspirational. I saw her work with this clientele; there were maybe 15 young men between the ages of 18 and 26, and I saw how she brought them in and controlled the room. And I said, ‘that’s the skill I want.’”

So she became certified in mental health and eventually worked in that field at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital and Baystate Health. And those experiences sparked in her a desire to teach others.

“It was mainly psychiatric patients, a lot of co-morbidities with substance use. And patients were frequently recurring, so I got to know them over and over through a lot of admissions. And I felt like we weren’t supporting them enough in the community,” Bertheaud said. “I also found there was a lot of stigma toward mental health, which I have to admit I had. And I found it was a different skill set. In the ICU, in an open heart or trauma, that’s a skill. But being a mental health nurse is a different skill set. And it kind of called to me.”

Today, Bertheaud teaches mental health and population health to aspiring nurses in the Elms College School of Nursing, preparing them — and, many times, inspiring them — to work in challenging settings.

“A lot of it is communication skills,” she explained. “If you want to be safe, it’s not about controlling the situation; it’s communicating and getting the situation opened up so that everybody is safe. Even a psychotic person, they’re not intent on hurting themselves or others. They’re intent on controlling the situation through their perception. I have to understand that before I can approach them safely. And a lot of nurses don’t quite understand that.

“I hear all the time about nurses getting hurt because we want to save the situation,” she went on. “We want to run in like the firemen or policemen, and we have no protection, and we are not taught how to assess the situation. Now I never run in a room, no matter what’s happening. I’m looking around. I’m seeing where everybody’s at. I’m reading the room. And those are skills I learned as a psych nurse.”

Population health, on the other hand, is more of a global view of nursing. “Instead of just looking at your community, it’s stepping back a little bit and looking at the difference between the European healthcare system versus the United States healthcare system versus healthcare in Africa or Asia, and what works for them and what doesn’t, and what are their health outcomes,” she explained. “One example is maternity health — we have really low numbers in maternity health compared to a lot of developed countries in the world. Why is that? Those are the questions we look at in population health.”

“One of my classmates was a psych nurse, and I did a project with her at Roca. She was so inspirational. I saw her work with this clientele; there were maybe 15 young men between the ages of 18 and 26, and I saw how she brought them in and controlled the room. And I said, ‘that’s the skill I want.’”

In the decade Bertheaud has been at Elms College, not only teaching students but helping them gain valuable experience in community health settings locally, she has become “the face of Elms College nursing to many community members,” said Julie Beck, dean of the School of Nursing, who nominated Bertheaud as a Healthcare Hero.

“In her courses, Andrea synthesizes the physical and mental needs of the clients that she cares for. She utilizes humor, patience, skill, education, and wisdom when teaching her classes and leads by example when working with clients out in the field. Andrea serves as a Healthcare Hero not only to community members, but also as a nurse educator here at Elms College.”

 

Behind the Locked Doors

She does so with raw honesty and a belief in hands-on experience, especially when it comes to the challenging settings young nurses may face in the mental-health world.

“Last year was the first year I was able to get every single student into inpatient, which was really important, and which was a request of the students because they may never see the inside of a psychiatric unit, an acute locked ward, unless they have experience through school. It’s a completely different kind of unit. I’ve had nurses that have been teaching or practicing for 50 years, and they’ll say, ‘what happens behind those closed doors?’

Andrea Bertheaud (right) participates in a service trip to Jamaica with Mustard Seed Communities.

“I’ve actually invited people in the hospital I worked at, in administration, for three or four hours on my shift doing direct care and have them follow me so they’ll understand what a psychiatric nurse does and how we approach people, how we set boundaries,” she went on. “And they have really interesting questions because, again, they don’t know the skill. I didn’t learn it in ICU.

“So this is a very different skill set,” she went on. “I try to get as many students exposed to that and help them destigmatize that population. They come in terrified the first shift. One group was panicked, and I had to hold them off from going onto the unit because they were so nervous. I had to sit there and talked about their feelings until I had them settled enough so I could go onto the floor — because you don’t want to bring that kind of energy onto a psychiatric ward. They have enough energy and dysfunction as it is.”

But while teaching safety and boundaries to students, Bertheaud also emphasizes empathy and humanity.

“I want them to realize, ‘that could be me. I’m one car accident away from having a traumatic brain injury. Then my whole world would change, and this is how I would act.’ Elms students tend to be very, very smart, but because of their background, some of them — not all, but some of them — don’t have exposure to people who have had challenges.

“So I try to work on teamwork,” she added. “I’ve worked with some of the best teams in nursing, where I called it a symphony — all of a sudden everybody’s getting into their spot, and everybody knows what they’re doing to do. It’s just like music, and we can handle anything that comes through that door. But it takes skill. It takes working together with people who are very, very different.”

“In her courses, Andrea synthesizes the physical and mental needs of the clients that she cares for. She utilizes humor, patience, skill, education, and wisdom when teaching her classes and leads by example when working with clients out in the field.”

Bertheaud was also recently certified in bioethics and medical humanities, having taken classes with Dr. Peter DePergola, one of the region’s foremost medical ethicists and an associate professor at Elms.

“It’s about understanding the history, how we got here, and understanding how we can be more ethical,” she said. “Nurses are generally ethical — some of them not so much, but I think we’re at an advantage because we work with patients one on one, so we want better outcomes. I think when you get up to administration, that’s where we drop the ball — when you go up and you’re away from those patients; you’re not doing direct care. That’s when we get into making decisions that aren’t always outcome-based.

“In the last 40 years, I’ve seen healthcare become very monetized and profit-minded,” she added. “So I want to kind of instill that back in and have these young nurses challenged in this way. I want them to be able to see the bigger picture and look for the best outcomes and really be ethical nurses, challenge the system.”

And, again, challenging the system means understanding it, through real-world experience, from very early on.

Andrea Bertheaud with some of the medical simulation ‘babies’ used to demonstrate everything from fetal alcohol syndrome to shaken baby syndrome.
Staff Photo

“I think, in leadership, we’re focused on degrees, which is helpful. I’m all for education, but I think we need to incorporate experience a little bit into it. I’ve seen nurses that come into nursing school going, ‘I want to be an NP,’ ‘I want to be a DNP,’ ‘I want to be a provider.’ And I’m like, you’ve got to walk before you run. You’ve got to know all these things before you can get to the next level.”

 

Outside the College Walls

Bertheaud’s impact extends well beyond the walls of Elms College; she has participated in service trips outside the U.S. and regularly teaches parents in the local community about any number of issues, often employing medical simulation ‘babies’ from the college’s expansive collection of lifelike sims.

“In the community, we can go in and teach a group of parents how easy it is to get shaken baby syndrome. And then we have a fetal alcohol syndrome baby [sim], and we can talk about those characteristics compared to a normal baby and what that looks like. And we can talk about brain development.”

She involves students in community health as well. “Last year, I had 86 students in 20 different placements. We were in high schools and Head Start and Square One, and I’ve been to Roca, you name it. If they let me in and it’s challenging, I’m like, ‘oh, I’ll put a student there.’ I have students at the jail. I bring in six students, and we do that two days a week.

“I’m in the community, and we’re doing teaching at senior citizen centers, we’ll do high blood pressure screenings, we’ll do healthy eating and sleeping for older people, which is a problem, fall prevention, you name it.”

As for her mental health focus, not many students were choosing that field as their entry into nursing, “but now I’m seeing a lot more. Especially after COVID, people have realized that mental health and population health are two things that are really important. I think students can be so focused on learning how to put in an IV and take blood pressure that they forget that there are bigger things.”

For Bertheaud, teaching has been that bigger thing, in many ways.

“When you’re a bedside nurse, you’re affecting your patient. Or maybe you’re precepting one nurse every couple months. But when I’m teaching, I can affect 60 or 90 students in a semester. And then I get to see them the next year and see how they’ve grown.

“I like to see them after they graduate,” she added. “I’m like, ‘oh my God, you’re going be somebody.’ The energy of a 20- or 30-year-old is just so cool. They’re unstoppable.”

For never stopping until she found her place of greatest impact, Andrea Bertheaud certainly earns the title of Healthcare Hero.

Areliz Barbosa

By
Healthcare Heroes

Community Health

Clinical Assistant Professor and Senior Project Coordinator, Bay Path University

She’s a Fighter and Advocate Who Helps Others Overcome and Thrive

Areliz Barbosa

Areliz Barbosa

 

Areliz Barbosa says she was born a fighter.

“My midwife, her name was Olivia. And my mom was screaming at the top of her lungs, and she had to get on top of my mom and literally forced me out before they grabbed the forceps to pull me out,” she related. “My mom was so grateful to her that she gave me her middle name.”

It’s a name, she said, that derives from the olive tree, and Barbosa said it also has connotations of strong roots — and it’s a middle name she has often reflected on.

“In order for her to thrive and survive, you need strong roots. And in order for me to be able to overcome the things I’ve overcome is because of the roots I’ve been able to make here in Western Mass. and my mentors and people that I’ve been able to connect with.”

While she’s a professor at Bay Path University and juggles many other roles as well (more on those later), Barbosa also recently founded Olivia’s Mission LLC, a social impact business dedicated to advancing health equity.

“I often say, like Mother Teresa, ‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.’ It’s really about investing in other people and helping them,” she told BusinessWest. “I also am a plant lady, and a lot of teachers or professors use the analogy of planting a seed so people can grow into their full potential. So these are just little seeds that I’m planting to better serve our world and inspire the next generation.”

Her specific role at Bay Path is clinical assistant professor and senior project coordinator of SAMHSA initiatives, she explained, referring to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“In order for her to thrive and survive, you need strong roots. And in order for me to be able to overcome the things I’ve overcome is because of the roots I’ve been able to make here in Western Mass. and my mentors and people that I’ve been able to connect with.”

“I work within our physician assistant program, which sits in our Health Science department. I help develop a curriculum that’s focused on substance use disorder, multiple pathways to recovery, harm reduction, co-occurring disorders, and addressing the stigmas around substances.”

She also has an adjunct role in workforce development at Holyoke Community College (HCC), providing support and training to community health workers.

“Areliz co-develops interdisciplinary curriculum focused on public health, mental health, and substance use. She mentors future healthcare professionals through a lens of cultural humility and community engagement, preparing them to meet today’s complex health challenges with compassion and competence,” said Terry DeVito, academic dean in the School of Health & Natural Sciences at Bay Path, one of an impressive five individuals who nominated Barbosa as a Healthcare Hero.

“Areliz’s body of work reflects a lifetime of achievement rooted in resilience, faith, and service,” she added. “Her career has empowered thousands, not just through direct care or education, but by inspiring others to lead, advocate, and believe in their own capacity to heal.”

 

Up from the Ashes

Barbosa’s career began 28 years ago as a CNA at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y. But she said the experiences that shaped what she wanted to do with her life began much earlier.

“I identify with lived experience. And what I mean by that is, I’ve experienced racial trauma and physical, mental, and sexual abuse. So a lot of the things that I do now in my roles is advocating and bringing that into classroom settings, into the curriculum, to better strengthen students’ knowledge, but also improve the system.”

For the past 23 years, Areliz Barbosa (second from left) has coordinated a program that provides free Thanksgiving meals to people who need them.

DeVito agreed. “What distinguishes Areliz as a community health hero is her ability to connect with individuals while transforming systems,” she wrote. “Whether she is guiding students, designing wellness models, or speaking truth in clinical settings, she brings both empathy and strategy to every initiative she leads.”

Barbosa said it’s personally rewarding to bring a lived experience perspective into the classroom.

“I feel like my story is a story of resilience, when we choose not to give up. And it’s not easy to break generational poverty. But being that person that I wish I had growing up, that gives me the reward. And also knowing what I’ve been able to overcome, there are lessons in there — multiple lessons to be shared so people can learn. It doesn’t define who I am today, but there are lessons to be learned from it.”

She intends to share those lessons in a number of ways outside the classroom, starting with a memoir she’s writing titled There Is a Purpose for Your Pain. She’s also speaking at the annual Rise Up conference, taking place on Oct. 9 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Her lived experience as a trauma survivor — not only as a child, but as an adult; she came to Western Mass. from New York due to a domestic violence situation — also informed the creation of Olivia’s Mission, which aims to create a safe, empowering space for women through peer support groups and specialized training opportunities on behavioral health education; grief, loss, and healing; public health core competencies; family planning; and more.

“I am a domestic violence survivor, and I want to use my story to inspire other women,” she said. “Even local businesses have started to reach out to me — maybe a customer needs help, or is experiencing a crisis, and they’re asking, ‘can you help him with some resources?’ So, again, it’s a resource to anyone that needs help.”

As DeVito put it, “through Olivia’s Mission, Areliz collaborates with faith-based organizations, healthcare institutions, and academic programs to design wellness solutions rooted in cultural responsiveness and community empowerment.”

“I know what it’s like to be homeless, having to sleep on a park bench. So I never forget where I came from. It’s just having that heart of gratitude that I was able to overcome a lot of these things and serve my community.”

But Barbosa is active in the community in other ways as well. As a member of the New England Public Health Training Center advisory committee, she advocates for the voices of community health workers and calls for inclusive representation across all levels of public and healthcare systems.

She also provides expert insight to medical students through several initiatives, including Baystate Health’s Wellness on Wheels, where she emphasizes trust building between providers and patients; Baystate’s Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health committee, where she contributes to culturally informed panel discussions; and Bay Path’s Health Resources and Services Administration advisory board, where she shares strategies for culturally humble engagement and serving diverse populations.

She also just created Healing Through Motherhood, a support group for mothers of adult children (her own son is 23). Participants, she explained, will include mothers facing the challenge of supporting an adult child (or children) through trauma, unhealthy behaviors, or emotional distress. Here, they can access a safe space to connect, share, and heal together, while building community and support and navigating life transitions that aren’t often talked about.

In addition, for the past 23 years, Barbosa has coordinated a Thanksgiving outreach that provides free meals to individuals.

“When I started it from my home, we served 34 meals. Last year, we were able to serve over 1,000 meals,” she said, noting that, this November, the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute will collaborate on the project. “It’s just getting bigger and better.”

This is, in fact, one more way Barbosa’s lived experience informs her work today.

“I know what it’s like to be homeless, having to sleep on a park bench. So I never forget where I came from. It’s just having that heart of gratitude that I was able to overcome a lot of these things and serve my community.”

 

Matters of Perspective

That’s a lot of roles, for sure, and it’s not even the whole list of what Barbosa does. For example, she also mentors emerging entrepreneurs through EforAll Holyoke, and as the Massachusetts coordinator for Power 4 Puerto Rico, she champions just recovery and economic self-sufficiency for the island, demonstrating another way in which public health intersects with national policy, disaster resilience, and social justice.

In talking about her memoir and her upcoming appearance at Rise Up, Barbosa was reflective on the ways in which she has turned hardship and trauma into a tool for helping others.

“I’m just excited to be where I’m at, to be able to overcome the challenges that I have overcome and be a productive individual, able to contribute to my community.

“It all comes back to our perspective,” she added. “How do we define success? For me, it’s having a sound mind, emotional intelligence, being able to connect with people, building community, and overcoming the trauma, the anxiety, the depression. It’s so rewarding to be able to inspire others so they, too, can overcome these things with the right support and the right environment.”

Areliz Barbosa says her work is rooted in faith, empathy, gratitude, and resilience.

Barbosa also talks enthusiastically about her Christian faith, which she said began when she was pregnant with her son.

“That’s really where my healing started. I knew, when I moved here, it was my second chance. I knew that I didn’t want my son to go through what I went through. I wanted to change. I wanted better for him.”

And she also wanted to give back, as evidenced by the Thanksgiving outreach that began shortly after.

“I remember telling my mom, ‘I want to do this — it’s just something that I feel was put in my heart.’ I didn’t have a car, and I remember putting all the meals in a little warmer in my son’s Eddie Bauer stroller and walking with him. That was the year it snowed a lot.”

Her faith is, in fact, deeply veined with both service and empathy, something she’s quick to explain at a time when many Christians are at odds with certain marginalized populations. “I believe in respecting people’s autonomy and choice, and it’s important for me to vocalize that in spaces where I have opportunities to be, because there are a lot of people being targeted who identify with the LGBT+ community.”

Add it all up, and the picture that emerges from Barbosa’s life is one of an inspiring — and very busy — community leader who, as DeVito put it, blends lived experience with academic and professional expertise to bring dignity, healing, and justice to underserved populations.

“Areliz has consistently built bridges between healthcare and the communities it must serve. Olivia’s Mission stands as a model for how community-led health promotion can be both effective and sustainable,” she added. “For her visionary leadership, tireless advocacy, and enduring impact, Areliz Barbosa is a true Healthcare Hero. She doesn’t just serve the community — she uplifts, empowers, and transforms it.”

The Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit

By
From left, Dr. Laurie Loicono, Peter Picknelly, Tony Ravosa, Sarah Yee, Dr. Philip Glynn, and Tim Stanton.
Healthcare Heroes

Collaboration in Healthcare

Inspired by a Lifetime of Giving, They Gave the Region Something in His Name

 

From left, Dr. Laurie Loicono, Peter Picknelly, Tony Ravosa, Sarah Yee, Dr. Philip Glynn, and Tim Stanton.

From left, Dr. Laurie Loicono, Peter Picknelly, Tony Ravosa, Sarah Yee, Dr. Philip Glynn, and Tim Stanton.

 

As BusinessWest spoke with several individuals about how the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit at Mercy Medical Center was conceived and eventually became reality, they took turns gesturing toward one another and saying, “if wasn’t for … this never would have happened.”

It was said about Tony Ravosa, ‘Uncle Tony,’ a close friend of Yee’s, who doggedly raised money for the unit, conceived soon after Yee succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2021.

It was said about Dr. Philip Glynn, the oncologist (and a Healthcare Hero himself in 2022) who cared for Yee during his illness and became inspired to do something to bring a new level of care to the region in his honor. He is now co-director of the unit with Dr. Laurie Loicona.

It was said of Tim Stanton, regional vice president of Philanthropy and chief Development officer for Trinity Health Of New England, Mercy’s parent company, who quarterbacked the fundraising efforts.

It was said of Yee’s wife, Sarah, who wanted to do something to recognize the unique brand of care provided to Andy in Mercy’s ICU in his final days and bring it to more patients and families facing difficult end-of-life issues.

But mostly, it was said about the person not in that room, but whose spirit certainly was: Andy Yee himself.

Indeed, all those gathered said creation of the eight-bed unit, the only one of its kind in the region, would not have been possible were it not for the way Yee touched all those who knew him — from customers in his restaurants to his nurses in the ICU; from long-time friends and business associates to former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who rushed back to Springfield from a Republican governors’ meeting in Nashville, Tenn. to be at Mercy the day Yee died — and seemingly willed them to come together and make this ambitious undertaking reality.

“All of this is because of Andy and the people who loved him,” said Yee’s friend and business partner Peter Picknelly, chairman of Peter Pan Bus Lines. “Mayor [Domenic] Sarno stepped to the plate, the governor stepped to the plate, the lieutenant governor, the business community, all because of Andy and this institution, which helped him so much.”

In truth, the palliative care unit would not have happened without everyone in that room working together to create a vision and then make it reality. And all those individuals would be quick to note that getting the doors open was just the first chapter in this story. The next ones involve operating it in the compassionate, innovative manner that was imagined and, hopefully, expanding the facility to include more beds — because the existing beds are almost constantly full and the need, sadly, remains.

“This space was created in Andy’s spirit, and it’s designed to focus on enhancing interaction and time between family and their loved one at some of the most difficult times in people’s lives.”

“We had the ribbon cutting, and we were full the next day,” Glynn said. “We could fill 15 beds today.”

The unit was designed to help achieve what is known in healthcare as a ‘good death,’ one that, according to an Institute of Medicine Report, is “free from avoidable distress and suffering for patient, family, and caregivers, in general accord with the patient’s ands family’s wishes, and reasonably consistent with clinical, cultural, and ethical standards.”

By all accounts, Andy Yee’s passing met this criterion, and the unit created in his name is dedicated to helping others achieve a similar passing.

“This space was created in Andy’s spirit, and it’s designed to focus on enhancing interaction and time between family and their loved one at some of the most difficult times in people’s lives,” Loicona noted, adding that this is the very essence of palliative care.

