BusinessWest Staff, Author at BusinessWest

Construction Sections

Varied Landscape

David Fontaine Jr. says Fontaine Bros. has a good mix of new construction and historic renovation work lined up.

The building industry has travelled a tough road in its efforts to recover from the Great Recession, with mostly modest improvements in business volume amid ever-mounting competition for available work. But in recent months, the skies have become brighter, and most builders are expressing real optimism that the better times are real and have some staying power.

It’s easy to notice major commercial construction projects underway during the summer, and this year is no exception. Business is booming, and local companies say they are doing well — one is actually having a record year — but competition is stiff, and it takes a good track record to get hired in today’s market.

“Business has been very good,” said David Fontaine Jr., vice president of Fontaine Bros. Inc. in Springfield. “The market is very competitive, but we have gotten our fair share of business over the last few years. We’ve been consistently busy and have work lined up on the books that is a good mix of new construction and historic renovation.”

Eric Forish, president of Forish Construction Co. Inc. in Westfield, said his company has also been fortunate. “The past two years have been our best out of 70 years in business, and the forward momentum is continuing,” he told BusinessWest.

But he says it takes a lot to win a bid. “A company has to have a multitude of strengths and share the customer’s expectations; they want a safe job site, quality, and performance, and these things, coupled with excellent customer service, have been our priorities.”

Although Keiter Builders Inc. in Florence has been very busy and has a number of projects underway, it is also aware of the high level of competition and what it takes to prevail in a contest for a job.

“The bids have been very close on the last half-dozen jobs we won; we were within a few percentage points of our competitors,” said company President Scott Keiter. “The owners are creating their short lists of candidates based on reputation; then it’s all about the numbers.”

However, the firm deliberately searches for challenging and complex projects.

“We truly enjoy them, whether they involve creating an observatory or a new restaurant. We’re good at complex undertakings; they keep us on our toes,” Keiter said, adding that he started his business eight years ago in the depths of the recession, but has done well. “Everything keeps going in the right direction, we are proud of our work, and we’re growing.”

Stephen Greenwald, president of Renaissance Builders in Gill, says there is considerable work available across the board in residential, industrial, and commercial sectors.

“We’re busier than we were last year and have work through the beginning of next year,” he said, noting that it used to be like that 10 years ago, but hasn’t been that way for a long time.

The type of work the company handles varies; about 50% to 60% is commercial, 30% is residential, and 10% to 15% is industrial, although the numbers change from one year to the next, and Greenwald agreed that landing jobs is highly competitive and a number of factors enter into the equation.

“Margins are still slim, but one of the reasons is that materials continue to go up in price,” he told BusinessWest. “But since the recession ended, business has steadily gotten better.”

However, Forish networks with many local, regional, and national firms and noted this year is unusual: some contractors are busy, while others are not. He doesn’t know why, but noted that, “historically, election years create a degree of angst.”

Different Landscapes

Fontaine said his company is frequently hired to do construction management.

“We help throughout the design process and are involved long before the actual construction work begins,” he said, explaining that the firm works in conjunction with the architect and owners, helps with the budget, and makes sure the job starts on time and stays on budget.

Most projects are several years in duration, and landing them is no easy feat.

“There are a lot of really qualified large and small companies bidding on projects, and we’re definitely seeing more companies with a national reach coming into the area,” Fontaine said. “We focus on our relationships with our clients, and the success of our projects keeps us busy. But we live and die based on our reputation and our continuing results. In our business, you can’t take a day off. You have to consistently do your best to get and keep clients.”

Eric Forish (standing) spends a moment with Michael Oakes at Super Brush in Springfield, where Forish Construction Co. is putting on a 12,000-square-foot addition.

Forish agrees. “We’re always looking to take on new work. You can’t sit on your laurels; we’re constantly challenged to find new opportunities and markets,” he said. “If you’re good at what you do, every day you’re completing work, so you need to find new jobs. You have to keep going; you can’t assume that things will stay steady in any industry.”

Fontaine Bros. has a number of projects that were recently completed as well as ones that are underway or in the planning stages. It recently finished a historic renovation of the 100,000-square-foot, $33 million Shrewsbury Public Library that involved keeping the front of the building and adding 40,000 square feet, and it’s finishing a new elementary school in Athol.

Local work includes the $55 million Pope Francis High School being built by the Diocese of Springfield on the grounds of the former Cathedral High School on Surrey Road in Springfield that suffered extensive damage during the 2011 tornado.

“The project is in the final design stages, and we expect to break ground in September,” Fontaine said, adding that many people have wondered when the work will begin and don’t understand how much has to be done behind the scenes before construction can start.

“It’s a great project for us, and will put a lot of local people to work. I’m happy to see the school being rebuilt,” he added. The undertaking will take two years from start to finish, and the school is expected to open in September 2018.

Fontaine Bros. is also working on the MGM casino parking garage in Springfield; construction is underway, and concrete was being poured at the time of the BusinessWest interview.

“We partnered with Tishman Construction, and it’s great to be included in the project,” Fontaine said. “We’re excited about being part of the revitalization of the city and appreciate the fact that Tishman and MGM sought participation from local contractors and tradespeople.”

The majority of work Fontaine Bros. handles involves ‘green’ building, and many of its projects are LEED- or Massachusetts CHPS-certified. The company has been ranked as one of the Top 100 Green Contractors by the Engineering News-Record for the past few years.

Forish has also been busy. Over the past year, the company completed the new Sarat Ford and Sarat Lincoln auto dealerships in Agawam and the Marcotte Commercial Truck Center in Holyoke, put on a large addition at Astro Chemicals in Springfield, and most recently completed the Curry Nissan dealership in Chicopee and a new $6.5 million senior center in Westfield.

Projects underway include the $3.5 million PVTA Pavilion in Westfield, a 30,000-square-foot addition to Hillside Plastics in Turners Falls, a 12,000-square-foot addition at Super Brush in Springfield, and a multitude of jobs at UMass Amherst.

Keiter has a varied portfolio that includes a number of residential construction projects, and the firm is putting additions on a number of homes and building a few new ones in the Northampton area. However, about 80% of its work is commercial, and the roster includes a number of jobs at Smith College. The work includes a large window-and-door installation on the president’s house, a large dormer addition on a classroom building, and a renovation to another building to accommodate a gluten-free kitchen.

The firm is also handling a major renovation of the Alumni Gym at Amherst College, which houses its athletic operations.

“We’re very diverse, and also have a site division that does a lot of earthwork, which is a fast-growing part of our business,” Keiter said, adding that the firm began doing excavation and site work about three years ago.

Last year the company also completed a number of jobs at Smith College. It finished a telescope observatory in McConnell Hall, put a new roof on the building, and made mechanical upgrades; repurposed space to create a scientific drone research room in Bass Hall for the Science Department; and did a good deal of office-renovation work. Is also handled a buildout for an attorney’s office in Northampton and created a new restaurant (ConVino) in the basement of Thornes Marketplace in Northampton, which required completely changing the layout of the space.

Renaissance Builders also has a large, diverse portfolio. Last year, the company completed a major church renovation in Greenfield, a significant renovation of an apartment building in Northampton, another major renovation of a food-distribution company’s warehouse in Hatfield, and an addition for a commercial cabinet maker in Northfield. And on the residential side, it built two new homes in Chesterfield and Montague.

“Earlier this year, we did a large historical renovation in downtown Turner’s Falls, and right now we’re doing a renovation in Gardner for a service company,” said Greenwald. “We’re also building a day-care center and doing renovations at a private school in Northfield, and renovating a chain of tire stores in multiple locations.”

Future Forecast

Forish attributes his company’s success to the dedication of his employees, but said the company’s longevity poses its own set of challenges.

“We have a supervisor and general manager who both have 30 years of experience who are retiring, a tradesman with 25 years who is retiring, and two others who were recently recognized for 40 years of service who could retire,” he said. “Being a strong, mature company has its advantages, but it also creates challenges when you need to replace people. We’re always looking for motivated individuals to join our Forish family.”

Although it’s impossible for commercial construction companies to predict what the future will hold, Forish and other company spokesmen say this year looks like it will be a good one.

“But it’s always difficult to tell how much is due to the economy versus the typical busy summer, so we’re always looking ahead,” Keiter said.

Still, Greenwald noted that the economy in Western Mass. seems to be holding its own. “Businesses are putting money into expansion and infrastructure improvements, which I interpret to mean they are doing well; we see it as a positive sign.”

One that should contribute to a stellar season as local commercial construction companies not only hold their own, but thrive in a competitive environment where attention to detail and reputation makes a world of difference.

Union Station Project Chugs Toward Its Destination

Construction Sections

Finishing Work

Union Station’s Grand Hall awaits the final touches to its restoration.

As he talked about the massive, $88.5 million Union Station redevelopment project, Richard Fairbanks made early and frequent references to its many stages, the critical sequencing of its various components, and the formidable challenge of handling this work while partnering with — and dealing with — a veritable alphabet soup of agencies and stakeholders.

They range from CSX, the transportation giant that runs trains through the facility, to the SRA (Springfield Redevelopment Authority), which owns the property, to MassDOT (Mass. Department of Transportation), which is essentially calling most of the shots.

“With most projects, you have a few agencies to deal with, but mostly it’s the customer, and things are much simpler,” said Fairbanks, project manager with Holyoke-based Daniel O’Connell’s Sons, which is handling the project, citing, as one example, the expansion of the Sr. Mary Caritas Cancer Center, which O’Connell built for the Sisters of Providence Health System. “Here, it gets really, really complicated with all those entities.”

‘Complicated’ is probably the best adjective to describe this project, which has been, in some respects, three or even four decades in the making — that’s how long the 90-year-old station, built by the Boston & Albany Railroad, has been mostly vacant — but is now approaching the proverbial end of the line.

Well, in most respects, as we’ll see.

Indeed, the 377-space parking garage has taken shape with interior infrastructure work still to complete; the bus-berth area (there will be 27 bays for inter-city and intra-city buses) is nearing completion; and the long-anticipated work to return the interior of the station, and especially the so-called Grand Hall, to its former glory is entering its final stages, with framing completed and work on the finishes set to start.

Richard Fairbanks says the Union Station project is complicated by its many stages and myriad stakeholders.

Meanwhile, work on the large commercial spaces above and around the Grand Hall is continuing, said Kevin Kennedy, Springfield’s chief development officer and long-time driver of the project, adding that these areas are approaching the ‘white-box’ stage, from which it can build out to suit tenants’ needs and desires.

“Everything is pretty much on track,” he said, borrowing terminology from the industry to describe the pace of progress. “Things are taking shape on schedule.”

But some of the work will not be done on schedule, due in large part to two more of those seemingly endless acronyms — in this case the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration).

The former requires six feet of space on either side of the so-called headhouse on a rail platform (the structure at the top of the stairway to the platform and the elevator), and the latter recently refused to grant a waiver for the renovated Union Station and its planned five and a half feet of space.

So it’s back to the drawing board in the real sense of that phrase, Kennedy said, adding that new designs, funded by MassDOT, will be drafted, and the platform should be completed about a year from now.

But the station itself and the complex’s many components, from the parking garage to the bus berths, will be completed on schedule by the end of this year, with the landmark due to celebrate what should be a grand opening — or reopening, to be more precise — next January.

Fairbanks, who succeeded Bob Aquadro as project manager earlier this year, has been with O’Connell for nearly 30 years, and has a number of large projects on his résumé, including the new courthouse in Taunton and work at Yale University, including a renovation of a music facility that is in many ways similar to the Union Station endeavor, right down to the terrazzo floor.

Most of his recent work has been in the 413 area code, including the cancer center expansion and an addition to the women’s correctional facility in Chicopee.

While he’s only been project manager on Frank B. Murray Way for several months, he knows the full history of the project, and said this initiative, which started more than four years ago, has been more complex than most because of its many stages, intertwined players at the local, state, and federal levels, and the unforeseen problems that come with working on a building opened a year before Charles Lindberg flew across the Atlantic.

“You try to capture everything on the drawings before the project is bid,” he explained, “but when you get on the job, you find things that weren’t on the drawings, and that leads to change orders.”

An architect’s rendering of the renovated Union Station.

The primary challenge, though, is coordinating all the various steps in this project so that the work can proceed smoothly and without interruption, efforts that were helped by a mild, relatively snowless winter that enabled the parking garage to go up seemingly overnight.

“This is essentially five projects in one — there are a lot of steps,” he said, listing the terminal, platform, parking garage, bus berths, and the extremely complicated process of waterproofing the terminal and tunnel that connects it to the platforms.

“This is a difficult process because it all has to be sequenced,” he said of the waterproofing work, which began months ago and is ongoing. “The trains can never stop, so you can’t take all the tracks out at once.”

But there is light at the end of that tunnel — figuratively, but also literally — and light in the tunnel as well.

Indeed, as he walked and talked with BusinessWest while giving a tour of the construction site, Fairbanks pointed to the terrazzo floor in the terminal — perhaps the most celebrated original surviving element of the station (most of the original wooden benches that were due to be part of the restoration were reported stolen under mysterious circumstances).

“This will be the last stage,” he said, noting that a firm that specializes in the restoration of such floors will start its work when virtually everything else is done.

And it will be a fitting finishing touch, he said, noting that it will represent the capstone (at least when it comes to the terminal) of a project that has been historic in every sense of that word.

— George O’Brien

Building Permits

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2016.

AGAWAM

Liqori Plaza, LLC
831 Springfield St.
$48,000 — Renovations

Sabrina’s Pizzeria
557-559 Springfield St.
$3,875 — Renovations

AMHERST

Cyrano Properties LLC
18 Kellogg Ave.
$7,485 — Add half bath

PCJ Riverside Partners LLC
19 Montague Road
$15,000 — Fixtures and cabinets

Stavros Center For Independent Living
210 Old Farm Road
$25,000 — Replace two rooftop cooling units

Slobody Development Corp.
7 Pomeroy Lane Unit 4
$4,500 — Paint, add classroom sink, clean carpet

HADLEY

Big Y Express
75 Russell St.
$180,000 – New metal shingled roof on convenience store & carwash. New hardie board siding on C-store and car wash

The Mocha Emporium
367 Russell St.
$6,000 — Remodeling and installation of coffee counters

Modestow LLC
251 Russell St.
$13,400 – Install new ADA compliant shower unit & install new foot lockers, demo existing kitchen

Pearson Hadley LLC
380 Russell St.
$20,500 – Construction of one hard-walled office & one 9-foot long partition wall

LUDLOW

Blue Water Sushi
221-223 East St.
$6,500 — Fire-suppression System

Dialysis Center of Ludlow
14 Chestnut Place
$18,300 — Roof repairs

Europa
782 Center St.
$25,000 — Alterations

WESTFIELD

City of Westfield
22 Franklin Ave.
$5,250 — Frame in 20’ x 26’ library

Devon Shops LLC
457 East Main St.
$9,195 — Interior Renovations

Meridian Transport Company
9 Flower St. Ext.
$1,250,000 — Erect new 12,000-square-foot office building

Rock Steady Real Estate LLC
815 North Road
$40,000 — Remodel existing office space & add bathroom

Savage Arms Inc.
100 Springdale Road
$1,150,000 — Construct new test firing range inside Savage Arms facility

WEST SPRINGFIELD

99 Restaurant & Pub
1053 Riverdale St.
$30,000 — Cosmetic changes, remove non-structural wall

Camp Webber
79 Great Plains Road
$7,000 — Repair pool house/first aid roof

Hospitality Restaurant
9778 Main St.
$6,000 — Renovations

Mansfield Paper Bldg. 2
380 Union St.
$10,000 — Repair block wall and loading dock door

Taco Bell
298 Memorial Ave
$59,600 — Exterior changes to facade

Real Estate Transactions

Departments 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

BUCKLAND

19 Stone Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Murdock
Seller: Joseph E. Murdock
Date: 06/03/16

CHARLEMONT

192 Main St.
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Lori Shulda-Merrigan
Seller: Margaret L. Simos
Date: 06/06/16

COLRAIN

429 Main Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $127,900
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Frederick B. Pike
Date: 06/01/16

DEERFIELD

31 Elm Circle
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Marya C. Santos
Seller: Susan B. Bronstein
Date: 05/31/16

73 Mill Village Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Cheryl A. Harris
Seller: US Bank
Date: 06/03/16

84 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $302,550
Buyer: Kimberly D. Snyder
Seller: Marlene L. Sanderson
Date: 06/10/16

GREENFIELD

114 Birch St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Nathaniel B. Hussey
Seller: Robert E. Wainstein
Date: 06/06/16

345 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $172,200
Buyer: Steven P. Brunette
Seller: Barber, Joyce A., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/16

74 Crescent St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Karen T. Renaud
Seller: Deborah Keisch
Date: 06/03/16

96 Highland Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $476,800
Buyer: Louis S. Ruvolo
Seller: Wendell D. Wyatt
Date: 06/01/16

118 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $131,355
Buyer: Melissa A. James
Seller: Diane L. West
Date: 05/31/16

