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A Colorful Lunch Learning about Giclee

May 28: Nancy Bryant of Giclee of New England will present the history and visual examples of the high quality technology of Giclee printing and its emergence from the photography and fine-art realm to the commercial-printing industry. The 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. luncheon event is sponsored by the Ad Club of Western Mass., and will be conducted at the Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College. The cost is $25 for Ad Club members, $35 for nonmembers, and $15 for students. To make reservations, visit www.adclubwm.org.

401(k) Fiduciary Compliance

May 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; May 29, 7-9 a.m.: Representatives from the Massachusetts Regional Office of the Department of Labor will present workshops on what businesses need to know about 401(k) fiduciary compliance. Topics include: “401(k) Litigation,” “401(k) Fees in the Spotlight,” “Update from the DOL,” “The Next 401(k) Fee Initiative,” and “Revenue Sharing.” Sessions will be conducted at the Hilton Garden Inn on West Columbus Avenue in Springfield. To make reservations, call Rose Talbot-Babey at (413) 734-6418 or E-mail : [email protected]

Gus & Paul’s Marks 50th

May 29: Gus & Paul’s Bakery and Deli of Springfield will be celebrating a milestone — 50 years of community service — by hosting a Taste of Gus and Paul’s from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Proceeds raised from the festive affair will benefit Clinical and Support Options, a local, private, non-profit organization that protects and promotes the rights and well-being of children and families. Designer food and dessert stations will feature the selections that have made Gus and Paul’s successful over the years. The Ted Levine Jazz Quartet will provide the entertainment for the evening. A cash bar will be available. Other highlights of the affair will include the Gus and Paul’s Challenge, a cupcake-eating contest, a raffle, and a live auction. Tickets cost $40. For more information, call (413) 737-9544, ext. 319, or (413) 782-5710.

Business Ethics Seminar

June 3: The CPE Forum, a community business-education group, is offering a four-hour seminar in business ethics at Courniotes Hall at American International College in Springfield. The course will meet the continuing professional-education requirements in ethics for CPAs, enrolled agents, and other business professionals. The general public is also invited to participate in the seminar. For more information, visit www.cpeforum.org. To register or for more information, call (413) 746-9067 or E-mail [email protected].

Focus on Venezuela

June 4: The World Affairs Council of Western Mass. will present Dr. Javier Corrales, associate professor of Political Science at Amherst College, at an Instant Issues brown-bag lunchtime discussion on “Venezuela’s Foreign Policy: Hard Power, Soft Power, and Social Power” in the Sovereign Bank Community Room, 1350 Main St., 3rd floor, in downtown Springfield. The cost is $6 per person without lunch and $12 per person with a meal provided. To make reservations, call (413) 733-0110.

‘The New Philanthropy’

June 6: Bay Path College’s Graduate School will host a free breakfast program titled “The New Philanthropy: What Donors Want, What Donors Need” from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Blake Student Commons on the Longmeadow campus. A continental breakfast begins at 7:30. The program is open to individuals working and volunteering at nonprofit organizations. Keynote speaker Claire Costello, national executive for philanthropic management for the Bank of America, will review the most important trends in this new philanthropic era. As part of a panel, local nonprofit and corporate leaders will respond to the presentation with their own personal insights about what the new philanthropy means for the region. For more information and to register, call (800) 782-7284, ext. 1056, or visit www.baypath.edu.

Children’s Miracle Network Telethon

June 7: Now in its third decade of fundraising to benefit young patients and their families throughout Western Mass., the 22nd edition of the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon at Baystate Children’s Hospital will be broadcast over WWLP-TV22 from 7 to 11 p.m. at Baystate’s Chestnut Conference Center. Viewers will have an opportunity during the telethon to join the special “Miracle Maker Club” for a pledge of $20 a month. In addition, an above-ground swimming pool, valued at $5,000 and donated by Teddy Bear Pools and Spas, will also be auctioned off during the broadcast.

A Battle Plan is Needed for Springfield’s Downtown

By
Opinion

Some of the casualties have been chalked up as ‘coincidences.’ That’s the term that many people used when three restaurants on or near Main Street closed within a few days of each other recently.

Meanwhile, others have been called ‘inevitable signs of the times,’ or something to that effect, and the recent closing of Edwards Book Store fits nicely into that category — the small independent book store is certainly a dying breed in these days of Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

But while some of the business closings in downtown Springfield can be neatly explained away, to one degree or another, the sum of these failures is certainly cause for concern and food for deep thought about just what the future can and should hold for the central business district.

The latest blow came several days ago, when the owners of Hannoush Jewelers, long a mainstay in Tower Square, announced that they would be shuttering their storefront amid declining sales. “We tried to hang on,” company Vice President Nabil Hannoush told the local press. “With the traffic flow, it was getting a little tough.”

This was a reference to the foot traffic in Tower Square, which in recent years has been confined mostly to people who work in that tower or within a few blocks of it. It is becoming increasingly clear that this constituency is simply not enough to support many businesses downtown, and that something must be done to bring more people into the downtown — somehow.

Before elaborating, we must note that there are some positive things happening downtown. There is a FedEx Kinko’s opening in the Johnson’s Bookstore building downtown. Meanwhile, a new financial institution, Nuvo Bank, is drawing closer to its planned opening in long-vacant space within Tower Square.

And while some businesses are choosing to leave downtown Springfield for the suburbs (the Novak Agency among them), there are some who are choosing to stay, like Court Square Group, which recently moved into the half-vacant One Financial Plaza (see story, page 48).

But most everyone who doesn’t work for the Chamber of Commerce would likely admit to being concerned about downtown and the general state of vibrancy, or lack thereof. The retail component of Tower Square is fast becoming a ghost town, save for Dunkin Donuts (there are always long lines there) and the banks — and we’re not really sure how well they’re doing with those branches.

It’s clear that the old argument that people will do business where they work holds only so much water, as Hannoush Jewelers and some of those banks would attest. The key, again, is to get people from outside the downtown, outside the city, even outside the region, to want to come downtown.

Anyone old enough to remember the ’70s knows that this is doable. Long-time area residents remember when downtown Springfield was the place to be. Of course, that’s when Johnson’s, Forbes & Wallace, Steiger’s, Herman’s World of Sporting Goods, and other retail establishments were open — and the Holyoke Mall wasn’t. In those days, people had a reason to come to Main Street — actually, many of them.

There are still some reasons, like the MassMutual Center and some surviving restaurants and clubs, but simply not enough of them.

Creating more reasons is clearly the top priority for city planning officials and the administrators of Tower Square. Perhaps the tower can re-invent itself by moving away from traditional retail and into something different, such as outlet stores (not like the one that was there!) or offerings that cater to the creative community.

Meanwhile, there are opportunities with the soon-to-be vacant federal building to create opportunities to stimulate some vibrancy, perhaps even through market-rate housing.

Beyond the coincidences and those signs of the times, evidence is mounting that the downtown needs a battle plan — and a spark. And above all else, it needs to create more of those reasons for people to come.

By
Departments

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

Alicea, Nelson
a/k/a Alicea, Maxine
16 A Maple Crest Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/09/2008

Almodovar, Rosemary
74 Tokeneke Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2008

Bailey, Kathleen A.
92 Vienna Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/08/2008

Bell, Holly M.
7 Oak Bluff Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/31/2008

Biando, Joshua A.
29 Aspen St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/07/2008

Bickel, Floyd Norman
45 Lake Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2008

Bilodeau, David C.
224 West St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/08/2008

Birks, Dennis W.
Birks, Rebecca A.
a/k/a Rydzak, Rebecca A.
18 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2008

Bliss, Marylou
a/k/a Czerwinski, Marylou
10 Wood Ave.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/11/2008

Borek, Paul B.
Borek, Linda G.
246 Beauchamp Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2008

Burchard, Gary A.
128 Oak Hill Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/04/2008

Caraballo, Jose E.
Caraballo, Milly G.
128 Carver St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/31/2008

Carroll John T.
55 Holly St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/11/2008

Cayo, David W.
91 Steiger Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter:
Date: 04/15/2008

Chartier, Arthur E.
65 Bernard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2008

Cote, Lorraine A.
104 Johnson Road, Unit 704
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/08/2008

Couture, Raymond W.
67 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/02/2008

Dame, Christinna L.
39 Maple St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/31/2008

Daubney, Fleurette T.
21C Miles Morgan Court
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/01/2008

Davies, Deborah J.
36 Deep Field Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Desrosiers, Jocelyn L.
27 Woodcrest Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/07/2008

Desrosiers, Helen T.
37 Flint St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Deyo, Jerry T.
17 Mason St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2008

Digilio, Susan F.
19 Jonathan St.
Gardner, MA 01440
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2008

Dill, Holly E.
41-42 Converse St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/05/2008

Diotalevi, Brian T.
Diotalevi, Michelle A.
19 Grant Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/08/2008

Dodge, John Paul
Dodge, Patricia Ann
259 Millers Falls Road
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/07/2008

Donovan, Lorraine
a/k/a Beauchemin, Lorraine
306 Tremont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/31/2008

DuBois, Leo Zachary
5 Fruit St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/31/2008

Durocher, Robert B.
63 South Westfield St.
P.O. Box 6
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/01/2008

Gallo, Susan M.
72 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2008

Goodrich, Corey A.
87 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/04/2008

Henriquez, Nelson D.
Aguirres, Beatriz C.
6 Franklin Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/07/2008

Heroux, Ronald E.
637B Pendleton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Hogan, Paul F.
PO Box 6572
Holyoke, MA 01041
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/10/2008

  

Kent, Jeffrey D.
Kent, Morgan J.
611 South Main St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/31/2008

Kituyi, Joseph S.
619 Springfield St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Koehler, Thomas A.
Koehler, Doris J.
10 Marsh Lane
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/02/2008

Kowal, Lorie A.
143 Edgewood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/09/2008

Mardirossian, Papak Y.
64 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/12/2008

Martin, Paula Louise
Just All About You
383 Chesnut Hill Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2008

Martinelli, Gabriele
Martinelli, Sandra M.
50 Sandra St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/01/2008

Miller, Gretchen J.
91 Hulst Road
Amherst, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/12/2008

Miranda, Donna J.
a/k/a Conway, Donna J.
a/k/a Kelso, Donna J.
24 Sunrise Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/08/2008

Moreira, Vincent
23 Dartmouth St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/01/2008

Morris, Donna
490 C East Seventh St.
South Boston, MA 02127
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/05/2008

Nicholson, Beth Ann
174 Center St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Nguyen, Loi V.
P.O. Box 80401
Springfield, MA 01138
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2008

Ostrander, Laura J.
Ostrander, Laura Jean
76 Charles Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/02/2008

Pagan, Eddie A.
58 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/01/2008

Panagos, George
63 Orlando St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/02/2008

Piquette, Mark Edward
Piquette, Deborah Lin
17 Holly St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Riccitelli, Martin G.
68 Hazardville Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Riley, Paul T.
123 Maynard Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/11/2008

Rivera, Jose A.
65 Chestnut St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/05/2008

Ruiz, Jose A.
Cruz, Amarilys
107 Marion St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/31/2008

Scagliarini, Gary J.
733 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/09/2008

Scribner, Laura L.
33 Maple St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/03/2008

Sidway, Thomas N.
10 Danforth Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/31/2008

Silvano, Peter M.
99 Meadow Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Smith, Kevin M.
636 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2008

Speth, Thomas Joseph
Speth, Theresa
12 Tabar Ave.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/10/2008

Touponce, Inc.
335 Forest St.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/03/2008

Trask, Regina A.
418 Meadow St., Unit C6
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2008

Vigneault Remodeling
Merk’s Carpentry
Kitchco
Kitchen Magik
Vigneault, Brian K.
85 Maxwell Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/15/2008

Wheeler, Carole D.
139 North Washington St.
Ridgecrest Private Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/07/2008

Wireless 4 Less
Stovall, Eugenia
38 Willow Brook Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/02/2008

Woodbury, Wanda Lou
12 Wheeler Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/14/2008

Zurlino, Peter Jude
PO Box 3387
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/31/2008

OPINION

By
Opinion
Averting an Energy Crisis

Gas prices are skyrocketing; the average price of a gallon of regular hit $4 last week. Venezuela has threatened to cut off oil exports to the United States. The dollar has fallen by 30% against the euro over the past two years. Could things possibly get worse?

Yes. Real-world events underscore our nation’s acute energy-security vulnerabilities. Over the past year, oil prices have surged in a short period of time without any single precipitating event. The effects are stark. Every $10 increase in the annual price of a barrel of oil costs the economy $75 billion.

The average American household spends $5,750 a year on energy, up more than $2,000 from just four years ago. The increase in the cost of gasoline alone amounts to a more than $1,500 tax on the typical American family. Over much of the past decade, Americans have been able to compensate for rising energy costs by drawing on the also-rising equity of their homes. But that did not solve the problem; it camouflaged it. And now that the mortgage crisis and the resulting collapse in property values have taken that crutch away, Americans are more conscious of the impact of the rising cost of oil on their livelihoods.

The United States consumes 25% of the world’s oil: 21 million barrels every single day. The transportation sector — not just cars, but the trucks and airplanes that are crucial to delivering goods and services — use petroleum products for 97% of its energy needs. And the picture is not getting any better: demand in the United States is expected to grow by 30% — to 27 million barrels per day by 2030.

Add to this continued instability — and in some cases, hostility — in some of the world’s most prolific oil-producing nations, and the conclusion is clear: America’s dependence on oil, particularly oil from unstable and undemocratic parts of the world, threatens national security and economic stability.

Recently, in the Forum of the Harvard Kennedy School, a group of former high-level government officials gathered to take part in Oil ShockWave, a high-tech, realistic simulation exercise based on an all-too-possible scenario: a series of geopolitical events leading to a sudden and sustained jump in the price of oil.

The simulation illustrates how one small event in one corner of the world can cascade through the entire global supply system. Courses of action, at that point, would be limited. Would Americans accept an emergency restriction on driving, rationing, or forced carpools? Would we have to deplete our strategic stores, which are held in reserve largely for extreme contingencies, including military shortages? Would we be willing to send troops to secure oil facilities abroad? Would we have to bow to the demands of nations like Iran and Venezuela?

This is not just the stuff of Tom Clancy; these are scenarios we may have to one day face if we continue down our current path. None of them is palatable, and none is even guaranteed to work. Once the crisis occurs, it is already too late.

The objective is to keep the crisis from occurring. Since we cannot control the entire global oil market, we need to do the next best thing: reduce our dependence on oil and increase our resilience and capacity to cope with interruptions. There are meaningful steps we can take, from reducing demand through fuel economy and other standards to increasing the production and deployment of alternatives, to looking at other methods of powering our transportation sector (like electricity), to expanding domestic production of energy in an environmentally responsible way, to working in concert with other major consumers to increase strategic reserves.

The alternative — waiting until the real crisis occurs — is unacceptable.-

Graham Allison is director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. Robbie Diamond is founder and president of Securing America’s Future Energy.

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2008.

AGAWAM

Baystate Health Rehabilitation Services
200 Silver St.
$276,500 — 2,606 square feet tenant fit-up

CH Corporation
23 Suffield St.
$3,000 — Shorten length of roof on driveway canopy

AMHERST

Amherst LLP
188 East Hadley Road
$27,000 — New roof

Claudette Boudreau
534 Main St.
$6,800 — Interior alterations for “Fitness Together”

Royal Monument Inc.
707 Main St.
$14,900 — Exterior renovations

CHICOPEE

Big Y Foods
2189 Westover Road
$407,000 — Install warehouse racking

200 Tillary LLC
165 Front St.
$12,000 — Alterations to 2nd floor

EAST LONGMEADOW

ABC Develop Consulting
24-26 School St.
$70,000 — New roof, windows, and siding

Curry Architecture
One Apple Blossom Lane
$9,327,000 — New commercial construction

Chester & Lorraine Czupryna
135 Denslow Road
$59,000 — New commercial building

GREENFIELD

Argotec, Inc.
53 Silvio O. Conte Dr.
$1,570,000 — New commercial pre-engineered metal building

Greenfield Farmers Cooperative Exchange
275 High St.
$23,000 — Build a storage platform

Robar, Inc.
225-245 Mohawk Trail
$20,000 — Repair damage from truck accident

  

Clinical & Support Options
43 Franklin St.
$9,600 — Interior repairs

HADLEY

Benjamin Paul
4 Bay Road
$3,200 — Install shower and laundry

Richard Hollrock
294 Russell St.
$9,000 — Interior renovations

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$104,000 — Remodel Pretzel Maker store

SOUTH HADLEY

Maraline Development
21 Industrial Dr.
$1,708,000 — Construct addition

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Health Systems
759 Chestnut St.
$206,000 — Renovate existing labs

Baystate Health Systems
759 Chestnut St.
$81,800 — Alterations to fourth floor pediatric center

Baystate Medical Center
253-255 Marvin St.
$115,000 — Cosmetic remodel of offices

Baystate Medical Center
55 Pratt St.
$70,000 — Cosmetic remodel of offices/sleep rooms

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Fred Aaron
1680 Riverdale St.
$2,000 — Interior renovations

George Christy
166 South Boulevard
6,300 — Renovate existing commercial space as personal training center

SRC West Springfield Inc.
One Charles River Place
$231,000 — New roof

By
Departments

Jackson & Connor Opens

NORTHAMPTON — Jackson & Connor, a new men’s apparel store, recently opened on the second floor of Thornes Marketplace. Set in a retail atmosphere that recalls a men’s club with rich, dark, painted walls and wood furniture, Jackson & Connor features several lines including Jhane Barnes, Donald Pliner, John Varvatos, and Edun. The 1,100-square-foot store also features casual and up-tailored men’s clothing and a large selection of accessories.

Paul Robbins Associates Wins Award

WILBRAHAM — Paul Robbins Associates Inc. is a “Silver” winner in the 2008 Summit Creative Awards competition for its creative work for HAP Inc., the region’s housing partnership. The award is for a video, titled “Home,” which was produced by Paul Robbins and shown during HAP’s annual dinner and is used for development purposes by the organization. “Home” highlights HAP’s groundbreaking collaboration of new-home construction and community reinvestment in the Old Hill neighborhood of Springfield. The Summit Creative Awards recognizes and celebrates the creative accomplishments of small and medium-sized advertising agencies and other creative groups with annual billings of $30 million or less. Paul Robbins Associates at Post Office Park is a consultancy providing a wide range of communications services related to public-affairs and marketing strategy and execution.

Big Y Participates in ‘Be Food Safe’ Campaign

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y Foods Inc. has joined food retailers from across the country in a cooperative government, industry, and consumer-group effort to reach millions of consumers with important food safety information on the basic food handling practices of “clean, separate, cook, and chill.” Be Food Safe, originally launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Partnership for Food Safety Education, encourages retailers to display food-safety messages and visual reminders in front of customers through in-store promotions, brochures, flyers, packaging, circular ads, Web sites, and other forms of customer outreach. Nearly 40 retailers, representing approximately 6,000 supermarkets and an estimated 81 million consumers, have volunteered to implement Be Food Safe through their in-store and external customer-communications programs. While the overall rate of foodborne illness has been declining, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that an estimated one in four Americans suffers from food borne illness each year. Consumers can download and print their own Be Food Safe brochure at www. befoodsafe.org.

Caring Health Center Opens Third WIC Office

SPRINGFIELD — Caring Health Center recently opened its third WIC office at 860 Boston Road to provide health education and nutrition services to area women, infants, and children. WIC programs are funded by federal grants that are administered through the Mass. Department of Health. Caring Health Center provides WIC services at its other city locations — Springfield South, 1139 Main St.; and Forest Park, 523 Sumner Ave. Caring Health Center’s WIC programs served more than 3,900 participants in Springfield, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, and Hampden before the expansion to Pine Point, according to Anne S. Awad, president and CEO of Caring Health Center. For more information on services, visit www.caringhealth.org.

STCC Foundation Closes Major Gifts Campaign

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Technical Community College Foundation concluded its first major gifts campaign, “The Best Return On Your Investment,” on May 13 with a victory celebration. The year-long campaign raised more $4.5 million, which will support technology-based educational programs and allied-health programs, in addition to providing need-based scholarships for students. The initiative was established to maintain STCC’s role as a leader in technology and innovation, according to Ira Rubenzahl, president of STCC.

Hampden Bank Awards Grant to Library in Indian Orchard

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden Bank Charitable Foundation recently donated a $15,000 grant to create after-school art programs for young people in the neighborhood of Indian Orchard. The funds will pay for a series of art programs in collaboration with the Artists’ Mill at Indian Orchard for children ages 8 to 17 in the Indian Orchard branch of the Springfield Library. The project begins this summer and continues into the school year with Saturday and evening classes.