 

Coming Together

‘Collaboration’ comes from the Latin word ‘collaborare,’ meaning ‘to labor together.’ It has come to describe individuals and groups working together to achieve a common goal.

Since the Healthcare Heroes program was created in 2017, the Collaboration category has been an important part of the initiative because almost all issues in healthcare, from opioid addiction to food insecurity, are complex and require the efforts of many different agencies pulling in the same direction.

Yee family members and guests cut the ribbon on the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit in May.

Yee family members and guests cut the ribbon on the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit in May.

The creation of the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit is a somewhat different story, but one that provides poignant lessons about the importance of collaboration and how it enables things to happen that wouldn’t happen otherwise.

Our story begins … well, it’s hard to say when it actually begins. It certainly began before Andy Yee’s cancer brought him to Mercy’s ICU. And it probably began before Yee, working with Picknelly, coordinated meal donations for employees at Mercy and other hospitals during the pandemic.

But that’s a good place to start because those efforts reflected Yee’s deep respect for Mercy, healthcare workers in general, and, eventually, the doctors and nurses who treated him.

“Andy really had an affection for this hospital; he could have gone anywhere for his care, but he chose this place because of that guy over there,” said Picknelly, gesturing toward Glynn. “People encouraged him to go elsewhere; he didn’t. He said, ‘I’m staying here; the people at Mercy are awesome, and Dr. Glynn is the best.”

This respect was repaid by those at the hospital bending the rules, if you will, for Yee and his family during his stay in the ICU, meaning the rules regarding how many people could visit him at one time, how long they could stay, and how they were able to make Andy feel more at home by bringing some of his home to his room in the ICU.

In other words, helping him achieve a ‘good death.’

These actions inspired Sarah Yee to want to do something to thank those at Mercy and help others facing oncology care. One thought early on was to gift an infusion suite for the cancer center in Andy’s name. But eventually, sights were set much higher, on creating a palliative care unit.

“We were given the opportunity to make that a comfortable space for our family that week he was here,” Sarah recalled, referring to his room in the ICU. “And I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be nice if other families could have that opportunity as well?’”

“We were given the opportunity to make that a comfortable space for our family that week he was here. And I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be nice if other families could have that opportunity as well?’”

So there was an initial conversation with Glynn, who has long understood the need for a unit devoted to palliative care and was more than amenable to the idea. He also understood that, unlike putting Yee’s name on an infusion suite, this would require a collaborative effort to address the many facets of this project — especially fundraising, design, and, eventually, operations.

And for the fundraising side, those duties fell to Ravosa, owner of a public relations and consulting firm, who accepted the assignment even as it kept changing and growing in scope, from initial estimates of $100,000 to the eventual total of $1.5 million as the cost of construction and materials kept climbing after COVID.

The rooms in the unit are designed to bring comfort to both patients and family members.

Overall, the three-year effort generated $650,000 in grants, including $250,000 in ARPA money, $450,000 in corporate gifts, $70,000 in political committee gifts, and donations from friends, family, and colleagues.

 

Food for Thought

The I-91 Supper Club covers several of those categories.

This is a group of friends, business colleagues, ‘political guys,’ and more who first gathered to mark the closing of the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee (one of the Yee family’s many restaurants) and started meeting regularly after that, Ravosa said.

“We’d go to a restaurant once a month with a pre-set menu, and we’d bounce around … there were a lot of long-standing friendships and legacy businesses involving families that had been the community a long time,” he went on, noting that Sarah Yee was invited to come to a meeting of the group and give a presentation on the proposed unit.

And it was the group’s six-figure donation that essentially got the ball rolling, said Stanton, who worked in tandem with Ravosa on the project and recalls him being a “bull in a China closet.”

“Those checks started flying in,” he recalled. “Tony had a few events, and people brought money to them, and then he was on a roll. In more than 20 years of doing this, I can only think of one president of one university that I had to sprint to keep up with, and the other one who was like that was Tony; he kept pushing us and pushing us and pushing us.”

While funds were being raised, others were at work on design and operating plans for the unit, which, as noted, is the first of its kind in the region.

Located on the hospital’s fifth floor, the unit provides an inviting, soothing space for end-of-life care for patients and families, as well as patients with chronic illnesses requiring pain and symptom management. The layout required certain key elements, everything from a place where family members could sleep overnight to spaces for physician-patient consultation.

As for the care provided there, Loicona added that the overriding mission is to bring care at this level “back to family” and provide a support unit to the patient and family members.

Kathy Sullivan, nurse manager of the unit, agreed.

“Our nurses go above and beyond to provide the comfort and support that the patients and their families need, whether it’s little things like making sure the families have everything they need to eat or drink or making the beds for them to sleep in,” she said. “They order comfort trays for the patients from our kitchen, and they’re always advocating to make sure the medications are there that they need, and the providers.”

Glynn agreed, recalling a poignant example of going above and beyond. It involves a younger patient with a young child. Knowing he had a limited amount of time left, the patient wanted to talk with his son, but didn’t really know what to say and wanted to collect his thoughts in writing.

“He said that he was just too weak,” Glynn recalled. “So, one of the nurses took pen and paper and sat down next to him and wrote it all down, so he had what he wanted to say to his son.”

This is the kind of care that those who conceptualized this unit had in mind, and as they talked about what it was like to be part of this collaborative effort, those in the room kept coming back to the person who wasn’t, but who really made it all happen.

“I never had the pleasure of meeting Andy — I joined Mercy just after he died — but I feel like I know him very well from dealing with all of his friends and all the people involved in this effort,” Stanton said. “Tony did a great job of recruiting Fontaine Bros. for the contracting — they knew Andy — and JCJ Architecture; they knew Andy. Everyone involved in this project knew Andy, and it was a labor of love. It wasn’t work; it was ‘we have to make this happen.’”

Sarah Yee agreed.

“Andy had no idea of the people he touched,” she said, adding that now, through the unit named in his honor, he can touch countless more.

And while the unit wouldn’t have happened without him, it also wouldn’t have happened without a group of determined collaborators who are also Healthcare Heroes.

Dr. Yannis Raftopoulos

By
Healthcare Heroes

Healthcare Administrator

Director, Holyoke Medical Center Weight Management Program

He Helps Patients Regain Their Health — and Their Lives

“This doctor really puts his time into it. He takes his time to help you, he gives you his phone number, you can text him anytime with questions. He is with you there through the whole process. When I felt something was not right, I could just text him.”

“It’s because of him that I’m doing so well. He is caring, knowledgeable — the most supportive doctor I have ever had. He was in contact with me by phone daily for the first week or two after my surgery and is always available by email. Even at almost three years post-op, he still responds immediately to any emails concerning my health.”

“It stuck with me when he said, ‘you will be a patient of mine forever, as long as you want to be.’ I feel he has stuck to that 100%.”

These are just three of the many testimonials from patients regarding Dr. Yannis Raftopoulos, director of the Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) Weight Management Program, and they help explain why he is a part of the Healthcare Heroes class of 2025. But even more importantly, they explain his personal approach to patient care and an unrelenting focus on communicating with them as they start and then continue on a difficult but often very rewarding journey.

Indeed, weight management is a journey, one that starts with a desire to do something about one’s weight, and it never really ends, not with surgery, medication, or a combination of the two, said Raftopoulos, who told BusinessWest that this specialty, which chose him as much as he chose it, is extremely rewarding.

And not just because of the pounds shed and then, in many cases, kept off, but because of what patients gain in the process — improved health, for example, with everything from diabetes to hypertension, sleep apnea, and more, but also the ability to do things they were not able to do previously.

“It makes my day, even today, after doing this for almost 25 years, when I see a patient succeed,” said Raftopoulos, who launched HMC’s Weight Management Program in 2016 and since then has helped more than 4,000 patients. “And success means to get a normal weight, which might help them find a job they couldn’t do before, or get into a relationship, or stop taking medication for diabetes or high blood pressure … all of this makes my day.”

As he talked about his work, he came back repeatedly to the importance of communication between himself and his patients, noting that this is perhaps the most important factor in achieving a successful outcome.

And successful, to him, means not merely losing some weight, but, as he said, achieving a normal weight and maintaining it, something he stresses to patients as he implores them to set the bar high and keep it there by changing their lifestyle.

“Sometimes, they’ll say ‘any weight loss is great. And I’ll say, ‘wait a minute, it’s not great.’ I tell them that, if they’re going to go under the knife and under anesthesia for the sole reason to lose weight, they need to do awesome, and awesome, to me, means getting back to a normal weight.”

His approach to his work, and his impact on his patients, was perhaps best summed up by HMC President Spiros Hatiras.

“He makes himself very accessible to his patients, and that truly sets him apart from other physicians,” Hatiras said. “Once a person becomes a patient of Dr. Raftopoulos, they remain his patient for as long as needed and are not discharged from the program.”

 

It Weighs on Him

“I am no longer a diabetic, and I don’t have high blood pressure. I thank God first and then Dr. Raftopoulos for the new me.”

That’s another of those testimonials, which collectively describe a physician who could be a Healthcare Hero in many categories: Healthcare Administrator, because he oversees and built this program, which now includes several doctors; Healthcare Provider, for all the reasons listed above; and even Collaboration in Healthcare because that one word effectively describes how he works with patients, out of necessity, for them to achieve the results they desire.

But we’ll focus on administration because of the way he has grown this program and made it a model of sorts that continues to attract physicians.

Our story begins in Greece, where, early on, Raftopoulos developed an affinity for challenge and eventually went to medical school while setting his sights on coming to the U.S. to be a surgeon. Upon graduating, he sent 450 hand-typed letters, by his count, to hospitals in this country seeking interviews.

He got three responses, one from a hospital in Chicago, where he ultimately landed, eventually working with one of the pioneers in bariatric surgery.

Dr. Yannis Raftopoulos is relentless when it comes to establishing solid lines of communication with his patients.

The surgery fascinated him. But he was more drawn to the physician’s personal approach to his work, a philosophy that he emulated and has taken with him to a fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh and eventually to his role as director of the Bariatric Surgery Program at Sant Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, Conn., then back to Greece for a short time, and then to Holyoke for the start of its Weight Management Program in September 2015.

Upon coming to this country in 2002, Raftopoulos quickly noted that it had a weight problem.

“It was striking, for someone who hadn’t been here before,” he said, adding that, unfortunately, over the years, this weight problem has become more of a global phenomenon.

And he has essentially dedicated his life to addressing it — or at least helping those who come to him because they want to do something to get their life back.

He spends two days a week in surgery, with the most common procedure being a gastrectomy, whereby part of the stomach — 60% to 70% on average — is removed to reduce stomach capacity and promote weight loss.

“It reduces the appetite and the hunger and makes the patient feel full faster with less food,” he explained. “Obviously, that by itself is not enough to be successful, but it gives them the tools, the assistance to be motivated to change their habits and work with me.”

After surgery, he said, the simple goal is to keep patients motivated, focused on short- and long-term goals, communicating, and on the path they started down because they couldn’t manage their weight themselves.

And to the extent possible, he motivates his patients to set the bar high when it comes to what is considered ‘success.’

“They’re learning a new skill set, and it takes time to acquire it and make it a habit; you need a lot of coaching over a long period of time.”

“Sometimes, they’ll say ‘any weight loss is great,’” he told BusinessWest. “And I’ll say, ‘wait a minute, it’s not great.’ I tell them that, if they’re going to go under the knife and under anesthesia for the sole reason to lose weight, they need to do awesome, and awesome, to me, means getting back to a normal weight.”

 

Achievements on a Grand Scale

During his career, Raftopoulos has helped more than 10,000 patients on their weight-loss journey, bringing his personal brand of care to each case with that aforementioned focus on communication, something that, in many cases, needs to be taught.

“Learning how to communicate — that’s one of the biggest issues they face,” he said of his patients. “They need to be confident in conveying the difficulties and learning to work together with me to solve them, rather than try to figure it out themselves, as they have been used to in the system, and then they end up not doing the right thing.

“The first thing they need to learn is how to communicate, and how to communicate effectively,” he went on. “And when I say ‘effectively,’ I mean not being afraid to communicate if they’ve had a bad week or they’ve gained weight, because I tell them the opportunity is still there from the good weeks and the bad weeks. I’m not the police; I’m not going to give them a ticket, and sometimes I have to tell them that, because they think, if they tell me something bad, that I’m going to get upset or they’re going to feel ashamed.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” he continued. “As long as you communicate and we discuss the mistakes, you learn from them. The bigger mistake is not to communicate, because it’s very difficult, without guidance, to understand why you’re making mistakes and, more importantly, how to correct them and not repeat them.”

This communication begins before surgery, and it continues every day after surgery for some time, and then it becomes weekly, he went on, adding that his research has informed him that more intensive follow-up for a longer period of time is a key ingredient in a patient achieving long-term success.

“They’re learning a new skill set, and it takes time to acquire it and make it a habit; you need a lot of coaching over a long period of time,” he said. When asked how long this coaching goes on, he added simply, “forever.”

Elaborating, he said that, over time, the patient will achieve a measure of independence, with the communication coming weekly, monthly, or over a few months, but it continues because weight management is a lifelong assignment.

And while carrying out that assignment, he said, it’s important for patients to have goals, short and long term, as well as milestones to reach and encouragement to reach them.

“You have to set goals for them, like losing three pounds every week,” he said, adding that he will remind them of this. “And then, I give them longer-term goals; I’ll remind them, ‘you’re 30 pounds from not being obese, that’s a milestone.’ Or ‘you’re 60 pounds from not being overweight.’ I find that giving them milestones motivates them to stay in the program, to push harder, and to accomplish the task.

“People will say, ‘oh, my pants feel loose, I feel great, I made another hole on my belt,’” he went on. “I’ll say, ‘that’s great, but that’s not the goal; the goal is to get to a normal weight.’”

Raftopoulos said many factors go into whether a patient will be successful on his or her weight loss journey, but perhaps the most important are a willingness to listen, communicate, learn from mistakes, fully understand that they need help to do this, and ask for help when it’s needed.

“Some people don’t know what to do, and they have difficulty doing it,” he explained. “They have an opinion about things, and sometimes we’ll have an argument. I’ll say, ‘you have an opinion, you’re entitled to have an opinion, everyone has an opinion … but you came to us because you couldn’t lose weight or you gained weight, so that means that whatever opinion you had, it wasn’t very successful; maybe you should listen to me and do things differently.’”

These comments help convey that, while research, innovation, and evidence-based practice is at the foundation of his work, compassion and dedication to patients truly set him apart and enable his patients to achieve positive results at rates considerably higher than the national averages.

And they also help convey why Raftopoulos is now, and has always been, a Healthcare Hero.

Dr. Thomas Lincoln

By
Healthcare Heroes

Lifetime Achievement

Physician and Associate Professor of Medicine, Baystate Health

He’s Pioneered an Innovative Model of Care for the Incarcerated

Dr. Thomas Lincoln

 

Passion. Empathy. Compassion. Leadership. Optimism.

Keisha Williams says these are just some of the qualities that Dr. Thomas Lincoln brings to his groundbreaking work every day.

“He’s very passionate about this population,” said Williams, responsible health authority and director of Nursing for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, who has worked with Lincoln for more than 25 years now as he has devoted much of his career to improving access to care for those impacted by incarceration. “He’s accessible, and he’s dedicated; there’s nothing he won’t do to assist someone or support someone and provide needed guidance.”

Lincoln, a physician at the Brightwood Community Health Center in Springfield and medical director of the Hampden County Correctional Centers, pioneered an innovative, nationally recognized public health model of healthcare for incarcerated individuals, one that not only ensures high-quality care during incarceration, but also supports a safe and successful transition back to the community — an initiative that has demonstrably improved outcomes and removed barriers to reintegration.

This model and the continuity of care it created has earned Lincoln national accolades, including the W. Lester Henry Award for Diversity and Access to Care from the American College of Physicians and the Armond Start Award for Excellence from the American College of Correctional Physicians. But for Lincoln, the far greater reward is seeing the results achieved by this work; the manner in which it is has become a model for other communities, including Washington, D.C., to emulate; and the gratitude of the inmate population.

“People are very appreciative just to be seen and taken care of in a manner that’s the same as what would be done on the outside,” he noted. “There’s plenty of need — you feel the need, and it feels worthwhile to do this.”

As medical director for Hampden County’s correctional centers, Lincoln cares for patients (inmates) at four facilities across the region, but especially what’s known as the ‘main institution’ in Ludlow, which has a population of approximately 800 men.

He helps treat what Williams describes as an older, sicker inmate population (more on this later) with a focus on all aspects of care, but the especially the HIV population.

“That’s his passion,” said Williams, adding that Lincoln is also medical director of the opioid treatment program.

With the Healthcare Hero award in the Lifetime Achievement category, Lincoln adds some additional recognition for this work not only with the incarcerated, but also with the underserved population that frequents the Baystate Brightwood Health Center in Springfield’s North End, and also for his work as an educator and mentor.

“As a primary care physician at Baystate Brightwood Health Center and associate professor of Medicine at UMass Medical School – Baystate, he has shaped the way care is delivered to underserved and marginalized communities across Western Mass.”

“As a primary care physician at Baystate Brightwood Health Center and associate professor of Medicine at UMass Medical School – Baystate, he has shaped the way care is delivered to underserved and marginalized communities across Western Mass.,” said Dr. Audrey Guhn, medical director of Brightwood Health Center. “His dedication to those who are too often overlooked by traditional healthcare systems makes him not only a role model, but a true Healthcare Hero.”

 

Impact Statement

When it comes to the Healthcare Heroes program and the many categories created to recognize the contributions of individual honorees, Lincoln checks essentially every box BusinessWest has created.

Indeed, he’s a provider and administrator, but also an educator, innovator, and collaborator with a strong focus on community. And because he’s been doing all this for decades now, he’s being honored in the Lifetime Achievement category.

Dr. Thomas Lincoln (center) with Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi and Keisha Williams, responsible health authority and director of Nursing for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office.

His story is somewhat similar to that of the 2024 honoree in this category, Dr. Andrew Balder, attending physician at Baystate Mason Square Neighborhood Health Center, who has also worked tirelessly on behalf of the underserved, with a specific focus focused on the homeless population and infant mortality, child maternal health, and birth outcomes. Yet, their careers have taken different, but equally impactful, paths.

Lincoln’s story begins in Concord, Mass., where he was drawn to science and eventually majored in physics in college before getting into research (geriatrics and cardiology) at Beth Israel in Boston.

“I decided I wanted to get into the people-based side of healthcare,” he said, adding that he enrolled at what is now UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester in 1983, with the goal of eventually getting into family medicine or emergency medicine, a path inspired in part by work as an EMT while in college.

He met his wife in medical school, and when she came to Baystate Medical Center to practice pediatrics, Lincoln, who was a year behind her in school, eventually followed her to Springfield, choosing internal medicine over pediatrics.

“I was interested in community health and work at a community health center,” he told BusinessWest, adding that he eventually landed at the Brightwood facility after his residency and has made it his career.

Sort of.

Starting in the early ’90s, his focus shifted to work at the county’s correctional facilities, where he now spends five days a week, a career path inspired in large part by the rise of HIV and the medication to treat it, AZT.

“Folks would disappear for a few months, come back not on medication, and we’d find out that they’d been in jail,” recalled Lincoln, who became interested in HIV care following a rotation at San Francisco’s Ward 86 HIV Clinic, the epicenter of the AIDS crisis, while in medical school. “And with all the stigma and everything, they wouldn’t tell health services — they wouldn’t tell anyone — about their HIV until they got back out of jail and came in for healthcare.”

This reality prompted officials at the Brightwood facility and the former York Street Jail in Springfield to create a type of outreach program to provide HIV care in the jail.

Lincoln, who was one of those providing such care, recalled that, early on, it was mostly emergency room physicians working after hours administering care to inmates, and over time, it was determined that, instead of this episodic, urgent care model, a primary care model would be more appropriate and provide more continuity with follow-up after patients were released from prison at area health centers.

This would become what’s known as the Hampden County public health model for correctional healthcare.

“Folks would disappear for a few months, come back not on medication, and we’d find out that they’d been in jail. And with all the stigma and everything, they wouldn’t tell health services — they wouldn’t tell anyone — about their HIV until they got back out of jail and came in for healthcare.”