99 Maple St.
Greenfield, MA 01376
Amount: $157,900
Buyer: Peter Lapa
Seller: Pioneer Coop of Franklin County
Date: 05/31/16

64 Orchard St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: James K. Grinwis
Seller: Martha D. Tobin
Date: 06/08/16

33 Phillips St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Mary E. Underdown
Seller: Peter C. Underdown
Date: 06/01/16

6 Silver Crest St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: William R. Kostanski
Seller: Timothy E. Graves
Date: 06/06/16

HEATH

56 Avery Brook Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Melissa J. Durrin
Seller: Randall Cobb INT
Date: 06/06/16

LEVERETT

58 Number 6 Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Robert D. Kieras
Seller: Stanley W. Modrzakowski
Date: 05/31/16

34 Teawaddle Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Thaddeus W. Jarowski
Seller: Robert L. Hinckley
Date: 06/02/16

LEYDEN

39 Frizzell Hill Road
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Angie L. Reynolds
Date: 06/10/16

MONTAGUE

10 Crescent St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Tobey
Seller: MHFA
Date: 05/31/16

42 Dell St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Samantha J. Kain-Call
Seller: Samantha L. Chabot
Date: 06/10/16

85-85B Greenfield Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Michael W. Tutun
Seller: Derick G. Picking
Date: 06/10/16

3 Randall Wood Dr.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Felix Ramos
Seller: James K. Newkirk
Date: 06/06/16

94 South Prospect St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Tyler G. Hobbs
Seller: Bryan G. Hobbs
Date: 06/01/16

NEW SALEM

361 Petersham Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Norwood
Seller: Tina Barnicle
Date: 06/10/16

106 South Main St.
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $343,300
Buyer: Richard C. Nicoll
Seller: Douglas C. Guarino
Date: 06/07/16

NORTHFIELD

13 Glenwood Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $175,250
Buyer: Spencer W. Gowan
Seller: Livingstone, Dorothy L., (Estate)
Date: 06/01/16

ORANGE

76 Chase St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Kerwin J. Cross
Seller: David M. Moynihan
Date: 06/09/16

85 Oak Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Dell C. Stuvick
Seller: Andrei Agapov
Date: 06/01/16

234 Oxbow Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Timothy E. Matthews
Seller: Pablo Perea
Date: 06/07/16

14-18 Pleasant St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Steven Hickey
Seller: M. Ward RT 1
Date: 06/09/16

SHUTESBURY

7 Baker Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $491,500
Buyer: Jeffrey R. Lacy
Seller: Wendy Pearson
Date: 06/06/16

19 Kettle Hill Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Jane W. Couperus
Seller: Linda J. Repasky
Date: 06/02/16

15 Merrill Dr.
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $202,500
Buyer: Talib Sadiq
Seller: Freeman W. Albertson
Date: 06/08/16

202 Pelham Hill Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Marie S. Barham
Seller: Amy Beth
Date: 05/31/16

542 West Pelham Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Tonio J. Sagan
Seller: Aaron J. Kater
Date: 05/31/16

SUNDERLAND

27 Meadowbrook Dr.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $249,550
Buyer: Kelly A. Ziomek
Seller: Aaron R. Lorenz
Date: 06/06/16

207 Montague Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Mass. Conservation and Recreation
Seller: Franklin Land Trust Inc.
Date: 06/03/16

46 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: 46 Old Amherst LLC
Seller: Rgink LLC
Date: 06/01/16

19 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: Frontier Properties LLC
Seller: Kathy L. Ryan
Date: 06/01/16

WARWICK

95 Chase Hill Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Caroline Carrithers
Seller: Elan D. Sicroff
Date: 05/31/16

88 Hastings Heights Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $316,600
Buyer: Steven E. Snyder RET
Seller: Ivy Conover Santos TR
Date: 06/10/16

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

41 Abbey Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $386,000
Buyer: Michael A. Gamelli
Seller: Marc D. Gendron
Date: 05/31/16

390 Barry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Beaudry
Seller: Mirella Manna
Date: 05/31/16

231 Coyote Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Renato A. Mapua
Seller: Christopher A. Freda
Date: 06/03/16

16 Edgewater Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Robert A. Casamento
Seller: Andrea Hedlund
Date: 05/31/16

24 Edgewood Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Alice S. Cormier
Seller: Judy A. Stieg
Date: 06/10/16

6 Fordham Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Christopher Bonci
Seller: Heather-Jill K. Williams
Date: 05/31/16

30 Halladay Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Steven P. Merhar
Seller: George E. Gendreau
Date: 05/31/16

35 Hayes Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Sean M. Duclos
Seller: Margaret J. Dane
Date: 06/07/16

44-46 James Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Muhammad Razzaq
Seller: Kevin A. Ritchie
Date: 06/06/16

1327 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Michael A. Coughlin
Seller: Christopher Rice
Date: 06/09/16

33 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Justin Piascik
Seller: John G. Kudlic
Date: 06/08/16

337 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Raymond E. Snow
Seller: Robert J. Consedine
Date: 06/10/16

1057 North St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: James P. Cool
Seller: Michael A. Gamelli
Date: 05/31/16

1122 North St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Peter A. Wiernasz
Seller: Kraus, David M., (Estate)
Date: 06/09/16

54 Raymond Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $154,600
Buyer: Dmitriy Vasilchenko
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 06/09/16

182 Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Roth
Seller: William N. Beaudry
Date: 06/09/16

BRIMFIELD

49 7th St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Glenn S. Welch RET
Seller: Julie E. Gerrish
Date: 06/01/16

CHESTER

86 Maynard Hill Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: William F. Murray
Seller: Curtis S. Gezotis
Date: 06/06/16

CHICOPEE

107 7th Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Timothy D. Roberts
Seller: Spencer R. Hart
Date: 06/03/16

68 Blanchwood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Cameron M. Szczygiel
Seller: Lee J. Hannah
Date: 06/01/16

9 Boisvert St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: J. Figueroa-Morales
Seller: Citibank
Date: 06/09/16

52 Boucher Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $174,600
Buyer: Lauren Skinner
Seller: FNMA
Date: 06/08/16

45 Boulay Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Buyer: Kevin P. Hogan
Seller: John M. Macnaught
Date: 06/09/16

125 Boutin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Diane S. Haskell
Seller: Gerald R. Labonte
Date: 06/08/16

20 Chapin St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Belz
Seller: Robert N. Massaro
Date: 06/01/16

37 Charpentier Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Leonardo Rodriguez
Seller: Carlos E. Soto
Date: 05/31/16

231 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Campagnari Construction
Seller: Campagnari Construction
Date: 06/03/16

384 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Chelsea K. Yvon
Seller: Michael Crevier
Date: 06/10/16

69 Francis St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Dziel
Seller: Jolynne M. Kruzel
Date: 06/07/16

1297 Granby Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Dawn M. Jones
Seller: Irene Allyn
Date: 06/03/16

23 Lemuel Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Debbie A. Wheeler
Seller: Thomas J. Batchelor
Date: 05/31/16

43 Loomis Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $183,500
Buyer: Lisandra Gonzalez
Seller: Yiannacopoulos, George, (Estate)
Date: 05/31/16

42 Lukasik St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Richard Wilson
Seller: Waycon Inc.
Date: 06/03/16

1979 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Jin M. Li
Seller: Real A. Rouillard
Date: 05/31/16

127 Monroe St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Carlos E. Soto
Seller: Kapinos, T. L., (Estate)
Date: 05/31/16

184 Moore St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Jeffrey R. Peters
Seller: Bryan D. Stadnicki
Date: 06/07/16

33 Olivine St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Luis M. Ortiz
Seller: Erick M. Santana-Colon
Date: 06/07/16

21 Rzasa Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: William Wright
Seller: Timothy J. Nadeau
Date: 06/03/16

122 State St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jaimie Waterman
Seller: Jason A. Brazee
Date: 06/06/16

33 Wintworth St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $134,500
Buyer: Ashley M. Brickhouse
Seller: Rehome Properties LLC
Date: 06/03/16

140 Woodlawn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Melinda Barnes
Seller: Mark Zolendziewski
Date: 06/03/16

EAST LONGMEADOW

22 Colony Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: Christopher J. Edwards
Seller: Scott D. Silloway
Date: 05/31/16

30 Mill Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: William F. Croken
Seller: Michael Carabetta
Date: 06/01/16

193 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Mohammad A. Khan
Seller: Aniello Carannante
Date: 06/07/16

Pembroke Terrace
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Blake E. Andrews
Seller: Christopher D. McKinnon
Date: 06/03/16

569 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Briana M. Perkins
Seller: Edith C. Buckley
Date: 06/10/16

2 Ridge Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Natasha T. Conti
Seller: John J. Doyle
Date: 06/09/16

120 Smith Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Britney L. Tryba
Seller: Morean, Henry R., (Estate)
Date: 06/03/16

GRANVILLE

462 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $258,900
Buyer: Gary R. Edbrooke
Seller: Barbara Greene
Date: 06/03/16

41 Sodom St.
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $234,900
Buyer: Matthew Halla
Seller: Rodger J. Sandsmark
Date: 06/01/16

HAMPDEN

34 Meadow Brook Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Vince C. Torchia
Seller: Richard F. Kelly
Date: 05/31/16

59 Meadow Brook Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: George A. Romano
Seller: George A. Romano
Date: 06/03/16

155 Mountain Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: Mark E. Omalley
Seller: Thaddeus A. Comeau
Date: 05/31/16

HOLLAND

117 Butterworth Ext.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: David Ponte
Date: 06/08/16

53 Island Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jeremy Beu
Seller: Margaret Triumfo
Date: 06/09/16

17 Williams Lane
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Sean R. Higgins
Seller: Romie Goulart
Date: 05/31/16

HOLYOKE

44 Arden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Daniel E. Cahillane
Seller: Shirley A. Leary
Date: 05/31/16

36 Bray Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Christine M. Kaleta
Seller: Robert T. Foran
Date: 06/01/16

233 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $188,800
Buyer: Elizabeth M. Martin
Seller: Jarrid L. Kendall
Date: 06/02/16

23 Magnolia Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Maria DelaTorres
Seller: Lisa B. Ballard
Date: 05/31/16

356 Mackenzie Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Tourigny
Seller: Ian M. Guenette
Date: 06/06/16

75 Magnolia Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Chad Grise
Seller: Ronald R. Authier
Date: 05/31/16

47 Memorial Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Donna A. Powers
Seller: 47 Memorial Drive LLC
Date: 06/03/16

1205 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Josephine D. Tittle
Seller: Arthur W. Mason
Date: 06/02/16

1789 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $369,000
Buyer: Five Sticks LLC
Seller: Robert L. Jubinville
Date: 06/01/16

130-132 Oak St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Estrella Orengo
Seller: Richard Harty
Date: 06/10/16

346 Race St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Ralph Thompson
Date: 06/01/16

6 Sequoia Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $279,245
Buyer: Sharon Szostkiewicz
Seller: David G. Breveglerei
Date: 06/01/16

635-637 South Summer St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Iglesia De Dios Pentecost
Seller: Donald D. Miele
Date: 06/10/16

22 Vermont St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Joseph W. Bevins
Seller: Kathleen M. Conlin
Date: 06/01/16

47 View St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Kathryn M. Averill
Seller: Brian Donoghue
Date: 06/08/16

141 West King St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $346,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. King
Seller: Kerry T. O’Sullivan
Date: 06/03/16

12 Willow St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: Daniel Barnes
Seller: Donna A. Powers
Date: 06/03/16

67 Yale St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $294,638
Buyer: Heath P. Naquin
Seller: Mary S. Reynolds
Date: 05/31/16

LONGMEADOW

277 Ardsley Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $770,000
Buyer: Jason T. Pananos
Seller: Bruce Suchy
Date: 05/31/16

76 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $369,900
Buyer: John A. Eisler
Seller: Lisa A. Dailey
Date: 06/10/16

135 Dover Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $391,000
Buyer: Michael A. Shemin
Seller: Michael J. Keating
Date: 06/06/16

178 Edgewood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Lisa Dailey
Seller: Joseph M. Lataille
Date: 06/10/16

379 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $166,500
Buyer: Marcus C. Imes
Seller: Donald Overson
Date: 06/10/16

121 Meadow Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Green
Seller: Foundation Investors Inc.
Date: 06/03/16

82 Tecumseh Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Jason M. Paine
Seller: Ian L. Goldsmith
Date: 05/31/16

239 Williamsburg Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Andrew C. Bauer
Seller: Donald H. Damour
Date: 05/31/16

69 Willow Brook Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $380,500
Buyer: Lee Shinoda
Seller: Irma B. Schwartz
Date: 06/07/16

58 Yarmouth St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Karl Schuhlen
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 06/02/16

LUDLOW

734 Alden St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Tiffany Duchesne
Seller: William C. Halcott
Date: 05/31/16

21 Arbor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Diane L. Bourgoin
Seller: Laurent V. Bourgoin
Date: 06/02/16

Dinis St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $128,900
Buyer: Stephen A. Lafond
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 05/31/16

1170 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Michael Destefano
Seller: Maria C. Pereira
Date: 06/06/16

501 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Jaroslaw T. Kudla
Seller: Olga Lozyniak
Date: 06/06/16

64-66 Oak St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $182,900
Buyer: Mario G. Carneiro
Seller: Nancy M. Rodrigues
Date: 06/03/16

46 Vienna Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Sean Stack
Seller: Brunelle, Ernest G., (Estate)
Date: 06/07/16

MONSON

16 Boston Road, East
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Kathleen L. Foley
Date: 06/08/16

17 Crest Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Debra A. Gagner
Seller: Laurent R. McDonald
Date: 06/10/16

10 Hospital Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Marlene A. Halcott
Seller: David S. Roche
Date: 05/31/16

239 Hovey Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: James S. Beniamino
Seller: Mark Ziolkowski
Date: 05/31/16

171 Moulton Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $152,341
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Anthony J. Dart
Date: 06/03/16

125 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Care For Animals LLC
Seller: Dorsie R. Kovacs
Date: 06/08/16

188 Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $159,920
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Robin T. Heaton
Date: 06/01/16

PALMER

47 Flynt St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Dingman
Seller: Rita H. Pikul
Date: 06/03/16

1076 Overlook Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $153,900
Buyer: Ronald A. Petrain
Seller: Marcelino Alicea
Date: 06/09/16

2057 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $166,796
Buyer: Pennymac Loan Services LLC
Seller: Kenneth Soffen
Date: 06/02/16

172 Shearer St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Dylan J. Bachand
Seller: Anthony Moura
Date: 06/03/16

RUSSELL

1081 Huntington Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Nicholas P. Davis
Seller: Robert A. Vanwart
Date: 06/10/16

SOUTHWICK

27 Eagle St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $480,150
Buyer: Brian B. Beger
Seller: Colin Burns
Date: 06/03/16

8 Gloria Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Henry C. Moreau
Seller: Justin K. Kiefer
Date: 06/10/16

67 Hillside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Shawna A. Sperry
Seller: Charles E. Strong
Date: 06/07/16

16 Woodland Ridge
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Charles M. Jasak
Seller: Michael Rennicke
Date: 05/31/16

SPRINGFIELD

41 Alwin Place
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $372,000
Buyer: Chantal Ayotte
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 06/06/16

100 Anniversary St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Alexis Santiago
Seller: Charles Jasak
Date: 05/31/16

35 Anniversary St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Robert Caudle
Seller: Richard J. Wilson
Date: 06/03/16

39-41 Ashwood St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Joao M. Pereira TR
Seller: Joseph Wurszt
Date: 06/09/16

100 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Kyanna M. Samuels
Seller: Bianca Jackson
Date: 06/10/16

142 Benz St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Sean Bouchard
Seller: Renata B. Lurie
Date: 06/01/16

111 Berard Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Peter A. Varley
Seller: Kevin M. Beaulieu
Date: 05/31/16

249 Bowles Park
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Scott D. Hansen
Seller: Beverly A. Simonet
Date: 05/31/16

117 Bremen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Melanie J. Daly
Seller: Groussis, Andreas G., (Estate)
Date: 06/01/16

47 Brittany Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Luz A. Morales
Seller: Edward J. Leitgeb
Date: 05/31/16

16 Burt Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Rosomer
Seller: AEM Property Investment
Date: 06/09/16

68 California Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Albert A. Shulze
Seller: David J. Hamelin
Date: 06/09/16

19 Calvin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,400
Buyer: Cory J. Blodgett
Seller: Theresa A. Hurley
Date: 05/31/16

1586 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Enrique Burgos
Date: 06/06/16

71 Cornwall St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Hector L. Velez
Date: 06/01/16

163 Croyden Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Veronica Lopez
Seller: Steven A. Montagna
Date: 06/06/16

33-35 Daniel St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Eddie Santiago
Seller: Kevin S. McNamara
Date: 06/03/16

26 Desrosiers St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Jessica Alicea
Seller: Luis Velazquez
Date: 06/03/16

170 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $122,900
Buyer: Melanie I. Diaz
Seller: Anita F. Barrett
Date: 05/31/16

259 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Bryan J. Richton
Seller: Matthew D. Perry
Date: 05/31/16

33 Eckington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Om Khadka
Seller: FNMA
Date: 06/10/16

109 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Jose Monteiro-Luss
Seller: Lancelot Watson
Date: 05/31/16