By
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.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Hebert W. Bacon v. Everett G. Bacon Jr. & H & E Associates
Allegation: Breach of contract: $31,194
Filed: 4/24/08

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Mackin Construction Company Inc. v. Berkshire Material Corporation
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $48,023.60
Filed: 4/28/08

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Dorchester Industries Inc. v. RPM Technologies Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $11,558.62
Filed: 4/15/08

Solid Waste Solutions Inc. v. Town of Franklin
Allegation: Amount due under contract for removal of yard waste: $25,000
Filed: 4/11/08

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Dauphinais & Son Inc. v. GFI Longbrook, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $45,411.96
Filed: 4/22/08

International Bulb Company Inc. v. Grandview Farms Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $66,491.40
Filed: 4/22/08

J.D. Contracting Inc. v. Whiteway Construction Corporation, Town of Cummington, and Hanover Insurance Group Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of sub-contracting services provided for construction project: $73,000+
Filed: 4/08/08

JPS Elastomerics Corporation v. Liberty Roofing Center, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $73,399.27
Filed: 4/11/08

Leaf Funding Inc. v. Medequip Inc.
Allegation: Damages resulting from breach of equipment lease contract: $44,285.45
Filed: 3/31/08

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

United Natural Foods Inc. v. Blue Moon Grocery Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered and breach of contract: $106,156.94
Filed: 4/22/08

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Hampden Housing Associate, LP v. Whiting Oil Corp.
Allegation: Claims for release of environmental contamination: $100,000
Filed: 4/25/08

Newstress Inc. v. Barr & Barr Inc. and Mount Holyoke College
Allegation: Balance due for services and materials provided and breach of contract: $217,820.79
Filed: 4/17/08

Loring Michael Caney Jr. v. the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and University of Massachusetts
Allegation: Personnel action involving wrongful termination: $52,000
Filed: 4/24/08

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Mercy Medical Center v. Five Star Transportation Inc.
Allegation: Unfair and deceptive business practices and non-payment of debt: $7,490
Filed: 2/04/08

MVA Center for Rehabilitation v. Encompass Insurance Co.
Allegation: Non-payment of medical bills: $8,299.45
Filed: 2/05/08

TD Banknorth v. Berkshire Frameworks
Allegation: Non-payment of promissory note: $8,644.86

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Royal Plaza Textiles Inc. v. Canadian Cozies
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $8,537.98
Filed: 4/16/08

By
Departments

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

AGAWAM

The Liberty Preservation Association of Massachusetts Inc., 111 High St., Agawam 01001. Laura A. Jackson, same. (Nonprofit) Non-connected or ideological political action committee to affect legislation.

AMHERST

Association for Environmental Health & Sciences Foundation Inc., 150 Fearing St., Suite 17, Amherst 01002. Paul T. Kostecki, Stillwater Road, South Deerfield 01373. (Nonprofit) To promote the education, training, research and dissemination of information regarding the environment, etc.

Voter Action Inc., 48 North Pleasant St., Suite 304, Amherst 01002. Holly Jacobson, 2520 34th Ave., South, Seattle WA 98144. John Bonifaz, 30 Harris St., Amherst 01002, treasurer. (Nonprofit) To protect the right to vote, ensuring election integrity, transparent election procedures, etc.

BELCHERTOWN

Belchertown Band Boosters Inc., 12 Wilson Road, Belchertown 01007. Susan Clark, same. (Nonprofit) To educate and promote the music program in the Belchertown Public Schools, etc.

CHICOPEE

Amvets Riders Chapter 12 Inc., 754 Montgomery St., Chicopee 01020. Maurice V. Marcil, 234 Dale St., Chicopee 01020. (Nonprofit) To provide community service and fellowship, support the goals of the Amvets national organization.

EASTHAMPTON

Easthampton Quality Machine Inc., 16 Arthur St., Easthampton 01027. Raymond A. Witherell, same. Tool and machine making.

EAST LONGMEADOW

KAYANT Inc., 17 Overbrook Road, East Longmeadows 01028. Ralph A. Giuggio, 3 Mayfair St., East Longmeadow 01028. To own and operate a restaurant business.

MEC’s Landscaping Inc., 32 Hampden Road, East Longmeadow 01028. Alessandro Meccia, same. Landscaping.

Pinnacle Performance Inc., 171 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow 01028. Paul W. Koetsch, 43 Treetop Ave., Springfield 01118. Automotive restyling and paint protection.

GOSHEN

Good Time Stove Company Inc., 188B Cape St., Goshen 01032. Richard Richardson, same. The renovation and sale of wood stoves and related items.

GRANBY

Laduke Electric Inc., 92 Ferry Hill Road, Granby 01033. James E. Laduke, II, same. Electrical service, repair and installation.

GREENFIELD

George’s Rocks Inc., 246 Silver St., Greenfield 01301. George P. Marchacos, same. Retail amusements.

VLS Auto Trade Ltd., 16 Ferrante Ave., Greenfield 01301. Lucia Ivantchev, same. Automobile import and export.

HAMPDEN

AMP Consulting Inc., 23 South Ridge Road, Hampden 01036. Andrew H. Persaud, same. Finance and accounting consulting.

HOLYOKE

Friends of Holyoke Public Schools Inc., 225 High St., Suite 601, Holyoke 01040. Michael J. Moriarty, 1 Lexington Ave., Holyoke 01040. (Nonprofit) To facilitate the funding of programs to support and celebrate academic achievement and creativity in the Holyoke public schools.

Merchant Service Center Inc., 15 Main St., Holyoke 01040. Jeffrey P. King, same. (Foreign corp; DE) Merchant service credit card processing.

Ministerio Evangelistico De Cristo Es La Uncion Y Poder Inc., 10 Center St., Holyoke 01040. Ramon Antonio Crespo, same. (Nonprofit) To help restore the lives of people through outreach work in different communities.

PH Recordings Inc., 10 Gatehouse Road, Holyoke 01040. Stephen C. Porter, same. To operate a music recording business.

Source of New York 8 Inc., 354 High St., Holyoke 01040. David Woo M. Park, same. Retail clothing and accessory company.		  

LONGMEADOW

Faith In Action of Hampden County Inc., 76 Longfellow St., Longmeadow 01106. Nancy A. Marshall, same. (Nonprofit) To enhance the quality of life for adults of 60+ years who lack an adequate support system, offering the friendship and support of a volunteer, etc.

MONSON

Munn Inc., 141 Munn Road, Monson 01057. Ralf Trzeciak, same. Laundromat and ownership of other businesses.

NORTHAMPTON

Northampton Community Acupuncture Inc., 160 Main St., Northampton 01060. Melissa Beth Stein, same. Acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Nolta Inc., 27 Olive St., Northampton 01060. Felix Bonn, same. Manufacturing of motor/pump protection devices.

SHELBURNE

Committtee for Responsible Wildlife Management Inc., 2 Reynolds Road, Shelburne 0370. Herbert Bergquist, same. (Nonprofit) To promote science based wildlife management decisions based on fact, not emotion or personal ideology.

SOUTH DEERFIELD

The Learning Circle-Deerfield Inc., 150 North Main St., South Deerfield 01373. Jay L. Whitney, 178 Old Vernon Road, Northfield 01360. (Nonprofit) Child care center for ages 6 weeks to 6 years old.

SOUTH HADLEY

For The Health of It in Western MA Inc., 17 Spring Meadows, South Hadley 01075. Maureen A. Jagodowski, same. (Nonprofit) To provide information and education relative to suicide prevention.

River Road Billiards Inc., 320 River Road, South Hadley 01075. Steven Daniel Blaney, same. Billiards and pool leagues.

SOUTHWICK

25 Point Grove Realty Inc., 205 Feeding Hills Road, Southwick 01077. Patrick J. Lynch, same. To hold real estate.

Ranpat Inc., 13 Lauren Lane, Southwick 01077. Randy Rindels, same. Bar/restaurant.

SPRINGFIELD

Chico’s Towing Service Inc., 61 Chandler St., Springfield 01104. Cecilio V. Rivera, 25 Bancroft St., Springfield 01107. Towing of commercial and residential vehicles.

Concilio Pentecostes Ya Es Tiempo De Que Te Levantes Talita Cumi Inc., 246 Walnut St., Springfield 01105. Felix Torres, 56 Montrose St., Springfield 01109. (Nonprofit) To perform Christian services and food services to the needs of our community.

Harrell Funeral Home Inc., 355 St. James Ave., Springfield 01103. Ronald E. Harrell, same. To operate a funeral home.

IT & T Systems Inc., 1655 Main St., #501, Springfield 01013. Jeffrey Rm Filamonte, 26 Dayton St., Chicopee 01013. IT systems maintenance and installations.

R & D Towing & Transport Inc., 36 Jardine St., Springfield 01107. Robert M. Bernier, same. Towing and transport.

Toby Transportation Inc., 137 Cedar St., Springfield 01105. Tony Ayoade, same. To provide transportation of a wide variety of individuals needing mobility (i.e., medical transportation, wheelchair, etc.)

WESTFIELD

Unified Sports Program Inc., 267 Falley Dr., Westfield 01085. Mary Lou Niedzielski, 24 Harlow Clark Road, Huntington 01050. (Nonprofit) To provide recreational and sport activities to children in the Greater Westfield area who have mental and/or physical disabilities, etc.

WILBRAHAM

QE Global U.S. Inc., 5 Wandering Meadows Lane, Wilbraham 01095. James Killoren, same. Importing, sales and distribution of energy .

Spartan Investigations Inc., 408 Springfield St., Wilbraham 01095. Scott Alan Richard, same. Private investigation.

By
Departments

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

AGAWAM

Majestic Tile & Grout Restoration Inc., 59 Sunnyslope Ave., Agawam 01001. Darren A. Jacobs, 62 Home St., Springfield 01104. Tile & grout restoration.

AMHERST

Community Funding Partners Inc., 6 University Dr., Suite 206-239, Amherst 01002. Irvin Rhodes, same. (Foreign corp; DE) Marketing and sales.

MW Photonics Inc., 433 West St., Amherst 01002. Jeannie E. Williams, 152 Boston Road, Groton 01450. Scientific research in optical technologies.

BELCHERTOWN

Bruce Goodrich Cancer Survivor’s Fund Inc., 450 North Washington St., Belchertown 01007. Ken Goodrich, same. (Nonprofit) To promote awareness and raise money to help cancer victims, etc.

BERNARDSTON

Z-M Performance Systems Inc., 203 South St., Bernardston 01337. Allan P. Zitta, same. To develop, own, license and otherwise exploit intellectual properties of all kinds.

CHICOPEE

Mass Terror Inc., 57 Davenport St., Chicopee 01013. Shaun Foley, same. Retail and wholesale merchandising including manufacturing.

Westfield Ready Mix Inc., 652 Prospect St., Chicopee 01020. Leo Ouellette, Jr., 15 Easton St., Granby 01033. Sale and processing of concrete, sand, gravel.

EASTHAMPTON

Creative Autism Services Inc., 53 Holyoke St., #1, Easthampton 01927. Rebecca C. Belopsky, same. Relationship-based consulting.

Suzi’s Way Inc., 300 Reservation Road, Easthampton 01027. Suzi Buzzee, 22 Reservation Road, Easthampton 01027. Real estate sales and purchases.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Western Massachusetts Institute For Social Research Inc., 4 Oakwood Circle, East Longmeadow 01028. Raymond J. Zucco, same. (Nonprofit) To promote the advancement of social research, help raise public awareness of the contributions and use of sociology to society, etc.

FEEDING HILLS

Alycat Inc., 63 Poplar St., Feeding Hills 01030. Robert F. Johnson, III, same. To operate a restaurant.

D.J. Concessions Inc., 15 Belmont Ave., Feeding Hills 1030. David Jalbert, same. Retail sales.

FLORENCE

Freedom Post 28 Inc., 63 Riverside Dr., Florence 01062. Thomas P. Ouimet, same. (Nonprofit) A veterans organization for social and recreational activities.

HOLYOKE

Danny’s Electric Inc., 11 Hendel Dr., Holyoke 01040. Luis D. Arroyo, same. Any and all electrical work.

LONGMEADOW

V & S Management Co. Inc., 66 Dwight Road, Suite #1, Longmeadow 02206. Raymond G. Stevens, 36 Elm St., East Longmeadow 01028. Real estate development and related activities.

  

LUDLOW

Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corp., Moddy St., Ludlow 01056. H. Bradford White, 289 Spring St., Shrewsbury 01545. To acquire property for wind turbines, etc., to produce wind energy in Hancock and known as the “Berkshire Wind Facilities”, etc.

NEW SALEM

Stages of Life Inc., 283 Wendell Road, New Salem 01355. Dylan W. Flye, same. (Nonprofit) A performing arts after school and summer program to offer disadvantaged and at risk youth, etc.

NORTHAMPTON

Evolve-IBB Inc., 167 South St., #2, Northampton 01060. Elena Tunitsky-Bitton, same. Marketing, sales and business development, advertising.

SHELBURNE FALLS

Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club Inc., 75 Bridge St., Shelburne Falls 01370. Meta Nisbet, 146 Smead Hill Road, Colrain 01340. (Nonprofit) To increase the beauty of the Village of Shelburne Falls, award college scholarships to local area youth, etc.

SPRINGFIELD

Alian Consultants Inc., 57 Florence St., Springfield 01105. Darnel Ali, same. (Nonprofit) New business consultation and development.

Billups World Entertainment Inc., 113 Lyman St., Springfield 01103. Stefan Billups, 3 Silver St., Springfield 01107. Multimedia and print production and distribution.

Bridgers Property Inc., 73 Cambridge St., Springfield 011089. Cynthia A. Bridgers, same. Real estate ownership.

Concilio Pentecostes Ya Es Tiempo De Que Te Levantes Talita Cumi Inc., 246 Walnut St., Springfield 01105. Felix Torres, 56 Montrose St., Springfield 01109. (Nonprofit) To perform Christian services and food services to the needs of our community.

Denise’s Designs Inc., 132 Fort Pleasant Ave., Springfield 01108. Asiala Dickson, same. (Nonprofit) Promote awareness in art and design in fashion ware and culture.

DJAV Corp., 105 Woodlawn St., Springfield 01108. David J. Virella, Jr., same. Carpentry and construction.

Elite Consulting Services Inc., 293 Bridge St., Ste. 328, Springfield 01103. Eliezer Serrano, 20 Windermere Dr., Feeding Hills 01030. Consulting services.

Nuvo Bank & Trust Co., 1500 Main St., Springfield 01115. Jeffrey Sattler, 21 Magnolia Terr., South Hadley 01075. Transacting the business of a trust company.

Podjockey Inc., 650 Belmont Ave., Springfield 01108. Michael Harrison, 212 Deepwoods Dr., Longmeadow 01106. Media production and delivery services.

Springfield City Youth Organization Inc., 1350 Main St., 10th Fl., c/o Hare, Stamm & Harris, Springfield 01103. Richard F. Williams, 43 Pearson Dr., Springfield 01119. (Nonprofit) To provide a non-profit community-based athletic program for youth in the City of Springfield.

VK Transport Inc., 534 Union St., Springfield 01089. Vadim V. Kot, same. Trucking company.

WESTFIELD

Pioneer Valley Propane Inc., 389 Southampton Road, Westfield 01085. Jeffrey S. Hunter, 16 Kylene Cirle, Southampton 01073. Distribution and sale of propane fuel and related products.

By
Departments

Pamela Monaco has been named Director of the University Without Walls program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

•••••

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Berkshire Bank, has named Gary M. LeBlanc as its Branch Manager for the Ludlow location at 431 Center St.

•••••

Brenda Cuoco of Wilbraham Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has achieved the International Diamond Society award for 2007. Cuoco is ranked the No. 1 agent in Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage throughout Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties, according to the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors.

•••••

Robert S. Wheten has been elected to Assistant Vice President, Commercial Credit, at Easthampton Savings Bank. He was hired by the bank in 2001 as a credit analyst. He was promoted to senior credit analyst in 2005 and to commercial credit officer in 2007. Wheten manages credit quality issues and supervises the underwriting of the bank’s larger commercial loans.

•••••

The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the following:
• Erin Tierney has been named a Convention Center Sales Manager, and
• Caitlin Casali has been named a Convention Center Sales Manager.
Both women will work with Todd Greenwood, Vice President of Convention Center Sales and Marketing, in selling and marketing the MassMutual Center for citywide convention groups.

•••••

Stephen L. Kuhn, Senior Vice President, Secretary, and Deputy General Counsel at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company in Springfield, has been named to the 2008 In-House Leaders in the Law list published by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. This is the second consecutive year that Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly has published the list, which recognizes corporate attorneys throughout New England who serve as either general counsel or staff attorney. Kuhn was one of 15 attorneys throughout New England chosen by five panelists.

•••••

Elizabeth Solomon’s wallpaper titled “Lily with Buds” is featured in the April 2008 edition of Real Simple magazine. The article, “Wallpaper Made Easy,” appears in the “Home” section of the magazine. Solomon recently created Elizabeth Solomon Designs, a new and whimsical line of work which celebrates her love of color, pattern, and design. Given Campbell, owner and designer of Given Campbell Design Studio, has licensed many of Solomon’s designs, and is manufacturing and retailing her wallpapers. Samples of Solomon’s wallpaper will be on display in her studio at the spring Cottage Street Open Studios event on June 7-8 in Easthampton.

•••••

Lia Sophia recently announced top honors for its Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers for outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism. Eileen Maunsell was honored for attaining certain sales levels in her first 15 weeks and by sharing Lia Sophia with other new advisors.

•••••

Health New England has announced the following:
• Patricia Scheer has been promoted to Director of Quality Operations;
• Michelle Sears has been promoted to Accounting Manager;
• Susan Keser has been promoted to Director of Provider Contracting;
• Renee Wroth has been promoted to Director of Service Operations, and
• Barbara Berthiaume has joined the firm as a Director of Health Services.

•••••

Ronald X. Johnson recently joined the staff of Springfield School Volunteers as the Program Manager for Employer Outreach.

•••••

Patrick J. Willcutts, Vice President-Investments CFP for UBS Financial Services Inc., has earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst license through the Investment Management Consultants Association. Willcutts, who works in the firm’s Springfield office, attained the license following coursework and an examination at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

•••••

PeoplesBank has announced that Paul E. Hillsburg will serve as Assistant Vice President for PeoplesFinancial and Insurance Services at the Bank’s South Hadley office located at 494 Newton St. As a representative of Infinex Investments Inc., Hillsburg will provide customers with financial planning and investment guidance, including retirement, estate, and college education planning. Hillsburg has served as a Financial Consultant for Infinex Financial Group and as a Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch. He holds Series 7 and 66 registrations and holds an insurance license with life, health, and variable products.

•••••

The Howdy Awards Committee of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) has selected Bruce Landon, President of the Springfield Falcons Hockey Club, as the recipient of the 2008 Spotlight Award. The Spotlight Award is bestowed at the GSCVB’s annual Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence. Unlike the winners in eight Howdy Award categories who are selected by hospitality judges from outside the Pioneer Valley, the recipient of the Spotlight Award is chosen by the committee based on his or her dedication and outstanding contribution to the region’s hospitality industry and the long-term impact their efforts have had on tourism in the Pioneer Valley. Landon has served as general manager for 24 campaigns and as president for 14 seasons with the Springfield Falcons Hockey Club. Originally a player with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League, he was selected in the 1969 amateur draft, then relocated to Springfield in October of that year. After eight seasons of playing professional hockey in Springfield, Hartford, and Providence, he suffered a knee injury that ended his playing days, but not his involvement with the sport. He was soon appointed director of Marketing and Sales for the Springfield Indians and was the color commentator on the team’s radio broadcasts. In 1979, Landon received the Ken McKenzie Award, the American Hockey League’s (AHL) award honoring the individual that best promotes his or her team during the season.  Three years later, he was promoted to general manager, a title he holds to this day. He has overseen two consecutive Calder Cup-winning teams, and was the recipient of the James E. Hendy Award, which honors the league’s top executive, in 1981. In 1994, he made the firm commitment to keep hockey in Springfield. After the city lost its professional hockey team, Landon joined forces with Wayne LaChance to spearhead Pro Friends Inc., an investment group that was awarded an AHL expansion franchise: the Springfield Falcons. Prior to the 2002-03 season, Landon was involved in the creation of a new ownership group, Springfield Pro Hockey, LLC, which purchased the Falcons from Pro Friends Inc. Through the years, Landon has served as a key member of the AHL’s Board of Governors as well as several of its committees. Landon will receive his award on May 20 during the 13th annual Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke.