Today, four area health centers — the Brightwood, Mason Square, and Southwest clinics in Springfield and Holyoke Health Center — are involved in providing this model of care to those who are incarcerated, with designated teams comprised of physicians from those facilities working with a primary nurse practitioner or physician assistant who works full-time at the jail, as well as a case manager and primary nurse.

“When people arrive at the jail, we divide them up by what neighborhood they’re from or where they’re going for their healthcare,” Lincoln explained. “They are assigned to a team; a primary nurse would follow up from the time they’re there, and a physician comes in once a week to see people. It’s primary care.”

And it continues after the individual is released from jail, he went on, adding that this continuity of care is critical for a population battling issues such as addiction, other mental health issues, hepatitis C, HIV, hypertension, diabetes, and often chronic injuries.

Dr. Thomas Lincoln says Hampden County’s primary are model for incarcerated individuals has been adopted by several other communities.

Williams agreed. “We would start the discharge planning with that team model so that, when that patient went back out into the community, their plan would be seamless, and there would be a continuity of care,” she explained. “Building that relationship with the community provider while they were on the inside would only help them return to the community and feel confident with the same provider outside.”

 

Innovative Model

Measuring the success of this program is somewhat difficult due to a lack of research on this population, but Lincoln believes it is certainly making a difference.

“Follow-up is a big marker — if someone’s following up, that’s generally a marker for better health,” he said, adding that, while hard evidence is difficult to come by, he believes the program is yielding results with everything from reduced ER visits after release to improved overall health.

Williams agreed, noting that the primary care model is certainly needed at a time when the inmate population is both older and sicker — and in need of such continuity of care.

“People are sicker coming to jail,” she said. “There’s a dynamic where there’s heighted mental health problems in the community, and with these problems comes substance abuse issues, as well as not taking care of existing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and liver disease associated with alcohol use, so people are coming to jail sicker than they have in the past.

“And there’s also an aging population,” she went on. “The patients we’re seeing now … we have fewer numbers, but we have more co-morbidity and more acuity; we have people in their 70s coming to jail.”

Meanwhile, one measure of success is the number of communities that have adapted the model, or aspects of it, for their correctional systems.

“The biggest adaptation and use of the model is Washington, D.C.,” Lincoln explained, adding that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provides funding for a nonprofit to promulgate the model and provide technical assistance. “There’s a large community health center system, and they adapted this there for the District of Columbia jail, and they actually dedicated a health center as a re-entry health site.

“Other community health centers, other spots in the country have looked at this and decided to do similar things; it very much lends itself to the smaller location, where the jail and the community health center serve the same population,” he added, noting that representatives of several communities and correctional facilities in states ranging from Florida to Michigan have come to Ludlow to watch, listen, and learn.

Beyond his work with those who are incarcerated, Lincoln is making a difference as an educator and mentor of young people looking to follow his lead and make their mark in healthcare.

“In addition to his clinical leadership, Dr. Lincoln is a passionate educator and mentor who has guided countless medical students, residents, and early-career physicians,” Guhn said. “His commitment to reaching the next generation of caregivers to serve with empathy, humility, and cultural competence has had a lasting impact not only on individual careers, but also on the broader field of internal medicine.”

Williams said one of the best testimonials to all that Lincoln brings to his work and the community is a scholarship that bears his name, one she pushed hard to create.

“It’s awarded to a medical staff member who is looking to further their education, and it talks about what he exemplifies, his moral principles, optimism, integrity, honesty, and respect for human dignity. It’s given to a person who epitomizes all that he stands for, and it’s my honor every year to talk about it.”

That’s a fitting tribute to someone who is called a pioneer, innovator, passionate care provider, and now … Healthcare Hero.

Cindy Leonard

By
Healthcare Heroes

Healthcare Provider

Infusion Manager, Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center

She Brings Empathy and a Strong Ear to Those Navigating Their Cancer Journey

Cindy Leonard says that, as incredulous as it may sound — especially given the preconceived notions about cancer treatment and chemotherapy in particular — some of the visitors to the medical oncology infusion services at the Sister Caritas Cancer Center are sad when those treatments are no longer needed because they’re getting better and moving to the next step in their journey.

“They say they’re really going to miss us … they want to know if they can come back and visit,” said Leonard, adding that these sentiments are commonplace, but hardly universal.

And while they stem in part from doubts about whether the cancer is truly gone, apprehension about if or when it will return, and the comfort derived from seeing one’s care team every day or every week, they also result from the family-like atmosphere that exists here, and the compassionate care provided during what is generally the most difficult time in a patient’s life.

And no one exemplifies all of this more than Leonard, infusion manager at the Caritas Center and one of two 2025 Healthcare Heroes in the Healthcare Provider category.

She’s been working in the broad realm of oncology, starting in pediatric oncology, for nearly 40 years now, and she described it as a field where there are obvious challenges and many difficult days, but also rewards that perhaps few who don’t do this day in and day out could really understand.

“People who are not nurses or healthcare workers will say, ‘how can you do that? How do you take care of someone knowing that they might not make it? How do you do that without crying? How do you provide care and not get frustrated and say, this is not worth it?’” she said, listing just some of the questions people have for her. “I always say, ‘it’s not about that; it’s about what’s happening right now — you’re going to take care of them, and hopefully, whatever care you’re providing them makes a difference in their day and their life and helping them live a little longer so they can do things they want to do.’

“I can’t tell you how many patients over the years have had a goal,” she went on, becoming emotional as she did so. “Men who wanted … needed to get to their daughter’s wedding, for example. If you’re able to be a small part of them achieving that goal … there’s no reward greater than that.”

With that, she summed up why she loves what she does and why, at age 63, she’s not even thinking about retirement. For some sentiment on why those who work with her don’t want to see that day either, and what Leonard brings with to work every day, we turn to Dr. Philip Glynn, a Healthcare Hero himself in the Provider category (class of 2022), who has worked beside Leonard for 25 years now.

“Over her 40-year career, Cindy has shepherded hundreds of souls on their cancer journey, helping them navigate care as part of a club no one wants to join,” he said. “Sitting for hours in an infusion chair can be lonely, and Cindy not only makes sure patients feel heard during treatment, she also ensures that they are well cared for and comfortable. This is not an easy job, especially when outcomes are so often unfortunate. Still, Cindy is a fierce advocate for patients, and she handles the heavy burden of their care with grace and humility.

“I can’t tell you how many patients over the years have had a goal. Men who wanted … needed to get to their daughter’s wedding, for example. If you’re able to be a small part of them achieving that goal … there’s no reward greater than that.”

“At her core, Cindy is probably one of the kindest people anyone could meet, and couple that with … let’s call it unconditional empathy for people — she is the absolute example of a servant leader,” Glynn went on. “People around her, the nursing staff around her, they want to emulate her; I’ll bet every nurse there would say that Cindy is a role model.”

Such sentiment explains why Leonard is now also a Healthcare Hero.

 

Unconditional Caring

Like many previous honorees, as well as several members of the class of 2025, Leonard would qualify to be a Healthcare Hero in a number of categories, including — given how long she has been doing this — Lifetime Achievement.

But Provider seems most fitting because she is perhaps best noted for what she brings to, and does for, patients who come to the infusion center, where more than 17,000 treatments are provided annually.

“Her empathy for people going through the biggest life challenges imaginable … it knows no limit,” Glynn said. “It’s what I would call unconditional caring — she’s universally kind, professional, and thorough with everyone. And patients get it; they gravitate toward her.”

And they have done so for decades now.

Cindy Leonard with Dr. Philip Glynn.
Staff Photo

Indeed, Leonard has been an oncology nurse for nearly the entirety of a 40-year career in nursing. When she graduated from the College of Mount St. Vincent in the Bronx, N.Y., she knew she wanted to work in pediatrics.

“But those jobs are few and far between — that’s what most people want,” she recalled, adding that it took her three years to get into that specialty, and when she did, in 1987, it was in pediatric oncology at a hospital in New Jersey.

She would remain there until her family relocated to Western Mass. in 2001. Soon thereafter, she met Glynn, who happened to have an opening for a nurse in his oncology clinic at Noble Hospital in Westfield. The two have been working side by side ever since, with Glynn moving his practice to Mercy in 2012, and Leonard moving with him.

Since then, they have been part of continued expansion of the medical oncology center and witnesses to dramatic changes and new treatments for patients, especially immunotherapy.

“One of the beautiful things about immunotherapy is that it doesn’t make people sick; it’s not traditional chemotherapy where people are nauseous, vomiting, tired, and weak,” she explained. “This, along with other advances in cancer care, is one of the things Dr. Glynn and I reflect on a lot; we’ll say, ‘who would have thought 15 years ago that patients would be taking a medicine that doesn’t make them sick?’”

At the center, Leonard handles myriad responsibilities that fall into the categories of management and patient care, and she handles both with professionalism and enthusiasm.

“It’s what I would call unconditional caring — she’s universally kind, professional, and thorough with everyone. And patients get it; they gravitate toward her.”

During a typical 10-hour day that starts at 7:30 a.m., she will create a scheduling grid for all infusion and acute visits, 65 to 80 a day on average — a complex assignment.

“On any given day, there’s 10 to 12 nurses, and when you print the schedule, you assign a patient to a nurse every 30 minutes to an hour based on the acuity of the patient because they’re all here for a different reason,” she explained. “Some of the patients sit here all day and receive multiple medicines, which require a lot of coordination from the nurse, and others are here for only an hour, so the schedule has to be done fairly.”

Patients start arriving around 8, and they come in continuously over the course of the day, she went on, adding that physicians will call throughout the day with requests to add people to the schedule because they’re not feeling well.

Leonard also assures that all infusion, injection, and transfusion therapies are complete and have undergone prior authorization to obtain insurance approval, ensuring that the services are properly ordered to account for any change in clinical parameters and that they are fully reviewed and approved by physicians. Treatments often require coordination with other service lines, such as radiation oncology, surgery, or intervention radiology, and she said she oversees all this while taking on her own patient load.

Meanwhile, on the more administrative side, she collaborates with medical management, Joint Commission representatives, the cancer committee, and Mercy’s Education department to create annual competencies for nursing staff.

And she brings to all these responsibilities what Glynn called a ‘servant leader’ mentality. “She doesn’t back away from hard problems, she doesn’t back away from big responsibilities, and yet, there’s no job that’s too small.”

 

Navigating the Journey

But those who know Leonard will say that it’s not what she does that sets her apart and makes her a Healthcare Hero, but how she does it.

“The moment you hear, ‘you have cancer,’ that phrase is burned into your memory forever; those three words change everything — how you view your life to that point and beyond, how you interact with family and friends, and perhaps your belief in a higher power,” said Glynn, adding that Leonard has helped countess patients cope with a new level of vulnerability as they try to navigate all parts of this this unwanted journey.

This is the part of her work that many not in this field have trouble understanding, but for her, it’s a labor of love.

Cindy Leonard (right) with team members at the Sister Caritas Cancer Center.

“Dr. Glynn and I talk about it all time … we come to work every day, but we don’t consider it work,” she said. “It’s like that old saying — find what you love to do, call it work, and find a way to get paid for it. That’s how I feel.”

And as she talked about her work, she said it requires several qualities and skill sets, if you will, including compassion and empathy, the ability to listen, and the willingness to be honest with patients and not create unrealistic expectations.

“We tell them the truth, but we tell them both sides,” she explained. “We don’t just tell them the bad things; we’ll tell them the story of that one patient that did well and got to do things.”

Overall, Leonard said she and other nurses in medical oncology form strong bonds with patients, bonds that explain the piles of letters she’s received from patients and family members thanking her for all she does, as well as the myriad prayer cards from the funerals of patients that she has attended.

“If oncology is your calling and it’s something you’re able to do, it is very rewarding,” she said, while acknowledging that sometimes, visits to the infusion room stop not because the treatments are working, but because they are not, and there are no more options.

“There are often tears because we’re human,” she said. “And I believe that, as nurses and as a profession, as oncology nurses, it’s important that we’re able to acknowledge those feelings as well. It’s OK to cry with a patient; it’s OK to let them verbalize to you that nothing else is working and it’s time for the next step in their life.

“I’ve had many conversations over the years,” she went on. “A lot of it is listening, but a lot of it also is acknowledging their emotions, and often these patients will take the lead and talk and tell you that they’re OK with it, they understand, and they know that they did everything they could.

“They’ll express to you their wishes … they want to be comfortable; they want to die at home, or ‘oh my gosh, I do not want to die at home,’” she continued. “You work with the patients to help them express what their wishes are.”

Thus, listening is perhaps the most important skill in the cancer center, and it’s one of many that sets Leonard apart.

All this explains why some people are sad when their visits to the infusion room come to an end. But mostly, it explains why Leonard is a Healthcare Hero.

Linda Koh

By
Healthcare Heroes

Community Health

Assistant Professor, Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at UMass Amherst

She Is Changing Lives Through Her Passion for Nutrition

Linda Koh’s journey to healthier eating is a lifelong one.

“I’ve had a passion for it for a long time,” she said. “My grandmother was a great cook, and she lived with us, so I was always wanting to learn how to cook. And she was like, ‘no, your job is a student; you need to study.’ She didn’t have opportunities to study when she was younger, so she always encouraged me to study, but I was always interested in food.”

Around the third grade, her father visited Massachusetts to attend a lecture about the Framingham Heart Study, and how red meat can put people at higher risk for heart disease and certain types of cancer.

“He came home from that presentation and said, ‘we’re going to be vegetarian.’ So overnight, we stopped eating meat, and that was kind of traumatic for me because I was like, ‘what are we going to live on? I’m not used to this.’”

But Koh stuck with it, and when she got married, she and her husband made the decision to go vegan, and have stuck to a plant-based diet for the past 13 years.

“We’ve seen in our own lives how it’s impacted our health. We used to have seasonal allergies, and we don’t have those anymore, so if it works for us, I’m sure it could be helpful for other people.”

So she speaks from experience in the work she does today — as an educator shaping future nurses at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at UMass Amherst, as well as an emerging leader creating partnerships around nutrition and sustainable food systems.

Take it from Crystal Neuhauser, chief Development officer at the Marieb College, who nominated Koh as a Healthcare Hero.

“Through her innovative research, collaborative partnerships, and culturally grounded pedagogy, she is reshaping the healthcare landscape in Western Massachusetts — empowering individuals, training future nurses, and building healthier, more equitable communities,” Neuhauser wrote.

As noted above, Koh — like others in this year’s class of Healthcare Heroes — could easily be recognized in a few different categories, including Emerging Leader, Collaboration in Healthcare, and Healthcare Educator. But Community Health seemed most apprropriate because her impact on the community, by helping people change the way they look at food and nutrition, is significant, and growing.

“Dr. Koh’s impact is clear: families eating better, students entering the workforce more prepared, and communities being heard,” Neuhauser added. “What makes her heroic is not just her scholarship — it’s her radical belief that everyone deserves to live with health, dignity, and joy. Her work is already changing lives in Western Massachusetts. Her leadership ensures those changes will endure.”

 

Cross-country Impact

Koh grew up in Southern California, and her early educational and career experiences took her to several far-flung locales.

“I worked in nursing in Colorado, I taught English for one year in Ukraine, and I also did an internship in Denmark in health program planning, so I had all these different ideas of things I was interested in.”

“Up to that point, I had mostly been working with adults, but because I wanted to do something more with the whole family and community, I was looking for opportunities where I could expand to work with kids.”

But she eventually pursued an associate’s degree program in nursing, and worked in that field for about 15 years. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to work in a hospital for the rest of her life.

“After 15 years, it was already starting to kind of wear on me. My husband was like, ‘if you go back to school, think of the impact that you could have if you teach.’ So I decided to go back to school.”

Koh wound up at UMass for her graduate studies, but then returned to California — Stanford University, to be specific — for post-doctoral research work, where she worked with a pediatric gastroenterologist at a weight-management clinic.

“I got a lot of experience working with patients in the clinical setting,” she recalled. “Up to that point, I had mostly been working with adults, but because I wanted to do something more with the whole family and community, I was looking for opportunities where I could expand to work with kids.

Linda Koh led the development of “Full Plate for Kids,” an activity book that teaches children about good nutrition.

“So I worked with that professor and clinician for one year, and then I got a grant that enabled me to stay on for a second year as a post-doc working with Dr. Christopher Gardner, who does all the nutrition research studies within the Stanford Prevention Research Center.”

At the time, he had a side project called Farm to Table Camp, a summer camp that brought kids to an organic farm. “Kids from kindergarten to eighth grade could go and learn how to grow food, how to harvest it, how to prepare it. I thought, ‘this is amazing. I wish like every child could have this opportunity.’”

Gardner encouraged Koh to apply for a grant from the Ardmore Institute of Health in Oklahoma, which has a nutrition education program called Full Plate. “I was thinking it would be great if we could take something like this and turn it into like nutrition education for kids.”

So she did, producing an activity book called Full Plate for Kids, which explains concepts like fruits, vegetables, fiber, and other parts of a healthy diet, as well as how food is grown, how to prepare simple, healthy meals, and more.

Much of her work so far has been based in California, but since starting work at UMass, Koh has been busy locally. She recently secured a grant to work with a graduate student on a nutrition project this fall, and is working on another to have more students involved in the spring. “So I’m trying to get more people involved in nutrition and also help to educate the next generation of nurse scientists.”

The activity book and other efforts aimed at children and their families can be impactful, she noted.

“A lot of kids have an aversion to vegetables,” she noted. “So we need to figure out ways to encourage people to eat more vegetables and whole grains and beans, nuts and seeds. And so if we can do it from a young age, I think they can reap the benefits of that long-term.”

She talked about working in a community health center as part of her dissertation work, and right next to it was a food bank; patients could come to the health center for their appointments, and then go next door and get a box of food.

“I noticed that they would keep most of the canned goods, but all the fresh fruits and vegetables, they would just leave in a pile next to the trash can when they were leaving. And I wondered why they were doing that. So I started talking to some of them, and they would say things like, ‘I don’t know how to prepare it.’ Or ‘My family doesn’t like it.’ Or ‘I don’t have a refrigerator.’

“So, for my dissertation work, I really focused on teaching adults how to prepare things in a quick and easy way that takes less than 15 to 20 minutes,” she continued. “We also talked about eating things in season and how to create a menu plan where you can make meals on $5 a day, stuff like that.”

Meanwhile, Koh saw from her camp experience the impact education and exposure could have on young people over just a few days.

“A lot of kids have an aversion to vegetables. So we need to figure out ways to encourage people to eat more vegetables and whole grains and beans, nuts and seeds. And so if we can do it from a young age, I think they can reap the benefits of that long-term.”

“The first day, we’d have children that say, ‘oh, I don’t like any vegetables; I’m not eating this. I’ll help prepare it, but I’m not going to eat it.’ Or they’d say, ‘I’ve seen that at home; I don’t like it.’ Then, by Wednesday or Thursday, they’re eating it. On Friday, we had salad day; we had a huge salad bar with all the vegetables from the farm, and the parents were in shock to see their kids piling kale onto their plates, things like that. So in just that short time frame, I feel like we made an impact, and that’s something they can take home to their families, and then it can impact the whole community.”

 

Food for Thought

This fall, at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, Koh will be teaching a doctoral-level class in community engagement and community building — essentially, how to work in partnership with other community members. She’ll also be teaching undergraduate courses in writing and nursing ethics.

“Dr. Koh is a leader in advancing nursing education that responds to the needs of diverse communities,” Neuhauser wrote. “She mentors undergraduate and graduate students in culturally responsive care, sustainable food systems, and health equity research. Many of her students come from communities underrepresented in nursing and go on to serve in local health centers, schools, and public health departments. By embedding equity into clinical practice and community engagement, Dr. Koh is training a new generation of nurses to serve Western Massachusetts with compassion and cultural humility.”

One of the reasons Koh is excited to be at UMass is this region’s strong agriculture economy.

Linda Koh, right, with (from left) Natacha Costa, Angela Williams, Dr. Christopher Gardner, and Claire Paul at a Stanford University summer internship program.
Photo by Shelley Anderson

“I’ve met quite a few people in soil science and nutrition and at the School of Agriculture; they’re doing a lot of different things. I’m hopeful that we can get a teaching kitchen going in the future — one in the community and also one here on campus, and do more collaborative projects together.”