280 Dutchess St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: David A. Bergeron
Seller: Gerald M. Fitzgerald
Date: 05/31/16

67 Fairfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Otto W. Chambers
Seller: Warren A. Turner
Date: 06/01/16

32 Felicia St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Anthony Serrano
Seller: John Martin
Date: 06/03/16

19 Hope St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Angel L. Laboy
Seller: Roberto Felix
Date: 06/06/16

214 Jeffrey Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,400
Buyer: Webster Bank NA
Seller: Keith E. Kilduff
Date: 06/09/16

71 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Stefanie M. Kro
Seller: Carlos Varela
Date: 06/03/16

255 Laurelton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Denise Mercado
Seller: Roy Properties LLC
Date: 06/01/16

39 Laurelwood Lane
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: Benjamin A. Tanguay
Seller: Cynthia A. Steinbock
Date: 06/06/16

18 Leroy Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $129,061
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Deborah Santoro
Date: 06/07/16

186 Leyfred Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Quimeena K. Thomas
Seller: Roy Properties LLC
Date: 06/10/16

958 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Josephe T. Kyndy
Seller: Peter M. Dion
Date: 05/31/16

43 Lyons St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Tina Blackshear
Seller: Tamara Feliciano
Date: 06/01/16

340 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: Bar South Land Holdings
Seller: Bruce A. Bromley
Date: 06/09/16

26 Manitoba St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Roland A. Guzman
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 06/03/16

19-27 Maple St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Temple Property Group LLC
Seller: Odin Holdings LLC
Date: 06/09/16

52 Marmon Court
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Alyssa L. Bronner
Seller: Katherine L. Fletcher
Date: 06/03/16

1333 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Constance A. White
Seller: Taryn L. Zucco
Date: 05/31/16

53 Pennsylvania Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Lauren E. McFarlane
Seller: Michael R. Grimaldi
Date: 06/07/16

1082 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: Brandon M. Kelly
Seller: FNMA
Date: 06/03/16

54 Prospect St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Myrna Torres
Date: 06/07/16

127-129 Ranney St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $131,250
Buyer: ARJR LLC
Seller: WN Management LLC
Date: 06/03/16

30 Rockland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Boris Maksov
Seller: Ellen Blanco-Tryba
Date: 06/10/16

35 Rogers Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Gabriel L. Santiago-Diaz
Seller: Norberto Sobral
Date: 05/31/16

64 Roy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $119,600
Buyer: Ana M. Sears
Seller: Dorothy Leonard
Date: 05/31/16

230 Russell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Ebony Hopper-Robinson
Seller: Steven Exware
Date: 06/03/16

961 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Fresh Anointing Ministers
Seller: Episcopal Missions
Date: 06/03/16

100 Signal Hill Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $226,500
Buyer: Michael P. Leahy
Seller: Michael Carabetta
Date: 06/10/16

663 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $131,250
Buyer: ARJR LLC
Seller: MEI Management LLC
Date: 06/03/16

61 Tioga St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: S&J Radkowski LP
Seller: Shaun M. Blanchard
Date: 06/06/16

29 Trillium St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Nhan T. Le
Seller: Joel Flecha
Date: 05/31/16

296 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Luis Velez-Plaud
Seller: Christopher J. Edwards
Date: 06/01/16

15 West Crystal Brook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Jon Harden
Seller: Spatz, Florence, (Estate)
Date: 05/31/16

77 Wayne St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Luis A. Ruiz
Seller: Amy B. Dewar
Date: 06/03/16

1576 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Gustavo Figuereo
Seller: Serge E. Ayotte
Date: 05/31/16

79 Willowbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Nikisha McMillian
Seller: Michael A. Salvador
Date: 06/09/16

83-85 Wilmont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $131,250
Buyer: ARJR LLC
Seller: MNL Management LLC
Date: 06/03/16

50-52 Windsor St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $131,250
Buyer: ARJR LLC
Seller: MNL Management LLC
Date: 06/03/16

51-53 Winthrop St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $141,500
Buyer: Peter K. Sacuta
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/31/16

WEST SPRINGFIELD

100 Beacon Hill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Michael J. Macutkiewicz
Seller: William J. Kalenkowitz
Date: 06/10/16

90 Belmont Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Vitaly V. Katykhin
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/31/16

17-19 Day St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Brian J. Kolodziej
Seller: Michael A. Izatt
Date: 06/01/16

64 Forris St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $166,900
Buyer: Alison Chaloux
Seller: Theodore N. Paquette
Date: 06/08/16

86 Garden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $182,900
Buyer: Samantha Sheaffer
Seller: Sean M. Duclos
Date: 06/07/16

143 Garden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Jaafar AlDulabi
Seller: US Bank
Date: 06/03/16

439 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Richard S. Dudley
Seller: Renato A. Mapua
Date: 06/03/16

106 Prince Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Lori A. Ramirez
Seller: Lisa A. Normand
Date: 06/07/16

90 Tatham Hill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Gerald W. Halpin
Seller: Persons, Marion G., (Estate)
Date: 05/31/16

144 Valley View Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Ranstrom
Seller: Ruth Eleris
Date: 05/31/16

47 Wilder Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Thanh Nguyen
Date: 06/01/16

191 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $243,500
Buyer: Kevin E. Pender
Seller: Thomas E. Ranstrom
Date: 05/31/16

WESTFIELD

53 Airport Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Bodacious LLC
Seller: Jarvis Surgical Inc.
Date: 06/08/16

11 Amy Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $274,950
Buyer: Thomas F. Reed
Seller: Corey J. McConnell
Date: 05/31/16

60 Court St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: BHIM Reddy LLC
Seller: 60 Court LLC
Date: 06/01/16

487 East Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: JNR Land Holdings LLC
Seller: John Huang
Date: 06/01/16

66 Foch Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Donald T. Garvey
Seller: Barry Roberts
Date: 05/31/16

30 Forest Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Shea
Seller: Steven M. Boisseau
Date: 06/06/16

97 Hawks Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Jeffrey S. Cahill
Seller: Eugene N. Makucha
Date: 05/31/16

13 Harrison Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Anna Karaduman
Seller: Sergey N. Vasilevich
Date: 06/09/16

17 Leaview Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: David L. Azinheira
Seller: Sean D. Searles
Date: 06/10/16

77 Lindbergh Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Mason P. Richard
Seller: Judy A. McGrath
Date: 06/02/16

563 Pochassic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Benjamin H. Johnson
Seller: Randolph T. Bonin
Date: 05/31/16

29 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $142,709
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Angel M. Gonzales
Date: 06/07/16

41 Sylvan Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $351,500
Buyer: Stephen A. Tansey
Seller: Belco Construction Co Inc.
Date: 06/10/16

75 Woodcliff Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: E. R. Sarmiento-Castillo
Seller: Paul J. Quinn
Date: 05/31/16

WILBRAHAM

2821 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $397,500
Buyer: Kens Realty LLC
Seller: O’Connell Oil Associates
Date: 06/09/16

2 Conifer Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $317,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Lataille
Seller: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Date: 06/10/16

3 Cooley Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $282,750
Seller: Mark S. Robinson
Date: 06/10/16

5 Evergreen Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $392,500
Buyer: Robert D. Pomeroy
Seller: David J. Oldread
Date: 06/10/16

755 Glendale Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $377,000
Buyer: Thaddeus A. Comeau
Seller: William H. Bakeman
Date: 05/31/16

23 Hunting Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Christopher Perrault
Seller: USA VA
Date: 06/06/16

4 Monson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Denise L. Clark
Date: 06/03/16

913 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Pauline Purcell
Seller: US Bank
Date: 05/31/16

23 Victoria Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $538,000
Buyer: David T. Oldread
Seller: Matthew D. Thornton
Date: 06/10/16

8 West Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: James Bartolomei
Seller: Thomas F. Sweeney
Date: 06/01/16

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

40 Berkshire Terrace
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $281,500
Buyer: Samuel J. Redman
Seller: Donna C. Ashworth
Date: 06/10/16

55 Cherry Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Jody Jellison-Goodell
Seller: Joanne T. Swift RET
Date: 06/07/16

197 East Hadley Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Brokk K. Toggerson
Seller: Elizabeth A. Braun
Date: 06/08/16

21 Hazel Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Samuel Hebb
Seller: Arthur W. Hebb
Date: 06/03/16

296 North Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $690,000
Buyer: Joel M. Greenbaum
Seller: Dea Marsh Land LLC
Date: 06/08/16

24 Potwine Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Shing-Fa Shiao
Seller: Theresa J. Almeida
Date: 06/10/16

70 Red Gate Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $608,000
Buyer: Maxine H. Oland
Seller: Anita M. McGahan RET
Date: 06/01/16

46 Rolling Ridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Jicheng Tang
Seller: Michal Jacob-Goldstein
Date: 05/31/16

34 Tamarack Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Jingjing Wu
Seller: Annemarie Heath
Date: 06/01/16

BELCHERTOWN

199 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Viens
Seller: Deborah Bedore
Date: 06/10/16

230 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Marcin R. Podraza
Seller: Glaucia Rezende-Cedroni
Date: 05/31/16

18 Dogwood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $348,000
Buyer: Gary M. Gtherson
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 05/31/16

260 Gulf Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Patrick K. Wittbold
Seller: Frances W. Fairchild
Date: 06/10/16

Hickory Hill
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $409,000
Buyer: R. Mark Leckie
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 06/01/16

3 Metacomet Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $178,900
Buyer: Peter J. VanBuren
Seller: Patrick A. Guerdon
Date: 06/07/16

366 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Jarrid L. Kendall
Seller: Norman Veroneau
Date: 06/09/16

390 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $303,000
Buyer: Corey J. Lynch
Seller: R. Mark Leckie
Date: 05/31/16

95 Pine St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: Craig A. Schumacher
Seller: Justin D. Hooten
Date: 06/01/16

53 Poole Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: David H. Korytoski
Seller: Harvey O. Lussier
Date: 06/03/16

20 Rita Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Joel Flecha
Seller: Scott W. McMahon
Date: 05/31/16

101 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Scott W. McMahon
Seller: John C. Dziel
Date: 05/31/16

249 Ware Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jason Culley
Seller: Mark G. Hennessey
Date: 06/10/16

324 Warren Wright Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Mark J. Burtness
Seller: Erin E. Fernandes
Date: 05/31/16

CHESTERFIELD

33 Curtis Road
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Elisabeth Gaddy
Seller: Timothy G. O’Neil
Date: 05/31/16

80 South St.
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $134,403
Buyer: Edward J. Rickey
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 06/01/16

EASTHAMPTON

12 Clark Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Rebecca Rhodes
Seller: Christopher Steed
Date: 06/07/16

4 Duda Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $206,799
Buyer: Norwich Properties LLC
Seller: US Bank NA
Date: 05/31/16

142 Ferry St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Katherine P. Lebeau
Seller: Jonathan N. Kelley
Date: 06/09/16

3 Gaugh St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Shaver
Seller: Katherine E. Lyons
Date: 05/31/16

1-3 Lincoln St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Tear
Seller: Keith Redfern
Date: 06/01/16

14 Mayher St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Donna J. Wilson
Seller: Ernest G. Damon
Date: 05/31/16

25 Pinebrook Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Linda M. Shaw
Seller: Fusco, Charles C., (Estate)
Date: 06/01/16

34 Spring St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Marcie J. Stock
Seller: Jane W. Couperus
Date: 06/01/16

2 West Park Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $118,950
Buyer: Thomas E. Werbiskis
Seller: Greenwood, Helen S., (Estate)
Date: 06/03/16

GRANBY

172 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Philip A. Lamoureux
Seller: Robert W. McAllister
Date: 06/10/16

237 Carver St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Emily Babb-Koziol
Seller: Jason J. Weakley
Date: 06/09/16

505 East State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Bryan R. Guillemette
Seller: Stephen Lheureux
Date: 06/03/16

7 Lakeview Ave.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $208,900
Buyer: Nicholas J. Chirekos
Seller: Paul E. Macgregor
Date: 05/31/16

50 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Cory M. Menard
Seller: Stephanie Lussier
Date: 06/01/16

5 West State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Aksharpurshotam LLC
Seller: SAI LLC
Date: 06/02/16

171 Taylor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Colin Brooks
Seller: James J. Picard
Date: 06/08/16

HADLEY

18 High Meadow Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Prats
Seller: Kuo-Shyong Chang
Date: 06/08/16

43 Huntington Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Dechen Dolma
Seller: Mellissa A. Prats
Date: 06/08/16

91 North Maple St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Steven J. Beauregard
Seller: Richard J. Buckowski
Date: 06/09/16

HATFIELD

46 Gore Ave.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $242,900
Buyer: Garret R. Pitts
Seller: Paul M. Kelly
Date: 06/03/16

Nolan Circle
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Christopher Laflamme
Seller: Tex R. Douglas
Date: 06/08/16

HUNTINGTON

2 Upper Russell Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $138,099
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Wayne A. Howes
Date: 06/08/16

NORTHAMPTON

15 Berkshire Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Hale-Rattigan
Seller: Crowther, Karen E., (Estate)
Date: 06/06/16

103 Crescent St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Crescent Bright Phillips
Seller: Haim Shahar
Date: 05/31/16

161 Crescent St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Susannah Lupert
Seller: William Orr
Date: 06/03/16

206 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: 206 Elm Street RT
Seller: Homeshire Properties LLC
Date: 06/01/16

19 Ladyslipper Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $311,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Peter A. Serafino
Date: 06/07/16

15 Laurel St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Marcia K. Sailor
Seller: John A. Enis
Date: 06/06/16

42 Lexington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Debra B. Truskinoff
Seller: Walter G. Hindmarsh
Date: 06/06/16

79 Masonic St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Joseph P. Curran
Seller: Christian Science Society
Date: 06/08/16

88 Maynard Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $546,500
Buyer: Alphonse Vasquez
Seller: Margaret R. Slater RET
Date: 06/01/16

78 Moser St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $383,480
Buyer: Sarah R. Bachrach
Seller: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction
Date: 06/03/16

284 North Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Linda M. Olbris
Seller: North Farms Land TR
Date: 06/01/16

125 North St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $363,000
Buyer: Stephen G. Sireci
Seller: Deborah S. Cieboter
Date: 05/31/16

327 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Stephanie A. Davolos
Seller: Lindsay S. Pope
Date: 05/31/16

282 South St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Joshua J. Schroeder
Seller: Kochapski, Ronald J. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 06/09/16

PELHAM

61 Arnold Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $524,575
Buyer: Christopher W. Hockman
Seller: Indenture Of Trust
Date: 06/08/16

PLAINFIELD

151 South St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $4,000,000
Buyer: AC Real Estate Group LLC
Seller: Spirit Master Funding 2
Date: 06/08/16

SOUTH HADLEY

9 Burnett Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Robert A. Siudzinski
Seller: Peter A. Nelson
Date: 06/09/16

14 Dale St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Louis Langlois
Seller: Elizabeth H. Bray
Date: 06/03/16

295 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $318,400
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Thomas J. Leonard
Date: 06/09/16

56 East Carew St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Katie M. Malloy
Seller: Kevin Malloy
Date: 05/31/16

68 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Brant S. Lingle
Seller: Andrea M. Paul
Date: 06/01/16

373 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Jennifer Caisse
Seller: Matthew J. Stone
Date: 06/06/16

30 Leahey Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Elyse R. Ness
Seller: Emma M. Bushey
Date: 06/01/16

58 Lincoln Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Zachary Bono
Seller: Karen Duclos-Pheasant
Date: 06/01/16

120 Morgan St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Amy E. Lashley
Seller: Fabian Anazco
Date: 05/31/16

160 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Tiffany Trzebiatowski
Seller: Brant S. Lingle
Date: 06/01/16

96 Pittroff Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Patrick Grafton-Cardwell
Seller: Valerie D. Tillinghast
Date: 06/07/16

10 Queen Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Kate E. Wesolowski
Seller: Charlene M. Mahoney
Date: 06/07/16

30 Richview Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jonathan A. Duby
Seller: Corey J. Harris
Date: 06/10/16

10 South Sycamore Knls
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $294,500
Seller: Magrath, Hedwidge L., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/16

50 Searle Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $198,400
Buyer: Dream RT
Seller: David B. Rundle
Date: 06/09/16

24 Westbrook Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Jed T. Hollingsworth
Seller: Best4u RT
Date: 06/01/16

43 Westbrook Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Shaun J. Whalen
Seller: Stapley, Jacqueline M., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/16

18 Yale St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Kathryn M. Murphy
Seller: Edward M. Scanlon
Date: 06/01/16

SOUTHAMPTON

2 Old Harvest Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Matthew J. Charles
Seller: Triple 7 LLC
Date: 06/03/16

15 Rosalie Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $347,500
Buyer: Jerry P. Will
Seller: Michael J. Ferriter
Date: 05/31/16

107 Strong Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Christopher S. Wall
Seller: Elaine M. Shea
Date: 05/31/16

Woodmare Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: James R. Labrie
Seller: Chester J. Kellogg
Date: 06/10/16

WARE

43 Bank St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Donald Francis
Seller: Northborough Capital Partners
Date: 06/10/16