By
Departments

Current Events

Rodney Powell, right, president and COO of Western Mass. Electric Co., presents a check for $50,000 to Springfield Technical Community College as part of the college’s major-gifts campaign. The donation will be used for student scholarships in the School of Math, Sciences, and Engineering Transfer at STCC. From left are RushikeshPatel (partially hidden), STCC President Ira H. Rubenzahl, Quynh Anh Tran, Paola Santiago (partially hidden), Alex Lukomskiy, Karla Santiago, Matthias Galvin, Christopher Childs (holding the check), and Powell.

Maximum Exposure

Robert Charles Zemba, who founded a photography studio that took his name, recently retired after 30 years in the broad business of photography. More than 250 friends, family, and colleagues turned out to salute his work and wish him well in retirement. In a bit of role reversal, he had to pose for the pictures and not take them. Here, he does so with his daughter, Christine Little.

Summit Meeting

More than 70 area business leaders participated with the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield in the annual Beacon Hill Summit in Boston on April 30. The participants heard from many legislators about issues that affect the cost of doing business in Massachusetts.

Business Market Show 2008

The MassMutual Center was buzzing May 7, as the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce staged Business market Show 2008. More than 150 exhibitors graced the floor of the exhibition hall. At right, representatives of Agawam-based Hastie Fence greet visitors to their booth.

OPINION

By
Opinion
Budgeting Should Be Based on Results

Elections are exciting; budget debates are not. Millions are enthralled by the neck-and-neck Democratic primaries, but I don’t know anyone who spent the recent state budget week glued to Google News for the latest from Beacon Hill. If public participation in government is good, then it is surely bad that most of us happily ignore the Great and General Court as it makes some of the most important decisions in government, allocating billions to public safety, schools, and health care.

Arguing over a few billion dollars of school spending is never going to be as thrilling as debating tales of 10-year-old sniper fire or an awkward, acrid adjective like ‘bitter,’ but perhaps more people would pay attention to the state budget if we knew what our tax dollars were doing. Since few of us understand the impact of an extra dollar on schools or safety or hospitals, public budget discussions turn into empty, dull displays of fidelity to abstract ideals. Supporting state aid to schools becomes a means of showing love for children. Supporting infrastructure signals foresight about the state’s economic future.

I care about bridges and tunnels, public safety, and hospitals. As the father of three small children, I certainly care about schools. But I can care about these things without having any idea about whether the state should increase spending in any of these areas. Without a better idea of what an extra dollar on schools or hospitals or safety accomplishes, I can’t possibly know where our extra dollars should go.

When a corporation invests in a division or product line, the firm will evaluate the impact new investment will have on profits. The government’s investment decisions are more important than those made by any firm, and the need for transparent and compelling public investment criteria is just as strong. Just because governments have more holistic objectives doesn’t mean that governments shouldn’t weigh costs and benefits. Yet the Commonwealth is a long way from having a budget process that clearly allocates spending to high-return activities.

Here are five steps that could help:

First, lawmakers should drop any presumption that this year’s budget allocations should look like last year’s budget allocations. A better rule of thumb would be that, unless a budget item shows success, spending should be cut by 10% each year. A norm of reducing budgetary allocations should help avoid spending sclerosis and provide plenty of incentive to document results.

Second, the Commonwealth needs to frankly discuss how to weigh different goals. A faltering economy will probably keep revenues low over the next few years. Hard tradeoffs are inevitable, but few leaders have honestly debated how much value to place on a better-educated child versus a healthier adult.

Third, budgetary proposals should reflect the current scientific knowledge about the impact of different forms of spending. Dozens of studies suggest that routine increases in school spending have little impact on children’s outcomes; there is more of a consensus supporting the benefits of pre-kindergarten programs. Budget boosters have an obligation to present peer-reviewed evidence supporting claims that their spending proposal will result in some desirable outcome.

Fourth, state aid to localities should be tied to ongoing improvements in local government outcomes. School aid can be tied to improved student performance; police aid can be based on victimization surveys. Connecting aid to outcomes creates incentives for local governments to make measurable progress.

Fifth, budgetary increases should always be designed to make future evaluation more transparent. New programs can be phased in across localities to make evaluation easier and structured so that before-and-after comparisons are more revealing. We desperately need knowledge about the impact of government spending, so any new spending category should help provide that data.

State and local governments enrich our lives in countless ways, and state budgets are important. I’d like to see the public bring the same excitement to budget week as it does to a three-game Red Sox series against the Yankees. The budget process would get more interesting if the debate was filled with meaningful facts and if spending was based on results.-

Edward L. Glaeser, a professor of Econom-ics at Harvard University, is director of the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston.

By
Departments

Financial, Estate- planning Workshops

May 14, May 21: Applewood at Amherst, a part of the Loomis Communities, will host a free public series of financial and estate-planning talks, all beginning at 7:30 p.m. On May 14, Eva Thomson of Thomson Financial Management will share methods of maximizing one’s assets for a fulfilling retirement and beyond. On May 21, Hyman Darling, J.D., of Bacon Wilson, P.C., will review ways to personalize one’s legacy through ethical wills, pet trusts, charitable bequests, gift annuities, or specific burial instructions. Talks will be conducted in the meeting room at Applewood at Amherst, One Spencer Dr., Amherst. Reservations are encouraged and may be made by calling Kelley Murphy at (413) 253-9833.

Pancake Breakfast

May 17: The World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast returns to Main Street in Springfield from 8 to 11 a.m., with tables stretching from Tower Square to Court Square. Three cooking tents will be serving buttermilk pancakes made by the International House of Pancakes. Carando Classic Italian bacon will also be offered, as well as H. P. Hood milk, orange juice, and cream for the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters coffee. Tickets are $3 for adults and $1 for children. For more information, visit www.spiritofspringfield.org or call the Spirit of Springfield office at (413) 733-3800.

Chamber Music at Wistariahurst

May 18: An afternoon of Schumann and Brahms will close out the final installment of the “Chamber Music at Wistariahurst” series at the Wistariahurst Museum, Cabot Street, Holyoke, beginning at 3 p.m. The concert will take place in the intimate setting of the Belle Skinner Music Room. The program includes Ziegeunerlieder by Brahms, arranged for chorus, and Spanishes Liederspiel by Schumann, for four solo voices. The soloists will be Mary Beth Taylor, soprano; Jane Hanson, mezzo-soprano; Peter W. Shea, tenor; and Terry Ward, bass. Tickets are $15. For more information, call (413) 322-5660 or visit www.wistariahurst.org.

Grant-writing Workshop

May 20: Grant writers for area nonprofit agencies are invited to a free workshop at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the theater of Scibelli Hall. Deborah S. Koch, director of grants at STCC, will conduct the workshop, which will offer an overview of foundations, what factors make a project appealing to foundations, writing letters of inquiry and proposals, and packaging the proposal. To register or for more information, contact Linda Padykula at (413) 755-4523 or via E-mail at [email protected]. The deadline to register for the workshop is May 15.

Woman of the Year Banquet

May 21: The Women’s Partnership of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield will honor Kristina Drzal Houghton as its Woman of the Year at its annual banquet planned at Chez Josef in Agawam. The award recognizes extraordinary achievement by a woman in the greater Springfield community whose efforts exemplify the leadership, community involvement, and professional goals of the Women’s Partnership. A reception begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:15.

Tickets are $35 per person. For more information, visit www.myonlinechamber.com.

Gus & Paul’s Marks 50th

May 29: Gus & Paul’s Bakery and Deli of Springfield will be celebrating a milestone — 50 years of community service — by hosting a “Taste of Gus and Paul’s” from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Proceeds raised from the festive affair will benefit Clinical and Support Options, a local, private, nonprofit organization that protects and promotes the rights and well-being of children and families. Designer food and dessert stations will feature the selections that have made Gus and Paul’s successful over the years. The Ted Levine Jazz Quartet will provide the entertainment for the evening. A cash bar will be available. Other highlights of the affair will include the Gus and Paul’s Challenge, a cupcake-eating contest, a raffle, and a live auction. Tickets cost $40. For more information, call (413) 737-9544, ext. 319, or (413) 782-5710.

‘The New Philanthropy’

June 6: Bay Path College’s Graduate School will host a free breakfast program titled “The New Philanthropy: What Donors Want. What Donors Need” from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Blake Student Commons on the Longmeadow campus. A continental breakfast begins at 7:30. The program is open to individuals working and volunteering at nonprofit organizations. Keynote speaker Claire Costello, national executive for philanthropic management for the Bank of America, will review the most important trends in this new philanthropic era. As part of a panel, local nonprofit and corporate leaders will respond to the presentation with their own personal insights about what the new philanthropy means for the region. For more information and to register, call (800) 782-7284, ext. 1056, or visit www.baypath.edu.

By
Departments

wing bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. BanThe follokruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

All American Family Life
Diamond Jim Group
Carlson, James Claude
Carlson, Annette Doris
a/k/a Taillon, Annette Doris
James C. Carlson, Ph.D.
1093 James St.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/18/08

Beardsley, Nancy Jean
383 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Beaudry, Steven G.
96 Aldrich St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/08

Begin, Guy R.
52 Chapin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Bergeron, Adam D.
106 Samuel St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Bernier, Paul F.
65 Alger St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Bigos, Paul M.
PO Box 691
Becket, MA 01223
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Blair, Dale M.
Blair, Donna M.
17 Lawson Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Blair, Michelle E.
a/k/a Nadeau, Michelle E.
115 Russellville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/08

Botto, Lawrence W.
249 Robbins Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/25/08

Boucher, Shane William
PO Box 7000
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Boucher, Suzanne M.
174 Barnard Road
Granville, MA 01034
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Brandon, Robert J.
Brandon, Cindy Ann
30 Clifton Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Breor, Mark R.
14 Riddlell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/08

Buffum, Philip Ainsworth
Buffum, Trina Marie
a/k/a Weathersbee, Trina
6 Mountain St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Casella, Patricia A.
138 Fisher Hill Road
Cheshire, MA 01225
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Casey, Elaine A.
80 Brush Hill Ave. #73
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Casey, Ethel E.
345 Warren Wright Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Chaves, John S.
a/k/a Chaves, Joao
113 Skyridge St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Chilicki, Elizabeth Anne
222 Prospect St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Clark, Deborah Lynn
56 Fuller Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Collins, Lynne M.
1129 St. James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Cooley, Angela A.
10 Franklin Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Corriveau, Suzanne E.
156 Norman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Country Computers LLC
Zalneraitis, Raymond
249 Hunt Road
Oakham, MA 01068
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/08

Cox, Kevin R.
Eden-Cox, PamRose
a/k/a Eden, PamRose
66 Willow St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Croft, Brian S.
520 Southbridge Road
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Culloo, Heather
45 Lafayette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Cusimano, Nancy
45 Orlando St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

D’Amato, John R.
D’Amato, Mary A.
7 Treehouse Circle, Apt 2
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/27/08

Daniels, Priscilla Elizabeth
15 Devens St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Davila, Pilar
91 Newton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Day, Eunice M.
14 Roger St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/27/08

Delaney, Michael W.
1163 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Domingos, Joseph Charles
27 South St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Farnsworth, III, Thornton
P.O. Box 771
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Fitzgibbon, John J.
Unit E30, Riverbend Condo
555 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Folino, Patricia A.
212 Columbia St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/18/08

Galvagni, Adam J.
Galvagni, Jody L.
a/k/a Josephson, Jody L.
a/k/a Walbridge, Jody L.
100 Lockhouse Road #E-4
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/08

Garcia, Ileana
1657 Dwight St., 2nd F
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Garvey, Kevin
131 Rosewell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Goldstein, Melvin
1163 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Gonzalez, Yvette
22 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Gregory, Seth H.
Gregory, Angela J.
a/k/a Ransford, Angela J.
119 Pfersick Road
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/25/08

Guzman, Edwin
Guzman, Anaceliz
14 Cleveland St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Haddad, Heidi Lee
2167 Mohawk Trail
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/08

Hayslett, Gregory Vernon
Hayslett, Sandra Ann
28 Highland St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/18/08

Hewitt, Mary E.
45 Porter St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Horn, Chad D.
Horn, Rebecca J.
73 East Hoosac St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Jannine, Richard P.
Jannine, Sarah A.
74 Elm St. North
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/08

Johnson, Michael A.
P.O. Box 2721
Amherst, MA 01004
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

  

Kenney, James F.
72 Oakridge Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Knowlton, Stacey A.
889 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Laflamme-Gagnon, Sandra L.
40 Dale Court
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/18/08

Lee, Tammie J.
166 West Housatonic St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Legrand, Maranda M.
265 New Ludlow Road, Apt. H2
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/18/08

Lemay, Arthur A.
Lemay, Katharine A.
59 Glenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Lewenczuk, Michael A.
Lewenczuk, Debra J.
116 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Lobik, Robert P.
Lobik, Sandra P.
357 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Lovett, Christopher M.
Lovett, Diana C.
72 Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Maki, Carol E.
P.O. Box 593
Westfield, MA 01086
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Marsh, David F.
768 Burts Pit Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Mathers, Sean W.
Packard-Mathers, Amber M.
12 Laurie Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Montanari, William A.
11 Lakevilla Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Odvar, John R.
19 Upton St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/08

Peckham, Marie A.
59 Memorial Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Pedraza, Shelly A.
Pedraza, Jorge
82 Wallace Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Peirce, Jeffrey
Peirce, Barbara
12 Vinton Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Perrin-Newman, Jennifer M.
120 Regency Park Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Pikul, Kristen L.
1080 Central St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Pride, Timothy A.
Pride, Wendy L.
14 Dawn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/16/08

Ramos, Maria R.
47 Greenlawn St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Reyes, Claudina
30 Alfred St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Robertson, Sheran
34 Steuben St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/25/08

Rossetti, Louis Anthony
1491 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Ruiz, Ana
22 Northern Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/18/08

Salone, Christopher
Salone, Cornelia
86 Smith St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/16/08

Sanchez, Betzalis
a/k/a Rivera, Betzalis
3 Hill Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Sanoki, Paul T.
5 Metzger Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/19/08

Serrano, Georgina
34 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Sheil, Marie R.
106 Pinney St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Sherman, Robert W.
18 Sherbrooke St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Signorelli, Peter M.
Signorelli, Rosa J.
34 Sumner Ave., Unit 21
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Smith, Amber L.
11 Lakevilla Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Spinella, Marie A.
350 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/24/08

Stanfield, Raymond A.
Stanfield, Amy S.
1087 East Mountain Rd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Sullivan, Virginia W.
16 Peabody Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/08

Sypek, Joseph F.
Quagliaroli-Sypek, Betty Jean
a/k/a Sypek, Betty Jean
365 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/25/08

Thomas, Lawrence E.
Thomas, Lorraine A.
28 Pidgeon Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Torres, Demaris R.
12 Lamb St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/18/08

Trudell, Robert J.
Trudell, Cheryl A.
45 Hadley St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Van Nortwick, Joan C.
1588 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Volff, Brent J.
Volff, Kelley J.
166 Columbia St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Wellspeak, Terri M.
40 Laro Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/21/08

Whitcomb, Cheryl A.
37 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Wickizer, Jeffrey M.
385 Chapel St., B
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/08

Wilkerson, Garland T.
Wilkerson, Deborah J.
71 Bryant St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/18/08

Williams, Kathy L.
222 Redfern Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/20/08

Wilson, Wayne A.
Wilson, Sheila M.
26 Smith Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

Wright, Aretha M.
25 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/25/08

Zguro, Katherine
756 St. James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/17/08

Ziter, Francis H.
Ziter, Janet E.
33 Temple St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/26/08

By
Departments

Comfort Inn Opens in Hadley

HADLEY — The Comfort Inn at 237 Russell St., franchised by Choice Hotels International Inc., is now open. Formerly a Quality Inn, the hotel underwent renovations to convert to a Comfort Inn hotel, including updating bed linens, a deluxe continental breakfast, and the lobby area. Owned and operated by Parmar & Sons of Hadley, the Comfort Inn features 86 guest rooms and one meeting room that can accommodate up to 40 people. The hotel also offers free high-speed Internet access, free in-room Comfort Sunshine Roast coffee, complimentary USA Today, and an indoor heated pool.

Yiddish Book Center Caps $32M Campaign with Groundbreaking

AMHERST — The National Yiddish Book Center has completed a six-year fund-raising campaign that brought in $32 million, and, to mark the occasion, conducted a groundbreaking ceremony on May 4 on a $7 million construction and renovation project that will double the size of its facility. The campaign has allowed the center to eliminate organizational debt, increase its endowment from $600,000 to $5.8 million, proceed with expansion plans, and significantly strengthen its donor base. Funds raised will also benefit educational and public programs. Built in 1997, the center’s current, architecturally distinctive headquarters offers exhibitions, galleries, open stacks of Yiddish books, a reading library, a bookstore, and public gardens. With the 21,000-square-foot expansion, the structure will include a state-of-the-art book repository for 500,000 of the center’s most important Yiddish volumes; a Yiddish Education Center with classrooms, a distance-learning center, and a student center; a 4,000-square-foot multipurpose space with a stage, professional lighting and projection equipment, and flexible seating for 275; a large kosher kitchen for conferences and other events; expansive galleries for traveling exhibitions and permanent installations; and offices for faculty and program staff. For more information about the center, visit www.yiddishbookcenter.org.

J. Polep Acquires Lesco Distributors

CHICOPEE — J. Polep Distribution Services recently announced the acquisition of Lesco Distributors in Mattapoisette. The sale adds $40 to $50 million to J. Polep’s annual sales, according to Jeff Polep, president and treasurer. Polep noted he will be employing 10 of Lesco’s sales representatives. J. Polep is a wholesale candy, tobacco, cigarette, grocery, and food-service distributor.

AIC Formalizes International Student Agreement

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) took a step toward becoming an international college recently by formalizing an agreement to bring undergraduate and graduate international students to campus. The college entered a partnership with Global Systems Management of Australia that could result in up to 100 new undergraduate students and even more graduate students. Global Campus Management Pty Ltd., headquartered in Australia, develops programs for students who may or may not speak English as their first language and who desire to study in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, or New Zealand. As part of the agreement, Global Campus Management will recruit, process admission files, and manage student services for international students. AIC is the only college partner on the East Coast working with Global Campus Management. AIC President Vince Maniaci noted that the new agreement is an “excellent opportunity” for AIC to exercise its historic sensibilities. Maniaci said AIC was founded as a school for immigrants in the 1800s, and this is one way to get back to its roots.

MassMutual Participates in Pro-bono Housing Court Project

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual Financial Group recently announced its participation in a local pro bono program in which attorneys in its Law Division offer free legal services to income-eligible tenants and landlords in Hampden County Housing Court. The program was founded by local members of the Mass. Women’s Bar Foundation, which provides free legal services for litigants who are facing either eviction or loss of their home and who do not have the financial means to retain the services of an attorney. In addition to this project, MassMutual attorneys are also doing pro-bono work for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program in the Springfield area, which offers free tax-preparation help to low- and moderate-income individuals. If area attorneys are interested in participating in the Housing Court program, contact Suzanne Garrow at (413) 739-7094.

NewAlliance Sees 18.3% Increase In Earnings

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — NewAlliance Bancshares Inc., the holding company for NewAlliance Bank, recently announced net income of $12.9 million for the first quarter of 2008, compared to $10.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2007 and $9.3 million for the first quarter of 2007. The company also voted to increase the quarterly dividend to $.07 per share from $0.65 per share, payable on May 16 to shareholders of record on May 6. The dividend is up 8% from the prior quarter. First-quarter highlights included average loan balances increasing by $376.5 million, or 8.6%, and the net interest margin increasing six basis points to 2.56%, compared to 2.50% for the first quarter of 2007. On March 31, NewAlliance Bancshares had $8.18 billion in assets with 89 banking offices in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Chicopee Bancorp Reports Income Drop

CHICOPEE — Chicopee Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Chicopee Savings Bank, recently announced net income for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2007 was $107,000 compared to $369,000 for the same period in 2006. The decrease in net income for the quarter is primarily due to an increase in salaries and employee benefits expense relating to expenses associated with the 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, according to bank officials. The company’s assets increased by $13.4 million or 3.0%, from $450.0 million at Dec. 31, 2006 to $463.4 million at Dec. 31, 2007, primarily as a result of an increase in loans of $10.9 million, short-term investments of $8.1 million, as well as federal funds sold of $7.5 million. The loan growth was offset by maturities of securities held-to-maturity of $10.1 million. In other news, the company reported a net income for the first three months of 2008 of $188,000, compared with $555,000 in income for the first quarter of 2007.