Koh’s mentor at Stanford recently received a grant to work with a nonprofit organization in more than 600 schools across the nation, going into school cafeterias and helping them get involved with local farms, improving their scratch cooking, and removing excess sugar. She’d like to see more efforts like that nationally, but for now, she’s determined to do what she can in Massachusetts.

“I feel like nutrition is something that everybody can get excited about because everybody has to eat, and everybody has memories of their favorite foods, or foods they ate when they were growing up, or around holidays. So that whole community-engagement piece together with nutrition, that’s where my interests lie.”

And to see the impact, even if it’s on just one student or one family at a time … well, she finds that highly rewarding.

“When I worked inpatient, seeing people coming out of surgery or who had just gotten a diagnosis, they start thinking, ‘did I do something wrong? Was there anything I could have done to prevent this?’ And I feel like nutrition is one of the ways that people can feel like they’re actually directly impacting their health in a small way. And by starting young, I feel those are lessons they can carry with them throughout their entire lifetime.

“One of my lifelong goals is to be the bridge between academia and the general public. A lot of times, people are doing this great research, but they don’t know how to share that with the general public, and it can be like 10, 15 years before people find out about it,” she added. “I just feel like health is so important, and if you don’t have it, it impacts every other part of your life. And I want to help people live happy and healthy lives.”

For her commitment to doing just that — and for the broad impact this work will eventually have — Koh is certainly a Healthcare Hero.

UMass Amherst Collaborates with Tech Foundry on Degree Completion

By
Daily News

AMHERST — UMass Amherst and the Tech Foundry announced a new collaboration enabling staff and community members of the Springfield workforce development nonprofit to complete their undergraduate degrees through the university’s flexible, customizable online program.

Tech Foundry members can take classes, receive academic counseling, and map their educational pathway through UMass Amherst’s University Without Walls Department of Interdisciplinary Studies (UWW-IS), a leader in flexible, non-traditional, adult-focused education. The new collaboration reflects the university’s commitment to increasing access to public higher education while increasing workforce capacity across the Commonwealth.

“This partnership illustrates our continued efforts to promote the common good by connecting UMass to the community and the community to UMass,” Chancellor Javier Reyes said. “Our goal is to identify students with untapped potential, develop their skills, and produce graduates who are ready to meet the critical workforce needs of employers in the region.”

Current UWW-IS admission requires 12 transferrable college credits and a 2.0 GPA for adults who did not previously attend UMass Amherst. As part of its unique program, UWW-IS offers credit for prior learning or life experience. Under the agreement, students who are accepted into UWW-IS and have completed Tech Foundry’s 18-week immersive hybrid training program will receive 15 credits via special transcript, which is equivalent to a full semester courseload. UMass Amherst students need a minimum of 120 credits to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The collaboration builds on earlier programs in which UMass Amherst IT provided internships for Tech Foundry trainees.

“Tech Foundry’s senior team has been collaborating with various members of UMass leadership in a variety of ways over the last couple of years. Our partnership has evolved to include working with the IT staff on workforce priorities and employment opportunities,” said Tricia Canavan, CEO of Tech Foundry. “Earning transferrable credits for the University Without Walls Interdisciplinary Program through Tech Foundry’s IT workforce program is an important expansion of opportunity for our students and strengthens UMass’s multi-faceted partnership with Tech Foundry significantly.”

UWW-IS Department Administrator Siobhan Henderson said the collaboration also enhances UWW’s longtime relationship with Springfield area residents. “We are committed to meeting learners where they are — professionally, academically, and geographically. This collaboration aligns with our UWW-IS mission that was founded more than 50 years ago: to open doors to adults who thought achieving a bachelor’s degree was unattainable.”

Freedom Credit Union Welcomes Richard Merrifield Jr. as Branch Officer in Ludlow

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Daily News

Richard Merrifield Jr.

LUDLOW — Freedom Credit Union announced that Richard Merrifield Jr. has joined its Ludlow branch as branch officer, where he leads a team focused on delivering exceptional service and personalized financial solutions for members.

Merrifield brings more than a decade of experience in banking and credit unions, with a strong background in branch operations, lending, and community engagement. Before joining Freedom in 2025, he served as banking center assistant manager at PeoplesBank in Northampton.

“Richard’s experience and community-focused approach make him a wonderful fit for our team in Ludlow,” said Glenn Welch, president and CEO of Freedom Credit Union. “We are excited to welcome him and look forward to the positive impact he will have on our members and the community.”

Active in the community Merrifield is an ambassador for the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce and supports volunteer efforts throughout Hampshire and Hampden counties. He earned an associate degree in business administration from Middlesex Community College.

Monson Savings Bank Donates $2,500 to Women’s Empowerment Scholarship

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Daily News

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank recently provided a $2,500 donation to the Women’s Empowerment Scholarship as a part of its 2025 Community Giving Initiative.

Dan Moriarty, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank, and Michael Rouette, the bank’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, met with Cori Medeiros, vice president of the Women’s Empowerment Scholarship, at the bank’s Loan and Operations Center in Wilbraham to present the donation.

“We are excited to present Cori with this donation knowing that it will be used to help support local women reach their education goals,” Moriarty said. “Monson Savings is honored to support the Women’s Empowerment Scholarship year after year.”

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Women’s Empowerment Scholarship works to invest in the future of females in Greater Springfield communities by encouraging and empowering them to pursue higher education. The foundation provides educational grants to women while paying special attention to women entering one of many male-dominated career paths, including, but not limited to, science, technology, engineering, finance, and law. In aiding women financially, the Women’s Empowerment Scholarship team aims to propel their careers and allow them to shatter stereotypes.

“The recurring support we have received from the Monson Savings Bank Community Giving Initiative is always so meaningful,” Medeiros said. “We would not be able to fulfill our mission without our supporters.”

bankESB Sponsors Cancer Connection’s Harvest Dinner with Grant

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Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — BankESB awarded a $2,500 sponsorship grant to support Cancer Connection’s annual Harvest Dinner, taking place this year on Thursday, Oct. 16 at Union Station in Northampton.

The Harvest Dinner is one of Cancer Connection’s most important fundraisers, and bankESB’s support will help underwrite the costs of the event and allow the organization to raise more funds for its programs. This festive evening brings the Cancer Connection community together and raises critical funds to bring support groups, integrative therapies, and educational programs to more cancer patients and their caregivers. The event will include a cocktail hour, farm-to-table dinner, silent auction, and a program of speakers.

Cancer Connection, the only independent cancer support center in the area, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025.

“bankESB’s grant makes a huge difference not only in the success of our Harvest Dinner, but in setting an example of local businesses supporting Cancer Connection,” said Chelsea Kline, executive director of Cancer Connection. “Their sponsorship really demonstrates bankESB’s values in caring for people in the community — and that helps Cancer Connection care for more people in our community.”

To provide services and keep them free, Cancer Connection relies on donations from individuals and community-minded businesses such as bankESB, events such as the Mother’s Day Half Marathon, Harvest Dinner, and Grateful Bed Tour; proceeds from the Cancer Connection Thrift Shop; foundation grants; and community fundraisers. Increased support will allow Cancer Connection to meet rising needs and help address barriers to care with outreach to underserved communities.

Founded in 2000, Cancer Connection’s mission is to provide a haven where people with cancer and their loved ones can learn how to navigate the complicated cancer journey through one-to-one guidance, education, peer support, integrative therapies, and creative programs. Cancer Connection is the only cancer support center in Hampshire and Franklin Counties and draws additional participants from Hampden County and beyond. All of Cancer Connection’s services are provided free of charge.

For more information on sponsorships and tickets for the Harvest Dinner, visit www.cancer-connection.org/special-events.

Country Bank, Worcester Red Sox Announce 2025 WooStars

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Daily News

WARE — Country Bank and the WooSox Foundation recently announced the 2025 WooStars, a program that supports nonprofit leaders throughout the region.

Country Bank and the Worcester Red Sox recently recognized five local WooStars and the nonprofits they are affiliated with at Polar Park. They include Joe Firmani of Operation Service, Anthony Bizzotto of Revive of the USA Inc., Robert Alves of Wicked in Pink, Donna Marratta of Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry Inc., and Tom Slicklen of Provision Ministry. Each nonprofit was presented with a $5,000 donation.

The WooStars program allows community members to nominate outstanding individuals to recognize their contributions to the communities they serve and to contribute to the nonprofits they support. Now in its fifth year, this program has recognized 41 WooStars, providing $205,000 in donations.

“We are proud to stand behind these community leaders who are making a significant impact,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, first vice president of Community Relations at Country Bank.

In attendance were Mary McGovern, president and CEO of Country Bank, along with members of the board of trustees, the senior leadership team, and James Phaneuf, chairman of the board. Their presence emphasized the bank’s continued commitment to supporting local leaders and celebrating the meaningful difference they make in local communities.

“Country Bank continues to be a relentless purveyor of goodwill in our community,” said Dr. Charles Steinberg, president of the Worcester Red Sox and the WooSox Foundation. “We thank our partners for scouting, finding, and introducing these terrific WooStars.”

MountainOne Insurance Promotes Stacy Roman

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Daily News

Stacy Roman

NORTH ADAMS — MountainOne Insurance Agency announced the promotion of Stacy Roman to vice president, personal lines operations manager, reflecting the agency’s long-term priorities of professional enrichment, internal mobility, and leadership excellence.

Roman has been instrumental in shaping the direction of the agency’s personal lines operations with her strong leadership and operational expertise. She has led the agency through acquisitions, data conversions, and the creation of more efficient workflows. Her problem-solving instincts and ability to improve both client and employee experiences make her an invaluable member of the leadership team.

“Stacy’s promotion is a testament to her exceptional leadership and deep commitment to our clients and team,” said Jonathan Denmark, executive vice president of MountainOne Bank and president and chief operating officer of MountainOne Insurance. “Her ability to navigate complex matters with clarity and drive meaningful change has elevated our personal lines operations and inspired other Mountaineers. We’re delighted to recognize her contributions.”

Clean Energy Fair Slated for Sept. 21 in Northampton

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Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Climate Emergency Coalition will host a clean energy fair on Sunday, Sept. 21. Get Energy Smart! A Sun Day Event For All will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.

The public is invited to come and learn about the ways Northampton, Easthampton, and communities across the Connecticut River Valley are prioritizing a sustainable future. Attendees will hear presentations from city sustainability staff and state representatives, learn about ongoing neighborhood electrification efforts, enjoy food from local vendors, contribute to community art projects, and explore opportunities for the electrification of homes and transportation.

The event is free to attend and will take place rain or shine. Spanish language and American Sign Language interpreters will be on hand to facilitate conversations, and the site is wheelchair accessible.

Sun Day is a global day of action celebrating the power of clean energy and advocating for its expansion. Communities around the world will host events on Sept. 21 to showcase the actions being taken in pursuit of a clean energy future and to cultivate community during a time of climate crisis. To learn more about Sun Day’s mission, visit www.sunday.earth.

Picture This

By
Pictured, from left: Officer Shawn Knox, Sgt. Mike Reed, West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy, Chief of Police Jay Gearing, and Officer Joe Reed.
Picture This

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

 

Play Ball!

Monson Savings Bank recently donated $2,000 to the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts as part of the bank’s 2025 Community Giving Initiative. The donation will help the organization continue its mission of providing children with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball in a safe and supportive environment. 

Pictured, from left: Brian Feeley, Miracle League of Western Massachusetts board president; Kandy Tranghese, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Monson Savings Bank; and Ernie Fitzell, co-founder of the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts.

Pictured, from left: Brian Feeley, Miracle League of Western Massachusetts board president; Kandy Tranghese, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Monson Savings Bank; and Ernie Fitzell, co-founder of the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts.

 

 

Ready to Ride

Eastern States Exposition (ESE) recently gave a grant to the West Springfield Police Department to outfit two motorcycles with essential equipment, including computers, printers, cameras, and other traffic safety resources. This donation ensures that officers have the most-up-to-date tools to enforce the rules of the road and assist traffic during the 17 days of the Big E as well as year-round. 

Pictured, from left: Officer Shawn Knox, Sgt. Mike Reed, West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy, Chief of Police Jay Gearing, and Officer Joe Reed.

Pictured, from left: Officer Shawn Knox, Sgt. Mike Reed, West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy, Chief of Police Jay Gearing, and Officer Joe Reed.

 

 

Supporting Seniors

bankESB recently donated $5,000 to the Belchertown Senior Center to support the purchase of a new van. The new vehicle, which features the bankESB logo, will help ensure local seniors have safe, accessible transportation to medical appointments, grocery stores, and community events. 

Pictured, from left: Alicia Austin of bankESB; Linda Zajakowski of the Belchertown Senior Citizen’s Center Assoc.; Kim Rossi of Belchertown Senior Center; David Small and Andrea Stadnioki of the Belchertown Senior Citizen’s Center Assoc.; and Jessica Langlois of Belchertown Senior Center.

Pictured, from left: Alicia Austin of bankESB; Linda Zajakowski of the Belchertown Senior Citizen’s Center Assoc.; Kim Rossi of Belchertown Senior Center; David Small and Andrea Stadnioki of the Belchertown Senior Citizen’s Center Assoc.; and Jessica Langlois of Belchertown Senior Center.

 

Back to School

Baystate Wing Hospital’s 2025 back-to-school supply drive to benefit children in the Palmer, Ware, and Quaboag Regional elementary public schools (pictured at left) was a success, as team members donated nearly 1,100 items, including individual items and boxes of items, such as pencils, 135 boxes of crayons, 270 notebooks, and 24 backpacks. Meanwhile, Baystate Noble Hospital employees organized a back-to-school supply drive to support the children and families of Westfield River Elementary School (pictured above). The month-long initiative concluded in late August.

Baystate Wing Hospital’s 2025 back-to-school supply drive to benefit children in the Palmer, Ware, and Quaboag Regional elementary public schools was a success, as team members donated nearly 1,100 items, including individual items and boxes of items, such as pencils, 135 boxes of crayons, 270 notebooks, and 24 backpacks

 

Baystate Noble Hospital employees organized a back-to-school supply drive to support the children and families of Westfield River Elementary School

 

Starting Young

More than 200 children and adults made their way through the Youth Party on Aug. 4 at Greylock’s Community Empowerment Center, part of Greylock’s Wealth Builders Youth SummerFest, a week-long series of events held Aug. 4-9, which ties into the credit union’s rebranding of youth members up to the age of 22, now called Wealth Builders, who have access to a range of products, services, and education that can help to bolster their financial wellness. Pictured above: a young Wealth Builder plays a financial game inside the Community Empowerment Center. Pictured at right: the Mogollón family enjoys the Youth Party on Aug. 4.

A young Wealth Builder plays a financial game inside the Community Empowerment Center

 

The Mogollón family enjoys the Youth Party on Aug. 4.

 

Agenda

By
Agenda

Get Hired Job Fair

Sept. 18: Holyoke Mall invites job seekers and employers to participate in its upcoming Get Hired Job Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. on the lower level in Macy’s Court. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, the Get Hired Job Fair connects local businesses with qualified candidates ready to join the workforce. Participating employers represent a wide range of industries and will conduct on-the-spot interviews for positions at all experience levels. This event is open to the public and free for job seekers, offering an opportunity to connect with potential employers and explore a variety of career opportunities throughout the region.

 

EANE Fall Conference Events

Sept. 25, Oct. 23: The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) announced two upcoming conference events to support organizational learning in the New England region. HR Connect: Leading Change in a New Era will take place on Thursday, Sept. 25 at MGM Springfield. This conference invites human resources professionals and business leaders to learn more about HR best practices, innovations in compensation and benefits, and the new skills required for creating compliant people policies. Plus, that will be National HR Professionals week, and EANE is celebrating the many talents and contributions of HR professionals across the region. Safety Leadership for Your Workplace will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Marriott in Springfield. Attendees will experience a full day of presentations, including Dick Flynt from the National Safety Council, OSHA, certified safety professional Dan Williams, and the team from Protective Advanced Safety Services. Qualified Massachusetts employers can apply for reimbursement for conference fees using the MA Express Program. To learn more or register for these events, visit www.eane.org or email Allison Ebner at [email protected].

 

Party with 1 Purpose

Oct. 4: After a sold-out debut that earned national recognition from Breakthrough T1D as one of the Top New Fundraising Events of 2024, Party with 1 Purpose will return to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Chaired by David Fontaine Jr. and Sarah Fontaine, the gala unites community leaders, local families, and businesses in support of Breakthrough T1D’s mission to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes (T1D). Guests will enjoy an evening on Center Court featuring live music, an energetic auction, inspiring stories from local T1D families, and opportunities to directly fund life-changing research. This year’s Fund a Cure will shine a spotlight on the Kouflie family and their son Braden, who was diagnosed with T1D at age 7. The Kouflies will share their journey of navigating the daily challenges of diabetes while holding onto hope for a cure, giving guests a personal look at why Breakthrough T1D’s research is so critical. Sponsorships and tickets are available at www.breakthrought1d.org/ctma/wmassgala2025.

 

Barks & Brews

Oct. 5: The 10th annual Barks & Brews event, presented by Dakin Humane Society, will take place at Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton. The event will begin with a VIP exclusive preview hour from noon to 1 p.m., with general admission taking place from 1 to 3 p.m. VIP admission tickets, priced at $75, entitle holders to on-site parking, hors d’oeuvres served during the preview hour, a complimentary beer, and an event T-shirt. General admission tickets, priced at $35, include a complimentary beer. Parking is located on street and at the local school lot (a five-minute walk). Visit www.dakinhumane.org/barksandbrews to purchase tickets. All attendees of the event must be at least 21 years old. Guests are invited to bring crowd-friendly dogs on a non-retractable leash (retractable leashes are not allowed), and are asked not to bring strollers. Other event features will include a Halloween costume contest for dogs, a hot dog eating contest for dogs, a 50/50 raffle (ticket holders need not be present to win), a photo booth, nail trimming, dog baths, vendor booth shopping, and food trucks. Barks & Brews is an important annual fundraiser for Dakin, a 501(c)(3) organization. In previous years at Fort Hill, this event has generated about $30,000 for services and programs that help animals in need.

 

Real Estate Licensing Course

Oct. 6 to Nov. 12: The Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley will host a 40 hour, 14-class sales licensing course to help individuals prepare for the Massachusetts real estate salesperson license exam. Tuition costs $425 and includes the book and materials. For an application, call the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley at (413) 785-1328 or visit www.rapv.com.

 

Healthcare Heroes Gala

Oct. 22: BusinessWest and the Healthcare News will celebrate this year’s eight Healthcare Heroes starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The class of 2025, profiled in this issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com, includes the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit at Mercy Medical Center; Areliz Barbosa, clinical assistant professor and senior project coordinator at Bay Path University; Andrea Bertheaud, clinical assistant professor at Elms College; Chrissy Humason, Nursing supervisor and Stroke coordinator at Baystate Noble Hospital; Linda Koh, assistant professor at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at UMass Amherst; Cindy Leonard, Infusion manager at the Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center; Dr. Thomas Lincoln, physician and associate professor of Medicine at Baystate Health; and Dr. Yannis Raftopoulos, director of the Holyoke Medical Center Weight Management Program. Tickets cost $95, and tables of 10 are available. To purchase tickets, visit businesswest.com/healthcareheroes. Presenting sponsors include Baystate Health/Health New England and Elms College. Partner sponsors include Trinity Health Of New England/Mercy Medical Center and Holyoke Medical Center.

 

Fall in Love with BFAIR – One Sip at a Time Fundraiser

Oct. 22: Berkshire Family & Individual Resources (BFAIR) invites the community to an evening of fine wine, food, and music at its upcoming fundraiser, Fall in Love with BFAIR – One Sip at a Time, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Balderdash Cellars, 81 State Road, Richmond. The event, sponsored by Sourcepass, will feature wines paired with appetizers, charcuterie, and desserts by Pizza Trails. It will also feature a lively program including a silent auction, raffles, and live music performed by Brian Benlien. The evening’s proceeds will support BFAIR’s mission of providing quality, individualized services to people with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injury. Tickets cost $100 per person and must be reserved by Oct. 8 at bit.ly/452LPRn.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move
Sean O’Brien

Sean O’Brien

Bay Path University announced that Sean O’Brien has been named program director for its undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity programs. O’Brien joins Bay Path with more than two decades of experience in cybersecurity, privacy, and higher education. He is the founder of Yale Privacy Lab and an associate research scholar at Yale Law School, where he has taught courses in digital security, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. He is also the creator of the zero-knowledge collaboration platform PrivacySafe and has held leadership positions at global, security-focused firms, including ExpressVPN. His work spans secure app and infrastructure deployment, bug bounty and VDP management, IAM administration, and endpoint management of cryptocurrency assets. He is a lifelong educator, delivering remote classes to large cohorts of students and professionals before joining the faculty at Bay Path University. He has successfully delivered curriculum across a wide variety of areas in IT, from the Hacking and Cybersecurity program at the Lawfare Institute to the Cybersecurity for Business Leaders program at the University of Oxford and the AI Risk Management workshops at Ivy Cyber Academy. O’Brien honed his skills in data science, threat research, and cloud computing through leadership roles at privacy-focused blockchain firms, including Tari Labs.