13 Belmont St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Cynthia A. Hunter
Seller: Andrew Dale-Crowther
Date: 06/03/16

85-91 Main St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: TCF Enterprise LLC
Seller: Joel J. Harder
Date: 06/09/16

152 Upper Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Kristine Barnes
Seller: FNMA
Date: 06/10/16

27 Warebrook Village
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Marjorie M. Wojcik
Seller: Stewart A. Terrien
Date: 06/06/16

161 West Main St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Shirleen Perniciaro
Seller: Robert J. Rolla
Date: 05/31/16

WESTHAMPTON

87 Chesterfield Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $353,250
Buyer: Erica D. Silber
Seller: Lewis Breitner
Date: 06/10/16

WILLIAMSBURG

7 Cider Mill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $597,000
Buyer: Lori A. Schwartz
Seller: David Schuman
Date: 06/10/16

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Bedore, Daniel J.
262 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/16

Bennett, Mark
109 Denver St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/10/16

Bernatchez, Diane R.
a/k/a Dos Santos, Diane R.
183 Reynolds St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/01/16

Brotherhood on the Move
Asra Group/Renaissance
Moss, Darryl Edwin
157 Jamaica St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/06/16

Bruland, Lorraine V.
11 Mulberry St.
P.O. Box 202
Leeds, MA 01053
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/14/16

Carr, Jerry
145 Harvard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/07/16

Carter, Robert E.
Carter, Nancy M.
60 Elizabeth St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/13/16

Cavanaugh, Holly L.
75 Bunce Road
Ashley Falls, MA 01222
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/16

Cowan, Jennifer Lynn
PO Box 123
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/16

E&V Automotive
Dion, Vance O.
760 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/16

Engelke, Nicholas Charles
150 Union Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/16

Ester, AnnMarie
110 Sierra Vista St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/02/16

Gaudino, Charles P.
15 Cataumet Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/15/16

Gustafson, Kristen Lynne
420 Queen Lake Road
Phillipston, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/05/16

Hudson, Tammie A.
29 Kane Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/16

JD’s Transmission Auto
Dejesus, Julio
39 Vernon St
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/16

Kvitina, Nuriya
1521 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/13/16

Lander-Harrell, Christie Lynn
41 Oakman St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/13/16

LeBreton, Catina L.
1058 James St.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/06/16

Macey, Michelle H.
15 Gilmore St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/16

Macik, Nancy Ellen
160 Newell St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/07/16

Marchand, Lynn-Anne
13 Ashley St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/13/16

McGrath, Laura Lee
PO Box 494
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/16

Menard, Michael J.
639 Grattan St., 2nd Fl.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/16

Morano, Cara Lynn
726 Colrain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/16

Muzzey, Christopher Wells Daniel
483 Pleasant St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/16

Neddeau, Matthew S.
117 North Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/14/16

Palazzi, Aldo L.
64 Barry St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/15/16

Perez, Robert
10 Bruce St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/14/16

Philbrick, Todd William
Philbrick, April Ann
a/k/a Montemagni, April Ann
58 Lafayette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/16

Picard, Deborah Jean
Picard, John Gary
44 Pineview Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/06/16

Picard, Jennifer A.
246 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/10/16

Recor, Cynthia M.
a/k/a Recor, Cindy
37 Waid Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/14/16

Redmond, Lawrence William
37 Mosher St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/06/16

Richter, David J.
44 Nelson St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/16

Roncarati, Lynndia
309 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/06/16

Salgado, Juan C.
a/k/a Figueroa, Juan Carlos Salgado
104 Spring St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/16

Sfakios, Amy V.
236 Vining Hill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/13/16

Silk’s Auto Service
Haras Limited Partnership
Silk, Kevin J.
Silk, Patricia W.
10 James Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/16

Smith, Elizabeth
133 Jabish St., Apt. F5
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/16

Soares, JoAnne Teresa
56 Raymond Soares
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/14/16

Torres, Julio E.
46 Erline St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/07/16

Wallace, William J.
29 West Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/09/16

Wysocki, Anna C.
24 Howes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/07/16

Yath, Bunthoeun
248 Amherst Road, Apt. S6
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/02/16

Doing Business As Certificates

DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of June 2016.

AGAWAM

Lek’s @ Abella’s skin/lash/nail
159 Main St.
Somchai Daniels

Nails Shine & Spa
1325 Springfield St.
Giang Thai

S D Business Services
26 Franklin St.
Said Mandour

S & M Landscape/Garden Design
27 Kirkland St.
S. Clay & M. Ogden

Sweet Serendipity
16 Lealand Ave.
Angela Johnson

T & R Dining Service
67 Hunt St.
Ronald/Tiffany Perry

CHICOPEE

Becker Services
46 Arlington St., Floor 3
Timothy Becker

Brian Hebert Electrician
8 Carew St.
Brian Robert Hebert

Elite Mobile Technology
50 Angela Dr.
Robert Nadeau

Memories of Life & Celebration lamps
527 Grattan St.
Debra Teal, Janis Foraker

Seibold Building/Remodeling
75 Marble Ave.
Brian Seibold

Wicked Clean Professional Cleaning Services
111 D Colonial Circle
Dean R. Mastorakis

HOLYOKE

International Center for Unity Healing and Exploration
2 Laurel St.
Brendan Walsh

Jay’s Bed and Breakfast
1109 Dwight St.
Jesus Candelaro

My Daughters Grocery
301 High St.
Jesus Hernandez

Tastee Freeze
915 Main St.
Sagheer Nawaz

NORTHAMPTON

A & E Landscaping
612 Bridge Road
Anthony Reardon, Eric Cooper

Alyssa Black Design
26 Dewey Court
Alyssandra Black

Auntie M’s Bakeshoppe
3 Hampton Ave., Apt. 32
Amanda Wasseman

Clay of Dough
107 North St.
Lily Fariborz

Inner Networks
50 Center St.
Sheryl Waxler

KM Operations, LLC, d/b/a Subway
91 Main St.
Kimberly McCarthy

North Kinut Motel
504 North King St.
Shwere Patel

SPRINGFIELD

66 DKR LLC, d/b/a Hampton Inc.
851 East Columbus Ave.
Dinesh Patel

Ayalas Handyman Services
111 School St.
Santos Ayala

Benovations
43 Rockland St.
Benjamin Lynch

Bettermen Construction Inc.
1 Federal St.
Mark P. Failey

Boost Mobile Wireless
385 Belmont Ave.
Angel O Alban

C and C Grocery and Restaurant
546 Worthington St.
Candida Caraballo

Carrier Northeast
467 Cottage St.
Carrier Enterprise

Diva’s Hair and Nail Salon
136 Oakland St.
Phuong Thai

E & M Construction Service
19 Eddy St.
Egidio Robinson

Eldred Enterprises
205 Norfolk St.
Eric Carl Eldred

Exclusive Autos
152 Sumner Ave.
Eduard Shvetsov

Fan Yin Li and Zhou Lin D
907B Carew St.
Fan Yin Lin

GS Trucking
175 Brittany Road
George Samuels

Honeycomb Target Supply
154 Garnet St.
Ronald Claire Behnk

Isaiah Dyer Photos
92 Alderman St.
Isaiah Xavier Dyer

Just B
900 Allen St.
Bianca Gall Jackson

Ladycparkle Cleaning Service
98 Brandon Ave.
Chalonda Jaunee

Lucky Me 33
2 Gunn Square
Maria Matos

Mark M. Murray
56 Garland St.
Mark M. Murray

Mercy Women’s Health
1777 Dwight St.
Kevin A Jourdain

Mr. B’s Vending Services
17 Sumner Ave. #3
Kiyen Ky-Lee Boyd

Near Photography
747 South Branch Pky.
Eli Matthew Schwartz

Northeast Distribution
467 Cottage St.
Carrier Enterprise

Punto Market LLC
2760 Main St.
Claudio Canela

Reef Dimensions
97 Somerset St.
Richard Steven

Rodriguez Restaurant
17-A Rutland St.
Isidro Rodriguez

Santiago’s Restaurant
2 Chestnut St.
Orlando Santiago

Shrub Man
153 Plainfield St.
Thomas Mauer

Street Entertainment
90 Cherrelyn St.
Gregory Lamont Thomas

Swagger Apparel Line
54 Herbert Ave.
Teressa Doris

Valuer Advertising
105 Princeton St.
Andre Yarns Jr.

Weed Man
0153 Plainfield St.
Thomas Mauer

Wheelers Market
21 Locust St.
Faiz Rabbani

WEST SPRINGFIELD

98 Front St. LLC
98 Front St.
Suzanne Halpin

Boxing Northeast
654 Elm St.
Patricia Makowski

Cosmo Prof #6097
464 Riverdale St.
Debra Cox

G and G Interiors
302 Circuit Ave.
Juan J. Goitia

Guitar Center #556
935 Riverdale St.
John W. Unger Jr.

Janna Juice Bar Grill & C
751 Union St.
Ibrahim A. Babetti

M.C.L. Mechanical Services
26 Kelso Ave.
Paul Lichwan

Sewer Drain and Cleaning
60 Colony Road
Svad Disdarevic

Throwbacks
450 Main St.
Sharroya M. Charles

W R B Auto Sales
194 Baldwin St.
William R. Bayton

WESTFIELD

DB Tractor Works
177 Bates Road
Daniel S. Bienvenue

Glamorous Creations
34 School St.
Jennifer Suarez

Governor’s Center Re LLC
66 Broad Street
Northeast Health Group, Inc.

Hair Cuttery
459 East Main St.
Creative Hairdressers Inc.

Igor’s Construction & Remodel
134 Little River Road
Igor Kravchuk

Lularoe – Guy Gautreau
7 Stuart Place
Guy Gautreau

Pillar to Post Home Inspections
181/2 Malone Ave.
Joseph F. Beaton

Whip City Pitbike
253 East Main St.
Christopher P. Kasperek

Incorporations

Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Build with Us Properties Inc., 232 Walnut St., Agawam, MA 01001. Jennifer Illouz, same. Residential redevelopment.

Discount Mattress Outlet Inc., 88 Raymond Circle, Agawam, MA 01001. Jeffrey Clarke, same. Retail sales of bedding, mattresses, and related products.

AMHERST

Caring Professionals Inc., 10 Gatehouse Road, Second Floor, Amherst, MA 01002. Elisabel Sheehan, 65 Corey Street, Agawam, MA 01001. Non-medical home-care services.

CHICOPEE

Everfresh Packaging Inc. 185 Front St., Building #2, Chicopee, MA 01013. Oded Edan, 136 Denslow Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Importing flexible plastic packaging.

FLORENCE

Convention Medical Response Team Corp., 69 Woodland Dr., Florence, MA 01062. Paige Murray, 27 Plantation St., #3, Worcester, MA 01604. Non profit organization that provides free first aid and medical care to convention attendees, staff, and the general public.

GREENFIELD

Eartsaers, 172 Highland St., Greenfield, MA 01301. John Guy Bailey, same.

LEE

Clark’s Nursery Inc., 1210 Pleasant St., Lee, MA 01238. Rodney Clark, 8 Stonebridge Ways, Tyringham, MA 01264. To purchase, acquire, hold, sell, exchange, raise, propagate, cultivate or otherwise deal with or dispense of plants, trees, shrubs and other nursery products.

LONGMEADOW

Camden Row Designs Inc., 8 Rosemore St., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Lindsay Daviau, same. Event design creating custom goods.

LUDLOW

D & P Morais Construction Inc., 117 Woodland Circle, Ludlow, MA 01056. David Morais, same. Construction services.

NORTHAMPTON

Chambers Advisory Group Inc., 88 King St., Northampton, MA 01060. Robert Chambers, same. Consulting and advising services.

PALMER

Continuum Healthcare Solutions Inc., 52 Olney Road, Palmer, MA 01069. Candice Sousa, same. Healthcare services.

SPRINGFIELD

Elghani Sons Inc., 1072 State St., Springfield, MA 01109. Alaa Abdelghani, 47 Warren St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Real estate holdings.

Forever Dunbar Inc., 1441 Min St., Suite 1100, Springfield, MA 01103. Tracye Whitfield, 122 Cuff Ave., Springfield, MA 01104. Nonprofit organization established to provide financial support to help sustain the viability of the community center located in Springfield Massachusetts known as the Dunbar Center.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

D & A Home Construction Inc., 83 South Blvd., West Springfield, MA 01089. Dmitry Ivanov, same. Home construction services.

Briefcase

Briefcase Departments

PVPC Releases Economic-development Strategy

SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) recently released its 2016 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) annual update, as part of its larger Plan for Progress, a 10-year blueprint for economic development in the region. The CEDS features a description of regional economic-development conditions and sets forth goals and objectives for the future, as well as a list of projects seeking the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) public-works funding in the next year. The report highlights the region’s continued decrease in unemployment, an improved workforce-talent pipeline, and increased early-education enrollment and high-school and community-college graduation rates, among others, as metrics illustrating the overall progress being made. The CEDS also lists many major committed projects of regional significance, such as the Center for Hospitality and Culinary Excellence at Holyoke Community College, the Springfield Innovation Center, the CRRC MA subway-car manufacturing plant, and the Aviation Research and Training Center, a collaboration between UMass Amherst and Westover Air Reserve Base. A full digital copy of the 2016 CEDS is available on the PVPC website, www.pvpc.org. Hard copies are also available upon request. The PVPC, which administers this process, has been the EDA-designated regional planning agency for the Pioneer Valley region since 1999, which includes 43 cities and towns in Hampshire and Hampden counties.

Home Sales Rise in Pioneer Valley

SPRINGFIELD — The REALTOR Association of Pioneer Valley reported that single-family home sales in May were up 19.4% compared to the same time last year. The median price was up 2.0% to $205,000. County reports vary. In Franklin County, sales were up 90.3% and prices up 5.6%; in Hampden County, sales were up 16.8% and prices up 1.5%; in Hampshire County, sales were up 10.6% and prices down 3.7%.

Passenger Rail Platform Delayed at Union Station

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Redevelopment Authority (SRA) Director Christopher Moskal announced recently that required design modifications will delay the opening of a new boarding platform at Springfield Union Station. He said progress at the Union Station Regional Intermodal Transportation Center project continues to advance, and he “expects that the Union Station terminal project itself will open on schedule in January 2017, albeit without the new boarding platform in operation.” He said this “includes the terminal building, the bus terminal, the parking garage, and the passenger tunnel up to the current Amtrak lobby on Lyman Street.” As a separate component of the overall project, MassDOT is committed to delivering a new boarding platform for Amtrak trains. This high-level platform, which will provide ‘level-entry boarding’ for Amtrak passengers, was scheduled to be in operation when Union Station opened. However, in reviewing the new platform’s design, Amtrak indicated that a waiver of two Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) design requirements would be needed. This waiver relating to the width of the new platform was necessitated by the unique configuration of the existing Union Station tracks. The SRA submitted the waiver request on March 10. After discussions between FRA and MassDOT, FRA issued a letter on May 23 requiring full compliance with its design regulations. This FRA decision requires major modifications to the initial design of both the platform and the underground passenger tunnel. Accordingly, the project’s architect has been directed to prepare necessary changes to the project’s plans and specifications. The project team is currently working to finalize a revised schedule and budget. Moskal indicated that MassDOT remains committed to funding related design and construction costs. In the interim, he indicated that Amtrak passengers will access trains from the new terminal by passing through the renovated portion of the tunnel into the current Amtrak lobby and using the existing boarding platform on the Lyman Street side as they do today. After the new boarding platform is completed, the Lyman Street end of the tunnel — the current Amtrak lobby — will be renovated and will reopen. This will result in a fully renovated passenger tunnel between the terminal and Lyman Street.

Ashe Explores Starting Foundation

Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr., honored by BusinessWest as one of its Difference Makers for 2016, issued a statement to the press recently announcing that he is exploring the possibility of staring a foundation to continue his life’s work. “Like most anyone else facing retirement, I find myself contemplating what I want to do with the rest of my life,” he said. “I know that, despite being in my mid-70s, I still have great intensity and energy. The fire still burns in me for my life’s work of 42 years — assuring that offenders have the best possible likelihood of re-entering the community as law-abiding, productive, positive citizens, giving to, rather than taking from, the lives of others. That life’s work would be hard for me to completely walk away from when I still feel vital and useful and passionate about its value to others. One of the scenarios that I’ve contemplated is to continue that life’s calling in a new framework, to create a local foundation, with myself as its unpaid chief administrator, to enhance our community’s effort to successfully re-enter offenders.” Ashe said he’s far from having an exact blueprint regarding specific ways that such a nonprofit might help, and he’s not yet completely certain that starting and heading up such a philanthropic foundation is where he can be of best service in retirement. But he did say it’s an idea worth exploring. “Although I am not far enough along to have detailed the specifics of the structures of such a possible foundation, I would want any such foundation to be marked by simplicity and integrity,” he explained. “One model that I would use is the local charity Griffin’s Friends, which was founded to bring moments of joy to courageous kids at Baystate Medical Center, and which minimizes administrative costs and maximizes direct service to those it seeks to help.” Ashe said one reason he’s thinking aloud and publicly about this is to put the word out to others who might be likewise interested in founding such a new nonprofit, to let him know of their interest in helping to build what could be “an inspired addition to the edifice that we’ve labored so tirelessly to build during these last 42 years — a community corrections system driven by a vision of social justice, integrity, and public safety.”