Big Y Plans Mother’s Day Promotion

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y Foods Inc. is donating 5 cents for every package of Big Y-branded products purchased during the Mother’s Day week sale through May 14 to the fight against breast cancer. Funds raised will benefit the Massachusetts and Connecticut affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

O & P Labs Acquired

SPRINGFIELD — James Haas, CO, and Blaine Drysdale, CP, recently purchased Orthotics & Prosthetics Laboratories Inc., with offices in Springfield, Northampton, and Pittsfield. Haas, of Easthampton, is a certified orthotist at the facility with more than 16 years of experience, and Drysdale, of Northampton, is a below-knee amputee who has been a certified prosthetist at the company for more than seven years. Drysdale is also a licensed physical therapist specializing in amputee gait analysis. Both Haas and Drysdale look forward to a continued relationship with Salvatore LaBella, who founded the O & P Labs in 1984.

Whalley Computer Adds Course for Teachers

SOUTHWICK — Whalley Computer Associates recently announced “Integrating Technology in the Classroom” courseware to its eLearning Training Program for Educators. The program focuses on using the knowledge gained from learning computer programs such as Microsoft Office and incorporating it into daily lessons to enhance the students’ learning environment. The courseware consists of more than 28 chapters and will earn the educator 24 Professional Development Points. For more details, visit www.wca.com.

Easthampton Savings Sees Assets Rise

EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Savings Bank President William S. Hogan Jr. recently announced that bank assets were more than $764 million at the end of the first quarter. The bank’s total assets were up $48 million from a year ago, an increase of 7%. In other news, the loan department reported loans now at more than $575 million, with a total loan portfolio that has increased by more than $39 million, and the bank’s deposit growth was $47 million, or up 9% from this time last year. Total deposits now exceed $544 million. During its annual meeting, the following elections took place: Richard A. Perras, clerk of the corporation, for one year; Thomas W. Brown, corporator, re-elected for a 10-year term; David K. Bridgman, William S. Hogan Jr., and Carol A. Perman, trustees, re-elected for three-year terms; and Thomas V. Giles, Carol A. Perman, and Stanley Paulauskas, elected to the Audit Committee for one-year terms.

River Valley Market Opens

NORTHAMPTON — The 15,000-square-foot River Valley Market recently opened its doors featuring large fresh produce, meat, and seafood sections; a deli seating area; beer and wine, bulk foods; cheese; dairy; grocery; and more. The community food store — specializing in fresh, organic, and locally grown foods — is unique in its concept as a member-owner investment. Membership at $150 is still available, and the co-op currently consists of more than 2,500 founding member-owners. Benefits to membership include savings on hundreds of specials and discounts on case purchases, and rebates on purchases when the co-op becomes profitable.

pton Inn Voted No. 1

HADLEY — The Hampton Inn Hadley-Amherst was recently named the number one Hampton Inn among the more than 1,400 Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn Suites hotels in the United States, Canada and Latin America for the first quarter of 2008. The Hampton Inn Hadley-Amherst was recognized for quality, guest satisfaction and business performance.

Goff Media Receives Addy Award

NORTHAMPTON — Goff Media recently received a Gold Addy Award for its ad campaign for Providence Auto Body to distinguish themselves from insurance affiliated auto body shops. The campaign features an insurance executive whom undergoes a lie detector test for installing cheap and inexpensive repair items in a vehicle in an effort to save money. Goff Media entered the 60-second radio ad, titled “Lie Detector,” in the radio category for the 2008 Addy Awards. Gold is the highest achievement in the regional competition, and the entry will now move onto the finals. The Addy Awards are the advertising industries version of the Grammies. For more information, visit www.goffmedia.com.

Chicopee Bancorp Reports Income Drop

CHICOPEE — Chicopee Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Chicopee Savings Bank, recently announced net income for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2007 was $107,000 compared to $369,000 for the same period in 2006. The decrease in net income for the quarter is primarily due to an increase in salaries and employee benefits expense relating to expenses associated with the 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, according to bank officials. The company’s assets increased by $13.4 million or 3.0%, from $450.0 million at Dec. 31, 2006 to $463.4 million at Dec. 31, 2007, primarily as a result of an increase in loans of $10.9 million, short-term investments of $8.1 million, as well as federal funds sold of $7.5 million. The loan growth was offset by maturities of securities held-to-maturity of $10.1 million. In other news, the company reported a net income for the first three months of 2008 of $188,000, compared with $555,000 in income for the first quarter of 2007.

MassMutual Graduates Special Care Planners

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual recently graduated more than 110 Special Care Planners, strengthening the company’s ability to provide help to families with special needs. The agents received advanced training in estate and tax-planning concepts, special-needs trusts, government programs, and the emotional dynamics of working with people with disabilities and other special needs and their families, among other topics. The Special Care Planner certificate program is offered by the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa., exclusively for MassMutual financial professionals. All agents also take an Emotional Intelligence Assessment to help them determine if they have the kind of emotional resiliency and personality that make them well-suited for this type of work. For more information, visit www.massmutual.com/specialcare.

Noble Hospital Earns High Grades for Patient Care

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recently posted new survey information at the Hospital Compare consumer web site offering consumers more insight about the hospitals in their communities. In addition to adding the new information about Medicare patients about their hospital stays, CMS has added information about the number of certain elective hospital procedures provided to those patients and what Medicare pays for those services. For the first time, consumers have the three critical elements – quality information, patient satisfaction survey information and pricing information for specific procedures – they need to make effective decisions about the quality and value of the health care available to them through local hospitals. The updated information is part of the public health effort to strengthen consumer choice and create incentives to motivate providers to provide better care for all Americans. Five hospitals across Western Massachusetts were among the more than 2,500 hospitals in the country that participated in the patient satisfaction survey from October 2006 through June 2007. Local hospitals participating in the survey which was optional were Noble Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, Holyoke Medical Center, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, and Wing Memorial Hospital and Medical Centers. Noble Hospital in Westfield ranked tops among the regional hospitals in nine of the 10 categories in the patient satisfaction survey. Patient survey questions ranged from “nurses communicated well,” “doctors communicated well,” “received help as soon as wanted,” and “pain was well controlled,” to “staff explained medicines before giving,” “room and bathroom clean,” “room was quite at night,” “received home recovery information,” “hospital ranks 9 or 10 on scale from 0 to 10,” and “definitely recommend the hospital.” For more information, visit www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

By
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.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Capital One Bank v. Past Perfect Antiques
Allegation: Default on contract: $7,111.98
Filed: 3/17/08

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Ronnie & Robin Chamberlain v. Nova Star Mortgage Inc. & Saxon Mortgage Services Inc.
Allegation: Wrongful foreclosure of property: $25,000
Filed: 3/25/08

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Fleetpride Inc. v. Eastern Weatherization Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,886.50
Filed: 4/8/08

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Deaton Industries Inc. v. Trident Alloys Inc. and Galaska Partners, LLP
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $31,376
Filed: 2/7/08

Innovative Roofing v. Northeast Interiors Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $119,626.93
Filed: 3/18/08

John C. Otto Company Inc. v. Hartford Stamp & Office Works
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $100,000
Filed: 3/3/08

Joseph and Rita Selah v. Dixon Inc. and Northeast Stucco Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and negligence and personal injury: $1,011,289
Filed: 3/17/08

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Wendy Dixon v. 1st Advantage Dental
Allegation: Breach of contract for dental services and non-payment of wages: $75,000
Filed: 4/3/08

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

E. O. Ross Electric Contractors Inc. v. Southern New England Spice Company
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,241.09
Filed: 4/7/08

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Debbie’s Cookin’-Caterin’ v. TDWF Inc.
Allegation: Breach of agreement to reimburse for restaurant kitchen hood and fire suppression system: $8,826.34
Filed: 3/27/08

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

A. Boilard & Sons v. BSF Construction Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $39,845.17
Filed: 1/29/08

Complete Disposal Company Inc. v. Al Leger Home Improvement
Allegation: Non-payment of trash removal and disposal services: $19,439.70
Filed: 2/25/08

Czar Distributing Inc. v. Regal Homes & Development Corporation
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $9,619.62
Filed: 1/18/08

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Wells Fargo Bank v. The Dragon Lair
Allegation: Non-payment on a business line of credit: $22,462.06
Filed: 3/7/08

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the months of April and May 2008.

AGAWAM

Odds N’ Ends
23 Editha Ave.
Jason Broussard

Sabrina’s Pizzaria
4 Southwick St.
Daniel Loftus

AMHERST

Hospice of Hampshire County
1165 North Pleasant St.
Friends of Hospice House Inc.

CHICOPEE

Aerys Electrolux
104 Edbert St.
Eugene Looney

Agnew Quality Painting & Staining
33 Oliver St.
Val Shvetson

Anything Goes
29 Mt. Royal St.
Steven E. Humel

Dunkin Doggies
205 Chicopee St.
Laurie A. Holland

Iona Holdings, LLC
248 Springfield St.
Scott D. Crosson

Wilson Market & Sales
95 Washington St.
Grant H. Wilson

EASTHAMPTON

In & Out Cleaning Service
29 Mt. Tom Ave.
Brandon R. Learned

Reasonable Lawn Care
39 Sterling Dr.
Brian Ross

Sisyphus Woodworking Inc.
One Cottage St.
Greg Larson

Valley Vascular
2 Mechanic St.
Zubin Irani

EAST LONGMEADOW

Casa Café
520 North Main St.
Antonio & Amerinda Coelho

N2 Construction
15 Benton Dr.
Nathan Nadeau

Set In Concrete
89 Pine Grove Circle
Timothy Sirard

HOLYOKE

Artsee
233 Maple St.
Sylvia Robello

H.M. Spencer Company
78 North Canal St.
Daniel Johnston

Oasis Dance Fitness
187A High St.
Darlene M. Sattler

Personal Touch Caterer
2 Country Club Dr.
Susan Peloquin

Renaissance Manor
279 Cabot St.
Stuart Dindeman

Tony’s Tech Auto Repair
580 South St.
Anthony Elias

V&J’s Mini Market
149 Suffolk St.
Samuel Aviles

LONGMEADOW

Baby Joia
3 Herbert St.
Heidi Kelly

Keller Williams Realty
66 Dwight Road
Laura Stevens

Lynn Katz Photography
407 Bliss St.
Barbara Katz

LUDLOW

Jesko Machine
State St.
Zdzislaw Kowalski

The Tailored Touch Massage Therapy
314 Sewall St.
Lori E. Jones

NORTHAMPTON

Antiques Corner
5 Market St.
Louis Farrick

Communications Angle
26 Center St.
Michael Kusek

Every Pet’s Dream
94 Pleasant St.
Jessie Byrnes

Healthy Lifestyles
43 Center St.
Victoria Ahrensdorf

HomeWorks
18 Ridgewood Terrace
Lori Steiner

The Celadon Studio
2 Conz St.
Malea Rhodes

Whole Child & Parent
25 Main St.
Julie B. Rosenshein

PALMER

2 Guys With Tools Handyman Service
2114 Baptist Hill Road
Robert Anthony Nenzel

Three Rivers Tavern
2052 Main St.
Belchertown Pheasant Run Inc.

  

Penny’s E. Picks
51 Squier St.
Jay W. Heinicke

SOUTH HADLEY

D&R Home Services
5 Harlow Place
Arthur R. Hogan Jr.

Liberty Installations
240 Brainard St.
Richard Liberty

SOUTHWICK

Amici Salon
515 College Hwy.
Susan Shlosser

Anson Flower Farm & Nursery
591 College Highway
Warren Baker

Design Presentations
1 Logie Lane
Michael Pietruska

Jimmy’s Landscaping
98 Vining Hill Road
James Stellato

Oak N’ Keg
1 Chapman St.
Vimal Patel

SPRINGFIELD

Art in Action Fine Art
229 Connecticut Ave.
Toni Marie Stabilo

Auric Services Inc.
15 Dorset St.
Lance D. LeTourneau

Chili Dogs
50 Sanderson St.
Eugene Pretlow

D & J Lock & Key
244 St. James Blvd.
James Michael Lage

Daviau Business Services
11 Dorset St.
Christine Elaine Daviau

Elegant Prints
45 Valley Road
Lakisha Marie

Envy Nails
1777 Boston Road
Dien Nguyen

Europa Cleaning Service
1350 Main St.
Luisa Cardaropoli

First Fruit Online Marketing
40 Sylvan St.
Suzette

Gee Barber Shop
21 Rutland St.
Johaim Santiago

Golden Bar & Restaurant
1127 Main St.
Rudy Renoso

Jenn Jemm Photography
54 Vincent St.
Rosa M. Torres

Lee’s Sports
47 Pearl St.
Winston Lee

Mi Isla Music
35 Indian Leap St.
Jose Antonio Amaro

WESTFIELD

Law Office of John F. Kavanagh, Jr. PC
10 School St.
John F. Kavanagh, Jr.

PPM
57 Pleasant St.
Craig Purdy

Pyramid Nutrition Service
144 Elm St.
Nicole K. Frank-Masler

Tatro’s Mobile Mechanic Services Inc.
16 George St.
Gregg Tatro

Y&G Handyman Services
216 Sackett Road
Yuriy Rudenko

WEST SPRINGFIELD

All Trash Connection
389 Park St.
Ty Geas

Cori’s K9 Clip
242 Elm St.
Cori Napolitan

Healthy America Marketing Solution
49 Fairview Ave.
Joel Gauthier

JF Investigative Service
48 George St.
Juan Fernandez

Lattitude
1338 Memorial Ave.
Jeffrey Daignzau

Mayers Home Repair
42 Baldwin St.
Simeon Mayers

Nescor
148 Doty Circle
Sharon Tariff

New Season
1098 Memorial Ave.
Orsana Mozolevskaya

North Garden Chinese Restaurant
42 Myron St.
Raymond Kan

Ron’s Income Tax Service
454 Main St.
Roland M. Navone

By
Departments

Care Center Annual Dinner

April 29: The Care Center on Cabot Street in Holyoke will celebrate its students and staff at its annual dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Log Cabin, also in Holyoke. The event features performances and presentations by Care Center students, including ballroom dancing. The Care Center provides services to pregnant and parenting teen mothers and their children. The celebration is being sponsored by Weiss Consulting, PeoplesBank, and the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. Dinner and dancing are free, and guests will be invited to make a meaningful gift at the event. For more information, call (413) 532-2900, ext. 128. For details on the Care Center, visit www.carecenterholyoke.org.

Marketing Program

April 30: Anne West, founder and president of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Strategic Communication Counsel, will present “Remarketing Marketing … Creatively” at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House in Holyoke. West offers a down-to-earth look at some common strategies and tactics that marketers overlook. The morning event is sponsored by the Ad Club of Western Mass. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with the seminar slated from 8 a.m. to noon. Registration includes a continental breakfast, seminar, and handouts. The cost is $75 for Ad Club members, $85 for non-members, and $50 for students. To register online, visit www.adclubwm.org.

Financial, Estate-planning Workshops

April 30, May 14, May 21: Applewood at Amherst, a part of the Loomis Communities, will host a free public series of financial and estate-planning talks, all beginning at 7:30 p.m. On April 30, Peter Ziomek, J.D., of Ziomek & Ziomek, will discuss wills, durable powers of attorney, health care proxies, and trusts. On May 14, Eva Thomson of Thomson Financial Management will share methods of maximizing one’s assets for a fulfilling retirement and beyond. The series concludes on May 21 with Hyman Darling, J.D., of Bacon and Wilson, P.C., reviewing ways to personalize one’s legacy through ethical wills, pet trusts, charitable bequests, gift annuities, or specific burial instructions. All talks will be conducted in the meeting room at Applewood at Amherst, One Spencer Dr., Amherst. Reservations are encouraged and may be made by calling Kelley Murphy at (413) 253-9833.

Women’s Professional Development Conference

May 1: Bay Path College in Longmeadow will host its 13th annual Women’s Professional Development Conference at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Actress Jane Fonda will be the keynote speaker for the affair, which is planned from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For a complete list of workshops and speakers, visit www.baypath.edu. Tickets are $250 for the general public and $225 for Bay Path alumni, with an early-bird registration deadline of April 17. A vendor fair is also planned throughout the day.

RTC Digital Marketing Series

May 2: “Using Social Networks as Marketing Tools” will be offered by the Regional Technology Corp. (RTC) from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the tele-classroom at the Springfield Technical Community College Technology Park in Springfield. This is the second seminar in RTC’s Digital Marketing Series, and will offer guidance on developing new relationships with clients, partners, and other key players in one’s industry. Presenters at the seminar will include Mark Firehammer, co-founder of Rumetagro Relationship Technologies, and Morriss Partee, the founder of EverythingCU.com. The class is free to RTC members and costs $50 for non-members. Advance registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Suzanne Parker at (413) 755-1301 or via E-mail at [email protected].

Business Market Show

May 7: The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Inc. will host its 2008 Business Market Show from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The show will feature more than 225 booths offering products and services to help, enhance, and grow one’s business. Attendance is free with a business card, and no registration is required. For a complete schedule of workshops throughout the day, as well as exhibitor listings and parking locations, visit www.businessmarketshow.com.

Customer-service Seminar

May 8: Marty Clarke, president of Martin Productions and author of Communication Land Mines: 18 Communication Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them, will present a seminar titled “Customer Service Land Mines and How to Avoid Them” from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Clarion Hotel in West Springfield. Clarke’s program will lay out a road map of how one can avoid common and damaging customer-service land mines, and begin to set a company apart in the most powerful way possible. Clarke will offer an encore seminar titled “Leadership Land Mines: 8 Managerial Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them” from 1 to 4 p.m. The presentations are presented by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE). The cost for either the morning or afternoon session is $179 for EANE members or $229 for non-members. The cost for the full day is $279 for both sessions for EANE members, and $329 for non-members. For registration information, visit www.eane.org.

Wine Tasting and Auction

May 9: The Chicopee Chamber of Commerce will host a wine tasting and silent auction at the Castle of Knights on Memorial Drive. Proceeds raised from the event will be used to fund chamber events. For more information on the event, visit www.chicopeechamber.org.

‘Defining the Goals’

May 20: Agawam High School is hosting a “Defining the Goals” expo from 8 to 10 a.m. Companies are invited to share products or services, as well as employment needs for the future. The event will be an opportunity to showcase a company and enlighten students regarding its operations and the educational requirements necessary to secure employment in various industries. The event is being sponsored by Engineering Projects in Community Service, Life Science Career Development grants, and MassLive. The event will include a coffee reception, scheduled presentations, and a question-and-answer session. For more information or to RSVP, E-mail [email protected].

Woman of the Year Banquet

May 21: The Women’s Partnership of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield will honor Kristina Drzal Houghton as its Woman of the Year at its annual banquet planned at Chez Josef in Agawam. The award represents the recognition of extraordinary achievement by a woman in the Greater Springfield community whose efforts exemplify the leadership, community involvement, and professional goals of the Women’s Partnership. A reception begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:15. Tickets are $35 each, and the deadline to register is May 9. For more information, visit www.myonlinechamber.com.