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William Fontes

William Fontes

Following an extensive national search, Greylock Federal Credit Union announced the hiring of William Fontes as vice president and manager of Business Banking. Fontes brings comprehensive experience in strategic leadership and vision in commercial banking. As a key member of the Commercial Lending department, Fontes will lead Greylock’s business banking team while building relationships and strengthening services for credit union members through commercial lending and business banking products. He will also provide critical leadership through strategic oversight and expansion of Greylock’s annual business development plan and goals for local markets. He joins Greylock following a 12-year tenure at bankESB, where he held the position of senior vice president. He holds an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship from Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. His community interests include economic development, affordable housing, youth sports, and outdoor activities.

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Patrick Parker

Patrick Parker

Attorney Patrick Parker has joined the Royal Law Firm team. He is a seasoned employment litigator who has defended employers in myriad employment claims. He not only has extensive experience in the courtroom, but also regularly advises senior executives on complex issues with an eye to mitigating risk and avoiding litigation. Prior to joining Royal, Parker worked at the law firm Clifford Chance in New York. He also served as in-house counsel for UBS Americas Inc. and Merrill Lynch. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, and is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and MIT School of Management.

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Country Bank President and CEO Mary McGovern announced the promotion of three team members: Jasmine Robinson, Sam Pursey, and Sarah Yurkunas. Robinson has been promoted to Learning & Development officer. She began her financial services career at Country Bank in 2004 as a teller and has since built a 21-year career with the organization. She advanced through customer service and branch management roles before helping launch the bank’s Learning & Development department in 2016 as a founding member. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Phoenix University and is a certified facilitator in multiple professional learning programs. An active community volunteer, she regularly supports the Ware Senior Center, mobile food pantries, and school financial literacy programs. Pursey has been promoted to assistant vice president, commercial lender. With 13 years in the financial services industry and nine years at Country Bank, he brings a strong background in commercial credit and lending. After starting his career as a credit analyst at TD Bank, he joined Country Bank as a portfolio manager and grew into a lending role, where he found his passion for helping customers achieve their business goals. He is graduate of UMass Amherst with a degree in finance. Yurkunas has been promoted to assistant vice president, commercial lender. She has built her 19-year banking career at Country Bank, advancing through roles in loan servicing, credit analysis, portfolio management, and commercial lending. A graduate of Bay Path University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration & management, and Becker College with an associate degree in animal sciences, she has also completed the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. New England School of Financial Studies program. She is actively engaged in community service, including volunteer work with Second Chance Animal Services, and was honored with Country Bank’s inaugural PFS Community Champion Award.

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Katherine Douglas

Katherine Douglas

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Katherine Douglas as interim vice president of Academic and Student Affairs. Douglas brings more than four decades of experience as an educator, administrator, and advocate for student success. Her career has included executive roles such as interim president of SUNY Monroe Community College and president of SUNY Corning Community College in New York State, vice president of Academic Affairs at Sussex Community College in New Jersey, and associate dean of Behavioral Sciences at Greenfield Community College. This is her second interim posting since retiring from Corning Community College in 2019. She will serve as interim vice president until the permanent vice president’s position is filled. Her HCC appointment marks a meaningful homecoming, as Douglas previously served as dean of the Division of Social Sciences from 2005 to 2008. From 2023 to July 2025, she also served on the HCC Foundation board of directors, stepping down to take the interim position as vice president. She is a three-time graduate of UMass Amherst, where she earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate in education.

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Joshua Moon-Johnson

Joshua Moon-Johnson

Connecticut State Community College (CT State) has appointed seven inaugural campus presidents to lead operations of its campus locations statewide, including at CT State Asnuntuck in Enfield. Joshua Moon-Johnson was named campus president of CT State Asnuntuck, CT State Manchester, and CT State Middlesex, bringing more than 20 years of experience in higher education, having held leadership roles at institutions including College of San Mateo, American River College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and most recently West Valley College, where he was provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. At West Valley, he led initiatives to enhance academic programs, faculty support, and equitable student outcomes. A published author and advocate, Moon-Johnson has contributed to national conversations on educational equity and LGBT+ inclusion and advocacy. He holds a doctorate in higher education and LGBT studies from Northern Illinois University, master’s degrees in social sciences and market research, and a bachelor’s degree in business.

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Bulkley Richardson announced that 12 lawyers from the firm were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America, the most recognized law firm in the Greater Springfield area. These lawyers were recognized in 20 unique areas of practice. They include Peter Barry (construction law and education law); Kathleen Bernardo (real estate law); Michael Burke (medical malpractice law: defendants and personal injury litigation: defendants); Mark Cress (banking and finance law, bankruptcy, creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, and corporate law); Francis Dibble Jr. (bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, labor and employment litigation, securities litigation, and criminal defense: white-collar); Daniel Finnegan (administrative/regulatory law); Scott Foster (business organizations, including LLCs and partnerships); Mary Jo Kennedy (employment law: individuals, employment law: management, and labor and employment litigation); David Parke (corporate law and mergers and acquisitions law); John Pucci (bet-the-company litigation, criminal defense: general practice, and criminal defense: white-collar); Jeffrey Roberts (corporate law and trusts and estates); and Michael Roundy (commercial litigation).

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Carlos Costa

Carlos Costa

bankESB recently promoted Carlos Costa to Facilities Maintenance and Operations officer, based at its 36 Main St., Easthampton office. Costa, who has nearly 20 years of facilities experience, joined bankESB in 2006 as a maintenance specialist. With this expanded leadership role, he will oversee the daily operations of the Facilities departments for his assigned region within Hometown Financial Group’s family of banks, which includes bankESB, bankHometown, North Shore Bank, and Abington Bank, a division of North Shore Bank. He earned an associate degree in law enforcement from Holyoke Community College.

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Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that attorney Gina Barry has been recognized in the 32nd edition of Best Lawyers in America for her expertise in elder law. In addition to this prestigious recognition, Barry has been named the 2026 Lawyer of the Year in Elder Law for Springfield. This honor is awarded to only one attorney in each practice area and community, based on the highest peer feedback. With decades of experience serving clients throughout Western Mass., Barry continues to provide exceptional legal guidance and compassionate advocacy in elder law. She is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She is a partner and chair of the Estate Planning and Elder Law department at Bacon Wilson, and is a certified elder law attorney by the nonprofit National Elder Law Foundation.

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Dr. Amr Ibrahim

Dr. Amr Ibrahim

Muge Karabag

Muge Karabag

Amanda Davis

Amanda Davis

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced that three new faculty members will be joining the Trailblazer community for the college’s fall semester: Dr. Amr Ibrahim, Muge Karabag, and Amanda Davis. Ibrahim joins MCLA’s Chemistry department as a visiting assistant professor. A medicinal chemist, his research focuses on the design and synthesis of small-molecule antivirals and the use of structure-based drug design to interrogate host-virus interactions, including V-ATPase modulation and TIM-1-mediated entry. At MCLA, he will teach biochemistry and related courses while building collaborations that provide hands-on, publication-quality experiences for students. Karabag joins MCLA as a visiting assistant professor of Multimedia Journalism. She is a media scholar and practitioner with a background in broadcast journalism and digital communication. She previously worked as a reporter and news anchor for television channels in Istanbul and served as an assistant university professor in the department of New Media and Communication in Turkey. Davis is a part of MCLA’s Nursing department, where she combines her love for teaching with her years of hands-on nursing experience as a visiting assistant professor of Health Professions. She earned her master’s degree in nursing education and has served as the simulation coordinator for the MCLA Nursing program, nurse leader for the North Adams Public School System, and a medical-surgical nurse.

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Bulkley Richardson announced that Mary Jo Kennedy, partner and co-chair of the firm’s Employment Law practice, has been recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2026 Lawyer of the Year in both employment law (management) and labor and employment litigation for the Greater Springfield area. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the Lawyer of the Year. Selections are based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.

•••••

Angela Cardenas

Angela Cardenas

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Angela Cardenas as chief of Operations in the Office of the President. Cardenas comes to HCC with more than 25 years of executive-level leadership experience, having served in continuously advancing roles at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the past 17 years, most recently as senior policy advisor. As a career diplomat and public servant, Cardenas has lived and worked in numerous countries around the world, including Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Egypt, Tanzania, and the Dominican Republic. She joined USAID in 2008 as a private enterprise officer and has since worked for the agency as a land reform advisor, agriculture team leader, and education office director and coordinator of USAID’s Young African Leaders Initiative. In her role as senior policy advisor, Cardenas, who is bilingual, served as liaison to the Hispanic Assoc. of Colleges and Universities. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in urban planning from Texas A&M University, and is pursuing a PhD in applied social justice at Dominican University. In her role at HCC, she serves as a strategic advisor to the college president and a key operational leader, directly supporting the president, the president’s cabinet, division vice presidents, and the board of trustees, and collaborating with department heads, community leaders, government entities, and other external partners to advance institutional priorities.

•••••

Bay Path University announced the appointment of Jody Goodman as dean of Students and Engagement. In this role, she will lead efforts to enhance the student experience across multiple modalities and campuses, providing inclusive and responsive support to approximately 4,500 students, including traditional residential undergraduates, commuter students, and remote undergraduate and graduate learners at both Bay Path and Cambridge College. She brings more than a decade of progressive leadership experience in student affairs, as well as extensive academic expertise in higher education, leadership, and management. Most recently, she served as interim director of Student Engagement and Co-curricular Programming at Quinebaug Valley Community College in Connecticut. Previously, she was director of Student Success at the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst. Goodman earned an accelerated doctor of education degree in higher education from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester, where she also received her master’s degree in human resources management. She additionally holds a master’s degree in higher education from UMass Amherst and a master’s degree in leadership from Northeastern University.

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Candace Pereira

Candace Pereira

Windsor Federal Bank, headquartered in Windsor, Conn., announced that Candace Pereira has joined the organization as vice president, Business Development and portfolio manager. Pereira brings nearly 20 years of experience in commercial lending, having held roles as senior credit analyst, commercial lending officer, assistant vice president and commercial portfolio manager, and, most recently, vice president and commercial lender at Florence Bank. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in management from the University of Massachusetts and is currently pursuing an MBA. Pereira is a 2017 BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree and has a history of heavy involvement in her community. She currently serves as treasurer of East Longmeadow High School’s Cheerleading Booster Club and is an ambassador for the Springfield Regional Chamber.

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Berkshire United Way (BUW) recently welcomed three community leaders — Stephanie Ham, Bethany Kieley, and Jennifer Kerwood — to its board of directors. Ham is an assistant branch manager and digital banking guru for Adams Community Bank. She has nearly two decades of experience in retail banking. As a member of the bank’s culture committee and ACB impact committee, she has led the annual sock drive for Morris Elementary School as well as efforts to support POPCares, the AYJ Fund, and the Alzheimer’s Assoc. Kieley is CEO of Community Health Programs and has nearly two decades of leadership experience in the healthcare field. She once served as a table captain for a United Way Women United’s Power of the Purse event and has volunteered with a food pantry in Connecticut and Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut. Kerwood is director of Philanthropy at Miss Hall’s School. She has almost 30 years of experience advancing the missions and fundraising for local organizations, including Berkshire Community College and Berkshire United Way. Prior to her development career, she worked in Massachusetts government and politics. She is an appointed member of the Board of Registrars of Voters in Pittsfield and formerly served as a director and treasurer on the board for Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School in Adams.

•••••

Two new state commissioners have joined the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW). The commission welcomes Giselle Byrd and Candace Pérez, both appointees of Gov. Maura Healey. Giselle Byrd is executive director of the Theater Offensive, located in Boston, making her the first Black trans woman to lead a regional theatre company in the U.S. As a producer, she is the first transgender woman to be accepted into Through Her Lens: the Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program. Her documentary film debut, Giselle’s Story, directed by Susan O’Brien, was accepted into the Imagine This International Women’s Festival. Byrd also serves on the board of directors at both Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art. She is also the co-vice chair of the advisory board for the Ali Forney Center, and she was recently elected vice chair of the MCSW’s program and planning committee for the FY 2026 program year. Pérez is a transformational leader, executive coach, and strategic consultant with a distinguished career spanning healthcare administration, public policy, workforce transformation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. As founder and principal consultant of Iya of the North Consulting, she partners with executives, leadership teams, and organizations to drive meaningful change, elevate leadership effectiveness, and build inclusive, high-performing workplaces.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

Norman Rockwell Museum to Be Honored by 1Berkshire

PITTSFIELD — 1Berkshire announced that the Norman Rockwell Museum has been selected as the 2025 Putting the Berkshires on the Map honoree. 1Berkshire presents this award annually to a project, initiative, or organization that has left an indelible mark on the region and contributed substantially to the advancement of the public perception and overall image of the Berkshires. This recognition will be presented at the 12th annual Celebrate the Berkshires event on Thursday, Sept. 18. From its home in Stockbridge, the museum has welcomed more than 6.7 million visitors and brought travelers from across the globe to experience the Berkshires. Through nearly 250 exhibitions — circulating to 47 states and seven countries — as well as cultural diplomacy partnerships with the U.S. State Department in Ethiopia, Russia, and Mongolia, and collaborations with institutions including the White House and the United Nations, the museum has expanded its reach far beyond the region. At the same time, it has remained firmly rooted in the Berkshires, enriching the local economy and reinforcing the county’s reputation as a world-class arts destination. Initiatives like the establishment of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies and the museum’s robust traveling exhibition program have sparked new scholarship and public engagement, cementing the museum as a national leader in the field. Celebrate the Berkshires will also feature the announcement of the 2025 Berkshire Trendsetter Award winners, recognizing individuals, businesses, and organizations shaping the future of the Berkshires. Tickets are available at 1berkshire.com/events/celebrate-the-berkshires.

 

HCC Celebrates Opening of New Tech Center

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) celebrated the grand opening of its new Tech Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 3. The HCC Tech Center, located on the second floor of the HCC Campus Center, is a new space dedicated to providing students with all the technological support they need to be successful. Funding for the Tech Center came from a $250,000 Tech Rise grant HCC received from the Employment and Training Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Labor. The money was principally used to buy furniture, computers, and other technology for the center, as well as the hiring of student interns. Alongside Manager Walter Pfau and other IT staff, the Tech Center will be run by a team of student interns who can also offer one-on-one support to their classmates who need assistance with their devices, computer programs, and apps. Previously, students had to go across campus to the first floor of the Frost Building to the IT Help Desk for all their computer needs. The HCC Tech Center is more centrally located, across from Student Engagement, adjoining the HCC Bookstore, and steps away from the cafeteria and food court, where students tend to congregate between classes. In addition to one-on-one tech support, the Tech Center has computer stations for students to use, a classroom for interactive workshops and meetings, and cubicles where other HCC support staff, such as financial aid counselors, can set up shop during special events, like Registration Express and Accepted Students Days.

 

CT State Asnuntuck Participates in Metallica Scholars Initiative

ENFIELD, Conn. — CT State Asnuntuck announced its selection as one of the community colleges invited to join year 7 of the prestigious Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI), supported by a $50,000 grant aimed at enhancing the student experience and career readiness within Asnuntuck’s advanced manufacturing technology programs. The grant allows students to reach their academic objectives and start their careers in advanced manufacturing. The scholarship dollars they receive help them to purchase personal protective equipment, books, and supplies. As a result of the funding, students obtain their OSHA 10 card. All Within My Hands, the nonprofit philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica, recently announced the seventh year of its Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) with its largest grant to date, totaling approximately $3 million. MSI now has a presence in 75 colleges across all 50 U.S. states and the territory of Guam, and is expected to reach approximately 10,000 students.

 

Country Bank Grants $20,000 to Revitalize CDC

WARE — Country Bank recently continued its longtime support of Revitalize Community Development Corp. (CDC) with a $20,000 donation. Revitalize performs free critical repairs, modifications, and rehabilitation on the homes of low-income families with children, the elderly, veterans, and individuals with disabilities; helps bridge food insecurity gaps through delivery of fresh foods; and positions community members toward healthier lives through education and support for chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes. Since its founding in 1992, Revitalize CDC has served 30,000 individuals, investing more than $52 million into Western Mass.

 

Yankee Candle Empties Moat for Dakin Humane Society

SPRINGFIELD — Dakin Humane Society was recently the recipient of a donation that totaled more than $11,000 from Yankee Candle Co. The funds came from coins tossed in Yankee Candle Village’s in-store moat, adjacent to its Bavarian Village, by store visitors between 2019 and June 2025. The coins were placed in 48 baskets and were trucked from Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield to Dakin’s Springfield location by Yankee Candle’s Jeff Palmer, Sales and Operations manager, and Ben Ware, Property and Guest Services manager. Ware’s team handled the process of cleaning the moat and removing the coins. Once at Dakin, it took a team of 40 volunteers nearly four weeks to clean and sort the coins into separate denominations and prepare them for bank deposit. The total value of the coins is still being processed by the bank, which takes additional time, but the preliminary amount indicates a donation of more than $11,000. The donation has been a longstanding tradition of generosity from Yankee Candle that originated in 1994. The late Mike Kittredge, founder of Yankee Candle, was known by many to be an animal lover and decided the moat money should be directed to Dakin to help support its animals, programs, and services. Each year since, the coins in the moat were collected and brought to Dakin until the COVID pandemic halted the process in 2020.

 

DC Station to Open on Oct. 4

NORTHAMPTON — Developer Bruce Volz will open a modern fueling station, called DC Station, at 5 Fulton Ave. in Northampton on Oct. 4, providing 10 fast, level-3 charging ports for electric vehicles (EVs) and a place for drivers to grab a cup of coffee or meal while they wait. The station — named DC for direct current — will also offer a learning hub, EV Base Camp, for those interested in EVs. The grounds will be landscaped with native plants to support local ecosystems and biodiversity. An array of solar panels will cover the charging stations to help defray the cost of the electricity. Volz seeks tenants for DC Station to join in this enterprise — in particular, a coffee house or café to serve customers from early morning to afternoon, and a casual restaurant, such as a pizza or taco house, that would be open until later in the evening. The lot housing DC Station was previously the site for a gas station and used car lot, Pleasant Journey. The Planning Board unanimously approved Volz’s project in June 2024. The facility faces Fulton Street, with access to charging and parking on Conz and Pleasant streets; the level-3 chargers supplied by Lynkwell are expected to be operational on Oct. 4.

 

Forbes Library Opens Hess Performance Stage

NORTHAMPTON — Forbes Library in Northampton celebrated the opening of the new Hess Performance Stage on the library’s west lawn with a grand opening on Sept. 13 with an event featuring the O-Tones playing swing, blues, soul, Motown, Latin, and R&B. The stage is open air with a covered roof and ramped handicap access. It has lights and electricity, and soon will also have a sound system. This project is many years in the making and is intended to provide the necessary infrastructure for outdoor programs and events as well as a new community gathering space. The library has a long tradition of outdoor programming, with the first photographed event held in 1918 when an overflow crowd got together on the library grounds to sing patriotic songs in celebration of the end of World War I. The stage was designed by HAI Architects of Northampton and built by Campora Construction Inc. of Ludlow. It has a steel structure and curved roof profile inspired by the arches of the library’s building and featuring colors that also reflect the sandstone and granite of the building. The project was funded by substantial gifts from Marjorie Hess and Rudolph Talaber, for whom the stage is named, along with additional support provided by the Friends of Forbes, the city of Northampton, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, MassDevelopment, AARP Massachusetts, and many individual donors.