Employer Confidence Weakens in June

BOSTON — A month of economic uncertainty punctuated by weak U.S. job growth and the United Kingdom’s impending exit from the European Union drove Massachusetts employer confidence lower during June. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index fell 1.6 points to 56.1 as employers took an increasingly bearish view of the U.S. economy. At the same time, the confidence reading remained comfortably above the 50 mark that denotes an overall positive economic outlook. Taken quarterly, confidence rose from 55.8 during the first three months of the year to 56.7 during April, May, and June. The June survey of employers overlapped by a few days the landmark vote in Great Britain to leave the European Union, an outcome that caused financial gyrations and concern about U.S. exports in the face of a rising dollar. The confidence readings also came in the wake of the slowest pace of job creation in the U.S. since 2010. “Massachusetts employers are trying to balance a range of economic and political distractions that pull them in different directions month to month,” said Raymond Torto, Chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “The good news is that employers remain highly confident in the Massachusetts economy and in the prospects for their own companies.” Added AIM President and CEO Richard Lord, a BEA member, “the sustained optimism that Massachusetts employers have shown toward the state economy reflects the ability of the Legislature and several administrations to maintain disciplined fiscal policy while creating an environment that allows employers to grow. We look forward to working with policymakers to continue that record as the two-year legislative session ends next month.” The index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. It has remained above 50 since October 2013.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook Departments

Newman’s Own Foundation Donates to Link to Libraries

EAST LONGMEADOW — Link to Libraries Inc., which has donated a half-million new books to children in New England, just booked a donation of its own — a $15,000 grant from Newman’s Own Foundation. The grant was initiated through Big Y World Class Markets. “For all of us at Big Y, we are proud to continue to link the Newman’s Own Foundation with Link to Libraries in order to further the language and literacy skills of students within our marketing area,” said Claire D’Amour-Daley, Big Y’s vice president of Corporate Communications. “Our customers have also enjoyed being part of this yearly initiative.” An all-volunteer nonprofit with no paid staff, Link to Libraries serves 25,000 children in 400 sites in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Newman’s Own Foundation grant will fund the purchase and distribution of thousands of books in the coming months. “Over 92 cents per dollar is used to buy books,” said Susan Jaye-Kaplan, president and co-founder of Link to Libraries, which is based in East Longmeadow. “Thanks to this generous grant from Newman’s Own Foundation and our network of 209 volunteers, ranging in age from 5 to 81 years old, we’re well-positioned to deliver on our mission to to enhance the language and literacy skills of children of all cultural backgrounds.” Newman’s Own Foundation turns all net profits and royalties from the sale of Newman’s Own food and beverage products into charitable donations. To date, Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation have given more than $470 million to thousands of charities around the world. Since its inception in 2008, Link to Libraries has donated nearly 500,000 new books, including more than 75,000 this fiscal year, said Jaye-Kaplan.

Berkshire Hills to Acquire First Choice Bank

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. and First Choice Bank announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which First Choice Bank will merge into Berkshire Bank, and its subsidiary, First Choice Loan Services Inc., will become a subsidiary of Berkshire Bank in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $111.7 million.
Berkshire’s total assets will increase to $8.9 billion, including the $1.1 billion in acquired First Choice assets. This market-expanding merger provides entry into attractive markets with strong demographics, and includes six branches near Princeton, N.J., and two in the greater Philadelphia area. First Choice reported $436 million in net loans (excluding loans held for sale) and $906 million in deposits as of March 31, 2016. First Choice Bank is the second-largest community bank by deposit market share in Mercer County, N.J., an area with per-capita income well above national and regional averages. First Choice Loan Services is a leading residential retail and consumer direct mortgage originator serving borrowers across the U.S. Total mortgage production in 2015 was $2.5 billion. Berkshire will have a pro forma market cap of approximately $905 million and 101 branches, serving customers and communities across the Northeast. “We’re pleased to welcome First Choice customers and employees to America’s most exciting bank,” said Michael Daly, CEO of Berkshire Bank. “This partnership builds on Berkshire’s commitment to create a strong regional platform for serving our customers, while diversifying our revenue streams, improving profitability, and increasing shareholder value. The First Choice franchise builds on markets where we presently manage commercial relationships, and adds a well-positioned deposit base, a best-in-class home-lending operation, and enthusiastic new teams that complement our current culture. After integration, the transaction is expected to be accretive to Berkshire’s earnings per share, return on equity and return on assets, liquidity, and capital. We have a strong track record of execution, and our collective teams are positioned to complete this integration flawlessly.”
Martin Tuchman, First Choice’s chairman of the board, commented, “we’re pleased to announce this combination with Berkshire and believe our customers, community, and employees will benefit greatly from this transaction. We believe Berkshire fits both the culture of our bank and our expanding mortgage operation. Their product suite and commitment to service will enable the combined company to better compete in this growing marketplace. With Berkshire’s attractive stock, I’m pleased to be a shareholder going forward, and our bank employees and mortgage-lending group look forward to joining the Berkshire team.”

OMG Hosts Students for Junior Achievement Job Shadow Program

AGAWAM — OMG Inc. hosted students from three Springfield Middle Schools recently as part of the Junior Achievement Job Shadow Program. OMG has served as a host for the job-shadow program for the past 10 years, and this year’s visits included 48 students from Balliet Middle School, Springfield Public Day Middle School, and M. Marcus Kiley Middle School. The premise behind JA Job Shadow is that, while in school, students don’t often have the opportunity to develop realistic expectations of their future career and lifestyle options. The job-shadow experience lets them see what professionals do in on a daily basis, and is meant to give the students perspectives on a professional and diverse work environment. “During their time at OMG, we introduce them to a few senior managers, take them on a tour, and let them know about our basic hiring requirements, such as the need for a high-school diploma or GED, and characteristics we look for, such as strong communications and time-management skills, and the ability to work well on a team,” said Sarah Corrigan, director of Human Resources at OMG. “We also make it fun and engaging by having the students complete a scavenger hunt of fun facts about OMG during their visit.” Hubert McGovern, president and CEO of OMG, agreed. “The most recent group from Kiley asked great questions,” he said. “They asked about the company’s success record, whether OMG offered benefits like life and health insurance, what percentage of the work force was represented by women, and what we do to help make our employees better. We were really impressed by their level of interest and the way they conducted themselves during the visit.” Headquartered in Agawam, OMG Inc. is North America’s largest supplier of specialty fasteners and products for commercial and residential construction applications. The company operates two business units: OMG Roofing Products and FastenMaster.

Academy of Music Installs New Audio System

NORTHAMPTON — The Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton recently acquired a new, state-of-the-art audio system, designed and installed by Jason Raboin. The hall had become increasingly busy with a variety of programming, from rock concerts to theatrical productions, literary arts to dance, youth programs to indie music, which would all benefit from an enhanced system, said a spokesperson for the Academy. Two challenges were identified for the project. First, the speakers needed to provide consistent coverage throughout the entire theater without interfering with sightlines to the stage opening or distracting from the architectural beauty of the 125-year old opera house, and second, the limited rigging options within the historic performing-arts center demanded compact, lightweight loudspeakers as part of a visually unobtrusive sound system. The installation centered around four Fulcrum Acoustic CX1595 speakers powered by Ashly nXp amplifiers. The speaker’s lightweight, compact, visually unobtrusive design provides consistent coverage throughout the entire theater without interfering with sightlines to the stage opening or distracting from the architectural beauty of the 125-year old opera house. Two compact, portable Fulcrum Acoustic Sub215 subwoofers provide concert-level low frequency for the historic theater while minimizing visual intrusion. Raboin, as a touring sound engineer (Joan Baez, Modest Mouse, Lake Street Dive) who had worked on a variety of audio systems in the field, said, “I have not heard anything that sounds better than Fulcrum Acoustics speakers. When you combine their fidelity with their lightweight and compact size, they really were the only choice for this installation. It was hard to believe that such a compact system would be able to cover the venue at the desired SPL, but the system exceeded our expectations and the theater’s design goals.” At mix position, a Yamaha Ql1 mixing console was chosen for its compact footprint as well as its ability to handle the wide variety of programming offered year-round in the theater.

Florence Bank Donates $25,000 to Cancer Center

FLORENCE — Florence Bank recently contributed $25,000 for use over a five-year period to the Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS)to assist in the expansion of the Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center.
Springfield-based SPHS is a not-for-profit entity providing a range of special benefits to the community, such as programs to manage care for people with chronic diseases, health-education and disease-prevention initiatives, outreach for the elderly, and care for the poor and uninsured. Mercy Medical Center is conducting a capital campaign to support the $15 million expansion of the Sister Caritas Cancer Center at the hospital. Specifically, the funds will be used to consolidate all cancer services into a single unified space and meet the increased demand for outpatient cancer services. In the past two years, the number of patients receiving chemotherapy at the Sister Caritas Cancer Center has increased by more than 200%. By 2022, the need for outpatient cancer services is expected to grow by 26%. Gifts to the capital campaign will support the addition of new treatment spaces, including 32 new infusion bays, whose design will increase privacy for patients, as well as for family members and friends. The campaign will also support the consolidation of all cancer services, enhancing communications between oncology staff and facilitating ease of access to existing services for patients. “Florence Bank has steadily supported our programs for years,” said Diane Dukette, vice president, Fund Development, Sisters of Providence Health System. “We are grateful for their ongoing generosity and commitment to the people we serve. This significant pledge to the capital campaign will help further our efforts to create a unified area for patients to receive their cancer treatment in a truly collaborative clinical environment.” Florence Bank, a longtime supporter of Sisters of Providence Health System, is known for its many charitable contributions, including its annual $100,000 Customer’s Choice Community Grants program.

Chamber Corners

www.explorenorthampton.com

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

• July 18: 13th annual Golf Tournament at Hickory Ridge Golf Course, Pomeroy Lane, Amherst. Schedule: 10 a.m.: full-swing pro clinic; 10:30: registration, putting contest, light lunch; noon: shotgun start, scramble format; 5 p.m.: social hour, cash bar;  6 p.m.: dinner, awards ceremony, live auction. Cost: $135 per player; $540 per foursome. Hole-in-one, longest drive, closest-to-the-pin contests.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• July 14: Networking By Night, 5-7 p.m., at the Oxbow Marina Sports Center, Old Springfield Road, Northampton. Cost: $10 for chamber members, $15 for non-members. Register online at easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 572-9414.

• July 29: 32nd annual Golf Tournament, 9 a.m. shotgun start, at Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway. Cost: $125 per person, includes cart, gift, lunch, dinner. Register online at business.easthamptonchamber.org/events/details/32-annual-golf-tournament-july-2016-195 or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• August 13: 2nd annual Beach Ball, 5-10 p.m. Dance and dine under the stars at chamber’s annual Beach Ball, where a beach party and gala collide. Barbecue feasting by Outlook Farm, music by DJ Jay Pacluiga, full cash bar by Meyers Catering, bonfire on the beach, performance by the Oxbow waterski show team. Register online at business.easthamptonchamber.org/events/details/2nd-annual-easthampton-chamber-beach-ball-august-2016-196, or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

• July 13: Chamber Coffee Buzz Morning Networking, 7:30-8:30 a.m., at Ruwac Inc., 54 Winter St., Holyoke. Jump-start the day with this opportunity to meet business and community leaders while enjoying coffee and a light breakfast at this world leader in industrial vacuum systems. If your schedule demands morning meetings or if you’re interested in maximizing your exposure, the Coffee Buzz is for you. This event is free to members of the business community and is sponsored by Lyon & Fitzpatrick, LLP.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

• July 13: July Arrive @ 5 with NAYP, 5-7 p.m., at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Sponsors: Brain Analysis & Neurodevelopment Center, Highview of Northampton, and the Healing ZONE Therapeutic Massage. Cost: $10 for members.

• July 14: Google Workshop: “Set Goals with Google Analytics,” 9-11 a.m., at the chamber office, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by SCORE. No cost. What is Google Analytics? A free powerful analytics tool provides reports showing how visitors found your website and what they did when they got there. Measure the effectiveness of your online and offline marketing campaigns. To register, visit [email protected].

• July 21: Google Workshop: “Build Your Free Website with Google,” 9-11 a.m., at the chamber office, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by SCORE. Learn how to create, customize, and publish your site, get a free domain name or use one you already own, and access and edit your site anytime. No cost, but pre-registration is required, and space is limited. To register, visit [email protected].

• Sept. 7: September Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., at Spoleto Restaurant. Sponsors: Webber & Grinnell Insurance, Applied Mortgage, BusinessWest, and Lia Honda. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• July 14: Pancake Breakfast, 7-11a.m., at South Middle School, Westfield. Cost: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for children under 12. Vendor tables available: $75 for members, $100 for non-members. You must bring your own table and chairs. For more information, to volunteer, or reserve a table top and/or sponsorship, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• July 18: After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., at Papps Bar & Grill, 110 Airport Road, Westfield. Network with the chamber this summer. Scholarship fund raffle: win an aerial, scenic view of Westfield. Cost: $5 for chamber members, $10 general admission. Includes refreshments and cash bar.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.myonlinechamber.com

• July 28: Chamber Golf Tournament at the Ranch Golf Club, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. Schedule: 11 a.m. to noon: registration/courseside lunch; 12:30 p.m.: shotgun start; dinner immediately following. Sponsored by MassMutual Center, VHB, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, Florence Bank, and Chicopee Savings Bank. Cost: $600 per foursome, $160 per individual golfer. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• August 15: Annual Golf Tournament at the Ranch Golf Club, Southwick. Schedule: 11:30 a.m. registration; noon: lunch; 1 p.m.: shotgun start/scramble format. Cost: $125 for golf and dinner. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information or for tickets to this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or e-mail [email protected].

• Sept. 14: Multi-chamber Night of Networking, 5-7 p.m., at Cal’s Wood Fired Grill, Riverdale St., West Springfield. Cost: $10. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information or for tickets to this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

• Sept. 22: Business Breakfast with Howie Carr, 7-9 a.m., Chez Josef, Agawam. Cost: $35 for chamber members, $40 for non-members. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

People on the Move

Departments People on the Move

Tejas Gandhi

Tejas Gandhi, the former chief administrative officer at Navicent Health in Macon, Ga. — where he led the organization through an era of positive change and restructuring, contributing greatly to its financial recovery — has been named chief operating officer at Baystate Medical Center. His appointment became effective June 13. Gandhi fills a position left vacant by Nancy Shendell-Falik, who for two years served in the dual position at Baystate Health as chief operating officer and senior vice president/chief nursing officer for Baystate Medical Center, prior to being named president of Baystate Medical Center and senior vice president of Hospital Operations for Baystate Health in October 2015. “Dr. Gandhi is a true change agent, whose culture-building skills and talents in the area of continuous process improvements will be an asset in leading Baystate Medical Center and supporting Baystate 2020, our health system’s strategic plan,” said Shendell-Falik. “His adherence to core values and accountability in all actions, as well as his advocacy of transparency, especially in his own interactions, will make him a key member of the Baystate Health family.” Gandhi, with 15 years of professional experience in healthcare administration, comes to his new position from a hospital similar to Baystate Medical Center — a 637-bed teaching hospital affiliated with Mercer University School of Medicine, a Level I trauma center and three-time Magnet designated hospital for nursing excellence nationwide. Prior to joining Navicent Health in 2013, Gandhi was employed by Virtua Health in Marlton, N.J., the largest comprehensive healthcare system in Southern New Jersey, where he helped change the overall culture to one of continuous process improvement, resulting in cost savings and key improvements for the organization. During his 10 years there, Gandhi oversaw the process-driven planning process for a new $618 million replacement hospital and regional ambulatory center, also leading successful initiatives to improve clinical safety and quality outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction and employee engagement. Gandhi attended the University of Bombay, India, where he received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He later received a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a doctorate in health administration and leadership from Medical University of South Carolina.

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In a visit to the governor’s Western Mass. office in Springfield recently, Gov. Charlie Baker introduced Michael Knapik, a former state senator and state representative from Westfield, as the office’s new director. Knapik will be a primary liaison between the administration and constituents and communities in Western Mass. “With more than two decades of experience representing Western Mass. constituents, Mike is exceptionally qualified to lead our Springfield office,” Baker said. “Operating the office is one of the many essential tools we use to maintain an important relationship with the people, local leaders, and municipalities of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties.” Added Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, “Mike will be an asset to both the administration and those serviced by the Springfield office. I look forward to working closely with him in his new role to continue building upon the strong relationships our administration has cultivated in the western part of the state.” Knapik said he is “excited to join the Baker-Polito administration and begin working with people across Western Massachusetts again. Western Massachusetts has a lot to offer, and I look forward to playing an active role in our communities and the overall conversation with the rest of Massachusetts on behalf of the administration.” Knapik served Westfield and 11 surrounding communities in the state Legislature for 22 years, first as a representative from 1991 to 1994 and then as a senator from 1995 to 2013.