Torch Awards

May 12: The Better Business Bureau of Central New England Inc. (BBB) will stage its anual Torch Awards & Breakfast at the Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, starting at 7:30 a.m. At the event, the BBB will honor American Pest Solutions Inc. of Springfield with its prestigious “Torch Award. It will also extend its Honorable Mention distinction to another local company, Moving/Odd Job Unlimited of Chicopee. “The purpose of this award is to recognize businesses that operate with integrity, trust, and marketplace ethics in their approach to commerce,” said Ray Frias, president of the BBB. “The Better Business Bureau is aware that there are businesses that maintain good business ethics and work every day to assure the public of their commitment to fair and honest business practices, and this award was established to focus attention on those good companies.” Also, BBB Student Ethics Award winner Evan Coleman from Amherst Regional High School will be presented with a $500 scholarship. This prestigious award recognizes students who live up to and inspire others with their commitment to ethical living. Individual seats at the event cost $20. Those interested in registering for the event may do so by visiting www.central-westernma.bbb.org/torch  or calling (413) 594-2163, ext. 105

By
Departments

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

Badillo, Robert
Hague-Badillo, Megan K.
169 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/12/08

Barrelet, Irene Louise
a/k/a Schleipman, Irene
33 Kellogg Ave., Apt. 4
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Barry, Karon Marie
a/k/a Mullett, Karon M.
34 Putnam Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Benoit, Michael P.
Lopez, Breanna E.
a/k/a Benoit, Breanna E.
262 Green Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/08

Bohl, Richard J.
Bohl, Sarah J.
450 Church St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Bosworth, Robert L.
Bosworth, Doreen P.
167 Froman St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/05/08

Braica, Tammy Lin
122 Beauregard Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/08

Brunette, Tami L.
19 Anderson St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/08

Bunns, Tricia D.
Walter, Tricia D.
184 Hamburg St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/07/08

Bydlak, Mark
68 Plantation Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/03/08

Cameron, Lucretia D.
1259 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/05/08

Carmel, David P.
200 Hillside Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/03/08

Claytopia
Wiseman, Jennifer J.
34 Main St., Apt 2
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/08

Crouch, Ann Rose
13B Fort Hill Road
Haydenville, MA 01039
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/08

Daniels, Deborah H.
P.O. Box 1823
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/04/08

DeCarlo, Diane
110 Monson Turnpike Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/08

Farrier, Michael S.
174 Pineywoods Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/07/08

Gauthier, Eric Jon
Gauthier, Kelli Anne
16 Horsham Place
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/03/08

Gladowski, Liane J.
2126 Baptist Hill Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/10/08

Groth, Joseph W.
291 Poplar Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/08

Hernandez, Luis A.
46 Moulton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/08

Hundley-Slater, Lisa D.
86 Norman St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/10/08

Hunsucker, Candice Kahrman
a/k/a Keddy, Candice
135 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/08

Jessie’s Roofing & Siding
Vazquez, Efrain
PO Box 543
West Springfield, MA 01090
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Kaniecki, Pamela Ann
30 E Street Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/03/08

Kiely, Sharon
35 Maple St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/10/08

Kozak, Adam
34 River Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/03/08

Lampron, Thomas D.
39 Circular Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Lapa, Jessica
140 Joy St.
Chciopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Latour, Nancy A.
131 South St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/02/08

Lefebvre, Richard J.
Lefebvre, Ann S.
51 Pine Lake Dr.
Westhampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Lemaire, Faith A.
36 Merriam St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/07/08

Lester, Donna
23 Joanne Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/05/08

Lubwama, Frederick M.
a/k/a Lubwama, Fred
52 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Lussier, Danielle
58 Ward Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/07/08

Malone, Kelly Marie
7 Central Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/08

  

Marshall, Kellie R.
P. O. Box 1123
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/07/08

Martinez, Igor A.
37 Ainsworth St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/06/08

McCann, Gregory Michael
216 Pineview Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/08

McChesney, Patricia Ann
Law Office of Patricia A. McChesney
22 Lessey St. #320
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/07/08

McClelland, Michael J.
McClelland, Theresa A.
P. O. Box 1974
Westfield, MA 01086
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Miazga, Lidia B.
342 Southwick Road, Apt. C1
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/07/08

Moore, Karen A.
36 Cosgrove St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/08

Morton, Carrie L.
48 Burma Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/03/08

Newman, Peter L.
Newman, Judith L.
163 Franklin St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Nunez, Juan
19 Van Horn Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/08

Olson, Michael Stafford
Olson, Jennifer M.
42 Wooodside Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/08/08

Panniello, Samantha M.
a/k/a Quinn, Samantha M.
149 Wheeler Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/07/08

Perkins, Daniel R.
Perkins, Mary J.
P.O. Box 307
Brookfield, MA 01506
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/04/08

Poirot, Kathleen
22 Crotteau St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Reed, Mark Alan
23 Giffin Place
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/06/08

Renaud, Barbara Mary
790 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Reome, Alice C.
129 Catherine St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/06/08

Riley, Carl F.
31 Sturbridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/12/08

Ryan, Nathan D.
Ryan, Beth G.
a/k/a Poulin, Beth G.
30 Grove Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/10/08

Scanlon, Patricia F.
225 El Paso St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Schuerer, Pamela J.
19 Pennsylvania Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Scibelli, James
Scibelli, Shelby D.
150 Nottingham Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/05/08

Seda, William
76 Byers St., Apt. 201
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Shiraki, Clayton M.
Shiraki, Ann Mary
a/k/a Sinnamon, Ann M.
98 Shea Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/07/08

Skipton, Joanne M.
66 Manor Court
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Sovinski, Ashley
7 Upper Church St.,
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Stanley, Gail E.
243 Union St., Unit 201
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/10/08

Storm, Gary D.
495 Appleton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/12/08

Suzumu, Fredricko
34 Steephens St.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/08

Thompson, Amy Lynn
356 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/11/08

Tietze, Laurie Ann
a/k/a Bryden, Laurie Ann
56 Clover Hill Drive
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/13/08

Tripicco, Thomas G.
72 Cleveland St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/04/08

Walter, Alvin
101 Mulberry St. #220
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/04/08

Wynne, Christopher H.
40 Celestine St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/14/08

Zerbato, Frances Jo
62 New Hampshire Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/03/08

By
Departments

State Adds 2,900 New Jobs in March

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development recently reported that monthly survey estimates show that 2,900 new jobs were added in Massachusetts in March, its largest monthly increase since November of last year and the sixth consecutive monthly increase in jobs. The state unemployment rate also held steady at 4.4%. Revisions to the February rate, published last month on a preliminary basis at 4.5%, show the rate edging down to 4.4% and an increase of 700 jobs instead of the loss of 700 as originally estimated. The Massachusetts rate continues to outperform the national rate, which increased from 4.8% in February to 5.1% in March. The state rate has been below the U.S. rate since June 2007. Over the year, the Bay State’s unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point from 4.6%. The largest job gains in March were recorded in professional, scientific, and business services, as well as leisure and hospitality. New jobs were also added in the trade, transportation and utilities, information, construction, and manufacturing supersectors. Also, education and health-services employment, at 632,600, was off 400 in March. Over the year, this supersector continues to show the strongest job gains at 14,900 and, along with the information supersector, posted the highest annual rate of job increase at 2.4%. Professional, scientific, and business services added 1,000 jobs in March, following a gain of 3,100 the previous month. Most of the 9,700 jobs added over the past year were in professional, scientific, and technical services industries such as computer systems design and scientific research and development. At 488,300, overall employment is up 2.0% from one year ago.

Financial activities employment was off 200 over the month due to declines in the real-estate and rental and leasing component. At 224,100, financial-activities employment is down 1,600 from one year ago, with real estate and leasing contributing to much of the loss. Trade, transportation, and utilities employment increased by 500 in March, largely due to retail trade posting its first job gain since last November. At 569,100, employment in this supersector is off 1,200 from one year ago. Retail trade lost 2,900 jobs over the year, while wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities added 1,400 and 300 jobs, respectively. The leisure and hospitality supersector added 1,200 new jobs, the most jobs added among supersectors in March. At 305,200, jobs in leisure and hospitality have increased by 2,600 over the year. With monthly gains in each of the most recent five-month periods, jobs are up by 4,200 since October 2007. Information employment increased by 200 in March to 89,900. This supersector has added 2,100 jobs over the year and, along with educational and health services, posted the strongest annual growth rate at 2.4%. Manufacturing recorded a 200-job gain in March, its second consecutive monthly increase. At 292,900, employment is still down 4,000 or 1.3% from one year ago. Construction gained 600 jobs in March after having lost jobs over each of the four previous months. At 135,400, employment is off 2,000 or 1.5% from one year ago. The job numbers are the result of a monthly survey that uses U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology. More than 9,000 Massachusetts employers are surveyed to determine the number of jobs by industry. These estimates are the economic indicator used to gauge employment-growth patterns across the Bay State. The Commonwealth’s labor force increased by 2,300 over the month, as 3,700 more Massachusetts residents were employed and 1,500 less were unemployed. At 3,411,200, the labor force is slightly higher than at this time last year, as 7,500 more residents were employed and 7,000 fewer unemployed. Labor force estimates for Massachusetts, developed using the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics model, are based on information on Massachusetts residents’ employment and unemployment status, collected through a small, monthly sample survey of households.

Easthampton Awards Valley CDC Grant

EASTHAMPTON — Valley Community Development Corp. (Valley CDC) recently announced it has been awarded a $140,000 grant from the City of Easthampton for the provision of comprehensive business-development technical assistance (TA) to income-qualified Easthampton residents and businesses. Valley CDC is providing TA for a 15-month period that began April 1. The TA services that Valley CDC will provide include one-on-one counseling; business development, marketing, and technical computer workshops and seminars; credit counseling; referral to financial institutions; assistance with applications for financing; referral to professional and other resources for support and services not provided by Valley CDC; and continued outreach to artists and to former mills on Pleasant Street and Cottage Street. The grant also enables Valley CDC to retain its offices in the Eastworks building on Pleasant Street. 

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of March and April 2008.

AGAWAM

Six Flags New England
1623 Main St.
$8,200,000 — Construction of building including indoor “Dark Night Coaster”

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Marketplace
601D Memorial Dr.
$5,600 — Repair storefront facade at Radio Shack

Randolph Products
33 Haynes Circle
$42,000 — New roof

EASTHAMPTON

Bradley Robbins
1 Adams St.
$4,000 — Alterations

Mitchell Realty Trust
45-47 Union St.
$21,000 — New roof

Richard A. Boulanger
85-87 Union St.
$11,000 — New roof

Williston Northampton School
20 Greenwood Ct.
$20,000 — Construct bleachers

GREENFIELD

Elks BPOE of Greenfield
3 Church St.
$42,000 — Installation of fire sprinkler system

Greenfield Housing Authority
1 Elm St.
35,000 — Fire damage repairs

MacNicol, Tombs, & Brown, LLP
393 Main St.
$3,400 — Interior installation of door & glass panel to separate existing space

Middle Franklin Development Group, LLC
329 Conway St.
$51,000 — Interior alterations

HOLYOKE

City of Holyoke Water Department
West Cherry St.
$46,000 — Construct shelter and concrete pad for communications tower

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$40,000 — Remodel existing store — “Icing”

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$1,565,000 — Remodel existing store — “Pottery Barn”

LONGMEADOW

Clouthier’s Inc.
724 Bliss Road
$100,000 — Interior renovations

GPT-Longmeadow LLC
704 Bliss Road
$40,000 — Exterior alterations

  

LUDLOW

Barry Linton
409 West St.
$35,000 — New commercial construction

Barry Linton
407 West St.
$18,000 — Roofing and siding

Ludlow Housing Authority
87 State St.
$32,700 — Alterations

NORTHAMPTON

Big Y Foods
142 North King St.
$15,000 — Renovate former “Newstand”

First Congregational Church
129 Main St.
$409,000 — Replace plaster ceiling

First Congregational Church
129 Main St.
$832,000 — Replace slate roof

First Congregational Church
129 Main St.
$15,000 — Repair basement floor system

New England Telephone
61 Masonic St.
$81,500 — Replace AC system and minor electrical

The Coca-Cola Company
45 Industrial Dr.
$80,000 — Install footing and structural steel for mechanical unit

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$50,000 — Renovate two existing offices

Roger Zepke
154-156 Main St.
$26,000 — Interior remodel

Steve & Mike Ferraro
1680 Wilbraham Road
$20,000 — Interior renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Fred Aaron
1680 Riverdale Road
$5,000 — Interior renovations to first floor retail space

Robin C. Taylor
255 Interstate Dr.
$72,000 — Renovate 3,070 square feet of office space

By
Departments

Big Y Named Outstanding Recycler of the Year

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Materials Recycling Facility (SMRF) Advisory Board has named Big Y Foods Inc. “Outstanding Recycler of the Year.” The award was created to recognize individuals and organizations that have made contributions toward increasing recycling within their community or region. Big Y was nominated for the award by the Center for Ecological Technology (CET), a local nonprofit organization that helped Big Y increase its recycling efforts. Big Y has been composting food waste at several locations and recycling cardboard at all locations for many years. In 2007, Big Y worked with CET to expand composting and recycling efforts. Seven additional locations started diverting food waste, wood, wax cardboard, and floral waste for composting. In the spring and summer of last year, Big Y started collecting film plastics for recycling at all locations. Shrink wrap from pallet loads and case plastics are collected in the back of the store, and consumer bags are collected in the front. All film plastics are baled and marketed to Trex for use in plastic lumber manufacturing. Big Y’s expanded composting program, new film plastics recycling, and cardboard recycling efforts account for more than 13,750 tons of material diverted from landfills last year. Big Y is also a member of the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection Supermarket Certification Program. In addition, Big Y has been promoting canvas shopping bags which are becoming more popular with shoppers. The SMRF accepts and processes residential recyclables from 78 communities in the four western counties of the state. The SMRF Advisory Board recognizes outstanding individuals, departments, and organizations for their efforts to increase and promote recycling in the region through the Recycler of the Year Awards.

Russell Biomass Receives Final Environmental Certification

RUSSELL — The 50-megawatt Russell Biomass project recently received a certificate approving the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) by Ian Bowles, state Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Bowles issued a statement that Russell Biomass has adequately and properly complied with the Mass. Environmental Policy Act and with its implementing regulations. Russell Biomass expects its wood-fueled power plant will provide Western Mass. with electricity equivalent to an oil-fired plant that burns 480,000 barrels of oil per year. Russell Biomass notes on its Web site that it expects to generate its power by burning wood chips, a byproduct of the forest-management and wood-product industries. With Bowles’ approval, Russell Biomass can now complete the process of having its 20 permit applications reviewed by state agencies. Russell Biomass anticipates a construction start date of this fall if all applications are approved. The facility will be built on the site of the Westfield River Paper Co. that has been closed since 1994.

Food Bank Goes Green

HATFIELD — April’s celebration of Earth Day was especially meaningful for the Food Bank of Western Mass. The Food Bank received its certification from the U.S. Green Building Council through the LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) rating system earlier this year. LEED is the internationally recognized standard for environmentally sustainable, or ‘green,’ building. With a Gold rating — the second-highest level possible — the Food Bank’s Hatfield facility becomes one of a growing number of businesses and organizations around the world that are doing their part to minimize the environmental impact of their operations. When the Food Bank began planning the renovation of its warehouse and office space a few years ago, making the building green took high priority, not only to help the environment, but also because there is a cost savings associated with energy efficient design. With lead grants from the Kresge Foundation and the Mass. Technology Collaborative, as well as generous community support, the Food Bank completed the construction of its new building in 2006 and began the process of applying for LEED certification. Dozens of green features made the building eligible for LEED, such as water and energy efficiency, sustainable materials, green cleaning and maintenance products, and recycling. The Gold-level certification that the Food Bank received in 2008 represents above-average compliance and innovation in these areas. Some highlights of the Food Bank’s environmentally designed facility include a 30-kilowatt photovoltaic solar panel system on the roof of the building that supplies about 10-12% of the organization’s electricity; energy-efficient lighting, heating/cooling, and refrigeration systems that have reduced energy use by 35% per square foot despite a building that is twice its previous size; green cleaning products, recycled paper products, and low-toxicity paints and sealants; an employee carpooling program that saves at least 10,000 commuter miles each year; outdoor landscaping that emphasizes native plants and minimizes runoff and erosion; and the 60-acre Food Bank Farm in Hadley that preserves natural riverside habitat and produces dozens of crops each year without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or herbicides.

NewAlliance Increases Dividend

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — NewAlliance Bancshares Inc. recently staged its fourth annual meeting of shareholders, and voting results supported management’s recommendations on all items. Four members of the board of directors were voted in for three-year terms: Douglas K. Anderson, former president and COO, Savings Bank of Manchester; Roxanne J. Coady, founder, president, and CEO of R.J. Julia Booksellers, Ltd.; John F. Croweak, former chairman and CEO of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut; and Sheila B. Flanagan, executive director of SBM Charitable Foundation Inc. Each was elected to a term expiring at the annual meeting of shareholders in 2011. Shareholders also voted to approve the NewAlliance Bank Executive Incentive Plan. The plan is a carryover from one that was in place before the bank’s conversion. However, to allow payments under the plan to be eligible for tax deductibility, shareholder approval of the plan is required periodically. In addition, shareholders voted to ratify PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP as the independent auditor for 2008. In a separate meeting prior to the annual shareholders’ meeting, the board of directors voted to increase the company’s quarterly dividend from 6.5 cents to 7.0 cents per share, a 7.7% increase. The dividend will be paid on May 16 to shareholders of record on May 6. NewAlliance Bancshares is the parent company of NewAlliance Bank, headquartered in New Haven, with $8.2 billion in assets and a network of 89 branches in Connecticut and Western Mass.

STCC Receives $150,000 Grant for Photovoltaic Practitioner Training Program

SPRINGFIELD — Taking another step in a statewide push to promote growth in sustainable energy, or the ‘green’-technology sector, the Mass. Technology Collaborative (MTC) has awarded a $150,000 grant to Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) for development of a photovoltaic (PV) practitioner training program in Western Mass. Photovoltaic, or solar-panel, installations are becoming an increasingly popular strategic initiative for businesses and institutions looking to control and reduce energy costs, according to Thomas Goodrow, vice president for Economic and Business Development at STCC, and the grant will advance efforts to foster job growth and economic-development opportunities in this sector. Elaborating, Goodrow said the focus of the two-year grant is to provide training and practical experience in PV design and installation for licensed electricians, individuals involved in a journeyman electrician-training program, architects, engineers, and general contractors. The project plan includes developing coursework in PV design and system installation, and seeking ISPQ (Institute for Sustainable Power Quality) accreditation for training and continuing education. The program is slated to begin this fall, with a 3- to 4-month certificate course of study that will provide students with hands-on experience in a field that is expected to offer significant growth opportunities. Individuals completing the program will be prepared to sit for the industry certification exam. The PV Practitioner Training program will be conducted by STCC’s Center for Business and Technology (CBT), in partnership with the George W. Gould Construction Institute; the Solar Energy Business Association of New England, a business association of solar-energy companies based or doing business in New England; the STCC Assistance Corporation; and renewable energy companies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont. Grant funds will be used, said Goodrow, to support curriculum development efforts that are already underway, to purchase equipment and materials that will allow students opportunities for hands-on experience, to gain national accreditation for the program, and to establish internship opportunities for students at solar-energy companies based in New England. The project team consists of STCC Assistant Vice President Mary Breeding, who directs CBT; Peter Vangel, professor and co-chair of the Laser Electro-Optics Department at STCC, who will serve as curriculum developer; Michael Kocsmiersky, vice president for Research and Development at Solar-Wrights Inc.; and Bill Stillinger, general manager of Pioneer Valley Photovoltaics Cooperative (PV Squared), a PV practitioner with many years of teaching, training, and installation experience in the field. Individuals who are interested in applying for the program should contact CBT at (413) 755-4502 or (413) 755-4225.

Bradley and Delta Celebrate Cancun Service

Windsor Locks, Conn. — Bradley International Airport (BDL) and Delta Airlines recently announced the launch of the airport’s first-ever nonstop scheduled service to Cancun, Mexico. The seasonal service to Cancun, which started April 12, operates on Saturdays between BDL and Cancun International Airport (CUN). Delta Air Lines Flight DL497 will depart Bradley at 10:40 a.m. and arrive in Cancun at 1:47 p.m. Delta Air Lines Flight DL498 will depart Cancun at 2:40 p.m. and arrive at Bradley at 7:33 p.m. Delta will operate this service using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft configured with 16 business-class seats and 144 seats in coach class. Customers should visit Delta’s Web site, delta.com, or call Delta Reservations at (800) 221-1212 for the latest flights.

By
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.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Gerald E. Guiel v. M.J. Nails
Allegation: Pedicure performed negligently resulting in injury: $15,000
Filed: 3/31/08

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Homesavers Council of Greenfield Gardens Inc. v. Shaw Industries Inc. and Continental Flooring Co.
Allegation: Breach of construction contract: $330,000
Filed: 4/8/08

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Standard Funding Corp. v. Anthony’s Residential Contracting
Allegation: Breach of finance agreement: $3,426.36
Filed: 3/21/08

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Dale Auto Body Inc. v. Western Mass. Electric Company
Allegation: Breach of contract to provide services: $29,775
Filed: 2/25/08

Denise Melanson v. Video Communications Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+
Filed: 2/19/08

Fred Quagliaroli v. The Mardi Gras
Allegation: Negligence and personal injury suffered by plaintiff when pushed by Mardi Gras employee: $300,000
Filed: 4/11/08

Witalisz & Associates Inc. v. Whispering Pines at Root Road, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract: $777,979.62
Filed: 1/30/08

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

John C. Urschel v. Bioshelters Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of promissory note and unfair and deceptive trade practices: $50,000
Filed: 3/27/08

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Francis Baldwin III v. The Premier Insurance Company
Allegation: Failure to pay personal injury protection benefit: $7,721.02
Filed: 3/31/08

Victory Steel Products v. Quabbin Well Drilling Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $13,640.14
Filed: 4/2/08

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

City Line Distributors Inc. v. Robe Inc. and Mark E. Robitaille
Allegation: Non-payment of produce delivered: $6,671.62
Filed: 1/29/08

Roy’s General Contracting Inc. v. MLS and IZS Enterprises
Allegation: Non-payment of general-contracting services: $2,697.00
Filed: 3/13/08

Tri-County Contractors Supply Inc. v. Total Renovations & Construction, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $8,489.29
Filed: 1/22/08

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

International Bar-Tech Solutions Inc. v. Southwick Electric Company Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract for goods and services: $11,288.19
Filed: 3/12/08

OPINION

By
Opinion
Investing in the Nation’s Future

In Mumbai last November, I addressed a conference of India’s leading CEOs. Their interests had a single focus: what makes the American system of higher education such a powerful force for U.S. prosperity?