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Quality Home Exterior Inc., 9 South Bridge Dr., Agawam, MA 01001. Victor Gavriliuc, 457 Union St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Construction.

CHICOPEE

Bullseye Resilient Solutions Inc., 117 Dejordy Lane, Chicopee, MA 01020. David Boisselle, same. Logistics consulting.

Sewamazing.Shop Inc., 283 Fuller Road, Apt. K, Chicopee, MA 01020. Yuly Valencia Santamaria, same. Influencer who generates online sales.

EASTHAMPTON

Easthampton Coalition for Veterans Wellness Inc., 181 Northampton St., Suite A3, Easthampton, MA 01027. Heather Rudolph, 55 Pomeroy St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Nonprofit organization providing social support and crisis management for veterans.

EAST LONGMEADOW

East Longmeadow Girls Lacrosse Booster Club Inc., 62 Deer Run Terrace, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Kimberly Schwartz, 41 Avery St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Booster club run by the parents of the students in the girls lacrosse organization at East Longmeadow High School.

FLORENCE

Uya Florence Co., 89 Main St., Florence, MA 01062. Julius Berman, 10 Fairfield Ave., Haydenville, MA 01039. Fast casual eatery specializing in poke bowl, sushi burrito, and bubble tea.

GREENFIELD

Wags Plumbing and Heating Inc., 20 Wildwood Ave., Greenfield, MA 01301. Ryan Grady-Wagner, same. Plumbing and heating services.

HOLYOKE

Rinfire Technology Inc., 50 Holyoke St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Xiaofeng Lin, 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Experience and sales of entertainment electronics.

LONGMEADOW

Mapping Insight Inc., 817 Williams St., #61011, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Grace Kim, same. Consulting services.

NORTHAMPTON

54 Racing Mart Shell Inc., 54 Easthampton Road, Northampton, MA 01060. Sejal Patel, 75 Parsons St., Apt. N, Northampton, MA 01060. Gas station, package and convenience store.

PALMER
Boston Veterans Football Assoc. Inc., 4002 Church St., Palmer, MA 01079. Elvis Mbeng Mbi, same. Soccer club.

PITTSFIELD

The Carpocratian School Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Edith Burke, same. Philosophical and educational institution dedicated to research, scholarship, and public education in the fields of comparative philosophy, theology, and historical studies.

Electronic Data Collection Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Nancy Genung, same. Parking software management.

Green Sheep Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Nicole Doucet, same. Bottled and canned water wholesaler.

Scient Public Relations Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Michael Lampe, 138 Iron Hill Way, Collegeville, PA 19426. Corporate communications.

SOUTHWICK

Lakeview Tavern Inc., 141 Congamond Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Demyan Volkov, same. Restaurant with alcoholic beverages.

SPRINGFIELD

Club Oh Inc., 92 Stuart St., Springfield, MA 01119. Tyrone Ward, same. Provides a holistic approach for minority teens and instills resilience in their communities by supporting them to overcome adversity through mentorship and positive redirection.

TURNERS FALLS

D&F Exteriors and Roofing Corp., 59 L St., Apt. 2, Turners Falls, MA 01376. Durly Bartolon Bartolon, same. Roofing and exteriors services.

WESTFIELD

Evdoha Corp., 13 Ashley St., Apt 1, Westfield, MA 01085. Anatolii Yevdoshenko, same. Transportation services.

Seeyo Nails & Spa Inc., 99 Springfield Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Xiemei Wu, 162 Spratt Ave., Staten Island, NY 10306. Nail spa.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Cornerstone Home Improvement Inc., 119 Humphrey Lane, West Springfield, MA 01089. Vadim Buguta, same. Residential renovation.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of August 2025.

BELCHERTOWN

Grazescape
62 Dana Hill
Lori Chaffee

Hometown Holdings LLC
102 Oakridge Dr.
Anna Drost

Principle Property Management LLC
102 Oakridge Dr.
Anna Drost

Tang Properties LLC
102 Oakridge Dr.
Anna Drost

EASTHAMPTON

7-Eleven
97 Union St.
Lillian Kirstein

Clovercraft LLC
17 East St.
Kevin Perrier, Volkan Polatol

ETL Services
79 Main St., Apt. 2
Anthony Manganaro

Greene Custom Carpentry
47 Chapin St.
Benjamin Greene

Intro View Mindfulness
4 Pleasant St.
Brian Westerlind

J&P Home Improvement
11 Princeton Ave.
Jonnathan Paredes

Jason’s Plumbing and Heating
215 Hendrick St.
Jason Lisatinski

Jen Pressure Washing
27 Maple St.
Douglas Beyer

The Ounce Club
17 East St.
Kevin Perrier, Volkan Polatol

Purely You Spa
132B Cottage St.
Destini-Rose Sullivan

Sharken Landscaping and Odd Jobs
6 Searle Ave., Apt. 1L
Corey Sharken

Smudge Sorbetto
20 Pleasant Green West
Marc Candilore

Somehow School LLC
83 Main St.
Nora Miller

Valley Kitchens
51 Holyoke St., Unit A1
Dominic O’Connell

Yonder Community Toy Shop LLC
186 Northampton St., Unit E
Danielle Curry

HADLEY

Animal Aura Yoga
367 Russell St.
Animal Aura LLC

The Ben & Ed Show
5 Morning Star Dr.
Edward Roseman

Carol Berzonsky Psychotherapy
4 Kozera Ave.
Carol Berzonsky

Chipotle Mexican Grill
334 Russell St.
Chipotle Mexican Grill of CO

Downward Dog Yoga
367 Russell St.
Donna French

Fetterman & Associates
8 Bayberry Lane
David Fetterman

Flour and Field
333 River Dr.
J2 Living Co. LLC

Smithland Pet Center
335 Russell St.
CT Gardens LLC

Talon Furniture & Mattress
180 Mountain Farms Mall, Suite A
NE Contact LLC

Tap Root Massage Therapy
108A Russell St.
Patrick Arbour

HOLYOKE

Abercrombie & Fitch Stores
50 Holyoke St.
Hollister Co. #30125

Bamboo House
2223 Northampton St.
Xin Zhao, Naling Gao

Bo’s Landscapes
909 Homestead Ave.
Ryan Boman

The Coral Farm
120 Front St., #11
Brian Hale

Holyoke Towers Associates
582 Pleasant St.
Appleton Corp.

Infinity Framing
120 Front St.
James Lauzon

JCPenney Optical #1018
50 Holyoke St.
US Vision

O’Brien’s Auto
40 Anderson Hill Road
Edward O’Brien

RX Epoxy Flooring
76 Westfield Road
Xavier Pagan Reyes

Sweet Baby Rae’s Sourdough
1 Meadow St.
Kristin Fontaine

Visiting Angels
4 Open Square Way
Living Assistance Corp.

Wandering Willow Massage
6 McGrady St.
Alyssa Jakubiec

WESTFIELD

Alfu Cleaning Services
16 Taylor Ave., #25C
Albert Fuster

Angelo’s Tots-A-Lot
558 Granville Road
John Patterson

Be Good Hooman
60 Montgomery St.
Martin Beach

BJJ Advisory Co.
15 Cornish Dr.
SPB Advisory Group LLC

Brooks Books Travel & Beyond
24 Belmont St.
Melissa Brooks

Cold Harbor Coffee Co.
20 Rachael Terrace
Blue Chip LLC

The Handy Housekeeper
147 Main St.
Christine Camp

Hidden Hemlock LLC
109 Apremont Way, #9
Hidden Hemlock LLC

Miracle Cleaning Services
1B East Bartlett St.
Brandy Figueroa

Precise Carpentry LLC
114 Northridge Road
Serghei Marcu

Renew Crew
30 St. Pierres Lane
Jaden St. Pierre, Kaeven Eddington

Renovax
36 Kellogg St.
Oleksandr Verezhak

Septic System Design
43 Kittredge Dr.

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Breslin, Stephen M.
580 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Date: 08/08/2025

Brodecki, Marc V.
Brodecki, Jennifer
a/k/a Ramos, Jennifer
253 Fernbank Road, Apt. 8
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/05/2025

Browne, John I.
15 Dewey St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/08/2025

Copeland, Ryckayla A.
308 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/04/2025

Daniels, Felissa
136 Marsden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 08/04/2025

Demos, Jonathan Garrett
36 Chipmunk Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/31/2025

Frogameni, Anthony J.
42 Sunridge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/08/2025

Galarneau, Megan J.
46 Rosella St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/15/2025

Gomez, Amanda Lynn
136 Robert Dyer Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/13/2025

Grant, Susan E.
2363 Westfield St., 2nd Fl.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/14/2025

Guerrero, Leonel
Guerrero, Julia
1765 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/31/2025

Jakuboski, Pamela A.
145 Pontoosic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/31/2025

Johnson, Susan Z.
22 Lyon Hill Road
Chester, MA 01011
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/31/2025

Kelley, Richard C.
14 Jackson St., Apt. 1
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/13/2025

Kelly, Tianna
50 Campechi St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/31/2025

Kratovil, Susan Marie
94 Kensington St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/14/2025

Laboy, Maria Pinto
a/k/a Pinto-Laboy, Maria
17 Angelo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/31/2025

Lingenberg, Robert G.
36 Foss Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/08/2025

Martin, Joseph Robert
P.O. Box 262
Westfield, MA 01086
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/06/2025

Morales, Vidal L.
62 Worcester Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/31/2025

Murray, Aaron P.
176 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/14/2025

New England Upholstery
Vento, Paul R.
3824 Chestnut Hill Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Date: 08/15/2025

Ortiz, Robert Junior
95 Prospect St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Date: 08/11/2025

Peterson, Katherine Tara
131 Ashley Ave., Apt. N4
West Springfield, MA 01089-1342
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/31/2025

Pierce, Emily C .
113 Tannery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/13/2025

Richardson-Wright, Kena L.
a/k/a Stanley, Kena L.
350 Riverbend St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/13/2025

Salvador, Patricia
269 Stoney Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/08/2025

Sarlan, Amy Lynn
19 Lower Hampden Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/13/2025

Serrano, Ivan O.
Serrano, Melina C.
a/k/a Cintron-Serrano, Melina
99 Kingsley St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/31/2025

Sullivan, Michael J.
294 Regency Park Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Date: 08/14/2025

Valcour, Kaylee N.
105 Sadler Ave., Apt 1
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 07/31/2025

Williams, Tyrese Daquan
244 Redlands
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Date: 08/15/2025

Wood, David B.
31 Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Date: 07/31/2025

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

BERNARDSTON

431-A Brattleboro Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: Velma Fannon
Seller: Madalyn J. Phillips
Date: 08/08/25

497 Northfield Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Northfield Road in LLC
Seller: Pharos Group LLC
Date: 08/06/25

CHARLEMONT

75 Deer Run Lane
Charlemont, MA 01370
Amount: $632,500
Buyer: Christopher C. Rose
Seller: Branden D. Putnam
Date: 08/15/25

421 Legate Hill Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Lea King TR
Seller: Frank A. Mooney
Date: 08/15/25

1962 Shelburne Falls Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $486,000
Buyer: Joshua Steininger
Seller: Janet E. Gerry
Date: 08/08/25

DEERFIELD

11 Juniper Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $692,000
Buyer: Strother B. Purdy III TR
Seller: Robin L. Sherman RET
Date: 08/08/25

131 Sandgully Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $645,000
Buyer: Kenneth L. Laws
Seller: Charles L. Emerick
Date: 08/14/25

ERVING

65 High St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Joshua J. Girouard
Seller: Ruben Garcia
Date: 08/06/25

GREENFIELD

16-18 Armory St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Matthew T. Hildreth
Seller: JJ Smith Properties LLC
Date: 08/05/25

56 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Jordan Solmen
Seller: Karen A. Alberti
Date: 08/08/25

88 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jonathan Entzminger
Seller: Jesus Leyva
Date: 08/05/25

50 Fargo St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Daniel Cojan
Seller: Nancy B. Alexander
Date: 08/14/25

20 Ferrante Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $353,100
Buyer: Emily S. Wright
Seller: Seth Rosenbloom
Date: 08/08/25

44 Ferrante Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: William Malcolm
Seller: Betsy B. Norfell RET
Date: 08/15/25

38 Phyllis Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: D. Sulsona Beneficiary TR
Seller: Faith Church Of Greenfield
Date: 08/11/25

115 South Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jennifer C. Lippman
Seller: Frederick R. Bliss
Date: 08/14/25

11 Smith St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Pamela J. Martins
Seller: Hansen 2012 IRT
Date: 08/11/25

HEATH

Bellor Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Yanet Kaps-Walter
Seller: 11 Bellor LLC
Date: 08/11/25

11 Bellor Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Yanet Kaps-Walter
Seller: 11 Bellor LLC
Date: 08/11/25

40 Papoose Lake Dr.
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Stephen Sylvia
Seller: Erich J. Holan
Date: 08/12/25

LEVERETT

20 Lawton Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Catherine Tween
Seller: Ronald Juel
Date: 08/05/25

MONTAGUE

50 High St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: John Martineau
Seller: Martineau INT
Date: 08/08/25

202 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $324,000
Buyer: John T. Ramsdell
Seller: Troy Santerre
Date: 08/06/25

470 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Brody Trott
Seller: Brandon J. Thomas
Date: 08/08/25

NORTHFIELD

26 East Northfield Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Jeffrey J. Charron
Seller: Laura J. Kaye
Date: 08/07/25

34 Old Bernardston Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Heidi Howard
Seller: Amy B. Weeks
Date: 08/15/25

19 Orange Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Lawrence Adona
Seller: Marlis J. Elking
Date: 08/04/25

154 South Mountain Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $2,700,000
Buyer: 154 SMR Northfield LLC
Seller: MWD Asset Servicing LLC
Date: 08/07/25

ORANGE

690 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Suzanne Rizzitano
Seller: Alberto L. Salome
Date: 08/08/25

104 Governor Dukakis Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Holyoke 120 LLC
Seller: Jar & Realty LLC
Date: 08/13/25

61 Mattawa Circle
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Alex J. Couture
Seller: Zartman, Terry L., (Estate)
Date: 08/08/25

512 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Marie E. Dedesarmes
Seller: Bernardino Alvarez
Date: 08/13/25

27 Winter St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $369,000
Buyer: Emily G. Hill
Seller: Ronald J. Comeau
Date: 08/07/25

WENDELL

32 West St.
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Jennie Goldfarb
Seller: Kathleen M. Swaim
Date: 08/14/25

WHATELY

171 Haydenville Road
Whately, MA 01039
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Cristina Lucin
Seller: Kyle Jarvis
Date: 08/07/25

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

99 Cherry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $372,000
Buyer: Brett M. Fila
Seller: Stephen R. Pacitti
Date: 08/07/25

135 Cooper St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: S. & K. Food LLC
Seller: Ralph Santaniello
Date: 08/12/25

99 Elizabeth St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $905,000
Buyer: James Kayrouz
Seller: Thomas P. Gallagher
Date: 08/15/25

4 Haskell St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Daniel Walsh
Seller: Nicholas J. Biuso
Date: 08/08/25

28 Hastings St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Steven G. Hall
Seller: Pietro A. Abruzzo
Date: 08/15/25

155 Liberty St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Igor Kolomin
Seller: Longtrail TR
Date: 08/07/25

Mill St., Lot A
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Anatoli Kondratiouk
Seller: Jerome Richard
Date: 08/14/25

Mill St., Lot B
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jcs Properties LLC
Seller: Jerome Richard
Date: 08/13/25

491 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Rivers
Seller: Daniel R. Rivers
Date: 08/07/25

76 Redwood Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Abdulbaset M. Hasan
Seller: Joseph R. Lynch
Date: 08/04/25

109 South Park Ter.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $362,900
Buyer: Jared W. Durocher
Seller: Alan R. Duprey
Date: 08/15/25

49 South St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $264,758
Buyer: Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC
Seller: Richard T. Grover
Date: 08/15/25

567-569 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Vilma Y. Hernandez
Seller: Elias Family LP
Date: 08/13/25

171 White Fox Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $419,000
Buyer: Christine A. Byrne
Seller: Peter Lacamera
Date: 08/08/25

BLANDFORD

106 Main St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $212,167
Buyer: J. Sperry Realty LLC
Seller: Stephanie M. Nichols
Date: 08/11/25

75 Russell Stage Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Jeremy Weaver
Seller: Bethany D. Letourneau
Date: 08/04/25

BRIMFIELD

53 7th St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Sharon Mikaelian-Vlk
Seller: Phyllis D. Kelly
Date: 08/05/25

104 Allen Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Benjamin C. Tubo
Seller: Donald S. Pillsbury RET
Date: 08/14/25

391 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Donald Doucette
Seller: Anton A. Prenneis
Date: 08/15/25

135 East Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Tony A. Canestrari
Seller: Brian C. McGann
Date: 08/04/25

CHESTER

45 Middlefield Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Yakov Kronrod
Seller: Joy L. Salvini
Date: 08/14/25

CHICOPEE

58 Ames Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Kck Real Estate LLC
Seller: Jordyn M. Conway
Date: 08/12/25

16 Amherst St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Karolina Weagle
Seller: Julie M. Murphy
Date: 08/08/25

39 Briere Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $2,079,276
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: S-H-R-T
Date: 08/06/25

29 Casino Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Monalisa T. Smith
Seller: Cig4 LLC
Date: 08/15/25

36 Chateaugay St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Kmak LLC
Seller: Sharon Cox
Date: 08/14/25

46 Dakota Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $2,079,276
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: S-H-R-T
Date: 08/06/25

35 Dejordy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Michael V. Kulisz
Seller: Cheryl A. Desroches
Date: 08/11/25

121 Donlyn Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Mitzi C. Lewis-Douglas
Seller: Brian M. Hickey
Date: 08/15/25

24 Driscoll St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Timothy Foley
Seller: Andre J. Talbot
Date: 08/15/25

5 Duprat Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Elaine R. Cote
Seller: Donna Teehan
Date: 08/13/25

3 Graham Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $317,000
Buyer: Alberto L. Molina
Seller: Veteran Stan LLC
Date: 08/05/25

42 Jacob St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Emily Woods
Seller: Justine R. Jaworski
Date: 08/15/25

37 Kimball St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: JoeJoe Properties LLC
Seller: Harry Rolon
Date: 08/06/25

17 Labelle Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Custom Home Development Group LLC
Seller: Radwanski, Frederick P., (Estate)
Date: 08/12/25

48 Laclede Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Kendra Paquette
Seller: Shawn C. Runyon
Date: 08/05/25

13 Louise Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Richard Bernard
Seller: Joseph B. Lavato
Date: 08/14/25

1072 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Daniel Taupier
Seller: George S. Teixeira
Date: 08/15/25

116 Muzzy St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Jacob S. Parrott
Seller: Caitlyn R. Reese
Date: 08/05/25

580 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Drew Balderston
Seller: Patricia C. Smalley
Date: 08/08/25

38 Nye St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $303,000
Buyer: Jessica Melero
Seller: Matthew Richard
Date: 08/07/25

112 Sherman Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Scott A. Czapienski
Seller: John W. Czapienski
Date: 08/15/25

70 Watson St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Markus R. Rodriguez
Seller: Mary M. Gelinas RET
Date: 08/11/25

EAST LONGMEADOW

165 Braeburn Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Nga V. Ngo
Seller: Joseph Trivisonno
Date: 08/06/25

38 Country Club Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $715,000
Buyer: Hunter Shea
Seller: David C. Fazzino
Date: 08/15/25

78 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Pro Olive LLC
Seller: Heal, Kenenth A., (Estate)
Date: 08/05/25

84 Hanward Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $214,261
Buyer: Vrmtg Asset TR
Seller: Lawrence Richards
Date: 08/12/25

213 Kibbe Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Seller: Robert, Armand Joseph, (Estate)
Date: 08/15/25

211 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Timothy G. Jansson
Seller: Paul S. Marchese
Date: 08/15/25

HAMPDEN

61 East Longmeadow Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Timothy Dion
Seller: Jessika Arcouette
Date: 08/08/25

37 Genevieve Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $518,000
Buyer: John Wajdula
Seller: Gerrit J. Devries
Date: 08/05/25

474 Glendale Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Chamber Investment Group LLC
Seller: Denise M. Tilli-Johnson
Date: 08/04/25

189 Scantic Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: David E. Rosso
Seller: Lori A. Cummings
Date: 08/07/25

16 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $685,000
Buyer: Belmont Avenue RT
Seller: 16 Somers Road LLC
Date: 08/13/25