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Kevin Maltby

Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Kevin Maltby is now president of the Hampden County Bar Assoc. (HCBA) after taking the oath of office Wednesday in front of his partners and peers at the association’s annual meeting and membership dinner at the Springfield Sheraton. “I am enormously grateful to the members of the bar association for their confidence in me, and gratified to follow in the footsteps of my partners at Bacon Wilson, including past presidents Paul Rothschild, Hyman Darling, and Michael Ratner,” Maltby said. “I consider it an honor to be counted among their ranks. So many Bacon Wilson attorneys have, over their lengthy careers, given their time and legal skills to serve the Hampden County Bar.”

Michael Katz

Michael Ratner

Paul Salvage

Also in attendance was attorney Michael Katz, who took office as chair of the bar’s Bankruptcy Section, while attorneys Michael Ratner and Paul Salvage were each honored for their 50 years of membership. Maltby has a long history of service and involvement with the Hampden County Bar Assoc. He has served on the bar’s board of directors each year since 2012. He was honored with the HCBA’s Access to Justice Pro Bono Publico Award for 2012 for his vision and implementation of the Springfield District Court Lawyer for the Day program. Additionally, in 2013, he received the Community Service Award from the Mass. Bar Assoc. Maltby is a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Advisory Committee on Professionalism. He has extensive jury-trial and courtroom experience, and is a former prosecutor for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. He is also an adjunct professor of Legal Studies at Bay Path University in Longmeadow, where he teaches litigation, advanced litigation, criminal law, and evidence. He earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 2001, and his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from UMass in 1998. In 2014, he was a recipient of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty distinction, and has been a named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for seven years, since 2009.

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The Westmass Area Development Corp. board named Eric Nelson the new president and CEO of the private, nonprofit, industrial- and business-development corporation that offers master-planned land resources at Chicopee River Business Park, Hadley University Business Park, Deer Park in East Longmeadow, and the historic Ludlow Mills. Nelson succeeds Kenn Delude, who is retiring after 10 years as president and CEO of the organization. Nelson has more than 30 years of experience in site development and design and has consulted on numerous industrial and commercial site-development projects. His background also encompasses financing development and creating public-private partnership agreements. Having served as senior vice president of Westmass for the past two and a half years and with Westmass since 2011, Nelson has conducted regular meetings with industrial and business prospects interested in Westmass properties, conducted pre-development site analysis and research, headed the process of zoning and building permits, and was responsible for project budgets and grant applications. According to John Maybury, Westmass board chair, “Westmass has been fortunate to have someone of Kenn Delude’s unique skills at the helm of the organization. We are equally fortunate to have Eric Nelson, who worked alongside Kenn for the past five years, making for a smooth transition. Eric has worked closely with Kenn and is intimately involved with all of Westmass’ industrial land resources in the region and in particular the Ludlow Mills preservation and redevelopment, an exciting project which is quickly approaching $100 million in investment and represents significant economic development for the region.” Maybury said Delude would continue to provide support to Westmass and the Ludlow Mills project through the transition in a consulting role as needed. Nelson is a registered professional landscape architect and holds U.S. Green Building Council LEED AP certification. He earned his master’s degree in landscape architecture from UMass Amherst.

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Madeline Presz

JGS Lifecare has named Madeline Presz executive director of Spectrum Home Health & Hospice Care. Presz is responsible for overseeing the daily operation of the home health and hospice program, including supervision of the team, financial performance, and delivery of quality care, as well as providing direct care. Presz brings 22 years of clinical experience in healthcare to this position. She is a registered nurse, certified in hospice and palliative care, gerontological nursing; and IV therapy, central line and TPN therapy. Before joining Spectrum, Presz served as executive director of the Loving Care Agency in Springfield. In this role, she was responsible for the clinical and operational programming for two pediatric and three adult home-care offices/teams. Prior to that, she served as regional director of Clinical Operations for Life Choice Hospice in Auburn. She was also a clinical director/administrator at Solamor Hospice in Auburn and a clinical director of Allegiance Hospice in Shrewsbury. Presz has also served as director of Nursing at Wingate in East Longmeadow, and she started her career as assistant director of Nursing at Chestnut Hill Rehab in East Longmeadow. Presz has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Elms College, graduating summa cum laude, and an associate degree in nursing from Springfield Technical Community College. She is also a member of the Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society for nurses.

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Mary-Beth Cooper

Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper has been appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker to serve on one of three special commissions created under the landmark opioid legislation signed into law earlier this year. Cooper and the other appointees to the commission were sworn in by the governor recently at the State House. Cooper will serve on the special commission to study the incorporation of safe and effective pain treatment and prescribing practices into the professional training of students that may prescribe controlled substances. This special commission is tasked with developing recommendations to ensure future prescribers have an understanding of certain fundamental issues relative to the opioid epidemic, including pain treatment, pain-treatment planning, safe prescribing practices, and prescription monitoring. The appointed commission will submit recommendations on or before Dec. 1. “I’m honored to serve on this commission, representing our outstanding healthcare-preparation programs at Springfield College,” said Cooper. “I’m excited about the diversity of the commission, which includes family members of those who have struggled with opioid use, current healthcare providers, other educators, and committed community members all wanting to be a part of solutions to the opioid crisis.” Joining Cooper as appointees to the special commission are Todd Brown, vice chairman of the School of Pharmacy at Northeastern University; Dr. Nitigna Desai, director of Addiction Psychiatry at Bedford Veteran Affairs Medical Center and director of the Substance Abuse Service Line at New England Healthcare; Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, president and CEO of the Dimock Community Health Center; Brad Ulrich, regional vice president for Walgreens; and Joan Vitello-Cicciu, dean of the UMass Graduate School of Nursing.

•••••

Brian Risler, Farmington Bank’s assistant vice president and mortgage sales manager for the Western Mass. region, has been named 2016 Affiliate of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcement was made during the association’s recent annual awards banquet on June 8. The award is the highest form of recognition given by the RAPV to an affiliate member who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the organization during the past 17 months in the areas of affiliate-related association activity, community service, and business activity. Risler has served in many capacities for the RAPV, including co-chair of its Education Fair & Trade Show, which was the association’s largest and most heavily attended event of the year. Risler also served on the Government Affairs Committee of the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors (MAR), advocating for private property rights and promoting MAR’s legislative agenda and positions on key issues. As affiliate of the year, Risler was also recognized for his involvement in the community. For instance, he has been a guest speaker for HAPHousing, the largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing in Western Mass., educating first-time homebuyers on the fundamentals of residential financing and how best to advocate for themselves as consumers. At Farmington Bank, Risler has more than 16 years of experience in residential mortgage banking in Massachusetts. Risler received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Stonehill College in Massachusetts.

•••••

Elias Acuna, a real estate agent with Maria Acuna Real Estate in Springfield, has been named the 2016 Realtor of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcement was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held recently at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the highest honor given to a member, the Realtor of the Year award is bestowed upon one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the 1,650-member organization during the past 17 months in the areas of Realtor activity, community service, and business activity. A Realtor since 2004, Acuna serves on the association’s board of directors, finance committee, strategic planning committee, and young professional’s network committee, where he was chairman in 2015. He is a co-presenter at the bimonthly new-member orientation promoting involvement and member benefits. Acuna is a frequent technology instructor, teaching topics such as real-estate apps and social-media practices. At the state level, he is a member of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors (MAR). He is the chairman of the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors young professional’s network committee and a member the MAR diversity committee. He participated along with 400 Massachusetts Realtors in the 2015 and 2016 Realtors Day on Beacon Hill to lobby on behalf of home ownership and private property rights. He attended the 2015 Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors Convention and Trade Show.

•••••
Berkshire Bank announced that Kathryn Dube, first vice president, wealth business development leader, was honored by the United Way of Pioneer Valley as Volunteer of the Year for the 2015-16 season. Dube joined the United Way of Pioneer Valley board of directors in 2007 and committed to this position until 2017. As an affiliate of the United Way, she has also held other titles, such as chairperson of the allocations and impact committee, chairman of the board, and founding member of the Women’s Leadership Council in Western Mass. in 2013. The award is based upon leadership, community engagement, and core values, among other essential qualities. The United Way of Pioneer Valley granted the award to Dube on June 22 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

•••••

Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its parent company, Greenfield Bancorp, announced that the following seven directors were re-elected to three-year terms as directors of the bank and Greenfield Bancorp, MHC:
•Attorney Robert Carey, a principal in the Greenfield law firm of Curtiss, Carey, Gates &  Goodridge, LLP, re-elected as clerk of the bank;
• Kevin O’Neil, president of Wilson’s Department Store in Greenfield, re- elected chairman of the board;
• Keith Finan, chief financial officer of Deerfield Academy;
• Attorney Daniel Graves, owner of the Law Offices of Daniel Graves in Greenfield;
• Attorney Peter MacConnell, principal in the law firm of Bacon Wilson, P.C., re-elected as a corporator for a 10-year term;
• John Kuhn, principal in the firm of Kuhn-Riddle Architects in Amherst, re-elected as a corporator for a 10-year term; and
• Robb Morton, CPA, principal in the accounting firm of Boisselle, Morton & Associates, LLP located in Hadley, also re-elected as a  corporator for a 10-year term. Re-elected to 10-year terms as corporators of Greenfield Bancorp, MHC were Barry Roberts, president of Roberts Builders Inc.; Margarita O’Byrne Curtis, head of school at Deerfield Academy; and Douglas Clarke, retired after many years with Western Massachusetts Electric Co., now Eversource.

Agenda

Agenda Departments

Wine and Canvas Event

July 21: Charlene Manor Extended Care Facility in Greenfield will host a Wine and Canvas event from 6 to 9 p.m. During the event, an artist will guide participants through the re-creation of a selected work of art. Canvas, paint, brushes, and other supplies are provided. Registration is $20, discounted from the normal price, and includes two glasses of wine. Participants must be 21 or older. Those interested may RSVP to (413) 774-3724, ext. 248 by Thursday, July 14. Charlene Manor, located at 130 Colrain Road in Greenfield, is a nonprofit organization that provides short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled nursing care, respite care, specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and hospice services. For more information, visit www.charlenemanor.org.

Indian Motocycle Day

July 24: The Springfield Museums will present its seventh annual Indian Motocycle Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the continuation of a long-standing tradition honoring the classic motorcycles that were manufactured in the city from 1901 to 1953. Last year, more than 1,000 people attended the event, which featured more than 60 classic Springfield-built Indians owned by local collectors. The event is sponsored by Sampson Funeral Home and AAA Pioneer Valley; the media sponsor is Rock 102 WAQY. MassMutual is the 2016 season supporter of the Springfield Museums. The museums re-established the Indian Day tradition in 2010 after a five-year hiatus. From 1970 until 2005, the event was held at the now-closed Indian Motocycle Museum on Hendee Street in Springfield, which was owned by Esta Manthos and her late husband, Charlie. In 2007, Esta Manthos donated their extensive collection of Indian motocycles, artifacts, and memorabilia to the Springfield Museums, where they are now on view in the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. This year’s Indian Day will pay tribute to Augusta and Adeline Van Buren in honor of the 100th anniversary of their historic cross-country ride. In 1916, the sisters became the first women to cross the continental U.S., each on their own Indian Powerplus motorcycle built in Springfield. Along their eventful 60-day, 5,500-mile journey from Brooklyn to San Francisco, they became the first women to reach the 14,115-foot summit of Pike’s Peak. The two were inducted into the American Motorcyclist Assoc. Hall of Fame in 2002, as well as the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame in 2003. Springfield Museums is also celebrating the centennial of this groundbreaking event in its exhibit “Crossing the Country to Cross Barriers: The Van Buren Sisters Ride into History,” which will feature photographs, news articles, and rare memorabilia detailing the sisters’ courageous trip. In addition to the motorcycles on display, there will be a variety of vendors, food, and beverages, music provided by Rock 102 and a local DJ, and the awarding of trophies for the best Indians in a variety of categories. Commemorative T-shirts will be available for purchase. Anyone bringing a pre-1953 Indian will receive a free admission pass plus a commemorative Indian Day button. Exhibitors, and especially vendors, are encouraged to pre-register by calling (413) 263-6800, ext. 304. Admission to the event is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 3-17, and includes access to the Wood Museum of Springfield History and the Indian Motocycle Collection. The event is free for members or with paid museum admission.

Lean LaunchPad Weekend

July 29-31: In today’s competitive market, startups and small businesses need all the help they can get. The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Elms College will hold a Lean LaunchPad weekend to help startups identify the specific problems their products or services can solve for customers. The weekend-long workshop, titled “Creating Customers and Value,” will help businesses fail less, save money, and discover target customers and ideal business models. The Lean LaunchPad weekend course combines hands-on experience, customer interaction, and business fundamentals to entrepreneurship. Participants will dive deep into the ‘value-proposition canvas’ to understand product market fit; they will also learn how to turn ideas into statements that convince customers to buy. The events will begin with a 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. session on Friday, July 29, and run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31. The workshop will include an “Idea Jam,” a look at business pitch concepts, team formation, networking, in-depth exploration of the value-proposition canvas, hands-on development of customer-value creation, an overview of market size and customer segments, and a business-pitch competition. The facilitators for the Startup Lean Weekend will be Jeremy Casey and Rick Plaut. Casey started Name Net Worth, a software startup company, in Springfield in 2014. His background as a serial networker, commercial lender, and communicator was the springboard to his transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship. He was president of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS), which was in its infancy when he joined. Over five years, he grew the board of directors and the membership, and has helped make YPS the top membership organization for young professionals in the region. He has conducted workshops with many high schools and colleges in the Northeast, and has mentored many startup organizations through Valley Venture Mentors, helping them get their businesses started and providing ongoing feedback as they grow. Plaut became an entrepreneur in 2009 after 30 years as a corporate ‘intrapreneur,’ developing new products, customers, markets, and businesses. Currently founding his third enterprise, he is a partner in InCommN and was a partner at Universal Quality Machine. He and his partners at InCommN teach the principles of Lean LaunchPad to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and businesses with a need for quick growth in new markets. He also shares the tools of Lean LaunchPad and the Business Model Canvas with students at a number of local colleges, including Smith, Elms, and UMass. He is also a mentor and facilitator for early-stage startups at Valley Venture Mentors, and is a board member and mentor for a variety of early-stage enterprises. The cost is $250 per person or $150 for Elms alumni.

Court Dockets

Court Dockets Departments

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

Hampshire District Court

Western Development Corp. v. James Rule, Marjorie Rule, Kenneth Wood, and Urshula Wood
Allegation: Breach of Contract: $261,000
Filed: 06/28/16

Springfield District Court

Perkins Paper Inc. v. The First Chandler Corp. dba Betsy’s Diner
Allegation: Breach of contract, failure to pay for goods: $27,102.98
Filed: 05/16/16

Springfield Superior Court

Grimes Horticulture Inc. v. Liberty Family Farms Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract, failure to pay for goods: $108,948.45
Filed: 06/16/06

Westfield District Court

NFR Distributors Inc. v. AMS Flooring LLC, Dave Minchuk, and Julia Minchuk
Allegation: Breach of contract: $6,834.84
Filed: 05/20/16

Gilbert & Sons Insulation Inc. v. David Minchuk
Allegation: Breach of contract: $9,415.43
Filed: 05/19/16

Springfield Electrical J.A.T.C. v. Brian Biuso aka Brian J. Biuso
Allegation: Breach of apprentice scholarship loan agreement and apprentice promissory note: $11,896.26
Filed: 06/10/16

Amalia Fitzgerald and Robert Fitzgerald v. Big Y Foods Inc.
Allegation: Negligent display of bottled water obscured view of water on floor resulting in injury: $3,025.97
Filed: 06/08/16

Picture This

Departments Picture This

A photo essay of recent business events in Western Massachusetts July 11, 2016

Developers Conference

The Western Mass. Developers Conference, sponsored by the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., was staged on June 23 at the MassMutual Center. The event featured an address from Gov. Charlie Baker (top photo); an announcement from Lawrence Curtis (middle), president and managing partner of WinnDevelopment, that his firm intends to build market-rate housing, retail, and office space at the iconic clock tower building at Ludlow Mills; and a host of programs and seminars. The event drew hundreds of area developers and business leaders, including (bottom, from left) Maura McCaffrey, president and CEO of Health New England; Ashley Allen, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Health New England; Carol Campbell, president of Chicopee Industrial Contractors; Carol Leary, president of Bay Path University; and Dianne Fuller Doherty, director of the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network.
Photos by Ed Cohen

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AIC Awarded Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has received a one-time $347,000 Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant from the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) in support of the college’s Nursing Education Achievement Program (NEAP).

HRSA is the primary federal agency for improving access to healthcare for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. HRSA programs span across America, providing direct healthcare to 23 million people, particularly those who live in underserved inner cities and rural communities. In addition, HRSA provides scholarships and programs to encourage greater minority participation in the healthcare professions.