It was not an idle question, as India builds economic momentum. From 12,000 miles away, they understood something easy to lose sight of here at home — that this country’s distinctively open, varied, and competitive system of higher education has served both as an escalator of individual social mobility and as an engine of our country’s economic growth. Can we afford not to continue to invest in the future of our people and our nation?

Since the GI Bill dramatically expanded America’s middle class by educating half of all returning World War II veterans, the personal value of higher education has been broadly accepted. It opens your mind, and it also expands your prospects. According to the U.S. Census, over the past 20 years, households with an increase in real income were overwhelmingly headed by someone with at least a college degree.

Perhaps less obvious but equally important is the vital role of higher education in our economy as a source of both innovators and innovations. Indeed, MIT economist and Nobel Laureate Robert Solow estimates that more than half of America’s economic growth since World War II can be traced to technological innovation — much of it spawned through government-funded, university-based research.

Backed by extensive federal investment, America’s research universities have invented many of the disciplines and technologies that define modern life, from computer science to biological engineering, from the laser to the foundations of the Internet. If you doubt the value of federal research funding, consider this: over the past 30 years, NIH investments of $4 per American per year in cardiovascular research have led to a 63% decrease in mortality from heart disease. Yet, the Administration’s proposed NIH budget for FY 2009 represents a drop of 13% from 2003 in actual, inflation-adjusted health-science spending.

Our local economy benefits profoundly from the dense concentration of colleges and universities. The region’s eight research universities employ nearly 50,000 people and provide a total regional economic impact, including everything from payroll and construction costs to student spending, of more than $7 billion. What’s more, when research universities attract federal research dollars, those funds not only support individual labs, but buoy the state’s economy as well.

Our system of higher education has, indeed, earned the envy of the world, as I heard in India. According to a Shanghai Jiao Tung University survey, the U.S. still boasts 17 of the world’s top 20 research universities. Not surprisingly, other countries are actively copying our success. China is making dramatic investments in its universities, with the aim of vaulting five of them into the top-20 ranking by 2020.

In this global context, it is particularly important to understand America’s higher-education system as a strength to be nurtured. We must continue to improve the quality of higher education and to increase accessibility. America needs a highly educated workforce. The nation also needs the fruits of university innovation. At this moment of exceptional promise in fields from energy technology to cancer research, the federal commitment to basic research is faltering. Funding for research in the physical sciences has been flat for decades. Overall federal research investment has fallen from 2% of GDP in the mid-1960s to eight-tenths of 1% today.

The result of such shortsighted research investment policies can be measured in opportunities lost: opportunities to attract the best young researchers, to accelerate the clock of discovery, and to conquer humanity’s most urgent challenges. It is time to ask just how much it would it be worth investing, as a nation, to invent our way to a better, cleaner, healthier future.-

Susan Hockfield is president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This article first appeared in the Boston Globe.

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the months of March and April 2008.

AGAWAM

All Seasons Vending
52 Hamilton Circle
Edward A. White

Q.P.C. Cleaning Company
498 Franklin St. Ext.
Jon Lund

AMHERST

Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance
25 University Dr.
Encharter Insurance LLC

CHICOPEE

Alarmworks
66 Main St.
Joseph Cebula

Bell’s Contractors LLC
24 Casino Dr.
Gabriel Valerim

J.G. Woodcrafters
40 Newbury St.
James R. Grooms

RPS Designs
196 Fletcher Circle
Robert F. Perry

Rye Landscaping
104 Johnson Road
Kyle Methot

Twins Variety
112 Ducharme Ave.
Rita K. Desai

EASTHAMPTON

Angel Trucking
11 Lux Ave.
Donald Pomakis

Massage for Better Health
413 Liberty St.
Elizabeth Molitoris

The Real Estate Connection
247 Northampton St.
Nancy Nickerson

Wolf Investigations
7 Mt. Tom Ave.
Raymond Redfern

EAST LONGMEADOW

MiMi’s Consignment
32 Shaker Road
Brad Sulewski

Studio Nails
30 Shaker Road
Jennifer Nguyen

Worthington Rare Coins
174 North Main St.
Bruce James Miller

HOLYOKE

Goodwill Industries
254 Maple St.
Steven Mundahl

Hot Topic Inc.
50 Holyoke St.
Jim McGinty

Purnima S. Adlakma M.D.
1221 Main St.
Purnima S. Adlakma

Rainbow Flowers & Gifts
878 High St.
Isis Feliciano

Ronald E. Gillis Insurance Agency
290 High St.
James R. Gillis

Walgreen’s
1588 Northampton St.
Gary M. Martin

Whitley’s Fitness Center
384 High St.
Dwayne Whitley

LONGMEADOW

Caren & Company
682 Bliss Road
Caren Demarche

FH Consumer Sales
785 Williams St.
Fred Halbstein

LUDLOW

Karen Weber LMT
360 Sewall St.
Karen Weber

Smith’s Cuttery
48 Hubbard St.
William Smith

NORTHAMPTON

Amazing.Net
135 King St.
JoAnne McGrath

Cordelia’s Dad
76 King St.
Peter Irvine

Harlow Luggage
196 Main St.
Robert Burdick, Jr.

Irohadis.Com
11 Fruit St.
Angela Diala Iroh

On Call Urgent Care Centers
51 Locust St.
Jill A. Griffin M.D.

Tea Culture
241 Main St.
Joseph P. Augustino

Unique Auto of Northampton Inc.
310 Damon Road
Richard P. Kida, Jr.

Wild Flora
61 North Main St.
Wendy K. Stamm

PALMER

Gliptone
1235 Park St.
Thomas Lyons

  

Grandmother Two Feathers
1343 Main St.
Jean Matus

Library Media Solutions
2029 Quaboag St.
April Jean Graziano

SOUTH HADLEY

Ashman Apparel
9 West Cornell Road
Phillip S. Sanford

Angelslayerink Tattoo
103 Main St.
Roland Abair

Ladies Landscaping
16 Upper River Road
Candice Demers

SOUTHWICK

AFAB
20 Meadow Lane
Paul Drake, Jr.

DW Berry Construction LLC
73 Will Palmer Road
David Berry, Jr.

Southwick Seamless Gutters
37 George Loomis Road
Michael J. Lyons

Quality Interiors
6 Second St.
Kim Andrea Jenks

SPRINGFIELD

Mill Park Realty Trust
77-111 Mill St.
Barbara Hill

Ms. Rhonda’s & Company
141 Boston Road
Rhonda Yvette

Multi-Sport Screen Printing
15 Park St.
Robert Riopel

Party Pagoda
91 Pinevale St.
Omniglow Inc.

Quick Sign Service
199 Acorn St.
Blas Rosa

Rose Nails
752 Sumner Ave.
Kristen Nguyen

Silver Tree Moon Designs
15 Mountainview St.
Meryl Lefkovich

Stellar Styles
One Federal St.
Stella M. Lyons

Still Champion the Undefeated
896 Main St.
Hector Javier

Top Rankin Hair Designs
864 State St.
Leon O’Neil Marsh

Twisted Tentacles Tattoo
298 Belmont Ave.
Enrique Guerra

William’s Fashions
280 Oakland St.
Glenny Gonzalez

Zara Child & Family Consulting
17 Lancaster St.
Dr. Rosa Ihedigbo

WESTFIELD

A.J. Precision Inc.
66B Mainline Dr.
Wade P. Austin

Fortini Construction & Plowing
511 West Road
Matthew Fortini

Fruit Palace
5 White St.
Orhan Dogan

Great Home Improvement
69 Franklin St.
Jason Padilla

J&E Towing
22 Cherry St.
Ernesto Sanchez

Walk on Docks LLC
337 City View Blvd.
Steven A. Booher

WEST SPRINGFIELD

AAA Recycling
1080 Riverdale St.
Patriot Recycling Inc.

Future Comp
123 Interstate Dr.
TD Banknorth Inc.

Royal Home Construction
758 Union St.
Vladimir Kozlov

Signature Designs
946 Elm St.
21 School Street Corporation

Susan Taylor’s Photography
30 Bobskill Dr.
Susan T. Taylor

The Angus Agency
767 Main St.
Angus Rushlow

Western Mass Hypnosis Center
201 Westfield St.
Thaddeus J. Muszynski

West Springfield Residence Inn
64 Border Way
Carson Russell

Whip It Solutions
152 Hillcrest Ave.
Dennis Tremblay

By
Departments

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


Marks Meadow Parent Guardian Group Inc., 813 North Pleasant St., Amherst 01002. Deborah Timberlake, 180 Summer St., Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To support the Marks Meadow Elementary School by providing support for educational and recreational needs, and community building.

BELCHERTOWN

Minuteman Drywall Builders Inc., 107 South Washington St., Belchertown 01007. Michael Allen, same. Drywalling.

Morgan Kimball Contracting Services Inc., 89 Howard St., Belchertown 01007. Morgan Kimball, same. Contracting and construction services.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Family Bike Inc., 217 L Shaker Road, East Longmeadow 01028. Raymond D. Plouffe, 36 Lovers Lane, Somers, CT 06071. Raymond D. Ploutfe, 217 L Shaker Road, East Longmeadow 01028, registered agent. Bicycle and other sporting equipment sales/repair.

GRANVILLE

Metal Dreams Inc., 1467 Main Road, Granville 01034. Len Elie, same. Fabrication and installation of heating & cooling products, etc.

HAYDENVILLE

Northampton Soap Box Derby Inc., 4 North Farms Road, Haydenville 01039. Timothy McQueston, same. (Nonprofit) To aid the development of youth in Western Massachusetts through the aspects of soap box derby racing, etc.

HOLYOKE

US 1 Construction Inc., 56 Jackson St., Holyoke 01040. Joseph J. Miller, same. (Foreign corp; CT) Construction management service.

LUDLOW

Affordable Bathroom Solutions Inc., 541 Center St., Ludlow 01056. Diane Robbins, same. To deal in the installation of wall systems for bathrooms in the home.

MONSON

Island Design Build Inc., 109 Lakeshore Dr., Monson 01057. Joseph Viens, same. Residential and commercial design and construction.

NORTHAMPTON

Parenting Resource Directory Corp., 241 Jackson St., 6D, Northampton 01060. Lori Bess Schmidt, same. (Nonprofit) To provide to the public a free printed version of parenting resource directory, a corresponding Web site, etc.

SOUTH HADLEY

Cal-A-Hearty Corp., 18 Mulligan Dr., South Hadley 01075. Pasquale J. Calabrese, 4 Cherry Lane, Granby 01033. Golf course food and beverage facility.

Progressive Windows Inc., 160 Old Lyman Road, South Hadley 01075. James Stanley Shields, Jr., 192 Berkshire Ave., Southwick 01077. To operate as a home improvement contractor to residential housing, commercial structures, etc., principally windows.

SOUTHAMPTON

Neh Inc., 15D College Highway, Southampton 01073. Ethan A. Holmes, 62 Line St., Southampton 01073. Retail — gardening supplies.


  

Southampton Stone Company Inc., 7 Center St., Southampton 01073. Michael W. Broda, same. Stone work and stone sales.

SPRINGFIELD

Boricua Construction Inc., 634 Plainfield St., Springfield 01107. Oswaldo Ramos, same. Construction and management of real and personal property.

Dream Decor Inc., 756 State St., Springfield 01109. Abdul Sattar, 14 Chestnut Hill Road, South Hadley 01075. Sale of variety merchandise.

Good Food and Exercise Healthy Life Education Inc., 70 Chestnut St., #209, Springfield 01103. Michael A. Bruce, Sr., same. (Nonprofit) To educate people about the importance of eating good food, especially organic food, getting good exercise, etc.

Interproduce Inc., 679 White St., Springfield 01108. Ali Bulut, 17 Pioneer Circle, Springfield 01119. To sell fruits and vegetables.

JC Logistcs Inc., 25 Paige Hill Road, Springfield 01010. Suzanne Ferris, same. To operate a freight brokerage company, etc.

Lessard Home Solutions Inc., 12 Arcadia Blvd., Springfield 01118. Timothy P. Lessard, same. Residential plumbing and heating.

Premier Education Group Foundation Inc., 189 Brookdale Dr., Springfield 01104. David Stanford, 120 Ridgecrest Dr., Westfield 01085. (Nonprofit) (No specific purpose stated.)

SUNDERLAND

New England Hockey Factory Inc., 54 North Plain Road, Sunderland 01375. Leonard B. Quesnelle, same. (Foreign corp; DE) Hockey training camp.

WESTFIELD

Level Best Builders Inc., 106 Ely St., Westfield 01085. Stephen G. Herbert, same. Construction — remodel residential properties.

Meyers Enterprises Inc., 65 Franklin St., Westfield 01085. Eric Meyers, 33 Hawk Circle, Westfield 01085. Laundry service.

Sullivan Siding & Windows Inc., 83 Pinehurst St., Westfield 01085. Kevin Sullivan, same. A siding and windows business including installation.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Alli Enterprises Inc., 292 Belmont Ave., West Springfield 01089. Deborah Y. Alli, same. Management and consulting company.

Diamond Cabinet & Vanity Inc., 184 Wayside Ave., West Springfield 01089. Kimberly M. O’Connor, same. Home remodeling.

Encore Realty Inc., 117 Park Ave., Suite. 201, West Springfield 01089. Erik Szyluk, 7 Park Ave., Ste. 201, West Springfield 01089. To own and operate a real estate brokerage and ancillary services business.

Inspirations Food Designs Inc., 1338 Memorial Ave., West Springfield 01089. Jeffrey Daigneau, 26 North Alhambra Circle, Agawam 01001. Restaurant, lounge and food catering.

By
Departments

Auditing Trash

Springfield Technical Community College students recently dumped the contents of several trash barrels on the sidewalk in front of Putnam Hall. The student leaders are interested in promoting recycling on campus and planned the demonstration to show other students how much of what is thrown in trash cans could, and should, be recycled. Here, students pore over the contents to help make their point.

Think Green

Westfield State College recently staged a ‘Think Green: Campus and Community Fair’ on the campus green and in the Ely Campus Center. The fair was part of the college’s Sustainability Day activities. The event featured a number of exhibits highlighting issues and products involved with conservation and sustainability. At left, James Rovezzi, director of Environmental Services, pretends to kick the tires on a new Smart Car from Hoffman Auto Group. Above, Kit Dobelle, wife of WSC President Evan S. Dobelle, talks about gardening with gardening expert and television personality Pernell Gerver.

Community Health Fair

The 87 students in the senior class of Nursing at Springfield Technical Community College put on their annual community health fair on April 15, with information booths, displays, and speakers on subjects ranging from asthma, body enhancement (tattooing and piercing), and child safety to maternal health, diabetes, and much more. At left, from left, Dustin Hamel, Myraida Vasquez, Tasneem Khan, Yolette James-Miller, and Meron Woldekidan present information about nutrition. Below, from left, Jennifer Hall, Kristina Lysenko, and Tracey Stanlewicz focus on teen pregnancy.

Funding Milestone

The Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI) in Springfield reached an important funding milestone recently, passing the $10 million mark in federal funding for life sciences initiatives. New federal support in the amount of $1.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) was secured, which will be used to fund expansions, equipment purchases, and new hires. Founded in 2002, the PVLSI is a research partnership of Baystate Medical Center and UMass Amherst, and is focused on biomedical research and the role it can play in economic development. Posing with a ceremonial check are, from left, Mark Tolosky, CEO of Baystate Health; Lawrence Schwartz, Ph.D., science director of the PVLSI and professor of Biology at UMass Amherst; U.S. Rep Richard Neal; and Dr. Paul Friedmann, executive director of the PVLSI.

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the months of March and April 2008.

AGAWAM

Alena M. Martin’s Transcription Service
55 Norris St.
Alena M. Martin

All-Event Tent Rental
88 Butternut Dr.
Sean Walsh

Connecticut Pie Inc.
120 Bowles Road
Patrick Macari

The Salon
5 South End Circle
Kirsten Hughes

Northeast Infrared Tech
73 North Westfield St.
Brendon Pohner

On Time Auto Service Inc.
14 Sherwood St.
Bryan Perry

The Pink Elephant
1090 River Road
Debrah Tlaszcz

AMHERST

Affordable Housing Perspectives
37 S. Prospect St.
Joseph P. Heneful

HouseHealing.com
21 Hadlock St.
David Farkas

Latinos
460 West St.
Norma Lopez Streciwilk

Lukengu Painting
730 West St.
Lukengu Tsimpanga

CHICOPEE

Artworks
185 Chicopee St.
Kimberly L Haight

Cote Construction Co.
65 Langevin St.
John G. Cote

Lasting Impressions
705 Britton St.
Jeremy A. Lempke

Mass Energy Savers Corp.
267 Chicopee St.
Christian B. Poirier

EAST LONGMEADOW

Wheeler & Son
132 Allen St.
Jack Lawrence Wheeler

White Dog Services
191 Maple St.
Robert Nowak

GREENFIELD

Aerus Electrolux
34 Bank Road
Joseph Knight

Concentra Urgent Care
489 Bernardston Road
America Current Care of Massachusetts

Midnight Auto Inc.
112 So. Shelburne Road
Lawrence Hoffman

Pace Coaching
44 Plantation Circle
Debbie Turgeon

The Greenfield Firm
125 Mohawk Trail
Bharti K. Patel

Reflexology Center for Natural Wellness
127 Leyden Road
Susanne M. Whitney

HOLYOKE

Cano’s Used Tires
640 South Bridge St.
Pedro Garcia

Eyewear Fashion
50 Holyoke St.
Abous Khan

Golden China
455 South St.
Guo Lian Chen

Holyoke Animal Hospital
320 Easthampton Road
Linda J. Henderson

Mt. Tom Groom Shop
320 Easthampton Road
Linda J. Henderson

Mt. Tom Kennels
320 Easthampton Road
Linda J. Henderson

Patalarga Auto Repair
63 Commercial St.
Pablo Guerrero

Snap Fitness
506 Westfield Road
David Garvey

South St. Market & Deli
512 South St.
Luis A. Alvarado Jr.

The Desired Image
592 Dwight St.
Sandra Santiago

LONGMEADOW

Fun N’ Sun Travel & Cruise
33 Woodland Road
Karin K. O’Keefe

LUDLOW

Biermann Plumbing & Heating
23 Oregon Road
Kevin J. Biermann

NORTHAMPTON

Lieberman’s Gallery
34 North Maple
Douglas Kerwin

Movement Resource
100 Main St.
Jennifer Sarah Polins

NewYork Shop Exchange
263 Main St.
Marcia J. Hawkins

  

QA3
69 Old South St.
Elizabeth Hynes

PALMER

Palmer Co-op Center
1239 South Main St.
Paul & Jane Vatour

Revolutionary Gamer
1428 Main St.
Steven J. Provost

Win Win Investing
3166 Main St.
Shawn N. Galarneau

SOUTH HADLEY

Arbor Valley Landscaping
28 Fairlawn St.
Michael A. LaValley

Developingwebsite.com
319 Alvord Place
Robert Magels

Easy St. Antiques & Collectibles
35 Easy St.
John J. Perreault

Heart Beats
82 Charon Ter.
Alice Lachman

Jag & Son Carpentry
568 Granby Road
Paul M. Jagodowski

SPRINGFIELD

Jane’s SPA Inc.
249 Belmont Ave.
Fenghua Yu

K & M Group of Companies
35 Larkspur St.
Monday Adenomon

Kim D’s Billiard
113 Vermont St.
Khanh Dao

Kristoriya
1 Federal St.
Viktoriya Romanchenko

Mass GRA
151 Glenwood St.
Kelly Mahaffy

Masters @ Custom
128 Hampden St.
Jermaine Barnett

Mind Power Entertainment
89 Santa Barbara St.
Sharief Al Ansar

Mitchell Landscaping
105 Princeton St.
Brian Lee Mitchell

Rivera’s Home Improvement
14 Batter St.
Abraham A. Rivera

Smart Shopz
56 Randall Place
Dorothy Flowers

Stop-N-Save
172 White St.
Hassan Sheikh

St. Corner SIPS
1655 Boston Road
Frank Falco

T P’s Dance Academy
1665 Main St.
Tyrone Germain Polk

The Flower Box
596 Carew St.
Michael L. Moline

Willis & Family Contractors
127 Carver St.
Monroe L. Willis

Workflow Solutions
47 Elwood Dr.
Ken Fetterhoff

WESTFIELD

Balise Ready Credit
99 Springfield St.
Balise Motor Sales Co.