HOLLAND

11 Hamilton Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Michele B. Hoey
Seller: Jonathan Weaver
Date: 08/15/25

32 Stony Hill Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Jennifer Ribeiro
Seller: Audrey B. Leighton LT
Date: 08/07/25

HOLYOKE

494 Appleton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,770,724
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: S-H-R-T
Date: 08/06/25

124 Chestnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Mass. International Festival Of Arts Inc.
Seller: Donald A. Shewchuk
Date: 08/05/25

44 Congress Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: James Bell
Seller: Gabriella Phelan
Date: 08/15/25

23-25 Dexter St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,079,276
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: S-H-R-T
Date: 08/06/25

246 East Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Cfc Development LLC
Seller: 3 Harps LLC
Date: 08/04/25

232 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $388,000
Buyer: Chapeaurouge Investors LLC
Seller: Pah De3 LLC
Date: 08/06/25

4 Faille Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Juan C. Gonzalez
Seller: Manuel Diaz
Date: 08/04/25

61 Fairfield Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Paulo J. Oliveira
Seller: Brandice Rafus-Brenning
Date: 08/13/25

30 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Stanislaw Provost
Seller: Chalmers Jr., Thomas E., (Estate)
Date: 08/13/25

81 Lynch Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Tanairy Feliciano
Seller: Michael D. Morin
Date: 08/15/25

198 Mountain View Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Kelsie Bacon
Seller: Marc F. Marinello
Date: 08/08/25

1817 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,079,276
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: S-H-R-T
Date: 08/06/25

11 Roosevelt Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Dina Flemati
Seller: Patricia A. Carlson
Date: 08/06/25

179 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Ryan Randall Realty LLC
Seller: Donald J. Haberman RT
Date: 08/07/25

22 Vadnais St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Donoghue
Seller: Roger D. Donoghue
Date: 08/13/25

44 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Michael L. Brouillette
Seller: Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC
Date: 08/07/25

LONGMEADOW

237 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Vikas Arora
Seller: Robert E. Girvan
Date: 08/05/25

927 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Connor Dendieval
Seller: Marc J. Zerbe
Date: 08/04/25

207 Hazardville Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Ruslan Goldman
Seller: Al-Tahoun TR
Date: 08/13/25

82 Knollwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $604,000
Buyer: Rachel Rosenberger
Seller: Hannah Volk
Date: 08/14/25

36 Lees Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $680,000
Buyer: Robert E. Girvan
Seller: Arnold H. Vogel
Date: 08/05/25

153 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $429,000
Buyer: Bernard Sanvie
Seller: Janis R. Creeger
Date: 08/13/25

44 Meadowbrook Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $686,000
Buyer: Duane A. Farley
Seller: Ralph C. Elder
Date: 08/08/25

236 Williamsburg Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Chelsea P. Tolley
Seller: Alfred Z. Liu
Date: 08/11/25

LUDLOW

31 Armand St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Jennifer Jorge
Seller: Katie J. Leary
Date: 08/07/25

47 Americo St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Deven K. Collignon
Seller: Alzira Lopes
Date: 08/15/25

141 Barna St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $187,300
Buyer: Kristen L. Currier
Seller: Gail Daniele
Date: 08/08/25

25 Bluegrass Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Erin K. McCullough
Seller: Brian D. Hite
Date: 08/07/25

172-174 Cedar St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $244,321
Buyer: Arpc LLC
Seller: Donna M. Andre
Date: 08/08/25

49 Crest St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $302,500
Buyer: Nadir Palantino
Seller: Trevor J. Lewicki
Date: 08/11/25

52 Gaudreau Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $321,600
Buyer: Joshua Dayton
Seller: Podsadowski, Elaine A., (Estate)
Date: 08/05/25

33 Grimard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $165,250
Buyer: Ushokoledi RT
Seller: Robichaud, Lisa A., (Estate)
Date: 08/15/25

82 Laroche St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Rina N. Le
Seller: Randy C. Kulis
Date: 08/08/25

6 McLean Pkwy.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Kathleen Parker-O’Toole
Seller: Elena C. Caldeira
Date: 08/05/25

69 Michael St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Palmira Ferreira
Seller: Barbara Rivette
Date: 08/14/25

132 Prokop Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Henrique M. Bastos
Seller: Mary E. Walker
Date: 08/14/25

111 Spring Meadow Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $775,000
Buyer: Lori A. Lewicki
Seller: Agostino Calheno
Date: 08/14/25

136 Vienna Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Stephanie N. Goncalves
Seller: Akehurst Homes LLC
Date: 08/07/25

250 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $1,100,000
Buyer: Sun Construction LLC
Seller: Peter S. Kawie
Date: 08/05/25

MONSON

371 Boston Road W
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Dany Nguyen
Seller: Charles A. Ramadon Sr. RET
Date: 08/15/25

24 Butler Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Raja Ouazzari
Seller: David S. Bracetti
Date: 08/11/25

4 Dunhamtown Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Thomas W. Shumway
Seller: George R. Tower
Date: 08/11/25

8 Whitney Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Jaxnos Properties LLC
Seller: Anita D. Collins
Date: 08/08/25

PALMER

17 Country Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Liza Stacy
Seller: Jeffrey D. Jacob
Date: 08/15/25

1382 Main St., Lot 3
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $467,500
Buyer: Axcam Property LLC
Seller: Demon Deacon Realty LLC
Date: 08/15/25

1382 Main St., Lot A1
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $467,500
Buyer: Axcam Property LLC
Seller: Demon Deacon Realty LLC
Date: 08/15/25

1382 Main St., Lot A2
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $467,500
Buyer: Axcam Property LLC
Seller: Demon Deacon Realty LLC
Date: 08/15/25

1382 Main St., Lot A3
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $467,500
Buyer: Axcam Property LLC
Seller: Demon Deacon Realty LLC
Date: 08/15/25

1098 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Mileski
Seller: Raquel Y. Murphy
Date: 08/08/25

70 Ruggles St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $196,692
Buyer: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Elyzza F. Blatchley
Date: 08/12/25

377 Wilbraham St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Dany Nguyen
Seller: Charles A. Ramadon Sr. RET
Date: 08/15/25

RUSSELL

6 Blandford Stage Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: J. Sperry Realty LLC
Seller: Dane A. Graves
Date: 08/15/25

SPRINGFIELD

73 Abbe Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Claudio Madeira
Seller: Nathaly Rodriguez
Date: 08/15/25

1566 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $2,079,276
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: S-H-R-T
Date: 08/06/25

14 Aster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Pedro Flores-Baez
Seller: Post Investment LLC
Date: 08/08/25

49 Bamforth Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Bobby Cheng
Seller: Karen I. Rogers
Date: 08/08/25

18 Blaine St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Kck Real Estate LLC
Seller: Raymond Crane
Date: 08/12/25

5 Blueberry Hill St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $278,575
Buyer: Shantelle Wills
Seller: Ronald L. Dion
Date: 08/08/25

171 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Nicolas J. Rienzo
Seller: William Rivera
Date: 08/12/25

667 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Chad Vanwingerden
Seller: Angelo Deguglielmo
Date: 08/12/25

144 Bristol St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $288,750
Buyer: Fernado L. Ortiz
Seller: Anthony R. Mazza
Date: 08/12/25

25 Burnside Ter.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kali A. Freeman
Seller: Freeman, Wayne Allen, (Estate)
Date: 08/08/25

40 Byers St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Dalin Ou
Seller: Gallant LT
Date: 08/15/25

61 Caitlin Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Umar Chaudhry
Seller: Diamond RT
Date: 08/07/25

224 Cambria St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Engel F. Rodriguez
Seller: Nga N. Van
Date: 08/06/25

58 Champlain Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Shea M. Farrow
Seller: John Wynne
Date: 08/08/25

482 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Onyx Investments LLC
Seller: Naples Home Buyers TR
Date: 08/13/25

226-228 College St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Elias De Castro
Seller: DB Investments and Property LLC
Date: 08/04/25

56 Colonial Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Nickolas D. Menezes
Seller: Numeri Capital Investors LLC
Date: 08/13/25

137-139 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Alexia T. Escribano
Seller: Hoang K. Nguyen
Date: 08/12/25

71 Daviston St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: Samantha Walter
Seller: Matthew Fallon
Date: 08/13/25

779 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Joanne Skala
Seller: Elizabeth A. Aguayo
Date: 08/06/25

128 Drexel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jonathan A. Irizarry
Seller: Richard Roos
Date: 08/14/25

159 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Joniel P. Rivera
Seller: Carmen J. Santos
Date: 08/08/25

7 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Yelitza R. Centeno
Seller: Christian S. Carmona
Date: 08/08/25

92 Firglade Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Wilma Babayco
Seller: Indira D. Lalak
Date: 08/15/25

32 Greenleaf St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Dambar Sunuwar
Seller: Christian M. Henriquez
Date: 08/05/25

509-511 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $497,000
Buyer: Tatiana Rodriguez
Seller: VLS Home Builders LLC
Date: 08/14/25

175 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Logan Wingate
Seller: Michelle L. Bennett
Date: 08/11/25

42-44 Harvey St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Tyrone Miranda
Seller: Vieira Family Properties LLC
Date: 08/06/25

24 Higgins St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Winston S. McLean
Seller: Holly J. Denis
Date: 08/15/25

106 Homestead Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Darian S. Garner
Seller: Homestead J&T LLC
Date: 08/15/25

8-10 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Maxime Langlois
Seller: Carlos Morales
Date: 08/06/25

86 Lakevilla Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $223,920
Buyer: Alp Properties LLC
Seller: Gordon S. Morgan
Date: 08/08/25

16 Laurel St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Juan Liriano
Seller: Carmelo Vega-Hernandez
Date: 08/12/25

18 Lawton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: P&R Investments LLC
Seller: Alice M. Force TR
Date: 08/13/25

181 Lebanon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Ricardo V. Cordova
Seller: Melvin Rodriguez
Date: 08/11/25

172 Mallowhill Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Jeanne A. Whaley
Seller: Taylor Tran
Date: 08/08/25

17 Manhattan St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Roselande Datus
Seller: Casa Bonita Apts. LLC
Date: 08/13/25

10 Monroe St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Melquisedez G. Rodriguez
Seller: Alexandra Fortich
Date: 08/08/25

209 Morton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Pierre Keu
Seller: Debra Watson
Date: 08/05/25

24 Oakwood Ter.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Rhodaja Shubrick
Seller: Marvenia Shubrick
Date: 08/08/25

45 Olney Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Jacqueline A. Dion
Seller: Birgit T. Garcia-Guerra
Date: 08/08/25

81 Osborne Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: Virjinett Placeres-Ortiz
Seller: FH Vision Inc.
Date: 08/07/25

27 Overlook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Amber McKay
Seller: Linda Sullivan
Date: 08/15/25

1362 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Jessica Burkel-Lazic
Seller: Better Builders Construction LLC
Date: 08/14/25

18 Pascal Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: R.&R. Home Improvement & Remodelling
Seller: Guadalupe M. Defriedson
Date: 08/04/25

37 Pennsylvania Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Zulmy A. Zepeda
Seller: Derek Chandonnet
Date: 08/08/25

265 Pheland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Bryan J. Garcia Ramos
Seller: Carmen R. Rodriguez
Date: 08/05/25

147 Quaker Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Sophie Parquet
Seller: Cig2 LLC
Date: 08/08/25

76 Regal St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jake J. Falcone
Seller: Sarah Ragonese
Date: 08/08/25

60 Ringgold St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Nexus Apartments LLC
Seller: Naples Home Buyers TR
Date: 08/04/25

175 Riverton Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Dalizbeth River-Szczypien
Seller: Luping Pell
Date: 08/08/25

107 Rollins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Allison L. Jette
Seller: Jewell FT
Date: 08/04/25

195 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Edwin A. Ortiz
Seller: Stephan P. Turoczy
Date: 08/15/25

214 Spear Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Barbara Tanco
Seller: Luis Collazo
Date: 08/13/25

782 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Dariana Crisostomo
Seller: Cig4 LLC
Date: 08/14/25

17-19 Tacoma St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Edwin A. Lopez
Seller: Mary T. Callaghan
Date: 08/04/25

107 Valley Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Alfredo Wilson
Seller: Matthew J. Foley
Date: 08/04/25

55 Ventura St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Deborah L. Weitkunat
Seller: Karen Slezak
Date: 08/13/25

88 Washburn St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Dingle Fullerton
Seller: Wun M. Suen
Date: 08/15/25

77 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: JoeJoe Properties LLC
Seller: Christopher G. Rondeau
Date: 08/12/25

118-120 Westford Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Maria R. Mercedes
Seller: Little Eagle LLC
Date: 08/14/25

39-41 Wilcox St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Riccardo G. Albano
Seller: Milan Property Group LLC
Date: 08/08/25

1075-1077 Worcester St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Anthony Bixby
Seller: Duarte S. Henriques
Date: 08/05/25

45 Wrona St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $255,430
Buyer: Guild Mortgage Co. LLC
Seller: Alisa Troncoso
Date: 08/15/25

SOUTHWICK

25 Davis Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Jacob Dugard
Seller: Berthiaume, Charles G., (Estate)
Date: 08/08/25

8 Field St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Tyler E. Richmond
Seller: Kenneth S. Nielsen
Date: 08/06/25

1 Lexington Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $710,000
Buyer: Julie Carmody
Seller: Linda L. Afonso
Date: 08/15/25

11 Lexington Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Allyson W. Lopez
Seller: Karrie Ford
Date: 08/06/25

24 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $445,138
Buyer: Glenn Billings
Seller: National Residential Services Inc.
Date: 08/08/25

24 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $445,138
Buyer: National Residential Services Inc.
Seller: Robert D. Brodhagen
Date: 08/08/25

TOLLAND

233 Fox Den Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: William Benedetto
Seller: David A. Stone
Date: 08/15/25

WALES

11 Bayside Dr.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Derek Gromko
Seller: Robert A. Hatch
Date: 08/15/25

11 Grove Point Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $610,000
Buyer: W. & Sandra Perkins LT
Seller: Kathleen Andre
Date: 08/12/25

165 Monson Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Colby Duverger
Seller: Lynda St.Germain
Date: 08/14/25

15 Sichols Colony Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Richard J. Josselyn
Seller: Dawn D. Gilliatt
Date: 08/12/25

WESTFIELD

East Mountain Road, Lot 2
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: Nazar A. Vasilchenko
Seller: Michael P. Dupuis
Date: 08/11/25

East Mountain Road, Lot 4
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Stefan Mita
Seller: Michael P. Dupuis
Date: 08/12/25

68 Hagan Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Alexsandr Rafalskiy
Seller: Christopher Paquette
Date: 08/06/25

162 Meadow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Eric J. Holt
Seller: Jason Valles
Date: 08/15/25

247 Munger Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $685,000
Buyer: Michael Bednaz
Seller: Michael J. Davis
Date: 08/07/25

148 Northwest Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Stanley Lashtur
Seller: Bryan W. McFarland
Date: 08/11/25

24 Old Feeding Hills Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $457,537
Buyer: Savier M. Pagan
Seller: Aleksandr Gitsman
Date: 08/04/25

54 Rachael Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $775,000
Buyer: Austin T. Lyne
Seller: Sara S. Mahoney
Date: 08/04/25

1058 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $369,000
Buyer: Jacquelyn E. Wolf
Seller: Saad Q. Mohammed
Date: 08/15/25

9 Sherman St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Joshua Hnatiuk
Seller: Judith A. Lennon
Date: 08/12/25

40 Skipper Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: William Lyle
Seller: Kimberly M. Hall
Date: 08/13/25

127 Steiger Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $397,500
Buyer: Elizabeth C. Ouimette
Seller: Melissa L. Campana
Date: 08/15/25

55 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Alexander Hall
Seller: Sandra J. Wood
Date: 08/08/25

50 West School St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Paige Hollander
Seller: 50 West School St. Land Trust
Date: 08/07/25

76 Wildflower Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Jonathan F. Chretien
Seller: Susan E. Kelley
Date: 08/06/25

WILBRAHAM

2589 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: 2589 Boston Road LLC
Seller: Redasi Holdings Inc.
Date: 08/15/25

2597 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: 2589 Boston Road LLC
Seller: Redasi Holdings Inc.
Date: 08/15/25

2599 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: 2589 Boston Road LLC
Seller: Redasi Holdings Inc.
Date: 08/15/25

9 East Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Kurt MacDonald
Seller: Samuel B. Everett
Date: 08/11/25

28 Eastwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: David Coughlin
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 08/14/25

188 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Nut Bucket Two TR
Seller: Michael C. Gouin
Date: 08/11/25

4 Mirick Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: David C. Herminghuysen
Seller: Lorraine N. McMahon
Date: 08/11/25

25 Ruth Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Paul S. Marchese
Seller: Eric E. Tyburski
Date: 08/15/25

WEST SPRINGFIELD

9 Abigaile Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $707,000
Buyer: Toralben P. Patel
Seller: Brian G. Signet
Date: 08/05/25

76 Adrian Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: William Raleigh
Seller: Jonathan M. Higgins
Date: 08/15/25

96 Craiwell Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Hannah Kearing
Seller: Amanda E. Somers
Date: 08/12/25

16 Fairview Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Oxana Gavel
Seller: Wolf Of Westside LLC
Date: 08/13/25

51 Glenview Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Amber Wheeler
Seller: Tianyi Zhou
Date: 08/13/25

151 Labelle St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Alyssa A. Demers
Seller: Igor Kolomin
Date: 08/07/25

882 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $1,300,000
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: Michael J. Veillette
Date: 08/13/25

903 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $1,300,000
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: Michael J. Veillette
Date: 08/13/25

42 Myron St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: 2025 LLC
Seller: Chandler Holdings LLC
Date: 08/08/25

54 Myron St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $2,200,000
Buyer: 2025 LLC
Seller: Robin C. Taylor LLC
Date: 08/08/25

66 Myron St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $2,200,000
Buyer: 2025 LLC
Seller: Robin C. Taylor LLC
Date: 08/08/25

176 North Blvd.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Vivian Azums
Seller: Alyaa H. Saleh
Date: 08/08/25

50 Oleander St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Jenna Stetson
Seller: Juli Thibault
Date: 08/13/25

694 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Amanda E. Conway
Seller: Gieng B. Du
Date: 08/12/25

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

116 High St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: Srinivas Loke
Seller: Simon C. Leutz
Date: 08/13/25

53 Iduna Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $805,000
Buyer: John D. Barry TR
Seller: Frank M. Gatti RET
Date: 08/15/25

8 Kingman Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $592,500
Buyer: Jeremy A. Lignori
Seller: Joanne H. Shea
Date: 08/05/25

95 Larkspur Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $835,000
Buyer: Nicholas F. Osborne
Seller: Matthew P. Linn
Date: 08/11/25

Market Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Kelvy Bird
Seller: Damon R. Bosetti
Date: 08/04/25

7 Moss Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Robert G. Sullivan
Seller: Jiamin Li
Date: 08/14/25

36 Railroad St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Porter Ft
Seller: Frank H. Thornton
Date: 08/15/25

BELCHERTOWN

111 Aldrich St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Michael Gouin
Seller: Pamela J. Martins
Date: 08/11/25

86 Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Amber Carr
Seller: William J. Matthews
Date: 08/05/25

248 Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Edward Perez
Seller: Justin T. Serpone
Date: 08/12/25

24 Azalea Way
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Dong Yu
Seller: Elaine Lanouse RET
Date: 08/15/25

Cold Spring Road, Lot 2
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Daniel L. Smith
Seller: Valthea McGee Fry RET
Date: 08/07/25

15 Country Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Steven S. Alves
Seller: Clara B. Crandall
Date: 08/14/25

91 Gulf Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $353,500
Buyer: Sianna Plavin
Seller: Pratt, Christine A., (Estate)
Date: 08/15/25

6 Pease Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: John J. Montesi
Seller: Nicholas F. Osborne
Date: 08/11/25

32 Sarah Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Kristina Tran
Seller: Liyaudeen A. Sulaiman
Date: 08/08/25

CHESTERFIELD

85 Damon Pond Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Melvin Rodriguez
Seller: Thomas A. Lemire
Date: 08/12/25

11 Farmhouse Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Nicole K. Redmond
Seller: William A. Carey
Date: 08/12/25

CUMMINGTON

224 Berkshire Trail
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Miranda Hughes
Seller: James Saunders
Date: 08/15/25