In partnership with Baystate Medical Center, the Western Mass. chapter of the National Assoc. of Hispanic Nurses, and the Western Mass. Black Nurses Assoc., NEAP will provide professional nurses to mentor participating students along with implementing multiple evidence-based supports that will strengthen the ability of economically and educationally disadvantaged students to pass their courses, graduate, and move into the workforce.

“It is an honor for American International College and the Division of Nursing to be awarded this grant, which recognizes AIC’s dedication and success in diversifying our community’s nursing workforce,” said Dean of Health Sciences Cesarina Thompson.

For more information about AIC’s programs and services, visit www.aic.edu.

MARX Events Announces Second Annual Dream Wedding Giveaway

EAST LONGMEADOW — For the second straight year, MARX Events, along with dozens of participating vendors, will award a U.S. veteran or active service member a free wedding. The giveaway aims to honor the service and sacrifice of the military and create a special atmosphere for a military couple as they embark on the next chapter of their lives together.

The nomination process is now open. Community members may nominate themselves or someone they know by submitting either a written or video story to www.marxdreamwedding.com.

This second annual MARX dream wedding includes a free wedding-venue space with food and beverage for 50 participants, complimentary flowers and photography, wedding dress, rehearsal dinner, and full entertainment services provided by MARX alongside many other services and providers.

Participating vendors and sponsors include Chez Josef, the Delaney House, Operation: Love My Dress, Formal Affair, Pete’s Sweets, Pop’s Biscotti, Deluxe Limo, Mikkie Viereck, CJC Lighting & Events, Tanya Constigan Wedding Planning, Robert Charles Photography, Wedding Day Sourcebook, WMAS, Western Mass News, Smith & Wesson, and With Love Jacquelyn.

The wedding ceremony will take place at Chez Josef in Agawam, and the rehearsal dinner will be held at the Log Cabin in Holyoke in April 2017. The top three finalists will be announced on Veterans Day, and the winner will be announced on Dec. 20.

“This is our way, each year, to give back to the men and women of our military who give so much for us,” said Mark Ashe, managing partner of MARX Events.

Local Business Volunteers Bring JA to Fairview School

CHICOPEE — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JA) and 33 volunteers from area banks, businesses, and colleges teamed up to bring Junior Achievement programs to all 436 students at Fairview School in Chicopee for last month’s JA in a Day event.

“This is the sixth year that Chicopee Savings Bank Foundation has sponsored JA in a Day for these students,” noted Jennifer Connolly, president of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts. “The students and teachers look forward to ending their year with JA, and Junior Achievement looks forward to ending our year with this terrific school. Nowhere else are our JA Volunteers treated to a final assembly with hundreds of cheering students and handmade cards and notes. It is an amazing event.”

This year, JA volunteers from Chicopee Savings Bank, Bank of America, Santander Bank, Westfield Bank, Webster Bank, TD Bank, Babson Capital, Elms College, UMass Amherst, and Lead Yourself Youth brought Junior Achievement programs to students in grades K-5 at Fairview School.

Carlos DeLeon, a Chicopee Savings Bank volunteer, noted, “the students had a good understanding of how a city runs. They had a great understanding of a savings account, and we talked about how taxes help the city rebuild.”

Erika Eisnor, a Santander volunteer who taught JA Our Region in a fourth-grade class, noted that “JA is so much fun and a great learning experience.”

Added Kidon Gebersadik from Bank of America, “it’s never too early to learn about good money habits. These exceptional students are learning about building blocks that will lead to more stable financial lives down the road, making our communities and local economies stronger.”

Tim Dominick, a teacher at Fairview School, explained that the program “further offered the students a chance to explore their creative thinking process. The students benefited from the teamwork and problem solving the program offered.”

JA programs empower students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world, enhancing the relevance of their classroom learning and increasing their understanding of the value of staying in school. Each year, JA reaches more than 10 million students worldwide and helps them develop successful financial-management habits, empowering them to explore the potential of becoming an entrepreneur and providing them with the skills necessary to succeed in a global workforce. Locally, Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts reaches more than 11,000 students.

Springfield One of Three Cities to Launch Futurecity Massachusetts

SPRINGFIELD — On Friday, July 15, the Springfield Central Cultural District (SCCD) will be one of three statewide districts to launch Futurecity Massachusetts, a new approach to transforming cities that puts art, culture, and creativity at the center of redevelopment and revitalization. Futurecity Mass is a joint initiative of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) and the Boston Foundation.

Futurecity Massachusetts will work with mayors, urban planners, and arts and business leaders in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield on key real-estate projects in state-designated cultural districts in the three cities, targeting areas ready for development and job growth.

It is the first U.S. effort to advance the strategies of Mark Davy and his London-based Futurecity, which has created more than 200 partnerships across the globe that reposition cultural assets from community amenities to marketplace drivers. Futurecity has been immersed in cultural placemaking projects for more than a decade, and Davy believes Futurecity Massachusetts will secure the Commonwealth’s global position as a cultural leader.

Davy will visit Springfield on July 15 to meet and workshop with local cultural and economic-development leaders. He will take knowledge from a walking tour of the Cultural District, an extensive workshop, and a general reception back to his UK team to review. In October, Futurecity will return to present a strategy to the Springfield public. The MCC hopes to eventually expand the program statewide.

A press event will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Friday with Davy, MCC Executive Director Anita Walker, Mayor Domenic Sarno, and SCCD Executive Director Morgan Drewniany on the steps of City Hall. Both press and the general public are invited to attend.

The Springfield Central Cultural District, which encompasses an area of the metro center of Springfield, is membership-based, involving many of the downtown arts institutions. Its mission is to create and sustain a vibrant cultural environment in Springfield.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Summer Grants Top $2M

SHEFFIELD — The board of directors of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced the recipients of the second round of grantmaking for 2016. The foundation distributed a total of $430,378 in grants to individuals and nonprofits in the four-county region it serves, $496,786 in scholarships to graduating high-school seniors, and grants totaling over $1.1 million from donors with charitable funds at the foundation.

In Berkshire County, the foundation awarded grants from Fund for Williamstown, James and Robert Hardman Fund, New World Fund, Simple Gifts Fund, five education-enrichment funds, and 41 scholarship funds.

Education and enrichment grants to regional schools, school districts, and education programs in Berkshire County totaled $45,247. Select grant recipients include Berkshire County Head Start ($7,000) for a “Lunch and Learn” summer program for students in the Pittsfield Public School District, Flying Cloud Institute ($3,000) to enhance STEM programming at Undermountain School and Mount Everett High School in Sheffield, and Williamstown Elementary School ($4,000) for its math club.

A total of $303,986 in scholarships was awarded to Berkshire County students. Of that total, $86,750 was awarded by the Zenas and Winthrop Crane Scholarship Funds, which support graduates of Wahconah Regional High School, $72,500 by the McLaughlin-Wilson Scholarship Fund for residents of Monterey, and $17,000 by the Hon. James P. Dohoney Scholarship Fund for high-school seniors in southern Berkshire County. To view a full list of 2016 scholarship recipients, visit www.berkshiretaconic.org/scholarships.

Grants to arts organizations and programs in Berkshire County totaled $45,610. Select grant recipients include Berkshire Pulse Inc. ($1,000) for an after-school dance program at Undermountain Elementary School, Community Access to the Arts ($2,000) to exhibit paintings and artwork by artists with disabilities at the Clark Art Institute, and WilliNet ($2,500) for a website project.

Nonprofits and individuals providing social and human services across the county received $45,706 in grants. Select grant recipients include Volunteers in Medicine ($5,000) to provide care and interpretation services to immigrant patients; Berkshire Food Project ($3,000) to serve free, hot meals during the week and provide emergency food assistance on weekends; and yoga instructor Connie Wilson ($400) to teach basic skills to elementary-school students at New Marlborough Central School.

Finally, grants to environmental organizations and programs totaled $20,855. Select grant recipients include Hoosac Harvest ($2,500) for its Subsidized Shares program, which connects lower-income community members with farms, farmers, and locally grown food; Mass Audubon ($1,200) to offer an earth-science program at Morris Elementary School; Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation ($800) to provide transportation to its Sheep Hill conservation property; and Greenagers ($3,000) for its environmental-education projects.

A full list of regional grants can be found at www.berkshiretaconic.org/summergrants.

Nick Tokman of ‘Deadliest Catch’ Brings Fish Tales to Student Prince

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, July 14, Nick Tokman of the Discovery Channel’s popular Deadliest Catch will deliver a talk and video presentation at the Student Prince. The demonstration will be followed by a question-and-answer session and opportunities for fans to meet and take pictures with Tokman.

A West Springfield native, Tokman will talk about how he went from being a kid in Western Mass. to landing his dream job fishing for king crab in Alaska with the Deadliest Catch crew. He’ll share wild stories, personal anecdotes, videos, and photos. The Student Prince has also prepared a special menu featuring Alaskan king crab for the night’s festivities.

“I’m honored to be back in Western Massachusetts and to be able to tell my story in my hometown,” Tokman said. “My roots are here, and my family is all here, so this really means a lot to me.”

Doors open at 6 p.m., and Tokman’s presentation begins at 7:15 p.m. Tickets to the event cost $25, not including dinner, and can be purchased in advance at the Student Prince. A $50 VIP package is also being offered, featuring a personal meet-and-greet event prior to the presentation and prime seating for the event.

Baker Signs Transgender Anti-discrimination Law

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law an anti-discrimination bill, passed by the state House and Senate last week, that gives transgender people the right to use public restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identities, regardless of their sex at birth. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination will adopt policies to enforce its provisions, a statement from the governor’s office said.

“No one should be discriminated against in Massachusetts because of their gender identity,” Baker said, according to CNN. “This compromise legislation extends additional protections to the Commonwealth’s transgender community, and includes language to address the public-safety concerns expressed by some by requiring the attorney general to issue regulations to protect against people abusing the law.”

OMG Roofing Promotes Two to Drive International Growth

AGAWAM — With the goal of accelerating growth in international markets, OMG Roofing Products has created market manager positions for both Asia and Europe and promoted two executives into these roles. Kingbill Zhao, Asia market manager, is based in China and will support the Greater Asian market. Lennard Spirig, Europe market manager, is based in Switzerland, servicing the European market. Both are responsible for all OMG sales and marketing activities in their regions, including developing products and services tailored to local market needs.

Zhao joined OMG in 2009 as a roofing specialist and was promoted to China sales manager in 2011, where he was responsible for launching the OMG Roofing Products line in China. Since then, he has built a sales and customer-service organization in China to support the company’s rapidly growing business. Prior to joining OMG, he was the international department manager for the China Waterproofing Assoc., where he worked with other international counterparts like National Roofing Contractors Assoc. and the Germany Roofing Contractors Assoc. to market the China Roofing & Waterproofing Show internationally. In addition, he organized Chinese company visits to the U.S. and Europe, and worked with organizations like FM Global and FLL to introduce approvals and standards to China.

Spirig joined OMG in 2014 as Europe product marketing manager, responsible for marketing OMG products throughout Europe. Since then, he has been a great resource for helping to expand OMG’s footprint in Europe by assisting system manufacturer partners and developing new distribution in various European countries. Prior to joining OMG, he spent 10 years as product manager for mechanical attachment with SFS Intec. Earlier, he had been an international key account manager based in Mexico.

“OMG’s products are designed to enhance rooftop productivity and improve roof-system performance,” said Web Shaffer, vice president of Marketing. “Lennard and Kingbill will be highly focused on developing value-added products and services that meet local market needs in order to accelerate our growth in Europe and Asia respectively, and I look forward to continuing to work with these two outstanding individuals.”

Springfield Regional Chamber Business Leaders to Head to Capitol Hill

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Regional Chamber will hold its biannual Washington Symposium on September 21-23 hosted by U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.

This popular event brings the region’s business leaders to Washington, D.C. to listen to and question some of the country’s most influential leaders, including members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, top federal policy makers, and members of the Obama Administration in its last months in office.

Past speakers have included political strategist Stan Greenberg, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, House Ways and Means Chair David Camp, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors Jason Furman, and Ireland’s Ambassador to the U.S. Anne Anderson.

Registrations are limited and include air transportation, airport parking, hotel transfers, hotel accommodations at the Phoenix Park Hotel within walking distance to the Capitol, breakfast and lunch each day, and welcome and closing evening receptions.

The reservation deadline is Friday, Aug. 5, and no refunds will be granted after that date. The all-inclusive cost is $1,395 (single) or $1,270 (per person, double occupancy) if made by Friday, July 15. Reservations made after July 15 will increase to $1,495 (single) or $1,370 (per person, double occupancy).

Sponsorship opportunities are also available and include complimentary attendance. For reservations or more information, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or e-mail Nancy Creed at [email protected].

Greater Holyoke Chamber Coffee Buzz Slated for July 13

HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce’s next Coffee Buzz morning networking event, sponsored by Lyon and Fitzpatrick, LLP, is scheduled for Wednesday, July 13 at 7:30 a.m. The morning event is designed to help business professionals connect before starting the work day and includes short introductions by attendees and a brief business presentation by the host, with the remainder of time devoted to exchanging business leads and information.

The Coffee Buzz series is wrapping up the 2015-16 season with Ruwac Industrial Vacuums, a Holyoke manufacturer located at 54 Winter St., Holyoke. Ruwac has been manufacturing portable, explosion-proof, central, silo, and specialty industrial vacuum-cleaner systems since 1985. A tour of the manufacturing facility will be offered to attendees.

The event is free with advance notice and is open to all business professionals. A continental breakfast is complimentary for all who attend. To sign up for the Coffee Buzz, call Wanda Zabawa at (413) 534-3376 or visit holyokechamber.com.

The Coffee Buzz is an ideal way to jump-start the day by meeting business and community leaders while enjoying coffee and a light breakfast. Chamber President Kathleen Anderson announced that 2016-17 Coffee Buzz events will be increased from quarterly to bimonthly, occurring six times per year.

Zweig Group Names Tighe & Bond a ‘Best Firm to Work For’

WESTFIELD — Based on the survey results of its 2016 “Best Firms to Work For” ranking, Zweig Group recently named Tighe & Bond one of the best civil-engineering firms to work for in the nation. This annual awards competition is based on business-practice data collected from numerous participating firms across the country, including feedback solicited through an employee survey.

Zweig Group — a provider of management information and expertise to engineering, architecture, and environmental-consulting firms worldwide — sponsors the program that recognizes the top firms leading the way in creating a work place that inspires, motivates, and rewards employees.

The competitive ranking that results is based on comprehensive evaluations of factors such as firm culture and workplace practices, employee benefits, career development and growth opportunities, compensation, performance and recognition, as well as recruiting and retention rates. All firms that apply for this prestigious ranking and recognition are evaluated against each other, not a set standard.

“Zweig Group has recognized Tighe & Bond several times as one of the best engineering firms to work for in the nation, and it is always a significant honor. It also exemplifies our ongoing commitment to create a working environment where all of our employees feel valued, and where they can see their contribution to the overall mission and success of the firm and our clients,” said Tighe & Bond President and CEO David Pinsky. “Our ability to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented staff is crucial to providing the high-quality, responsive services that our clients have come to expect and deserve.”

Zweig Group will recognize Tighe & Bond, along with the other winners, during the 2016 Zweig Group Hot Firm + A/E Industry Awards Conference in September. This is the industry’s largest and most comprehensive business conference for leaders and aspiring leaders of architectural, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.

HZ Electric Supply Promotes Chris Jablonski, Mark Melikian

SPRINGFIELD — HZ Electric Supply (formerly Hampden Zimmerman Electric), a New England electrical distributor, announced the promotion of Chris Jablonski and Mark Melikian to branch managers. Jablonski (in the Northampton branch), and Melikian (Pittsfield) will manage the selling and warehousing of company products, as well as planning, administering, and controlling day-to-day operations.

“HZ Electric Supply is committed to providing its clients with the best customer service. Part of that commitment is employing talented individuals who have demonstrated their value through hard work and dedication,” said Regional President Mark Lauria. “Both Chris and Mark have been instrumental in the growth of business, and we are proud to recognize their contributions with these promotions.”

Jablonski graduated from UMass Dartmouth and John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in international business. He is also a member of Enactus and the National Assoc. of Electrical Distributors. Upon completion of his degree, Jablonski worked for two years as marketing manager of Hampden Zimmerman before entering the USESI 18-month management-trainee program.

Melikian is a graduate of Salve Regina University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English communications. After being employed in the real-estate and retail industries, he interned at HZ in the marketing department the summer after his junior year at Salve Regina. After graduation the following year, he completed the USESI 18-month management-trainee program.

bankESB Donates $75,000 to Sister Caritas Cancer Center Campaign

SPRINGFIELD — bankESB recently donated $75,000 to Transforming Cancer Care – the Capital Campaign for the Sister Caritas Cancer Center. The gift will support the recently completed $15 million dollar expansion of the Cancer Center that added 26,000 square feet of clinical space on two floors.

“The Sister Caritas Cancer Center has a strong reputation for providing high-quality cancer care with a compassionate touch. We are pleased to support this important project for the local community,” said Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB.