Lucky Nails & Spa
336 Dickinson St.
Huan Van Huynh

Moir & Ross
203 Western Ave.
Bradford B. Moir

Union Park Condo Association
42 Pheasant Crossing
Rene Lucier

Salon Cabellos
10 Morris St.
Albertina Guzman-Picot

VK Nails & Spa
135 Lucerne Road
Todd Lefebvre

Wendy’s
14 Miller St.
Robert Meyers for Wendy’s

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Father & Sons Inc.
434 Memorial Ave.
Damon Cartelli

Friendly Beauty Salon
553 Union St.
Natalya Poltavets

Memorial Pizza
1140 Memorial Ave.
Erhal INC.

Niguette Studios
51 Ashley St.
Leshe Niguette

Tenant Finders of Western
Massachusetts
30 Moseley Ave.
Debra Fletcher

Your Everlasting Solution
62 Westfield Road
Cherie Renee Brisebois

By
Departments

Power Breakfast

On March 28, the Western Mass. public colleges — Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, Springfield Technical Community College, and Westfield State College — hosted a breakfast at STCC for the Western Mass. legislative delegation, to discuss budgets and funding needs for the educational institutions. First, HCC President William Messner gives information on the dual-enrollment and endowment-incentive programs. Second, STCC President Ira Rubenzahl (second from right) is shown with legislators (left to right) Rep. Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, Rep. John W. Scibak, Rep. Donald F. Humason Jr., Sen. Michael R. Knapik, Rep. Angelo Puppolo, Rep. Michael F. Kane, and Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati, speaker pro tempore. (Legislators not shown are Sen. Stephen Buoniconti and Rep. Benjamin Swan.)

Skybus … We Hardly Knew Ye

By
Opinion

One of the area residents interviewed by a local TV station said it felt like a family member had passed away.

At first blush, this sounded a little melodramatic, but the more one thinks about it, there are some similarities. The announcement that low-cost carrier Skybus was shutting down came suddenly, without any real warning, and it left many in the area with a pronounced feeling of loss. This sensation came in different ways for different people.

For those who used Skybus — and some flew on it regularly — this was a personal loss because it eliminated what had become a popular, low-cost option for business and pleasure travel. And there are few, if any, real alternatives left. And for those who didn’t fly the airline but had read or heard about it, this was the loss of one of the real feel-good stories to reach this area lately.

Skybus was something positive. A new airline had chosen Chicopee, population 50,000 or so, to be one of its centers of operations, and for nine months or so, things worked at least well as anyone hoped they could, and probably much better than most anticipated. Heck, there were people who showed up at Westover just to watch the planes land and take off.

And now, it’s gone. Chapter 11 doesn’t always mean the end, but in this case, it’s the end at least for a while; the conditions that doomed the carrier, at least according to its chairman — soaring aviation fuel prices and the downturn that stunted ticket sales — will be with us for a while.

What are we to take from all this? Many things, actually. For starters, people here can see that this economic downturn, recession, or whatever people want to call it, is very real, and it’s not just something happening somewhere else — it’s happening in Chicopee, as the now-quiet terminal at Westover attests.

Then there’s the plight of the airline industry, but that’s another story, and there isn’t nearly enough room here to discuss what the demise of several small carriers and changes at some of the big outfits means for the nation, this region, and all those who travel. In short, this sector is in real trouble, and things are probably going to get worse before they get better.

But what of that feel-good story and the fact that it ended so quickly and so badly? There are some positives that this region can take away from this, and we hope they are not lost amid all the jokes, the sadness, and the frustration.

First, people need to remember that Skybus, despite what seemed like a good business model, one based on the European carrier Raynair, was a gamble — actually, a pretty big gamble. The people at Westover knew this, Allan Blair and others at the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. knew this, and Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette and others managing that city knew this.

It was a gamble they thought was worth taking, and while some might disagree, probably with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, history should prove them right.

If nothing else, they showed that passenger service in and out of Westover is viable. There are enough businesses, college students, and people with means for a venture here to succeed. Yes, Westover is out of the way, and it is no one’s real airport of choice, but it became one.

And while the numbers were never very thoroughly crunched, anecdotal evidence suggests that, while the region is good for passenger service, such passenger service is good for the region. We don’t know how many more people came to the Valley because of Skybus, but the service couldn’t have hurt the area, and it probably helped.

We don’t know enough about the airline industry, or simple mathematics, to know if maybe another airline with a different model and considerably better timing could make it work in this market, but we’d like to think so.

Looking back, Skybus was (it’s hard to use that tense) fun. It gave the region a little boost, while giving some people a $10 ticket to Columbus, Ohio, where … well, use your imagination. This really was the feel-good story of ’07, but this is ’08, and fun will be just a little harder to come by.

Like that person said … it really is a little like a death in the family.

By
Departments

Marketing Program

April 30: Anne W. West, founder and president of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Strategic Communication Counsel, will present “Remarketing Marketing … Creatively” at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House in Holyoke. West offers a down-to-earth look at some common strategies and tactics that marketers overlook. The morning event is sponsored by the Ad Club of Western Mass. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with the seminar slated from 8 a.m. to noon. Registration includes a continental breakfast, seminar, and handouts. Cost is $75 for Ad Club members, $85 for non-members, and $50 for students. To register online, visit www.adclubwm.org

Financial and Estate- planning Workshops

April 30, May 14, May 21: Applewood at Amherst, a part of the Loomis Communities, will host a free public series of financial and estate-planning talks, all beginning at 7:30 p.m. On April 30, Peter Ziomek, J.D., of Ziomek & Ziomek, will discuss wills, durable powers of attorney, health care proxies, and trusts. On May 14, Eva Thomson of Thomson Financial Management will share methods of maximizing one’s assets for a fulfilling retirement and beyond. The series concludes on May 21 with Hyman Darling, a partner with Bacon Wilson, P.C., reviewing ways to personalize one’s legacy through ethical wills, pet trusts, charitable bequests, gift annuities, or specific burial instructions. All talks will be conducted in the meeting room at Applewood at Amherst, One Spencer Dr., Amherst. Reservations are encouraged and may be made by calling Kelley Murphy at (413) 253-9833.

Women’s Professional Development Conference

May 1: Bay Path College in Longmeadow will host its 13th annual Women’s Professional Development Conference at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Actress Jane Fonda will be the keynote speaker for the conference, which is planned from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For a complete list of workshops and speakers, visit www.baypath.edu. Tickets are $250 for the general public and $225 for Bay Path alumni, with an early-bird registration deadline of April 17. A vendor fair is also planned throughout the day.

Business Market Show

May 7: The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Inc. will host its 2008 Business Market Show from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The show will feature more than 225 booths offering products and services to help, enhance, and grow one’s business. Attendance is free with a business card, and no registration is required. For a complete schedule of workshops throughout the day, as well as exhibitor listings and parking locations, visit www.businessmarketshow.com

Customer Service Seminar

May 8: Marty Clarke, president of Martin Productions and author of Communication Land Mines: 18 Communication Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them, will present an informative seminar titled “Customer Service Land Mines and How to Avoid Them” from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Clarion Hotel in West Springfield. Clarke’s program will lay out a road map of how one can avoid common and damaging customer-service ‘land mines,’ and begin to set a company apart in the most powerful way possible. Clarke will offer an encore seminar titled “Leadership Land Mines: 8 Managerial Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them” from 1 to 4 p.m. The presentations are presented by the Employers Association of the NorthEast (EANE). The cost for either the morning or afternoon session is $179 for EANE members or $229 for non-members. The cost for the full day is $279 for both sessions for EANE members, and $329 for non-members. For registration information, visit www.eane.org

Wine Tasting and Auction

May 9: The Chicopee Chamber of Commerce will host a wine tasting and silent auction at the Castle of Knights on Memorial Drive. Proceeds raised from the event will be used to fund Chamber events. For more information about the event, visit www.chicopeechamber.org

By
Departments

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

A Cut Above the Rest
Custom One Design Inc.
Antiposti, James Michael
Lafayette St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Agin, Betty Jean
30 Wing St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/25/2008

Anna, Jenny L.
a/k/a Aultman, Jenny L.
11 South St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

Ashley, Ann F.
a/k/a Ashley-Scott, Ann F.
183 Trafton Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/28/2008

Berneche, Daniel G.
P.O. Box 628
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/28/2008

Bird, Derek Henry James
Bird, Nanc Lee
222 Federal St.
Belhertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/19/2008

Bosse, Theodore H.
Bosse, Gwendolyn J.
500 North Woodstock Road
Southbridge, MA 01550
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Bousquet, Gary H.
88 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Boyd Associates
Boyd, James F.
Boyd, Colleen M.
68 Roosevelt Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Brandl, Timothy Scott
116 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/29/2008

Butler, Eleanor M.
P.O. Box 6782
Holyoke, MA 01041
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/1/2008

Butler, James Ernest
Butler, Karen Amy
32 Woodhill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Byrns, Ann S.
375 College St., No. 108
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/25/2008

Cady, David P.
Cady, Susa M.
159 West Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/21/2008

Carlson, Elizabeth A.
a/k/a Jean, Elizabeth A.
43 B Perrine Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/20/2008

Casimiro, Maria Teresa
57 Enfield St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Cayea, Jeremiah Josiah
Cayea, Kiley M.
a/k/a Danduran, Kiley Marie
111 Quaboag St.
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/16/2008

Colon, Brenda
50-52 Stebbins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/22/2008

Connors, Marie Teresa
118 Sunridge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Cook, Theresa
44 Central Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Crooks, Carla M.
188 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Curtis, Crystal Lynn
110 Adison St., 2nd Floor
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/25/2008

DeFlumere, Erin V.
104 Johnson Road, Unit201
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/20/2008

Devine, Kathleen Ann
267 Nottingham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Drolet, Michael J.
a/k/a Drolet, Tayna L.
16 Gould St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Dudek, Yvette L.
5 Hillside Ter.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/28/2008

Dunn, Shawn
1059-1061 Main St.
PO Box 52
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/21/2008

Dutton, Francis A.
42 Sterns Ter.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Elias, Thomas J.
530 East New Lenox Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/01/2008

Fagullar, Corey E.
88 Providence St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

Fernandez, Franklin Ray
66 West St., Apt. 3
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

Flores, Ramona
262 Carew Street
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/27/2008

Frew, Angela M.
143 State St.
Belchertwon, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Fryc, Charles E.
1449 West St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/28/2008

Gagnon, Shawn
Gagnon, Jennifer
56 Fountain Road
PO Box 312
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

Gaydos, Margaret E.
P.O.Box 242
Chicopee, MA 01021
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/19/2008

Gengreau, Yvette D.
21 Norma St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Giddens, Charles T.
342 Southwick Road, Apt. 59
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Graham, James F.
Graham, Erika B.
15 Mandalay Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Hawkins, Deborah A.
73 Edgeland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Ingham, William E.
7 Olde Plains Hollow
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

Jenkins, Matthew Mahavendra
149 Federal St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/21/2008

Johnson, Russell E.
Johnson, JoAnn
97 Wachusett St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/25/2008

  

Johnston, Charles S.
97 Federal St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Kennedy, Kevin M.
Kennedy, Carolynn L.
79 Huntington Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Kennedy, Lauralene H.
11 Ham Hill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Date: 2/26/2008

Kleeberg, Keith P.
190 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Koch, Alvah H.
Koch, Linda M.
39 Ferncliff Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Konvelski, Gary Stanley
PO Box 762
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Kum, Roger Olston
128 Benton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/26/2008

Larriu, Valerie T.
P. O. Box 3824
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Lavoie, Estelle Marguerite
1128 Thorndike St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Leblanc, Robert L.
Leblanc, Tanya E.
490 Vernon Ave.
South Barre, MA 01074
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/29/2008

Little Ducklings Daycare
Belden, Stephanie A.
Old Farm Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/20/2008

Lloyd, Alan M.
6 Mattson Blvd.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Mango, Tricia A.
2015 Oak St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/18/2008

Martinez, Elvis A.
Martinez, Isania M.
152 Rollins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

McClenahan, Jesse M.
a/k/a Perez, Jesse M.
3 Ethan Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

McClenahan, Shannon
a/k/a Smith, Shannon A.
50 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

Mika, James N.
Mika, Sally E.
372 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/22/2008

Moye, Mary A.
80 Rochelle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

Padro, Paula
10 Chesnut St., Apt. 601
Springield, MA 0103
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/19/2008

Peloquin, Armand P.
Peloquin, Jeanne I.
34 Coolidge Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Pettibone T. J.
c/o Eric Kornblum, Esq.
68 Court St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/16/2008

Pizzonia, Joseph
Pizzonia, Karen J.
126 Unkamet Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Pohner, Donnamarie
244 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/28/2008

Puffer, Wayne Eric
137 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/29/2008

Regan, Sonya A.
29 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Roberts, Judy A
29 Harding St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/28/2008

Rodas, Luis E.
216 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/28/2008

Rogers, Rickey E.
47 Gatewood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/23/2008

Santaniello, Anthony J.
Santaniello, Elaine F.
59 Senecal Place
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/21/2008

Shevlin, Bernard S.
137 Fernwood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/29/2008

Siano, Pamela A.
33 Avon Place
Springfield, MA
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/23/2008

Simmons, Aretha
192 Kirk Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/18/2008

Stephens, Michael R.
781 Pendleton Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/20/2008

Stewart, Ramona L.
56 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/21/2008

Strong, Ruth Jane
190 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Taylor, Lue E.
816 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/27/2008

Tebaldi, Margaret J.
231 Ambrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/28/2008

Thompson Linda Darlene
37 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/25/2008

Thulen, Virginia M.
a/k/a Desmarais, Virginia
a/k/a Jabs, Virginia
16 Treehouse Circle, Apt.2
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Tirrell, Richard N.
Tirrell, Pamela J.
94 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/26/2008

Ward, Kathleen M.
10 – A Elm Circle
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/29/2008

Williams, Carlisa
50 Joan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/22/2008

Zomek, Kevin D.
112 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/25/2008

By
Departments

Comcast Launches FOX 6 Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — Comcast recently announced its launch of the region’s newest television station, FOX 6 Springfield, and the channel’s HD simulcast. The launches of FOX 6 Springfield and FOX 6 Springfield in HD, available on Channels 6 and 861, respectively, provide Comcast customers with some of the network’s most popular shows, from American Idol to 24 and House, along with matchups from NASCAR, Major League Baseball, and the National Football League. With more than 300 HD choices, Comcast plans to significantly expand the number of HD choices to 1,000 by the end of this year. FOX 6 Springfield and FOX 6 Springfield in HD are now available in Agawam, Amherst, Bernardston, Buckland, Chester, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Granby, Granville, Greenfield, Hatfield, Holyoke, Huntington, Longmeadow, Monson, Montague, Northampton, Northfield, Palmer, Pelham, Shelburne, South Hadley, Southwick, Springfield, Sunderland, West Springfield, Ware, Westfield, Westhampton, Whately, and Williamsburg. Local Connecticut news, weather, and programming are still available on WTIC Fox 61 on Channel 292 for Comcast basic cable customers with a digital box. In addition to traditional television viewing, Comcast’s HD on Demand platform allows digital-cable customers with an HDTV and HD-capable cable box to choose from a variety of HD selections each month. Comcast’s New England regions serve 2.6 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, and New York.

Berkshire Service Experts to Give Away Programmable Thermostats

WEST SPRINGFIELD — As the 28th annual Earth Day approaches (April 22), Service Experts Inc., and its full-service heating and air conditioning center in the Valley, Berkshire Service Experts, will help customers in the Springfield area recognize they truly can make a difference. Service Experts will install a free programmable thermostat in every U.S. and Canadian household that schedules a heating or cooling system tune-up during the month of April. Service Experts’ Earth Day program will create the same environmental effect as planting 330 trees for every single homeowner who makes one small household change. Thermostat manufacturers such as Lennox that are providing thermostats for the special Earth Day campaign estimate that up to 75% of North American homes do not have programmable thermostats. Most homes between 15 and 25 years old still use the original mercury-based models, which are toxic if not disposed of properly. Service Experts will remove the home’s old thermostat, and properly dispose of and recycle it at no charge.

Work Opportunity Center Receives Grant

AGAWAM — The Work Opportunity Center Inc. in Agawam has received a $2,500 grant from the NewAlliance Foundation, which will help purchase a passenger van for the agency. The private, nonprofit organization provides developmentally disabled individuals with vocational training and employment opportunities. Currently, the center serves 110 individuals in three work programs within the Greater Springfield area.

MassMutual Launches Recruiting Web Site

SPRINGFIELD — Building on several years of successful efforts to recruit and retain top financial services professionals, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) recently unveiled a Web site that introduces career changers, industry veterans, and college graduates to a career with the company through the eyes and words of its agents. The Web site, one of several initiatives the company has undertaken to grow its ranks of successful professionals, features a MassMutual agency manager, sales team manager, experienced agent, career changer, new agent, and intern who describe their careers and experiences in their own words. Visitors to www.massmutual.com/mycareer hear and see agents describe the company’s entrepreneurial business model, training and support services, and the meaningfulness of their work. The online introduction and other efforts by the company are succeeding, as the number of new agents and the company’s rate of retention have both risen significantly, according to Scott Rich, vice president, Net Field Force Growth. Rich added that, during the past two years, MassMutual has increased its net field force by 10%.