EASTHAMPTON

7 Gaston St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $376,000
Buyer: Jean Burger
Seller: Tammy L. Mullen
Date: 08/04/25

6 Oakridge Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Nicole Jenkins
Seller: Robert G. Labrie
Date: 08/08/25

GOSHEN

71 South Main St.
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Norman E. Boutwell
Seller: Paul E. Bacon RET
Date: 08/11/25

GRANBY

131 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Britton McLeavy
Seller: Mel Cheal
Date: 08/04/25

115 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jack Clark
Seller: Dominic Ruggieri
Date: 08/05/25

96 Cold Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Zachary A. Corriveau
Seller: Katherine MacLennan
Date: 08/05/25

HADLEY

5 Adare Place
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $945,000
Buyer: Parul Amin
Seller: Albert J. Steppi
Date: 08/15/25

HATFIELD

121 Depot Road
Hatfield, MA 01066
Amount: $502,500
Buyer: Alister R. Shanks
Seller: Matthew R. Szczepanek
Date: 08/06/25

55 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Elizabeth N. Clarks
Seller: Thomas J. Wickles
Date: 08/15/25

HUNTINGTON

204 Norwich Lake
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $437,000
Buyer: Melissa K. Mutter
Seller: Leta Herman
Date: 08/07/25

 

NORTHAMPTON

13 Cherry St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $685,000
Buyer: Ann Doran
Seller: Daniel K. Edwards FT
Date: 08/15/25

39 Fair St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $505,689
Buyer: Ram D. Lakhani
Seller: Stella Pang
Date: 08/12/25

26 Finn St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $534,900
Buyer: Kristin Leutz
Seller: Daisy Farm Propertiers LLC
Date: 08/14/25

7 Glenwood Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Onstar Properties AA LLC
Seller: Stephen J. Cahillane
Date: 08/08/25

19 Hatfield St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $548,000
Buyer: Clare C. Okubo
Seller: Marian Bzdel
Date: 08/14/25

15 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Erik T. Knerr
Seller: Clare Doyle
Date: 08/06/25

203 State St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Madeleine M. Adams
Seller: Rachel J. Currie-Rubin
Date: 08/15/25

9 Union St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: MMS Realty Holdings LLC
Seller: Richard P. Marsh
Date: 08/07/25

101 Washington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,300,000
Buyer: Mark J. Esposito
Seller: Mikey Toledano
Date: 08/15/25

60 Williams St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Wesley Janssen
Seller: Piech, Helena, (Estate)
Date: 08/04/25

94 Williams St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $511,000
Buyer: Rasif B. Rafiq
Seller: Ricki D. Clark
Date: 08/08/25

130 Woodland Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Judith A. Ferber
Seller: Appletree LLC
Date: 08/15/25

PELHAM

166 Packardville Road
Pelham, MA 01007
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Alina S. Bryden
Seller: Dimiero Investment LLC
Date: 08/14/25

PLAINFIELD

344 Main St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Andrew A. Inglis
Seller: 344 Main St. Plainfield NT
Date: 08/14/25

SOUTH HADLEY

25 Bartlett St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Oscar Alvarez-Pinguil
Seller: Kenneth M. Ittner
Date: 08/06/25

136 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Nicole Didomenico
Seller: 136 East St. LLC
Date: 08/15/25

606 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Tammy L. Mullen
Seller: Matthew G. Bohl
Date: 08/05/25

18 Hollywood St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $333,601
Buyer: Pedro Rios
Seller: Scott Family Properties LLC
Date: 08/06/25

2085 Memorial Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $247,750
Buyer: EH Home Solutions Realty LLC
Seller: Rocket Mortgage LLC
Date: 08/12/25

146 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Orion Farm Properties LLC
Seller: Francis M. Croke
Date: 08/11/25

14 Silverwood Ter.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $915,000
Buyer: Scott B. Lee
Seller: Quentin Amrani
Date: 08/14/25

45 Spring St., Ext.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $409,300
Buyer: Salimar C. Mercado
Seller: Robert L. Dunning
Date: 08/15/25

13 West Cornell St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Jason Gagnon
Seller: Luke Trahan
Date: 08/14/25

WARE

21 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Bousquet
Seller: Allyson Ridz
Date: 08/08/25

314 Palmer Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Dembkoski
Seller: Dominick Lee
Date: 08/06/25

51 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Melinda L. Dennis
Seller: Michael F. Matondi
Date: 08/04/25

28 W. Main St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Cembura Lt
Seller: Beverly A. Sullivan
Date: 08/06/25

SOUTHAMPTON

7 Hawthorne Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $520,000
Buyer: K. M. Zavras-Bentrewicz
Seller: Kenney, Dianne F., (Estate)
Date: 08/15/25

WARE

8-10 Aspen St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $128,149
Buyer: Citigan Mortgage Loam TR
Seller: Mark S. Majka
Date: 08/13/25

392 Monson Turnpike Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: James Ko
Seller: Marley Clark
Date: 08/15/25

9 Old Poor Farm Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Susan Fry
Seller: Laurie K. Racine
Date: 08/13/25

WESTHAMPTON

334 Southampton Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $710,000
Buyer: Molly A. Hogan
Seller: Maren E. Buck
Date: 08/04/25

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of August 2025.

EASTHAMPTON

Porvenir LLC
100-106 Cottage St.
$22,000 — Add two rooms to existing space for cosmetic procedures, add electrical outlets, install two sinks

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
126 Main St.
$15,345 — Attic weatherstripping and insulation, add bath fan to gable/roof

HADLEY

W/S Hadley Properties II LLC
337 Russell St.
N/A — Repair/replace existing signage

LEE

Don Hunter
10 Park Place
$10,000 — Install 12 vinyl windows

LENOX

CACLB Properties
22 Walker St.
$60,000 — Convert existing space from residential back to manufacturing/industrial

PITTSFIELD

A. Leo Nash Realty LLC
99 Hawthorne Ave.
$115,650 — Tuckpoint large section of brick wall

Berkshire Fund Inc.
48 Elizabeth St.
$17,450 — Repair doors

Berkshire Medical Center Inc.
725 North St.
$89,000 — Interior alterations to reconfigure existing ultrasound room to X-ray room

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
44 Bank Row
$9,000 — Kiosk, coffee shop

The Cooper Center LLC
116 North St.
$17,961 — Repair damaged awning

Dan Fox Drive Pittsfield LLC
1 Dan Fox Dr.
$391,586 — Roofing

Premium Water Inc.
1505 West Housatonic St.
$43,319 — Quality control lab renovation, including, removal of existing finishes; installation of new walls, flooring, ceilings, and door; and modification and reinstallation of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler, and HVAC systems

ServiceNet Inc.
717 Crane Ave.
$48,875 — Underground pipe to feed new sprinkler system

WESTFIELD

Beaver Lake Realty LLC
47 Westfield Industrial Park Road
$52,500 — Construct break room in existing warehouse space

Columbia Manufacturing
21 Cycle St.
$120,000 — Furniture showroom

Devcon Shops LLC
457 East Main St.
$6,560 — Remove partition walls

Double Play Properties LLC
225 East Main St.
N/A — Fire alarm system

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
35 Bartlett St.
N/A — Replace existing interior and exterior doors, install new partitions and doors

Santander Bank
30 Elm St.
N/A — Change of use from bank to antique mall

Zap Realty LLC
181 Notre Dame St.
$77,000 — Remodel existing office space

State Awards $911,000 for Local Clean Energy Projects

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced $911,000 in grants to support clean energy initiatives across Massachusetts. This funding, administered by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) through the Regional Energy Planning Assistance (REPA) program, will allow 11 regional planning agencies to provide essential technical assistance to 143 cities and towns to plan and implement clean energy projects.

Three of the grants are going to Western Mass. agencies: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission ($79,000), Franklin Regional Council of Governments ($81,000), and Pioneer Valley Planning Commission ($140,700).

“When we invest in local clean energy projects, we help our communities lower energy bills and reduce pollution,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said. “This program gives cities and towns the tools they need to plan and act. That means cleaner air, lower costs, and stronger neighborhoods across Massachusetts.”

DOER Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony added that “this funding provides valuable support to under-resourced municipalities and catalyzes regional projects. We’re proud to help our cities and towns build the knowledge and expertise they need to plan and complete clean energy projects. These projects boost local economies, lower energy costs, and create healthier, more resilient communities.”

This funding is designed to help communities achieve Green Communities Program designation and assist current green communities with the management and expansion of their clean energy efforts. Local clean energy projects cut energy use and save taxpayer dollars by reducing the cost of local government. The grants will also enable municipalities to collaborate on regional clean energy projects and improve emissions reduction planning.

An important part of the program is training for local energy managers and volunteer committees. By enhancing local expertise, communities will be better equipped to propose and review energy projects tailored to their needs.

Family Story Night at HCC to Highlight Adult Education and Literacy Week

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — In recognition of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, Holyoke Community College (HCC) Chief of Police Jacqueline Robles will read the children’s classic Harold and the Purple Crayon during Family Story Night at the college on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Sponsored by HCC’s Marieb Adult Learner Success Center, Family Story Night will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. inside the Parent Learning Center (Frost 269) and in the hallway outside on the second floor of the Frost Building. In addition to the book reading, which will be conducted in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language, there will be arts and crafts for kids, pizza and other snacks, free school supplies, plus an opportunity for student parents to connect with representatives from HCC student support programs.

The purpose of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week (Sept. 15-19) is to promote awareness about the importance of adult education and family literacy.

Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Springfield, Robles is a graduate of Holyoke High School and has been a member of the HCC Police Department for 22 years. With her promotion from sergeant, she became the first Latina to serve as HCC police chief and the first Latina police chief in Massachusetts.

Last spring, she was named a Commonwealth Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. On Friday, Sept. 12, she will be honored by the Springfield Puerto Rican Day Parade Committee at a kickoff breakfast at Wyckoff Country Club in Holyoke, and on Sunday, Sept. 14, she will march in the Springfield Puerto Rican Day Parade as the 2025 Civil Service Ambassador.

Irish Delegation to Visit Springfield Museums on Sept. 11

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Museums will host a press conference with tourism industry leaders at the Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 11:30 a.m., highlighting the growing cultural partnership between Western Mass. and Ireland’s County Kerry.

Scheduled to speak are Kerry Mayor Michael Foley; Lorcán Ó Cinnéide, manager of the Blasket Island Heritage Centre; Explore Western Mass President Mary Kay Wydra; and Springfield Museums President Kay Simpson.

Also in attendance will be Angela Baily, deputy mayor of Tralee; Tommy Griffin, deputy chairperson for Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne/Dingle Peninsula; Angela McAllen, Kerry County Council deputy chief executive, director of Finance, and manager of the Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne/Dingle Peninsula Municipal District; and Niamh O’Sullivan, Kerry County council director of Economic & Community Development and manager of Tralee Municipal District.

Following the press conference, the group will take in traditional Irish music performed by fiddler Jeanne Freeman, director of the Connecticut Academy of Irish Music. She will be joined by two-time All-Ireland champion Patrick Hutchinson on uilleann pipes, Claudine Langille on mandolin, and Dan Ringrose on vocals and guitar, as they present traditional instrumental music and songs from Ireland, including songs about the Irish experience of emigration. The performance is presented as part of Springfield Museums’ weekly lecture series, Museums a la Carte, which recently kicked off its 46th season.

In September 2024, Springfield Museums and the Office of Public Works of Ireland announced a partnership exploring the development of exhibitions, educational resources, and community events that enrich and promote the deep and enduring ties between Western Mass. and County Kerry.

bankESB Honored Again as One of Massachusetts’ Most Charitable Companies

By
Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB announced it has been recognized by the Boston Business Journal with the 2025 Corporate Citizenship Award, reaffirming its status as one of Massachusetts’s most charitable companies.

This marks the 11th consecutive year bankESB has earned this recognition, an acknowledgment of the bank’s deeply rooted commitment to community support through both financial contributions and volunteerism.

Central to bankESB’s philanthropic framework is its signature charitable giving initiative, the Giving Tree. Through this program, bankESB champions a range of community needs, supporting food security, affordable housing, education, veteran services, youth sports, and more throughout the cities and towns it serves.

“We’re so proud to be recognized as a good corporate citizen because that’s exactly what we strive to be,” said Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB. “We truly believe in unlocking the potential of the communities we serve and that we can enhance everyone’s quality of life if we work to solve our biggest problems — together.”

Over the past decade, the Giving Tree has donated more than $4 million to area nonprofits. In 2024 alone, the program contributed nearly $515,000, and this year’s initiatives — including seasonal food pantry drives and local education grants — continue to strengthen local institutions and impact lives.

This year, 99 companies qualified for distinction as Top Charitable Contributors by reporting at least $100,000 in cash contributions to Massachusetts-based charities last year. The honorees this year include companies from such industry sectors as financial and professional services, healthcare, technology, retail, and professional sports.

Westfield Bank Donates $10,000 to Behavioral Health Network’s Kamp for Kids

By
Daily News

Kevin O’Connor, chief operating officer for Westfield Bank, presents a $10,000 check to Steve Winn, president and CEO of Behavioral Health Network, along with members of both organizations.

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank donated $10,000 to the Behavioral Health Network Kamp for Kids to help support its summer camp, a six-week program that brings together children with and without disabilities, tackling fun activities and events.

“The Behavioral Health Network is pleased to be able to offer the Kamp for Kids program for families and youth in Westfield and surrounding communities,” said Steve Winn, president and CEO of Behavioral Health Network. “We are incredibly grateful to Westfield Bank for their generous support of the Kamp, which is celebrating its 50th year of hosting campers of all abilities.”

Behavioral Health Network is a regional provider of comprehensive behavioral health services for adults, children, and families, serving more than 38,000 individuals annually at more than 40 locations across Massachusetts. Their Kamp for Kids program brings together children and youth from ages 5 to 22, promoting a summer camp experience that includes art, health, nature, non-competitive sports, and other fun activities.

“We are proud to continue supporting this remarkable organization,” said James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank. “We applaud the Kamp’s 50 years of impactful work, creating opportunities for youth to grow, connect, and thrive.”

Friends of the North Leverett Sawmill Presents Fall Art Show at Leverett Library

By
Daily News

NORTH LEVERETT — An exhibit of artwork inspired by the North Leverett Sawmill and its environs will be on display at Leverett Library throughout September and October. A public reception, hosted by Friends of the North Leverett Sawmill, the nonprofit behind the show, will be held at the library from on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

The exhibition, titled “Art & Crafts Inspired by the 1774 North Leverett Sawmill,” will feature the work of dozens of professional and aspiring artists, including some Pioneer Valley favorites. Paintings, etchings, photographs, and sculpture will be on view, along with fabric art, collage, sketchbook drawings, and digital art.

“The historic mill, its working components, and environs have been inspiring artists for at least a century,” said Cynthia Baldwin, who co-curated the show with fellow board member Steven Stroud. “This is exemplified by the show’s 1930s etchings by Frank Waugh, the founder of the University of Massachusetts School of Landscape Architecture.” Other historic works include a 1947 oil painting by Stephen George Maniatty and sculptures by Lloyd Kirley, the mill’s last private owner.

Many of the exhibit’s works were displayed inside the sawmill in June as part of a one-day launch event for the adjacent heritage park and nature trail. Developed in partnership with the town of Leverett and encompassing 4.6 acres of land along the Sawmill River, the park represents the first phase of the nonprofit’s larger effort to preserve and document the region’s early industrial heritage and make the site publicly accessible for recreational and leisure activities.

Friends of the North Leverett Sawmill has received grants from the National Park Service, Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, town of Leverett, and Greenfield Cooperative Bank to rehabilitate the historic sawmill for adaptive reuse as a museum and community space. Once completed, exhibits and programming will focus on industrial New England from the 18th to 21st centuries.

To learn more about the sawmill project or make a donation, visit leverettsawmill.org.

UMassFive’s Gary Talbot Recognized by MassHousing Mortgage Program

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Daily News

Gary Talbot

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union is celebrating mortgage loan officer Gary Talbot’s recognition as a silver level MassHousing loan originator for FY 2025.

UMassFive became an approved MassHousing lender in 2023, and in his first year, Talbot was recognized at the Bronze Level. Advancing to Silver this year reflects not only his dedication to serving UMassFive members, but also the strong momentum of a program that is making a meaningful difference for homebuyers across Massachusetts.

MassHousing, an independent agency established in 1966, provides financing for affordable housing throughout the Commonwealth. Its programs offer valuable tools such as down payment assistance, affordable loan terms, and unique mortgage insurance. FY 2025 marked a record-breaking year for MassHousing, with 3,768 loans funded.

“Homeownership is a huge part of our members’ feeling of financial well-being,” Talbot said. “MassHousing has become my go-to option to recommend to members who qualify. It’s incredibly helpful for first-time buyers navigating what is often a tough market.”

While not everyone may be eligible for MassHousing loans, Talbot encourages anyone thinking about financing a home in Massachusetts to find out if they are eligible. “These benefits are more accessible than one might think,” he added.

The MassHousing program offers down payment assistance up to $30,000; loans with affordable rates, fixed for the life of the loan; and MIPlus, a unique mortgage insurance that includes job loss protection. MassHousing has already helped more than 90,000 Massachusetts residents buy a home in the Commonwealth.

Bay Path University Named Among Best Bang for the Buck Colleges

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Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University has been ranked sixth in Massachusetts and 42nd in the Northeast on Washington Monthly’s list of Best Bang for the Buck Colleges.

The publication, described as an independent media organization based in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1969 on the mission “to preserve democracy and champion good governance through honest journalism and thoughtful commentary.” Schools are ranked according to how well they help students from less affluent backgrounds attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.

Washington Monthly calculates its rankings based on several factors: access for non-wealthy students, affordability for families with incomes below $75,000, student debt upon graduation, and both academic and financial outcomes for graduates.

“This is a great list to be on, and we thank the Washington Monthly for taking a modern approach to college rankings that reflects the experiences of the majority of today’s students and the goals of the institutions that serve them,” Bay Path President Sandra Doran said. “Our mission has always been to provide an innovative, career-focused education to learners for whom a college degree is transformative — personally, professionally, and financially. We’re committed to making that education affordable and accessible, and to giving our learners the skills and knowledge that lead to growth-oriented, in-demand jobs.

“For many colleges, like Bay Path, our guiding principles are to expand access, increase opportunities, and strengthen the support we offer our learners,” Doran added. “We see prestige in a mission that recognizes the talents and potential of all learners who have the drive to go further.”

Holyoke Community College’s 24-hour Theater Festival Returns Sept. 20

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — The annual Phillips Festival, an evening of short plays written, directed, and staged in 24 hours by Holyoke Community College (HCC) alumni, students, staff, and friends, returns on Saturday, Sept. 20 for its eighth year.

The festival raises money for the Leslie Phillips Theater Fund for Arts and Education, honoring the legacy of Leslie Phillips, founder of the HCC theater program.

To produce the Leslie Phillips Festival, HCC alumni, students, staff, and friends register to participate as writers, directors, actors, or members of the stage crew. This year, writers will meet with the actors on Friday, Sept. 19, the night before the show, to receive props, prompts, and character assignments. They have until 6 a.m. the next morning to write their plays. Two hours later, actors and directors meet for day-long rehearsals.

All the original plays will be performed that evening, Sept. 20, starting at 7:30 p.m., but the festivities begin at 6 p.m. in the theater lobby with a green carpet pre-show with alumni, friends, and fellow theater lovers.

Funds raised from the festival enable the HCC Theater Department to hold master classes, make capital improvements, and hire guest artists.

“The Phillips Theater Festival is a wonderful celebration of creativity, connection, and community,” said Natalia Castagno, HCC’s assistant director of Alumni Relations. “It offers our theater alumni a meaningful way to stay engaged with HCC while also inviting local artists and supporters to help inspire and uplift the next generation of performers. The festival is a wonderful way to support the arts at HCC and carry on the legacy of one of HCC’s most beloved mentors.”

To participate in the festival as a writer, actor, director, or stagehand, register at hcc.edu/phillips-signup or email Terry Hegarty at [email protected]. Festival tickets can be purchased in advance at hcc.edu/phillips-2025 or at the door. General admission tickets are $15, or $10 for students and seniors. All proceeds benefit the Leslie Phillips Theater Fund for Arts and Education.