The Sister Caritas Cancer Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the American College of Radiology. The recent expansion of the center brings radiation-oncology and medical-oncology services together under one roof, creates the ability to conduct 30,000 treatments per year, increases patient privacy, and provides added convenience for patients undergoing treatment.

Dr. Scott Wolf, president of Mercy Medical Center and the Sisters of Providence Health System, called bankESB “a longtime supporter of Mercy Medical Center and our efforts to meet the healthcare needs of the local community. We are grateful for this generous contribution that underscores the vital role of the cancer center as one element of our mission to serve as a transforming, healing presence.”

To make a gift to the campaign, call (413) 748-9920 or visit www.mercycares.com.

West of the River Chamber Golf Tournament Set for Aug. 15

SOUTHWICK — The West of the River Chamber of Commerce will host its 13th annual golf tournament at the Ranch in Southwick on Monday, Aug. 15. The cost to golf is $125 per player. Fees include 18 holes with cart, lunch, and dinner. The cost to attend dinner only is $35.

Tournament Sponsors include OMG Inc., United Bank, Hampton Inn of West Springfield, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Spherion Staffing Services, and Doctors Express. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the tournament. For details on sponsorship packages, visit www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

During the tournament’s reception and dinner, the West of the River Chamber of Commerce will award scholarships to one student each from Agawam High School, West Springfield High School, and Lower Pioneer Valley Education Collaborative.

To register, visit www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

Jon Lumbra Named Chief Financial Officer at Dowd Insurance Agencies

HOLYOKE — The Dowd Insurance Agencies announced the appointment of Chief Financial Officer Jon Lumbra. He will be responsible for directing the fiscal operations of the business and supervising the accounting department. In addition, he will assist in the planning, establishing, and maintaining of current systems and procedures.

“We are pleased to welcome Jon to the team,” said David Griffin Sr., executive vice president and treasurer of the Dowd Insurance Agencies. “He is an excellent strategic and cultural fit whose breadth and depth of knowledge will help strengthen our brand and provide the best service to our customers and employees.”

Lumbra brings nearly two decades of experience in financial services to the Dowd Insurance Agencies. His past experience includes working for Loomis Communities, the city of Holyoke, and Spectrum Analytical. He is a graduate of Southern Vermont College with a degree in criminal justice and minor in corporate espionage. He is currently working toward his MBA at the University of Southern New Hampshire.

“The Dowd Insurance Agencies is one of the oldest insurance agencies in Massachusetts, and its headquarters remain in the city of Holyoke, where the business was started 118 years ago,” said John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Agencies. “Making positive contributions to the success of our community has always been important to us, which is why Jon is a great addition to our business. He has demonstrated these shared values by volunteering his time to support many organizations — many of which are based in Holyoke, Jon’s hometown.”

Lumbra is president of the Knights of Columbus Council #90 board of directors, former executive board member of the Massachusetts Government Finance Officers Assoc., a member of the Holyoke Taxpayers Assoc., and a member of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Federal Advisory Committee. He is also immediate past chairman of the Holyoke Visiting Nurse Assoc. & Community Health Foundation, immediate past president of the Holyoke Rotary Club, and member of the Holyoke Medical Center board of directors.

Newman’s Own Foundation Donates $15,000 to Link to Libraries

“For all of us at Big Y, we are proud to continue to link the Newman’s Own Foundation with Link to Libraries in order to further the language and literacy skills of students within our marketing area,” said Claire D’Amour-Daley, Big Y’s vice president of Corporate Communications. “Our customers have also enjoyed being part of this yearly initiative.”

An all-volunteer nonprofit with no paid staff, Link to Libraries serves 25,000 children in 400 sites in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Newman’s Own Foundation grant will fund the purchase and distribution of thousands of books in the coming months.

“Over 92 cents per dollar is used to buy books,” said Susan Jaye-Kaplan, president and co-founder of Link to Libraries, which is based in East Longmeadow. “Thanks to this generous grant from Newman’s Own Foundation and our network of 209 volunteers, ranging in age from 5 to 81 years old, we’re well-positioned to deliver on our mission to to enhance the language and literacy skills of children of all cultural backgrounds.”

Newman’s Own Foundation turns all net profits and royalties from the sale of Newman’s Own food and beverage products into charitable donations. To date, Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation have given more than $470 million to thousands of charities around the world.

Since its inception in 2008, Link to Libraries has donated nearly 500,000 new books, including more than 75,000 this fiscal year, said Jaye-Kaplan.

District Attorney, Physicians, and Community Address Addiction

WARE — On June 27, more than 80 people turned out for the Quaboag Hills Community Coalition (QHCC) Substance Use Task Force community dinner held at United Church in Ware. The event provided a forum to discuss the opioid epidemic with treatment providers, a member of the clergy, public health professionals, and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. The open discussion covered substance use, harm reduction, treatment options, barriers to care, recovery, and prevention.

Sullivan handed over a donation of $1,500 to Michelle Holmgren, Public Affairs and Community Relations manager for Baystate Health Eastern Region, Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, and Baystate Wing Hospital, and also a member of the board of directors for the QHCC and its Substance Use Task Force. The funding supports the ongoing efforts by the task force to combat the epidemic.

Sullivan also detailed an educational collaboration between his office and Baystate Health to teach student athletes, coaches, parents, athletic directors, and school officials about the interplay between sports injuries, dental work, and pathways to addiction.

Dr. Zachary Marowitz from the Baystate Health Behavioral Health Neuropsychology Department and Dr. Darius Greenbacher, medical director of BMP Sports and Exercise Medicine, will present at mandatory preseason sports meetings for parents and athletes about the impact of concussion and how to deal with it within sports contexts.

In addition, Sullivan’s office commissioned production of a video titled “Athletes, Opioids, and Addiction,” featuring local physician and addiction specialist Dr. Ruth Potee. The 17-minute film aims to educate student athletes, their parents, and coaches about issues of concern when opioids are prescribed for things like sports injuries or dental surgery. The video will be available for screening at the mandatory preseason meetings. Greenbacher and Marowitz will provide education on concussion and answer questions that might arise.

The community forum was sponsored by the Quaboag Hills Community Coalition, Hampshire HOPE, Baystate Health, Behavioral Health Network and the Carson Center at Valley Human Services in Ware, and the Northwestern District Attorney’s office. United Church of Ware provided the venue for the event, and Baystate Health provided the food.

The Quaboag Hills Substance Use Task Force is a diverse group of representatives from public safety, law enforcement, schools, early-childhood programs, businesses, healthcare, clergy, treatment providers, town officials, civic leaders, youth organizations, and families affected by addiction. With funding from Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, the group meets monthly in Ware and welcomes community participation. For more information, visit www.qhcc.weebly.com or e-mail [email protected].

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County Biking Event Set for July 24

GREENFIELD — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County (BBBS-FC) invites the public to come out on Sunday, July 24 for a morning of cycling through the scenic hills of Franklin County. There are three rides to choose from: a family-friendly, 10-mile ride and scenic 25- and 50-mile routes. The ride will begin and end on the campus of Northfield Mount Hermon School in Gill.

The registration fee is $40, and there are discounts for youth and children who ride. Lunchtime refreshments will be provided for all riders, featuring food from Hillside Pizza of Bernardston and Red Fire Farm of Granby. Children and non-cyclists are welcome to join for the food at noon for a small donation. Raffle tickets will be available to win a Giant Escape 3 around-town bicycle courtesy of Bicycles and Skis Unlimited of Greenfield. The first 75 riders to register will get a T-shirt and goodie bag. To register or learn about the routes, visit www.bikereg.com/biking-for-buddies.

Proceeds from Biking for Buddies fund BBBS-FC programs, which serve local children facing adversity in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region. For almost 50 years, BBBS-FC has been helping local children reach their highest potential through professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships with volunteers.

Currently serving about 150 children, BBBS-FC is continually seeking to serve more children who could benefit from mentors. Mentoring is truly a prevention program, as children with mentors are less likely than their peers to engage in risky behaviors and have been shown to have better relationships with parents and peers and to do better in school.

Program staff will be at the event, ready to take inquiries for new volunteer ‘bigs’ or to answer questions. To learn more about the event or becoming a mentor, call (413) 772-0915 or visit www.bbbs-fc.org.

This year’s event sponsors include Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Greenfield Savings Bank, FirstLight Power Resources, Yankee Candle, Sandri Energy, Northfield Mount Hermon School, LaPierre’s Media Marketing, WHAI/Bear Country, Stobierski & Connor, and Ramon Financial Services, LLC.

HUB International New England Welcomes Two New Employees

EAST LONGMEADOW — HUB International New England, a division of HUB International Limited, a global insurance-brokerage, risk-advisory, and employee-benefits firm, announced the hiring of two new employees in its East Longmeadow office. Monique Matz has joined as commercial lines service manager, and Jennifer Robinson as employee benefits account manager.

Matz joins HUB International with several years of underwriting and commercial-lines experience. At HUB International, her role is to provide service to medium to large commercial insurance accounts of moderate to high complexity. Acting as the primary liaison between the client and insurance carrier, she coordinates all facets of the clients’ needs from the initial setup procedures to audit processing to policy review. She handles day-to-day client requests while staying focused on meeting the needs of clients, carriers, and client executives.

Robinson has been in the insurance industry for many years and has experience in the customer-service and data-management fields. As part of the employee benefits team, she will work to help employers maintain their employee-benefits packages, and acts as a guide and reference tool for their HR managers. She handles client inquiries and works closely in assisting the producers with new business and sales initiatives.

Employer Confidence Weakens in June

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index fell 1.6 points to 56.1 as employers took an increasingly bearish view of the U.S. economy. At the same time, the confidence reading remained comfortably above the 50 mark that denotes an overall positive economic outlook. Taken quarterly, confidence rose from 55.8 during the first three months of the year to 56.7 during April, May, and June.

The June survey of employers overlapped by a few days the landmark vote in Great Britain to leave the European Union, an outcome that caused financial gyrations and concern about U.S. exports in the face of a rising dollar. The confidence readings also came in the wake of the slowest pace of job creation in the U.S. since 2010.

“Massachusetts employers are trying to balance a range of economic and political distractions that pull them in different directions month to month,” said Raymond Torto, Chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “The good news is that employers remain highly confident in the Massachusetts economy and in the prospects for their own companies.”

The AIM Index, based on a survey of Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. The index has remained above 50 since October 2013.

All the sub-indices based on selected questions or categories of employer declined slightly during June after rising to a 10-month high in May. The Massachusetts Index, assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth, dropped a modest 0.8 points to 58.5, up 1.6 points from the year earlier. The U.S. Index of national business conditions plunged three points to 48.8. Employers have been more optimistic about the Massachusetts economy than about the national economy for 74 consecutive months. Meanwhile, the Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, lost 1.9 points to 55.5, while the Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, declined 1.5 points to 56.6.

The three sub-indices bearing on survey respondents’ own operations all weakened. The Company Index, reflecting overall business conditions, fell 1.5 points to 57.7, while the Sales Index dropped 2.8 points to 57.0 and the Employment Index lost 0.6 points to 54.5.

“Uncertainty of the sort created by the Brexit vote certainly impedes investment decisions, and with few signs of any pickup in the global economy, we’re probably going to see a slower rebound in capital spending,” said Sara Johnson, senior research director of global economics with IHS Global Insight.

The AIM survey found that nearly 39% of respondents reported adding staff during the past six months, while 19% reduced employment. Expectations for the next six months were stable, with 37% hiring and only 10% downsizing.

AIM President and CEO Richard Lord, a BEA member, said the Brexit vote underscores the profound effect that political discourse has on the global economic outlook. It’s a pertinent lesson for Massachusetts as the Baker administration and Beacon Hill lawmakers wrestle with both a billion-dollar budget deficit and critical debates on energy, wage equity, and the use of non-compete agreements.

“The sustained optimism that Massachusetts employers have shown toward the state economy reflects the ability of the Legislature and several administrations to maintain disciplined fiscal policy while creating an environment that allows employers to grow,” Lord said. “We look forward to working with policymakers to continue that record as the two-year legislative session ends next month.”

Torrid Opens New Store at Holyoke Mall

HOLYOKE — Torrid, America’s fastest-growing plus-size fashion brand, recently opened its 400th retail store at Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

“Our customers love our fashion collections and exceptional fit, and have been very vocal about wanting us to expand our store base,” said Lisa Harper, Torrid CEO. “Sixty-eight percent of women in the U.S. wear our sizes, but this market represents only 17% of the women’s fashion retail industry.”

Torrid’s collections of fashion apparel, accessories, swimwear, lingerie, and shoes are designed exclusively for women sizes 10 to 30; each piece is made and constructed specifically to fit and flatter curvy figures, rather than being a ‘sized-up’ version of a fashion piece.

The 2,572 square-foot Torrid store is located on the mall’s upper level, near Macy’s.

Berkshire Bank Awards $45,000 to 2016 Scholarship Winners

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank recently selected 30 high-school seniors to receive a total of $45,000 in scholarships through its Berkshire Bank Foundation Scholarship Awards program. Each of the recipients will receive $1,500.

A team of 200 Berkshire Bank employee volunteers reviewed nearly 300 applications to select the winners. The winners all reside in the regions served by Berkshire Bank, including communities in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

This year’s Pioneer Valley recipients include Stephanie Garner, Cathedral High School; Joseph Gardner, Chicopee High School; Joanna Arkoette, Gateway Regional High School; Rachel Pierce, Hampshire Regional High School; Aleeza Suarez Amador, High School of Commerce; Isaais Bermudez, Putnam Vocational Technical Academy; Kamal Watt, Springfield Central High School; and Tymra Garcia, Springfield High School of Science and Technology.

The scholarship awards recognize students who have exemplified community service through their volunteer efforts, been successful academically, and have a financial need. The program highlights the foundation’s support for education and the bank’s commitment to promote volunteerism in the community.

“We are proud to grant these scholarships to so many high-school seniors that share in our passion and commitment to give back to the community,” said Lori Gazzillo, vice president and director of Berkshire Bank Foundation. “With the increasing cost and importance of a college education, we want to do our part to help deserving students achieve their dreams.”

Rotary Club of Springfield Elects Laurie Rosner President

SPRINGFIELD — The Rotary Club of Springfield recently elected a new president, Laurie Rosner, for the 2016-17 Rotary year.

Rosner is the chair of Undergraduate Business Programs and assistant professor of Management at Bay Path University. She is a double Bay Path alumna, with undergraduate and graduate degrees in business. An experienced executive, professor, entrepreneur, and community leader, she led the overall marketing and branding of a community bank at the level of senior vice president for over 20 years. She was part of the executive team who brought the bank from $285 million to $2 billion with public trading on NASDAQ Global Select Market. She has received numerous marketing awards on branding and innovation and has been a guest speaker locally and nationally. She is the owner of a local marketing, business, and leadership-strategy company called A Story Making Co., located in Enfield, Conn.

Rosner taught for several years at Bay Path University in the MBA program with a focus in management, marketing, leadership, and strategy, and was honored with a Distinguished Teaching Award there in 2013. Most recently, she is working to launch a Springfield Rotaract Club for undergraduate women at Bay Path. She is also a past president of the North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. She says her mission is “to inspire others to believe in themselves so they transform into the leader they are meant to be.”

The Springfield Rotary Club, a member of Rotary International, meets every Friday at 12:15 p.m. in the MassMutual Room at the Basketball Hall of Fame. For more information on the club or becoming a member, visit www.springfieldmarotary.org or call membership chairperson Pam Malumphy at (413) 441-2708.

AIC, New England Public Radio Announce Partnership

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) and New England Public Radio (NEPR) announced a new partnership intended to benefit students at the college and enhance coverage for NEPR. WAIC 91.9 FM has become the newest station to join the NEPR News Network, providing Hampden County with a 24-hour public-radio news service on the FM dial.

New England Public Radio’s programming partners include National Public Radio, American Public Media, and Public Radio International, among others, presenting programs like Morning Edition, Here & Now, All Things Considered, Fresh Air, On Point, and the BBC World Service.

As part of its agreement with American International College, New England Public Radio will offer educational seminars on media to AIC students each academic year. NEPR will work with college faculty to design course curriculum that complies with AIC standards for academic credit. Seminar topics may include the art of recording conversations, conducting research and interviews, drafting interview questions, editing, voice techniques, and other fundamental skills and journalistic practices. These learning opportunities will be hosted at one of NEPR’s two Springfield facilities.

In addition, AIC students will be encouraged to participate in NEPR’s paid internship program, which offers experience in several station departments, including the newsroom, marketing, programming, and NEPR’s Media Lab. American International College students will now join students from New England Public Radio’s other academic partners, including UMass Amherst and Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Berkshire Community colleges in participating in NEPR’s paid internship opportunities.

“This exciting collaboration between AIC and NEPR will provide our students with access to New England Public Radio right here in Springfield,” said AIC President Vincent Maniaci. “They will benefit academically and gain real-life experience with a well-respected media organization.”

1-91 Viaduct Safety Info Issued for Fourth of July

By BusinessWest Staff July 1, 2016