Capuano Care Moves to New Corporate Location

EAST LONGMEADOW — Capuano Care is moving into its new corporate headquarters on April 14. The larger office at 265 Benton Dr., Suite 201, will allow the firm to better serve its rapidly growing client base as well as its professional in-home health care staff, according to Fannie Y. Lin, president and CEO. Lin noted that the company has been growing so much in the last two years that it needed a larger and more efficient space to accommodate additional support staff. Capuano Care is a full-service, Medicare/Medicaid-certified, and private home health care business serving clients throughout Hampden and Hampshire counties. For more information, visit www.capuanocare.com

By
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.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Arnold’s Meats v. Iron Door Tavern
Allegation: Non-payment of meat and food products received: $3,871.54
Filed: 2-21-08

Griffin Greenhouse Supplies Inc. v. Westover Greenhouse Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods received: $3,785.72
Filed: 2-28-08

Griffin Greenhouse Supplies Inc. v. Grandview Farms Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods received: $6,925.69
Filed: 2-28-08

State Lottery Commission v. Lacroix’s Market
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $21,377.96
Filed: 2-28-08

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Maria Silva v. Bertera Chrysler Jeep Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $20,000
Filed: 2-15-08

Richard Stanton v. Lauries Glass LTD
Allegation: Negligence and breach of implied warranties causing injury: $13,365.75
Filed: 1-22-08

Superior Auto Transport, LLC v. Phil’s Auto Express
Allegation: Breach of sales contract: $234,520
Filed: 2-19-08

The Sherwin Williams Company v. Engineered Floors Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $29,461.48
Filed: 1-04-08

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Karen Riley v. Magnat Rolls Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination based on age and disability: $82,878
Filed: 3-05-08

Paul & Anne McGrath v. David Campbell Builders
Allegation: Breach of construction contract and negligence causing fire: $138,281.14
Filed: 2-29-08

Scott & Lyndia Brough v. Zerteck Inc., d/b/a Boat-N-Ry Warehouse and Forest River Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and fraud and deceit in sale of motor home: $165,000+
Filed: 2-26-08

Whiteway Construction Corporation v. Town of Tewksbury
Allegation: Breach of contract for construction of Tewksbury Senior Center: $500,000+
Filed: 2-28-08

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Minerva Lopez v. Holyoke Medical Center
Allegation: Negligence in property maintenance causing personal injury: $24,476.75
Filed: 3-07-08

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Diane Blahusch v. Remax Teamwork Realty
Allegation: Breach of purchase and sale contract and professional negligence: $24,000.00
Filed: 3-05-08

New Penn Motor Express Inc. v. Johnson Metal Products Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $9,162.53
Filed: 2-28-08

Sherwood Lumber Company v. Eastern Lumber & Millwork Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $16,621.49
Filed: 2-19-08

Vaughn Munson v. Hotel Northampton
Allegation: Breach of contract for snow removal: $3,800
Filed: 2-26-08

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Jeanne Rose v. Lowe’s Inc.
Allegation: Negligence in property maintenance causing injury: $3,463.00
Filed: 2-27-08

Leonard’s of Connecticut Inc. v. The Livery
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $12,414.67
Filed: 2-28-08

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Bradco Supply Corporation v. Mello’s Home Improvement
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,241.48
Filed: 1-09-08

PFG Springfield Corporation v. Brennan’s Inn
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $42,515.78
Filed: 3-04-08

Sunshine Village Inc. v. Superior Mechanical Contractors Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract for services: $20,000
Filed: 2-14-08

By
Departments

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

Al Leger Home Improvement,
American Building Contractors
Leger, Albert Michael
L&S Enclosures
100 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Abair, Brian A.
a/k/a Benoit, Brian A.
40 Prospect St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Alston, Mary E.
60 Switzer Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Arts & Flowers
Lewis, Jill Robin
29 Briggs St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/08

Badillo, Robert
Hague-Badillo, Megan K.
169 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/29/08

Baez, Maria M.
34 Northern Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Barnes, Robert L.
Barnes, Melissa J.
118 Old Farm Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Beauliere, Cedric
444 Prince Hall – UMass
286 Sunset Ave.
Amherst, MA 01003
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/08

Bell, Turman R.
Bell, Eleanor C.
287 Osborn Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/06/08

Bessette, Richard Allen
60 Montague St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/08

Bousquet, Kelli E.
7 Stanley Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/11/08

Brust, Dean S.
148 Birch Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/02/08

Burns, Mark Thomas
57 Decorie Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/07/08

Candido, Michael L.
59 Melba St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/08

Capen, Nancy
394 Long Plain Road
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/04/08

Carchedi, Jason Corey
PO Box 1802
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/08

Carlson, Christina L.
64 Pleasant St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/08

Chirgwin, Gary W.
Chirgwin, Audrey W.
19 Cedar Knoll Drive
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/08

Christopher, Jonathan R.
66 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/07/08

Cocco, Leonard L.
Cocco, Wanda M.
11 Laura Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/08

Collins, Corey L.
Collins, Linda A.
91 Manchester Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Creative Temp Services
Riel, Debra J.
11 Maple Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/01/08

Czelusniak, John L.
143 Maple St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Diaz Rivera, Maribel
129 Champlain St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Doleva, Joan C.
127 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/30/08

Driver, Edward B.
419 Montcalm St., Apt. 301M
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/06/08

Duffy, Susan J.
a/k/a Hall, Susan
P.O. Box 914
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/08

Eaton, Vicki Lee
5 Merkel Ter.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/08

Fein, Jonathan L.
60 Tecumseh Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Felt, Lynn M.
27 Waite Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/04/08

Fenn, Darrin T.
622 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Flores, Carmelo
Flores, Cristina I.
209 Eddy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Fontanez, Gill L.
60 Newland St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/07/08

Gallerani, Ernest
31 Dutton St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/05/08

Gaskins, Arthur R.
Gaskins, Victoria M.
a/k/a Dixon, Victoria M.
144 Warrenton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Ghassemi, Ebrahim
303 Maple St., Apt B51
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Gondek, Debra A.
a/k/a Mango, Debra A.
2032 Maple St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Gossman, David Paul
6 Jeffrey Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/08

Granger, Geraldine M.
93 Armstrong St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Gregory, Bonnie S.
879 North St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Hannon, Martha M.
a/k/a Hannon, Martha Marie
72 Harmon St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/08

Harley’s Janitorial Service
Tarr, Michele Anne
a/k/a Courchesne, Michele Anne
66 Brookside Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Hayward, Rebecca L.
1806 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Hogan, Ann M.
148 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Janisieski, Stephen F.
44 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/29/08

Keeney, Robert F.
P.O. Box 1151
Chicopee, MA 01021
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/30/08

Kuzin, Paul N.
9 Walnut St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/08

  

Litwin, Jeffrey M.
Litwin, Tammy A.
341 Springdale Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Lussier, Jeffrey Matthew
16 Hubbard Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Mainville, Raymond A.
Mainville, Lynn M.
2077 Calkins Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Marcoullier, George E
221 Russellville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/08

Martin, Christian A.
183 Brookhaven Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/08

McCormack, Timothy J.
62 Craig Dr., Apt. A-1
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

McNeil, Theodore R.
PO Box 4028
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/30/08

Melendez, Estervina
36 Chapin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Michaud, Michael P.
100 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/30/08

Miller, Elton W.
Miller, Patricia F.
163 Dubois St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/06/08

Morann, Ernest W.
1 G St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/08

Moskal, Tracey
43 Briarwood Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/11/08

Napolitan, John M.
Napolitan, Alice T.
517 Whitney Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Pacheco, Lenin
134 Bristol St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/06/08

Pelletier, Bernard
15 Hunt St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/04/08

Racine, Katherine Y.
8 Cornell St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/29/08

Ramonas, Roy V.
20 Murray Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/07/08

Rapa, Timothy J.
147 Virginia Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Reed, Matthew B.
169 Allen St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/05/08

Richards, Ernest W.
Richards, Sandra M.
10 Seneca Dr.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/15/08

Rios, Juan Jose
142 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/12/08

Rivera, Pedro
174 River St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/07/08

Rovero, Donald Paul
15-E Maple Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/28/08

Roy, Lucy R.
2597 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/08

Ryan, John C.
6 University Dr.
Suite 206, #169
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/08

Sharp, Kathy A.
60 Columbia St.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/08

Sicard, Donald P.
69 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Singleton, Herbert L
PO Box 90842
Springfield, MA 01139
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Smith, Edwin D.
10 Grant St., Apt. B
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/11/08

Solomon, Steven C.
81 Prospect St. #38
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Soto, Angel
Soto, Brenda
79 W. Alvord St., 2nd
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/08

Spruell, Judy
126 Harvard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/06/08

Szczepanski, Roger P.
50 Rood St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Szenkum, Irmgard I.
6 Gold St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/08

Talbot, Theresa E.
164 Prouty St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Taylor, Charles S.
785 Parker St.
Ease Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/12/08

Thomas, Amanda E.
58 Charles St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/28/08

Trigo, Christopher J.
194 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/01/08

Typrowicz Painting
Typrowicz, Brenda Lee
Typrowicz, James R.
63 Belvidere Ave.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/08

VanAnne, Heather
338 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/04/08

Veremey, Judith Mary
356 Park St., Apt. 142
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Vreeland, Glenn Allan
Vreeland, Felicia Fara
171 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/04/08

Wallner, Robert J.
575 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/08

Wetherell, Ellen C.
189 Springfield Road #19
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

Williams, Heather-Jill Kuzmeskus
6 Fordham Ave.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/08

Young, Steadman John
545 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/07/08

Landry, Susan M.
438 Springfield St., A
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/08

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2008.

AGAWAM

Hillside Development Corporation
1152 Springfield St.
$2,000 — Sub-divide floor space in existing building

Six Flags New England
1623 Main St.
$350,000 — Erect new Coldstone & Papa John’s building

AMHERST

Miles Herter
401 Shays St.
$40,200 — Build a 12 x 24 addition to create a new cabinet shop space

CHICOPEE

Pride
167 Chicopee St.
$10,000 — Remodel interior

EAST LONGMEADOW

Doblewood LLC
265 Benton Dr.
$143,000 — Second-floor office renovation

GREENFIELD

233 One LLC
233 Main St.
$41,000 — Renovate an existing restaurant to a new restaurant/cafe

Argotec Inc.
53 Silvio O. Conte Dr.
$1,652,000 — Convert existing warehouse areas to office/production workspaces.

Franklin Associates
87-91 Main St.
$1,350 — Interior renovations at Precision Driving School

HADLEY

Sandon Pearson
173 Russell St.
$337,500 — Renovation of existing commercial building

Target Corporation
367 Russell St.
$235,000 — Install freezer/refrigeration fixtures on existing sales floor

HOLYOKE

First Light and Power
200 Northampton St.
$17,133,000 — Construct air pollution facility

  

LONGMEADOW

GPT Longmeadow LLC
704 Bliss Road
$40,000 — Exterior renovations

NORTHAMPTON

SF Properties
491 Pleasant St.
$545,000 — Construction of new commercial building

SOUTH HADLEY

South Hadley Housing Authority
69 Lathrop St.
$3,800 — Renovations

SPRINGFIELD

Haymarket Square Associates
1736 Boston Road
$11,000 — Interior renovations

Mass Mutual
1500 Main St.
$64,000 — Renovations to suite #2518

Ryder System Inc.
220 Tapley St.
$3,500 — Repair overhead doorjamb

St. George Orthodox Greek Cathedral
2320 Main St.
$30,000 — Fire restoration

Venture Properties, LLC
254-270 Worthington St.
$100,000 — Renovate offices into apartments

WESTFIELD

Lucier Development
139 Union St.
$320,000 — Four new units

Mark Lavalley
785 North Rd.
$157,000 — Commercial addition

WEST SPRINGFIELD

99 Restaurant
1053 Riverdale St.
$80,000 — Renovate 3,200 square feet of restaurant

By
Departments

MassMutual Touts Breast Cancer Awareness Program

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual recently concluded its innovative, year-long 2007 breast cancer awareness program that featured a series of financial donations and seminars to benefit the cause. MassMutual donated close to $100,000 in sponsorships of breast cancer awareness-related events, including the Danskin Triathlon Series and American Cancer Society “Making Strides” events, and donated more than $80,000 in contributions to organizations supporting breast and other cancer causes in 25 states. Also, more than 1,500 women were educated at MassMutual-sponsored seminars that taught women about the importance of preparing financially for unexpected life events, such as breast cancer. MassMutual further supported awareness efforts by continuing to make available its informational brochure that informs women about financial preparedness, insurance, and breast cancer. For more information on the brochure, visit www.massmutual.com/women

Peter Pan, Greyhound Launch BoltBus

SPRINGFIELD — BoltBus, a division of Greyhound Lines affiliated with Peter Pan, was recently launched, offering inexpensive fares and free Wi-Fi Internet access and power outlets for laptops and other electronic devices. In addition to high frequency of departures and low fares, the new entry into the inter-city bus business will offer comfortable seats, with leather seating available on select coaches, extra leg room, and street-side service in New York City and Washington, D.C. Customers can board the street-side service in New York City at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue near Penn Station and also in South Manhattan at 6th Avenue and Canal Street. The street-side service is also available in Washington near the Metro Center Station at 11th and G Street. Service into and out of Boston will be at the South Station Bus Terminal. Tickets are available for purchase in advance by logging onto boltbus.com or from a driver before boarding. One-way fares between New York and Washington start at $1, plus a booking fee. The highest fare will adjust based on market demand. All tickets are non-refundable.

Formal Affair Opens

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Formal Affair, a new tuxedo and tailor shop, opened March 8 on Westfield Street. Owner Kevin Kousch, the former manager of the R.S.V.P. Formalwear Shop at Yale Genton, has more than 20 years of experience in retail, specifically men’s clothing. The new store carries “first-quality, top-name, designer tuxedos at discounted prices,” according to Kousch. He added that there are five distinct styles of designer tuxedos to choose from, and all are fresh and custom-tailored specifically for the customer. Kousch noted that Formal Affair has the largest on-site selection of men’s formalwear in New England. Store hours are weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on the 581 Westfield St. site, call (413) 781-4889 or visit www.formalaffairtux.com

Skybus Adds Florida Service

CHICOPEE — Skybus Airlines recently announced new service beginning June 1 between Chicopee and St. Augustine, Fla., as well as Punta Gorda in Southwest Florida. Reservations for the new service, as well as for all Skybus flights from Aug. 1 to Sept. 2, are available at www.skybus.com. Skybus offers 10 seats at $10 on every flight, every day. Skybus officials noted that it will have to adjust its schedule to help deal with the unprecedented increase in the cost of fuel. The adjustments will include some flight reductions as Skybus focuses on improving customer service and meeting demand on its most profitable routes.

Southworth Acquires Byron Weston

AGAWAM — Southworth Company recently announced the acquisition of the Byron Weston Co. from Crane & Co. Inc. of Dalton. Byron Weston is the leading brand of cotton fiber archival paper in the U.S., according to Southworth President David Southworth. Its permanent record papers are used for recording deeds; land records; birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as other government records. Southworth noted that the addition of Byron Weston brings another trusted brand and leadership in the permanent-papers market to the Southworth product line. Southworth Company produces premium paper products and specialty papers. Byron Weston’s manufacturing operations will be transferred to Southworth’s Turners Falls facility. Southworth said he does not expect an interruption in service to customers during the transition.

By
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.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Chicopee Mason Supplies Inc. v. Masonry Restorations of Boston Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold & delivered: $4,051.20
Filed: 3-04-08

Gilbert & Son Insulation v. VIP Home Associates, LLC
Allegation: Balance due for insulation services rendered: $3,595.85
Filed: 3-03-08

Instar Services Group v. David Poulin & Sons Construction Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and negligence: $20,650
Filed: 3-12-08

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

David Tower v. Rice Oil Co.
Allegation: Personal injury due to slip and fall: $10,528.18
Filed: 2-20-08

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Lease Corporation of America v. Len’s Heating & Cooling Inc.
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $66,554.03. Filed: 2-07-08

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Rio Minas Roofing
Allegation: Non-payment of workers’ compensation policy: $87,054
Filed: 2-12-08

Mary Laporte v. Tammy Table d/b/a Yellow Jackets of Springfield, TNC, and Hideaway Bar & Grill
Allegation: Failure to have workers’ compensation insurance: $144,244.86
Filed: 1-23-08

Richard T. Jordan III v. Gamestop a/k/a EB Games
Allegation: Employment discrimination based on handicap and failure to reasonably accommodate: $50,000+
Filed: 1-05-08

William S. Carrol v. AOS Operating System
Allegation: Breach of contract: $60,000
Filed: 1-16-08

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Alandev, LLC v. East Coat Construction Services
Allegation: Breach of contract for construction services: $130,000
Filed: 3-14-08

Howard Gorniak v. Hardigg Industries
Allegation: Wrongful termination: $61,000
Filed: 3-13-08

John & Brandy Sullivan v. Anthony’s Residential Contracting
Allegation: Breach of contract and negligence: $32,044.95. Filed: 2-20-08

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Gerard Morrissette v. Greater Holyoke YMCA
Allegation: Negligence in property maintenance causing injury: $7,652.62
Filed: 3-06-08

Sylvan Corporation v. Mid-Atlantic Postal Properties Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $6,619.82
Filed: 3-04-08

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Anthony’s Dance Club v. Presstek Inc.
Allegation: Lost business revenue due to negligence: $5,554
Filed: 3-07-08

Fleetcor Technologies Operating Company LLC v. Healy Transportation Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,144.71
Filed: 3-10-08

Liberty General Contracting Inc. v. Anderson Builders Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and unpaid invoice: $35,823.80. Filed: 3-13-08

Interim Capital LLC v. Papa George Pizza
Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay promissory note: $4,537.93
Filed: 3-13-08

Steven Koledziej v. Scottish Inn
Allegation: Personal injury due to negligence in property maintenance: $3,534
Filed: 3-12-08

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Bruce Gilbert v. Bertera Chevrolet Inc. and Todd T. Lamb
Allegation: Negligence in motor vehicle operation causing injury: $12,261
Filed: 3-11-08

Pioneer Valley Renovators v. Penn Lyon Homes Corporation
Allegation: Breach of contract for construction of modular home: $14,588.96
Filed: 3-11-08

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Jacqueline Stratos v. TLC Health Care Services, Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay wages & commissions: $7,000
Filed: 1-09-08

Medeiros Real Estate Investments LLC v. Frame & Picture Shoppe
Allegation: Breach of lease contract: $22,575
Filed: 1-11-08

Pramco Cv7, LLC v. Let’s Go Bakery Inc.
Allegation: Default on commercial promissory note and guaranty agreement: $22,966.43
Filed: 1-10-08

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Lawrence Pooler & Stacy MacQueen-Pooler v. Sears Roebuck & Co. & Liberty Transportation Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $12,600.72
Filed: 3-04-08

By
Departments

Best in Show

The Ad Club of Western Mass. staged its annual ADDY Awards ceremony on March 20 (a list of winners begins on page 61). Here, Best in Show winner Brendan Ciecko of Ten Minute Media poses with Ad Club president Alta Stark and Francisco Sole of Baystate Health, the ADDYs gold sponsor.

Hometown Heroes

The American Red Cross of the Pioneer Valley staged its sixth annual Hometown Heroes Breakfast on March 20, honoring eight individuals who have shown courage, kindness, and unselfish character through acts of heroism.

Bill Trudeau of the Insurance Center of New England presents an American Red Cross Hometown Heroes Award to Missionary Bertha Brown, volunteer program director of the Victory Temple C.O.G.I.C. food pantry, for her extraordinary service and dedication to the poor and hungry in West Springfield.

Mark Morris (left), director of Public Relations for Health New England, presents a Hometown Heroes Award to Brian Strange of Chicopee, who rescued an 87-year-old Springfield man who was trapped in his burning, overturned car after a crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Life after the Casino Vote

By
Opinion

There were a number of story lines and theories to consider in the wake of the state House’s resounding rejection (108-46) of Gov. Deval Patrick’s plans to locate three resort casinos across the Commonwealth — and most of them involved politics, not the real issue, which is job creation.

While some analysts were speculating that the vote provided ample evidence of the decline in power wielded by organized labor, many others were saying that House Speaker Salvadore DiMasi essentially showed Patrick, and everyone else, who’s boss around here. Still others were commenting that Patrick still has a long way to go when it comes to leadership skills and working with the Legislature, not in spite of it, to achieve real progress.

These individuals have a point, and we hope the governor learns from this setback; he basically contrived a casino plan, worked up some numbers on new jobs that didn’t stand up to scrutiny, and dared the Legislature to approve the plan or find some other way to generate revenues and close a $1.3 billion gap. That’s a textbook example of how not to get things done.

In the wake of the House vote, casino backers vowed that they would be back (what else would they say?), and racetrack owners said they would continue their hard push to get slot machines in their facilities. They may succeed, but does anyone really care? There’s no real job creation in slots and nothing by way of benefits for Western Mass. Meanwhile, the Wampanoag tribe will likely proceed with its bid to gain approval from the federal government to locate a casino in Middleborough — a plan that helped inspire the governor to act and blueprint a plan that would generate the state some licensing fees.

While all this talk goes on, we hope that there will be some real action to address the basic challenge facing this state, and that is to create some good jobs for people who don’t necessarily have the skills to compete in the so-called knowledge economy — or to get serious about helping those individuals acquire those skills. And we’re not sure that anything real will happen as long as the casino option — if we can call it that — is still out there.

We’ve supported the resort casino plan because we view it as a way to bring jobs and vibrancy to places like the Quaboag region — one of the leading candidates for a site is a parcel off the turnpike exit in Palmer — that don’t appear to have many options amid the ongoing decline in the manufacturing sector and some geographic disadvantages.

Maybe it’s time to refocus efforts on creating some options for Quaboag, and also New Bedford, Holyoke, Pittsfield, and Springfield, and this will be a stern challenge.

Indeed, DiMasi and others in the House are soon going to find that rejecting casinos was the relatively easy part of this equation. Finding new sources of jobs and revenues (beyond hikes to cigarette and gas taxes) is going to be much more difficult. But this is priority one for Massachusetts, because this challenge — like casino supporters, apparently — won’t go away easily.

Perhaps the biosciences and ‘green’ business development can help comprise an answer. The Legislature can start by priming this pump with research dollars and tax incentives and hope that, somehow, these sectors can produce tens of thousands of jobs that can be filled by the existing labor force. We have our doubts about whether this will happen.

Beyond simple tax hikes and some wishful thinking about ‘green’ businesses, many in the Legislature are simply waiting for that proverbial ‘next big thing,’ and they’ve already been waiting for a long time. Instead of waiting, they need to act.

DiMasi and others in the House are calling the casino vote a victory. Maybe it is, but unless the Legislature can manage to find some other ways to bolster this state’s economy and generate some real momentum and jobs, then it will be a hollow victory indeed.